CHPT 362: A New Power for a New Age.....

Climbing a mountain was never easy. Climbing a mountain after running through an icy corpse littered marsh and killing a Troll was even less so. But, with Claude's ever increasing agility and newfound partially transformative abilities, the travel that was once taxing and full of mistakes, had become much less of a hassle.

The paws of his transformed hybrid feet toughened by his travel through cold dry deserts and canyons in the real world gave him more grip-- more toughness to brave the hard and sharp rocks. His Malevolence Tether allowed him to swing and fling himself up entire levels within the mountain with a single pull of the flaming chain. The journey allowed him to move in a fluid blend of all manners of travel, running, leaping, bounding, climbing, swinging. By the time he reached the apex, his stamina wasn't nearly as damaged as the previous runs.

The rest of the journey was a walk in the park. A walk across even colder stone floors that felt merely inches from the maddening moon above and the cowering sun in the west.

It didn't take long for him to begin to be affected by the dominating pressure of the one lying within it's dark and cold depths. By the time he entered the giant opening, beads of sweat raced down his back. His leg's that once felt powerful and in his control, suddenly felt weak, wobbly and without agency.

With every step deeper down the stone hallway, past the rips and scratches deeply engraved into the walls, the affects only worsened. Slowly accompanied by images led by his surroundings and what he'd read of a certain someone.

He was walking down memory lane. Only it wasn't his...it was Fenrir's. Fenrir's memories of being betrayed and played by the one's who stole him from his family and pretended to harbor a sense of love for the once little wolf. They dragged him down the very halls he walked. Beat him and restrained him with magics that rivaled even the stories he'd heard recently.

It seemed odd to Claude at first. For Fenrir to stay within his prison. But Claude understood it now-- whether that was a good sign or not. It made sense. Maybe it was the same reason Claude would never permanently leave his fathers home....never enter it's wooden depths and touch a single file of discarded paper of now stale food. For one reason.

He didn't want to forget.

The slim and ripped walls of the hallway spread like wings, opening up to the massive room that was Fenrir's den.

He wasn't able to see much other than the floor though due to his body collapsing in on itself-- flinching reflexively with every deep chested breath that echoed through the massive room, causing tidal waves of foul smelling steam to roll across the ground, soaking it in blood scented condensed beads of water, making it look like even the mountain was sweating in Fenrir's presence.

A collection of heavy footfalls and clicks ahead of him had him forcing to raise his eyes. All he got were the beasts massive paws and thick legs cloaked in wiry fur and the purer glow of the moon seeping in through the opening behind Fenrir that lead to a sort of natural patio facing nothing but the sky, moon and endless Astral world below.

Oddly peaceful for a Dark God.

The footsteps continued like the timed spliting of boulders while his claws reminded him of swords being dragged across metal. He enjoyed watching people kneel.

A growl escaped Claude's lips.

"...iT hAssss bEen...a WhILe, bOY."

Just like always. Hearing human words coming from the insides of something at complete ends with humanity, was chilling.

"Why." Claude replied.

Fenrir let out a beastial chuckle, "YoU kNoW.....WhY...rrrrrRR...."

Claude felt his body grow colder, "Does....that mean--"

Fenrir barked, shaking the mountain, "YOU!...."

His voice rumbled from his throat like a war drum before he shook and collected himself, "....YoU....DoN'T KnOW.....rrRRWhAt..thAt mEaNS....noT rEaLLy. NoT yoU....oR AnY fOllOwErrrrr of MmmMAN! oNlY tHE BRoOd....oF LoKi ANd HiS fAmiLy knOW....rrrrr..ThE TrUTH oF.....RaGNAROK!..."

Fenrir began pacing the floors, seemingly riled up by talk of revenge and world ending schemes.

"UnTI thEN!...rrrrr...I'lL wAtCH yOU aLL SWeAT!....aNd sHiT!....aS WiNTeR cArRiEs oN...whIlE yOu AlL knoW thAT...rrrr....oNE DAy....oNE DaY iT wILL NevER...EvER LeAVe......"

Claude stayed silent, sensing that Fenrir wasn't done speaking.

Suddenly he snarled excitedly and slapped his paw to the earth, sending sparks that looked more like an explosion of flames before speaking, "HAHA! sPEaKInG of WInTErrRRahaAHA!...IT sEEmS It IS...mY TiME, As MuCH aS iT iS...rrrrRR...yoURrs..."

"Coincidence." Claude snarled reflexively in response to Fenrir drawing parallels between them. He chided himself immediately after for forgetting to act in the gods favor for a higher possibility for greater rewards.

The legendary charisma of Claude Grey back in full effect.

Following his words, Fenrir's feet appeared near his face as if the giant beast had teleported. Now so close, the veins in Claude's arms, neck and face were bulging from the force he applied against the ground.

"ThE sNOW hAS FaLLEn....a BeAST...iS rEboRN-- In...MIND....In IDEaLS...iN StRrRRenGTH!...hE mAkES moRrRe....lIKE hiMSelF....hE EmbRRRrraCes...whAT he IS....hE KiLls WhaT doES nOT....sAViNG thOSE lIKE hiMSELf....tHosE thAT WoULD bE aT eNDS with...mAN. YoU...hAvE CHanGEd....ClAuDE...you have grown."

Claude suddenly remembered the night he saved the Tangent of Banshee's, the night he found his reflection in the watery mirrors of the marsh floor unmistakably reminding him of the one he spoke to now. The one often known as "He who dwells in Marshes.". Ever since that night he questioned Fenrir's preachings of them being so similar and if it was meant to be taken at more than face value. And if so, was it inevitable? Ever since the first day he'd met Fenrir, he spoke as if he knew it would all happen already...

"ThE CoLD....iT hAS hArRrdened yoUR hEArrt....tHAt So DesPERatELY SeEks ReVEnGE...iT'S gOoD...."

Claude shook off the shiver running down his spine.

"yOUr...aRE GrOWinG mORe LiKE.....mE. AnD TonIGhT.....YOU hAvE aGeD...aND pROvEN yOUR MiGHT! yOU kNoW WhY.....YoU ARE hERE...."

"Y--" Before he could finish speaking, Fenrir bolted across the floor, slamming his massive paw against his back and pinning him to the floor so powerfully that it cracked from beneath him.

BOOM!

"AAAACK!" Claude screamed, slowly feeling the sound mold into a roar as his body transformed in an attempt to fight back against the god gone on the offensive.

"YES!....kEEP FIGHTING!...FiGHT EvEN iN ThE FaCE oF ForRRtuNE! FighT....EvEN aS I tRanSFoRM YOu....fROm a meRE nAIVE DISciPLE....tO A hArDEneD WAlkER!!" As soon as Fenrir finished speaking, one of the many claws he'd allowed Claude to watch him scrape against the stone floor cut into his back like a hot knife through butter.

Another roar escaped his elongated jaws as he flailed and fought against the pain of being ran through by the claw of a god.

Liquid lava-like heat laced his body, pouring from where the claw dug into his skin, he could feel it vibrating with power. Power that was pouring into him.

"WHY Don'T yOU BrrRRinG oUt YouR WoLVeS....thEY hAVE GroWN aS WElllAHAAH!" Following Fenrir's words, he raised his horrific maw and howled to the moon that glowed down into the cave. It's light brightened in response to his words, casting deeper shadows inside the cave, allowing the Phantom Wolves in Claude's body to pour out of his flailing hand, morphing to life out of the new pockets of shadows.

They sat in the darkness with their heads to the floor like shadowy statues.

Fenrir twisted the claw running threw him and flicked him over to the Wolves.

He then snarled angrily, seemingly waking up the sitting Wolves that had only just realized where they were based on the way their noses and eyes moved around speculatively.

Claude looked up in a daze and met eyes with Ashe at his left and Cali at his right. A look of rage washed over their wolven faces before Fenrir grabbed their attention.

"SToP!!....FuCKInG STop hIDIng YoUr PoWer...yoU StArViNG liTtLE ShITS! bRinG hIm OvER tO mEe....AlL oF yOU....CoME TO ME!" Fenrir snapped.

Claude watched through a daze as Cali barked and snapped at her previously Alpha sister. The mannerisms of their argument were so comically human he thought he was hallucinating.

What didn't help that thought was when Ashe snorted, shook her head and then they all erupted into a collection of murky smoke.

The loosely held shape of the smoke slithered over him like a snake with six eyes before descending on him, coating his transformed flesh like a second skin.

The shadows tightened, bound to him as a whole, changing his once solid form from a furred and muscled monster to a shadowy Lupine with six light green eyes glowing from the shadows. The two at the center held human pupils-- Claude's true eyes that zig zagged all around him in confusion.

Before he could react, he felt himself roll over, beginning to crawl toward Fenrir with limbs that were no longer entirely his own.

"YEsss....kEEp FigHTING! CoME anD TaKE pArT of ME...."

He continued to drag across the floor with the help of the Phantom Wolves that coated him like skin, all while his lifeblood that leaked from his chest and back was held in place by the shadows.

When he reached Fenrir's feet, the Phantom Wolves controlled him, seemingly knowing what to do next despite only being aware of what had been happening for no more than a few minutes. Claude was ready to pass out, but he held on.

He held on as strongly as he could, watching through blurred vision as his arms reached out for Fenrir's leg and began ripping away chunks of hair that he carried to his mouth and consumed.

"TaKE yOUR StReNGTH....AlL oF YOU!" Fenrir snarled, "MoNStErs ConSUME.....thEY EAt....thEY SurvIVE...thEY kIlL....tHEy DeceIVE..."

Every few strands of thick hair that entered his mouth shook his insides and burned his throat into a charred mess that made him want to vomit. When he tried to stop, his arms were forced out to grab more until the tiny strands he could no longer swallow coated his throat like internal fur. He could taste the blood of others on each strand, feel the unbearable cold that was closer in pain to heat.

When it was done, he fell to the floor limp and feeling closer to death than ever.

"GOoD.....yOU hAvE tAkEn mOrE pOWerrrr.....aLl of Youuu.....tOo BaD yoUR WoLF couLDn'T mAKE iT...I sUggESt YoU Go sEe HiM nOW....uNtIL nExt Time...CLAUDE."

With Fenrir's message concluded, he could feel himself slipping deeper into the blackness. Previously he would've let it continue, but Fenrir's last two messages gave him an idea.

He began moving again, pulling himself across the floor, stopping Fenrir just as he was preparing to walk off into the nightly mountain.

"wHAT iS iT....yoU wANt....boY" Fenrir asked with an eerie level of excitement.

"...Evolution..." Claude snarled faintly before snatching another handful of Fenrir's fur.

And then, there was only blackness.

"MoNStErs....DevEivE...InDEED...."

***

Sunday Morning, December 21st 2240....

"ACK!" Claude snapped awake, feeling the light of early morning harshly on his eyes despite the sky still being dark.

When he tried to move, he felt something tug against his arm and looked down to find the grass had grown and wrapped his right arm like a cast, fastening him to the floor.

"[Morning, mate. Have a good rest? Probably not....forget I asked.]" Arne announced.

Claude tried to reply and felt the burning pain in his throat deciding to ignore him and avoid his System screen interrupting him anyway.

DING!

[Title upgraded! Your god has recognized that you now walk closer in line to his likeness. You have been promoted to a Walker of the Wolf!]

[Unbound LVW!]

[New God-Granted Skill Unlocked! (Strength of the Jotunn)]

He ripped his arm out of the natural cast, revealing his glistening tattooed arm as he sat up and thought about the day and coincidence that he'd unlocked another skill at such a time.

"Who would've thought.....a birthday present from a Dark God."

"[Oh heavens! Happy birthday, Claude. In the midst of all this mess I never once thought to consider...how brilliant. We should celebrate!]"

"Yea? How so?" Claude croaked.

"[Let's go into town! Find a bar, talk to some beautiful women over drin-- yea nevermind. I'm just now realizing how blasphemous of a request that is. Well....I guess we could look at trees and play with sticks all day too.]" Arne said, sending Claude a joking jab at the end.

"Mhm." Claude replied, not really paying attention.

It was his first birthday. His first birthday without his father. Fifteen birthdays he'd spent with him. They used to spend them in SkyHaven in the morning, he'd take Claude to work and let him ruffle and rummage through his office, getting recent and accurate information and theories on what he was interested by most. They usually ended the day at some low rate restaurant under low lights with mediocre food. But, it was enjoyable. And it wouldn't ever happen again.

His fathers life was stolen. His birthday was stolen, because his fathers presence and way of comically sharing all of his vast knowledge was his present. For fifteen years. Now nothing.

A tear rolled down Claude's face that sat as hard as stone.

Arne suddenly realized the significance. "[Claude....look. We can take a day. Just relax with Ursula-- or maybe be with yourself. I can check out for the day and give you all the space you need. You've worked hard, mate. Breathe a bit, feel your sorrow.]"

"I'm feeling it just fine." Claude snapped before wiping away his tear and removing his system screen.

When the screen faded, he found himself looking at Frosty as he trotted over to him. The PitWolf looked tired and uncomfortable despite sleeping most of the previous day. Telltale signs of an animal approaching an Evolution. Their bodies and internal magics were firing off on all fronts at such a crucial time, making small changes, setting off a litany of preparatory hormones and chemicals sprung on by magic.

Frosty would evolve soon.

The PitWolf came to a stop in front of Claude and pressed his head against his brother's. The two sat that way for a while.

"Hey buddy, you look like shit..." Claude said.

Frosty snorted and lightly bit his cheek.

"You're getting older....you're changing..like me. Tonight, you're probably going to go to sleep a stay that way for a bit. I'll get you food....good food. All types of bucks...and sheep and birds. But i'll also give you something else...something you won't enjoy....but you'll need. We all need power, Frosty. And i'll give it to you. Just know power isn't painless....."

As he stopped for a moment, he opened his eyes and looked down at his right hand, opening his fist to find several strands of wiry black fur. He wasn't entirely sure it would work. It glowed with darkness, sending off small spirals of sparking smoke despite being wet to the touch. He could feel it's power, causing his hand to shake as if he was holding strands of lightning.

"Power is never painless, Frosty. It burns.....it burns like chaos."