[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

[...]

Bridge nods. He and his men are now positioning themselves in a more defensible arrangement.

[...]

Bridge now gestures at one of his soldiers, who gives Ventus a sad smile. You see now that a few translucent fern rhizomes have taken root in his ghostly skin - the same fuzz you saw on the image of the grave. Only Nathan knows the significance of the broken dogtag around the soldier's neck, held together only by ghostly bonds. That's how soldiers are buried when they die in the line of duty, far from home. Their commanding officer snaps the chain of their dogtag and buries it with them, leaving the chains above and the tag itself below. It's a tradition that hasn't needed to be practiced much in the modern day.

You can indeed see the resemblance between Bridge and the rooted soldier.

Ventus couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief that he'd correctly interpreted the message Captain Bridge was trying to teach him/them all, and when he notices how him and his brigade was fortifying themselves he suddenly had a sinking feeling in his gut that he knew why that was the case.....

" I thank you for teaching me this, Captain. The only questions now are thus: Are those Sableye lurking in mists are responsible for your guardedness, and if so.....would you care for our help in subduing them? Though I am no longer a soldier myself, I am more than willing to bear arms with my Pokemon once more to aid in your defense if you allow, Captain."

Between Bridge indicating the fallen soldier and Nathan helpfully pipping in with his explaination, the researcher now fully understood the meaning behind that now grim date, and offered both brothers a similarly melancholy smile as he bows his head in sympathy.

"The more we speak, the more similarities I find between ourselves, for I too have lost my own brother to.....tragedy as well. I keenly know the pain of losing your loved ones.....having them torn away from you without warning........how it all spurs you onwards for their shake, so I understand what you endured. You have my deepest sympathies, and I hope you eventually found peace with his death in your life......"