The Bird that Fell Through the Sky... Again

"Aaah!"

The young Spearow fell into the familiar forest, with a strong feeling of deja vu racing through her mind as she tried to dodge every branch that could possibly collide with her. While Kelina enjoyed flying, it's a known fact that her species have to flap their wings very rapidly in order to stay in the air. Kelina was considered by many to be the best flyer compared to her peers, but when she set off from Aileron Village, her face was in utter awe at the sight of the surface. Soon, the Spearow ended up tiring out, her body almost giving up without her even realizing it!

But I just noticed the mountain shrouded in a weird mist! Kelina thought as a branch hit her in the torso.

The trip down almost seemed to be endless, until... THUD!

She, or anyone else for that matter, would've been knocked out by the collision, but the faint scent of the surrounding berries was almost too IDENTICAL for the Spearow to just fall asleep! Kelina quickly got up and checked her surroundings. Multiple Pecha Berries lined the deep forest like decoration for a room.

"I remember this now! This is Pecha Forest, the place I was rescued from! Which means... Grassveil Town is nearby!" Kelina shouted with glee.
"Now... how do I get out of here?" she mentioned.

That was it: no more Grassveil Town.

Ares had officially had his fill of the unusual chipper and gleeful attitude that permeated through the atmosphere of the humble, "grassroot" civilization. His quest to become powerful, and attain a status of symbolism of brute ferocity and strength, would not be successful if he lingered too long in such a place. Simply put, a community driven town guided by a community-oriented regime - otherwise known as the Guild - was too toxic for an upcoming war god like himself.

As he made his way out of town, there was a slight longing to turn around and forfeit his never conclusive adventure. What was there left to obtain once he had successfully completed his journey? The young Charmander stopped in his tracks, hesitating slightly on the very doorstep of the forest and hazarding a glance towards the bubbling village. It was a mere blemish on the landscape, an imperfection that had not been accounted for when some greater being created this realm, but it acted as a refuge to those who had no home: an oasis in an unending desert that persisted in all directions.

He sighed, but willed himself onwards into the sheltering canopy of century old Pecha trees. His quest must continue. With all the reasons there were to stay in that location, there were two more reasons as to why he would have to force himself to leave. This town was a lotophagus that was offering him the apathy-inducing, narcotic lotus.

He simply had to persist.

Thus, Ares walked on: the forest blossoming for him as he entered Her sacred space. Trails skipped alongside him as he forged his path through the undergrowth, and the ripe textures and skins of the Pecha Berries added a pink aura to the overhanging air. This was a rather cheery place as well.

Great.

This moment of forced serenity ended prematurely, however, when the sound of breaking branches became audible. Such a sound undoubtedly heralded the arrival of another - friend or foe. Of course it was in Ares best interest to run away at the very notion of something unknown arriving, but the noxious, sense-numbing aura of Grassveil Town still lingered within his lungs and dumbed him. He would chase after this noise, pursuing it like a light in the darkness. His approach would be most likely be as equally as loud considering his current position, and thus would signal his arrival before he even breached the location.

Right now, the Spearow is, unfortunately, lost. To Kelina, this normally might not necessarily be a bad thing, considering her love to explore new location, but right now, she's determined to sign up as an explorer in the Grassveil Guild. Plus, she had already been in this particular place before, even though her memory of it IS a bit foggy.

As Kelina looked around the seemingly endless forest, Kelina wished that she could fly out of this forest and into Grassveil Town, but the fall was harder than she thought. The Spearow could barely fly as is, let alone enough to even grab some berries from the top of any tree she comes across! This especially turns out to be excruciating for her, considering berries and other sweets are her favorite meal...

It's like these Pecha Berries are taunting me! Kelina thought.

When the Spearow soon lost hope that she can get out of this, Kelina rested beneath one of the sea of trees in the calm, relaxing environment and wished that the Guild may have noticed her boisterous tumble down and came to search the forest, like the exploration team did the last time she got into this predicament. "Heh, I can't even remember their faces after all these years", the Spearow mentioned.

Kelina's silent request was not about to go unanswered, since almost anyone could hear the resounding pace of a Pokemon directly towards her. Whether it's a member of the Guild, a normal bystander, or even a wild predator, she'll definitely be ready.

The sea of undergrowth, lush with balding bushes and prickly thorns, parted before Ares as he dashed through. His body, particularly his abdomen, stood as testament to his bulldozing behavior as bristles latched sporadically onto his segmented, scaly hide. Nothing quite like a short jog towards "who knows what" to start one's journey into the wilderness! Quite frankly, as he continued to pursue the unknown source of this sound, he began to doubt and question the reason he was doing so in the first place.

It was in his natural disposition to fear the unknown - that much was true. This was crucial to survival: don't chase after strange noises, don't help strangers, and don't be the first one to get eaten by the monster. In his war-torn homeland, survival was all that one had if their clan was at the bottom of the totem pole. Dying wouldn't help your clansmen, nor would getting gobbled up like an horderve, and thus it was crucial for every parent to whip "sensible" fears into their offspring. That was how things were.

The cause of his sudden abandonment of these virtues that he had so zealous held onto could only be the product of living a "plush" and "cushy" lifestyle in Grassveil Town. The overall friendliness and freedom from fear and bloodshed had spoiled Ares. He had regressed into a state that he despised. Of course, these questions would do nothing to falter or end his feet from carrying him towards a presumedly friendly encounter.

A quiet wind stirred the waves of the trees high above, causing their leaves to rustle and branches to quiver. It was as if they were sighing in relief or in pleasure, for there was an unusually peaceful atmosphere that inhabited this old forest. As Ares skidded to a halt in a rather patchy clearing, his nostrils flared in an attempt to catch a scent. While lizards are not known for their sense of smell like dogs were, their predatory and meat-craving brains and stomachs were hardwired to detect prey. He often had used this to his advantage in his homeland to locate individuals who were potentially hurt.

Unto him, a Spearow had been delievered.

It was recognition of another's presence that truly made the Charmander straighten up with unease. He slowly pivoted where he stood, turning to face the roosting bird that was taking shelter beneath the trees. A pregnant silence would develop as he attempted to determine whether or not this was friend or foe - this was apparently how he greeted everyone he found in the wild.

As the sound got steadily more intense within each second, Kelina was able to prepare herself for any upcoming dangers right when the cause of the sound finally emerged; it's a Charmander, tired and distraught, that was making the noise. Though she has never seen any before, the Spearow has been described of the flightless pre-evolution from multiple Charizards who made it to The Floating Islands. Kelina was a bit wary when the Pokemon arrived, but when she noticed the red bandanna hanging around his neck, the Spearow at least felt a little at ease.

It looks like he's not wild at least, she thought as silence lingers between the two.

He hasn't been attacking her, but as Kelina looked into his eyes, she saw that of a warrior, similar to some of the locals at Aileron Guild. Kelina shuddered a bit, since she isn't very inept at fighting. Even with the training from Dad, fighting is not really something that I fully commit to. She didn't want to join the guild at Grassveil to become stronger than most others; The Spearow wanted to see every corner of the surface that she looked over with her very own eyes.

The silence seemed to go on for an eternity, with only the wind in the overshadowing forest making sound. Hoping to break the ice and also not to anger him, Kelina got up and said, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Kelina, and I'm from Aileron Town. Do you by any chance know where Grassveil Town is?"

Well, this Spearow certainly didn't seem dangerous. Their encounter and interactions thus far could be summarized as simply sizing each other up and determining whether the other was a threat, which was impressively prudent. As the silence continued to bloat up between them, only the puncturing sound of a voice could remedy the situation. The Charmander was not one to domineer a conversation - it simply was not his strong suit - and thus was not prone to talking unless spoken to or having been afflicted by some action.

The wind blew ominously in the background, as if it had been supplanted from a Western genre movie.

Pop! The silence's chains upon their conversation had been shaken loose by the Spearow's vocals. They lingered, however, as they were slithered off and made Ares still and quiet for a few moments. He had not expected this prompt introduction. It was unusual for him to garner and win a name from a stranger so quickly, and thus it had taken him off guard. As the bird rose forth and introduced herself, there was a kind of simplistic nature about her that he liked. He was so invested in finding out more about the town in the heavens, so stricken by the notion of one day being able to penetrate the clouds and explore the city that resided in the aether.

Well, until she mentioned that hellhole.

"Why," he would inquire in a coy fashion, "would you want to know where that is?"

Its clear to Kelina that the Charmander was taken aback by the Spearow's sudden introduction, especially the mention of her place of origin, but she was also slightly shocked by how the Pokemon thought of Grassveil Town. His mood seemed to suddenly turn for the worse once she had finished her introduction, and what the Charmander questioned afterwards became the final nail in the coffin.

He doesn't like the town? Kelina thought. To be honest, she was starting to become curious as to why he disliked the seemingly mellow location so much. From what she remembers at least, the district was a busy, but relaxing locale full of shops that line every street and interesting events that happen once in a while.

Still not wanting for the conversation to end at that point, Kelina truthfully replied, "I was looking to join the Grassveil Guild there. I'm currently planning to create my own rescue team, even though I'm basically the only member." After what she said, the Spearow paused for a moment. He doesn't take the town too well, but how does he feel about the guild there?

Should he have been ingesting watermelon and drinking water, his spit take would have been perfect. The mere mention of the guild - and the notion of someone wanting to joining it - was such a terrifyingly disgusting conversation tidbit that he felt like he had been winded. Should it have possessed a miasma, it would have knocked him flat on his back just from the mere suggestion of a smell. Why was it that everyone and their mother had the ambition of joining a slave organization?

A puff of smoke was promptly expelled from his slit-like nostrils, and Ares's body language switched from hesitant curiosity to rampaging disgust. He was prone to tirades, but such a situation left him in quite a mood. His speech pattern underwent metamorphosis and transformed into a chiding, hateful tone. If it was not clear by this point that the guild was a point of disinterest for him, then his speech would.

There was little that would shut the young drake up when he started a polemic, particularly upon a subject that he despised a vast amount. In the heat of the moment, he would become passionate and unswayable until he spoke his piece. There was something to be admired in how certain and confident he could become in a subject, but it also remained a major vex that isolated him.

Did Ares care?

Not in the slightest.

"The guild," he snarled with vile contempt, "is no place for a 'mon looking to make a name for themselves. What, do you want to be coddled? Do you want to cosset others? The mere idea of enabling others to remain weak and dependent upon an organization is despicable. If you truly want to help others, don't do it through some mafia that's doing its best to maintain its facade of helping others. They're there for money, and money only."

That had done it; the Charmander attacked the guild that Kelina has respected for so many years in an contemptible tone. An incredibly large part of her wanted to object to his statement and defend it, but another part of the Spearow wanted to find out how he gained this steadfast opinion on the subject. Usually, she would politely inquire on why the drake is so agitated by the topic, but Kelina held her ground and forced her say on the matter. She sighed a bit before doing so, as she was the one who brought it up in the first place.

"Mafia?? While I can agree with your opinion that some guild members selfishly pay too close attention to the monetary value of things, and that some of the jobs posted are almost lazy at times, I believe that the guild is an overall well-handled community filled with even better Pokemon that can allow me and many others to go out of bounds to help those in dire need when others don't know or even care. It can even aid me when I need it most as well, just like what an exploration team did years ago when they rescued me from this very location, for no reward. Look; I may not know your past, or how you got that unwavering opinion, but the guild isn't as bad as you might think."

It pains her to know it, but the Spearow is probably about to get into a very heated argument with a particularly stubborn Charmander that may possibly be her only way out of this lush, pinkish forest. She could have let his snark comment by, but Kelina had too much respect for both the Grassveil Guild and the Aileron Guild to just end it on that point. Her argument might be biased; then again, his also doesn't seem to be fair on the topic.

It would appear that they were not like-minded and based their views upon opposite spectrums. She viewed the guild as, to borrow a description from a prior conversation, "a beacon" to those with nothing. He viewed the guild as a parasite that feasted, not only upon the society that acted as its host, but upon itself as well. It leeched funds and energy from the weakest and most gullible of its rank so that it could prolong its own lifespan. Sure, a couple of 'mons might get helped out here and there, but what were they teaching them? That the only way to be perceived as strong and influential was to devout oneself to an inescapable route?

This thought did not sit well from him, particularly when this Spearow's argument even openly admitted to many of his main points. To Ares, it seemed as if he merely had to shut down this altercation verbally in order to save another soul from the lie that the guild was. It was his duty, after all.

A snort was given as he dismissed her dialogue as easily as flicking an ant off one's arm. With a clawed hand raised in a contemptuous manner, his voice would match with chiding disdain, "I was just about to ask if you had had any early relations with the guild, but you beat me to it. Undoubtedly, that rescue team that 'assisted' you when you were younger were merely installing their propaganda in your supple and easily persuaded mind. It is a despicable low to attempt to sway someone when they are that age, but I would expect nothing else from such an unsavory crowd!"

He would follow up with a switch in body language, as if he were dismissing her earnest reply as merely a side effect of brainwashing. Ares's two arms would fold over one another, coiling like two serpents attempting to devour the other, and he would speak again, "If it was well-handled, then they would be allowing the community to still function on its own and not act as a major piece in the economy."

It seems to be as if the Spearow's earnest argument passed right over the Charmander's head because of the mere mention of a rescue many years ago, and he only heard the few beginning parts where Kelina agreed with him.

The Spearow sighed. "It's not like that's my only memory of guilds in general..." she quietly muttered in an annoyed fashion, which soon turned into what she believed was subtle anger. "There was another guild that 'influenced' me; Aileron Guild. Do you think that I would agree with you on some of their faults as a community because of your word?"

Yes.
Subtle.

Looking back, there wasn't much of anything to do in the peaceful, small village in the Floating Islands, so the Spearow regularly visits the highly prestigious Aileron Guild. Even before her fall down to the surface, she would excitedly converse with guild members about their dangerous, almost death-defying missions. In fact, the only reason she chose Grassveil instead is because of two main things: more respect for the guild and the possibility of a more positive, varied environment.

"While there may be some problems in the overall environment, it really ended up being outweighed, at least in my opinion. While most explorers were nice and accepting, some were selfish and greedy. Most shrugged it off though, relating them to mere bullies in terms of the small number there actually is. I also agree with you that the guild and town are very dependent of each other, but it's quite necessary considering the fact that their THRIVING society's based around that. It can get as simple as explorers buying supplies from shopkeepers, to explorers requesting help for rescue as they fainted whilst trying to find supplies for said shopkeepers, to even more! But even with that it also doesn't mean that you can't get help without having to post it in the bulletin boards; kind Pokemon can still help others without needing a guild to side with. These faults are merely overshadowed in the great community!"
"Like it or not; guilds are a large part of our lives by themselves!"

At least that's what Kelina would've argued, if she believed the Charmander was even listening to her opinions anymore. He would probably refuse to accept it at all costs from his boulder of an opinion, so it basically wasn't even worth THINKING about all this. Giving up on the lingering thought of persuading him, the Spearow prepared to leave before asking, "I'll ask you again; do you know the direction to where Grassveil Town i-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence before a sharp Leer of Kelina's Keen Eye quickly appeared. The Spearow saw a faint shadow behind the Charmander.

This dice is not existing.

The member 'XGrandireX' has done the following action : Dices Roll

'encounter rarity' : 4

What did it matter if his stubborn brain had isolated the only points that he had thought were relevant? To him, the moment an opponent confirmed his accusations or verified them (and then corrected them) was the point of vulnerability that he would strike. Slowly, the young drake would jab at that surmised weakness and expose the invalidity that he perceived. It was sadly a characteristic that came with his astute intelligence: he would focus on sometimes vague and arbitrary points mentioned if they pertained to his own stance. There was little to be done about that.

Which brought him to this little predicament right here. As it stood, he was merely applying logic to a situation that he believed to be inspired by passion and sheer emotion. His basic, somewhat simplistic understanding of psychology pointed to how evident it was that they had "imprinted" upon this Spearow - it made the most sense to him. Perhaps it was an answer that he had come to from a concoction of deeply laid biases and the desire to prove his point.

Either way, Ares allowed his arms to remain folded in a dismissive, slightly irritated manner as he listened somewhat attentively to the other's argument. The more he thought about it, the less it made sense: was she saying she agreed or disagreed with his observations? They seemed to be kindred notes, as well, considering that she herself had also just admitted to them. There was a lack of clarity in her words that caused him to promptly become disinterested.

"Yet," he would retort, "you just agreed with my observations, as well as supported it with your own observations, that guilds are greedy and money hungry." It was his moral and rational duty to point out the flaws in her train of thought.

This Spearow was prompt to change the subject, more or less in an observably terse and irate fashion, to once more asking for directions. It was apparent in her body language that she had more to say, but sadly it could only be surmised that Kelina had elected to hold her tongue. Just as Ares was going to rebuff her once again and haughtily declare that he was not a tour guide, there came a swift movement from the bushes.

It wasn't an ominous rustle that caught his attention, but more so a sudden anger and stress that was witnessed in Kelina's body language. While obviously it was a Leer attack, and the Charmander immediately tensed up for a fight, it only became apparent that he was not the target when he suddenly found himself lying flat on his back. He was no god of war yet, and thus such a rush had been unavoidable, but he swiftly got to his feet to analyze what had sucker punched him.

Oh goody, a rather pissed off looking Deerling. It seemed to want to tango.

(OOC: Sorry for the late/short post. I'm kind of busy.)

The faint shadow in the background was revealed to be a spring-pink Deerling, and it wasted no time in rushing the Charmander. Looking rather aggravated, it tackled him, and Kelina was quick to react. She at first wanted to know why the wild, herbivore Pokemon wanted to cause such harm to them, as the duo have been only arguing throughout the entire time they were in the forest.

It seemed as it was eavesdropping when I spotted it; I would like to know more about our abrupt guest, but now's probably not the time...

The Spearow needed to deal with the problem right in front of her before the questions that she may ask. She could have just tucked tail and ran, but Kelina wasn't just going to leave the She charged forward with a Peck attack as the Deerling tried to blend in with its surroundings. Kelina soon missed and fell on the ground, joining the Charmander on the grassy floor. She saw the wild Pokemon, clearly visible even with it using Camouflage, and regretted being so careless.

What a particularly pugnacious Deerling! Though it might have been attempting to drop in on their conversation - which in itself was a rude act - and maybe interact with them, it had taken an aggressive approach that deserved to be reprimanded in a physical manifestation. Where perhaps it might not have proved its sentient nature and demonstrated how it was not feral, it had decided upon belligerent means to involve itself in a rather heated discussion. Such brutality would be met with equal brutality, and little mercy would be liberated or shaken forth from the war deity's sharp claws. The battlefield was his homeland, and heroes were born upon her looming, death plagued plains.

Unlike his compatriot who would take a speedy approach and inevitably end up missing her target miserably, Ares would take on a more showy and sophisticated manner of flushing out his enemy. Though certainly a creature could attempt to blend into its surroundings and mimic foliage, it was not immune to area of effect attacks. With this knowledge, the moment his feathered ally began to dash about, he would unleash a rather dazzling, fan-like Dragon Pulse. Simply twisting his skull, he would allow the concentrated beam of draconic heat and energy to dissipate in all directions, singeing the unlucky vegetation that were not shielded by the Deerling. Should his attack hit, then the pink Deerling - who was somehow hiding against green vegetation - would be flushed out.

How humorous that this Spearow, so intent upon joining the guild, could not even hold a flame to the prowess posed by this rambunctious fawn. What was she to do in other situations where ferals surronded her on all sides? He would judge it based on her abilities here.