518 CHPT 518: Truth and Deception In Truth

Day one. The Isles of Indus. A sprinkling of diverse and sporadically spread islands in the Middle East. Some jungles full of Black Tigers and Spell Bloom eating Elephants. Others deadlands surrounded by Fisher-Hunters with Tamed Tigers and curved spears. All centered around Agni's Cirlce. The central city with floors covered in molten rings that all worked as a collective time synchronized infernal blast to eradicate the Undead plague born in their waters.

The place was so unique. So fluctuating. Hot. Cold. Dead. Full of life and rich herbal scents. Beautiful serpents hanging from rooftops. Sleek felines traveling the clothing ropes where beautiful robes and Kurta's of incredible color dried in the heat.

A whole world centered around exterminating the Undead. Just for a Vampiric god to be resting beneath them with caves overflowing with Zombies and Ghouls.

Zombies and Ghouls that shook and writhed faintly as Claude kneeled within their ranks. Rupont was right. Maris roused their hunger. It was like a increasing effect over time, drawing them her— playing on their urges. Twisting them into something akin to subservience. Unfinished and uncontrolled in her human form. Rupont was too busy to notice.

Too busy holding the floor after Pacu Pati told him to act as he was. But even that was coming to a close. They caught up— spoke of politics, and Rupont sold the Red Queen Dream. No— not the dream as in the sister that survived after the Hunter and Surviver perished. The dream filled with half truths and buttered up sentiments.

Rupont was selling a dream. In a metal box of nightmares. And they were waking up.

"So think about it. Think about numbers. You have them, Lord of the Herd. But you could have more. You could have numbers fortifi—"

"Enough. You bleed our lords ears dry."

"Yea really, Rupont. What the fuck? No stories of gory horror and violent sex? Where's your usual spice? I could've made my Tigers fight for us if I knew you'd do this…." Abis whined before leaning off the network of tightropes overhead and falling. In a twist of dark fabrics and blue skin they turned into a massive black and blue winged bird. Unlike the other Vampires who traveled in clouds of smoke, Abis moved in rain.

The Vampire in bird form flew, letting the waters fall on them all. The magic in the raindrops made Claude want to squirm.

"You."

He suddenly cherished the coverage of his Druidic Shroud in its absence. The Vampiric waters seeped into his armor and glided across his skin like wet spiders. Tasting and inspecting.

"…..You…"

"Claude— the Camazotz look alike is speaking to you."

Claude looked up.

"Yes."

"So he speaks…. Our lord wondered what Abis was so interested in." The Necromancer Humanoid Bat Monster croaked in shriekeshly deep cries.

"Oh but of course. He just likes to keep to himself." Rupont supported.

The Lord of the Herd leaned inward to look at them all. His face fell out of the deeper shadows. His bright red spiked hair moved as if he was underwater. The corpse skirt shifted over his muscled black legs. In his eyes multiple pupils spun like worms in a cup.

"So….. what is the importance of everyone else?" His voice was surprisingly human.

Rupont shook his head, "Nothing. They are only along for the ride. My people on payroll. You know the deal."

"No. Your people…. Are Vampires…. And Some Silver Cursed. You bring a small number— slows the flow of information and corruption. The few you bring have to be important. You aren't just traveling. You're on a mission."

"Of sorts." Rupont nodded.

"Kneel."

Rupont sighed and dropped to one knee.

"You." Claude could feel his gaze. Nothing like Fenrirs. The world didn't feel like it had blown up centuries beforehand and they stood on cold embers. His hairs just rose. Danger. Deaths Ambience was a quiet hum in his ears. But the rumble spread across his bones.

"Stand or I'll hollow you out and use your corpse to terrorize these islands for decades."

Claude rose to his feet.

"[That may have felt like a plain threat— but it was a test. If you were a WereWolf Alpha—]"

"I would've given him an excuse to kill me…. And everyone else." Claude finished as he looked up at the Lord of the Herd through his blindfolded eyes.

"They say a man who willingly gives up one sense of the world has another… for another world. They say a man with no eyes is dangerous because he can't see the faces of those he kills. You aren't dangerous, and you can see. Remove your blindfold."

Claude internally panicked.

"Relax. Use the muscle thing and you can look totally different, right?" Ursula's voice came into his head like a cooling stream of river water.

"Now!" His voice boomed like a sonic blast fast enough to be missed— only felt in his bleeding ears.

He reached up to grab his Druidic blindfold. As he did he used his Muscle Manipulation Skill, beefing up his jaw and lower lip muscles while compacting the ones around his eyebrows and nose.

He didn't look entirely different but it was enough— all he could muster without making his face glow like a green star.

"Who are you…. Why are you here?"

Abis in their rainy avian form landed on his shoulder.

"My name is Dolion. I'm an Alpha of the Lupines of Remus." So fresh after facing Jack and hearing something about his appearance would make the Alpha go nuts made the lie the first to come to mind. A gamble. But he knew from Arne the Lupines of Remus didn't socialize outside their race. Hopefully the Lord of the Herd wasn't privy to that fact. It made sense that he wouldn't be.

The Vampire squinted at him.

His necromantic Bat-Monster did the same with a stretch of its horrid wings, "Your face is familiar..."

"Shit….. he remembers your introduction at the Summit of the Blooded." Cassidy recounted.

"FUCK—"

"[Hang on. Quiet.]"

"Do you have a brother, Dolion?"

"No…." Claude guessed.

A weirdly long silence spread.

"Dolion. Your name proceeds you. Many times over. Mmmmm….. I've heard the Lupines of Remus were at a state of dispersing….. the myth of your sleeping King slowly becoming a dead one. Now you wish to seek expansion beyond your incestuous and cannibalistic grounds?"

Claude nodded.

"So…. How do you, feel about the Red Queen?"

Rupont looked at him from where he kneeled.

"I think she needs our help."