431 CHPT 431: Awake and Surprised.
Gods, Altars, Orders built upon blood..... fame ....Made to follow one human, slowly being shaped and molded by pure power given personality and Domain. Rain, Thunder, the Skies, Wolves... Death. So much variety all with the same outcome. Ascension. The more a Chosen was followed by man, the more inhuman they became. The more they personified their power.... like the ones before them.
Claude felt that he was in an interesting circumstance in regards to such a concept. He was Chosen.... not entirely as a gods second coming, but as his final opponent. His partner in a battle that would shake the world into submission. Fenrir was both, an enemy and a means of survival. Claude had to use him to one day know that Fenrir would come for his payment. And Claude would only increase that demand for repayment by following his most recent objective. Orders... Altars.
There was no saying no to such a request. Not when he needed every avenue of power at his disposal. Not when Fenrir wasn't his only-- or even nearest issue. He needed more to walk as he did. To walk as a wolf.
There was only one question left for him. One idea left to circulate in his mind as he hung between the Astral Realm and the physically disconnected realm of the Tangents.
How would he rally anyone behind a suspected Dark God and sibling of Monsters, Revenge and violence?--
CRSHHH!
***
For the first time in..... a very long time, Claude's eyes didn't burst open as if he'd been napping in a warzone gone active. In fact, he didn't really want to open his eyes at all. Not that he was tired. Rarely was he tired in the literal sense, but he did feel the pull and drag of being relaxed. He wanted to stay there. On the soft grass floor, in the warmth.... the smells of animal furs, natural Lupine musk and honey.
But alas, he wasn't home. He wasn't entirely safe. They were on a mission after all. He fully opened his eyes then. The world welcomed him in a sideways view partially swallowed by overly grown grass that laid over itself in its length like human hair.
The fire was left as crackling embers a few dozen feet ahead of him. The Nahual Goblin hung over it, bound a few dozen times over with root and vine. He could smell it's sweat staining the grass and wetting the charred wood. Much closer, he could smell Cassidy. The Hunter slept leaning up against a small tree Claude had grown for him before sleeping. As usual, his AutoBow was laid across his lap, fingers wrapped around the handle and lightly hovering over the trigger.
A level of discipline he aspired to.
Ma slept beside him, humming tunes in her dream state. It gave him hope that she could have good dreams. Especially after how he'd found her. How they'd found each other. Both lost in their own ways. Only for their destinations to be shared in the current end.
Claude sniffed the air again, noticing there was pressure on his head. Heavy pressure... loudly snoring pressure that was drooling into his hair.
With one calloused and partially transformed hand, he reached up and grabbed one of Frosty's tusks and shook the VanaWarg's head that was using his own as a pillow.
"Wake up, dingbat."
Groggily, and with a quiet yawn, Frosty relived his weight from Claude's skull..... only to sit right in front of his face.
Claude sat up, lightly unwrapping Ursula's arms from himself. She too was heavy..... and still transformed in parts. As Claude was. Largely because he was.... which must've put a lot of strain on her physically.
"Sorry.... only a while longer." He muttered to her before standing up.
It just felt better. Much better. And it aligned with his current purpose.
Claude raised his hand. The black shadowy smoke still spilled from his palm, even as the green glow of nature magic was born in a flash. On each finger, he could feel the different aspects of nature. Hanging taut, ready to be pulled-- like the strings of a guitar.
The natural world around them was his instrument. A companion that could express his intensity and make music out of his madness.
He had a song. Short and sweet. A burst of all the natural world had to offer. All the strings he could pull in those moments.
As the Nahual Goblin began to awaken, Claude shut his hand into a fist.
SKKKRSHHH!!!!
"AUGCK!!!!" The Nahual Goblin coughed up a mouthful of blood and spittle as the natural binds holding the creature grew massive spikes and squeezed with an inhuman force. Grinding and crushing the creature out of life in a flash.
DING!
[Tangent Complete! You have defeated the Nahual Goblin!]
[Collect your Loot and Exit the Tangent!]
[Tangent Completion Reward: +800 EXP]
[+350 EXP]
[+2 Stat Points]
"[Looks like someone just hit level twenty.]" Arne commented as Claude turned to look at Ursula. She was only just waking up. "[How was the dream world... how was Fenrir?]"
"No trolls this time." Claude replied as he helped Ursula to her feet, "Learned something..... interesting about the Phantom Wolves. Fenrir wants me to start my next step in..... well, I don't know what to call it. He wants me to start an Order and Altar. I'm guessing now is a good time..... I can stand to him."
"Do you know what to build an Altar around?.... Or even an Order? For someone like Fenrir, I dont think his followers will be very redeemable characters, Claude." Ursula replied to his thoughts so casually it was as if she was always there.
"I would agree. But it's something I have to consider. You and I both know why."
Ursula nodded.
Claude felt himself shiver at the idea that someday she may somehow hear Arne after washing away the thoughts of Dolion and Jack.
"By the way why do you sound like you're talking to someone in your head sometimes?" Ursula questioned as she wiped her tired eyes.
Fuck.
".....I don't know." Claude stammered.
"Ah, I think we're all a little deranged.... maybe the wolfman just has an active consciousness." Cassidy cut in as he kicked away the campfire and scattered the remains. Hiding where they slept as if someone would track them down. Old habits tend to die hard.
"Yea...." Claude agreed, and internally thanked the Hunter for the save.
Crrnch!
The natural binds holding the Nahual Goblin snapped apart, allowing the corpse to fall into the ashen grass. The suddenness of it drew Claude's attention. Just as the Boss fell, a single piece of loot rose from it's remains.
A Scroll. It's pages brown with vines and twisted leaves spilling from the ends of the rolled-up paper.
While everyone else was getting themselves ready to head back to the ship, Claude approached the Scroll. It was so vibrant. So fresh.
Once he picked it up, he found it was held in place by a pin. Pure golden and styled almost like a crown or horns.
"[Interesting accents.]" Arne commented.
Before Claude knew it, he was snapping the Scroll in half, the magic held within exploded in green flames in the shapes of leaves and trees-- along with clawed hands..... they almost looked like his own. It seeped into his skin like water to soil.
DING!
[Scroll has been Spellbroken!]
[New Elemental Spell Unlocked! (Forest Kings Clutch)]
"What interesting magics..." Ma said as she hovered over his shoulder. "What was that?"
"Elemental Spell.." Claude replied, "If using your Element freely is like drawing or making your own painting. Then Elemental Spells are like doing the same thing with a coloring book."
"So, it's easier?" Ma questioned.
"Mhm."
"How do you know what a coloring book is?" Ursula asked after letting out an inhuman yawn that caused Frosty to nip at her behind.
"I don't." Ma said with a smile before floating away, humming her own tune.
For the rest of the time, they headed for the ship, picking up all the loot they could along the way. No use leaving any when they had a ships cargo worth of space. After half an hour of running around grabbing what they could and rushing to the ship, there was only one thing left to do.
They stood at the Tangent exit. Claude, Ursula, Cassidy and Frosty holding individual vines wrapped around the ship. Sweat lined their skin and pumped muscles from the heavy pull. Heavier than last time due to all the added weight of shaped metals, and armors now aboard.
Ma hovered beside them.
"Let us know if we're clear." Claude said.
Ma bowed, "Of course, wolfman. My signal will be....." She looked around before picking up a branch, "This stick. I'll throw it inside and let you know if it's safe. Don't come out until I throw it."
Claude and the others nodded in understanding.
"We'll miss your music." Cassidy joked.
"Not if a scream, Hunter." Ma winked at him before flying through the Tangent entrance.
"Ah, what a trip." Cassidy mumbled to himself.
For the next five minutes they sat in silence, checking the map, the ship and their surroundings. The last part was mostly Claude.
After a few more minutes, Ursula dropped her vine with a frustrated huff.
"Well..." She said to them, "What the fuck is happeni--"
FWSHHH!
A massive wave of water burst through the Tangent entrance followed by an Octolepid swinging it's bladed tentacles so fast you would've thought a tornado was happening inside the Tangent.
"OOH!!" Cassidy and the others shouted as they bounded up onto the ship.
"FWALASHSHSHACKKKK!" The Bladed Octopus screeched from it's beaked mouth hidden beneath it's massive sack-shaped head. With each scream, it's cloudy skin changed color and texture in a transformative style not unlike Claude's own transformation. The suction cups on its tentacles steamed and burned the floor like searing rings of fire.
In it's glowing yellow eyes Claude could see terror. True terror as it's bladed limbs cut through trees effortlessly. Eventually, it began moving in a sort of walk on its tentacles, heading straight for the water it must've sensed inside the rainforest.
"Th--"
"If you say that wasn't a stick..." Cassidy interrupted Ursula.
"Well. It wasn't." Claude cut in. "And I don't think Ma can lift something that heavy. Much less throw it."
"Maybe it was another stampede." Ursula said.
That made the most sense but was also the most unsettling.
It was then that Ma threw the stick.
They all looked at each other hesitantly.
"Yea, fuck that." Ursula picked up her axes along with two extras. Claude and Cassidy armed themselves similarly.
And then they exited the Tangent.
VWOOMP!
***
It was early morning on the outside. The waters silent aside from their ship smashing into the Sea's surface with the heavy jingle of everything they had aboard. Claude half expected a small war to be taking place. His paranoia was a real problem sometimes.
It didn't take long for Ma to descend down onto their ship like a haunted angel. Her eyes were wide but she didn't look horrified entirely as she landed on the ship.
"What the hell happened?" All three asked her in unison.
Ma pointed at the water.
"There was a woman down there."
