Heroes of Darkness

XVIII

ALEXANDER

The next day came and went with no commotion. Banette sat by his bedside nervously. The fact that his father hadn't burst into his room had proven that Leo had kept his promise. He wasn't telling anybody. Then again, the lack of news on the search for Elli reminded him he only had four more days. Only four days until Burningtree and the Draconids claimed another high-blooded victim.

"Alex," came a soft voice at his door. "Alex, are you awake?"

He knew the voice in an instant, and his spirits rose. "Yes, Aunt Caitlyn, you may come in."

She came in, yet left Absol outside the door. The white four-footed Pokemon stood facing the hallway, as if watching for intruders. Caitlyn sat in a chair by his left side. She had a slight smile on her face as she looked around the room.

"I remember this place," she said quietly.

"The nursery?" Alex asked.

Caitlyn nodded. "This is the room where I saw you for the first time, in your mother's arms." Bannette smiled at that, as it hovered around Alex's head. His Aunt smiled at that, as if it was some long-forgotten memory. "Your Spirit Pokemon remembers. Though memories are not why I've come, child. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess," Alex thought. "Still a little sore, but I feel like I can get out of this linen prison soon."

"Good," she said with a smile. She pulled out two soft flasks from a pocket in her robe. "Drink this, you'll feel even better."

Alex popped open the top of the flask and inhaled. There was a sweet smell emanating from it; his nostrils cleared instantly. He watched as his aunt took a deep, long drink from her flask. "It's my own recipe," she said. "How old are you, now? Seventeen? That makes you only about seven years older than this."

Alex took a drink, and it was so strong, he suspected that even his Spirit Pokemon felt the warm fire as it trickled down his throat. The taste was sweet like the smell at first, but then came the aftertaste of a spice he couldn't put his fingers on.

"It's good," he said at first. "What is it? I've never had anything like this before."

"It's my own secret, now," Caitlyn said, looking towards the wall blankly. "When I was a little girl, I used to gather berries. I had a special favorite kind. On the road where the old Foretree Kingdom met the Mirage Desert, there grows a special kind of berry. Sweet to the smell, spicy to the taste. I took some to the man who ran the vineyard after the Second Great War. He showed me how to make the most brilliant wine I've ever tasted. I only share it with those close to me. It's a personal treasure of mine, having helped me through the loss of my family. It'll give you courage."

Alex put the flask down from another drink. It gave him more than courage. With each sip, he seemed to gain more and more feeling in his arms and legs, and the throbbing pain in his head seemed to slow. He didn't respond, instead, he hesitated and looked at Banette. I need courage now more than ever, he thought.

"Is something amiss?" Caitlyn asked. She put her hand on his shoulder. "The nurses say that you're making a quick recovery. I guess it runs in the family. It takes more than a little pain to take down a Forrest."

I don't know where she is, and it's all my fault, Alex thought. Not even Elli's mother had come to see him. He felt terrible, as if they all blamed him. "But I'm not a Forrest," he said. "I'm a Specter." Already, he felt like he could jump out of the bed and do anything: walk to the dinner hall, or even join the search for Elli.