Mabinogi Generation 1 - Chapter 3: Tarlach

“It’s done!” Malcolm exclaimed. As he rustled his hands through the material, he lifted up a brilliantly red new mantle, accented with a diagonal belt and split in the bottom. He had taken notice mine had been damaged through weeks of taxing use and took it upon himself to make me a new one.
“Wow... it looks so professional...” though such a phrase would never do it justice. I took the gift happily and rushed to try it on.
“Why don’t you head down to the inn and show your friends? That’s where they’re staying, right?” Malcolm asked; his true goal not very well masked. But, he did me an incredible favour, and what a nice day it has been.
“Alright, I’ll show Nora it,” I smiled and ran out the door. I made my way down the rounding hill after passing through the square to head to the southern fields, taking a detour by the inn. At this time of day, the bustle of the town had quieted to people sitting around Caitinn’s bakery for a quick bite and Deian in the northern fields making sure his sheep made it through another day. Unsurprisingly, the inn was silent from the exterior. Nora and Piaras would usually be in the study next to the lobby counting the daily revenue or catching up on a book. It would likely be rude to just enter, so I opted to knock gently on the door.
“Can you hear me?”
“Huh?” I suddenly heard a voice my ears have never witnessed in this town.
“Ah, so you can...”
Left and right I searched for the source of the voice that called on me. Beyond the entrance to the inn was darkness with the image of the torches lit nearing sundown being the only visible objects.
“Who’s there?” I beckoned.
“I know this is a difficult request... but please come to this world...” Not the result I was looking for...
“What world, and where?” I asked again.
“Tir Na Nog... is in great danger...” To avoid any real headache on my end of description, I blinked. Just, blinked, and the town was suddenly in flames. I turned around to the inn and it too was in an inferno. The sounds from within, no screams, no cries for help, simply the creaking of the old wood that held the structure together.
From a distance, I heard a shriek comparable to that of a Lyre whose strings had been tightened to the point of their threshold, and snapping.
“Wha... what’s this?”
“Please, rescue me and Tir Na Nog...!” Following the shriek came an earth-shaking thump. And another. And another. Each one growing louder in succession.
Then, there was the shriek yet again. It sundered like a massive predator that found its prey and called in victory. But the only person here right now was me... I looked up and saw a figure.
“Help... help!” the only words that came to mind right now were also the only ones to leave my mouth. I searched for an explanation, but could only find those words.
It shrieked yet again and I saw two massive arms flail into the light Eweca tried to shine through the smoke and saw in each a massive cleaver.
“Somebody help me!!” The figure’s jaw opened as it prepared to shriek again. It had ultimately claimed its victory.
“Wakey wakey!” and there was confusion. And my body began shaking as the ground did earlier. All at once, the town had vanished from sight and replaced with an immaculate white plane. It was a dream from the start, terrifyingly real though. The heat from the burning inn, the horrifying shriek of whatever that thing was.
“Kitty Kitty~” Oh right, I’m with these guys now, too. I was assigned to tent with the happiest person in the party, maybe even the world, Piko. “Good morning, Kitty!”
“Goog... morning...”
“You looked so peaceful~” she giggled. Somehow, that’s irritating... even then, it’s nice to know what I saw was only a fabrication. Tir Chonaill still stands, and Chou’s still here to make sure it does.
Well, with that out of the way, I can get to my usual daily tasks. Although taken in by adventurers, it hasn’t really changed what I do around town.
Over the past few days I had tented with Chou, not much has changed with me, or this town. I mean, aside from the fact that I’d like to help Dilys make and sort first aid products, but Sokk usually beats me there. Or, that I’d go to the church to see if Endelyon is in need of volunteers to see Klarrann had already heaved in sacks of whatever goods she feels necessary. Maybe I’d go to Malcolm’s to see if he’s working on anything new, but now Piko’s there giving him advice for his interest in Nora. If all of the above applies, I’d find myself at the bakery... to see Kaya there exchanging recipes with Caitinn... very unexpected.
“It certainly looks like you’ve made good friends, Taiga” Chief Duncan had approached me with a grin.
“If my goal in life was to sleep all day, yeah, I have...”
“My, a bit ungrateful... An old man like me would be elated if he had friends who took on jobs without request!” He began to chuckle as if he said something that would cause trees to bend backwards in shock. This old man...
“With Chou in town, there’s really nothing for me to do anymore, is there?”
“Actually, I have a favour I need to ask of you,” he started, reaching into his pocket. “A long time ago, a friend of mine was in Sidhe Sneatcha gathering some extra firewood. They wore a pair of earrings I gave them as a present.” He pulled out a clenched fist from his pocket to which he turned to me and opened his palm.
What he held was a miniature piece of silk that was solidified into a brilliant metal. Held in the centre was a small green gem which, in contrast to the metal that contained it, had no lustre.
“They were attacked by the locals there and dropped one of them within an open field...” he stared at it as he spoke, as if within the earring was a vision of the past. “Would you and your friends please do an old man a favour and look for the matching earring?”
And how could I say no? Chief Duncan is a man everybody in town looks up to and respects. If a fight breaks out, you can bet he’s there to break it up. If somebody needs help, he’s there to share his wisdom.
“Sure, it won’t be that hard.”

---

“’Sure, it won’t be that hard’ you said,” Klarrann started “He didn’t say anything about this, did he?”
It was the following morning and we all decided to enter the snowfield to find the earring. As the Chief had described, as you enter forest of Sidhe Sneatcha, it will become drastically cold and snow will fall. But within the thicket is an opening that seems to be out of place, very hard to miss. What stood before us was indeed an open field, but it was occupied by a plethora of identical snowmen.
Really, this was something to scratch your head on. When it snows, you can usually expect to see one or two snowmen being constructed by the village kids. But here was... 35, 36, 37, 38... a lot of snowmen.
“Can I melt them?” Kaya asked while already conjuring sparks in her hand.
“No, don’t do it Kaya!” Piko immediately grasped her wrist. “If we do that, there’s going to be a really sad child out there that their hard work has been ruined!”
What kind of child would come all the way out here to make a snowman... 51 at that?
“Who, you?” Sokk asked her. And that pretty much answers that. “Go ahead Kaya, try and melt them.”
Kaya smirked then turned her attention to the closest winter manifestation. As if in a state of reverence, she closed her eyes while holding only her left hand on high. Within the epicentre, one could see passing snowflakes quickly melting and evaporating as they pass. Gases within the area were battling for dominance, clashing against one another, before in one single event of friction; it erupted into a small bolt of fire.
What? No, I can’t do this if I tried. Lassar has made attempt after attempt to teach me magic, failing every time. I know how it works, that’s about it.
Kaya had a confident grin on and began to bring her hand closer and with every inch, the sound of Piko’s whimpering increased.
“Alright, I see where this is going,” I couldn’t help but saying, “I’m going up ahead to see if I can find it there.” Anything but the whimpering, gosh...
I made my way through the hill of snowmen, not finding even a single hint that one may be carrying an earring, nor the ground between them. Each one was a build of two very large rolled snowballs. Across each face was a line of coal and two pieces, one each for eyes. They were neither happy nor sad. Merely existing and standing for a possible eternity until a force, maybe a person happens upon them to meddle.
Grooowwll....
And then this growl happened, I guess? I quickly drew my dagger, thinking coyotes had singled me out and faced the direction of the sound. But all that stood in the line of vision were trees and the falling white.
Gwoaaaaaaaaaaahhh....
I’m confident the direction I’m facing is where the growl is coming from, but something is telling me this isn’t a groan of anger. Something about it sounded sad, trapped, and anguished.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooaaa................
And then I saw it: a large brown bear perched between larger trees that seemed to form an altar. It didn’t look injured, but it seemed to call me closer. As I approached, it looked at me, and we shared eye contact. It simply looked with tired eyes, before turning away once more and giving off another growl.
“Do you need... help?” I asked, knowing fully it likely wouldn’t answer. To my surprise, it looked up at me again, this time with question written on its face. It lifted one of its enormous paws, set it on the ground in front of it, and I reached again for my dagger.
Uuurrrrrrrgurrrrr
As if telling me to wait, it looked at me, one paw in the snow-laden ground, then continued on to move that one paw about.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” I once more beckoned for an answer. It looked up at me, and then slammed the paw once more into the snow. Look at this I’m guessing here... It was smart enough to draw me all the way out here, what could it be saying?
“...T-a-r-l-a-c-h?”
“Kitty!” I glanced away for just a moment, when I turned back it seems the bear had a different interest in me. The paw that just a moment ago wrote “a message” in the snow was now maliciously raised into the air, and the growl became more a roar.
“Kyah!” I ran. Whatever that bear wanted to tell me, it probably wants no more to be said. Maybe I’ll tell the others, but maybe the Chief should know first. Wait, that’s right, we came here because of the Chief in the first place.
“Guys!” and I saw them again... and a field of snow piles...

ic wat u did ther... i like how the story flows the way u tell it

Idk, I feel something is missing. Because in the first chapter you said Taiga met Nao, and Nao said welcome to Erinn. I will read on to see how more goes. Still very exciting. Maybe you did this already or not but we should all get the same vision, and that Taiga is choosing to follow and lead the story.

But yes still very interesting.