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

Chapter 18

CARSON

 

            It was dreadfully hard to run in the sand.  It was hard to gain your footing, and so he had helped out his little Torchic by holding it in his arms.  He had just escaped from the raging sandstorm on the outside, and the grains had embedded themselves in his black leather pants, in his shirt, and in other places that made running most uncomfortable.

            Even the floor of this rocky maze was sandy, and soon all the light from the entrance to the tunnel gave out.  Sensing his need, Pyro the Torchic let out little balls of fire every couple of seconds, illuminating the tunnels and walls for just a split second at a time, but it was enough.

            I have to find it… I have to find it… was all Carson Brightflame could think.  Twists and turns there were in the dark tunnels, forks in his road but each decision that he made he knew was the right one.  He never circled back to where he had started. 

            Then he found what he was looking for, and he remembered.  The Stone Giant had called to him for many nights now, and finally he had found it.  Torchic hopped out of Carson’s arms and they slowly approached it.  Yet just when Carson was about to open his mouth to speak to it, only a loud horn could be heard.

            He awoke with a start, there was commotion outside the tower on Lavaridge’s Castle where Carson slept.  The sound of men shouting, the ringing of metal and the cries of Torkoal, Slugma, Numel and countless other Pokémon.  Carson tried to shut his eyes again, it was too early in the morning for such disruptions.  He would have a talk about that with his father later.

            Carson’s thoughts tried to swim back to the sandy tunnels, to find the Stone Giant again, but it was all in vain.  The noise was too much, and it was getting louder.

            The youngest Prince of the Mt. Chimney Kingdom sat up with a start.  Pyro was awake as well, and uncertainty was in its eyes.  “What’s wrong, boy?” Carson asked. 

            Torchic ran over in the dark and hopped onto the bed, pulling at Carson’s bed sleeves.  The ten year old was too tired to sleep, so he followed his Spirit Pokémon’s lead. 

            Out the tower window, he could see Lavaridge Soldiers in their black stone armor guarding the gate, shouting orders at each other.  He could see fires in the town beyond the castle gates. 

            “Those don’t look like blacksmith fires,” he said unsurely.

            “Torchic tor,” Pyro whispered as it ran back inside the tower from Carson’s balcony.  He followed Pyro back into the darkness of his room. 

            “Pyro,” he whispered, he had lost sight of it.  Perhaps it was all a game.  Maybe Pyro couldn’t sleep either.  “Pyro?” He looked for what seemed like hours until he looked over by his empty fireplace.  Torchic poked its little orange head out of the ashy rocks and once again pulled at Carson’s sleepwear. 

            Carson Brightflame braced himself to make impact with the back of the fireplace, but he felt Pyro’s sure tug pull him along.  It was almost as if he was in a completely different room.  No, he thought as he felt all alongside and above his head.  This is a tunnel.  A secret tunnel!  There was excitement in him now, and his dreams disappeared into the mist of memory. 

            The tunnel went on for what seemed like an eternity, but Carson knew he was spiraling his way down the tower.  He had his hands on rough rocks that jettisoned out from the smooth walls when the incline became steeper.  Occasionally, Pyro would stop and expel a little bit of fire to make sure that its Spirit Partner was still following.