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Tribal Arcana - Tome 3
Nestled just on the edge of the forest was the Dotarne hometown. It was a quiet, peaceful place, not unlike the Ludagh hometown. The villagers seemed to concentrate mostly on hospitality, since the whole town looked warm and welcoming, with open windows and bright walls. Nalerenn liked it, but he couldn't tell if Lucien did, too. He was just his usual self, standing stock straight and not showing emotions one bit. Wakret, on the other hand, just smiled while leading the two into the villiage center.
"Well, here we are" she beamed. "What do you think of my home?"
"I like it" replied Nalerenn, still looking around. "It's nice and peaceful"
Lucien said nothing.
"It's getting dark already? If you two wait here, I'll see if I can get us a free room in the local inn, okay?"
Nalerenn thanked Wakret as she ran off towards a large building. Lucien just nodded.
"Lucien" said Nalerenn. "Why are you like this, all of a sudden? You seem to be ... anti-social all of a sudden"
"It's nothing, Nalerenn. Just ... something personal"
Lucien plodded off towards the nearby campfire and sat down next to it, looking slightly glum as he did. Nalerenn followed soon after.
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"I said it was personal, Nalerenn. I don't need someone to talk to"
"I was only trying to help"
"But I don't need your help"
Nalerenn took that as his cue to stop talking. They both stared into the dancing flames of the fire, until Lucien broke the silence.
"Nalerenn, remember that Orbb your mother gave you? Did you watch it yet?"
"Oh! I had forgotten about it"
Nalerenn dug deep into his puched and pulled out the Orbb. It wasn't in perfect condition anymore, though. The fight with Rouken had cracked its surface badly.
"Will it still work?" asked Nalerenn.
"Maybe. Try it and see"
Nalerenn was about to hold the Orbb to his ear when Wakret re-appeared.
"Good news! The tribe Elder sorted it all out for us. We've got more than just a free room, now. We're getting VIP treatment!"
Lucien stood up, stretched and yawned.
"It's ben a rough day. I think we should turn in for the night"
Nalerenn wasn't really tired. In fact, he was feeling wide awake. But it was getting late.
"The Inn's just over there" said Wakret, pointing to a medium-sized white bulding. "Just say you're with me and they'll let you in"
Wakret and Lucien headed towards the Inn while Nalerenn sat alone with the Orbb in his hand. He held it up to his ear and closed his eyes while the Orbb began to play in his mind.
It was hard to see what was going on. The damage had made the image very grainy and it occasionally turned to static. The voices were what distinguished the people in the Orbb, though.
"Who should I cheer on?" said Nalerenn's mother.
He couldn't see anything resembling her, so he assumed the Orbb was recorded from her memory. He could just make out Lucien and himself in his teenage years.
"Oh, I'll be happy either way"
"One of you ..." started Lucien. "...Will become my apprentice and learn to fight like a professional. The other will not. This contest will show who has the required abilities. You may begin when you're ready"
"Don't think I will take it easy on you!" shouted Nalerenn to his opponent.
The view shifted from Nalerenn to another wolf about the same age. He had dark grey fur and bright yellow eyes, as far as Nalerenn could make out. The Orbb's image faded out in a buzz of static then went black. That was all it had in it. Nalerenn opened his eyes again and pondered. If he was there, why couldn't he remember it? He shrugged and stood up, before heading to the inn to meet up with Lucien and Wakret. He guessed it was just bad memory.
"Finally!" shouted Wakret, who had been waiting for Nalerenn in the main hall of the Inn. "What were you doing, out there?"
"Nothing" Nalerenn lied. "Just taking in the scenery"
"Yeah, well our room is the first one on the left. Lucien's already there. Said he wanted to sleep right away"
"I think I might rest for the night, too. It is really late now"
"Jeez, what is it with you Ludagh people? All you want to do is rest or take in the scenery" Wakret joked, but stopped laughing when she noticed Nalerenn wasn't laughing. "Something up?"
"No. I'm just getting tired, that's all"
Nalerenn navigated pushed the door open and walked into the room they were given. It was very large and even had some food set out on the table for them. Nalerenn sat down on the bed, which was extremely comfortable. Wakret wasn't far behind and entered the room. She jabbed her thumb in Lucien's direction and giggled a little.
"Sleeps like a baby, don't he?" she joked.
Nalerenn laughed quietly, before laying down on his own bed and stared out of the window at the other side of the room. The moon was in full view outside and lit up part of the room. It wasn't long before Nalerenn's eyes drooped shut and he nodded off.
There was loud bangs everywhere. Everything was black, to Nalerenn. He could hear voices, but couldn't see the people they came from. He could definately smell smoke.
"Covering fire! Covering fire!" a gruff male shouted.
"Fall back! There's too many of them!" shouted another.
"Get down!"
"Ugh!"
"NO! Fire in the hole!"
A loud explosion rocked the floor Nalerenn was standing on and he fell over. His face slammed against something cold and hard. Almost like steel. He lay there not attempting to get back up. He still couldn't see a thing, but his vision was coming back slowly. Eventually, he could see around him. The floor was a black metal of some sorts and the walls were a gunmetal grey. Dark red stains were smeared over the walls and floors. Dead bodies littered the ground, but they weren't what Nalrenn was used to. They all wore some sort of protective covering over their bodies. The one he could see had long orange hair. The rest was very odd. He had pale white skin and held in his arms some sort of weapon. It was so large, he had to hold it in two arms. His two friends had similar weapons and looks, but wore some sort of metal helmet over their heads.
"Dammit! We gotta close those breakers and stop them from coming through!" shouted the orange-haired man.
Nalerenn lifted himself off the floor and backed into the wall. This wasn't the Ludagh villiage he fell asleep in.
"But how, sir?" replied one of the man's friends. "They've sealed the entrances"
"The maintenance ducts! They'll be open! Quick, get in!"
"W-wait!" shouted Nalerenn. "Who are you three! Where am I?"
The three men ignored him and sprinted towards a nearby ladder before scaling them. Nalerenn followed closely behind them, shouting all the time, but getting no response. More bangs came from their direction as their weapons fired something. Whatever it was, it killed the people it was aimed at. Nalerenn watched in horror as they fired at one man until his arm was ripped from his body. Rather than show remorse, they ran straight past him. Nalerenn followed, trying his hardest not to look at the body.
After the men descended a ladder, they entered a dead-end room. One of them stepped up to some sort of contraption and pressed loads of buttons. The orange-haired man paced around near what looked like a door.
"C'mon! Open this door, soldier!" he shouted.
Nalerenn leapt out in front of him.
"Why are you ignoring me?" he shouted.
"I can't, sir! They've fried the system!" shouted the man at the machine.
"Then we'll just have to BLOW it open!" replied the orange-haired man.
He raised his weapon and aimed at the door.
"Stop! Where am I! Please, tell me!"
There was a bright flash and the man's weapon fired at Nalerenn. Nalerenn raised his arms in front of him in defence, but he didn't feel a thing, even though the weapon was definately firing. Whatever the gun fired just went straight through with no effects.
"Stop! I don't mean to hurt you! I just want to know where I am!"
Nalerenn's reply was a loud clang. Behind the group, another door had just slammed shut. Then everything went white. He could hear a loud whine and then screams of pain from two of the men. He recognized the orange-haired man's voice shout out.
"What the hell is going on!"
"I have a proposition for you" a high-pitched female voice answered.
"Who the hell is there! What's going on!"
"Listen to me, Commander Ifrit, this is vital"
Nalerenn was struck back.
"Commander Ifrit!?" he shouted. "What on Mirka is going on"
The two continued their conversation as if Nalerenn wasn't there.
"Commander Ifrit, you never fought for a cause you thought was wrong. For that reason, I want you to help rebuild life on this planet. I can give you unlimited power and followers"
"What's the catch?"
"You must give up your human body and live forever in the Otherworld"
Nalerenn jumped again. Ifrit. The Otherworld. It wasn't just a coincidence anymore.
"What's going on!?"
Nalerenn thought he had shouted it out in that white area, but he hadn't. He suddenly found himself back in the Inn at the Dotarne villiage. It was dark and he could see the starts out of the window. Lucien and Wakret were fast asleep in their own beds. He found himself covered in a cold sweat and panting heavily. He didn't know if it was a dream. He didn't know what it was, to be honest. He sat panting for a minute before laying down again, the memories of what had just happened coursing through his mind. Just what was it he experienced?
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