Shield and Soul Adventure: Episode 2, To the Great Raging Lake [Part 1]

Steven looks around and yawns, he still felt tired, but he sat up anyways "Where am I? And my friends?" he asks softly. "And how are they?" he was a little bit louder this time "Are they ok, are they still hurt?" he grew a bit louder again, and a bit more worried "Has anyone nursed them at all?"

"Woah, woah," the stranger began, "relax; relax..." He kindly leaned Steven back to rest against the bed and pillows. "Your friends are fine; we're aware of any injuries they had, and we cared for them to our best abilities. They're... They're fine; now just rest, and you'll be fine too."

That pause in his voice worried him a bit, but he did as he was told and laid back down to rest, but he wasn't going to go back to sleep however, just lie there and get comfortable, staring up at the ceiling

The stranger sighed with relief when Steven relaxed back. How exactly did one relay the condition of their friend to them? "Good. Now, someone will be showing up in a few minutes to let me know how your friends are doing; at that point, I'll be stepping out." His words came to be true; he stepped outside after a knock on the door, and within a few more minutes, he was back in the room and sitting where he had been, sighing lightly as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. After finishing that, he looked to Steven. "Luckily your friends are okay; however, one is in a bit more critical condition because of loss of blood. She should be fine after some rest, but it depends on how much blood she lost."

Steven sighed with relief, it would've been bad if she fell into the same fate he had said had happened "That is great news after what has happened before now" he sighs. He looks over at the stranger "May I go out for fresh air?"

"Sadly, I can't let you right now," the stranger spoke to Steven. "But I can open up a window and get you a fan brought in." With those words he stood, walking towards a window not so far from Steven's bed prior to opening it. Sending someone a message via his phone, a fan was brought in shortly and plugged in, pointed towards Steven so that he would get some fresher air than current. "Also, you can't see your friends for a day or two so you can all rest."

Steven found this odd, but it is probably for their safeties in general, he decided to just lay there and soak up all the air he possibly could and decided that it would be best to try to take a nap, which eventually to lead to just that.

[If you want to timeskip the couple of days, feel free; I got nothing for this post]

For the next few days, Steven stays in that room, eating, sleeping, walk a bit so his legs don't lose all feelings, and anything else he is leftt to do in the room, until eventually he finally asks the question "So, when are going to be allowed to leave?" Steven sits down on the bed

"Well," the stranger began. "You'll definitely be allowed to leave today after a doctor checks up on you. As per your friends, that's dependent on the same." A doctor soon entered the room, and after an hour checkup to ensure that Steven was entirely well, the physician gave his final conclusion. "You seem fine; other than a bit of mental dilemma, which is probably because of a traumatic event, you can walk, talk, and act just like you normally would. I don't see a problem with you leaving." He then started packing up his supplies, the stranger asking about his friend. "Ah yes... She's still sleeping... Actually, she hasn't woken up since she was brought here. Her pokemon's with her, but even her attempts to awaken her trainer have failed."

"Alright then" he says, he thinks of what he shall do until she awakens, visiting her would probably be bad for his mentality, and he honestly doesn't want to talk to Noivern about what happened either. He decides it's best that he just walks around outside "If you need me, I'll be roaming around in town" he says. He walks outside and explores the town, looking at the houses, the people, the shops, but he avoids his gaze to the tower, what he thought would be an interesting place, is just a horror scene waiting for it's next victim "This town is something" He says with a smile

"Something indeed," someone spoke to Steven, approaching him from behind. The woman who Steven had sacrificed was there, standing behind him, skin pale with eyes dark and demeaning. "What; did you think I was going to just go away because you did what I wanted? No... I have full control over you." She chuckled lightly. "Why do you think she's still asleep; you didn't think it was just chance did you?"

Steven's smile went away immediately "I knew I would meet you again, I was more hoping much later in life, when I had forgotten all of this" he says in a lower tune "So, what is it now that you are wanting?" he asks

"What I want is something you wouldn't willingly give," the woman spoke to Steven. "I want your sanity - your intelligence. So kneel down and give it to me willingly, or else." It would be impossible to discern if the woman was joking or serious.

"I don't think if I really have any sanity anymore, and obviously my intelligence is horrible" he says, and he wasn't exactly lying at this point, he lost his sanity after technically killing someone, after watching his friend get attack by her own pokemon, he could do nothing to prevent other than never entering that tower, all of it was his fault, he stopped thinking to help save what little sanity he may have. He thinks of his intelligence being low because of falling into the trap in the first place and tempting a spirit with dragon strength "So I don't think you would really want it"

"Really," the woman questioned Steven. "You really think you've lost your sanity? You don't know half about losing it." She stepped forward, pokemons' eyes staring at the trainer from a small distance. "But that's okay; if you won't hand it over, then I'll have to take the girl's... Either will do." She turned threateningly, waiting for Steven to respond before she would begin her march.

He sighed, he honestly didn't care anymore what happened to him as long as the girls were fine, so he kneeled down before the girl and said "I willingly give me sanity and Intelligence to you"

The woman chuckled when she heard Steven kneel. "That's so sad, what you'd do to help your friend," she began, turning and staring at him. "But I just thought of a better idea; I want you to serve as my personal butler of sorts... I'd find it more entertaining than taking someone's sanity from them." She wrapped her arms. "You should say your farewells. The other two aren't coming along."

Steven sighs, he didn't mind, he didn't want to see them, face a scolding from Noivern, or feeling completely depressed every time he looked at Alex. He looks at Miss Voice "Alright, but farewells are better left unsaid" he says as he looks down with a bit of sadness, the looks off into the distance, waiting for his departure to wherever.

The woman stepped forward, taking Steven's chin and forcing him to look up at her face. "I said to say your farewells; not even gone from this town yet and you're disobeying?" She wasn't entirely serious, rather joking. Everybody had an instance of terrible humor, her included. "Go and tell them farewell. Perhaps it'll cement your fate into your mind and give you a reason to leave."

Steven was forced to look at her face and so he did, listening to her request yet again, he sighs "Yes Miss Voice" he says, he puts his hand on her wrist and removed it, then he started walking back to the building. Upon entering, his gaze avoided eye contact with anyone and ignored any voices until he was next to the door of Alex and Noivern's, he then knocked.

Noivern heard the door being knocked on; however, she wasn't the one to answer it. Another stranger was, clearly a doctor, asking Steven if he needed something. Noivern was standing beside the bed Alex was in, the girl finally awake and petting the pokemon's head so she'd calm down. "Do you need to speak with me," the doctor asked.

"Um... I would like to know if Alex is awake, I need to speak with her and Noivern" He said, keeping eye contact with him to avoid looking into the room. Yesterday was a horrible day, today he felt it was gonna be half as bad, but twice as long.

The doctor, turning his head and asking if the duo wanted a visitor, found his answer given before he turned his head back. "They know it's you," he responded to Steven. "They don't mind if you walk in to talk... But please make it quick; the girl's going to need a bit more rest soon." The door was opened, permitting Steven the ability to see noivern hugging her trainer, the girl laughing lightly.

Steven walked in, seeing the two happy made him even sadder, but he did his best to hide it "Um... I have to tell you that..." He sits on a nearby chair "I have been feeling horrible for all that has happened lately, and... I just don't want to suffer the feeling of knowing all the pain I had caused to you" he looked down "So I thought it would be smart if I just, for the benefit of us both"