468 CHPT 468: Slayers Tournament/Lupines Return

Maris, Isaac and Warren had their first successful Night Run. Claude-- with Ursula's help, did his best to keep them and the area beyond clear of anything they couldn't safely take. This was all nothing more than a means for more power. They didn't have to go through what Claude did in the beginning. They didn't need to almost die every weekend and break their ribs enough times to dream about it nightly. Not with him there. Not with their combined skill. They already tasted adversity doing the Tangents as a team of three. The weekends were nothing more than a benefit he could grant them due to his own experiences. A benefit that unfortunately came with it's risks.

Infested Areas were the job of risk and no reward. Beggars couldn't be choosers. And SkyHaven at night couldn't be more bizarre. He did everything he could to help them. He didn't take kills unless he needed to trim the herd of Dire Rats or Skeletons. Otherwise, he held down and restrained everyone else's targets. He didn't let his sensory prowess go unused ever. And still.....

Weirdness.

A Vampire committed Suicide right in front of them at the break of dawn. It passed miles of blood and bone to reach them. To see.... Maris. Claude thought it was pointing at them-- maybe it knew the other he'd killed. Maybe it was being piloted by a Necromancer. Maybe. But no. It was definitely pointing at Maris. There was nothing to speculate there. She knew it too. When he left the Aslan Estate as every succumbed to their exhaustion, she remained awake with her cup of water. She was deep in her own mind as that Vampire was deep in it's own flames.....

All that was left to be questioned there was if it was a Necromancer that drove the BloodStarved to do that, why?

And to top it all off. Samuel.

"He's out there...." Was all Claude could manage in the moment as he sat at Cassidy's bedside. He'd been recapping all of what happened to him as he slept-- transformed. The same way he spoke to Ursula. Just in case part of them was awake, just so they knew somebody was there. One of the worst parts of waking up as a Lupine for him was just that. Alone. He was alone and unable to recognize himself. His mind. His hatred. All so foreign so fast. It didn't have to be for Cassidy. It was the thought that counted, and the effort that birthed the idea.

Claude looked him over. He lay, still as death-- unmoving as nonexistence. But that was it. He could hear Cassidy's blood rushing like the rivers surrounding his grove. His scarred and weathered skin covered in coarse body hair soaked up the sun like ground soil. If Claude focused he could see his hair growing-- thickening and losing it's grey strands. The veins in his arms and face coursed with vibrant green wild-magic. Acclimating, blending with the yellow glimmer of his own mana. He was connecting to the world and it's magic in an entirely new way.

He was becoming a Lupine of Romulus. This time on Claude's own terms. Contemplating the new responsibility and implications was nauseating, so he continued filling in the Bounty Hunter.

"They're in The Levant. Isaac thinks Ronin made it here to SkyHaven before me and Ursula and found the news of a Dark Knight in The Levant. He must've went on impulse, splitting his Detectives between the two locations to find me while he worked to ... save ... his son. And that's what he did. But it's Samuel..... if you knew him you'd know he doesn't need a savior. If anything he needs a blade through the stomach."

Claude inhaled and shook off the fur beginning to spread across his jaws and back, "That's not the point..... what I mean is, he wasn't alone out there. He wasn't..... without a pack. If anything he was like me. He's been making connections, learning life as he is now..... learning the culture of his people. Of Remus.... With that being said, I don't think they just let him come back here-- not unless they want him here for a reason."

"[..... Bollocks. The Tournament...]" Arne commented.

Claude agreed with him as he spoke to Cassidy's sleeping visage, "You know there's a Tournament coming. The only reason I'm alive is because you were my alibi. You got us into that Tournament. The Slayers Tournament.... corrupt.... deadly-- a gathering of the worlds next generation of Reborn Slaying potential. This is fucked. As always..... as always. Perfect place to scout for new Lupines. That's my best guess at why Samuel would do something to be found now. Maybe that isn't the case..... maybe he made a mistake. Maybe Ronin is out there right now ripping through the Lupines of Remus. Maybe that's wishful thinking. The point is, everything is a maybe right now and it's pissing me off. But it's also the only time we have to get ready. So please, wake up sooner than later..."

Loba rested her head on his lap as she silently strode into the room. Her sabered fangs tapped against the seat of the chair from the inside of his leg.

He rested his hand on her muscled head as he finished his message to Cassidy.

".... I know I'm always talking about how I need to protect you guys. If you're anything like Ursula that probably annoys you in some way. I say it because it's easy. True, but easy. Something that's harder to say is the other half. I need your help, Cassidy. You told me you're in this. Good. I think it's time I start understanding I don't survive solo. So, use that Wild Magic and wake up. Shit's about to get ugly... and we've survived ugly before."

Mannish roars reverberated through the forest, echoing up into his forested home. Soon after, he could feel Frosty calling out to him.

Claude was gone before it could finish, leaping out the window in a blur.

Cassidy's eyes moved behind their closed lids, the dreams continued on, preparing him for the nightmare of life that was to come.

***

Claude hit the ground outside soundlessly on transformed legs in nothing more than torn pants and a spear.

The smell of undeath wafted from behind the house, leading him deep into the forest and across rivers until the smell of his territory faded and the sight of Zombies rose in prominence.

A small cluster, chasing after a tribe of Centaurs. They had the broken remains of weapons and fear leaking off their skin like a physical dust he could see with his eyes. One of the Centaurs-- paler in skin and clearly feminine screamed as a Zombie hung onto her back and bit into the nape of her neck as it fought off her thickly muscled flailing arms. Blood spurted and blackened as the virus spread at lightning speeds.

FWOO!

Before it could bite her again, Claude's spear ripped through its face and tore it off the Centaur as it slammed into a tree and tumbled to the ground.

Piet fell from the tree's and stomped the Zombie into foul smelling paste before throwing Claude his spear as he jumped into the battle.

[+20 EXP]

Canis fought in the thick of it with Frosty and Diamondback. Cassidy's hounds ran the perimeter, barking-- adding to the chaos and herding the Zombies while the Centaurs fought with them.

"[Recent Tangent Break?]" Arne assumed.

"Yea." Claude agreed as he rooted a cluster of Zombies before Gil exploded out of his chest and mauled them.

He could hear more behind him but he was focused on the Zombies surrounding two Centaurs further ahead. And someone else had his back.... although they were in front of him.

Canis ran, sword in hand and armor only a little oversized. No words were needed. Claude dropped to a slide as Canis used his powerful legs to bound over him and slash his white stone blade through their throats. He could hear the sizzle of their blood as he ran towards his targets.

In a blur, aided by Loba's borrowed Agility, he hacked and slashed throgh the Zombies and Wood-Weaved his way through the new batch of reinforcements, leaving them bleeding and held up by wooden spikes.

It was all so sudden everyone was still looking for more. Hordes usually felt that way. Endless. Luckily this was no Horde, and they were low level. Unfortunately, so were the Centaur's.

Claude found himself standing over the female Centaur. She bled from her wound as she lay in the grass, hyperventilating, causing the magical virus to spread even faster. Her veins had gone black-- most of them at least. And her once chocolate brown eyes began to glow an undead blue. As Monstrous as Centaur's were, they were clearly humanoid-- which meant becoming a Zombie wasn't impossible.

"What can I do...." Claude thought as the Centaur jogged over.

The tree beside him bubbled and the bark spread with bright green flames until it split and Rollan stepped out looking ten years younger for a second.

He assessed the situation, unflinching as Canis, Piet and Ma guarded them from the Centaur tribe that looked ready to kill them all for the Female Centaur.

"She is too far gone, Monsieur. There is nothing we can do, hm?"

The Centaur began to convulse, it's partially snouted face snarling and flinging frothy black saliva.

One of the tribesmen sighed as it's hands made their way to it's mouth. An all too human gesture.

"Let them through...."

The trio moved and the Centaur's filled in, standing over their fallen family member as they wept.

"I'm sor-- there's nothing we can do...." Claude told the assumed Cheiftain based on the natural paints covering his dark brown skin and tree bark faceguard.

He snorted.

Piet snorted louder and beat his chest with a neighish growl.

The two eyed eachother. Piet stomped the ground once and his sharpened ears moved twice.

The Chieftain's head fell if only for a moment before Canis stepped forward and held out his sword.

He removed his helmet, causing his long locks of dark golden hair to blow in the wind, revealing the two horns spiraling out his head. They hung close to his head, following the flow of his hair.

".....T-Take...." Canis muttered to everyone's surprise.

The Centaur hesitantly took the blade, shutting his eyes once before opening them in a rage and slamming the sword down into the changing Centaur's head.

SHLCK!

The others roared and beat their chests as tears fell. In a weird way Claude wanted to do the same.

The Chieftain gave Canis back his sword.

"We..... ehhhh..... we will bury her. Our grove will welcome her in death. Oui, it will, fellow warriors." Rollan told the Centaur, then Claude healed them through the grass beneath their hooves in a boost of natural energy.

The Centaur's snorted and took off. He could smell their pain as they left. And he could see the corruption of the dead one clear as day. Even as it's red blood ran across the soil, it slowly changed black. Forever changed, never the same.

Something about it felt symbolic for what was to come.....

Samuel was out there, but more importantly corruption was. And maybe the Tournament was where it would come to spread. On their soil. In their lives.....