Chapter 465: CHPT 465: A Night to Remember
A day that would end with the revealing of secrets, Night Running, and the change of another. To say he was focused on schooling— on things he'd lived for over a month already, was like saying fire was cold as ice. It simply wasn't true, in short.
So the day moved by in a blur, like the shadowy marshes of his dreams as he ran towards his next godly power. And then it abruptly ended, suddenly he was in his last Training session of the day. Isaac and Warren looked tanked from the excess training. Maris looked the same as she had the last few days. Watchful.
He planned to change that, and he thought about it a lot as they left the University grounds. Stepping through the portal and into the SkyHaven Guildhall seemed to only solidify his focus. Even as they stepped out into the main hall where early Night Runners and exiting Heroes watched his group with great interest.
Dinosaurs drew attention quite easily.
"Holy eyeballs…" Ursula commented from beside him while adjusting her backpack full of University clothing and textbooks.
"I'm remembering why I hate public spaces." Claude replied.
"Staring does no physical harm….. or any other offenses…. Not like lying." Maris said flatly on Claude's other side.
He looked over at her once, he could feel Ursula doing the same through his mind. She kept her eyes forward, running her fingers along the hilt of her sword. Isaac did something similar. Pretending he didn't feel the undertone of suspicion and accusation. For different reason, but the same feeling. He could smell it like smoke leading to a fire.
"[I don't think we've ever seen the swordwoman offended in such a way... what a change of character.]" Arne commented.
"Uhm— excuse me!?" Ilka's voice cut over the low chatter inside the room.
Claude could feel her eyes on him before he looked over. She waved him down, her colleague was a different person from before now that she was working the night shift. A man this time, handsome, but not in the masculine classic sense. He was slender and had a charm more on the devilish side, like Cassidy. Only his physical edge crumbled as Claude approached the desk. Diamondback waited at his side.
"Y-you came in with the Bounty Hunter earlier this week…? Right?"
Claude nodded, not in a rush to speak and be recognized as Allblack twice in one week.
Ilka worked to keep her eyes off of Diamondback as she fished out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.
Claude took the paper.
"Hi, Maris." Ilka said in the silence.
Claude didn't even notice she'd approached the desk with him.
"Evening." Maris replied.
"You look upset…..more so than usual." Ilka said while adjusting her hair in its bun style.
Maris pointed at Claude after moving Diamondback's head out of the way. "We're having issues in our relationship."
Ilka's cheeks reddened, "That's so cute!…. I mean that's terrible— but I didn't know you were….isn't he a little old?"
Maris looked over at Claude to find he was too busy staring at his paper. Ursula and the others laughed behind them.
"Aye! Let's go people got work to do!" Somebody yelled from behind them as the line to the desk suddenly grew with the influx of Night Runners.
Ilka recollected herself, "I'm sorry to hear that, Maris. Maybe you two can fix your troubles through that. Have a good night."
They headed away from the desk to join the group. As they walked Maris questioned if Ilka was right.
She was in a way. Not that Maris would understand.
The note read, "Stay off the streets at night. Detective patrols running at the entries and exits out of the City."
Claude liked the forest more anyway..
***
After exiting the SkyLight Guildhall, Claude parted ways with his friends for the time being. He'd meet with them again, and they'd learn of his nightly exploits. They'd join him. That was the plan. Until then, Claude needed to get to his Grove.
Which didn't take long. Staying off the road meant staying relatively human in form was useless. He traveled the distance in minutes with no energy lost.
He could smell Satyr on the trees as he passed the forest circle and faced his tree home built around the cabin.
CAWWW!
Blackbeak screeched and divebombed onto his shoulder.
"Long time no see."
Two animalistic huffs followed by humanoid shouts shook the air as Canis and Piet hopped out from the tree line behind the treehouse.
Piet was as muscular as ever. And Canis had grown, the sword at his hip no longer scrapped the floor. A foot in just a week…. It was remarkable to see. The intelligence in his eyes…..
Piet crashed into him with a hug as Canis and Frosty reconnected.
"I have been teaching them the way of the humans I observe in bars at night. They don't like ale much though." Ma, the Banshee said as she descended from the skies, nearly blending in with the dark blue skies.
"Great. They'll be acting like functioning drunks in no time." Claude replied while disconnected from Piet.
"Functioning is all the matters aint it, partner?" Cassidy said as he peeked his head out the window forty feet above them.
Claude looked up at him, "I guess."
It was good to see that he was alive.
A dark skinned set of fingers like branches landed on the top of his scarred head and yanked him back inside. Suddenly Rollan popped his head out the window and sniffed the air.
"Monsieur, welcome back. I was just finishing up the Hunters stitches. We'll be down shortly."
Stitches. Claude's stomach clenched with the rise of his nerves. It stated that way until the two exited the home and greeted him in the grassed in grounds outside. He could smell the blood wafting from the freshly sewn together cuts on his back and legs.
The smells. It came to him like strings connecting his nose to the injuries. Their shape. The intensity of the scent. Some stronger than others. Most surface level and wide spread.
"What threw you?" Claude asked Cassidy. From his smell he knew they were gashes and friction burns accompanying deeper wounds. He didn't know he could smell that.
Rollan looked at him in surprise.
"Centaur. They weren't as kind as the ones we met against the Demons. I'm thinking it's because I was human. Luckily our cloven footed boys had my back." Cassidy explained.
Claude bumped forearms with Canis and Piet. "Nice work."
"Oh so I mean nothing to you, Wolfborn?" Ma said as she hovered behind him, hair flowing like water.
"Of course not, your singing was so lovely I couldn't hear for two days." Cassidy tugged at his earlobe as if he was remembering.
"Well, after tonight you won't have that Centaur issue anymore. That's the idea." Claude said.
Cassidy nodded, "It's a damn good idea. I'm ready when you are."
"Then let's get to work."
For the next ten minutes they prepared, planning ahead and preparing in the ways they could. Rollan led them into the tree home to the top floor. It was set up with long corridors intertwined and working through the risen forest canopy. From the outside it probably just looked like nothing. But inside it was a long spanning twisted hallway of vines and leaves. Every few feet a room was cut into the hallway.
Rollan led them to the room closest to the center of the home. He said it was better that he was closer to him but also far enough for safety reasons. If he woke up anything like Ursula being too close would be a less than good idea.
inside the room all that filled the space was a bed made of animal skins and a polished wooden desk with books and writing paper.
"Monsieur, I….uhhhh …. I understand the Cabin is off limits. But I'm a bit slim on resources." Rollan explained.
"I'll grab what you need during my Night Runs tonight. Just write it down."
Rollan nodded, "I'll leave you to it. Be careful, hm?"
Claude nodded as Rollan smoothly walked past the two furbound sentinels standing at the doorway.
"You boys need showers….merde.." Rollan mumbled.
Piet lifted his arm to sniff and sneezed immediately. Canis laughed…. At least that's what it looked like. Claude wondered how much of that was inspired by Rollan's comment and felt a chill run down his spine. They were learning at amazing speeds.
"[Focus, mate.]"
Claude turned back to face Cassidy who stood near the bed sweet talking Ma as she hovered outside of the window. Branches and leaves stuck and passed through her ghostly form.
"Alright, Cassidy." Claude started.
the Bounty Hunter turned around after finishing his conversation with her. Focused as ever. Matching Claude in that sense.
"You remember everything we discussed?"
Cassidy nodded. Having flashbacks of Claude's explanations on Lupine Magic, Variants and transformative urges. There was so much more, but the important stuff stuck.
"I can't stress the importance of this…. I really can't. This isn't simply about a cause you want to rally behind that you think I'm spearheading. There's war here…. There's ages of it. It's in our blood the moment we wake up as we are. You'll smell them and want to tear their skin off a million different ways. You'll have magic you didn't know was a thing…. but only because you'll need it against them. To survive."
"The Get of Remus." Cassidy said.
Claude nodded, "Yea. They're strong as hell, and they want us gone. But even more than that, I need you with me. I give a piece of me to you and I need you to return the same from yourself, Cassidy. I'm here to get even, you're part of that equation by taking this bite."
Cassidy shrugged off his trench coat. "Consider me along for the ride."
He held out his arm.
In a flash, Claude was suddenly elswhere. Outside of himself, looking down at a small frail boy with busted and slashed black leather armor. A torn ear and a hideous scowl on his face. It was him. Inside his first Tangent after Dolion mopped the floor with him.
And he was standing as Dolion, ready to make another.
Bile rose up in his stomach and cold sweats covered his back.
"[It's not the same, Claude. You know this.]"
He was back in the tree house with a blink of his eyes, fully transformed as green spirals of Lupine magic rose from his fangs. Even his saliva glowed, so potent with magic it burned the air.
No going back. Only forward. More power….. more responsibilities….. More to fight for. Revenge all the same.
CRSHHHH!!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
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