18 HATS OFF TO HEROISM

"MMPHF!" Claude woke up scrambling and struggling to force out what would've been a scream if not for the huge calloused hand over his dry lips.

His eyes spun around the room like pool balls struck by an orc.

Nothing but white walls and open windows cut by morning sunlight.

And Ursula.

She laid in the bed next to him, resting her head on her fist as she held his mouth closed.

"Morning, sunshine."

At least that's what he thought she said. There was a constant heavy knocking filling his ears.

Ursula took her hand off his mouth.

Claude didn't get up right away. There was a lot to process. But the knocking.

He sat up.

"What is going on…?" The door into the infirmary stood, vibrating with every pound from the other side.

A block of ice held the handle firm.

He looked back to Ursula. She laid down on her back, taking up the space where he once laid. "You were saying things that could get you jailed. Or worse, you could've got sent to the Halls of the Basilisk. Or been fed to the dark-eaters. My point is, you talk more when you sleep than when you're awake….. and holy hell do I wish you didn't."

Claude blinked in the silence.

"See what I mean?"

"You're making a jokes…?" He thought before asking, "You heard everything?"

"I heard his name….. and that's a name that's been banned since….."

"The Reclamation Era. I think." Claude mumbled, "I don't like history."

"That explains why you're not so panicked." Ursula replied over the knocking as she put her hands behind her head. Her biceps looked like cannonballs under her skin.

"What do you mean?" Claude asked.

"You were chosen by a dark-god, Claude…. I think. That's an instant death sentence."

"I said I'd resist him." Claude fought off a yawn.

Ursula sat up, "No, you don't get it. If they know, you're sentenced and that's it. Over. Done. There is no fight."

"That can't be right— that's not… fair. We're still human. We can still do good if we're chosen by dark-gods." Claude stammered. The knocks were beginning to work in tempo with his anxiety rising.

"Not to the people in power. You're a nation-wide risk. You'll rebel and kill and other dark things…. allegedly."

The reality of it all was starting to dawn on him.

He'd finally been Reborn.

And who was waiting at the finish line for him? His ticket to instant death.

The anger hit like a heatwave. His skin itched. His heartbeat hit so hard, he felt like it was moving his whole body. He clenched his jaws so hard his teeth dug into his gums.

He laid back on the bed, shoulder to shoulder with Ursula. Trying to ignore the wicked case of heartburn he was experiencing in tandem with an overwhelming feeling of defeat and injustice.

"Can I not still do good? Did Anubis want me to say I'd resist him…. so he could enjoy watching me realize I can't? What the hell is this."

Preemptively, he put his arm over his eyes. Just to hide the tears if they came.

"Don't worry, baldy." Ursula sat up and reached over him for something near the bed. Her chest smelled like old laundry, honey and iron.

"Look." Ursula said, "We can survive out there. I can keep you in check if you ever go dark-god mode in the deserts. Nobody gets hurt but the lizards and me…. Maybe sometimes. But that's no big deal. I can take a few more hits than usual now."

Claude moved his arm to look at what Ursula had.

Her backpack sat on her lap. Inside she pulled out a sheet knotted to others as a makeshift rope. She leaned her head towards the window behind her.

"Let's go, man!"

"What are you…. You want to run away?"

"You don't? I mean I know you have a little teenage angst but I didn't take you for the suicidal typ—"

"Wait wait, stop joking for like five seconds. Why would you do all this? Ursula, I've known you for two weeks. You're….. Glorian royalty. And you want to throw it all awa—"

Ursula placed her knuckles on his jaw. "Don't finish that sentence. It's going to piss me off."

Well, she did stop joking. He could've sworn her skin went a shade redder, like her blood was boiling.

"Why does time matter? Why does who my relatives are matter? I've saved your life. You saved mine….. more times…. Even when I didn't want you to. Seriously, you're insane. But, we make a good team. I don't usually make that with people. I'm not letting some dog-eared twig take that from me without a fight. If you get to try and resist, so do I. So grab the rope, and get your tight ass out the window, Claude."

"….No."

"Claude."

"I can't let you—"

Ursula tackled him into the bed cursing him for his annoying morality and bald head when the door was suddenly blown off its hinges.

"Heyyy, it's been years since I've been to a rodeo." Gil said as he stepped over the door and found Ursula on top of Claude.

"Who are you, dude?" Ursula asked, not removing her hand from Claude's face.

"Hey, dad…." Claude spoke into Ursula's hand.

"Dad?" Ursula raised a dark auburn eyebrow.

Gil waved her off, "I know, I know. He doesn't favor me in a few key areas. Now get off my son before I skin you, beefcake."

Ursula nodded, "Since you asked so nicely…."

As she got up, she helped Claude to his feet.

"Hey, ladies-man." Gil said as he met eyes with Claude.

"Hey." Claude kept his voice low.

Gil looked between them awkwardly, "Well what the hell. Where's the celebration?"

Gil took something out of the pocket of his leather jacket. A newspaper. The headline read, "Record high Rebirth rate in the Angelo's District breaking over three decades of declining metrics!"

Ursula forced a smile, "Amazing. Fantastic. Beautiful."

"You're just saying words." Gil stated dryly.

"I am." Ursula admitted.

"Well am I missing something?" Gil asked.

"No, dad. I'm just… tired?" Claude never lied to his father. Thankfully, he actually was tired… and a little nauseous. "Astral Realm sickness?"

Gil sniffed. "Also, why does it smell like piss in here?"

"Oh! Your son had a nightmare and pissed on me." Ursula replied as she looked down at the wet stain on her thigh.

"That's…." Gil pinched the bridge of his nose in defeat.

"Ah. It's not that bad. At least it isn't throw up."

Claude threw up.

Ursula and Gil jumped out of the way as he upchucked on the clean white floors.

Before he could stumble over, Gil caught him just as six incredibly overdressed healers waltzed in.

None of them noticed. They were too busy looking at Claude's throw up.

It was black. Slimy. Like oil.

"Who are you?" Ursula asked. Again.

"We're healers working on behalf of The Pegasi." The leading woman said. She wore a cloak of beige feathers over a full set of knights armor. A belt of glowing potions and herbs jingled as she walked past Ursula and approached Gil and Claude. 

"What's happening to him?" Gil questioned. 

"I was told your son ingested demon-blood." 

Gil and Ursula looked at Claude like he belonged to a newly discovered species. 

"WHAT?!"