Episode 044: The Death Camp
Author Note: First story for the month of July, a little late, but you'll get both of them. Hope you like it, the plot is thickening like the stiring instant potatoes xD
Forgotten Instincts
Episode 044
"The Death Camp"
By Darfix
An eerie silence falls upon the forest as birds ground themselves from flight, knowing the present dangers and land animals find cover wherever it can be found. That is, in exception for those daring enough to search for loved ones...
Despite the fact that Yukoni and her mother, Yurala, we safe back at their den, Tiasha and Niktsu discover themselves in search of their friends, Subaki, her brother Kyotsu, and his lover Litivia find themselves also in search of their kin and friends, Kyotsu's parents are in search of their son, Darfix and Konya suffering the same fate together, Destiny having been taken captive by a hunter's Houndoom, and of course, Taruno meeting his untimely fate by the sights of a hunter's Mosin Nagant.
The Houndoom that had captured Destiny at this time is carrying her back to his master's remote shack where all of his illegal Pokémon poaching took place. The area is beleaguered with rusting cages filled with exotic and common Pokémon alike. For the most part, each cage is in massive disrepair. Feeders and food trays about as clean as a common septic tank and the "beds" nothing but a pile of dry grass to lie on.
The Houndoom had timed his trip right, for as he embarked into the camp's area, his master was returning with the Mightyena, as well as his kill for the day.
The man throws down the lifeless Ninetales body onto the back of an old pickup truck poised on cinder blocks. Were Destiny awake, she might recognize the kill to be her father...
The Mightyena at this point had taken it upon himself to greet his water bowl in attempt to regain some of the energy spent on today's outing. The Houndoom loyally approaches his master with his prize.
"Hmm, what do you got their boy?" the human speaks, noticing a reddish orange fluff ball in the dog's chops. He reaches down to pick up the Vulpix, having a look at her.
"Well, boyâ�"you dun impress me every time we go out. Hehe, to capture one of these alive is an accomplishment by itself. Heh, I know many rich folks like to get their hands on young Vulpixes fer their cuteness and what not...peh," he leans over to hock a wad of spit against a hub cap leaning against his shack. "We best cage n' feed this one then."
With that, he opens up an empty cage and tosses Destiny inside before slamming it shut. She is now the resident of cage number 13, positioned on the second story of a row of cages lining the east wall of a collapsing barn. Her neighbors consisted of a Noctowl to her right and a Poochyena to her left. The Noctowl looked as though he was guarding an invaluable treasure on a half hour of sleep while suffering mass hysteria and paranoia, while the Poochyena was removed from a state of chronic boredom and depression. She is quick to lift her weak body and pad over to the edge of her cage to eye her new neighbor.
The silence at the moment is broken, as the Noctowl begins flapping his wings madly and chanting, "Hoo, hoo! Hoo, hoo! Six fifteen o'clock and all's well! Hoo, hoo!"
The sudden spasm is causes the human to begin shouting as he tosses a large stone at the Noctowl's cage, only terrifying the bird more and sending him into a flapping fit.
"ARG! Don't you ever shut up you blasted beast?!" the human yells, obviously having been exposed to such behavior before.
The ordeal causes the Poochyena to cower and cover her head with her pawsâ�"as if she had also been exposed to such behavior before...
The ear-shattering noise of stone hitting metal at a high velocity reaches the ears of a Flareon and Mightyena, Niktsu and Tiasha. Instantly, the two of them freeze and stretch their necks into the air, cocking their heads in a manner to correspond with their ears to maximize listening ability.
"...did you hear that, hon?" Niktsu asks in a soft voice, flicking his tail in curiosity.
"I am not deaf, Nikâ�"it sounds like that damn human...this is not good, we must have stumbled dangerously close to his den..." she responds, nosing him in a fearful manner.
"But was it not him making all of that noise earlier? Scaring the Pidgeys and Spearow?" Niktsu replies promptly, keeping his ear steady.
"What does that have to do with him not coming after us!?" Tiasha asks, giving her lover's ear a serious nip.
"Hey!" Niktsu shouts, growling a little at her, "I was just thinkingâ�"if he may have...come across our friends..."
"If he did, they're deadâ�"humans don't discriminate, they kill first and ask questions later. To my understanding they don't even eat their killsâ�"disgusting wasteful beasts they are..." she replies with a vengeance.
Niktsu sighs heavily, "...I met a human before, they aren't mindless killers...my guess is he could have captured our friends...it would not surprise me if theyâ�""
"Quit talking foolishly! You may have met humans elsewhere, but the humans this far out are bloodthirsty murderers! If he happened to come across any of our friendsâ�"they are dead or dying. Niktsuâ�"we'd be better off sniffing out blood than putting our noses in his territory..."
"....you're not going to give up on our friends, I hope..." Niktsu retorts with an uncertain gaze.
"...look, if we find bloodâ�"we'll know who did and who didn't die during his slaying...if we find none of our friends at the sights, we can assume the bestâ�"and, maybe come back here..."
Niktsu didn't exactly like the sound of that, but he knew arguing with her would yield no results. "...very well, Tiasha...lead the way..."
Tiasha sighs with relief, putting her nose high in the airâ�"searching for any sign of blood with her keen sense of smell.
Meanwhile, Kyotsu was leading his small band, consisting of himself, his sister, and his lover. They had their noses high, hoping to catch a break and find any familiar scent. Thankfully, the horrendous sounds had ceasedâ�"but the woods were still and quiet yet, the aftermath of a human hunt.
Suddenly, Kyotsu stops, increasing his sniffing which causes Subaki and Litivia to turn their attention to him. He had picked up the familiar scent they were searching for.
"...I smell somethingâ�"it smells like, like Eevee..." Kyotsu speaks, gazing slightly at Litivia, who is at his side.
"...Darfix or Konya..." Litivia points out quickly, "Kyotsuâ�"can you lead us there? The more we have togetherâ�""
"I know, Tivia..." Kyotsu replies after giving her a comforting lick on the cheek, "...we need to get all of us together and decide what to do next..."
"But, mother and father, theyâ�""
"Subaki," Kyotsu whispers, turning his gaze upon his sister now, "We will find them too, do not worry..." he speaks in his attempt at a comforting tone.
Subaki nods, approaching her brother's side, "...let's find them soon..." she adds with a small sniffle.
Kyotsu gives a nod, sniffing the air once more and following the trail.
As luck would have it, in their search for surviving friends and kin, Darfix picks up the scent of Vulpixes nearby. Though that might not be a great thing, due to the fact this place was inhabited by the creatures in large quantities, his hopes were high that it was the scent of his friends, for he assumed Destiny and her family were still save in their den.
"Konyaâ�"I picked up something, please, stay close incase its trouble..." he whispers to his companion, who obediently approaches his side. He has to pause for a little bit, dismayed at seeing a little bit of Siozu's mark on her maw, still.
With a bit of a cringe, he frowns, "...you still have some, err..." he trails off as he sees her confused look. Taking a deep breath, he leans forward to lick it off her muzzleâ�"which yields mixed results.
"Dâ�"Darfix..." she responds, now effectively rendered wide eyed and bushy tailed, "Whatâ�"are you doing?"
The Eevee is quick to pull back, "...I didn't mean to offend you, you justâ�"had something on your muzzle..."
Her gaze hits the ground as she sighs heavily.
Darfix' frown intensifies, "...I'm sorry I wasn't sooner...I didn't want to see him violate you like that..."
"...no, Iâ�"I thank you for saving me...I thought he was going to kill me...orâ�""
Darfix shakes his head, "...let us not think too heavily on it, we have some friends to locate..." he replies, trying his best to take her mind off of it.
She nods quickly, "...sorry," she quips, looking apologetically at him with her tail between her legs.
Darfix responds with a warm smile, "Kony, you did nothing wrong...come on, let's go," he says warmly, placing his tail in front of her so she can lightly nip on his tip to form a little Eevee train. Generally, this was a method used by mothers to keep their young close, but it also served as a feeling of safety for young Eevees.
Kyotsu's troupe is suddenly halted when the sound of rustling grass catches the trio's attention. Instantly, the three Vulpixes enter alert phase, and poise themselves in a manner prepared to fire when ready. Subaki, however, takes cover behind her brother and Litivia.
"...steady," Kyotsu pleads, "They could be allies..."
The rustling of the bushes grows louder, as the approaching anomaly grows closer and closer to Kyotsu and his squad. Time at this point begins to slow down drastically, almost at a complete pause as adrenaline kicks in. Litivia clears her throat, as she was poised on her proverbial "trigger finger", ready to unleash a burst of fiery hot flame should noise turn out to be hostile...
To Be Continued...
Episode 044
"The Death Camp"
By Darfix
An eerie silence falls upon the forest as birds ground themselves from flight, knowing the present dangers and land animals find cover wherever it can be found. That is, in exception for those daring enough to search for loved ones...
Despite the fact that Yukoni and her mother, Yurala, we safe back at their den, Tiasha and Niktsu discover themselves in search of their friends, Subaki, her brother Kyotsu, and his lover Litivia find themselves also in search of their kin and friends, Kyotsu's parents are in search of their son, Darfix and Konya suffering the same fate together, Destiny having been taken captive by a hunter's Houndoom, and of course, Taruno meeting his untimely fate by the sights of a hunter's Mosin Nagant.
The Houndoom that had captured Destiny at this time is carrying her back to his master's remote shack where all of his illegal Pokémon poaching took place. The area is beleaguered with rusting cages filled with exotic and common Pokémon alike. For the most part, each cage is in massive disrepair. Feeders and food trays about as clean as a common septic tank and the "beds" nothing but a pile of dry grass to lie on.
The Houndoom had timed his trip right, for as he embarked into the camp's area, his master was returning with the Mightyena, as well as his kill for the day.
The man throws down the lifeless Ninetales body onto the back of an old pickup truck poised on cinder blocks. Were Destiny awake, she might recognize the kill to be her father...
The Mightyena at this point had taken it upon himself to greet his water bowl in attempt to regain some of the energy spent on today's outing. The Houndoom loyally approaches his master with his prize.
"Hmm, what do you got their boy?" the human speaks, noticing a reddish orange fluff ball in the dog's chops. He reaches down to pick up the Vulpix, having a look at her.
"Well, boyâ�"you dun impress me every time we go out. Hehe, to capture one of these alive is an accomplishment by itself. Heh, I know many rich folks like to get their hands on young Vulpixes fer their cuteness and what not...peh," he leans over to hock a wad of spit against a hub cap leaning against his shack. "We best cage n' feed this one then."
With that, he opens up an empty cage and tosses Destiny inside before slamming it shut. She is now the resident of cage number 13, positioned on the second story of a row of cages lining the east wall of a collapsing barn. Her neighbors consisted of a Noctowl to her right and a Poochyena to her left. The Noctowl looked as though he was guarding an invaluable treasure on a half hour of sleep while suffering mass hysteria and paranoia, while the Poochyena was removed from a state of chronic boredom and depression. She is quick to lift her weak body and pad over to the edge of her cage to eye her new neighbor.
The silence at the moment is broken, as the Noctowl begins flapping his wings madly and chanting, "Hoo, hoo! Hoo, hoo! Six fifteen o'clock and all's well! Hoo, hoo!"
The sudden spasm is causes the human to begin shouting as he tosses a large stone at the Noctowl's cage, only terrifying the bird more and sending him into a flapping fit.
"ARG! Don't you ever shut up you blasted beast?!" the human yells, obviously having been exposed to such behavior before.
The ordeal causes the Poochyena to cower and cover her head with her pawsâ�"as if she had also been exposed to such behavior before...
The ear-shattering noise of stone hitting metal at a high velocity reaches the ears of a Flareon and Mightyena, Niktsu and Tiasha. Instantly, the two of them freeze and stretch their necks into the air, cocking their heads in a manner to correspond with their ears to maximize listening ability.
"...did you hear that, hon?" Niktsu asks in a soft voice, flicking his tail in curiosity.
"I am not deaf, Nikâ�"it sounds like that damn human...this is not good, we must have stumbled dangerously close to his den..." she responds, nosing him in a fearful manner.
"But was it not him making all of that noise earlier? Scaring the Pidgeys and Spearow?" Niktsu replies promptly, keeping his ear steady.
"What does that have to do with him not coming after us!?" Tiasha asks, giving her lover's ear a serious nip.
"Hey!" Niktsu shouts, growling a little at her, "I was just thinkingâ�"if he may have...come across our friends..."
"If he did, they're deadâ�"humans don't discriminate, they kill first and ask questions later. To my understanding they don't even eat their killsâ�"disgusting wasteful beasts they are..." she replies with a vengeance.
Niktsu sighs heavily, "...I met a human before, they aren't mindless killers...my guess is he could have captured our friends...it would not surprise me if theyâ�""
"Quit talking foolishly! You may have met humans elsewhere, but the humans this far out are bloodthirsty murderers! If he happened to come across any of our friendsâ�"they are dead or dying. Niktsuâ�"we'd be better off sniffing out blood than putting our noses in his territory..."
"....you're not going to give up on our friends, I hope..." Niktsu retorts with an uncertain gaze.
"...look, if we find bloodâ�"we'll know who did and who didn't die during his slaying...if we find none of our friends at the sights, we can assume the bestâ�"and, maybe come back here..."
Niktsu didn't exactly like the sound of that, but he knew arguing with her would yield no results. "...very well, Tiasha...lead the way..."
Tiasha sighs with relief, putting her nose high in the airâ�"searching for any sign of blood with her keen sense of smell.
Meanwhile, Kyotsu was leading his small band, consisting of himself, his sister, and his lover. They had their noses high, hoping to catch a break and find any familiar scent. Thankfully, the horrendous sounds had ceasedâ�"but the woods were still and quiet yet, the aftermath of a human hunt.
Suddenly, Kyotsu stops, increasing his sniffing which causes Subaki and Litivia to turn their attention to him. He had picked up the familiar scent they were searching for.
"...I smell somethingâ�"it smells like, like Eevee..." Kyotsu speaks, gazing slightly at Litivia, who is at his side.
"...Darfix or Konya..." Litivia points out quickly, "Kyotsuâ�"can you lead us there? The more we have togetherâ�""
"I know, Tivia..." Kyotsu replies after giving her a comforting lick on the cheek, "...we need to get all of us together and decide what to do next..."
"But, mother and father, theyâ�""
"Subaki," Kyotsu whispers, turning his gaze upon his sister now, "We will find them too, do not worry..." he speaks in his attempt at a comforting tone.
Subaki nods, approaching her brother's side, "...let's find them soon..." she adds with a small sniffle.
Kyotsu gives a nod, sniffing the air once more and following the trail.
As luck would have it, in their search for surviving friends and kin, Darfix picks up the scent of Vulpixes nearby. Though that might not be a great thing, due to the fact this place was inhabited by the creatures in large quantities, his hopes were high that it was the scent of his friends, for he assumed Destiny and her family were still save in their den.
"Konyaâ�"I picked up something, please, stay close incase its trouble..." he whispers to his companion, who obediently approaches his side. He has to pause for a little bit, dismayed at seeing a little bit of Siozu's mark on her maw, still.
With a bit of a cringe, he frowns, "...you still have some, err..." he trails off as he sees her confused look. Taking a deep breath, he leans forward to lick it off her muzzleâ�"which yields mixed results.
"Dâ�"Darfix..." she responds, now effectively rendered wide eyed and bushy tailed, "Whatâ�"are you doing?"
The Eevee is quick to pull back, "...I didn't mean to offend you, you justâ�"had something on your muzzle..."
Her gaze hits the ground as she sighs heavily.
Darfix' frown intensifies, "...I'm sorry I wasn't sooner...I didn't want to see him violate you like that..."
"...no, Iâ�"I thank you for saving me...I thought he was going to kill me...orâ�""
Darfix shakes his head, "...let us not think too heavily on it, we have some friends to locate..." he replies, trying his best to take her mind off of it.
She nods quickly, "...sorry," she quips, looking apologetically at him with her tail between her legs.
Darfix responds with a warm smile, "Kony, you did nothing wrong...come on, let's go," he says warmly, placing his tail in front of her so she can lightly nip on his tip to form a little Eevee train. Generally, this was a method used by mothers to keep their young close, but it also served as a feeling of safety for young Eevees.
Kyotsu's troupe is suddenly halted when the sound of rustling grass catches the trio's attention. Instantly, the three Vulpixes enter alert phase, and poise themselves in a manner prepared to fire when ready. Subaki, however, takes cover behind her brother and Litivia.
"...steady," Kyotsu pleads, "They could be allies..."
The rustling of the bushes grows louder, as the approaching anomaly grows closer and closer to Kyotsu and his squad. Time at this point begins to slow down drastically, almost at a complete pause as adrenaline kicks in. Litivia clears her throat, as she was poised on her proverbial "trigger finger", ready to unleash a burst of fiery hot flame should noise turn out to be hostile...
To Be Continued...