Chapter 325: CHPT 325: Old Mistakes, New Fixes. The Lupines of Romulus have already Changed....
Claude sat on the log for what felt like decades while Ursula scanned through her System screen in search of whether she was a Variant or not.
He could feel the swirling maze-like surface of the bark digging into his legs as he sat in silence while the suspense built on it's own into a tower of anxiety.
Luckily, it only lasted a minute or less, and then Ursula was looking back up at him through her honey-gold eyes and freckled face.
"I take it Arctodus Lupines aren't normal...??" She said, smiling nervously.
"[A Variant-- without a doubt.]"
"Yep." Claude thought in reply.
"[Don't worry. We'll learn what we can. It'll be fine.]"
"H-Hello?" Ursula spoke into the silence, pulling Claude out of his mind and conversation with Arne.
"N-- Yea. You're a Variant, Ursula."
She sighed and ran her thick fingered hands across her face, "So, what does that mean?"
Claude shook his head, "I'm not exactly sure. Give me a second...." he replied before thinking, "Arne, what the hell is a Arctodus Lupine?"
"[.....Uhm....]"
"....."
Claude snarled and felt his claws run through the bark of the log he sat on like a knife through butter, "Are you telling me you know nothing?? NOTHING?"
"[We never attempted to, Claude! They were an anomaly for fucks sake! Some of them were nearly nothing like us. We weren't exactly in the most hospitable of moods.....you know being in a existential war with enemy Shape-Shifters while also trying to stay out of the eye of humans and all..]" Arne snapped back.
Claude rose from the log and began pacing while Ursula watched in confusion.
"Is it bad?" She asked.
Claude held up a hand as if someone else was talking to him while he paced, "Hold on. We need a minute."
After a few seconds spent doing so while cursing under his breath Arne intervened.
"[Alright. Let's relax, I'm aware of my mistakes. But, it's no use dwelling on them when we can work with what we have currently.]"
"What do we have, Arne?" Claude replied while Frosty began following him like a musclebound furry shadow.
"[Your brain, Claude. Your knowledge base on Animals and Monsters is our best bet in discovering what she is. And from that point I can step in and see what gossip reminds me of whatever she is.]"
Claude slowly came to a halt in his tracks, failing to remember the simple fact that it could be that simple. The proof was in the name, just needed a little digging.
"[Come on Claude, out of all your readings and times spent learning all these things with your Father, you've come across such a word at some point. Just take a deep breath and think. Help me help you.]"
Claude took in a deep breath and sat back on the log across from Ursula who'd been watching him in discomfort the entire time. He closed his eyes and blocked it all out, combing through his thoughts and memories till he found out why the word "Arctodus" sounded vaguely familiar.
Slowly, the sounds and smells of the forest faded and it was just him and his thoughts running through his memories. Seconds grew into minutes and so on until his eyes burst open and his hand snapped into a fist as if he was clutching the memory in hopes to never lose it again.
"Arctodus Simus!"
Ursula continued to look at him with the same expression, "....Do that again, but in English."
"It is, it's just a scientific term for a Pre-Old World prehistoric animal. I remember reading about how massive they were and how they only became more terrifying in their Rebirth.....I guess that means one of the many things Lupines of Romulus are mixed with are members of the Primal Branch...." He replied, saying the last portion more to himself than to anyone else.
"What species?" Ursula asked in a small voice.
"Short-Faced Bears.....more often known as Dire-Bears."
Ursula slapped her hands on her knees and stood now, now it was her turn to pace, "Nice.....I'm a were--bear--wolf....woman. Sick." anxiety cloaked her movements like an ethereal shroud.
He watched her pace back and forth with an odd look on her face. He couldn't begin to understand what she was feeling. To wake up from a three week sleep and find out your a supernatural hybrid of varying pieces and parts. Even he didn't know that until now. In a way, she was living the same experience that he once did months ago. Only now he was playing the part of Arne.
"She'll be fine. She's tough." He told himself reflexively. "Arne, tell me you've heard something about a.....were-bear-wolf woman or man?" He asked while Ursula continued to move and sit comfortably with the information.
"[--Yes. I believe I do have something. I just never knew them by that name....but I'm sure it's her. Now that I think about it, it fits her perfectly.]"
"What did you know them by?"
"[Giant-Killer Lupines.]"
"That's not menacing at all..." Claude replied sarcastically.
"[Sure, but it was for a reason. They were no joke, Claude. Any pack known to birth a Giant-Killer was effectively the talk of the town and in danger in their own territory. They were.....said to be massive hulking Lupines, angry, intense, violent and aloof.]"
"How the hell is this like Ursula? Only thing sticking is anger." Claude asked while the pack loosely played around them and the winds blew Ursula's fiery auburn ponytail with every step she made.
"[You must think about the magic of the Lupines and how it responds to its users. Remember, I told you it almost studies and responds to physical, social and mental conditions or differences. Now think about that in Ursula's case. Before she met you a few months ago, I bet you she was alone. No loving father...no playful siblings...no mother....Ursula had no pack for most of her life-- probably even being ostracized by other young women for her less than conventional physical build. A physical build less agile and more made for strength, power and defense. These are all qualities seen in--]"
"Bears...she has similar qualities to Bears...." Claude cut in, already understanding just how well Ursula fit into being a Giant-Killer-- Arctodus Lupine. In reality, she couldn't have been anything else.
"I do? Is this a bad thing or not?" Ursula cut in, responding to his thoughts that were apparently too loud to avoid through their bond.
Claude shook his head and stood up, "No-- I mean I don't know, Ursula. If i'm being honest, there's a lot I have no idea about. I'm only fifteen, I've only been this for a few months.....I can't be the informational source for an entire race.."
He felt her mood darken.
"But, I can learn. Ursula, we can learn. See what makes you tic, where your differences lie. I think you'll be fine. This is Romulus's purpose. Variation is what he saw as power...lets embrace the difference. I don't plan on repeating the other's mistakes....I can't afford to." He added.
Ursula smiled lightly, enjoying his determination. "What's the plan then?"
The entire pack stood behind Claude and the not-Raven fluttered down to his shoulder, all sensing what was to come.
"The plan is simple. We train."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
_Avatar0FFury_
_Avatar0FFury_ THE WEREBEARWOLFWOMAN is getting out there boys! Good stuff otw! also sorry for those that already knew this. Just wanted to have a bit of history building and stuff to set in stone. Thanks for reading, hope you all enjoyed your christmas and thanks for the powerstones frenandoi,alex99(toxic99), krissch, warriorwolf, TheLucidParagon, shadowwolf1928, Bop_, Bonb_Crusher, Sonius, AnnabelleXD, KoDiaK, Ominous_Reader, Demosura, Deadra606, Kawwumkalle, JFJTPSW, kynigos1, XX_Osiris_XX!!
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