CHPT 510: Sea and Sky of Your Own Accord

Ice cold water hit his skin like a thousand glacial needles, slowly fading as Claude's scales softened and gained a rubbery black surface suited for the seas. He swam like a WereShark chased after him. Each webbed hand grabbing handfuls of water and sending them behind him in feral breaststrokes. Orca's and razor toothed tiny fish followed as they ripped through the floating chunks of deep frying death in the waves.

Beneath the rubbery surface of his skin his body fat reserves returned like a flood of warmth that threatened to kill him when a red bolt of lightning struck beneath the waves. It lit up the black ocean like fireworks. It hit the sands below and erupted a sanded mushroom cloud that crystallized at its apex from the heat.

FWOOSH!

Claude dipped and dove to maneuver around the steaming glass monolith that threatened to block his path.

The water suddenly reached boiling levels as the black clouds at the eye of the hurricane churned and sparked with magical ferocity. His reactive aura was one of two things keeping him alive in the water.

This place would've shredded a normal human student if they fell in. Just from the temperature fluctuation and pressure. It felt like he was swimming through steel…..

And his muscles. His armor— animal tendon binds stretching with the shift of his shape, was weighing him down. He was like a PitWolf in the water.

And Maris. A wo—

SWPSH!!

An Octolepid tendril lashed out and wrapped around his waist, the thick heavy black blade at the end of it barely missed him.

In a rush to dispose of the creature he spun, twisting his hands and finned feet. Raveling the creature, pulling it away from the hurricane-like currents and closer to himself as he slowly sank.

More tendrils burst from the deeper darkness. The razor toothed fish following him latched on and shredded each appendage out of existence in a flutter of fins and blood.

By the time the Octolepid reached him it had one single tendril wrapped around him.

The gelatinous head rippled and rose until it's razor sharp beak below hovered over his face.

Claude's hands outstretched to catch it before the creature could eat his face.

"I don't have time for this shit!"

His spine shook. Tingly heat rippled along his bones and focused on his hands where an electrical blast exploded the head of the Octolepid.

SHZZZK!

[+150 EXP]

[+1 Stat Point]

Among the smaller fish eating the steamed bits, long bodied black shapes with glowing eyes slithered.

Eels….

He hit the ocean floor. Hands outstretched, organs straining as his Mana hit lower and lower levels.

Suddenly he was swept off his feet and rocketing towards the surface on the back of an Orca.

Eels spun around them in an electrical bodied cyclone until they breached the surface. The Orca's physical might heavily boosted from his transformed Beast Boost ability sent them for the sky like birds. Like they had wings.

PWOOOOSH!!!

The world was loud again as water drained from his elven ears in an instant. Steady temperatures wrapped him. Wind suddenly felt like nothing in comparison to what they came from. Even the dark sky felt brighter…

Claude jumped as their ascent slowed, sending the Orca back to the chaotic ocean and himself towards the cluster of Vampires surrounding Maris.

The first Vampire to notice him attempted to thwart his entrance. He caught the undead and sent an electrical shock to its skull so powerful he could feel it's brain melt.

[+240 EXP]

He jumped from the creature and latched onto to the back of another with Octolepid suckers on his hands.

"Don't! Do not…" Claude kept his hands on the Vampires head. "I know you hear me…. I have every means to kill all of you. I will kill all of you— and if you're anything like me that'll take a toll on your mind. How many times can you die before your brain is wolf shit?"

The Swarm of BloodStarved laughed in unison.

"Lupine your question needs no answer because it solves nothing…."

His stomach tightened at the thought of what that meant.

The wings flapped, slapping against his sides as they rose up into the swarms center.

The Vampires hissed and sniffed at him. Wings blotted out his vision and pulled at his focus.

He'd been growing the roots beneath the ocean floor just in case. But he couldn't risk it. Maris was too close to the Vampires.

A sentiment that rang more true as he entered their space.

The Vampires circled them like animated toys. Slack jawed faces. Limp arms and legs. Also stiff. But the eyes. They watched Maris like she was a ticket into the living.

At the center, across from him, Maris hung upside down, a BloodStarved held her legs. Her blade drawn but not aimed anywhere. She had one of her gauntlets removed and her sleeve pulled to reveal the pale skin beneath.

"Maris…."

She turned as if she didn't hear the violence he brought all the way to them.

She looked calm— deep in thought. But also terrified.

He was used to people eyeing him with that face. Marveling at his hideous and odd form. Or the psychos who called it beautiful. Evolution.

Maris was somewhere in between as she glanced at the gils on his neck. His rubbery black skin and thick muscle. Webbed fingers and finned wolven legs. Or the oddity of Octolepid suckers on his arms and hands, glowing with electrical currents.

"Lupine. The Vampires call you this. Wolf-Like. You are very Wolf-Like..."

"It means more than that, Maris….. it's part of what I wan—"

"I know." Maris cut him off. "I know it means more than that. I know….. it's why Ursula is a new woman. It's why Frosty is more than he was….. it's why you and Samuel sound like dogs if I watch your fights with my eyes closed. It's why Ronin wants your skin….."

So close after agreeing with her that friends shouldn't lie to each other. They were more than friends. He watched her grow. He made sure she did. Had a chance. He fought to make her feel— smile.

But now wasn't a time for guilt. Every fiber of his being was elswhere. Feeling the winds change. The pace was quickening.

He couldn't fully explain it but….. everything had changed. Even beyond Maris and her vampiric Royal blood.

He could feel it in the air. The wild magic infused waters still clung to his skin, speaking to him. It made his skin sting. His lungs opened as his heart hammered and adrenaline flooded his veins like a dam in his organs just broke.

"What is the word for someone who is….. Vampire-Like?" Maris suddenly asked.

"Maris. You have to listen. I can tell you everything. I told you we were going to have a talk didn't I?"

"Oh someone's a lia—"

"Shut up." Maris and Claude said to the swarm in unison.

"I told you Maris. I know I've kept things from you….. from the outside in, anyone would call that a critical error. A dumbass mistake. I know….. but it's my conditioning! I did these things for you. Your way of thinking can't see that so I need you to have faith in my actions. Maris what you're doing here will not help you."

He didn't realize it at first but he put it together along the way.

The Necromancer wasn't controlling the Vampires.

Maris was. She was manipulating them through their blood. Like they were her Element. She had put together her own means to unlock her mystery. She had put together her own ceremony to become a Vampire.

That's why the Necromancer was so calm. She was doing his job for him.

"Why not? Why is this wrong? I need more power Claude….. the goblins….. they're everywhere…"

A single tear formed in her eye. A glossy sheen more than a bead to run down her pale skinned face.

"You aren't talking about goblins literally are you?" Claude thought. She was talking about assailants. Attackers. Danger.

"You will tell me why this is wrong." Maris repeated.

"You don't know enough yet Maris. That's why I wanted to talk to you, because yes…. This is your birthright. It's in your blood! But the Vampires. They aren't a single collective. You're choosing a side when you fully embrace what you are. I need to educate you on that. Maris let me."

"Why?"

"Because if you let that Vampire bite you an entire Coven ruled by a weapon morphing Elder bigot will kill you to eliminate a threat…. Your the threat, Maris. And it may not be right away, but they will to secure what they believe. You really don't get it Maris. A single book about you was shown for like five seconds and a riot broke out. This isn't as simple as a bite. This is war, Maris." Claude explained.

"Then I'll fight."

Claude fought off a growl. She could be so stubborn sometimes.

"Yes! I know that. We all will. But you need the freedom to dictate what side that is. Change if that's what you want on YOUR terms. Don't try to make the best out of chaos if you don't need to."

Maris didn't reply this time.

"You're afraid Maris."

"I don't feel fear."

"Yea not the human kind. I can't smell it but I see it. I feel for you. You're afraid because you don't know... I know a guy. A gardener of sorts. I think he'd say you're at a crossroads. And he'd call you a dumbass in French for not letting yourself decide which street you go down." Claude explained.

The Vampires jaws shook.

Maris dropped her sleeve.

Her movement must've caused her control to wane because a single Vampire lunged.

"COME HE—"

Claude let out a Sonic Howl, stunning everyone in the air for miles.

A flutter of wings, fangs and claws erupted as they fell towards the ocean.

Before they could hit it a cloud of sand swallowed them up.

He fought inside like hell, working to take down the Vampires where he could— when he wasn't choking on sand and swimming through it in a twisting mess until they hit the beach front.

[+400 EXP]

DING!

[You have Leveled Up! You are now Level 54!]

[+5 Stat Points]

[7 Stat Points Available]

He rolled out of the cloud tangled up in Vampire corpses. He could feel his Mana and Health rise to full capacity at the increase of his Level. Right in the nick of time, his nose was just starting to bleed.

Claude opened his eyes as a dozen smells filled his nose.

Fittingly, a dozen men and women surrounded him. The soldiers once strapped to artillery cannons. Maris lay beside him while Tufani addressed the soldier-slaves.

"You may begin manning your weapons once more."

"Aye man fuck that! I'm here to help them and then go hide. That's it."

"That is a war crime." Tufani replied.

Claude feet with Maris, "They aren't soldiers fighting in a war. They're prisoners being used as filler pieces and bait in a simulation."

"Does this look like a simulation to you?" Tufani shot back from his armored helm.

"Do they look like Soldiers?"

Tattoos. Poorly fit unfinished armor. Fangs. Cuffs and anklets.

The answer was obvious.

"She went that way." One of the Soldier-Slaves replied before point back towards the city he first entered.

It was then that her voice entered his mind.

"I know." He turned to Tufani. The chosen was already back in the skies fighting with the others.

Claude and Maris took off for the rest of their team with Frosty, Diamondback and Loba close by.

"We will talk the moment this is over."

"We will. Then you can make your decision."