CHPT 430: New Goals at Sea, Godly Sight Beyond me.

Another Boss restrained. Another Tangent made into a home…. A temporary home. They were lucky. They were lucky it was a Horde of goblins— lucky the pack was suited for ripping and tearing in volume. With Claude's endless stamina, nature magic and Ursula brutal rage. Ma, Cassidy and the Wolves were icing on the cake. The final touches needed for them to take such a risk and still have such a chance of success.

When it all came to a close, Claude still had energy in him. Paranoia emboldened by anxiety. He ran through the whole rainforested and mountainous world on wild magic infused limbs. He marked and made note of everything— just to burn what was held within if anything. And then, night fell.

Everyone went to sleep around a fire, pulled into the world of dreams and nightmares to the enraged sounds of a strung up shape-shifting Goblin.

It seemed Claude was beginning to adjust to his life. Nightmares hadn't been a consistent form of torture for a while. Not that they were nonexistent, but his recent bouts of slumber had been quick. Quick and black. The nothingness held behind his eyelids was all that remained.

That's how he knew he wasn't just sleeping.

Sure the black was consistent. But the snow falling on his nose was new— the cold winds ruffling his hair and awakening his naked skin weren't reminiscent of the Goblin Tangent. It was colder— more unforgiving. It wasn't earth. Not in the usual way. He could feel it.

He could feel him.

Claude opened his eyes to find himself in the iced over marshes of the Astral Realm.

It had been a while.

He sat up to find the Phantom Wolves seated around him, waiting patiently.

"Ashe." Claude greeted the previous Alpha siting in front of him.

She gave him a quiet nod as he got up onto his feet. The snow beneath his toes reminded him of the Vada District. The dominating pressure growing like a weed reminded him of the University. It reminded him of Ronin when he'd first walked among the students as Marshall Leon, the father eager to find his children. That same intensity that was unable to be hidden….. only worse.

It grew.

The Phantom Wolves shivered and whines in the dark marsh, black shadowy air flowing off them in thick twisting rivulets. As the pressure grew, the black smoke became animated. Twisting around Claude like a tornado of shadows. Shadows that clung to his skin and enveloped him.

By the time he was dropped to his knees in the gods presence, his skin was covered in Smokey shadows. Shaped like both fur and armor. It hugged him tightly. The Phantom Legions eyes and many mouths danced across his frame. The shadows ran up his neck and covered his ears as if to mock his Lupine form.

The last time they'd done this, Ronin had let him hold a Hallowed Weapon so strong that unsheathing it alone was a deadly attack.

They felt threatened. They wanted to protect him.

Claude kept his eyes down. As the Phantom Wolves and their many eyes ran across his skin, he looked through them.

He saw Fenrir. And by the gods he wished he hadn't.

"It'S bEen a WhhHhiLe…." His voice was the same as always. Absolutely and undeniably inhuman. He made the roaring snarl of a WereWolf sound like a human squeal. Effortlessly.

"Not my choice." Claude replied.

Fenrir chuckled, ending with a snarl, "YoUuu hAvE haD a WwwWWWiLd….rrrrg— RIDE! YoU doN't haVe wHaT iT TaKEs to….rrrRrrfIght— nIGhT anD dAyyyy…..noT sOoo rrrRrr intEnSely. noT wItHoUT brEaKiNggg….noT yEtTtt…"

"I'll get there." Claude said. He could feel Fenrir's gaze all over him. Scrutinizing and judgmental… along with something else.

"IT...apPearrRRRs…. YoU WiLl….. aftERrrrr alLl….rrrrahah… you wEaRrr thE phAntOm sKiNnnn noW…boYy.."

Claude understood that Fenrir was referencing the Phantom Wolves shrouding him. "You know what this is?"

"OF COURSE I DO!" His voice boomed like lightning, "thEyY…..weRe….rrrrrr heRE…. BEfoRre…. MEeeeee."

Claude's voice caught in his throat for a moment. The Phantom Wolves were older than a god. How did the Wolves come before the god of Wolves?

Fenrir barked, causing a jolting wave of goosebumps to run across Claudes skin in a flash.

"ThInK boY! ThInK abOut…..rrrrrrr tHe NaMe….a PhANtOm…. A GHosT— A SPIRIT! YoU weAr pRimOrdiAllllll sPiriTs of StArVaTionnnn— the hUnGErrr of a bIlLiOn MoNStErs….rrrr. AnD wItH your TAmiNg…..rrrrr aBilItIEsss…. ANd yOUr oWN hUnGeRrr for REveNge….rrrr pOWeRrr….thE UnIon StrRRengthens! As I KnEwwwww."

Claude suddenly remembered back to when the Phantom Wolves were wild ghostly canines only refereed to as The Starved. He remembered back when Fenrir spoke of similarity. It was once again hitting home. But something wasn't adding up.

"How would you know this would be a good fit…. I met you before I met the Lupines of Remus."

Fenrir huffed, "dOn'T...rrrrrundERestimate tHe sIgHt oF a ….gOD."

This wasn't the first time Claude questioned the idea of Fenrir having the ability to see the future…. Or manipulate fate. Even so, he could think it a million times. Every time it would feel like the first. Chilling. Invasive.

"….if your sight can see so far, I have a question. Do you see me avenging my father? Do I get the bastards that made me this?"

SPTOO!

Fenrir spat on him. It burned and electrified his scalp with smells of FlameHorn and Troll flesh.

"BiTcH! Don'T aSK aBoUt tHE…..rrrr fuTUre— WoRk tO mAKe yOuR oWn…..rrrrror diE bLoOdY. MaYbE vaLlhAlLa wiLlll tAke yOu….rrrrr iF I lEAve anyThiNg LeFt…."

"Does that mean I die fighting you?" Claude asked. And to his surprise, he was standing. Standing on two feet.

Fenrir growled, "WaIt….aND fINd ouT."

"I won't just wait."

Fenrir walked off and began circling him.

"So. Did you bring me here to review everything that has happened…? Or to fight more trolls and roll boulders up mountains?"

"NeIthER." Fenrir replied, "yOu….rrrr… hAve grOwn. YoU aRe a WaLkEr oF tHe WOLF. BuT yOu wALk aLOne in…..rrrrr… mY fOoTSteps….. iT iS tIme yOu bUiLt yoUr AlTarrrr….. and gReW yOuR OrDerrrrr…. IN my NaMe." Fenrir explained.

Altars and Orders. Another thing Ronin had brought up in their last interrogation so long ago. Every Hero… Criminal, chosen by a god would end up making one. Altars, where you sacrificed or performed acts in your gods name— out of respect or malice. And Orders. Religious groups centered around you and your good. More respect, more fame and infamy. And as a result, more power.

Chosen with Orders and Altars were on a different level than those without.

More power. Claude welcomed it. But he knew what Fenrir would request of him would be nothing short of extreme, and bloody.

"Ok." Claude replied.

Fenrir huffed in agreement. "OH…. ANd oNe otHer thIng….. lIsssSten….rrrr… to yOuR wOlfbOrn hUnteR…. I tHiNk yoU'lL rrrrrr wAnT hIm oN youRrr sIdE…."

"Is that you speaking from the future, or just because?" Claude asked.

Fenrir growled, "yOu dEcIde."

Then, he lunged at him.