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89.42% Beasts: Reborn / Chapter 512: CHPT 512: Back In the Fold

Chapter 512: CHPT 512: Back In the Fold

Friday March 20th, 2241.

They survived. Claude and his small group of Lupine attackers made it out after departing from the Glorian student escape team. But he didn't remember it.

Nor did he remember the day after. He wasn't hanging on by a thread. He wasn't about to lose his mind. He wasn't sad. He'd seen Jack more times than he'd seen his father in the last five months. Same for Dolion and Samuel. So seeing the greasy hunting dog in person didn't shake his foundations. Not in any real way.

It woke him up.

He was focused. More focused than ever. So focused that he spent two days somewhere else. Arne didn't pull him back— neither did Ursula and Cassidy. Not fully. They helped. They always do.

And so did Rollan's letter.

"Monsieur, I feel like it's been a long time, no? Hurry up and win so you all can come back to the Grove and learn the ways of Druidry. I'm sure you'll be more than ready for your next lesson, hm? Haha. Sometimes I feel like I still train you in spirit. Canis has your spirit. Eager to learn, angry to fail. We have conversations now. Sometimes I forget I'm speaking to a young Satyr. He asks me about you— why you brought us all together. He asks about the world— why we hide from it. Nature truly is a various thing that holds many forms. Me…. You… Canis…. Life and death. We are all part of it. Together we can make the leaves to a tree. The roots to an almighty oak. The grass over a field. Anyway, stay together Beast of Beasts."

He blinked. His eyelashes brushed against his Druidic Blindfold. It reeked of smoke— gunpowder, blood, salt water and sweat.

Beyond the smells of warm grass, bark and earthy flowers filled his nose. Almost as much as the scents of animal excrement and fur.

Predators Forest.

He pulled down his blindfold.

A bed of colorful flowers and long grass surrounded where he sat like a bed. The early morning sun made the petals glow and shine— the bark of the trees looked alive like the skin of a giant.

Ahead of him the wild growth tamed. Maris sat with Ursula, holding the letter. Her short dark brown hair was scooped behind her ears. In certain areas it was beginning to curl wildly. Off reflex he panicked before remembering the obvious.

She was slated to know much more than just the Druids word of Claude's cloven footed family back home.

"Oh thank the gods! For the first time I feel like I'm actually looking at you. You know you've had that blindfold on ever since... well ever since you put it on?" Ursula said. Her Berserkers helm sat in her lap. Armor loosely placed over her navy blue and orange uniform.

It all looked like a dream.

Seeing such a beautiful landscape at the backdrop of his friends and siblings seated frames. Only moments ago he was in a dark world of madness. Blood. Nightmares. Death. Slavery. Jack…. Jack …. Ja—

"[Uhm, hell no, mate.]"

Claude blinked. Frosty barked at him quietly before sitting next to Ursula. His tusked fangs bumped and clanged with her helmet.

"Morning."

"Morning." They both said in unison. Loba purred from the trees.

"How's—"

"Warren and Isaac are fine. A lot of other sleeping students died. Samuel and Bengal are being reported as part of those deaths. Ronin is talking with the Tournament coordinators to enter the simulation space and see for himself. Stella is out of the Tournament and getting mental help. She's lost her mind." Maris explained.

"I heard she's at risk of System Corruption." Ursula added.

"We should go see her." Claude replied.

"Now?" Ursula questioned.

"No." Claude shook his head. His hair ruffled in the cool breeze. It would be annoyingly hot soon. "I think I'm overdue for a talk with you."

"We— are overdue." Ursula added, seemingly intent on aiding in the sharing of information. The unveiling of truth. Another risk. But also a chance…. At more.

Maris nodded. Her slim brows bunching in determination, "Very overdue."

Claude took a deep breath— scenting the air for listeners, seeing through the forest for watchers and guards. Searching the skies for unruly winged interlopers. Nothing, "Let's do this one more time."

***

Claude ran through it all. The Tangent, Jack masquerading as a Professor to scout potential Lupines of Remus. Finding Samuel and Tai. The fight, gaining Dolions interest and ultimately his bite. Awakening reborn as the Lupine of Remus' mortal enemy because he was too fitting to Romulus to be anything else.

And then everything after. Training. Learning control. Full Moons. Det. Cyrene.

He wasn't as scared afterwards as last time. Maybe because Maris looked like she just was told the weather.

"What about her." Maris pointed at Ursula.

"When the HellBreeder came to the Aslan Estate— I was in the middle of a Night Run. Ursula happened to be there. She saved me…. But would've died in the process. Biting her forced the body to heal and recover through Wild Magic and…. Well stuff I'm not fully aware of. Lupine magic is…. Complex at best."

Maris looked elsewhere— deep in thought, "And that's why…. You had to leave. Because they would've seen her change. And she's a Berserker so her control wouldn't have been as good."

"Luckily, I've gotten the hang of what it means to be an Alpha Lupine. She's at a better starting point than I was just for that. But yea, it was too risky. Plus the evidence everywhere."

"Paw prints…. Human feet. Fur. Skin."

Claude nodded.

"So who's your WereWolf friend, Aeron?"

Claude was taken aback by the name. "Oh shit….. my backpack. How much did you read?"

Maris nodded, "Barely any. Isaac read the most. Is he part of your family with the Druid… Rollan?"

Isaac did know something….

He'd need to re-evaluate telling them all.

Claude shook his head, "No. He was a nutcase. He killed his family and lost his mind. Obsessed with evolution and creating the strongest being through mixing WereWolf powers with canid monsters already existing. I took his journal after I killed him. We both had something of value I wanted to learn about. In a weird way he was walking in the footsteps of my creator."

"..." Maris' face spoke a thousand words.

"Lunar Artifacts. That's what was of value. They helped me learn how to Shift. I lost it in a battle with a Half-Elf ….pseudo Demon-Lord….. that almost definitely is connected to a start-up Guild in New Gloria. In SkyHaven. Saying this out-loud makes me want to drown myself."

"I lost my Nemea-Feline Pelt. That thing was awesome." Ursula growled.

Claude and Ursula somehow looked more surprised than Maris. Her hands never moved from the sheathed blade seated over her criss crossed legs.

"And after all that you came back."

"And now we're here." Claude finished.

"How much power did you attain? After being changed and after leaving SkyHaven?"

"Maris—"

"I think blood tastes better than food. The sun makes my skin itch unless I'm under water." Maris blurted out. Emotion on her face for the first time before it settled like a high tide swinging into low.

"What..?" His skin chilled.

"I give you my secrets."

"Oh we're trading?"

"We are." Maris retorted as adjusted her seat in the grass.

"Well, your power growth depends on what Variant of Lupine you become. This is only true for the Lupines of Romulus— who are magical chimeras with a Wolf base. Variants like Ursula…. grow more like a Tank. More health, more strength, more Will Power. They also can get different skills."

"What about you?"

"I got a shit ton of Stamina and Will Power. And I'm more attuned to using Wild and Lunar Magic. The urges around Full Moons are stronger. And after leaving SkyHaven I went from high Bronze to Gold. Ursula is high Silver currently in Rank."

"What about the other one? Cassidy."

"Mid Silver. He's not a Variant. He's a regular Lupine— well no. He's Wolfborn. He's more adjusted to it. Physically and mentally. Like his body is familiar with the magic."

"Like how I'm familiar with…. Blood?" Maris finished. Diamondback came out of the trees at the word of blood and hovered over Maris. She didn't seem to care.

He never thought of it that way, "Yea….. Speaking of blood, I think we need to talk about you." Claude explained.

"You have more information."

"This isn't an interrogation." Claude replied, "I do, and it's nothing serious or I'm not remembering it. I just told you my deepest secrets... Oh I also don't know who my mother is and the thought of her makes me nervous."

Maris sighed, "You may continue."

"[Red QUEEN is more fitting the more she speaks.]" Arne mumbled.

"Alright, I'll get straight to it." Claude started, "A lot of people ride on your life and death. Your ability to manipulate Blood seems to be a sign of something to Vampires. I'm in talks with one— he's…. He's helped us in hopes to meet you. He's familiar with my kind. He's worked with them before. He thinks you can change the underworld."

"Because they think you're a Red Queen." Ursula added.

"I don't know what that is. That name isn't in any of the books on the Vampires I've read."

Claude itched his chin in thought of how to explain before replying, "Think house-cat."

Ursula looked at him in disappointment, "Why would she think that?"

"Hold on. Let me work." Claude replied, "The house cat is a Vampire in todays day and age. But the house cat is related to the Sabertooth that walked thousands of years before us. Before the Tangents. If the house-cat is the Vampire of today, then the Sabertooth is the Red Queen of yesterday…. I think."

"Hm…." Ursula thought it over, "You made that work."

"So an ancestor?"

Ursula nodded, "But how does that make sense? I'm existing right now."

"Same way I existed alone as a Lupine of Romulus even though a Lupine of Remus bit me."

"Magic." Ursula growled and flexed her biceps.

"And this is why…. I control blood and…. And—"

"You don't have to say it. I understand it. I want to eat people once a month."

"Twice for me." Ursula mumbled.

"What?"

"What?" Ursula acted as if she didn't say anything. Frosty watched her suspiciously as his head rested on her lap. Loba seemed to pat her shoulder in support.

Claude was heavily out of the loop in some regard…

"So…. We meet this man. This Vampire. And I become a Red Queen."

"No." Claude replied. Then he growled in frustration, "What I want to say is no….. what I want is for you to better learn what it means to be a Red Queen. The responsibilities, the draw backs. The enemies. Then you'd make your decision. But he already has his eyes on you. You aren't like me when it comes to this. You know what you want."

"I do." Maris replied.

"Then we go to him. We learn, we work, we meet the others. And then you do what you think is right. But if at any point, you're in more danger than what's given. Or you do something to put Ursula or Cassidy in danger, I'm taking you out of there." Claude didn't even mean to say the end portion.

Maris stood up with the rest of them. "Interviews are about to start soon."

"They are." Claude agreed.

"You guys want to hide out here? I can go get Isaac and Warren?"

"No. Out there we'll find Rupont."

Maris took a step closer to him, "I understand why you did it. I understand why you stopped me with the BloodStarved. I get that you'd do it again. But for future reference, don't. I'm not afraid, and I don't snitch. No man, woman or Goblin can make me say anything I don't want to. They've tried already and failed."

"I remember." Claude replied.

"What?"

Another alarm went off signifying the start of the day.

The day Maris would meet Rupont.

And who knew what else…


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Yo! Cats out the bag. Lmk what ya think and thanks for reading! Also thanks for the powersgones Sonuis, Shazac, Bop_, shadowwolf1928, black_rabbit4378, TheLucidParagon, Alucardtfs, alex99, MAESTRO, drachenk1nd, Ominous_Reader, Nate_Winslow, zombje_loveheart, W_P_Wolf, Demosura and everyone else!

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