42 CHPT 42: Focus!

Claude followed his nose and stepped further away from the school, he looked to his left towards the back end of the University and the smell faded. He slowly began to relax, considering the possibility that whoever the voice said was here, had left.

WAM!

"Ugh!"

Claude was hit in the shoulder from his right side. He landed on his back in the grass with his shoulder in serious pain, whatever hit him was very powerful.

He looked up and the faces that greeted him were the ones he hated most. Samuel and Tai looked over him like two handsome devils sent straight from the depths of hell.

They looked different in many ways, their hair was longer and rougher— no longer having its smooth shine as it now hung past their eyebrows. They both looked taller standing at what had to be 6'2 or more and they put on at least 20lbs of muscle.

"I wouldn't have recognized you if I didn't smell you, Claude. How'd you survive huh? Your buddies let you out?"

Claude couldn't speak, he didn't have the mental capacity or focus to balance his unbridled rage with the ability to speak. He rolled backward and pushed off the ground with his hands in a fluid acrobatic motion and immediately assumed his fighting stance as he pulled his sword from his back. He didn't realize it but as he stood to face them, he was taller than them both.

"[if we're going to do this, it has to be fast. The detective will find out you went out the window pretty soon so just listen to me and we'll deal with them quickly.]" the voice said.

"So, no talking traitor?" Samuel said while Tai bared his teeth.

Claude tried to respond but all that came out was a low growl.

The two brothers assumed their fighting stances, as they crouched low and tensed their newly developed muscles, their eyes flashed a wild shade of purple and blue. They smiled showing bright white fangs before charging Claude.

FOOM!

FOOM!

They both flew at Claude with their arms out to try and clothesline him. Claude crouched and rolled, he quickly turned to face them and delivered a side kick to Samuel who blocked it easily. Claude redirected his kick and his heel found a home in Tai's face making a loud, CRACK!

"ROOA!"

Samuel roared and swung wildly with anger from watching his brother get knocked down, Claude blocked and jumped back. He looked at his forearms and saw three thin lines of red.

"[Be careful, they don't have control so they're predictable. But you can only take so much damage before you end up just like them. Remember to focus and breathe.]" the voice reminded Claude.

Claude looked up and saw black claws sprouted from Tai and Samuels fingers and they had thick blonde hairs growing from their forearms. Samuel bared his teeth and growled sending frothy spit in the process like a rabid animal.

"[Get ready, he's coming.]"

Claude balanced on the balls of his feet and took deep breaths while he tried his best to control his hatred for them.

Samuel ran at Claude and slashed in his direction—slicing through the air with increased speed, Claude side stepped and continued to run past Samuel and towards Tai who was still lightly stunned.

Claude suddenly saw flashes of his father dying in the grass, the fear so visible in his lifeless eyes that it shook Claude to his core. He saw Samuel and Tai mercilessly casting him and Ursula into that hell to die....to become what his father had.

His eyes burned bright green and he dropped his sword as he lost the weak grip he had on his control, he grabbed Tai by the shirt with his left hand and delivered a number of powerful punches in rapid succession.

Wam!....Wam!....Wam!...

Unleashing his rage on Tai did nothing but make him worse. His anger and hatred festered and grew with every punch until blood was splattering and hitting his face.

He faintly heard something at the back of his mind before he was hit in the side.

"[Claude, you have to focus! You may be killed if you don't. I now see what they've done to you and they will get what's coming to them, just not tonight. Remember why we're out here....Focus!]" the voice said after seeing the tragic images flash through Claudes mind.

CRUNCH!

Claude crashed into the ground after he was hit in his side by a strong clawed hand. He felt the spams from earlier come again, covering his entire body and pulling at his bones.

"[Claude you have to get up, ignore the pain and focus on how to defeat your opponents. As long as you get up and focus, the pain will subside. Now get up and fight.]"

Claude listened to the voice and got up— shivering on and off as the spasms came in random bursts. He started to breathe slowly and deeply while he brought his hands up. He had to look twice at his hands now noticing long black claws sprouted from his fingers much like Samuel and Tai.

Tai and Samuel started to lose focus and bend over in pain. He could hear animalistic whines escaping their mouths.

"[Careful, they're forcing a transformation.]" the voice said.

"A what?" Claude thought.

His questions were soon answered as they both swung their heads up and growled monstrously. Claude was stunned while he stared at them.

Samuel and Tai had become hideous in their brief moments of pain.

Tai's whole arm and the side of his neck were covered in thick blonde fur that also trailed up the side of his face. His arm increased in size and muscle tone. The palm of his clawed hand now had black padding on it like a wolves paw. His body looked odd and unbalanced now with his monstrous arm.

Samuel looked even worse, the right side of his face was different....transformed. It was covered in fur and half of his jaw was trying to form a snout with thick white fangs jutting out, his ear also now rested at the top of his head in a devilish point....it looked like like half of his face was becoming bestial or wolf- like.

"GGGRRAGHH!"

They both charged Claude, Samuel was faster and lunged his partially transformed jaws towards Claude who dodged with relative ease. Tai swung his muscular fur covered arm and Claude blocked but he still felt the strength behind the swing.

"Gugh!" He made a sound as air left his lungs from the impact of the blow. He recovered just in time to see Samuel swing his clawed hand at his head. Claude dropped to the floor with his hand on the ground for balance. The voice in his head spoke again giving him instructions.

"[Claw]"

From his spot on the ground, Claude swiped Tai's ankle with his newly gained claws, Shrip!, Tai brought his leg up as blood spilled from it.

"[Deliver a kick to them both, quickly.]"

Claude quickly jumped from his crouched position, he spun through the air and delivered a spinning back kick to Tai causing his shoe to come off in the process. His heel connected with the side of his jaw, since he was balancing on one foot, he was knocked off balance and hit the ground out cold.

He continued his momentum as spun through the air. His bare foot now headed towards Samuel who stood next to Tai. Samuel was momentarily stunned as Claudes black clawed foot slashed at his eyes. The last thing Samuel saw before being knocked out were wild glowing green eyes behind long midnight black hair.

Claude stood over them both and watched them transform back into their original regal looks. He looked up noticing straight and wavy black hair now hung in his face. Before he could wonder how he'd grown so much hair in two weeks, the voice cut in.

"[We have to go, now.]"

Claudes ears suddenly twitched as he heard movement above him. "The detectives coming to the window." He thought.

He quickly ran into the side entryway of the almost empty school and headed to the room past the mess hall that had the portal. During his run down the black and orange tiled hallway, a smell found its way into his nose. Sweet like honey and flowers, "Ursula?" He said quietly while running down the hall with one shoe on.

"[No, don't follow that scent. We need to leave here.]"

"Right." He said as he sped down the hallway and past the mess hall. He turned and made his way into the room with pillars in the corners and stone steps that lead to the portal. It looked different now that the steps weren't lined with Professors or Guards. He took the steps and entered the portal.

He stepped into the dark hallway of the SkyLight guildhall quickly remembering the smells, but they were much more intense now. He sped down the hall until he found himself in the entryway. Heroes hung out in the hall in groups, they waited and prepared to go out fighting the monsters here or in the Tangents. They all quieted and looked at him, noticing his shirt was ripped on the side and he was missing a shoe— despite this, various female gazes fell on him filled with interest.

"[Keep moving.]"

Claude put his head down and let his hair hang over his face while he walked through the groups of people.

"Where you headed, handsome?" An attractive female with raven hair and chocolate brown eyes said.

Claude looked at her and then behind himself wondering who she was talking to to. He found nobody else was near him in the middle of the entryway and realized she called him handsome....nobody calls him that.

"I...uhh...I c—" Claude choked on his words causing the entry hall to erupt in laughter. He stormed out of the SkyLight guildhall with reddened cheeks.

"What a shame. He looked strong too." The raven haired woman in a mages robe said while pouting as Claude left.

***

"[You can't talk to women?]"

"Shut the hell up, I thought I had to get home, right?" Claude said in response to the voice.

"[Fair enough, I hope you live far from here because you need to run.]"

Claude thought about what the voice said, "I need to....? Anyway, I live a few miles out of the city." He replied.

"[Thats good, but not ideal.]"

Claude began to jog through the quiet city as night fell, he passed the bar near the guildhall and heard the booming laughter of men and women, the smell that flowed out of the building was disgusting and tangy— a combination of alcohol, sweat and something else...something different.

"[Lust, what you smell is lust.]" the voice responded after hearing Claudes thoughts.

"Ok, I definitely have good senses as a Beast Tamer but they aren't that good. I can't smell feelings." Claude replied right when he passed the loud and smelly bar.

"[You aren't just somebody anymore Claude. Remember what I said? Your changed.]"

"Yea we're going to talk about that and who you are...and why your in my head."

"[Later, we will. Right now, you need to run.]"

Claude decided to be content with getting answers later and ran, his feet lightly padded over the stone street of SkyHaven until he was at the gates that took him out of the city.

"The fuck happened to you?" A guard asked. He looked Claude up and down through the space in his knights helm.

"I...uhhh...I was beaten....and robbed...by giant rats." Claude said in a panic.

"[You can't be serious.]"

The guards suddenly looked alert, "Dire Rats in SkyHaven???!!!!!????"

If Claude had water in his mouth he would've spit it out in response. "No, no it's fine. Members of the SkyLight guild killed it." He responded.

The guards relaxed, "Jesus christ you had me ready to battle for a moment man."

"Apologies, may I go?" Claude asked.

"Yea....yea, have a safe travel." The guards said as he opened the gate and motioned for him to leave.

Claude continued his run. He headed down the beaten dirt road and felt himself comfortably becoming faster, the run no longer felt taxing and instead felt exhilarating. He heard animals rustling in their dens and creatures scuttling around near him while he ran. The smell of the night air was incredibly refreshing, carrying the smells of rivers in the distance and potent plants of different varieties.

He ran past the odd carriage or two, scaring the horses and men as he flashed past them, all they could make out was something big with glowing green eyes blowing past them in the night.

He continued to run at impressive speeds all the way to the familiar forest that circled the cabin. He skidded to a stop finding that he had trouble moving any further.

"If I enter that forest and my father isn't home, then..... what happened in there was...was real." Claude said, his voice quivered and cracked with fear.

"[We both know what happened was real, now it's up to you to accept it and get revenge. That all starts by getting home, Claude....getting to your place of safety....of solace.]"

Claude raised his shoulders as he sucked in a mouthful of air only thinking one thing while he jogged into his place of safety.

"Revenge.....Revenge.....Revenge."