A dream. She knew it was a dream because she was home and everyone was happy and welcoming her. She stood in the kitchen as everyone was there.
Wolf was there with Teva, but both did not ignore her like at the shop. No, they embraced her with joy. Mom and Dad were in the background, cheering for her return while preparing dinner. Even Uncle was there, yelling how he finally had time to visit the family.
As she was feeling a bit overwhelmed, Len's warmth was felt from behind at the table, as Nebo sat there reading a book, smiling at her too.
It was perfect.
It was a lie.
She knew she wanted to be there, and maybe if she left for it, right now it would be a scene she'd see. But she could not let her new life end like that—not when they trusted her.
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"Tribe Hero, what is the matter?"
She turned, now in the tent with the Elder, unsure why Nina was upset. She tried to speak but had no words as a small foxkin clung to her side.
"You're not going anywhere, right?"
It was Rex, with tears in his eyes, and she was unsure how to tell him she would.
As she went to look upon the Elder to say her resolve, she was surrounded by all the tribe—hundreds, a mix of bowing, praying, and praise—all waiting for her.
She looked up, unable to bear the weight of it all, and saw in the sky the pale blue light of her brother's gift shining with stars. She reached for it, not to take her away, but to remind her what her end goal would be. She just had to get there.
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The morning came soon after, and a scary sound startled her fully awake. Terra was snoring? Or mumbling in her sleep with a gibberish sound—it was hard to tell, as it was random. But it brought her back to clarity. Her sister and friend had come for her and given her hope. Now she had to settle things so she could have a home to return to.
Stepping outside the tent, the cool air told her it was early morning, and it was mostly quiet. A random tribesman saw her and was startled she was awake.
"Is all well, Hero? It's a bit early. Did you need something, or did something troubling happen for you to wake?"
The concern was sweet but still annoying. She shook her head, told them she was fine, and to please make sure a meal was ready for her family—which was met with confusion from the man.
"Are we not your family?"
She grimaced but did her best to hide it with a smile. She forgot—all tribes view all as family if you're part of the tribe.
"Sorry. I meant, please make sure a meal is ready for the other... heroes when they wake. I wish for them to be comfortable."
Beaming a smile, he nodded vigorously. "We would do no less, but it's an honor that you ordered it."
She nodded and sought the Elder, thankful he left her in peace. Still worried it was a bit early, she was unsure the Elder would even be awake and was planning on waiting near a bonfire outside the Elder's tent area till she saw her.
Yet it seemed her fears were misplaced. The Elder shared her view of an early start for the day and was already there near the bonfire with a bowl of food, talking to a few beastkin about chores for the day. Or so she thought.
It seemed word had traveled to the further clans, and some had come to visit to pay respect to the Tribe Hero. It was the Wolf Tribe, from what little she overheard when she got closer.
And the glances and bows that followed from the wolfkin talking to the Elder reinforced her belief—this was a couple from a different tribe. Her tribe had gotten used to her more already and was slightly less formal, but still did the same things, so she might be wrong.
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"Tribe Hero, it is good you are here. These are Elders from the Wolf Tribe, seeking permission to leave a few of their tribe's kin to train under you for a day or two when you feel they are worthy. They're more than willing to wait for the time."
She did not want to train anyone in anything. She hated fighting—that was Len's thing. Yet she slowly nodded. It did align with her desire to help them, and it would be something that could make them stronger in the end.
It took a bit of time to convince them to let her be alone with the Elder for personal talks, as they did not understand what talks could not be shared among all Elders. But she finally convinced them when she said it was more mundane details on how she would manage their personal tribe's lives, and they agreed it would be a disservice to pry into how another chose to run their tribe when they wished for the same respect on how they ran theirs.
The Elder was overjoyed when she heard that, and Nina felt guilt at the lie—or partial truth—but they would not listen with clarity if she was too blunt.
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Sitting in the tent, Nina's ears were flat, tail unmoving despite how big it was inside. All she felt was the oppressive weight of expectations still haunting her, and she was unsure how to start the speech of wanting change.
Yet it seemed the Elder did not share her fears.
"You know, years ago when you and your brother were little cubs, I felt nothing but pain for what happen to your parents when they gave thier lives to protect the tribe."
Nina's ears perked up. She had long since made peace with her past and what happen to her parents, yet it was surprising to know the Elder still held on to it.
"We assumed too much back then hunting monsters. It was partly why we became stricter about embracing those blessed with power." The Elder paused with sad eyes, smiling at her. "Of course, we always love the gods and what they blessed us with, but we got complacent and forgot that those strongest blessed are the ones we need the most to guide and protect the rest."
Nina wasn't sure how that was the same. How did power make things right or better?
The Elder saw her face and continued the tale.
"If we used only our best, we could have spared them during the monster hunt. But they loved the tribe and wanted to prove themselves. This was, of course, before the kingdom helped with their men to cull the bigger threats. But it was also why we started the hunter tribes."
"I never wanted anyone to fall, but life and death is part of life. I just wanted to let you know how proud I am that their deaths weren't in vain. It made a powerful new generation of heroes that still believe in the tribe. And a rare blessed at that, who will lead us to a better tomorrow! I bet—"
"No," Nina said calmly.
"—each generation after this… I'm sorry, Tribe Hero, what?"
The Elder's smile never faltered, as she wasn't sure she heard what she heard and was waiting for the message to be more clear. Nina, with the same resolve she had found, spoke just as clear.
"No."
Her heart was pounding. Never a day in her life had she stood up to someone of authority—not one that was well-known and loved. But this was her life, and she was going to take it back, even if it hurt and she lost her tribe for it.
The Elder's face shifted to one of sadness and longing. "Did we offend you somehow? If you name who, I will see them punished."
"I… I don't want this life. I ran from my old life wanting to be free. Instead, you smother me."
The Elder quickly nodded, assuming she had found the key to solving everything. "Of course, Tribe Hero. We will let you settle more. We understand we—"
"No," Nina said more quietly, her hand turning to stone to have something solid to hold as she focused to go on. "Elder… you all are special to me, and it's true you show me nothing but love. But this is not the life for me."
"I fear, Tribe Hero—"
"My name is Nina."
The Elder watched her carefully, as if unsure what she meant and unsure what to say.
"You remembered my brother's name, spoke it easy. But not once have any of you called me by my name."
"It's because you're blessed, her… uh… Nina."
The glare from Nina made the Elder stop mid-speech, saying it again, but the confusion never left.
Nina deflated a bit, seeing the pain in the Elder's eyes. They just wanted a hero to love and worship. It wasn't personal, she thought.
"Elder, I'll help the village and help you find someone worthy to lead. But it won't be me."
"Uh… Nina… forgive me, but why did you come back if not for a blessed prophecy?"
"Because I love you all and thought I was coming home to a family."
"But we are family?" the Elder asked, unsure.
"Then why don't you ask me instead of telling me how I will live?"
The Elder had no answer to that and wasn't sure she understood.
"When I was chosen as wind-blessed and asked to lead, I felt only joy. Perhaps I've lived too long and assumed too much." She slowly, carefully went up to Nina and held her, and Nina embraced her back.
"I knew my ways were flawed. I just assumed the next generation would help smooth out our rigid edges. It's why, when you were level four earth-blessed and the tragedy of your parents… I assumed it was prophecy giving us a child that would change all tribes and reshape our history."
"I won't tell the others about your choice, to respect your privacy. Yet they will have expectations that won't fade easily. Even now, this feels like a lie to me."
"I'm sorry. I was trying to find myself and ended up causing more problems."
The Elder held her tighter. "No, dear. It seems I got too used to leading as an Elder and forgot what it meant to be like a mother. You did not need to be an idol; you needed support. I see that now. Perhaps I always saw it and let it fade in the wind. You're not the only one that needs to mature, child."
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The talks from there turned more somber and quiet, working out the details and trying to help lead to ease expectations and help them understand she would leave.
Voices on the wind were picked up by eavesdropping beastkin with wind magic, hoping to hear their hero going to lead. Yet all caught different fragments of uncertainty, and none good. All heard the same spreading rumors: she was going to one day leave, and they did not know why.
Rex refused to believe when the rumors carried even to him. He tried checking Nina's tent and found the other heroes there eating, but quickly left, trying to find Nina.
Exhausted from the talk with the Elder, Nina left the tent. She thought she saw a few tribesmen in the distance looking worried, which confused her since before all she saw was joy and worship, but dismissed it as a little furball smacked into her leg.
"What are you doing, kiddo? I barely woke up."
It was Rex, clinging to her, and she wasn't sure if he was being bullied. Why was he acting more scared and clingy?
"Relax, kiddo. The Elder asked me to do some training today, but I'll make time for you later. I want to visit my sister, ok?"
She felt he wanted to resist, but when she agreed to let him watch her train others, he relented.
Feeling like she had made some progress, she wanted to let Len know where she stood but was met with an odd surprise: two young wolfkin were standing outside her tent and seemed to be facing off against Terra and Len?
She was about to throw a rock to show them not to mess with her sister when one of the wolf's ears twitched and he turned and saw her. Even as Len and Terra did, the last wolfkin saw everyone else look and joined the stares.
Both wolfkin seemed to be grinning in joy at her entrance, which gave her pause as she was now unsure if they were hostile or not. Maybe she assumed too much.
She bowed to them, trying to show a bit of respect, and they eagerly returned the bow—an odd contrast to the seeming standoff before.
"U know them, Foxy?" Terra asked as Nina shook her head. "They said they came to see the hero but refused to listen when we said we were too."
A laugh from one of the wolfkin. "You may be lesser heroes, sure. We came to see THE hero. There's a difference."
"Ooooo?" Terra was amused. "And what makes us lesser heroes… hmmm?"
"You're not level four blessed, for one. And you only won your battles thanks to the Tribe Hero, for two."
Nina's glare was hard as stone, but Terra just smiled, confusing Nina and giving her pause. She assumed Terra would be all fire and burning them down. What gives?
"What story did U hear that make U believe that?"
"Please, we heard about the boulder monster Nina controlled and even rode the beast back. Those stories said you two did little. And vs the ogre, we know our Tribe Hero would smash even that down."
That did remove Terra's smile, and fire entered her eyes, making them laugh. "HA! See, look at your face! Is that not proof then what is?"
"You're wrong," Len finally spoke. Nina wanted to speak too but like Terra—she was lost in a bit of fear. She came at the ogre with everything she had, smashed it hard, even as it smashed her back, slowly chipping away at her defenses till she fell.
"It was a team effort, and I held the ogre while they helped support me." len said with convitction
A lie. We did help, but not the way she's claiming. Just a pretty lie so I get to keep living as a Tribe Hero vs. shame…*
The laughter got even louder before all three girls glared, finally calming them down.
"Sorry, sorry." the cocky wolves both said near in unsion losing a little mirth at the glares.
"We came to train to be like the hero, so we understand what you're saying. You fought a strong beast more than once. So did we. That don't make you special or worthy of being a hero."
The bolder of the two wolfkin glared as he said that speech, his partner also watching added with glee. "If it did, we're both worthy of being heroes too."
Now both wolfkin, full of pride, looked at Nina as one spoke for both of them. "Tribe Hero, please give us lessons. You train them to not be weak. Imagine what you could do with real beastkin."
Nina was flabbergasted. She had never trained a day in her life seriously—Len and Terra did.
The laughter from Terra confirmed it.
Yet the wolfkin misunderstood it as a challenge.
"You think you could beat us?" one of the wolfkin retored
"What, you're not going to challenge the Tribe Hero to prove your strength, just us?" Terra asked, assumed.
The sneer that followed on the wolves face would have made Nina smile if her mood was not so sour from this whole ordeal.
"We would never dare to challenge a level four blessed. But we heard about both of you. Level three fire and level three light. While light is rare blessing, she's nothing. And I'm level three fire too, so I can match you."
"I'm level three wind," the other wolfkin chimed in, looking just as defiant.
Terra's smile never faded. "Well, I tell U now, my sister can take both of U and me helping you in a fight solo and win before you can cry. U're just a pup. Go easy."
The air stilled at the open challenge, and Nina wasn't sure how to feel. This wasn't how she'd seen training going, and this felt more like a duel of prides.
"My battle sister speaks too boldly. We came to support my sister Nina, not start any tribe fights." leena tried cooling the fire that was growing before it could spread.
"It's fine. If you admit defeat, we will not bother you anymore. We don't fight the weak." The wolfkin smugly replied, and that did remove the smile from Terra's face. Nina felt Terra was close to swinging. Gods, maybe she was too.
It was Len's calm smile as she stepped in front of the big girl, blocking her path forward. Speaking calmly:
"I offered you peace. If you don't want my mercy, then I can show you Terra's words were true."
Murmurs were starting to happen, and only then did Nina notice a gathering of tribesmen. It seemed they had finally gotten the attention of others from the noise. The wolfkin, emboldened, felt proud to announce their next words.
"THE WOULD-BE HEROES OPENLY CHALLENGE US, SO WE WON'T BE WRONG ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE."
The tribe did not believe the farce, but it was the heroes' right to defend or deny that claim. Watching Leena glow with a pale light and just nod as if everything they said was true, they had to accept it. The Elder now joined the crowd with a frown, hearing the gist of it.
"I agreed to allow outside tribe members to be trained by our hero. It seems there was no distinction. Which, if the heroes agree, I will allow it."
"I agree," Len said calmly, and to everyone's surprise, Terra laughed and proudly boasted:
"NOW U DUN IT. SHE SERIOUS."
Nobody was sure what they meant, but Nina knew. The only one able to stand against an unbreakable foe and still win was being mocked by wannabe heroes. Perhaps this would be the first real lesson the tribes needed: power alone does not win fights, and underestimate those you face, and you won't live to regret it.
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