Tales of Ignus: Lucario's story (part 7)

Between Worlds, Time Officially Lost Meaning


As we all fell through the drop portal, I looked around at my new friends. Thornton seemed to be greatly enjoying himself, and Jon seemed to act as though this was an everyday thing. With a calm smile, I loosen my muscles. I felt at home as we were in freefall.

"So, Lucario! You seem to be enjoying this! Is this your first time in freefall?" Thornton asked.

"Heh... Leaps of faith is what I enjoy! This is like one really big leap of faith. I'm loving it!" I answer with a smile.

We land quite forcefully on the ground, and I found my body tumbling across the ground, softening the impact. I dared not to tense up. For all I knew, staying loose was keeping me from getting seriously injured. I felt a jab in my thoracic cavity and I was stopped short.

"Um... Any reason why I was jabbed with a... Spear?" I asked, tearing the spear from my ribs. "I mean, it just barely missed my lung."

A group of natives brought us into a camp, and we were introduced to a being who claims to be a deity. I wasn't fond of him at first. I could just sense something. Thornton stopped us from fighting a few times.

"Guys, make nice! Lucario, please control yourself. Try to find good things about this place." He said.

I had to admit, what Thornton said worked like a charm. There were three moons in this world. I couldn't decide which one to stare at. When we were told to spend the night, we didn't wait to be told twice. A large meal was set before us, and we ate like kings.

As we slept, I was awakened a few times by recurring nightmares. Thornton noticed my night struggles and my growls. His ears perked up and he looked at me with shimmering vulpine eyes.

"Lucario? Are you alright? You don't seem to be sleeping well. You're obviously distraught about something." He commented. I shook my head.

"No... It's alright. Werewolves aren't exactly blessed with restful sleep. This is normal. I apologize for disturbing you." I replied, slowing my breathing.

I tried sleeping the best I could, but I soon found myself outside, embracing the animal inside. I let out a long, mournful howl, and it was followed by a multitude of higher-pitched ones. Wolves? That can't be. We're in another world.

A group of small, smooth-skinned canine creatures slinked through the foliage. They looked reptilian. Almost serpentine. But those noises sounded canine, much like the cackle of a hyena. Their legs were directly below them, just like a dog's would be. Their skin was a blackish-purple with red markings. Their eyes all glowed a burning yellow. By what I could see, there were a total of fifteen of these creatures. The cackling came closer, and I decided to flee.

"Uh... Guys? We have to leave! NOW!!!" I call to the group in a panicked voice. Jon sat up and saw the pack of creatures making a beeline toward me.

"Oh no..." Jon breathed. Thornton sat up and gasped.

"Lucario! What the HELL?!?" He asked. I sprinted toward him.

"I'll explain later!!! We have another group member, now let's go! Open a portal, quick!!!" I yelped, the creatures snapping at my tail.

A portal opened up and Thornton grabbed our newest member and dove in. Jon hopped in, and the portal made a sucking sound as sparks flew. The portal was preparing to close!

I gathered all the strength I could muster and leaped towards the portal. It almost felt like being inside a giant vacuum as I was swallowed up by the portal. I have to admit, I was not proud of what I did. Smiling sheepishly, I engaged conversation.

"Ehehe... Wildlife... They're so unpredictable, right?" I asked, hoping someone would agree, thus lightening the mood.

"Listen, I couldn't sleep! I went out into the woods, and I got attacked! I should've stayed close! I get it! I made a stupid decision and it came back to bite me in the a-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I shrieked as we fell towards a cluster of spikes on the top of a tall mountain.

"Guys, this is gonna hurt." Thornton said as we all braced for impact. Instead of hitting the spikes, we fell through them and into a large cavern. We landed with a sickening thud.

"Any idea what just happened?" Thornton asked.

"By the looks of it, the mountain spire was merely a cloaking system to deter intruders. This cavern is being protected for some reason." Jon explained.

"Look, guys. I'm really sorry about that whole fiasco back there. I really screwed up." I said in a worried tone. Thornton stopped me.

"It's alright now. We probably found something of great importance!" He said. Just then, the cavern became a white room a voice was heard, and by the way the sound was projected, it sounded like an intercom.

"You're trespassing in a top-secret facility. No one may know of our multidimensional portal designs." A voice said. Thornton snickered. At first, I didn't understand, but soon I smirked.

"Wait... Didn't you just tell us what you were studying?" Thornton scoffed. "What kind of idiot says that to trespassers? You just gave away your secret!"

"Gas them. Have holding cells ready for them." The voice said. Soon, a fine mist seeped from the walls. We began to cough and wheeze.

"Not... Not a cell!" I gasp. "Please...!" Our eyes rolled up into our heads as we slumped to the floor.


Thanks for reading! Part 8 will be out soon!