There I was, at the bottom of the tower, waiting for whatever the wolf boy and the strange voice were doing. I couldn't really smell anyone there. For example, in the city I could smell all sorts of things. Even before we went up the stairs, I could tell there was a feeling that the elephants were near us, but the smell wasn't strong enough to draw any conclusions.
This is different, I can't smell anyone, so unless the person bathes very frequently or doesn't even exist in this world! Another hologram? Those are the only ones I can't smell... yes, it must be that
Wolf Boy: "Well... about that part, I had trouble finding him. General Andrew was worried that another attack was looming over the dunes and... I had to help him!"
Unknown voice: "You know very well that General Andrew is attentive to everything that happens in the perimeter, why would he worry about anything?"
Then the atmosphere changed. Even I, climbing the stairs, worried for a second that I'd made a sudden sound that might alert the other guest the wolf boy was talking to. But I think he's thinking the same thing as the boy... another missing child? But his voice sounds hoarse, as if he'd shouted several times. It's full of age and wisdom; he can't be a child.
Unknown voice: "The general was looking to the right and to the left, and you'd better answer me!" the voice shouted, this time making part of the tower shudder. I don't think a hologram can achieve that, even with the most advanced technology, although currently they don't seem to have anywhere near what Jeffrey has on his ship, but here they have it in absurd quantities, not to mention those born
Wolf child: "To the left." The figure turns towards the door. Luckily, I know it's not some kind of hologram; it looks like a portal breaking open in space. Luckily, I hide quickly before it can see me, but I do manage to see some kind of scales similar to mine... a dragon-born? No, those scales didn't seem made to move around a face.
Unknown voice: "Then you did well to help. General Andre never looks to the left without a reason. And tell me, what happened?" The boy instantly replied, "Well, a group of beasts attacked us! There were so many of them that they outnumbered us, so I took the initiative and saved my men, giving them time to escape! You should have seen it, it was amazing. I even managed to win over some hearts among the ranks."
Is he talking again about what happened when I found him? What a cheap repetition.
Unknown voice: "Well done, Captain. Your sacrifice will be remembered. But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be fighting beasts...? Did you desert?!" - emphasizing the last word
'Is he playing along, or does he really have the child's mentality too?'
The boy sighs and goes back to what he was doing before.
Wolf boy: "Well, I was interrupted by what I told you, the soldier you said was a complete idiot appeared out of nowhere, he was quite similar and even his skin had those things that yours has!"
I look around for something that might allow me to see who the boy was talking to inside, but without being seen in the process. Luckily for me, the tower had some broken windows, so a piece could easily do the trick.
Then, when I placed the piece of glass at an angle where I could see what was happening, there it was again, the crack that seemed to break through space, and from it a lizard's head similar to mine, but instead of having human features, it was more of a beast, a real dragon, with large scales and horns. Its features wouldn't allow it to laugh even if it wanted to, but why was it laughing?
Unknown voice: "I think he's coming for you, we won't see each other again, my friend Wolfy"
'He was looking at me through the reflection in the glass!'
whereupon the crack disappears, closing like a zipper until literally only dust remains to show that it was there; not even a black mark or burn from this gray, draconic figure remained to say that anything had happened
Wolfy: "So you've come for me?" - Although it sounds interesting to question him, it's not the time. First, collect the reward, and then ask him to tell me everything slowly and in detail... or well, that's what Nibal would say, but he's not around.
In fact, looking from under the tower, Nibal was just at the entrance also searching. I think it took me a long time to get to the agreed-upon spot; even at the oasis he had already built a small fire. He was waiting for me.
"Well, buddy, I have a couple of questions, and don't run this time, I won't hurt you." I pulled out my weapon and he opened his eyes, but when I threw it aside, the tower ended up falling. A small smile appeared on his face, but I think he understood my intention.
"So... who is General Andrew?"
The child then stands on his two feet firmly, takes a breath, and his face turns red for a few moments.
Wolfy: "AT EASE, CADET! SALUTE YOUR CAPTAIN! Or didn't the first-generation cadets learn that, you scum!"
As a muscular memory, something inside me awakens; my body no longer responds, it only stiffens at the command, and I literally stand, I think, even straighter than the child, looking upwards with one arm pointing upwards, like a well-practiced military salute; even my tail straightens at the order, touching the ground instead of floating as it normally does
Wolfy: "HAIL SOLDIER!"
The child shouts again. I don't know what the hell this has to do with my past, but if a child can command me with such seriousness, I can't imagine what they must have done in my past to have such a thing with me.
"First-generation soldier, Peace Corps for the New World Pyramid, cadet..." - then my muscle memory fails... what's my name? But judging by the kid's posture, he doesn't care and he'll most likely make me do push-ups if I don't continue the show. - "At your service and reporting in."
Wolfy: "Rest, now we can talk, child molester." - Immediately afterward, my body relaxes and loses the posture I was in before, my normal body returning to my control... but what the hell?
"Uh... what just happened? And who's Andrew?!" I say, dismayed, but judging by the footsteps, I suppose Nibal heard and saw me, so he must already be on his way to rescue me from this demon who can control my body just by speaking, awakening my deepest childhood traumas... HE DOESN'T EVEN SEEM LIKE A 10, THE DAMN GUY!
Wolfy: "I'm Captain Wolfy Carter, First Division, between two ranks, so you're of lower rank, and even though you're not in my unit, in these invasion circumstances, you're in charge of your higher rank," the boy says, pointing around the place. But everything is desolate. Perhaps this place was attacked at some point, but why? Besides, the structures are the same, except for some broken glass; everything is practically perfect. "Regarding your second request, General Andrew is the commander of the area. He's coordinating our defense. I was about to give my life for my men, but you appeared and pulled me off the field, so they're probably about to die!" he says, dismayed, turning to look at the statues, still motionless... stiff as a board.
"Well... I don't know how to tell you this, Wolfy..."
Wolfy: "captain wolfy for you"
"Captain Wolfy, but your mother is looking for you."
Captain Wolfy: "Oh, I forgot, I had to get back for dinner, well, let's go." Then the boy walks past me and goes downstairs as if nothing happened.
'Weren't you worried about your men a moment ago?' But anyway, I followed him too. That interaction between him and the dragon was strange enough to confuse me for a day, to be honest. How could such a creature play along?
Once at the tower entrance, Nibal was ready with a net to catch the boy, but before I could increase my debt to him, I stopped him and explained the situation. He seemed relieved not to use the net, and the boy just kept going while we followed him. To be honest, we were both lost. I was tired, and the storm was dangerously approaching our location. Nibal, on the other hand, got lost among the dunes after making a fire and then going out to look for me.
After a few minutes, as we were nearing the exit, we passed by the statues of some soldiers again, but unlike before, I spotted one that looked familiar. It also resembled a dragon, just like me, only this one had wings and a larger build. Basically, I'm on steroids.
Nibal: "I guess we found your long-lost twin brother"
I chuckled a little, but continued on my way, lest we lose the child again, or he give me another scolding for not walking as fast as him.
But the boy stops, turns to us, and jumps towards me.
Captain Wolfy: "Cadet, down!"
and he tackles me, basically dodging a rear-end charge by the previous figure
Awakened One: "We shouldn't have... it wasn't the right time, aghh, AGGGH" - then a savage roar erupted from the awakened one in front of us. His hands radiated heat, and his body seemed to grow constantly. As he brought his hands to his head near the horns, he seemed to calm down, but another roar came from me, causing several statues to react with a kind of blue color. None of them moved, but cracking sounds could be heard.
whereupon the boy slaps me and Nibal throws a gun at him
Captain Wolfy: "Cadet, you'd better move those scales or you'll be incinerated. Take your weapon and prepare yourself." My body responds to his voice before I've even fully processed the order, but as I search my body, I remember I don't have it with me. I'd dropped it and forgotten to pick it up when we were at the tower entrance. "Good heavens, Cadet, you owe me one." He hands me the weapon Nibal had given him, now positioning himself a little ways away from the awakened one.
Awakened: "I shouldn't have, I didn't mean to... please, agggh" - another roar from yes and it turns towards us. Captain Wolfy quickly gets up over me and distances himself from the beast, which begins to spasm and tries to charge at me.
Before dodging, I fire a couple of times and they literally bounce off, but it seems to anger him even more. Before impact, I jump and he gets stuck in the ground.
Nibal jumps from the side and throws the net along with a strange object that turns the net into a kind of prison, as it closes automatically and slowly, leaving the awakened one with little room to move. Meanwhile, Captain Wolfy takes some rods from a nearby structure and without hesitation begins to bury them in the scales, using some connections between scales where they are not present for protection, and manages to bury a couple.
Another roar of pain echoes through the base and begins to grow, not only in rage, its body literally begins to heat up to the point that the rods themselves detach from its body and its scales break from the force of the net and the small space, but soon the net gives way, freeing the beast
Then his general stance changes drastically; I logically continue firing while moving. It makes no sense to fire like in my training, that is, from cover, when your enemy can basically only attack you physically.
His posture changes from two to four legs, his wings grow at an accelerated rate, and I bet I hear bones breaking. His face remains the same, with human features and not much animal, but the pain and anger in his eyes are palpable. Nibal gathers the remains, and Captain Wolfy continues throwing beams that cause increasing damage. Eventually, one of these strikes one of his hind legs, causing him to fall on himself.
Captain Wolfy: "He's pointing at the wounds from the beams I threw earlier. They may have fallen, but he hasn't removed them, so they're probably spreading like poison!" But a thud on the ground knocks us all flat on our faces, reminding us that we don't have time to talk about anything, or even a little to coordinate. Now, in front of us, a beast carrying something... yes, it's a dragon...
"Take cover!"
At which point everyone took cover, Nibal looking for something to stop the traffic, Captain Wolfy inside a building, but basically I threw myself to the ground, but the next thing I knew, a black flame shot out of the awakened being's mouth, so powerful it made him stumble backward and almost trip, losing control of it and pointing it in all directions, knocking down a tower along with the sentries until it crashed into a wall, causing the wall to fall on top of him.
Awakened: "No, no, please, they're innocent!" he shouts, emerging from the rubble, now a little more stable, and charges at the captain. Nibal only fires to distract him; it's a child he's aiming at!
Looking around, I see the tower that fell on him earlier and its scales. I can tell the damage was significant; he's even bleeding now. Unfortunately, I don't see the sentinels, only a blue dust spreading from the body of the crazed awakened one and from the ruins themselves... Did he kill them?
"Hey you ugly one! Get ready for..."
Awakened: "Orpheus?" - At that moment I heard absolutely nothing, there was only silence between us, we shared glances for what felt like an eternity. I know that name, I am the first-generation private, Orpheus Abbadeo
The temperature also dropped drastically, the awakened being began to shrink as well, the spasms increased, but its size decreased until it was level, it was smaller than before! even as a statue
Blood gushed from its body, its wings were broken, and several beams protruded from its frame. Its gaze remained fixed on me, as if it could see my confusion and lack of memories.
Awakened: "It's good to know that I don't know about the invasion, I wish I could say the same." He spasmed and fell to the ground, now a clear blue energy also emanating from his body.
Captain Wolfy: "Rest in peace, soldier. Well, who's hungry?"
Nibal: "I guess I couldn't hunt it the way I wanted, and these scales will be worth quite a bit at the market if I sell them as infusion pieces... well, give me my knife."
"I don't think it would be ethical to leave it like this, help me bury him." They both look at each other and then at the body. Of course, the captain is the first to start digging, then Nibal. I suppose he thinks the sheep-born woman will give him more money if her militarized son tells her about his help.
Half an hour passes and the awakened body lies buried 3 meters underground. Knowing too much killed him, but at least he gave me something I'll never forget: my name. So there's not much point in continuing to help Jeffrey search for that wolf. On this trip, I've remembered quite a lot.
I take out my tablet and notice that some of the information has started to scan, showing my name and other data...
'Wait, does Jeffrey know what I think?'
Well, I guess I'll continue with him until I get to the bottom of this system. He has absolute control over the city and its citizens, and yet, it seems like he doesn't, and some, like Duck, live on the fringes of it... maybe he's not as powerful as he makes himself out to be?
We took a walk like before and found the car, covered in sand, but nothing a little pulling and moving together couldn't help us get it out of the dunes and into town. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the sheep was waiting for us, with the same expression we had when we left, but upon seeing her son, she transformed into the sweet and weak sheep we had known before.
Born a sheep: "Oh... thank you for bringing my son back, I must be able to thank you in some other way..." - she is interrupted again by Nibal. - "Don't tell me your life story, give us our part."
Luckily, the captain wasn't looking in our direction, so he didn't understand anything that happened and handed us the other half.
"See you later, Captain! Oh, and one last thing, you sheep, have you seen this wolf?"
The sheep is perplexed for a few moments, then looks at her son and tells us to follow her, while she leaves her car, then Nibal his quite close to it and a note warning anyone who might try to dismantle it for money... without him present to take a share if that happens
Born a sheep: "Well, first follow me to my house, I have to put this pioneer to sleep and then we can talk, I also want you to find him"
That was all he said when we asked him if he really knew him before we started leaving. Once we arrived at a half-decorated house, similar to the others, but with equipment inside that even Duck, with all his illegal activities, couldn't have imagined, it really looked like some kind of personal workshop. But instead, it was a house. It left us waiting in what I assume was the living room. A couple of fairly comfortable pieces of furniture adorned it next to a fireplace in the center, or well, an attempt at one, since outside the house there wasn't even a vent to allow the air to escape.
Nibal: "So, you think that dragon was related to you?"
"I really feel like that name she said was mine, and apparently the tablet connects with your thoughts, because I've managed to remember several things and..."
Nibal: "So you know what the ruins and pyramids are?"
'that?'
Before I could ask any more questions, the sheep came in, the child already asleep I suppose, bringing some water with her. We accepted it, yes, but only I drank some, but it was whiskey...
Born a sheep: "That's right, he's my husband" - she takes a small piece of paper and writes something, which was surely a number, and Nibal's eyes lit up greatly, not only in surprise and jealousy. - "This is what I will pay you for my husband, the spare parts dealer"