{"sf1_id":915171,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Victernus - Chapter 32","author":"Baumarius","words":1243,"posted_at":"2015-09-27T14:17:00.000Z","tags":["Cybernetics","Science","Transformation","War","Werewolf","Wolf","apocalypse","corruption","dystopia","implants","mind","tf","uploading"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/915171-victernus-chapter-32","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/915171","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=915171\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"            Namara sat beside Drac on the cot,\nwaiting for the final decision in anticipation. He was still stewing over his\nspeech, wondering if he had said it all or if he said something wrong. He wasn't\nsure what was in store for him or even what he wanted. All he knew was that he\nwas now powerless to save himself.\nLooking up, he saw that the sun had receded past the\nwaterfall. Fluffy clouds floated by them effortlessly, chasing the sun. He\nrested in a shadow now, and cool air was wafting towards him from the falls. The\ncold did not help Namara's anxiety, but he tried to deal with it. In an attempt\nto break the silence, he asked Drac softly, \"Do you think I was wrong?\"\n            Drac sighed. Silence overcame him\nfor a few seconds before he answered, \"Not at all. I'd have helped you if I had\nseen this coming earlier.\"\n            Namara rested his face in his hand, \"Well,\nwhat happens if they don't agree with you?\"\n            He left the cot and then walked to\nthe edge of the platform. \"I do not know what I will do yet.\" He looked down at\nthe river and then excused himself, \"But, I need to go take care of some things\nnow. If you don't mind, I will be back as soon as I can. You should probably go\nwait by the door. Stay strong.\"\n            Namara shrugged, \"Do what you need\nto...\"\n            Drac pressed the button on his ring\nand then disappeared in a blur. Namara stood up and approached where he had\nstood, only to find no trace of him. He sighed. Looking towards the tower, he\nsaw that the sun was still beating against it. The sandstone of the bridge\nshined a golden-yellow color. He nodded to himself as he thought, Perhaps this won't be so bad after all.\n            He walked along the edge of the\nplatform, heading towards the bridge. Old thoughts resurfaced in his mind as he\nremembered his life and all of the friends that he had left behind. Some of it\nwas nostalgic, and some turned out to be utterly terrifying. He wondered, Was it worth it?\n            Namara stepped up onto the bridge\nand then walked to the middle. Two small railings stood on either side, and he stopped\nat the one that faced the river. He rested his hands on it and then looked downward.\nBelow, the river flowed into a dense forest. Four towers rested within the\ntrees, connected by bridges that stretched across the river. Further ahead, he\nsaw a valley in the distance. It was light green, filled with grass and trees.\nThe river flowed through the center, carrying water off to some distant land. The\nsight reminded him of a song that he had once heard. He hummed it in his head,\nremembering the words while he stared towards the valley.\nWe found a kind\nof paradise...\nHis arms bent and his body throbbed as bitter tears\nformed in his eyes. They fell down into the river without a word. He whimpered\nsoftly while he thought, We will never\nmeet again!\n            To his right, the doors of the tower\nburst open. The voices of the Echoes emerged, \"Namara, your time has come.\"\n            He stopped himself from crying and\nwiped his face with his arm. While he made sure that his face would be dry, he\nthought, If that is what you want, then\nso be it. He paced to the tower and entered solemnly. When he passed the\ndoors, they slammed shut. Startled, he jumped and glanced back at them. Dust\nflew out from the crack, hinting at their age.\n            Focusing back on the Council, he\nstepped forward and asked, \"What have you decided?\"\n            The Arch Seer replied, \"We have discussed\nyour words thoroughly. Many here agree that they were very powerful, but we\nmust not depart from what has already been set into law. We've decide that you\nwill live a life of servitude for the Volnar. Your mind will be reduced once\nmore, as you had experienced in New Selania.\"\n            Namara widened his eyes and growled,\n\"That's what you have decided?! After everything I said?\"\n            She nodded, \"No need to get snappy.\nStep forward so that we may begin your punishment.\"\n            He narrowed his eyes. After taking\none last gaze around the tower, he responded, \"No.\"\n            The Arch Seer responded, \"Excuse me?\"\n            Namara glared fiercely and shouted, \"I\nsaid 'no!' I am not of the Volnar, and you are not of Earth! I will not be\nsubject to the decision of a council that clearly has no purpose but to destroy\nboth me and what were my people.\"\n            Before she could respond to this,\nthe doors to the tower were pulled open. Drac drove his heels into the floor as\nhe walked in, emphasizing his emotions. When he stopped beside Namara, the Arch\nSeer rebuked, \"King Drac! You have no business interrupting a private session!\nYou know what the punishment is for this behavior.\"\n            He produced a metal canister and\nthen approached her. Holding it up, he spoke with malice, \"I have a gift for\nyou.\"\n            She stuttered, \"A g...gift?\"\n            Drac unscrewed the lid. A small ball\nthat radiated with a green glow was contained within. He pulled out it out and\nasked, \"Do you know what this is?\"\n            She shook her head and blinked, \"No...\nWhat is it?\"\n            He raised it up with his hand and\nthen it continued to float upwards. Green lasers shot all over the walls in\nerratic patterns as it rose to the top. Focusing back on her, he said, \"Your\nservice to the Volnar is no longer appreciated. Your time here is over.\"\n            The Arch Seer gasped and then\nshouted, \"No, you can't do that to me! I am superior to you!\" When she saw the\nintention in his eyes, she continued, \"Echoes, destroy them!\"\n            No response came. Drac readied a gun\nthat was strapped to his side and then stepped back, pointing it at her. She\ncommanded once more, \"Destroy them! Echoes?!\"\n            He smiled and then shot an energy pulse\ninto each of the three Seers. They fell with gaping holes in their chests,\nsmoke rising out of each one. Turning back to Namara, he sheathed his gun and\nasked, \"Are you ready?\"\n            Namara agreed, \"Wow... Yeah. I'm as\nready as I'll ever be.\"\n            Drac walked past him and then\nstepped out into the sunlight. He said, while basking his face in it, \"I cannot\ndictate what you do from here. I am not your king. But, I will offer you a\nplace in my city if it is what you want.\"\n            He walked out beside him and\nshrugged, \"I guess I'll see what happens when I get there.\"\n            Drac nodded and then made a fist,\nholding out his ring. He offered, \"All you have to do is touch it.\"\n            Namara brought his hand to it slowly.\nWhen his claw touched it, everything dissolved. It was in that moment that he\ndecided to leave his past behind. He did not know what was in store for him. If\nhe crashed and burned again, he would get back up. Only one thing remained constant:\n            Koanthanatus\nis calling... and I will answer.","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/915170-victernus-chapter-31.json"}