Ralina was stunned as she moved steadily deeper through the massive tent. The internal structure comprised many twisting halls and veiled rooms. It was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat. Looking down, she saw the floor was covered by many layers of animal skins, muffling her footsteps, while the walls were lined with faded tapestries illuminated by candlelight from behind the fabric walls. Their patterns adorned with crimson runic symbols of an ancient religion. Whatever meaning was sewed within their stitched patterns was lost on her, for the only impression she drew from them was that of fear.
The sight sent shivers down her spine. Ralina never imagined that she would’ve ever entered the lavish Felren Spirit chambers. They were off limits to those not in the Bloodspirit clan.
Ralina turned a bend, then paused. Before her lay a sea of fur - all gathered in a tight spiral within the large inner dome structure made from woven dry grass and timber. In the middle, a group of larger Felren in painted mantles sat in a circle. They turned to one another murmuring in hushed tones.
A cracked voice bellowed over the congregation. "Seize her!"
Two massive guards appeared either side of her, their sharp jaws clamped down on her forearms and held her, pushing her unceremoniously into a kneeling position.
"How dare you enter the sacred hall!" An older Felren with matted fur shrieked.
"But!" She mumbled. “I was…”
"Heretic!" a loud voice interrupted her.
The Felren within the chambers were obviously furious about her presence within the chambers.
The jaws that clamped on her arms tightened, sending waves of pain through her body. Blood trickled down her wounded arms, staining her skin. The intense agony made her teeth clench so tightly that her jaw began to ache. Desperately, she scanned the surroundings, desperately searching for any sign of a friendly face. However, all she saw before her were rows of furious, fur-lined heads, their snarls filling the air with hostility.
"No!" She cried.
“Silence!” a menacing voice ordered.
The voices around her fell mute, and the vice-like grip on her arms slowly softened before finally releasing her. Ralina took a moment to collect herself, leaning forward and closing her eyes to find a moment to think and breathe.
Imok of the Bloodspirit clan stood before her, an imposing figure towering even over the massive bulk of Grawnash. Imok's presence was overwhelming, with horns as thick as Ralina's own legs. Adorning her mantle was an arcing circlet, a symbolic representation of her religion. Ralina couldn't help but feel a bitter reflection on the hypocrisy inherent in that symbol and what it truly meant.
“Why is there a Sun Clan Felren in my chambers? Who let this disgusting cub in here?” Her greying coat shifted as if it was stuck to her skin. Bones poked out in odd places and her ribs were easily visible through the thinning fur.
The air hung heavy with tension as silence enveloped the gathering. Not a single voice dared to break the stillness that gripped them. Ralina's heart pounded in her chest; her breath caught in her throat. Imok's ancient eyes bore into Ralina with an intensity that gripped her in place. With a snarl curling her lips, Imok eyed Ralina impatiently for an answer.
"Well?"
Desperate to avert her eyes, she attempted to break free from the penetrating stare, but an otherworldly green shimmer within Imok’s ancient eyes held her captive. In the blink of an eye, a searing pain tore through her mind, unleashing a torrent of visions from the past few days.
She witnessed herself fleeing from a pack of men clad in animal skins, wielding menacing weapons. The salver attacked a man. Then, in a blaze of fire, Ralina saw two men clutching a mysterious red book. And finally, a vivid image of a man standing tall, wielding the red book as he struck a towering statue.
Imok flinched.
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Overwhelmed by the onslaught of memories, Ralina let out a cry in the darkness, causing the other Felren to shrink back. An eerie silence descended upon the gathering, each member holding their breath.
In a low growl, Imok's voice rumbled through the silence, demanding an answer. "Who was that human?"
Ralina clenched her teeth, refusing to comply with the command. But then, a glimmer of power sparked behind Imok's ancient eyes, and to Ralina's horror, she heard her own voice respond, "Karn."
The realisation struck her like a lightning bolt. Imok possessed powers far more formidable than she had feared, delving into her very thoughts and extracting the truth. Each time the Elder bore into her mind something glowed from within the folds of her fur.
Imok growled. "You're lucky to be alive. Now! Explain yourself." She towered over Ralina, at least triple her size.
Her shoulder slumped. It was no use defying her. "I was given the Nahm Tonic," she said regretfully.
A low collective gasp echoed around the gathering.
"I see no evidence of this," came the voice from one of the lesser elders. “Another lying cub from a dingey clan.”
"I don’t lie,” Ralina spat back, then bowed when she spotted the look of disapproval on Imok’s face. “The magic man. He set me free."
"Are you suggesting you were lifted from the draft of slavery? From the Nahm Tonic? From the ghost eyes? A feat none even our glorious leader had not performed,” said the same indignant elder.
"Impossible!" scoffed Imok. Ralina winced under her scrutiny.
A faint green and blue glow rippled from Imok’s fur as pain flooded withing Ralina’s skull.
She screamed, forced to relive the memory of ropes around her neck pulling her to the ground. A crowd of dirty men pinned her to the floor, forcing the tonic down her throat. In the memory, she again felt her will ebb away as Imok tore through her mind. The Karn’s book turned the men into ash, and then he stabbed the large man in the leg.
For a moment, Ralina heard Imok’s voice echo within her head.
That human, the book wielder. He killed the slaver and severed the connection.
“Who’s this man?” Imok bellowed. “We tried many times. Yet, nothing can be done with the ghost-eyed. That curse is eternally linked." Imok trailed off and turned. With a flick of her head a guard darted from the shadows and kneeled before her, keeping his snout to the ground.
"Go through the slave camp, see if there are any others." Imok hushed in a dull monotone. "Now, about your punishment."
“What?”
“You’ve entered the chambers,” Imok growled.
“But…”
“Silence!”
Low growls of amusement snickered in all directions. Ralina looked up at Imok's wicked smile and stood up defiantly. Ralina had been forced into this situation on purpose, either for political gain, or for the amusement of these insane cultists. Either way, her fate seemed bleak.
"I was forced to come in!" Ralina attempted to defend herself.
"I said silence!" shouted Imok, the smile vanishing, revealing her unmistakable hatred.
In desperation blurted out, "the White Dragon has come!"
Imok hissed and swiped a large paw, knocking Ralina to the ground. Pain shot across her face as Imok's claws sank into her skin. Fearful murmurs broke out in all directions.
With a roar, Imok silenced the group.
Ralina cursed in silence as her vision collapsed into disjointed images from the pain. She looked up and tried to focus but her vision was fragmented. She even thought a part of the roof above was shifting. Imok invaded her mind once more and the vision of the white wing on Karn’s shoulder appeared before her.
"This is why only Bloodspirit Elders are allowed to make speeches here," Imok eyed Ralina on the ground and continued. "You dare speak of that beast in my presence? You have disobeyed me and disobeyed the laws. Your punishment will be severe.”
Imok sneered as she moved in close so that only she could hear. "My thanks, runtling. You’ve led me to my prize.”
Imok straightened and addressed the crowd. “In her mind I saw the great enemy! The White Dragon.”
The murmurings grew louder, becoming rumbles of unrest. Fables of the White Dragon broke out in every direction. Ralina lay on the ground with the fur on her face smeared by dirt and blood. Tear marks trailed down her cheeks as she fought against a sob.
"If the great enemy has come, that can only mean destruction and death. We, of the proud Bloodspirit Felren, have lived in preparation for this day!"
The crowd erupted into snarling growls. They blessed Imok for being the true mother of them all. The saviour and the messenger of hope. Imok leaned down to the shaking form before her.
“This human, the so-called magic man has a book. With covers of blood red, it shall empower or Blood Spirit Clans supremacy of the land. And with it, we will march across the land and stain the soil red.”
The Felren in the chamber roared with such warped pleasure it sent a shiver down Ralina’s spine and sent her down a spiral of despair.
Ralina looked away from Imok's gaze, up at the roof once more, pleading towards the heavens. There, at that moment, she saw the roof move again. A black shape shifted to reveal a tiny head. A small black bird stared down at her with one gleaming yellow eye.
"I haven’t forgotten you." Imok's voice brought Ralina's attention back to the insane feline matriarch. Imok snarled under the growling of the crowd, then announced. "You’re to be given the white mark!"
Ralina shrieked.
The loud triumphant calls and cries of war were hushed. Wild whispering broke out again. For this was no random Felren of the Sun Imok had passed sentence upon. They knew who Ralina was and also what the punishment meant. Ralina was the heir to the Sun Clan and now she was as good as dead.