477 CHPT 477: Dominators Eternal Words, Terrors Vicious Grasp.

Claude nodded and swept his hair behind his ears so he didn't look so entirely homeless, "Yea."

"Why aren't you with your buddies?" She thumbed back to the crowd.

Claude made a gesture to it's fullness with his hands. It was a better answer than saying it allowed him to keep Ursula focused while he watched Samuel and Bengal with Cassidy in the stands above him like a sleeper agent.

Ilka laughed, "Yea no kidding. It's like a war in there. Journalists are cutthroat as hell." She leaned up against the wall next to him.

"What.... are you doing here, anyway? I thought you worked the counter at the SkyLight Guildhall." Claude started.

Ilka nodded, "I do. But that's only because my dad owns the place. That isn't my passion." She sorted her papers.

".....This is?" Claude surmized.

Ilka shrugged, "Well..... Heroes are. I like their stories-- motives. There like fingerprints. Even the copycats are their own Hero in the end. It's fun to uncover and find whats beneath the armor, you know?"

Boy did he.... at one point.

"So.... somebody got you into this?" Claude asked.

"My dad got my story I did a couple months back into the Newspaper. A small entry on this Hero I followed for a while-- Allblack. He wasn't all that powerful or flashy. Actually, he was weak..... tragic. But something kept him going. It was.... hard to watch, but inspiring. He disappeared-- popped up in a different City once, but when I wrote that paper, he could've went on forever in my eyes." She shrugged again, "Endurance is uplifting. Too many stories about how easy these guys disintegrate Goblin Lords and Vampiric Sorceror Kings, y'know?"

"Yea.... I hear you...." Claude said distantly as he watched a black cat walk across the railings surrounding the stands on the other side of the Stadium. Below the... "Feline" , Samuel strutted across the smooth sanded grounds as he spoke with Journalists, boasting about his adventures torturing families in The Levant. Probably not. He was lying through his teeth. He was posing himself as something he wasn't. Just like the cats.

"God damn! I know money when I see it! Look at his coat!..."

"His? Man look at the ladies this can't be fair...."

Voices in the stands rose in response to something.

Cassidy supported what he heard, "Six o'clock, partner. Important people inbound."

Claude turned around and looked up at the wall just as a man leaned over the railing to look down at him.

He was beautiful in a casual sense. Over compassing in areas to the point that he almost looked androgynous. Feminine and masculine beauty held together by man. He had a long nose-- it curled more than Claude's and was slimmer. His skin was also much lighter, and his hair was shorter, parted at the middle to dangle in rich dark brown locks from his hood.

His hazel eyes felt playful as he stared at Claude. He even smiled.

Rupont Fiara. Up close and personal.

"Bright sun, huh?" He commented as Claude squinted while looking up at him even in the shadows. His voice was older than his face which looked no older than a young adult. And it was accented. Like a cross between Arne and Bengal.

"[Sounds a bit Romanian....]" Arne commented. Claude didn't know what that was, meaning it must've been swallowed up by Arthuria since his time.

"Yea, it is." Claude replied stiffly.

If the man didn't unsettle his nerves, the two women flanking him absolutely did. Even more strikingly beautiful and bathed in equally as expensive jewelry that stood out on their soft dark skin.

"Claude... is it?"

"Why do you know that?" More alarms set off as the man cooly smiled. Not with the swagger and finnese Cassidy projected. Something else.

Rupont smiled and lifted his hands gripping the railing, "Easy, young man. I overheard the Samurai talking about you."

"[Ronin.]"

"Good ears..." Claude commented.

Rupont shrugged, "It was when we we're entering the stands. Nothing special... not like you."

"Somebody kill me at this point." Claude thought as Rupont leaned in.

"Claude, I come to you with a question. As a man who's studied many cultures and historical identities..... concepts.... items ..... existences."

Ilka was writing so fast Claude was worried she was about to be Reborn as a mythical Penman Class.

"Shoot." Claude replied. The convo needed to end soon so he could watch the crowd. Scout the enemy..... then again, what if he was right now.

What if it was exactly like The Dominator said. "Nobody has a single enemy."

Rupont turned to side eye him, showing off his blade sharp jawline and perfect white teeth, "..... I watched you fight during the Combine. Those weren't classic spearman movements. Too fluid and flowy when a spear is about jabs. It wasn't wrong of course. Just different. So, I've got to ask, are you a Druid? I've met a few in my life...."

"[HOLY SHIT]"

Claude almost jumped from Arne's sudden burst of sound in his mind.

"What...WHAT WHAT?!"

Claude fought to remain passive as he held eyecontact with Rupont.

"[The name.... fucks sake the name. We heard it with a DRUID..... we heard it from Rollan, mate. R..... fuck I can't remember the bloody first name. Fiara. Claude, that was the name--]"

"That was the name..... of the Vampire that convinced Rollan's closest friend-- Lilith to kill everyone in her Grove." Claude remembered it perfectly soon as Arne spoke like the opening of the floodgates.

His blood ran as cold as ice as Rupont kept his playful smile. "I'm right aren't I?" It felt like it had a double meaning in those moments.

Claude took a deep breath, "You are. I was taken in by a few.... after an attack."

Rupont nodded as if in thought while looking to the women flanking him, "Always so cheritable, those Druids."

They nodded in unison a single time.

He turned back to Claude but his eyes slowly traveled elsewhere as footsteps grew closer.

"Who are you?" Maris said as she approached.

Claude grabbed her hand reflexively and pulled her close to him.

She didn't say anything, seeming fine with the action.

"Rupont Fiara. It's a pleasure to meet you, what might I call you?" Suddenly his accent was identical to Arne's.

"[The hell?]"

"Maris...."

"Well, Maris. Is there some romance going on here? Are you threatened by my beauty?" Rupont teased playfully in reference to their handholding.

Maris shook her head, "Not particularly. There is no direct romance between us. But our relationship is strong.... we've recently stopped lying to each other."

Rupont smiled-- seemingly genuine for the first time, "..... You're a funny one, Maris. And you're quite interesting, Claude."

Claude grabbed Ilka along with Maris, "Thank you, but we all actually have a scheduled interview in five minutes. So, we're going. Bye."

Rupont held up a single hand rolling his fingers as if he was playing a piano, "Bye bye."

Claude turned his head once and activated his Natural Vision.

Unfortunately, they were already gone.