CHPT 406: A Beast Roaming in the Sands.....

Saturday Night, January 17th, 2241....

Night. As rich as always-- richer even, felt different. Every night had since the full-scale battle. Then again, maybe it wasn't the night that had changed, but he himself that was forever altered from the event. He couldn't say for sure, since they'd barely escaped the explosion, Claude didn't have much time for introspection. Neither did his sizable traveling party that didn't seem interested in parting ways with him just yet.

He didn't mind. The outskirts of the deserts were growing fierce. And Ronin was bound to hear of the explosion. Him and his Detectives were probably crawling all over the sight like roaches as he thought it over. And that was why he needed to stay alert and get further away.

They'd survived, but the chase was reignited. In theory...

If his theory was correct though, he'd see them coming. He'd be prepared. And just like Ronin, he wouldn't be alone...

SCRAAAAAWK!

The silence of the night evaporated in a high-pitched cry as an unnaturally large Ravenoid bird flew overhead integrated into a flock of large-winged Griffons and Hawks. They flew gracefully, riding the winds currents as they circled overhead. The waxing Moon's rays reflecting off their thick feathers like shards of glass suspended in the sky.

Claude raised one arm bound in leather. As it emerged from the shadows of his Druidic Cloak, the Ravenoid creature divebombed.

It perched on his arm in a flash of feathers and glowing eyes. The Griffons perched on the edge of the cliff he stood on nearby like gargoyles made real.

The two eyed each other in the silence for a few moments before Blackbeak began pecking at his arm and face. A sign of affection. How nice. But still, they were on the clock. Claude grunted.

Blackbeak stiffened before eyeing him once more. Then, the Umbral Raven clicked twice as it's jittery head studied him. One click would've been a problem. Two meant they'd found nothing beyond his range of (Eyes of the Wild).

They were still in the clear. From Ronin and the Monsters of the Desert. Claude sighed and raised his head to the sky in relief.

DING!

[Beast Tamer Skill Level Increase!]

[Eyes of the Wild LV2]

Speak of the devil. Another skill level increase. The sight had become a common one in the past two weeks since the brawl in the desert. For one simple reason.

The explosion. The marking he'd copied from the Ancient Seed that leveled the desert for miles and saved them all from perishing where they stood. Hell, he almost didn't make it. Almost. Then he was saved, and the experience rolled in. All the dead creatures, all the slain HellBred Monsters, Cyrene, Liam-- the Primal. He took it all. And as a result, he was worlds stronger than before.

***

[Name: Claude Grey]

[Class: Beast Tamer, (Druidic Warrior's Apprentice)]

[Title: Walker of the Wolf, (The HellSlayer), (The Second Progenitor of Romulus), (Horde Vanquisher)]

[Level: 40 (160/4100)]

[Stat Points: 0]

[HP: 935/935]

[MP: 725/850]

[Stamina: 66]

[Strength: 50]

[Will power: 24]

[Intelligence: 14]

[Accuracy: 15]

[Agility/Speed: 70]

[Skills: (Beast Boost LV2), (Beastial Assistance LV2), (Canine Affinity LV40), (Unbound LVW), (Aura)(Nature Element), (Combat Meditation LV2), (Sensory Focus LV2), (Beast Companionship), (Eyes of the Wild LV2), (Shadow Cast), (Druidic Arts Combat Stance (Wood-Weaving)), (Strength of the Jotunn), (Death's Ambience LV1), (Sonic Howl LV1)]

***

HellSlaying, and Lupine Alpha abilities aside, he had already grown tremendously. And that was only the half of it--

".....You stare often, Wolf-Man."

Claude nearly jumped out of his skin. For all his sensory abilities and attributes, it was impossible to hear an intangible individual. He turned away from the Moon and found himself looking at someone he'd grown to know on a personal level since the battle. She was covered in black tattered wrappings like an ink drowned mummy. She had blueish skin, elven ears, shadowy black hair that could turn white at a moment's notice, and black tribal markings adorning her eyes like makeup. She was pretty in a dark and gothic sort of way. She could be just as hideous when she felt like screaming though.... the same went for the rest of her people.

She didn't very much have a name where she came from... back where she came from speech wasn't a common occurrence he learned. Even if she knew the human language. And that was for one simple reason. She was Tangent-Born. A Banshee-- the one who'd given him the ability to hear danger so long ago. The one who'd returned to help in saving him. They'd settled with calling her Ma simply because of her matriarchal nature and warmness.

"What is it you're thinking about when you stare so deeply into the nothing...?" Ma asked, her voice fell on his ears like silk wrapped in honey... as much sense as that made.

Claude considered her question seriously for a moment before shrugging, "Everything..... nothing. It depends."

Ma nodded at his words as she began to hover and float around him.

Claude watched her pass by and disappear. It was so bizarre... but he always found himself thinking back to what he'd learned of the tale of Romulus and Remus. Isn't this what Romulus wanted.....?

He shook off the thought, "What do you think about, Ma?" Claude asked as a midnight breeze ruffled his cloak and revealed his muscly scarred frame beneath.

"Travel.... for as long as I can remember, I knew every inch of my world like the back of my hand. A large expanse of beautiful valleys, foggy sky, and icy river. And then you came, in all your struggle and pain. You freed us, and in doing so, exposed us to a world beyond anything any of us ever considered. I want to see the world. I want to see how you see it... the songs that color your path."

Claude couldn't imagine it. Finding your world suddenly shaken, broken and giving way to something exponentially..... more. The wonder must've been overwhelming.

"I'm sure Ursula would love to help you in your discoveries..... we had-- we have, a friend who was new to the world when we met her too. Alot like you in that way." Claude explained, remembering how much Ursula loved to tackle Maris' curiosity.

"You speak about the Monster-Woman often... you are fond of her." Ma said.

"Always. You like her just as much when she wakes up." Claude replied.

AWOOOO!

Frosty's howl echoed through the sanded landscape sounded so unlike a wolf it was almost alarming to hear. So deep and snarlish. Even so, he could hear his brother all the same. No amount of Godly Tampering or Evolutionary developments could change that.

"We must go.." Ma said before hovering off to their camp.

Claude ripped his spear out of the ground, a basic metal pike he'd taken from a Kobold a week ago, and sprinted off to the others.

Sprint was an understatement. Sometimes he had trouble getting used to his speed, resulting in him bulleting through the sands and skidding to a halt at the camp as if he'd just been thrown there. His bare feet heated by the friction of his movements but undamaged as he stood and watched over everything.

Being a Nature Element user was a blessing more often than not. Wherever there was natural earth, his power could be accessed. And that it was, making the bulk of their camps perimeter with a circular gate made of roots, intertwined vines and wooden spikes. On the outside it just looked like a couple trees and bushes sanded over by time. But inside, intricacy and functionality was plain to see, thanks to Rollan, the Elven Druid. His teacher. They still had a long talk on hold.

He could smell the smoke and cooked meat from within even if all he could see were the faint sparks and glow of a campfire in between the clutter of trees, bushes and vines. They'd have to remark the area to combat the tantalizing smells, or they'd have another Gnoll issue.

Claude stored the thought at the back of his mind and moved to enter-- if anything to check on Ursula the sleeping Beast.

"She's fine, Monsieur! The Bounty-Hunter needs you outback, he's having uhhh... complications. Oui, he's having complications with your new friend, hm?" Rollan yelled from inside.

Elven Druid, and Mind-Reader. How nice.

Claude jumped toward the camp and began swinging through the trees in a blur. Down below, Rollan tended to a fire while Ursula slept on the hide of a dozen Gnolls and scavenged Goblin furs nearby.

Nothing out of what had become his norm. Then again, his norm was slowly becoming out of this world..... or maybe it was the opposite.

After a few swings through the canopy made over his camp, he landed in their backyard of sorts where a larger guarded perimeter loomed. The sand rumbled and lifted like smoke as he hit the ground soundlessly. The camp stood behind him, its warmth penetrating his cloak and soaking into his exposed back.

He turned to find the usual outside group leaned up against the outside walls of the camp.

"The fuck happened?"

They all answered in their respective languages.

Frosty. VanaWargen Brother. NightRunning partner. He barked at whatever had drawn his attention.

Seated on his back like a Knight riding his trusty steed was Canis. A fitting name for the young light brown furred Satyr that had an uncanny interest in Wolves. Beside them, Canis' older brother, Piét-- short for a word that meant Stomp in French according to Rollan, stood by warily. His hulking chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched the darkness beyond.

He raised a humanoid hand fitted with black claws and pointed outward before letting out a grunt.

Claude turned to face the dark enclosure beyond, feeling the Glorian Lion stealthily brush it's unseen body against him with a warm and thunderous purring sound.

"Easy! EASY NOW!"

The deep southern accented voice had Claude searching the field immediately.

In the distance, the Bounty Hunter-- Cassidy, and his two Hounds circled their newest addition to the group warily. They looked so small in comparison to the Horse-Sized creature, and said creature used the size difference to it's advantage as it walked down Cassidy to chase his Hounds.

Under the Moonlight, its scales blended in like dark stone, while other portions along its head, lower jaw and spine were rigid and reflective... like diamond. It looked insane even as a baby. And even from where he stood, it's heavy-footed stomps shook the ground and its breath was so easy to smell it was almost tangible.

It let out a reptilian roar as it missed stomping on one of the Hounds before beginning its two-legged pursuit once again. It's short, clawed arms clicked against each other with excitement.

It was playing..... in a demented and horrifying kind of way.

"[Oh, for god's sake....your Primal is acting like a dog.]" Arne commented as they watched in disbelief.

"How about some help, Wild-Man?!" Cassidy called out to him in the distance.

"I'm coming."