CHPT 493: Iron in Dreams

Do you like gold?

What a loaded question. In terms of metals he was currently focused on another, despite Ruponts questioning only hours ago. And it was a common metal. One used often. Heavy and plain in appearance.

Iron.

Iron sharpens iron. Metaphorically speaking, there was enough iron inside the Slayers Tournament grounds that Claude questioned how sharp he could become.

Especially now, fighting things— figments of his mind scape, shared and blended with the realm of a god.

A Horde of Draugr. Himself, his spears, and what lay within. There were so many the cold undead blue glow of their eyes lit up the cold marshes for miles. So many that he could barely move. Just swimming on land. Each breaststroke of his spears carried him into deeper undead waters armed with waves of infected weaponry threatening to erode him away. So many that they once covered the entire iced over ocean miles behind. Now there was only bodies. Smashed in and broken. But he didn't kill them.

He stayed in the marsh. Kind of poetic in a horrifying way.

Was his sharpness destined to be so within the likeness of Fenrir? Didn't Fenrir stay alone because of men like Rupont?

SLSH!

Claude dashed through a pocket of undead warriors. Hundreds of glowing green fissures of blade-like energy blended them into a foul grey skinned paste. Another came in the size of the trees.

"AUUUCK!" It swung its fist down at Claude.

He sidestepped and threw one his spears through its leg. Before it could react he shoved his hand in its mouth. Black shadows bubbled and took form until the Phantom Legion exploded out from the inside of the creature. It laid waste to the rest in its massive form.

Another dressed in lighter armors and soggy clothes stalked behind him. Even in death, the Dragur's old ways as an assassin never left. Unfortunately, Claude just had a meeting with Vampires and learned even with his incredible hearing…. He wasn't infallible. He was paranoid. And Gil was bored.

A blast of green flaming energy exploded from his back and evaporated the undead, leaving only its steaming feet in the wet grass.

Silence finally. He looked to the sky and whistled. The Phantom Legion trotted back to him, in the shadows their form lost solidity and split like a crumbling skyscraper of the old world. Leaving them in their singular Wolven forms.

They surrounded him, black tongues hanging free and ribs flaring from within their toned midsections with each hard breath.

Onyx pressed up under his left hand. She was smaller than Ashe— and used it to her advantage. Probably the most stealthily gifted of the Phantoms— which was impressive enough. Even Claude missed her from time to time. In their relatively short time knowing eachother she was the slowest to warm to him. The change was nice.

He let his fingers fall into the shadowy smooth fur on her head. It was like coal dust hidden beneath the fur. Every touch and brush caused a little more to dissipate.

The silence was ended when Shadow with his goofy lopsided ear bouncing gait came over and dropped a Draugr bone at Claudes feet.

Ashe head butted him as if to say "Go somewhere, you dork."

Shadow licked her snout and ran off, only to return with another a few seconds later.

Claude smiled.

"I get why Frosty likes you, Shadow."

Sometimes smiling felt like exhaling after holding your breath for an entire day. It felt like his muscles in his shoulders untangled. Like his fists unballed themselves, embracing the cold winds instead of trying to defend against it.

No defense….

Something moved in the distance behind him. Immediately his muscles steamed and his skin went from its human bronze to a Lupine leather grey. Immediately he grabbed the Draugr bones and threw them off into the distance.

The Phantom Wolves gladly took the excuse to escape the gods presence.

Speaking of.

He remembered when it felt like having a building dropped on him.

He turned around and walked into the flames of dominance. Letting the burn wake him. Take away the smile. Bring back the defense.

He stopped when the paws were seen on the ground, even with his head down. Claws like blades. Fur like a million pikes and spears. Shaggy and wiry— reeking of chaos and war.

"Fenrir."

"ClllLLLllaUde….haha!"

At least he wasn't angry. After all a task was given, and completed.

"You hAve….rrrra KnACk— foR mAnYyy uNfORtUnate…..rrrrthInGs Boyyyy…" Fenrir started, "aTtrrRRgrAtcting….clIcHe….. rRrRich bUlLy! BItCh-bOYs... pOwErFulLllll eGomAnIcs!….. AfFlIcted….mmmmONsters…. AnD GoDs!"

"In my defense that's because I chose to become a Druid." Claude replied.

Fenrir leaned in and sniffed. Claude's hair bristled against his stomach as it hung.

"NnnNnno…..boOy. The rrr….gOdS… of tHiSsss LanD…. WAtChhhh yOu….rrrrrwIth jEAloUsssss EYesss— ApPreCiAtion, EvEnn…. HAHAHA!"

"Usurper.." Claude was never as interested in gods as he was in the much more tangible Heroes. But he remembered Fenrir saying those words to Set's chosen, Tufani. The storm wielder.

"SeT…. IS aS hhhhrrrated…. RrrRR as I am. OnLy lEsS…. FEarrrred. A bEtA…. To An AlPha…."

Claude cringed at the idea, "You say that as if you share a pack."

"ANd….rrrif wE dO??"

"The world would probably end a lot sooner if you had a pack of Canine gods….."

Fenrir was silent for a moment before he walked off, circling Claude as he chuckled, "Haha! I'D dOo mOrrRe dAmAgE allOne….rrrrBoy! BuT dOn't UndEreStimate…. TheeeR coNnEction of gods! We aLl mUst beEee bOunD by SOmEthing…. EvEn if IT iSsss thE idEA of Beingggg UNbOund."

Claude didn't feel like breaking his brain in half to understand what that meant.

"ThE….gOds oF EgyPt….. thEy ArE thE…..rerrmOst! conFusIng PAnthEoN oF uSsss AlllLll…. I DoNt lIke cOnfUsion…. YOU!… wIlL shOw DomInanCe EveRy tIme….. aNd yOu! WIll rrrrrrbE Rrrrewarded, ClAuDe…."

"Shit."

RAGGH!

When the teeth sunk into his skin, he lost consciousness. But he gained power.

DING!

[God-Granted Skill Unlocked: (Jotunn Shift LVW)]

DING!

(Skill Merge Potential Recognized between (Strength of The Jotunn LVW) and (Jotunn Shift LVW)]

DING!

(New God-Granted Skill Merge Unlocked: (Jotunn Muscle-Manipulation LVW)