AGNPH Stories
 

Catch a Fennekin by the Tail by kolofox

 

He Who Smelled the Roses

This fan fiction is rated T for blood, gore, dismemberment, and suggestive themes. If you do not like the listed then do not read, I do not own Pokémon or associated Medias

He who smelled the roses

Anthony woke to the same dream that plagued him the night before, “why does it haunt me now? Before it would just occurred on the anniversary of that terrible night,”
The young trainer was about to lay back down when the telltale pressure of his full bladder told him otherwise. He was about to slid out of his sleeping bag when he felt the weight of his Fennekin on his foot, “Vix move I need to pee,”
The tiny fox yawned and pretended not to hear him, “Vix please I really have to pee,”
Again she didn’t move, “Vix so help me if you don’t move I will piss all over you, and I got a lot more pee than you do,”
The ash covered Fennekin quickly vacated the trainer’s foot allowing him to quickly slide out of the sleeping bag. She watched as he moved with surprising agility to the edge of the camp site to relive himself. The little fox continued to watch the one-legged human for a while until she grew bored and shook the ash from her fur; coating the interior of the tent with the fine powder. She snorted a blast of hot air from her nose to feel her fire sack was empty; she set to work searching the ash filled fire pit for something to fuel her fire. Buried under the deposits of past fires she found an unburnt twig to chew upon.
“Sorry Vix but I was going to use that twig to cook us up some breakfast,” the trainer teased, “but I see that you took care of that.”
The Fennenkin merely glared at him, un-amused at the jibe.
“I also see that you redecorated the inside of the tent with ash,” he remarked dryly as he retrieved his prosthetic leg, “well at least my bag and leg are both free of ash.”
Anthony quickly put his leg back on and dressed himself in fresh cloths before setting to work to dust the tent free of the fine gray powder.
“How in the world did you get covered in this much ash?” he asked as he shook the sleeping bag in the early morning air. Vix rolled her eyes as she finished chewing on her twig; rising to her feet she jumped into the spent fire and scattered a cloud of the fine ash all over her trainer.
“Gee thanks I needed more talcum powder… in my hair,” the teenager remarked as he held the recoated sleeping bag, but he couldn’t remain cross as a sly smile crept to his face, “here catch Vix.”
The little fox stared in bewilderment as she watched the ash laden bedding sail into her in a puff of ash. She quickly fought free from the coiled bag to see her trainer laughing, “You should see the look on your face,”
The Fennekin smirked evilly and pawed at the ground like she’s going to charge, “Uh oh time to run,”
The trainer broke into a run as the little fox gave chase, laughing meaningless threats to spur the human on.
“Oh come on I can’t be faster than you, I have one leg and you have four this should be easy,” Anthony teased as he dodged the Fennekin about the grassy field. As he hopped out-of-the-way; he felt something sharp as pierce his left foot as his weight came down. The sound of something going squish sounded in the field as the human’s foot slid out from under him; leaving him flat on his back.
“Ow fuck what in god's name did I step on,” the trainer cursed as the fox ran up to his side. He pulled his foot into view to see the smeared remains of a poor Weedle adhered to the underside, but the stabbing pain was from the poisonous barb that remained in the center of his foot, “Damn poor bugger, hey Vix get my knife I need to pull out the stinger before it releases its poison.”
“Fen?” she asked tilting her head to regard her trainer’s foot, “Fennekin!”
“Vix calm down I just stepped on a Weedle its poison isn’t strong enough to kill, but it can defiantly make me sick,” Anthony tried to soothe the worried Fennekin. The little fire fox sniffed the barb that remained stuck in her trainer’s foot before trying to pull the stinger free with her sharp teeth, “No, no Vix don’t you’ll squeeze…,”
His protest was futile as he felt the burning sensation of the poison entering his foot, “Okay Vix you did good the stinger’s out, but I need to get to my bag I have an antidote I can use to neutralize the poison.”
Waves of nausea washed over the teen as he tried to crawl back to the campsite, but he only got a few feet before collapsing. Vix tried to get her trainer go move but the sight of his left foot swelling to gruesome proportions sent her into a panic, “S…Someone! H…Help, please someone help. My, my trainer is dying!”
“Hey easy watch those feet!” cried a small voice from beneath the Fennekin, “listen I’ll go fetch my mother, she can heal him of the poison.”
“But… but what if she’s too far, or, or he dies before she gets here,” Vix answered looking for the source of the voice.
“Stop moving around or you’re going to step on me and then I won’t be able to help you!” the unseen Pokémon voiced, “Now look down here, orange flower,”
The fox looked down between her paws to see a tiny white fairy clinging to the mentioned orange flower, “s… sorry but can you help please,”
“No I can’t help, but my mother can. Give him some water while I go fetch her; she is not far,” the fairy reiterated
“O… okay, but where am I going to find water?” she asked the small Pokémon.
“Check the sack he carries, he should have a bottle or flask filled with it,” it replied as it turned to leave.
“Right he had a bottle that he drank from,”
“Give him that bottle, but nothing else okay,”
“O… okay,” Vix answered the distant fairy. She hurried back to the camp site and ransacked her trainers pack looking for the plastic bottle that he drank from. Luckily the bottle was stowed in a mesh pocket in plain view; she hefted the heavy container free of the pouch and dragged it over to her trainer.
“Thanks Vix, if I pass out before help arrives I want you to go to the main road and lead someone here...,” Arthur relayed weakly to the Fennekin as she returned with the water, “I trust your judgment okay,”
The teen took a hearty swig of the water before succumbing to the pain that emanated from his foot.
“No, no trainer don’t die!” she cried as his form fell limp
“Easy my child, he is not dead, merely faint from the poison.” Soothed a gentle and motherly voice; Vix turned to see an elegant female figure dressed in soft green leaves, and a wreath of pristine white petals about her head.
“Who…,” she started
“I am the Matron of this field, all that you see here is from my care,” the elegant Pokémon spoke in an almost angelic voice, “let us tend to your trainer,”
“Mother, he saved me from the Weedle,” the small fairy spoke as the Matron knelt over the prone trainer
“Yes young one I know,” she replied placing a delicate hand on the chest of the boy, “he has a good heart,”
Vix felt the air grow heavy with a soothing aroma as the Pokémon poured pure life-giving energy from her hand. The trainers form glowed for a moment as the swelling in his foot went down.
“ugh… Tess?” Anthony groaned as he came to. The elegant Pokémon shook it head sending a small cloud of white petals to flutter over the prone trainer. The Matron retracted her hand, “Flor,”
“A, a Florges? This… must be her field,” he observed sitting up; the Pokémon nodded silently floating up before the teen.
“And a very powerful Florges it seems,” he finished, inspecting his healed foot.
“Flabébé,” a small fairy cried from an orange flower, “bébé?”
The older Pokémon smiled sadly, picking the flower that the fairy clung to.
“Florges,” she replied kissing the top of the tiny Pokémon’s head, “ges.”
The Flabébé nodded pulling her flower from the grasp of the Matron, “Bé.”
The Florges offered the tiny fairy to the trainer, “flor,”
“You want me to take her with me?” Anthony asked holding his hands out. The Flabébé floated quickly floated across to the trainer’s shoulder where she planted her flower in the lapel of his jacket.
“Thank you, I will respect your wishes,” he replied bowing reverently, but as he rose he saw that the Florges was gone.
“Vix… Thank you, and to you as well little fairy,” the trainer petted the Flabébé and moping Fennekin, “without the both of you I would not have had a fun time recovering from the venom,”
The fairy whistled happily to the affection, while the fox grumbled; embarrassed and angry at herself. Anthony hurried back to the camp to cook breakfast for his growing team, “so ah… right I have to come up with a name for you.”
The Flabébé tilted her head as the trainer rummaged about in his pack in search for something to fix for breakfast, “Bébé?”
“Fennekin, kin fen,” Vix supplied. The human brought forth some peanut butter and a bag of Beef Jerky drawing the attention of the two Pokémon.
“sorry girls but without wood I can’t cook up anything so this will have to do,” he explained setting the meager meal before the two Pokémon, “so I’m not sure what a Flabébé eats, but if you want something else please let me know.”
The tiny Pokémon waved her hand dismissing the boy’s concerned and tended to her flower upon which she sat; the trainer watched the flower to start producing a clear liquid which the tiny fairy drank, “you’re flower sustains you,”
“Bé,” she replied pausing in her ritual.
“I bet you would like some honey then, but alas I don’t have any on me at the moment,” he added, “any way I still need a name for you, I can’t go calling you Flabébé all the time,”
The Pokémon ignored him as she finished tending to the flower, humming as she worked, “wait that’s it, your song it… it reminds me of an old Beetles song, ah I think it’s called Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, how does Lucy sound?”
“Bébé,” she agreed cleaning up from her meal.
“Well shall we make it official then,” Anthony offered holding a Great ball.
“Bé,” Lucy asked apprehensive.
“Don’t worry they might be old but my uncle kind of broke them so they’re no better than pokeballs,” the trainer explained holding the blue and white orb out to the fairy; she hesitated for a moment before reaching out to touch the button on the face of the ball. In a flash of bright light the tiny fairy vanished inside the sphere; it shook a few times before giving an audible click signifying a successful capture. Anthony retrieved his pokedex and scanned the filled pokeball to add the Flabébé’s data, and once it finished it prompted for a nickname. The trainer entered the agreed upon name and released Lucy from the Great ball. Vix huffed indignantly to catch the attentions of the human and the fairy, “don’t worry I’ve not forgotten about you,”
He scooped up the little fire fox ruffling her ears in the process. She protested as the teen hugged her small form, but she couldn’t help but enjoy the affection given.
“Alright, lets pull up camp, I would like to get to the next town before night fall,” he chimed setting the Fennekin down, and soon the trio was on the road heading for the first gym in Santalune City.
***

“Relax Vix it’s just a bath,” Anthony cooed as the Fennekin squirmed franticly in his grasp, “look there’s barely enough water to get your feet wet and it’s as hot as I can stand.”
“Fen, Fennekin!” she howled as her trainer lowered her into the tub.
“I don’t want to hear it, your coat’s all dusty from the ash you rolled in,” the Teen countered as the fire type’s feet touched the steaming water. Her eyes began to tear up as he gently washed the dirt and ash from her fur, “see it’s not so bad, and there is no reason to put up those fake tears,”
“Bé, bé, bé, bé,” the Flabébé giggled as the trainer lathered up the fire fox.
“Don’t laugh Lucy your next,” he retorted.
“Bé… bébé!” she shot back
“I don’t care what you have to say, you are getting a bath,” Anthony reaffirmed. Vix stuck her tounge out at the tiny fairy, but the bitter taste of the soap sent her into a spitting fit, “Fen…,”
“Well… don’t taste the soap its nasty, now close your eyes I’m going to rinse your head off,” the teen cupped his hand over the Fennekin’s eyes and gently pored a cup of the warm water over her form, “there you go all clean,”
He help the soaked fox out of the tub, where she proceeded to shake the water from her fur; covering the room and trainer alike, “well it won’t matter since I’m taking a shower after Lucy’s done, wait there Vix,”
The Flabébé tried to run for the door but the human quickly grabbed her only way of escape and pulled her into the tub, “Now Lucy your being silly, all I want you to do is to take this here wash cloth and clean yourself up,”
Anthony handed the tiny fairy a small paper cloth wetted with soap and water. Lucy took the small cloth and began wiping her pale skin clean.
“Flabé,” she cooed noticing he had closed his eyes
“All done, sorry I’m just a tired is all, it seems that having your body magically cleansed of poison takes its toll, um if you can hop into my hand so I can rinse you off,” the trainer offered setting Lucy’s flower on the edge of the tub; he felt her tiny weight shift to his hand where he gently trickled some water over the tiny fairy.
“Fennekin?” Vix asked as the teen handed the Flabébé a dry paper towel.
“Yes Vix I closed my eyes when I washed your privates,” the trainer answered, “I respect that both of you are female,”
“Fen,” she shook her head, “Fen… ne… kin,”
“What?” he turned to look at the little fox
“Fen, Fen!” the fire type barked before a loud grumble emanated from her stomach.
“Oh food,” Anthony corrected himself, “yeah I guess it’s about dinner time. I’ll tell you what let me get my shower, and I’ll treat everyone to dinner.”
The trainer let the two Pokémon out of the bathroom before climbing into the tub himself.
“I find it hard to fathom that our trainer only has one leg,” Lucy remarked as she rested her flower in a tall glass of water.
“Who cares,” Vix replied, “it’s obvious that it doesn’t bother him.”
“How do you think he lost it, or why he hides it under those pants?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t really care, he feeds me and that’s all that matters,”
“That’s rather cold of you, considering the display you put on while he was poisoned,” the fairy snapped.
“I was… damn it why are bugging me, you’re just a place holder until he catches a full team!” the Fox bit back.
“No… no you’re wrong, he has a good heart, I feel it,” Lucy tearfully yelled
“He’s male… and a trainer. All he cares about is power and strong Pokémon,” Vix huffed in contempt
“You’re… you’re wrong… he’s good…” the fairy cried, “You can’t see his good heart because you… you’re…,”
“I’m what! Cruel… no I see the truth of our situation. He will put you in a box because you are weak, and he will abuse me because I’m strong!”
“WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE!” Anthony yelled from the doorway, balancing on his one leg.
“Bé!” Lucy screamed closing up into her flower
“Lucy…” he tried to move from the doorway but in his haste he fell on his right knee, “Ow fuck!”
The teen remained on the floor cursing for a moment until the pain that stemmed from his stump subsided. He looked up to see the terrified Fennekin hovering over him and Lucy’s flower still shut tight, “S… sorry for yelling, I’m not mad just in a little of pain.”
Anthony shifted towards the frightened fox but she shrunk back away from his touch. The trainer quickly righted himself and hopped over to his bag to retrieve a fresh set of cloths, “Girls stay here, behave, and please no more yelling, I’m going to bring back some dinner,”
He dressed himself and replaced his leg before heading for the door, “I’ll be back,”
When the human left; the room fell into an eerie silence. Vix looked over to the nightstand which sat the tiny Pokémon, “Lucy… I’m sorry,”
The tiny fairy merely sobbed from within her flower.
***
“So this is your cheapest model,” Anthony asked as he held the tiny ear piece.
“Sorry sir but translators don’t come cheap,” the sales clerk replied
“Can I rent it out,” the trainer pressed.
“Sorry unless you have something for collateral,” the man answered
“Got a crutch?”
“What?”
“My leg should be enough, right?”
“No I don’t deal in prosthetics, but psychics also act as translators there is a small colony of Ralts down in the field on route four,” the thin clerk offered.
“No I don’t think that would be wise,” Anthony replied adamantly.
“Well if you beat the gym leader you might have enough in winnings to buy the model you have there,”
“It might work,” Anthony agreed handing the ear piece back to the man.
“Just a word of precaution the gym leader is a bug specialist, you might want to get a flying or fire type,”
“Well I already have a fire type and fairies resist bugs so, I think I'll be alright,”
“You only have two?”
“Yeah,”
“Get a third, bird types are fairly common on route three,”
“Yeah but first I have to get my two girls under control,”
“Good luck with that,” the clerk chuckled
“Thanks,” Anthony finished paying for the few supplies he needed, “I’ll need it,”
***
“Girls I’m back,” the teen announced as he entered the room laden with a few bags.
“Fen…” the little fox cooed from the bed her red eyes shining in the dark room.
“Hey Vix I’m sorry I yelled, but I think I have something that might help with this language barrier,” he chimed, “but first let’s eat,”
“Fenne,” she sighed hopping from the bed
“Now where are you going,” Anthony asked as he set the paper bags down on the bed, “I have never objected to you being on the furniture,”
The teen quickly scooped up the Fennekin and plopped her back on the bed, “Fen?”
“See, it’s much better being on the same level, Now all I got was some cold sandwiches but I think we’ll survive for tonight,” the trainer explained as he fished out a paper wrapped sandwich from one of the bags, “here you go one roast beef sandwich and pickle, and for you Lucy I pick up some honey,”
He opened a small jar of the golden fluid and scooped out a spoonful for the tiny fairy that still hid with in her flower, “Lucy please come out, I’m sorry I yelled.”
“Bé…” she cried from the confines of her flower.
“Well I’ll leave the spoon out for you,” the teen relented; recapping the honey and returning to his meal, “I see that you didn’t need help getting into your sandwich,”
Anthony watched as Vix dissected the sub to fish out the meat and lettuce leaving only the tomatoes and bread, “I guess you don’t like bread,”
“Fen,” she replied sniffing at the pickle spear
“It’s just a pickle Vix I don’t think it’ll kill you,”
The little fox took an experimental bite out of the green crunchy food, “Fenne!”
The trainer watched in amusement as the Fennekin quickly devoured the spear of pickled cucumber.
“But I see that you liked the pickle,” he remarked before taking a healthy bite out of his own sandwich. Vix looked up from her shredded paper mess to see that her trainer’s pickle remained untouched, “Fen?”
“hm,” he turned in time to see his pickle vanish into the mouth of his Fennekin, “you little shit, you stole my pickle,”
“Mm,” she purred as she crunched her new-found favorite food before rolling to her back to stretch her full belly. Anthony extended his hand to rub the soft belly fur of the little fox.
“Fenn!” she barked in surprise as she felt her stomach get tickled by her trainer.
“Oh no, you don’t steal my pickle without repercussion,” he teased as the Fennekin started to laugh under his treatment, “I see you are ticklish,”
“Fen, Fen, Fennekin!” she cried trying to kick the teens hand away from her stomach
“Okay I think that’s enough you silly fox,” the trainer relented, letting Vix to recover from her ticklish torture, “Now let me finish eating and I’ll show you what I got,”
Anthony quickly finished eating his sandwich and fished into another bag to retrieve a small deck of flash cards, “Alright Vix this is what I got, I know that they’re not as intricate as Pennelopy’s but I think they’ll do the job, and Lucy I see you peeking out there how about you come join us and learn how to use these.”
“Bé!” she shrieked hiding back into her flower
“Aw come on Lucy, this is important,”
“Fen, Fennekin,” Vix added.
“Bé…” the tiny fairy wept as her flower tightened up again.
Vix huffed in annoyance and snatched the deck of cards from the trainer. She shredded the packaging and scattered the cards across the bed.
“Easy, I only have the one set,” Anthony warned, “take your time to figure it out,”
The Fennekin rolled her eyes before setting to work sifting through the cards. Once she finished arranging her messaged she gave a curt bark to get her trainer to read the cards.
“Boy, hurt? And Flower,” he read aloud, “Do you think I’m going to hurt Lucy?”
Vix nodded.
“No I’m not going to hurt her, and by the way how…”
She held her paw up and pointed to the brain card.
“Oh,”
The little fox began searching though the cards again; changing her message again before giving another bark to let her trainer decipher her new message.
“Okay, let’s see here… Boy, monitor… or computer? And flower again,” Anthony decrypted the basic sentence, “That’s not going an issue, one I don’t have my storage system set up and two I’m not looking for the strongest Pokémon, I just want good friends. Vix you… told her these things that are why she’s upset?”
Vix nodded guiltily
“Are you upset with me for catching her?” the trainer asked calmly
She looked down at her message and set to work again reworking it. The teen watched as the fox set up a long chain of cards as he waited for the bark to signify when he could read it.
“Damn that’s pretty good girl,” he remarked when he heard her bark, “let’s see, first part I’m guessing means you had a bad trainer be for me yes?”
“Fen,” she nodded
“And the second part… he tried to hurt you… and you hurt him instead?”
Again the Fennekin nodded
“Finally the last part… he took you back to… destroy you?”
Vix paused a moment before she bowed her head, “Fennekin,”
“I see so that’s why you’re not too keen on trusting me, but he must have been pretty mad to try to get you… well you know,”
The fox picked up the boy card and sent one of her sharp fangs though the crotch of the picture, “Ouch you bit him there?”
“Fen…”
“Can’t say that I blame you if he was trying to do that, you had every right to defend yourself,” the teen chuckled, “good girl,”
Vix cocked her head puzzled.
“I mean it, you have my word that I won’t ever try to hurt either of you, and to the best of my ability I will prevent the both of you and any future teammates from coming to harm,” Anthony swore with his right hand raised. He looked to Lucy’s flower to see that she was peeking out of her flower again, “do you forgive me?”
She nodded allowing her flower to open up, “bé,”
“I’m sorry, I promise to never yell, or put you in storage,”
She quickly shook her tiny hands before giving a cute high-pitched growl
“I see so I won’t yell out of anger then, but yelling for emergencies are okay,” the trainer offered his hand out to the fairy. Lucy lifted her flower out of the glass and rested in the humans hand; allowing him to carry her to the bed.
“Fennekin?” the fox asked
“Bé,” the Flabébé nodded, “Flabébé?”
Vix’s eyes lit up as she set to work teaching the fairy how to use the cards, unfortunately Lucy quickly became frustrated when she made Anthony blush with the sentence she put together, “it’s okay Lucy at least you didn’t panic when I skewered my foot on that Weedle,”
The fairy giggled as she mimicked Vix’s panic stricken antics. Anthony could only laugh at the blushing Fennekin as the Flabébé teased her to great effect.
“Okay, okay girls I can’t breathe,” he gasped out in his fit of laughter, “I’m glad you care about me Vix, and Lucy you shouldn’t be so mean to Vix.”
“bébé,” the tiny fairy agreed still giggling. She stretched out a vine and offered it to the Fennekin
“Fen,” the fox huffed before taking the vine in her paw.
“Okay girls lets clean up the bed so we can get to sleep, tomorrow we’re going to have to find a third teammate to take on the gym,” Anthony clapped drawing the Pokémon’s attention. Lucy and Vix both tilted their heads, “well don’t you two want to evolve?”
They both nodded excitedly.
“Good, but first things first, we need to rest up so we can catch a bird,”
The two Pokémon helped their trainer clear the bed of the scattered cards and leftover food before Anthony removed his prosthetic leg to climb into the bed, “are you going to be okay over there Lucy?”
“Flabé,” she chirped as she set her flower in the glass of water closing its petals up around her.
“Well once you’ve evolved you won’t be so little,” the trainer cooed, “well you would be too big to curl up into your flower like that.”
“Fen,” Vix huffed throwing her weight into the teen’s stomach
“Oof, yeah and you’ll get bigger grow hands and get… oh sweet Arceus, Vix when you evolve try not to give me headaches with your new-found physic power,” he nervously added.
“Fen, Fennekin?” she hopped on his chest her red eyes glinting in the darkness, “Fen,”
“What are you doing?”
She pressed her paw to his forehead, ~and what makes you think I can’t now,~
“Oh dear,”

Okay yet another long chapter for this fiction seems to be a trend; well same as always leave a review and no flames please.
Sincerely Kolofox.

No comments posted
  •  
    Reviewer: ziegles
    Date:Dec 18 2014 Chapter:He Who Smelled the Roses
    As far as trainer fics go, this has to be the most original and refreshing I have seen.

    I've gotten to this chapter so far, but I can tell this is shaping up to be a great read.

    First, your characters are interesting and have depth. Their interactions and dialogue is very natural and well thought out. It was a little odd when I first learned that Anthony was crippled, but I see so much more depth and room for development in a character like that. Kudos for that. My one gripe with him is that he seems a bit too mature for his age in the way he talks and the way he processes various situations.

    Second, the whole concept of the "obstacle course" that Anthony must clear was brilliant. Very fun to imagine and a blast to read. Again, the word "original" comes to mind.

    Third, the overall feel of where the story is heading seems exciting and promising. I don't know how to describe it any other way.

    There are a couple things that stick out to me in a negative way though. I notice that it is hard to picture exactly what is going on in some parts of the story. I think you could improve by being more descriptive in your settings. Picture in your mind's eye what exactly the scene is that you are writing about, and describe that to the best of your ability. Just a suggestion, because I found the Kalos that Anthony and company are traveling around in to be a little bland (now that I'm writing this I realize that I need to do this more).

    There remains the elephant in the room still, and that is your grammar and sentence structure. There were many, many of these errors in these first two chapters. I did, however, sneak a peek at your most recent chapter to see that you have improved somewhat (especially with the line spacing). Still, I see several places where you have run-on sentences and comma splices. A good way to catch these sort of errors is to read your drafts out loud in a conversational manner. You will become acquainted with the best sort of flow in each sentence if you do this, but you might sound a little weird to yourself while you are doing it. Don't worry, it's normal xD.

    You had mentioned something about tracking down a beta-reader earlier, and I think that is a great thing to have. If you are still seeking out one, I would be glad to be a beta-reader for you. At the very least, you seem like an author that I would want to get critiques from/bounce ideas of off. PM me about that.

    Lastly, know that I enjoyed reading this and look forward to getting down to the rest of it. All flaws aside, I think you are a great writer and that this story is shaping up to be something fantastic.
    Author's Response:
    Wow... I'm at a bit of a loss for words, Thank you. Anyway I've always struggled with my grammar and I would defiantly appreciate a Beta-reader.

    Now regarding Anthony's maturity; part of it is his training from his Great grandfather, and the other is due to his back story (it is explained in later chapters.)

    thank you again

    Kolofox