Atharos and Suzume - Fire and Ice
The ride away from Phoenicis had been one of the most pleasant moments that Atharos had indulged in for quite some time. Every step they took towards the north just felt like it was a step towards normal culture; normal scenery...and normal temperature. He had to admit, if not for the ever dependable presence of Bishop, he would have struggled immensely with the heat.
For most of the journey, Atharos had simply ridden atop Rook's shoulder. The behemoth was more than comfortable with Atharos at her side, and even seemed to enjoy it. At the moment though, Atharos was walking by the power of his own two feet. He had sent his Pokémon out to do various other tasks, and was simply by his lonesome. Knight and Rook were out hunting, although Rook hunted for veins of Iron, as opposed to Knight's hunt for game; and Bishop had been sent ahead to scout the area. It made sense that the floating Ghost type should be sent out to look for trouble, mostly because Bishop was very good at not being seen when she wanted to be.
With no one around, Atharos was merely standing at the front of the group, apart from anyone else. He had only really spoken with Minami for any length of time, since leaving the capital, and she seemed to be busy at this point. He was content to the silence, but would hardly object if anyone came to speak with him, at this point. He'd already realised that a vast majority of the group saw him as either some lofty introvert; or a reckless stuck-up royal-pretender, thanks to Gentry, no doubt.
It wasn't like she didn't want to set up camp for a day or two of rest. She was more so paranoid of stepping foot in Aurios in the dead of winter. If they made camp more than they needed, the hours and days would add up, and before they knew it, they would be marching through Argent in late fall. Suzume wasn't sure if they would get there in time, but... she wanted to make the most of the little time they had. The woman's grip on the Arcanine's reigns tightened as she scanned the area in front of her. She felt alone without Mauve or Caius at her side, even though Seraph was enough company already. The Umbreon had gone into the forests to hunt, as did other Pokemon, and Caius was flying above them. She hoped that they would return to her in the same state that they left.
It was then that she spotted a lone figure ahead of them. The silver-haired man from before seemed more of a loner than she was. He certainly piqued her interest, especially since he was Aurion. It was better if she could learn about him and his nation before they set foot in the icy north.
Suzume pressed her heels into Seraph's sides in order to edge him into a trot. The Fire-type grunted as he walked up to the man, and soon, the beast and his rider were at his side. However, she did not look at him, not even as she opened her mouth to speak-- her eyes remained focused ahead of her, not once glancing over the man. "
I wonder how one could ride such a creature with skin as hard and cold as steel," she mentioned Rook and how Atharos rode her before he dismounted. His thighs must have bruised and hurt when he did so for the first time.
Atharos didn't react much when the Fire type pokemon and its rider approached him, keeping his stride at the front of the group and waiting for her to break the ice, as it were. She had approached him, after all, she must have something worth saying. So far, this southerner in particular had made very little impression upon him. She had been quiet in the Emperor's hall, and she had been quiet on the road thus far. He had pegged her for a loner, but she bucked that trend now, hadn't she?
The question she asked was one that amused him, and he couldn't hide the small smirk that spread onto his lips. "
I haven't rode Rook in the conventional sense for years. Before she evolved, she was more quadrupedal. Now, she mostly carries me on her shoulder." He turned to the woman, looking her over, no longer atop the Arcanine's back. She looked uncomfortable, as she walked, as if she'd been riding too long: precisely the reason he was walking now. "
In Aurios, discomfort is unavoidable. Rook may be made of steel, but she is as sure-footed as I could hope for. You southerners should get used to the idea of being uncomfortable, especially if we fail to beat the winter."
He paused, resting a hand on his side. Suddenly it struck the prince that he didn't know the woman's name. "
I'm Atharos, in case you weren't aware of my name."
"
Even if you're riding the Aggron on her shoulder, it still has to hurt," Suzume said, finally sparing the man a glance. In fact, the shoulder had to be one of the most uncomfortable spots to ride on. She studied him closely, noticing that he was wearing a smirk on his lips. Did he find her amusing? She disliked it when people thought that she was "funny" when she really was trying to speak to them in a civil manner. Or maybe it was the way that she worded it?
His last few words brought a scoff from her, and her grip on Seraph's reigns tightened slightly. "
I'm a soldier. I'm pretty sure that I'm used to being uncomfortable," she put emphasis on the word itself, her eyes becoming like daggers. Even though she appeared to be overly hostile, this was not truly the case-- she was simply standing her ground, showing that she was not one to laugh and wave off his words like a "proper woman".
The man introduced himself at last, calling himself Atharos. It was a very strange name... were all Aurions' names a mouthful? "
My name is Suzume. It's a... pleasure to meet you." Suzume decided to be a little gracious and dipped her head slightly. "
You must be pleased. You're returning to your homeland."
Atharos shrugged at the idea of the shoulders offering an uncomfortable ride. Where else would he go, atop her head? Or carried like a babe in her arms? One solution made it difficult to dismount quickly and limited Rook's options to attack, should that be necessary, and the other was demeaning beyond all possibility.
When Suzume tried to play off the idea of discomfort as nothing more than something she was used to, he shook his head. A little annoyed at the woman's aggression. She had clearly misunderstood his words, because he had not intended to inspire anything close to hostility. "
Have you ever had to peel armour from skin, because the metal has frozen to a marching man's sweat? A Leonias invasion force tried to sneak into the country during winter, and we found their frozen corpses almost melded to their armour." He reached a finger up to scratch at his chin, before looking out to the forest, wondering what his partners were up to at this moment. How went the hunt? Had Bishop spotted anything?
"
You ask if I'm happy to be returning to Aurios...If we don't get in and out of my land before winter comes, we will have to halt our quest for nearly an entire year. How pleased do you think the King will be if I bring in a group of foreign warriors into his home for nearly an entire year, without having actually accomplished anything?" Atharos felt his fist clench at the idea of such a failure. His father would likely take it poorly. "
The King of Aurios is not quite so eager to let in foreigners as your emperor. One might say he is frozen in the old ways." The po-faced Atharos offered a smile at the play on words, trying to diffuse the obvious tension in the air between him and the warrior woman.
She had heard stories of Aurios, of how it was a weapon in itself. It defended itself from invasions with its blizzards and long winters-- those who were not prepared for the cold would most certainly die. It was hard to imagine the frosty winds working their way through her armor and sinking its fangs into her flesh and bone. Suzume heard that once you became cold enough, you became sluggish and sleepy. And sleeping in the cold's embrace was like you had given yourself up to death itself.
"
I don't know about everyone else, but I won't be complaining on our trek through Aurios," she stated matter-of-factly, turning up her nose. She had always been a proud woman, someone that didn't falter when times became rough on her. That was not the Phoenician way. Atharos continued to speak, to her surprise, and she once again turned her gaze on him. Seraph watched the icy-looking man as well, his nose wriggling as he took in his scent.
So the king of Aurios was just as cold as his nation was, eh? The man smiled as he described his leader. It was almost as if he was close to him. Suzume allowed a crooked grin to crawl on her face in response to his words. "
Frozen in the old ways... he doesn't seem like a person you could reason with." Oh great. Another unreasonable person... "
It seems like you know the king well. Are you his adviser, one of his royal guards..?"
Atharos was a little surprised when Suzume asked about his relationship to the king of Aurios. Had that rumour not spread yet? A part of him had expected Gentry to spread rumours about his status as a bastard, and use that to discredit him. It wouldn't be the first time a rival had tried to discredit his merit as the undeserved reward of a bastard. "
His son...I'm surprised that rumours about Aurios' bastard Prince haven't filed through the group yet."
He shrugged, as he rested a hand on the head of his axe, assuming as unthreatening a position as he could. "
If we are lucky, we will be able to pass through the capital during before the fall. I will be able to procure the group supplies if we do: Furs and thick-lining for those in armour. If we are unlucky? Well, I imagine we will have to do a lot of hunting."
Atheros pivoted on his heel, facing the woman directly now for the first time. He gave her a proper looking over, seeing the armour and the sword and the general appearance of a warrior. "
Tell me more about yourself. What gives you such confidence in dealing with a realm outside of your comfort zone?"
... Was he really a prince..?
She had just thought the murmurings of those around her were rumours. Lies spread quickly from one person to another, especially if they didn't have a brain to think with. A bastard prince in their midst was an extremely rare occurrence. It wasn't every day that someone with royal blood went on a mission that would most likely end in deaths, especially with people that were lower than him. Suzume gave him a flabbergasted expression, the frown returning to her mouth. "
I... apologize. I didn't know who I was in the presence of," her words faltered for a moment, and she bowed her head once more. That was embarrassing...
Seraph snorted as if he was laughing-- she could feel his warm breath on her face, and she found his presence comforting. This was the first time they were face-to-face with someone that was "higher" than they were. She didn't expect any nobility to join them on their journey. It was making her somewhat uneasy.
Atharos suddenly faced her, his pale-colored eyes giving her a once over. The woman blinked at him in surprise when he questioned her. He wanted to know more about her? Well... what could she tell him? The prince wouldn't find her past interesting or intriguing, and even if he pressured her to speak about it, she wouldn't utter a word about her younger years. Thankfully, he only asked about her confidence; such a question made her feel proud of herself. Did she really appear that sure of herself?
"
I'm confident because I have faith in myself and my partners." Suzume glanced over at Seraph as she spoke. The Arcanine was there for her, and she was there for him. They would help each other out, all of them would. Her brown gaze flicked back to Atharos, and this time, it remained on his pale face. "
I know that we'll get through this, one way or another. We may well lose a few limbs, but we'll turn up alive. Not only that, but I'm a soldier; I survived many battles against other nations. I'm not letting a little trip around the world overcome me."
She had to admit, he had caught her off-guard. Though, she was pleased that they were having a civil conversation. If he wasn't a pleasant person to speak to, then she would have flipped him the bird and walked off. When one spoke to her, it was like charming an Arbok-- one wrong note, and you would get bitten. "
How about you, Prince of Aurios?" Suzume began. "
Are you just as confident as I am? Or are you as concerned as the others about this quest?"
When Suzume spoke about his 'presence', Atheros started to laugh. It was a fairly light chuckle, but it was a laugh, none-the-less. In a few words, she had gone from headstrong, confident, and a little hostile to placid and subservient. He found that he didn't approve of the change: it didn't suit her. "
Honestly, I'm not worth altering anything over. My blood is the same colour as yours, it just happens to get valued higher by people who don't understand the worth of people."
When she spoke about herself though, he didn't laugh, or speak. He just listened to her, and her confidence. It was comforting to hear her reasoning was because of trust, and not some misplaced confidence in her abilities. People who spoke about their 'deadly skill' worried him deeply. They were the sort who'd charge at a Houndoom and become surprised when a pack arrives.
"
My confidence? I haven't decided yet. There are a lot of reasons to think we'll fail: I trust less people in this group than I have fingers on one hand; we are on a mission with no lead; an abstract objective; and no real leadership." He remembered his father chastising him for being tactless and blunt in the past, and suddenly the Prince shook his head at his own foolishness. This wasn't what the woman wanted to hear, he imagined.
"
But, I also see reasons to think we'll succeed. The few people I trust are warriors of some considerable resolve. I am with my three trusted partners, and while our objective is abstract, it is a worthy one." In the distance, Atharos saw the distinct figure of Knight, standing in the treeline, wiping gore off of his claws. He had the confident walk of a successful hunter: he'd eaten well, it seems. "
I think if anyone is going to solve this crisis, it is this group.”
When Atharos told her that there was no need to change because of his heritage, she was more than pleased. She was taught how to be humble and meek in the presence of royalty, nobility, and to her commanders and generals. To her, it was sickening, but it had to be done if she wanted a good reputation. But Atharos was someone different; she could actually be herself in front of him. It sure was satisfying to be the headstrong woman she was in the company of royalty.
It was then that he answered her question. For some strange reason, she expected him to be more confident than she was. But the man told her that they had no lead, that their group had no leader. The more he pointed out the negative aspects of their journey, the more her confidence wavered. It was something they had to fix. As much as she started to like Atharos, she had to remind herself that he was someone that couldn't exactly be trusted. He would have to prove himself as someone could, first... everyone had to. She hoped that would be soon.
The Aurion prince shared a positive outlook on the journey, rekindling her flame of confidence before it could fizzle out. Suzume listened to him, her eyes turning back towards the crooked path they were traveling. "
You are very down to earth for a prince," a laugh escaped her as she spoke. "
Another would be boasting about how they would find a way to succeed no matter what, all while flashing their teeth in shallow smiles and giving one of those fake as fuck laughs."
Atharos shrugged at Suzume, upon her description of him. "
I've been called many things before, but 'Down to Earth' is not one of them. I'd describe myself as 'honest' more than anything else." Pausing to allow Knight to approach, Atharos patted the Zangoose on the head as it stared at Suzume and her Arcanine. When he was sure they weren't a threat, he went about wiping his claws together, scraping away the last scraps of his kill's blood.
After a moment, he smiles again. "
So how many princes do you know? I've never met any princes who flash their teeth with shallow smiles. Maybe the real princes reserve that for the ladies, eh?"
Suzume returned Atharos's shrug with a curious look. Maybe he was more honest than down to earth, after all. She was never one for words... that, and she didn't really know the man. "I wonder what else the people of your country call you. They can't all be that nice," a mischievous grin crossed her lips. "
When I first saw you, I thought you were everything but honest, down to earth... and all of that goody-goody stuff. But that's the mindset of a 'commoner', or so your people call me."
The soldier woman noticed that his Zangoose had approached them, and Seraph's eyes rested on the smaller creature. Its long claws were colored with blood. She wondered if Caius or Mauve had caught prey already. "
I know more royalty than you might expect," she told him, refusing to meet his gaze. "
Most of them are the fake type I told you about. They aren't half as 'nice' behind closed doors."
He rolled his eyes when she referred to others as 'his people.' What sort of lofty plain did she think he lived in, and whose ass did she think he crawled up to meet them? "
I serve more as a Knight than a prince. I spend more of my days with 'Commoners' than with nobles. I'm sure before long you will get to hear about the many colourful nicknames I've accumulated in Aurios."
Something had been bothering him for a while now, and as he looked back at the group, and the absence of the man with his Water types, Atharos gathered the resolve to go and look for his fellow. "
Some other time, I will have to question you some more about the royals you've met. I look forward to hearing more about how 'fake' and unkind they are, in comparison to me." He smirked at his own little joke. How bizarre it was to hear a woman slandering her own royalty, in favour of some bastard from another country: an enemy country at that. "
Can you take the vanguard for me? Someone has gone missing from the group; I intend to go find him." Without waiting for her to reply, Atharos took a sharp turn and exited towards the nearby forest. Most of the group were already looking for a campsite, so they would likely not travel far by the time he'd found Shui.