Re: Alternative Volume one

Chapter 2 - part Five End

His head was heavy mostly due to his lack of proper sleep but the sound of the drums made his body almost immediately surge with energy as a sense of urgency overcame him.

Now wide-awake, Dimitri ran outside toward the sound of the drums that were beating rhythmically and with great intensity. "This can't be good" being the only thought that raced through his mind as he neared the center of the village.

"Of all the times for this to happen. Right before the Lunar selection. This is truly ill fortune."

Brown-haired Arnett and White-haired Aaron were talking amongst themselves while Bernard and Sharron watched. All four were visibility surprised to see Dimitri as he ran up to them, slightly stumbling before reaching them.

"Perfect timing. Dimitri, since Arnett seems to trust you I want you to accompany her for this. As an official member of our village after performing the Moon dance, I hope I can count on your assistance."

Aaron's voice was filled with Exigency and the fact that the other three looked just as distressed spoke volumes of the current situation and how urgent it was. The stare Aaron's eyes held telling Dimitri that something was terribly wrong.

This was supported by Arnett who looked exceedingly worried to have him join her and although Bernard and Sharron both stayed silent in regard to Aaron's orders, they seemed like they were both resisting the urge to speak up.

"Elder, I- I should not take Dimitri with me, it could place his life in unnecessary danger, I am fine on my own, Yo-"

Aaron quickly turned toward Arnett who stopped talking the moment his eyes fell on her. A unspoken worry left on her lips which then manifested itself in the action of Arnett gritting her teeth.

"Having a trusted comrade watch you as you perform this task is a blessing and one that I think is necessary to preserve YOUR safety Arnett. We cannot very well risk losing our valkja. IF I can mitigate the chances of you getting hurt in any way, I will. Regardless of what your personal feelings on the matter are."

"Of course Elder...I apologize for my lack of foresight and insight into the situation."

The authority to cause Arnett to become silent was a sight he had only just recently seen with Arnett's grandmother. Only in Avnora's case, it seemed Arnett acted more out of respect and acknowledgement, unlike now which was more akin to a superior forcefully shutting down their subordinate. The complete disregard of Arnett's feelings toward the matter leaving a bitter taste in Dimitri's mouth.

"Now that that is settled. Dimitri, I need you to retrieve something for me in the Warehouse. As fast as you possible can as well. They are a bow and arrow. Ask whoever is manning the village warehouse for them and tell them I sent you. We have not a moment to spare."

Certainly, he wasn't given much of choice to cooperate, but to make things even worse, a sense of foreboding began creeping up over Dimitri's body. The kind you would feel when you realize you are about to make a huge decision but Dimitri didn't know why he felt that way...

...Until he took a look back while leaving to complete his errand and realized that not only was everyone anxious, but they also looked sorrowful.

To top it off Bernard and Sharron also seemed to be staring at Arnett like a victim would their aggressor.

This struck Dimitri as odd and made him doubt his own ability to read faces, because why would they be angry at Arnett if she hadn't done anything? It didn't make sense to him.

This question plagued him until he reached the storefront Aaron had mentioned which was tucked away in a corner of the mountain. A small wooden box that Dimitri was sure was easy to miss if you weren't looking for it specifically.

As he approached, Dimitri came face to face with no one other than the man he had met at the festival just yesterday who had so willingly offered him free food. This man, who was so upbeat and joyous yesterday, lost all the color in his face as he saw Dimitri approach the counter.

"I-I know someone would be here soon...I was hoping it wouldn't require It but..."

"Yeah, Apparently Aaron needs the bow and arrow. He asked me to come and get them for him and to hurry...so I'm kind of in a rush."

He smiled and the store clerk walked back into the small store, leaving Dimitri alone to wait.

The rustle and occasional clank in the storeroom gave away to Dimitri that the man was shaken and worried while he looked through the goods inside storage. The occasional yelp or groan showing how frantic he was while searching.

Worried, Dimitri pressed his head through the small gap just in time to see the man walk up with the bow and arrows in hand.

"Please...Remind the Valkja of the promise she made yesterday. Please. I-Just...please."

With trembling arms, he handed over the weapon to Dimitri, who took them with a concerned nod as he acknowledged his request. The fear radiating from the man troubling Dimitri even more as he wondered about the actual nature of what was happening.

Because of this, when Dimitri finally returned to the Elder with a bow and realized everyone else was gone, his mind went into an analytical frenzy trying to put pieces together of what was unfolding. But before he had a chance to think in depth, the elder quickly directed him to his next task as soon as he arrived.

"Arnett has left for the village entrance, make your way there quickly and hand her the bow. I want you to act as her guardian for the course of this dilemma."

The temple of his head really hurt; he felt adrenaline once again start coursing through his veins as he was led around without explanation. But without much of choice he complied and headed toward the village entrance.

As he neared the opening, Dimitri's mind began focusing on completing his objective. Rather than waste his energy playing detective, Dimitri figured it would be better for all parties involved if he simply acted now and asked questions later. The change in mindset invaluable if he was going to do his job well without distraction.

He exited the village for the first time since arriving, the blazing sun hit his face directly and was temporarily blinded until he decided to lift his hand to block the sun. Eventually, his eyesight adjusted to the intense light and as it did, he heard a crackling from somewhere over him.

Looking up, Dimitri noticed Arnett above him expertly climbing up the mountainside, her goal Dimitri assumed, the protruding cliff face that was a few meters above the village entrance.

Oh joy. I get to go up a mountain.

Not a fan of rock climbing but set on completing his given task, Dimitri began climbing after Arnett, his arms slowly and carefully looking for rocks that could support his weight. As he did, he heard a dull explosion from somewhere on the ground and for the first time he realized how high up he was. A rush of disorientation hitting him as he saw the trees that looked only as big as this thumb.

But the thing that shocked him even more than his current height above the ground was the creature he caught running across the plains with a malefic and bloodthirsty stride. Its face with a murderous sneer and its eyes lit with a red glow that was still noticeable even under the sun.

"is...is that...an Etherian?"