CHPT 437: Many forms from Many Teachings.....

Just keep moving forward...

A simple message. A basic message. One that shifted shapes and transformed when placed under the veil of nuance.

Yes, Claude and his evergrowing pack must keep moving forward. But sometimes, the most direct path onward was to take a step back.

***

PZZZZSHHH!!

A beam of purple fiery light burst from the top of the mountain like lightning. It scorched and split the boulders sprinkled down the hillside, causing a small landslide to conclude the assault. A single spiral of steam rose from the head of a shadowy figure at it's apex.

The backdrop of the morning sun hid it's features. But one could assume it's grotesque physical nature. It's shadow alone was like a prologue to the full-on scripture of disgust that was it's physical form. The vague ridges and upticks of massive veins lined it's shoulders and limbs. They bulged and shifted beneath paper thin skin like worms with every manly shout and hoot the creature let off. A spiked and dreaded mane of hair hung down it's greasy back, littered with burned animal bone and striped hides used as bands to hold it in place.

One could say it was royalty. That's how it looked. Like a king-- a god, casting down bolts of magical searing judgement on the blurred form of the scurrying mongrel below.

The sun moved in those moments. The day aged as if time had lost relativity and fell into hyperspeed. Tangents sometimes did that. Sometimes they forgot they were supposed to be mocking the natural world outside. And as a result, they'd do things unnatural. Unnatural for a post-apocalyptic magical world was..... very unnatural.

With the sun's movement, the shadows shifted, leaking off the giant atop the mountain's skin like a blanket. And the scripture of disgust was revealed.

Tribal tattooing marred its skin as if it were branded. The lettering was human-- old, English lettering creating words that looked out of order and scattered. Between the words, markings of slitted eyeballs stood out like holes in the skin.

Eyeballs the matched the single one at the center of its face.

A Cyclops.

"EEEUUURAAAGH!!!" The creature roared and slammed its Spear into the cold rock floor, splitting it with ease.

PSSSZSHT!!

Another eyebeam flew down the mountaintop. With the blast active, erupting from its magically glowing eyeball, its world was suddenly submerged in vibrant purples and oranges, highlighting and outlining the shapes and contours of the crumbling mountain. Highlighting the outliers. The lifeforms it wished to burn to ash... to eat down the bone..... to beat into paste.

FWOO!

Out from behind a boulder it had just eviscerated, the black blurring shape took off. A green cloak fluttered in its wake, hiding the silvery glint of weapons and armor.

An invader. Monstrous like himself, with it's furred skin and claws. But more so....

The Cyclops raised it's spear and gladius and jumped down the mountain a few dozen feet. Bounding and skipping through the landslide with ease as it chased after the creature.

"DRUIIIIIIID!!!!"

The timeless urge to destroy it's kind was unrelenting.

AWOOO!!!!

A howl was all that replied. Different from the last, but a howl, nonetheless. One of many, that had rung out through the Cyclops' home after more and more of its brethren were cut down. They were growing closer.

But all it wanted for now was the Druid.

The Cyclops took off after the fleeing feral druid. A Monstrous humanoid giant bounding down a breaking mountain. Its eye rolled around in its head like a ball in a game of Harpastum, spitting blasts to defend the tumbling debris that attempted to swallow it's king.

The Druid pushed onward down the mountain, leaping and dodging out of the way of it's blasts as if it had eyes in the back of it's head.

Maybe it was due to the horrifying tortured screams that shook the air every time it tried to shoot the thing.

A shrill cry of premonition?

"AAAAAGHHHH!!!" The cyclops frustration bubbled over and it threw it's spear down the hill, sending another eyeblast after it that superheated the metal weapon to a glowing orange intensity.

FWOOOSHHHH!!!!

Another hideous scream.

The Druid jumped out of the way due to how low the Cyclops threw the spear.

"Hehe..."

Few Druids could fly. Only the best.

And this one was not.

Now stuck in the air, the Cyclops took aim and fired.

PSSHHHT!

The Druid spun around midair, it's forest green eyes widened to perfect circles before it brought it's hands up defensively.

The Cyclops could've laughed. No mere armor would save a Druid.

FWWSHH!

A network of vines and wooden spikes rose from the crumbling mountain like a wall made to protect the Druid.

Even so, it's beams burst through the wall, sending splinters of wood everywhere as the Druid went flying down the mountain and into the forest.

***

"DRUIIIIID!" The Cyclops yelled into the dark forest before bounding inside like a living bundle of fireworks. The second it passed the first tree that reeked of Wolf piss, an uncanny discomfort made it's way into it's spine and never left.

PSSSHHHZZZT!!.....PSSZhhhHHT!

Sights of the beautiful woodland full of ponds appeared in purple strobe-light imagery after each blast. Giving the cyclops fragments of vision. Otherwise, it was only dark, vaguely kept at bay by the overcast of the sun.

It cast deep shadows from the bushes and trees.

The Druid was hidden within. Bleeding, catching it's breath. Pleading for the Cyclops to turn away and let it recover.

"Hehe...."

It searched the shadows.

It smelled blood. Tangy-- hot.... it smelled like the pelt of a Nemean Lion burned by flame and melded to the furs and skins of things it couldn't understand. It smelled like many....

It's eye pivoted to the shape of a standing being in the distance, partially hidden behind a tree, spiked ears, covered muzzle, long cloak.

"AHHHH!!!"

It sent an eyebeam at the Druid, turning him to ash.

The smell of burnt wood rose as it chased down the shape only to find just that. Wood and vine left as smoking embers.

A Druid.... and a trickster.....

Shffshshsh.....

Something moved through the bushes. The Cyclops spun around to find the Druid bounding through the shadows, it's human gait was slow and weak in the shadows. Howls echoed in the distance.

The Cyclops roared and threw it's still steaming spear.

FWOO!!

It ripped through it's body as if it were made of smoke..... and the Druid faded just as that. Smoke.

Another trick.

Was the Druid even real...?

Self-doubt crept into the one-eyed king's mind. It had never missed so many shots.

But all Druids must die.

It needed to leave the shadows and burn the forest to the floor from the outside.

As it backed away it bumped into something. Something that felt like a hand.

The Cyclops let out a sound it never had before as it spun around to face a wooden life-like image of the Druid. So detailed, so full of life. Flowers bloomed from it's palms, trails of vines ran across it's arm like a tattooing.

Another tri--

SHLCK!

A spear ripped through it's chest in those moments. When it's guard had fallen in the slightest.

Before the Cyclops could react, a pair of feet smashed into it's back as the spear was pulled from it's chest.

The giant stumbled forward into the wooden structure as it exploded into a pillar of spikes that ripped into it's skin.

"AAAAACKKK!!!!"

The Cyclops punched and blasted the spikes to rubble before spinning around and shooting at the actual Druid.

PZZZSHHHT!....PSSZZT!

The Druid flipped and rolled out of the way of each blast that opened holes in it's cloak. Failing to dodge the last, it raised it's spear to split the beam with it's blade.

ZZING!!!

The blast split in two and smashed into the floor beside it. Leaving it's spear-blade ruined.

The Druid didn't hesitate, switching to using the broken spear as a staff.

It charged. Blood dripping from its side fell in the grass.

The Cyclops swung its gladius, rupturing the winds with the heavy blade.

FWOOM!

The Druid dropped and slid beneath the blow, turning to smash it's staff into the back of it's leg.

THUD!

Too much muscle.

The Cyclops tried to catch the slippery pain with a back kick, only for it's foot to smash through a wall of wood that immediately turned to spikes hungry for it's ankle.

"NAAAAGHHH!!!" The cyclops ripped free from the bind and threw it's sword, cutting across the Druids face followed with an eyebeam.

The Druid sidestepped, barely missing the blast.

Flames bit at the armored muzzle hiding it's wolfish face. The Druid unbuckled the face-mask and threw it aside, roaring at the Cyclops.

The two continued fighting. Blood splattered on the bark of the trees. Grass was burned to ash. The Druid was fast and skilled with it's magic, but the Cyclops physical power and hard skin was overwhelming.

It eventually caught the Druid, swinging it into a tree before choke slamming the invader into the grass.

"UGH!" The Druid's wind left its lungs upon impact.

The Cyclops smiled, it's teeth were rotted blocks of decay covered in raw flesh flavored saliva.

The Druid didn't fight, instead dipping it's busted spear into the pond nearby.

Wait....

The Cyclops' eye hovered over to the spear tip just in time to see the translucent blade reforming in the cool water. Right before it was plunged into it's eye.

SPLSH!!

"OOOOOWAHHHH!!!!!"

***

Eye fluid that tasted like sulfur and salt soup fell into Claude's mouth. It was..... delicious.

Fuck.

With a growl he kicked the tasty giant off him.

A howl shook the sky. A howl that was less of a howl and more of a throaty roar, like a bear.

"[I believe your Altar of Revenge is ready, Claude.]"

"D-Druiddd!!" The Cyclops yelled weakly as it swung at him blindly.

Claude stomped the floor as he watched the giant.

The Cyclops lunged at the sound.

Perfect.

Immediately he took off, loudly.

The Cyclops followed. With it's vision lost, it only chased the thought of dead Druid.

Claude led it out of the forest and to the sounds of Ursula's previous howl. They ran for no more than a few minutes, the feel of the sun would've given the Cyclops confidence before. Now it only bred discomfort.

The smell of dead Cyclops aggravated that feeling.

Even without its eyes, it could feel the presence of the Altar. Maybe such a word wasn't available in its vocabulary, but the feeling was... universal. The overwhelming pressure from the sky and the ground. Like the jaws of a beast vaster than the world, clamping down from all angles. Each fang piercing something deeper than skin and bone. Something deeper than the soul.

It made the Cyclops want to shell up inside itself. Run away, hide, plead.... kneel. But if it didn't fight, it would end up like the others...

The Altar loomed.

A massive spike of wood, hundreds of feet into the air-- now taller than it's mountainous throne. Blood dyed the bark and soaked inside, giving it a monstrous intensity and continued growth. The branches continued to stretch outward, shaping and forming. Less like a tree, and more like a dozen spikes and vines made into the shape of a Wolves head, snapping at the sky.

On each tooth-- branch, a Cyclops was skewered, caught in it's maw.

Claude stood at the base, facing the Cyclops Boss. Ursula, Cassidy and Ma stood behind him.

The Phantom Wolves and Gil emerged from the forest behind the Cyclops, causing the blind Boss to swing at them weakly. Too much lost blood....

"Focus.."

Claude's voice pulled it's attention. As if he had suddenly pulled the dominating pressure of the Altar into himself.

"I don't want to do this..... this shit is cruel. But you hate me... and we have to get stronger. We have to keep going. Our home is only hours away. So, I have to end things here. Right now."

"NAAAUUU--"

SHHHLCK!

[+500 EXP]

***

....

.....

.....

DING!

[You and your Team have vanquished the One-Eyed King! Collect your Loot and exit the Tangent!]

[Rewards for Completion: 500 EXP, +2 Stat Points]

[You have Leveled Up!]

[You are now Level 45!]

[7 Stat Points Available]

"[.....And here we are.]"