CHPT 530: Tremors Along the Vine

The vine. The worlds first thread to reach beyond its natural bounds. Maybe that wasn't true. Maybe earths inquisitive endless fingers were actually one of many. Nature knew that well. Forms and variations.

Many stood below on the tournament grounds. Many forms. Center stage. Under the sun. The seeds of the next generation had begun to germinate into vibrant flowers of heroism.

Some at least.

She could feel the chosen. She could see the outline of the gods overwatching them if she focused. If she let her vines get close enough, they peered back at her. Back at the physical world she used like an old world smartphone.

A Death Goddess influencing a young girl… no older than eight. An angry KingSlayer— a Jackal of the sands. A Drunkard seconds from frenzy. A Hunter of pure masculine might. And a Wolf with eyes like the sun. Frothy hateful saliva spilled from its jaws, drowning the student it grew around like a parasite. Yet the student was unphased. Empowered, even. All the while the people closest squirmed and reacted in the slightest ways. Barely at a—

"You still watching ole' Ursa?"

…..

"Hey— Vine!" RedVine was taken out of her mind at her lovers gravely high pitched voice.

She turned to face her, immediately catching her cool eyes through the holes in her helm.

"What is it?"

Skinner stepped closer and whispered, "You still freaked out about Ursula?"

RedVine looked out over the students, below the many rows of belligerent humans coughing up popcorn seeds and ribbons of fleshy meat as they hollered obscenities.

"I wouldn't say freaked out….. it takes a lot to freak us out. A lot more than that, at least." RedVine said smoothly, watching her other squad mates out the corner of her eye.

"But—"

RedVine wrapped her spindly bronze skinned fingers around Skinner's armored hand. "Volume, honey. We don't want the wrong people to hear."

"Hear what?" Rhea said as she muscled her way between them and rested her arms over their shoulders.

"…. Telling you would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?" RedVine winked at the Dominator.

The gel slicking her shoulder length hair back against her thick skull melted as she stood next to RedVine. Rory wasn't the only one who could up the heat. He just liked to think he was.

"Since when did I become the wrong people?" Rhea playfully asked.

"Since you put your hands on my woman…" Skinner sounded like she wanted to do what she does best. It's in the name.

Rhea rolled her eyes, "Do you always have to act like some hormonal alpha male stereotype?"

"Yes."

"I respect your honesty…." Rhea turned back to RedVine, "You…. On the other hand."

"Let's not act like we're a team because we're friends. There's enough discourse and espionage running through us to rival the Grand Magisters."

"Ahhhh I wouldn't say it's that bad."

"It's worse." RedVine retorted, "But not for the people we swore to protect."

Rhea clenched her jaw repeatedly as she thought over the response amidst the crowd roars.

"So that's what you two pocket-holders are discussing?"

RedVine raised one of her finely trimmed thin black eyebrows at her.

Rhea let up, "Fair enough."

RedVine and Skinner watched her go. She sat with her competitors Ronin and The Red Knight, chatting up the bigot effortlessly while Ronin questioned if killing them all would make his life easier…. Or his son reek like less of an animalistic murderer.

RedVine sometimes felt like The Dominator was more than that. More than a force born inside the hellish prison systems of New Gloria. But that weren't true. She may have been assisting them in having privacy now— but in their next Tangent she'd steal the boss kill. Or speak of said misdeeds to the Grand Magisters— warranting disciplinary action. Laughable. But a reminder. She was the third. They were far behind. Closer to the people maybe—

"So— Ursula." Skinner brought the topic at hand back into focus with the same intensity she used when yanking a fleeing Vampire back into her grasp with her scythe.

"She's different."

Skinner nodded.

"She feels like him" RedVine pointed at Claude.

"Doesn't Ronin want to kill him?"

"Ronin would kill a kitten for looking to similar to a WereTiger."

"So what are you saying?"

"Just that?"

Skinner growled, a deep metallic sound due to how her voice bounced around in her helmet, "Stop being cryptic, please!"

"Ronin thinks he's one thing. And he's in the right area….. but not right enough. The world is subjective and variously cloaked in….. variety. There's infinite grey area. A world covered in randomly appearing worlds."

Skinner nodded.

"Whatever is different about Claude…. Ursula caught some of it. His influence…. His character. His power. Everyone around him has it. It waxes and wanes like the moon. But it's there. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't seem bad."

"But it's different. That's not good."

RedVine blinked, "A full forest needs weeds as much as it needs flowers and trees. Maybe they are the invasive ones. Maybe an invasion is needed."

"In what way?"

RedVine shrugged. "We'll know soon. Nature is inhaling…. Bracing for a new impact."

"I'll keep you safe."

"You always have."