The morning sun had risen in the sky, a pleasant, gentle wind rustling through his fur and Hal was in good spirits. It was rare that he woke up to a day such as this, the silence that had accompanied the cheery morn tranquil, rather than the usual unease. The arcanine walked slowly through the route, naturally opting to stroll down the centre of the manmade path, a broad smile stretched across a youthful, yet battle-scarred face.
He’d shoved the constant fear of not knowing the fate of his kingdom to the back of his mind, approaching a new day with positivity and surprising cheer given the circumstances. It had been weeks since the kingdom’s ‘war’ against the undead, endless friends falling against those monsters whilst he valiantly fought on despite the odds. But it had been useless – his form cruelly snatched from the battlefield to be teleported to some strange new land. It was all rather disorientating, though the obliviousness and isolation were the real downfalls. Harry
hated it. So accustomed to the company of a group of rowdy, often drunken friends, the canine was naturally missing the background noise of their incessant chatter. Even his right-hand-man was gone. The linoone he’d grown up with, Poins, was
always at his side. Through thick and thin, the loyalty of that little ferret was unwavering. Yet, he was gone now. He could only pray that he’d survived; that they’d all survived that massacre.
A complete beacon, Harry’s instincts were naturally under par. The canine walked as if he hadn’t a care in the world, strutting out in the open whilst paying no mind to the corpses littered about the foliage. A smaller creature may have escaped notice, but the fire-type was by no means subtle. Built strangely for his species, Harry walked on long, slender legs, lanky with an almost fragile frame. Yet the peculiarity was endearing, the canine famed for his boyish appearance to see no end of admirers. His majestic form, a vivid combination of orange and golden-beige was practically illuminated against the morning rays. His mane, immaculately groomed, although substantially shorter than average, swayed in the breeze whilst he walked with a superior gait. Whilst he held no ounce of pomposity, etiquette lessons from the moment he’d hatched had permanently instilled him with the walk of a royal. His title as Prince Harry deserved no less.
Suddenly, there was a voice. Stopping dead in his tracks, ocean blue eyes wide with curiosity, the canine lifted his slim head into the air. Ears stood erect atop his head, Hal’s expression was a picture of hope as he strained to listen. Holding his breath, Harry only dared to breathe when again, the voices flowed melodically to his ears. A suppressed squeal of delight escaped him despite himself, an intense smile hitting his features as he broke into a sprint, paws barely touching the ground as he sought out the source. He was alone no more.
Hal literally exploded onto the scene, excitement at its peak as he burst through the foliage, branches and leaves clinging stubbornly to his form as he paid no mind to any obstacles. Then, the group came into view. Giving a joyous laugh, Harry near darted past them, his speed of travel resulting in a skidding halt a distance away from their gathering. As he stood opposite, the incredible joy he felt wholeheartedly expressed on his face, Hal gradually straightened up, his tail wagging furiously behind him.
“Good morrow,” The fire-type beamed, half a hedge still entwined about his lithe form to create a rather comical impression. His appearance oozed a childish haste, whilst his voice – a charming, aristocratic flow, denied his noble roots. His grin only broadened as he neared, head high as a kindly gaze fell onto the collection of pokémon.
“Forgive my intrusion, it’s just…” He looked away, taking a sharp inhale as if basking in a sense of utter ecstasy, before his attention swiftly returned.
“It’s been awhile… since I’ve met others that is. In fact, I-I thought I was alone in this… place,” Hal hesitated for the word, even looking about the surroundings for some form of inspiration. In reality, he had no idea where he was. The only land he’d ever known was the kingdom,
his kingdom. He’d been ripped from all that he’d ever known, totally oblivious to his position almost halfway across the globe.
Allowing his sparkling eyes to roll across the creatures gathered, Hal suddenly found himself taking in a truly magnificent array of colour. Except for a young growlithe which instantly brought a smile to Hal’s face and the mightyena, the remaining creatures were all particularly striking in their appearances. A pure-white mightyena, a patterned feline, a red and black umbreon and two quite dazzling equines – Hal was awed by the incredible beauty before him. Deeming it somewhat rude to stare at them in a dumbfounded silence, the arcanine quickly snapped himself out of his trance with an abrupt shake of his head and a pleasant chuckle.
“My name’s Harry. Everyone calls –“ He hesitated then, a sudden pain exploding in his chest as he was forced to rephrase his words. A sad smile flourished on his face, his ears drooping slightly as he faced reality.
“Well, everyone used to call me Hal,” Clearing his throat, he rushed to pick himself out of any potential sorrow, effectively concealing his inner conflicts. Everyone was suffering nowadays; it would be selfish to spread such emotional pain any further. His smile unwavering, Hal soon closed the already short distance between himself and the strangers -utterly oblivious to the reunion of mother and daughter.
(( So happy to be on the team! :3 ))
