Bashful Yellow Eyes~

“I deeply apologize for my affront, Elder Lyra…” The repentant Pokemon begins, though you detect a slight tinge of impish delight behind his words. “I had thought to leave dear Kale in your capable hands, though to my disbelief, I had heard a worrying lack of conversation for a moment.” A masterfully disguised half smirk, only visible from the side of Arro’s face directed toward you punctuates his conclusion.

“I admit that I was concerned enough to check on your progress.”

Lyra, no doubt well accustomed to her protégé's sly ways, merely grunts in response, apparently lacking the energy to confront him on the half truth. The thought of this imposing woman being bested by Arro’s impenetrable guile made you fear for the next time you’d be **** to match wills with the man…

“And with you seeing to our comfort…” Lyra begins with thinly-veiled agitation thick in her tone, “Who, might I ask, will see to Jona’s safety?” A prickly, if not poignant question, and Arro is **** to agree. He responds quickly and without sass.

“Sleeping soundly. Just as you left her, Ma’am.” The response hangs in the air for a moment, a soft quiver in the Vaporeons voice on that last word. Even you in your stupefied state could tell he was putting on a show for everyone else. It wounded you to see the man hurting so.

“Maybe…” Your quiet interjection draws both sets of eyes to your humble form. Despite the scrutiny for talking out of turn, you felt that you owed the poor fox this much.

“Maybe he could stay for a while…? If that’s okay with you, Miss Lyra..?” Seeing the look of profound gratitude replace the devious glee in Arro’s eyes was enough to make Lyra’s stern glance for the breach of decorum worth it. You should like to relieve him of some of that gloom, if only for a while. Catching wind of what was happening between the two of you, Lyra sighs with exasperation.

“I will allow this, Kale.” She replies, the faintest bit of warmth coating her words. Her eyes lock on to her guardian as he joyfully half-walks, half-skips up next to plop down on the cushion beside you. Her expression bores into the Vaporeon, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

“So long as there are no further disruptions…” You quickly nod to the terms, Arro following suit with the usual incorrigible grin returning once he’s gotten his way yet again.

“You’ve my word, Elder Lyra.” Comes his dutiful response in the face of her accusatory stare. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world~”

The tired woman pinches her brow, likely already regretting her decision, before continuing her questions. Avoiding the topic that seemed most distressful to you, her inquiry turned to your road ahead and what your plans are for the future. “Finally..!” You think to yourself. The prospect of, at long last, receiving proper guidance for your search is a sobering notion. It does well to restore a bit of life to your answers. With as much excitement as one can muster in your state, you eagerly divulge how you hope to learn who or what is causing the spread of this viral corruption, and what solutions, if any, you could help to provide.

As you finish your mission statement, brimming with what pride Lyra’s effect allowed you to enjoy. There came another gap in the conversation, a pause that floundered in the air, quickly becoming stale.

“So…” Lyra begins gently. “You wish to find a cure for the plague… But have no idea where to go or what to search for?” The absurdity of your proclamation laid bare with little to no effort stings more than you expected. You blush all the hotter when a stifled giggle slips from the Vaporeon, clearly on the verge of losing it. You attempt to stammer out a clarification.

“I just… I hadn’t heard of anyone trying to do anything other than flee or succumb to the infection.” Arro’s outburst is silenced with a look from his chieftain and you are allowed to continue. “I knew it wasn’t going to be a simple task, that’s why I sought an audience with you, Lyra.” Despite his behavior, you turn to Arro and place a hand on his shoulder. “The way this one spoke of you, I had little doubt you might know something, anything I could use to begin my search in earnest.”

The room goes quiet once more, though the lull feels different this time. Lyra stares absently over your heads, considering what you’ve shared. Even Arro tries to make up for his outburst, scooching closer to wrap an arm playfully around your collar. The moments slip by, no one willing to break the calm ambience of the waves crashing below the boardwalk. Finally, the sagely old woman speaks.

“Every great saga begins with a single page.” Her eyes return to you both, apparently having come up with her answer. “Though it shames me, I cannot give you what you seek, Kale.” This admission is disheartening to say the least. You had hoped with all the times you’d narrowly avoided an unceremonious end in the past few days that SOMETHING was there, just out of reach, that would make it all worthwhile. Your dour expression seems to suck the air out of the room for all parties. Arro seems like he’s about to offer his apologies before he is quieted by a raise of Lyra’s hand.

“I cannot give you information I do not possess, my friend. However…” A spark of hope flickers with you as they catch a glint of whimsey in those deep red eyes. “I may know of one who does.” Your heart skips a beat, excitement flooding back into your visage. A smile must be apparent on your face because the next thing you know Arro’s giving you a hardy shake, more than happy to share in your mirth. Lyra then excuses herself, saying that she must procure a few things that may help aid you on your way. Your renewed vigor is tested however, as Arro, no longer under the watchful eye of his Elder, goes to work.

“Was I not correct in my assumption of Lyra’s assistance?” You nod obediently, the effects of the hypnosis still swirling within you. “Never doubted me for a moment, did you?” You shake your head, further stoking his self-praise. That familiar smirk, the one you’ve become wary of, is plastered across Arro’s face yet again. He inches a bit closer to your stoic form. A spot of worry takes hold in your chest as those devious eyes settle upon yours.

“My, my…” Coos the flamboyant fox. “We have become quite the well-mannered kitten, haven’t we~?” You have the wherewithal to understand he’s teasing, though not the capacity to confront him. You simply nod in response, only encouraging him to further push his luck. “We were lucky to have been graced by the sagely wisdom of the magnanimous Elder Lyra, yes~?” He draws nearer with every word, those golden orbs covering you in their piercing shroud. You barely feel yourself offer a weak bob of the head.

“...And that of her champion…”

The utterance, low and much softer than before, bouncing about your hazy mind. The Vaporeon comes to a stop just before his nose makes contact with your own. “Yes…” The words are like sweet nectar poured directly into your soul. “He was kind to you, was he not…?” A shiver runs up your spine as you feel the rest of his body saddle up next to yours, those eyes never letting you escape. “He offered you clemency… Gave freely of his home and his food… But most of all…” You can feel the warmth of his breath on your face as his torturous lark continues, “...He gave to you his companionship, didn’t he? Such a lovely man… What was his name again~~?” He blinks expectantly, waiting for your reaction.

“A-arro..?” Your sputtering reply, mired in obvious befuddlement as it was, is exactly what your tormentor was after. He beams all the brighter at your admission, and slips a webbed paw behind your head, guiding your face over his shoulder. The sensation of his voice disturbing the fur on your neck just below your ear is almost too much to take.

“That is correct, my dear Kale~”

The tone shifts immediately as he pulls back with a giggle. It takes a moment for you to pick your jaw up off the floor, but the heavy thumping of Lyra’s return does wonders for reacquiring discipline. As she is settling back down across from the two of you, all Arro can offer in the way of an explanation for his teasing is an innocent shrug followed by a not so innocent wink. The tiring Pokemon will once again have his way as Lyra draws attention back to herself and the items she has placed on the small wooden table between you.

You look upon the two objects, one a thin plank of aged wood about a foot in height and a bit more in length, the other what appears to be a single ruby red scale that gleams as you view it. Having seen your fair share of Lyra’s tail scales, it’s not hard to place the latter item. Noticing your stare, Lyra runs a hand over the plank of wood, flipping it over to reveal a series of markings. “This slat is of the Ginkgo trees far to the northwest. They are said to have aided in the creation of curatives in the earliest days of civil society. As such, they have encouraged those with a knack for healing illness to form small hamlets near their groves.” She guides your eyes to the markings, recently made you realize, as she continues.

“I have taken the liberty to lay out a path that will lead you to one such grove. I admit I lack an artistic flair, but I should hope these crude drawings will guide you on your way.” A brief overview of the etching appears to show a small, carved out dot next to a shoreline in the bottom right of the wood. There is a dashed line that weaves a course through carvings of trees and lakes, culminating in a grouping of what you suspect are Ginkgo trees in the top left. Your focus is redirected to the glimmering scale pinched between two fingers before you.

“This should be self-evident”, Lyra quips. “Should you encounter any resistance or doubts of your story when you reach the grove, show them this.” She gestures for you to raise your hand wherein she deposits the bit of shine. The fleck of ruby red is heavier than you would've expected, and easily fills most of your extended hand. “It is my hope that this, rare as it is to come by, might dissuade naysayers and tip the scales in your favor.”

“Good one, ma’am~” Arro chirps. The Milotic's deadpan glare does little to dampen his sardonic grin. After another brief battle of wills, another tally in the Vaporeons favor, an irritated Lyra asks if he has anything to add other than the usual barbs. He politely shakes his head as you gently place the gifts into your traveling satchel. You are about to thank the woman for her aid, eager to begin your journey anew, before you are cut off by her raised palm.

“There is still one more thing to address, Kale.” You note the return of cold indifference in her voice. “You know how far I am willing to go to protect my village and it’s people. As such, I will need assurances on your end that you will never willfully reveal or endanger their existence.” Her words are heavy and you can make out additional swirls dancing about your vision as that devilish tail begins its dance once more. Lyra’s deep ocular oceans bare down on and capture your own, locking you both into near total concentration upon the other.

“You will LISTEN to my words…”

Your body freezes in an instant, your entire world consumed by the declaration. Without thinking you recite the words, making them your own.

“You will OBEY my wishes…”

You find the idea of resisting aberrant, as you continue to mirror Lyra.

“You will never, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, willfully expose this village nor the people therein.”

So enveloped by the mantra, the formation of a new guiding principle, an unshakable pillar of your psyche, that you never even feel Arro slither up beside you once more. You repeat your charge to the best of your ability, as he slips a roaming hand paw down the crease of your back, coming to a rest just short of cupping a palm of your fuzzy derrière. If anything could shake you from the all-encompassing glow of Lyra’s hypnotic gaze, it was what the imp in Vaporeon form did next.

“And…”

Your attention paid to the imposing woman is stolen for only a moment, though luckily for Arro, that was all he needed.

“... You will FIX MY DOOR~ ”

The spectacularly childish request is bookended by an even more audacious pinch to the rump from your ‘friends’ busy fingers. The shock of it all nearly has you jump up from your seat, thoroughly disturbing the ritual and pushing the thoroughly frustrated chieftain beyond her limit. Arro only gets a few smug giggles at your expense before an expertly aimed jet of water removes him from sight. It might have been funny had it not been so unexpected, the cackling ‘mon simply removed and replaced by a pressurized blast. Fearfully, you turn to see Lyra rising from her seat, a look of murderous intent not yet seen in the woman. She stomps toward the sputtering Vaporeon as he tries to get a leg under himself.

Without thinking, you are up like a shot, and move to put your comparatively minuscule body between Lyra and her righteous vengeance. “P-please! He didn’t mean to disturb us!” Her withering glower now rests upon your shoulders and you **** the words to come, “I reacted worse than I should have. The fault is mine!” Unaffected by your plea, Lyra continues toward her troublesome second, threatening to trample you to dole out her divine judgment. Running out of options, you do the only thing you can think of to calm her fury.

“I swear on my life that you need not fear my indiscretion!”

A deafening quiet settles over the chaotic scene, only occasionally broken by Arro’s soggy fidgeting. Lyra keeps the offending party in her focus, but eventually she speaks through gritted teeth. “I know, Kale. I could tell from the moment you sat down.” The admission **** a quizzical expression to come over you prompting Lyra to take her eyes from the now shakily knelt Vaporeon, a slight chip in his otherwise usual grin, and turn to regard you. She exhales hard, eternally tested by the world on her weary shoulders, and informs you that merely by accepting her methods, willfully exposing yourself to her inquiry, she knew that you could be trusted. You ask why, then, the need for her ‘Conditioning’, to which she simply replies, “Even though I myself have taken a measure of you, that does not mean I am willing to risk the safety of my people on the odd chance I am mistaken.”

You flinch as she places one large hand over your shoulder, the weight of it forcing you to tense the muscles in your matching leg. “You understand my worry, yes?” Lyra descents to one knee, still towering over you by a good two feet though, as you respond with a quiet nod. “Good lad. speaking of which…” The woman's eyes seem to glimmer as that lovely feeling of warmth returns, begging your undivided attention, “I think it’s time to bring you back to us.” She gives an icy stare to Arro, now mostly dried off and reclining against the wall beyond, and sharply adds, “No objections, I hope?”

“None, Elder Lyra.” His tone has adopted a stoic professionalism once more, apparently only desiring one cold shower this morning. She gives him a curt nod before returning her attention to you. She then asks that you close your eyes, which you obey quickly, and tells you to remember all that has transpired these last 20 minutes. To make everything you have learned, everything you have been shown a part of your very being; to bury it so deeply that none will ever strip it from you. Lyra asks if you have done as requested, to which you nod, eyes still tightly shut.

“Then I ask that you WAKE.”

As soon as that final command is vocalized you hear… no, you FEEL a loud pop inside your head. The fur on the back of your head tingles as if it had just been extinguished after catching fire. The soft ringing in your ears slowly dissipates, taking with it the swirling shapes, wavy lines, and general sensation of weightlessness you’d been experiencing throughout the session. Having regained the 'heft' of which you’re accustomed to, your shoulders slump and head droops. A wave of mild exhaustion aches deep into your muscles as they resist the tug of gravity. Despite these minor irritations, you at last feel in control of yourself. The soft pad of hindpaws from begins alerts you to Arro’s approach.

“Welcome back to the land of fine motor skills, Kale~” He gently teases, extending a hand to you. Taking it in your own, you let him slowly pull you up to a wobbly stand, careful not to stress your weary legs too much. You give him a polite nod for the assist before turning to regard Lyra, noticing that she has joined the pair of you in rising to her hindpaws.

“Thank you for your help Elder Lyra.” You offer kindly, receiving a warm smile from the sagely woman in return. “And for the ‘ritual’, as well. It was very…” You conclude your statement with a playful shoulder bump to the troublesome Vaporeon. “Enlightening.” Arro chuckles at your shove, giving your arm a little *Bop* in trade. What was left of the Milotic’s anger has long since gone, and in spite of a defeated shake of her head, and you know the three of you are better for it.

At least until the sound of crashing rattles from the bedroom once more, causing you to flinch. There is a split second where you exchange worried glances to your new friends before action is taken. With no misconceptions to what the disturbance could be, the three of you spring toward the archway. Arro proves the faster, reaching the entryway just before you and throws wide the curtain…