47 ASTRAL AGITANTS

Saturday Morning August 1st, 2240 ATE. End's-Island of the greater Glorian Archipelago.

Three days passed in a dutiful blur since Claude and his team of island competitors returned from their first Tangent.

Three days had passed since Juli's death. And since Sapien left, walking off beyond the horizon like the dead risen again as he dragged his bag of supplies. It took a lot of talking to stop Enzo from shooting him on the way out. Or Marion from kicking his knee in for good measure.

Everyone was agitated for the first many hours. Still in Tangent mode. Still passively looking for the Boss to slay and make everything calm.

That was the horror of the Island Gauntlet. The end was far away. The boss was many formed and many limbed, working on many different times. The end didn't come until the professors were satisfied and the weak had been violently culled. Or until they'd all eaten eachother on diets driven by insanity.

By the end of day two, many regained a semblance of calm. New groups formed. New challenges arose.

Claude guarded the perimeters at a sprint and swim most mornings, but today he wanted to work a different muscle.

"I didn't take you for the strength training type." Isaac commented as he watched Claude size up a small boulder on the beach.

All around him, tanks, knights and a berserker watched. Their beefy and imposing frames made him look even thinner.

"I'm not usually, ask Ursula." Claude said as he squatted behind the stone.

"So what are you doing here? I don't know if trying to build pure strength right before a big event is beneficial to your build…. especially with your wolfishness and all…" Isaac theorized.

"He does have the king badger thing about the hatch." Reagan groaned and lifted a stone before exploding up onto his feet and throwing it into the ocean behind him. His peers shoved him around angrily.

"So you're switching up your style?" Isaac surmised as Claude began to lift.

"Just the tempo for now. I'm anxious and I can't run it off without staying on the move for…. way longer than I need to." Claude tightened his hug around the stone and pushed through the sand.

The veins in his neck bulged and his forearms rubbed aggressively against the rock surface. By the time he was standing, they bleed down the boulder.

Claude dropped the stone, slipping on his own crimson flow. "Dammit!"

He wiped himself off and went again.

Ursula walked over and spotted him with Isaac.

"You've been with Goren, haven't you?" Ursula asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

The mere mention of his name quieted the strength crew.

"You literally made the rule that only other healers are allowed to go there." Ursula reminded him.

"How do you know I'm going there?" Claude heaved the stone up again, trying to ignore how it felt like his sternum was cracking.

"I follow you." Ursula did her trademark shrug.

Isaac looked at her like she was crazy.

"You have to follow him. He gets into shit when he's alone."

"My luck is undeniabl—" Claude's grip on the stone— that was obviously too heavy for him, slipped again and hit the tip of his toe, "SHIT!" He jumped backward in a one legged hop.

As the stone rolled towards Ursula, she put her foot out and stopped it casually as she looked to Isaac, "See what I mean?"

Isaac nodded and soon after they were all crowding their unlikely Island-Lord to check if he needed aid.

What he needed was air, their sweaty bodies were potent enough to singe his nose hairs.

And evidently, powerlifting wasn't in the cards for the day.

He made his way to the assassins on the other side of the beach. On his way there he could feel eyes on him. Hot and sharp like knives from hell. They pulled him towards the jungle. It was so distracting that he jumped when Ursula was suddenly walking beside him.

"Hey…" She was quieter. Less forward than usual.

"Hey, what's up?"

"What's up yourself." Ursula shoulder bumped him playfully.

"I don't get it."

"I don't get you." Ursula said, stopping suddenly.

Claude did the same, turning to face her.

"Well don't look at me like I'm tripping." Ursula threw her hands up, "You were captured by goblins, disappeared in an underground fire, became an Island Lord and then led a war to free me... just to not talk to me…. AND YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND???"

Everyone on the beach's heads swiveled at her roar.

Claude awkwardly itched his buzzed head— with a hand no longer shrouded in nature. Then he sighed, "Yea….. that probably is jarring."

"Damn right it is."

"I'm just…. Ursula they're dying." Claude whispered in a shudder. "Juli would be alive if I never suggested Tangent hopping….. and now five other students are dying from poison we don't even understand. And half our numbers from before are fractured because I gave people an ultimatum. I feel gross, Ursula."

Now it was Ursula's turn to sigh, "That's probably jarring too."

"Goren said they have less than a week. I've known Xander since I was six." Claude explained.

Ursula itched her chin as if she was considering something, "Yea. Ok. Pack a bag, let's get to work."

Claude almost choked from the directional change in conversation, "What are you talking about."

"We have less than a week to collect every kind of snake on this island. You know animals, and I know toughness. We're a duo, Claude. We've been a duo. You don't need to take a team and have a moral meltdown about someone falling behind. I'm sturdy." She beat her chest.

"If this is like that time in the hospital where you had the idea that we run away, I would like to say please don't hit me." Claude said.

"Then please don't say no." Ursula smiled sweetly, but the vein bulging in her temple betrayed the wholesome image.

"Give me till tonight to think about it….."

Ursula nodded, "Fair enough."

"Oh and Ursula."

"Yea."

"It's great to have you back. I couldn't ask for a better teammate out here— even if there's things we don't agree on. I want to be like you."

Ursula looked at the clouds, trying to hide her smile, "In a lot of ways, I'd like to be like you too. I'll see you tonight."

The two hugged.

And with that, Claude changed his plans. He whistled to his hounds in the ocean a single time before grabbing his egg and heading into the jungle.

In all his worries and stalking wolf-gods and poisonous snakes and dead students he'd forgotten to continue cultivating the bonds he still had. He was lucky enough to have.

So, for the rest of the afternoon, he hunted with the Island-Dogs. They ran routes and switched positions. It wasn't seamless. Rivera preferred leading. It made her an awful beta. Too action prone and eager to speed ahead which caused her to eat a Razorback kick more than once.

Claude's mind was frayed. He could smell the sickness on his fellow students all through the jungle. It made using his element a task— even with his new power boost. The jungles shook at his command. Every hunt the canopy grew higher. The flowers glimmered brighter.

By late evening it looked like he was walking through a verdant star field. Sweat and pig blood lined his half naked body. Two boar carcasses hung over his shoulders. Beside him, the three Island Dogs Riptide, Rivera and Rain pulled a poorly made wood sled stacked with more boars, all covered in bite marks and spear wounds.

He'd been running all day. Socializing with his kin. Strengthening their bond. Doing what any Beast Tamer should.

The winds blew in from his left. His nostrils flared at the unique scent. Feline.

He turned just as Stella emerged from the bushes with Grimm. Her slitted eyes swallowed up the starlight and made her look terrifying. Or maybe it was the fact that he knew she'd one day be able to spit electrical fire.

She didn't have any boars. Just a sack full of rare glacial birds.

"Thanks for rising the canopy, wolf-boy." Stella said.

Claude gave a nod.

"You sure you aren't a mage? That seems really…. impressive? Especially to do passively." Stella walked with him. Claude's Island-Dogs nipped at Grimm's long horse like legs, urging the beast to give chase with them.

"I'm sure I'm not a mage. Maybe nature element users are just stronger."

"Ew. Don't be cocky." Stella side eyed him.

"My fault. Anyway, how was your bonding time?"

"Nothing spectacular. I'm too worried about Night of the Wraiths to really get that deep focus like I do in the Astral Realm. Or did."

"You say that like you've only been there once." Claude said.

"You've been there more than once?" Stella questioned.

Claude swallowed, "Probably just really animated dreams."

"Right…."

Someone screamed in pain in the distance.

Emma.

Stella awkwardly bit her lip, "Do you think they're dreaming?"

"Hallucinating more like."

Stella sighed as they exited the jungle mountain land and hit the beach. Students nodded their way in respect and thanks for their contributions.

"I'm sorry— I should've sugar coated that." Claude made it to the butchers table where Reagan stood proudly with a stone hatchet.

"No. I'm not a little girl. It's just. I wish I could do something." They dropped their bleeding cargo off and headed elswhere.

"At this point I'm gonna have to put together a rare snake hunting task force." Claude thought. Rivera sneezed but part of him thought she laughed. When he looked at her, she was watching him as she trotted beneath Grimm.

"Anyways, I'm gonna run the perimeter tonight with the archers. Then hopefully not run into any ocean-golems so I can get some sleep. We should go hunting sometime. See ya." Stella winked and took off to join the group of long legged marksmen gathered near the ocean ahead.

Warren stood out like a sore thumb among them. Too short, loud and wide eyed. Then again, Trey was also there. For a healer he had good aim. All thanks to Samuel.

Claude wondered how he was doing. Last time he checked the Leaderboard he was tenth place. Tai was back to fifth. He didn't think he'd be the one still putting in effort but he didn't think many things in regards to the islands.

"Well, we're not as nocturnal as a feline beast-tamer and I'm tired. Let's take a nap with…." Claude and his dogs stood at the foot of the crater where the egg sat in the sand, "We still don't have a name for you….. let's figure that out tonight."

Claude picked up the egg with his dogs and headed back into the jungle.

With a couple snaps and points to the trees, his dogs marked the trees, securing his napping space. With that finished, he leaned up against a magically mutated palm tree with blue leaves and tried to get some shut-eye. At least until Ursula came knocking.

His egg sat at his feet where his dogs formed a tight protective circle around it with their long swimmers bodies.

As he slowly entered the realm of dreams, his mind scrambled for ideas on how to find the snakes. Locations and favored islands. Times when they'd be most active. Current patterns. Bait.

"It won't work."

When the trip to the Astral Realm was instant that usually wasn't a good sign.

Claude opened his eyes and found himself in a valley— familiar. Grey skies spread forever. A light rain fuzzied his vision as Misty water droplets collected on his long lashes.

"Did you hear me, child? Or are your senses more human than I presumed?" His voice was smooth. Northern Arthurian accent. Gentle almost.

Claude turned around and came face to face with a man wearing the pelt of a wolfhound. It's wiry fur collected the rain and made it look like he was also wearing water. But it was only a pelt. And he seemed to be only man. Aside from the Wolfish yellow eyes and fangs. He was covered in tribal tattoos and rode in on a massive feral looking white horse.

"I heard you." Claude said.

"You are experienced in the presence of godly figures. Not so easily pressured by our existence at such proximities. That's good. I hate a coward. Bravery wins all. Then again I'm also no god. Just an immortalized warrior."

Claude gave a quick bow, "I'm Claude Grey."

"Yes. And I'm Cunomaglus, The Hound Lord."

"You said it won't work…. What won't?" Claude inquired as he stood up in the valley grass, appreciating the warmth of his wolf pelt cloak. Wishing he had hair as long as the warrior to use like a hat.

"Your ideas on how to find this snake." Cunomaglus replied.

"Why not?"

Cunomaglus pushed his horse into a slow gait, waving for Claude to follow.

"You're looking for natural solutions to an unnatural dillema. No dog uses their nose to find out why their owner wants to skin them."

Claude didn't understand the message but it felt pointed. Purposeful.

"S—"

"CAWWW!!!" A raven spiraled overhead, screaming its avian language at them with violent purple eyes.

"Leave us, Morrigan." Cunomaglus said gently but firmly to the crow.

The crow divebombed suddenly, reaching out with four legs tipped by metal talons like knives.

Right before it hit Claude, it spun out of the way and landed in the grass as a black wolf. A collar of bones jingled as it growled and pawed at them to stop.

"Wait…. I know you."

The wolf snorted and spun into a black tornado of smoke. When it dissipated, a young woman covered in similar tattoos and a skintight dress of black feathers remained. Her eyes were still purple but her heavily exposed skin was as pale as moonlight. At least where there wasn't blood stains and runes.

"Of course you do. I met you first. You are mine if I desire it."

"But you don't." Cunomaglus said casually.

"The last man that spoke for me was drowned in the bile of his loved ones."

"No, he was riding a horse." Cunomaglus looked down at his horse and patted its thick neck, "I love horses…."

Morrigan spit on the floor. It was black as tar.

"What brings you here? If you're this close, Cernnunos won't be far…. Or will he? I heard he found a promising young boy. The type to chase first and ask questions later." Cunomaglus said.

Morrigan shrugged, "Don't know don't care."

"Can you help me find the snakes? You said they're not naturally occurring? As in someone brought them? Can you tell me who?"

"I don't wish to hinder your growth in such a way, but—"

Morrigan threw a black fireball into Cunomaglus' face.

He flew off his horse and tumbled across the valley like he was hit by a bolt from Zeus himself.

Claude turned back to face the psychotic witch, unsure of what to do.

"When you wake up, go left!" A spear materialized in her hand, with zero hesitation, she threw it right into his face.

"GAH!" Claude was sprung awake, back in the real world. He rolled to the left without questioning his enviroment.

At the same time, three black shapes fell from above, landing in a reflecting clump where he previously slept.

In the shadows of the jungle they were harder to see. But their hisses and foul breaths told him enough.

Opprotunity came knocking.

And an egg came cracking.

The crown mellivora burst from its egg and lunged for something behind Claude. In his haziness, he missed the other two stalking behind.

They died to the newborns fury in seconds.

Claude wasted no time kicking the other two to his dogs and restraining the last.

He used beast-trait absorbing the snakes traits and venom sack and screamed for the heavens.

"GOREN I GOT IT!"