19 | INTERVAL

August reread what she wrote, brows knitted in frustration. She'd never liked writing. Putting words on paper to impress others was a waste when she could speak her ideas aloud. Talking faster, too. She straightened from her hunched position and rolled her shoulders and neck. Her joints popped, much to her satisfaction. This piece would do.

"Have you finished?" Lang asked, peeking at her work.

She nodded. "Aye. Take it."

Lang plucked the pieces of parchment from the short table and scanned it. She was the one who assigned the writing exercises to August. The pirate had made the mistake of mentioning that Cyryl was teaching her how to read advanced literature, piquing Lang's interest. She insisted that August needed to practice writing to help develop her language arts skills. August agreed mostly because she had nothing else to do. She missed her apprentice keeping her busy.

Life had slowed to a crawling pace since their return. Because Loto had used his single miracle potion on August's mangled arm, the new injuries needed time to heal naturally. Lang's Ingrain spell could only do so much. Loto spent most of his time out in the city in search of a remedy to accelerate the process, but he came home empty-handed every night.

August always knew when Loto and Dew slipped through the doorway in the middle of the night. Sleep was a friend she'd grown distant from. Nightmares plagued her dreams, replaying the vision Morningstar had cursed her with. She refused to say them aloud in fear they'd come true, clinging to the possibility the Xatu's prophecy was all a lie.

"You're improving," Lang commented, grinning. "I'm glad you're being truthful when writing these, even if it is just you advocating for violence while simultaneously complaining about your current living conditions. Still, I appreciate your effort. We'll address your hatred of commas tomorrow."

"Don't tell me to write my thoughts if you're going to whine about them," August complained.

"I thought you were the kind of person who valued honesty."

"An' I thought you had manners. That was mean."

The Grass-magician lowered the papers, the concern flitting across her features sparring with her annoyance. "Well, I'm sorry if I offended you. I meant no harm."

"Sure you did."

A thick silence fell upon the two, smothering them in an awkward air. Lang avoided August's harsh glare and shifted foot to foot. The painful lull in conversation persisted.

August's cold mask melted away as her lips twisted into a smirk. She chuckled. "I'm playing. You're easier to fool than Omar an' Cyryl."

Lang's face tinted pink. She shook her head and smoothened out the papers she'd crinkled in her tight grasp. "How was I supposed to know you were jesting? Your acting skills are unfairly competent. Use that chaotic energy of yours for better purposes. Relieve it. You can walk around now, you know."

On instinct, August glanced at her foot. Her foot was much easier to heal in comparison to Cyryl's face. The piercing was gone thanks to Lang's powers and locally purchased medicine. It couldn't reverse her fallen arch, though. Whenever she put too much pressure on her left foot, it swelled and ached. Her uneven gait made her feel all the lamer.

"Yeah, I can walk back an' forth. That's it," she grumbled. Mobile or not, no one wanted her tagging along with them on outdoor errands, whether it be Omar buying food or Lang traveling to Tuyen's research room for further data. The furthest she'd traveled was down the street to stretch her legs.

"Don't act like you're completely isolated here. You have Gracie to keep you company," Lang replied.

"No, I don't. She's always off keeping Pidge busy."

August's restlessness was nothing in comparison to the Pidgeotto's. Pidge had refused to budge from Cyryl's bedside for three days straight. After hours of nonstop coaxing from Gracie and Omar, Pidge was lured out of the room to release his pent-up stress in the form of play-fighting. Lang and Omar (and sometimes August if she felt up to the task) took turns smuggling the Pokémon into an abandoned bath spring where they'd spar in the emptied pool. Pidge and Gracie would exhaust themselves to the point of near-fainting and have to be carried back to Loto's room.

Lang sighed softly. "Would you like me to use Spore on you? You look like you haven't slept in ages, and your behavior lately is reflecting that. A good rest will boost your mood."

The pirate rubbed her dry, bloodshot eyes. "I don't need it."

"Then I'll brew some tea."

August observed Lang neatly stack the writing exercises on the table then leave for the kitchen. She moved with precise and concise actions which reminded the pirate of a Kirlia. Whenever she did make a mistake, however, Lang flushed red and lost her cool as she became a frazzled mess. Trying to get the nurse to blunder was a fun pastime.

Not feeling up to the task of bothering her, August staggered to her feet with a grunt. She winced as she crossed to the hallway, mild jolts of pain prickling her nerves when she put weight on her bad foot. Gradually, she reached the guest bedroom and found it mostly vacant. Omar was out with Loto on a Black Powder expedition of some sorts, and Cyryl was resting in Loto's room since he had the biggest futon. One other being occupied the area, fatigued from sparring earlier this morning.

"Gracie?" August whispered, closing the door behind her. Gracie?

The leafy mammal slowly unfurled, revealing a much larger Shaymin than the one the month before. Gracie had hit a massive growth spurt in the past few weeks; she developed lean muscles and gained a few inches in height. She lifted her sleepy face and blinked blearily, gazing at August in confusion.

Gracie yawned. "Wha?"

August laid down beside her, leaning her head on the pillow. I was seeing if you were awake.

"I was sleeping." The Shaymin sniffed August's temple, but she didn't recoil. "Are you going to sleep? I can move for you." She shuffled aside, giving her an extra inch. "See?"

Thanks.

August exhaled deeply, staring at the ceiling. Gracie wiggled closer and placed her chin on her shoulder.

"We did the book quest."

Aye, we did.

"That means it's time to find the other Shaymin. You promised we would find them after we did the book quest."

Aye, I did.

Even with her eyes shut, August sensed Gracie's unblinking stare boring through her. Blindly, she reached out to pet the Shaymin's head. She missed. Her hand landed on Gracie's hedge. Settling for it, August stroked the velvety leaves only to feel something out of place. Flower petals brushed her fingertips. That wasn't mentioned in Tuyen's Shaymin book.

Gracie.

"Yeah?"

Can you grow flowers on your back?

"Oh yeah! I mean, no, I can't, but look!"

Gracie sprung to her paws, alerting August. She rolled over to watch her companion. Gracie shook her pelt, and two flowers drifted out from her foliage. They were familiar pink blossoms which emanated an unforgettable, sweet perfume.

August jerked upright, eliciting a squeak of surprise from Gracie. She snatched one of the blooms and said in disbelief, "You have Gracideas?"

"Yeah! I got them when me and Lang went into the mudhole," Gracie chirped proudly. "There's one for you and one for me. I got you one because I know you like them."

A small smile tugged at the pirate's lips.   She scooped her Gracidea into her palm. The flower was perfectly healthy with its vivid colors and strong scent. It'd sell fast and rich. I'll keep it safe.

"Oh, watch what I can do with mine!"

Gracie dipped her head and picked up the Gracidea in her maw. Pink glimmers budded at the flower's center and spread outward, veiling the bloom in a luminous splendor. A shining wave of light enveloped Gracie's body then pulsated. The Shaymin grew twice as tall with long, slender legs propping her up. Her hedge swirled into five singular leaves and shifted to her crown. The blooms on either side of her face morphed into a scarf and wrapped around her neck.

As shimmering light faded, and Gracie beamed and said, "Watch me, watch me!"

The Shaymin pranced in place then scurried to the far side of the room. She hopped onto the dresser with a kind of elegance her normal form lacked. Gracie bent down, wriggled her haunches, then leaped. Instead of striking the floor, she glided through the air and performed acrobatic feats above a startled August.

"Why didn't you—" August cut herself off, realizing how loud her voice was. Why didn't you tell me this earlier?

Gracie sped to the pirate, stopping just in time as to not crash into her. "I wanted to practice flying first. Pidge has been teaching me. He's a really, really good flier."

An' no one saw you like this?

"Nope! I asked Pidge to keep it a secret. He uses Gust, and he brings over the fog from the other rooms like a big cloud. We use the cloud to hide."

August faintly recalled Omar mentioning how Pidge learned how to utilize steam during battle. It made sense that it was Gracie's idea rather than the dense bird's.

You've grown, she noted, pocketing her Gracidea. Look at you. You can fly, you scheme, an' you keep secrets. Where'd that sleepy babe go?

Gracie's cheeks puffed out at the mention of 'babe.' "I'm not a baby anymore. I'm more awake than asleep now. And, and I know two attacks now. I'm working on my third. I can fight. Babies don't fight."

August poked her forehead. You don't fight, either. That's what I do.

"That's not fair! I want to help."

Life ain't fair.

"Please?"

No.

"Please, please, please?"

Stop it. I said what I said.

Gracie moaned in protest and somersaulted through the air past August. She returned with a pout, complaining, "But I've trained really, really hard. I can help you and Cyryl and Pidge. Pidge said you and Cyryl need help because you almost died at the water place."

August scowled. Don't listen to Pidge.

"Pidge said you almost died at the sand place, too, but Nuri said he was lying. She put him in timeout." The Shaymin released a low whine and drifted to the ground, resting her front paws on August's boots. "What if it happens again? You need help, my help. You can't die."

A tender feeling warmed August's chest. It was raw and sensitive, giving her as much strength as it did weakness as she slid to the ground and cradled Gracie's face in her hands. I know you mean well, but this ain't how things work. I protect you, you don't protect me. I can take care o' myself. She bit her inner cheek. I've done it my whole life.

"But I want to," Gracie said softly. "Please?"

Instead of answering, August hugged Gracie to her chest. The Shaymin accepted the embrace and snuggled into her hold. Never would Gracie see how August's mask cracked, revealing glassy eyes and reddened cheeks. Not now. If August had it her way, not ever.

⚔️

The mirror was small. Small, silver, and shattered in the upper-left corner. The streaky glass reflected a gruesome sight worthy of nightmares. Three jagged claw marks tarnished olive skin with angry, raised scar tissue. A swollen eyelid marred by the cuts was forever sealed shut; it burned if touched.

Cyryl lowered the mirror, unable to stare at zir bare self any longer. With practiced movements, zie tied on zir leather eyepatch and adjusted it to rest comfortably. Again, zie lifted the mirror. The eyepatch covered the worst of the wound. Zie tried to smile, but it turned into a weak grimace. It was a sinister look when accompanied by zir scars. Zie sighed and placed the mirror back onto the nightstand.

For the past few weeks, Cyryl had feigned zir coma. It was wrong, zie knew it was, but zie didn't want to see zir friends' shocked reactions when they realized how much damage zie had taken. It was a disability being blind in one eye. Cyryl had it difficult enough being the most inexperienced one of the group, thanks to zir upbringing. This was the last thing zie needed.

The door groaned as it opened, and Loto entered zir room. He'd figured out zie was playing sick days ago. A half-grin lifted his features, but it didn't meet his eyes.

"Did you have any luck with your deal tonight?" Cyryl asked, mustering as much cheer as possible.

Loto took a seat next to zir on the futon and offered zir a bread roll. "Yeah, it went without a hitch. No fighting or nothing."

Zie split the roll in half and gave a portion to him, replying, "Good. If anyone had stirred up trouble, they'd have to answer to my call. Our dynamic duo would spring back into action full-force, and that's the truth."

"You're nuts if you think I'm letting you tag along on a trade." Loto chuckled, but his humor waned as his laughter died off. "You're best off leaving trouble to others."

The bread roll's flavor depleted, taking the atmosphere's ease with it. It weighed like a stone in zir hands, heavy and rough. Cyryl picked at its crust and returned, "It's impossible to evade trouble forever. You can lock someone in a cell and throw away the key to shield zir from harm, but it'll cost you zir sanity in its stead."

"Seeing messed up things'll bust your sanity, too."

"I'd rather take that chance than risk not seeing anything at all."

Cyryl avoided Loto's upset gaze, focusing on fiddling with zir rings. For once, zir hands weren't bandaged. Dark burn scars enveloped zir thin fingers in uneven patches. Unlike zir face, zie could easily hide these marks caused by past mistakes.

Zie swallowed the bile in zir throat then said, "I know what you're thinking, Loto. I should know better. Pursuing dangerous quests is incredibly foolish for a sheltered magician such as myself. My brothers had already proven this is a deadly path to walk considering the way they passed. I should learn from their mistakes. Your mistakes. Everyone's mistakes."

Years before zie was born, Cyryl had twin older brothers who roamed the Far Plains in search for local adventures. Zie never met them. Normies had found zir brothers using magic since they'd strayed too close to their village—the fallout led to zir brothers' demise. It was that tragedy which had shackled Cyryl to Waywyn for so long.

Heat crawled up Cyryl's neck as it always did when zir emotions clouded zir thoughts. Zie continued, "Truth be told, I have learned from them. I've also learned I'm my own person, and I should be able to choose my own fate. People have been making choices for me for too long. I'm exhausted by it."

Loto groaned and ran a hand through his hair, tugging at it in frustration. "But we're looking out for you. Look what happened when you decided to fight that magician—you almost got your eye cut out. If that lout struck faster or harder, you'd be, you'd be..." He couldn't finish his sentence.

"But I didn't, and I won't," zie insisted. "My skills have improved rapidly in the past couple of months, and they'll just continue to better over time."

"Cyryl."

The desperation in his tone drew zir stare back to him. Loto's eyes showed a familiar pain zie dreaded to recognize. It was bleak and sorrowful, laden with grief. It was the look of someone who'd faced loss. The look of someone who feared he'd lose more.

Loto leaned close and stressed, "The real world's a hard place; it's nothing like Waywyn, and it sure as hell ain't nothin' like that abandoned town we went to. Your luck will run out, and I don't think you're prepared for when it does. You'll be lucky to get out with a few damn scars. I'm enough proof for that. So please, please think about this. I know you're sharp enough to have some logic in there."

"I've heard this lecture a dozen times," zie mumbled, reminded of Omar and August.

"Then listen. I'm saying this because I care about you." Loto grabbed zir hands in his. "If you want to go on an adventure, we can go on one together. It'll be like when we were younger. You, me, Dew, and Pidge. We can explore all of Verelum and see those libraries you've talked about."

"Loto."

"Think of all the books you can read. There's amazing food all over Verelum, too. I've lived here for over a year, and I haven't tried even half of all of it."

"Please."

"When we get tired of traveling, we can come back here and rest. Guella wouldn't care."

"Loto, please, stop this." Cyryl cleared zir scratchy throat as zir voice cracked, right on the verge of tears. "I told you this before: I've pledged myself to this journey. I have to see it to its end. I couldn't live with myself if I abandoned it." A bitter smile tugged at zir lips. "As of late, it seems I'm the only person who believes in myself."

Loto's hold tightened. "That's not what I—" He choked, grimacing. "D-dammit... A long time ago I told myself that I would try to help you if somethin' like this happened. Now it has, and I feel like I can't do a single damn thing." He shook his head and released a shaky breath. Regret laced his voice as he confessed, "I shouldn't have used that medicine on that pirate, you can't heal an eye like you can an arm."

"You didn't know this would happen," zie said softly, pleadingly. "No one did."

"But I should've—"

"Loto."

They met each other's gazes and crumbled. They fell into each other in a hug as their words gave way into tears. They both knew how this would end. It wasn't the first time they separated from each other, but they hoped it would be the last.