Chapter 31: Als Clan (1/2) (1/2)

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Great Central Plains, two days later.

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”Huh?” Opening up his eyes, Al couldn't believe what he saw. Staring wildly at the lush forest all around him, he quickly blinked his eyes in an attempt to tear off the illusion.

But stubbornly enough, the sight before his eyes refused to fade away.

Shaking his head, the warrior rose up to his knees then to a standing position, all in one, fluid motion. His fingers tightly grasped the long handle of his beloved axe. In this strange world around him, only the familiar feel of the trusty darkwood could put his mind at ease.

”Al! Are you okay?! Where are you?!” The sudden appearance of voice instantly drew the man's attention. Turning on the spot, he rushed towards the source of the sound. Cutting the plants on his way with quick swings of his trusty weapon, Al hurriedly made his way over to one of his friends.

”Uffer! Over here!” Even though only a few steps separated them, only when Al started swinging his axe high above his head did the other party notice him.

”Thank the great spirits!” Rushing towards his friend, Uffer soon grabbed his leader in a bear-like hug. Patting each other's back, both of the men slightly relaxed. At least they weren't alone in this mad vision.

”How nostalgic,” A sudden rustling alerted both of the men. But even before neither of those two experienced warriors could even take a stance before a surprisingly young man appeared right in front of them.

”Lessen!” Rather than fighting off with the thrill that their friend had served them, Al could only release a sigh of relief.

'No matter what's going on, at least those two morons are with me.' This time turning Lessen into a victim of an overbearing hug, Al quickly got rid of this moment of weakness in his soul.

”Now then, where in all hells are we?” Distancing himself from the two of his sworn brothers, Al looked around once again. While the distances that initially separated them seemed to be roughly the same as their positions on the battlefield, the fight was going on right in the middle of the great plain, not in some kind of dense forest!

”Someone struck us unconscious and moved us somewhere else?” Uffer was the first to offer a suggestion. ”Even if the time of the day is different, it proves nothing in that case.”

Raising his head to the skies covered by the tops of the trees, Uffer summarised his idea.

”It could be that…” Moving his eyes from the old, massive beardie to the youngest of the three of them, Al could feel a strange shudder moved down his spine.

'It's not his shaven face,' looking to the side, the leader of the tribe attempted to pinpoint this strange feeling of his, yet to no avail. 'Just what in all hell is this feeling?'

Placing his hand on his massive chest, Al caressed the furry coat that served him ever since he stepped on that path of the warrior. A surge of memories appeared in the man's mind, filling him with nostalgia after the long lost home and…

And hope for building a new one.

'No matter what is going on, what I need to strive for doesn't change' Reinforcing his conviction, Al curled his fingers to a fist.

”Hey, are you listening to me?” Forcing the man to regain his situational awareness, Lessen didn't spare Al the annoyed, lecturing look. ”Dang, you oldies can be really senile at times.” Shaking his head with a nonchalant look on his face, Lessen wrapped his arms around his mostly exposed torso.