Four Paws and A Tale

Chapter 15: Jacob

We were walking down the hill away from the guild hall, Tertle was leading the way with Glair and Pixie behind him, from the back of the pack I asked.

"What's this Madeira Desert?"

"It's a desert."

"Gee thanks Tertle, I would never have guessed that, but what is it? What's there?"

"Sand."

I groaned this was going to be a long walk.

"I'll start talking when you two do."

This turtle is starting to annoy me.

"What are you going on about?"

"Our journey won't be an easy one, a team made up of me, myself and I cannot succeed. So, what's up with you and Pixie? Why aren't you talking?"

Pixie giggled, "Don't worry Tertle, I'm not mad with him -The bottom left corner of her lip quivered-Ace here just doesn't want to make any friends so I'm being unfriendly, simple as that."

Tertle gave no visible reaction but Glair gasped.

"How can you not want to make friends?!" She started skipping backwards so that she could look at me.

"Because Glair, once everything's fixed and gone back to normal, I'm leaving, and I don't want to make anyone sad when I leave." (The Clichés are strong with this one)

Glair thought about that for a second before deciding. "You're selfish."

"How am I selfish?"

"You don't want to get hurt so you're pushing others away and pretending its for their own good."

I was about to give an angry retort, but I bit my tongue, literally. Ow, why are my teeth so sharp?

Glair faced forwards again and continued, "Sounds like a lonely way to live."

I gave a depressed sigh. "You get it used to it, eventually."

Pixie spoke up now, "No-one should have too though." She stopped and turned around, paw pointed at me she declared. "That's it! It's time for tough love. Jacob, you're selfish and from this day onwards, you and me, we're pals!"

I was stunned. Glair didn't miss a beat, jumping up and down she said, "Oh, oh, me too! What about you Tertle?"

Tertle smiled over his shoulder, "Why not, life's short."

I rolled my eyes. "That coming from the one who's how old?"

Tertle chuckled while Glair and Pixie laughed, a sheepish smile spread across my face, well there's no coming back from this one, you can only go forwards from here. (Until the author most cruelly forces you into a downward spiral >:)

*****

Late in the day we arrived at a small village with an oasis in the middle. It was a human settlement which featured a few small stone huts and some people. It was underwhelming. We settled on a ridge above the village which was currently catching the last rays of the setting sun.

"We'll rest here for the night and continue tomorrow morning."

"Okay Tert."

Tertle frowned at Glair, "don't call me that."

"Okay Tle."

He sighed in defeat.

Pixie prepared a fire, Glair and I found some berries on the few odd bushes we could find and Tertle considered what we were to do next. What were we gonna do? He said that the desert starts on the outskirts of town, do we just look at it, realise there's nothing there and then leave?

I asked the question as we were eating dinner around a small fire later in the evening.

"What exactly are we looking for?"

Tertle shrugged (Don't ask how, I don't know, use your imagination!) "We look around, see if we can find any clues as to what caused the problem, look for any legendary or mythical Pokémon and we look for any injured Pokémon that might need our help."

"Ooh, ooh! I bet we go and can't find anything then we go back later and find that there's something there and then we face-paw, face-flipper, and face-pincer!" (... Bad Glair! No spoilers!)

I rolled my eyes, "Sure Glair, whatever you say."

Tertle cut off Glair's reply, "Alright, time to get some rest, goodnight everyone." With that he shot a water gun, extinguishing the fire. Damn, I didn't realise how cold it would be without the fire, I lay on the rocky ground, body shivering and teeth chattering.

*Tk, tk, tk-kt, tktk*

I couldn't see Tertle, but I could hear his annoyance, "Jacob, shut up."

"I can't help it! It's so freaking cold, how are you guys not freezing?" Yeah, my fur is doing nothing for me.

Tertle Ha'd. "Ha, Kid, you don't know cold until you've swum in the waters around northern Ardua, that is cold."

I growled at him, "Glair how are you not cold?"

I saw a head poke up out of seemingly nowhere. She began her explanation and I regretted asking.

"My wings aren't wings as much as they are a membrane which I can glide on, I can also use them to absorb sunlight and release the heat later. I made an igloo with my 'wings' and am releasing the heat inside, it's nice and toasty."

I growled again, "Pixie, what about you?"

I could hear the deadpan in her voice.

"I'm a fire type."

Oh.

"Well then you all sleep well, I'm just going to sleep standing up because the ground is too freaking cold to sleep on!" I stood up and it was at this exact moment that a cold wind blew through the campsite and I shivered again.

"Brr..."

"Ugh." Pixie sounded fed up, I saw her silhouette rise in the darkness and walk over.

"Pixie, what are you doing?"

"Shutting you up so we can get some sleep."

She pushed my nose with her paw until I was sitting, then she pushed my shoulder until I was lying down, next thing I know the slightly smaller Pokémon was lying right up against me. I was about to push her away but... She's so warm.

A contented sigh escaped my lips, that was a mistake.

"Watch yourself perv or I'll let you freeze to death."

Right. Sorry.

Glair must've guessed what was happening because right then from inside her cocoon she started singing;

"Jacob and Pixie lying on the ground, keeping warm, he's a comfy hound, Jacob and Pixie lying in the dirt, getting cosy, she's a foxy flirt."

My ears pricked up, and my face became warmer than Pixie. Pixie growled, Tertle chuckled and Glair laughed manically. (Huh, Jacob and Pixie... That could work, good on ya Glair! But... Pixie likes Archie? Ooh, saucy)