Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas (Pokemon Watty Award Winner 2014)

Chapter 32

SARAH

 

            Sarah Spark’s heart was beating faster when she read the letter that had come in.  Only three people have seen it so far: the man who runs the Swellow-rookery, her lord father Marcus Spark, and her.  Electricity tickled Sarah’s hand as she scratched her Manectric by her ear in excitement.

            The letter was sealed with the dark green wax of the Forrest family; the Kings of the Fortree Kingdom. It had come from Solomon Forrest, the Prince himself.

 Marcus Spark and family, the letter began. With great care I write this letter.  Tell no one outside of your family.  Tell not your steward, your general, or your chiefs.

 Chris Marsh is alive, and uncaptured by Miguel Starfall who now rules the Mt. Chimney Kingdom as King. I cannot say the same about the other men he was traveling with.  Luckily, on our journey from Fortree to Mt.Pyre to attend my sister Susan’s wedding, we were able to secure Chris.  It was my plan to keep him safe with us and take him to the wedding. If that were the case, this would be a letter of invitation to you as well.

Against my warnings, Chris has left us and has chosen to journey to the jagged passes around Lavaridge, where it is believed that his Swampert miraculously escaped the clutches of Starfall. Please do not take rash action. Chris’s arm should be mended by now, and very soon he should be returning to Mauville to take Sarah to my sister’s wedding.

I plan on launching an attack soon against Starfall- the man I believe is entirely responsible for the recent attempt at war upon your own Kingdom. But I need your help.  When we meet at Mt. Pyre with you and Chris, we will begin to set our plan into motion.

-Solomon of the House Forrest, Prince of Fortree

            “Another letter,” said Sarah. “Yet this one brings happy news. Chris is not captured!” She wanted to shout with her excitement.  It took all of Sarah’s efforts not to smile. 

            “A good thing you talked me out of trying to make peace with Starfall,” Marcus Spark said as they sat alone in his room. His own Manectric stood stoic as ever next to a fire in the fireplace.  “If only I hadn’t sent the last letter from Starfall to Slateport… It seems our friends to the south might still believe that King Chris is still captive.”

            “His uncle rules in his stead, for now,” Sarah remembered Apollo: tall, confident, and with an air of command that signaled his experience as a battle commander.  “Surely, we can tell him of this.”

            “Aye,” Marcus nodded still observing the letter.

            Sarah spoke again, she didn’t know what made her.  “If I could have your permission to wait on the northern rode for Chris, so that I can escort him back to Mauville safely after he finds Swampert?”

            Marcus looked at her carefully.  “I don’t know how many of Starfall’s spies are on the northern road,” he finally said.  He stroked his beard.  “We’ll give him a week, and then we’ll ride out in force to await his return.”

            Sarah leapt out of her seat and hugged her father. “Thank you so much!” She turned to walk out of the room when Marcus stopped her.

            “Sarah,” he said, “There’s something I need to ask you.”     

            “Yes?”

            “Do you love him? I’ve never seen you so excited about another person before. What I’m trying to say is, I never thought you would be so staunchly behind this betrothal.” His eyes twinkled, as if they were looking into her soul.

            “I…” how could she tell her father that she loved him? It was his idea, to be sure, to marry the two of them.  But this was the first time he had asked her about her feelings.  “I do.”

            “I just… don’t want you to be disappointed when he comes back, my love.” He looked over at his Manectric, straight at attention.

            “Why would you say that?” she asked.

            “It has been nearly a month and a half since Swampert was captured… and likely tortured. Besides all that… the point I’m getting at is that war changes people… and Pokemon.” He walked over and began to scratch his Manectric the way that Sarah petted hers.  It made no motion to acknowledge its Spirit Partner’s touch. “When we were repelling the Brightflames out of our land during the first Great War, my little brother, your uncle was still alive.  This was before the battle at Meteor Falls. Manectric and I watched as a Flygon rider snatched him up and dropped him from the sky.  Luckily, my Manectric saved him… but it couldn’t save his Manectric.  The Flygon swooped back down and picked it up, it was the runt of the hatchlings…

            “Your uncle died shortly after they pulled his Manectric apart in midair. My own Spirit Pokemon,” he gestured to Manectric, “was so consumed by grief and rage that it let out a thunderous burst of electricity, and grounded the Flygon that had picked up its brother.  The way he ripped the dragon’s throat out was… vicious. He’s never been the same since.”  Marcus’s Manectric sat as still as ever. “Sometimes, I still dream of that battle, and each time is as bloody as the last.  I can still feel Manectric’s anger flowing through me when I wake up.  This kind of trauma doesn’t only affect the Pokemon.  It also affects the human they’re bonded to.”

            “No matter what happens,” Sarah said.  “I will love Chris for what he did by marshalling his armies to help us, and I know he loves me as well.” He had kissed me when he left, didn’t he? Or had she kissed him?

            Marcus, her father, peered almost into her soul. “Very well,” he said finally. “Off with you, girl.” The jolly smile came back to his face, and Sarah gleefully ran out the door.

            She ran down the steps of the palace and to the archery practice range. Sarah Spark grabbed her arrows and ran to a wooded area, slightly farther away from town. There, she found a tree which was similar to the one she and Chris had found while they made their journey to Mauville together. 

            Sarah took aim and fired swiftly. Though her heart was pounding with excitement, her aim was true.  “All right, Manectric, can you zap these while they’re in the air?” She lifted two arrows at the same time and slung them through her bow.  When Sarah released, the arrows flew through the air and her Spirit Pokemon let out a burst of electricity that powered them through the trunk of the tree. 

            One of her arrows had flown so fast that it had penetrated all the way through the tree. It reminded her of Chris’s impressive skill with his spear.  “I could tell Chris about this,” she said as she ran her fingers through the feathers at the base of the arrow. Sarah looked at Manectric again. “Or I could keep practicing so I can show him!” Chris was not like other boys who laughed at her and called her “tomboy,” he appreciated her skills with a weapon.  She remembered when he had allowed her to help search for his friends during the battle of Mauville.

            Thrum. Zap. Thunk. Arrow after arrow found its mark.  Sarah’s senses were heightened in her happiness that Chris would be coming back. Thrum. Zap. Thunk. Manectric had struck at just the right time again, and a second arrow pierced all the way through the tree. 

            The minutes blurred into hours and the sun began to set.  Sarah didn’t care. Her husband-to-be was coming back.  Arrow after arrow piercing all the way through the tree, time after time with a simple Thrum. Zap. Thunk. Thrum. Zap. Thunk.