CHPT 243: Vengeance in the face of Vengeance, Realizations at the Break of Dawn...

Early mornings....

A time of peace, the break of dawn brought with it the chirping of birds and frolicking of all manner of species. To experience the sun's ascension towards the sky in the heart of the wild was a therapeutic endeavor-- usually.

For most people that was the case. For Claude, it was in direct contrast to what he was currently experiencing.

The forest felt empty-- like a hollow rendition of what the wild was actually supposed to be. Green life bloomed at every corner but he felt like he was viewing it through a new lens. A lens tainted by a darkness that festered even under the-- once calming, light of the rising sun that broke through the gaps in the trees above.

The sun's yellowy--green rays splashed against the back of his long awaited tormentor, highlighting it's damaged physique and feminine gait as they circled each-other warily. To see it move so human-- yet so alien, was horrifying in a way he'd never experienced.

The thought didn't last long. In all honesty, he didn't give a damn how it moved. His hatred washed over the eerie simplicities of the creature and immediately began planning out how he'd further dismember the demon and end its destructive path towards vengeance.

While they circled one another, Claude changed further. His body pushing him towards the full transformation he hadn't yet unlocked. His skin grew darker-- taking on a dark grey tint and toughening to an almost leathery texture. The HellBreeder watched with interest as his ears sharpened and broke free from the mane of black hair around his face that lengthened down to his shoulders like curtains. His growing muscles stretched his black shirt and pants until he eventually raised a hand tipped by sleek black claws and ripped the shirt off, dropping the fabric between them in steaming tatters of what it once was.

The HellBreeder's sharp mandibles split, revealing a twisted smile as it scrutinized his body that continued to grow-- lined by bulging veins and the beginnings of deep black fur that spread across his wide chest, shoulders and tensed forearms. It was beginning to get an understanding of how it's children had been slain by an individual of such a young age.

The two now faced each other in something close to their truest forms.

A being stuck somewhere between Man and Monster, backed by his pack of Wolven siblings and emboldened by his own vengeful hatred.....

A Mother of Malevolence roused by similar feelings twisted into something dark and without reason.....

Two opposing forces led by similar motives. Lupine Vs. HellBreeder, Will of the Wild Vs. Hellfire, Monster Vs. Demon. Violence in it's most primal form, cultivating and waiting to be unleashed at the break of dawn.

***

"Gooood. You kkknowww who I amm....hahaha." The HellBreeder replied to him, ending her sentence with a lifeless bellowing laugh that sounded like it came from all around the area instead of her mouth. "Telll me. What haaave you read? Hm? hahah. What fables and hearsayyyyy have the humans ppput in your books? Wwhat have they told yyyouu about our kind to which they know lllllittle?"

Claude snarled, "It doesn't matter what I've read. You're hurt. You're not at your best. I'm going to rip your tail off and run you through with it...."

The Demon let out another lifeless cackle, continuing the switch of her hips with each step while her tail swayed back and forth as if to taunt Claude. "I understandddd why you've beeeen able to survive. I've wwwwatched yyyou and your friends...you ppretend to beeee like them but...you aren't. You are different from when yyouuu killed my sssssnake."

Claude stilled for a moment, panicking as he thought of how close they were to the Aslan Estate.

"[A little under a mile. Relax, focus on your opponent and try to draw her further away just in case.]" Arne cut in.

Claude exhaled sharply through his nose with agitation and refocused himself on the HellBreeder-- the HellBreeder who's eyes now watered with glimmering beads of liquid trailing from them. She was...crying?

The feminine walk disappeared, her back curled followed by her scorpion-like tail beginning to vibrate like an agitated rattle-snake while her one remaining arm raised to point at him, "You.....inhuman child! You killllled my BABIES!.....My Snake!....My Spider! Yoouuuu will pay for that!"

The sudden showing of emotion was horrifying. The tears that leaked down the plated armor over her face combined with the hysterical screaming shrills of a grieving mother made Claude shiver slightly. It was so unnatural.

She continued to tell him he'd pay until he spoke over her-- unable to contain the anger that shook his rumbling voice. "Not as much as you will for letting your disgusting offspring destroy that village."

The HellBreeder let out a reptilian hiss and charged him.

He moved in response, his innate understanding of body-language worked overtime to tell him a more accurate story of the creature's injuries.

With every step it made-- it's body showcased a lack of fluidity. A failure to bend it's left leg completely-- a cut to the back of the knee. A lean on the right side of it's torso that it failed to hide every time it's right foot slammed into the earth-- blunt force trauma to the ribs. Whatever the Demon fought before could've finished the job, but he'd have to take that chance now.

He stayed on it's left side-- purposefully sticking to the side without an arm, causing the HellBreeder to have to swing it's right arm awkwardly in an attempt to reach him. Before it could, he dropped to a slide-- feeling the wind of its claws missing his face as he slid across the dirt and sunk his sword into the back of its knee.

SHlck!

"AAARCK!"

His sword sunk through the soft tissue behind it's knee that was already cut-- making the injury worse than before in an instant, the immediate scent of burning toxic fumes immerged from the wound as he slid by-- stunning his senses to the point that he almost missed the sight of it's tail flying straight for his face.

FWOO---chmp!

"grRRRRr...."

Before the tail could hit him mid-slide, a set of shadowy jaws bigger than his head closed around the HellBreeder's tail with an otherworldly strength and threw it away from him.

Fwoo!

In a rush, he kicked himself up off the ground and turned to face the creature.

It flew through the air-- flailing chaotically at first, and then it's tail began working as a counterbalance, causing it to spin and land on it's feet.

The exchange lasted less than a handful of seconds, ending in them in opposite positions with blood already dying the ground around them.

Claude eyed the creature from the across the field, a light bounce in his feet and hands raised. He was ready to go again.

"[Be wary of the Hellfire it most likely produces. If it burns you, you have no way of extinguishing it.]" Arne said in a serious tone.

"I remember." Claude replied.

"Not baaaad child. Tasting your terror as yyyyyou lllose hopppe in winning will be ammmmmazing...." The HellBreeder hissed.

"Shut the fuck up and fight!" Claude snarled, a sound made more intense by the Phantom Legion and Frosty.

The HellBreeder's tail smacked the ground, shaking it violently, "WITH PLEASURE!!"

FW--SNAP!

The two froze mid-charge. Still as stone with their senses on high alert.

Within their empty battle-ground of a forest, something moved. Something walked within the forest beside them, brave enough to enter-- yet aware enough to know that they just alerted four of the most dangerous individuals in the forest for miles.

The HellBreeder straightened-- standing less like a Demonic Monster and more like a Noblewoman again. It's mandibles opened with a fleshy stretch, giving the creature room for its forked black tongue to emerge and scent the air.

A few soundless seconds passed before it's tail started to wag and a smile formed on it's armored face.

During this time, Claude raised his nose to the sky-- copied by his wolves. He felt his body abruptly strengthen at the scent of fear before quickly shying away in the presence of another scent. A scent that made his mouth go dry as stone.

Honey and flowers....

"[.....Shit.]"

"Hahhaha.....yourrrr fear smelllls delicious child.....show yourselllfffff...now."

The bushes to the left of him rustled and crunched under footsteps before a human emerged, clad in dark pants and a form-fitting blue shirt. Her hands that were once balled into fists opened-- copying the motion of her mouth as she was taken over by shock.

Shock at seeing the HellBreeder for the first time in all its glory. Shock at seeing the hulking mass of grey tinted skin, veiny muscle and dark fur standing across from it-- backed by a giant smokey mass with six eyes.

For a moment she stood frozen, no longer looking at the HellBreeder and instead watching the other being on the field. His face was hidden by the long locks of his black hair, but the green glow of his eyes was visible from beyond the shadows. Next to him, Frosty snarled at the HellBreeder with an intense focus.

Her blood ran as cold as her ice, "....C-Claude?"

The HellBreeder watched with a sick form of excitement in the following silence.

"Go back.....please."

It took a moment for her to understand the words since all of her focus hung on the difference in voice for a moment.

"Ursula....go back to the Estate. Wake everyone up. Isaac's mother if you have to. If I don't make it, then it's going to the Estate after. So...go back."

She stiffened, looking from him to the HellBreeder, "....W-what about you? You'll be by yourself..wha--"

"Not quite.....and I think by now, you know I can protect myself.." He replied before him and his wolves turned to face her in sync.

Now it was her turn to pretend to be a statue. The outside world fell silent and his eyes ripped through her like knives while a memory played on repeat in her head like a broken record.

"If my boys are Monsters-- as you say, then so is your troubled Hero."

Ronin's words screamed within her mind as if the truth was beating its way to her brain. And yet, she still didn't want to leave. Every instance of suspicion-- the snake bite, the table, the Ratman cave, the Full Moon, the Blizzard. It all came together like the pieces to a puzzle and yet. She still didn't see him as a Monster. Sure he looked nearly unrecognizable-- scary enough to make her feel like fainting. But, her memory of Monsters-- Monsters like Jack wasn't how she was seeing Claude. Monsters were mindless, feral and out of control.

What she saw in front of her was still her friend. Still in control of his mind. And still trying to save the day.

Her vision blurred from the tears welling up in her eyes as she watched Claude in his partially shifted state, mouthing apologies. She couldn't hear them, but she knew what he was saying as her hearing returned and strained against the sound of the HellBreeder's lifeless laughs.

"hahahahHAHAHAH!....You humans are funny...and weak.."

"Hey!...Focus on me dammit. I'm the threat...we are the threat." Claude growled while the Wolves behind him snapped at the creature.

The HellBreeder turned back to him with a wicked gleam in its eyes. "Is that right?"

"Yea. It is. Ask your bum knee..."

The HellBreeder hissed angrily, "Yyyyouurrr mouthh willll brinng youuu mmore torment than yyour ready for!"

Claude raised his sword, "Ursula you need to leave now. Go back to the Estate-- but don't bring anyone here....I...I can't change back fast enough. Just find a way to make them wait as a failsafe. We'll talk after."

Ursula's mouth opened but no words came. Her angered and shocked mind worked instead, "...There you go again. Dammit! There you go again. First with the snake, then in the cave, then in the Tangent and the Blizzard. I'm NOT staying on the sidelines. Why do you keep having to do this alone! WHY CAN--"

"Ursula! Go!" Claude repeated.

She stumbled in response to the sound, causing a cascade of movements to explode into action.

The HellBreeder looked from Claude to her and leapt of the ground in a flash. In response to its movements, Claude and his Wolves followed like a pack after a rabbit.

FWOO!

Boom!

The Demon landed behind her loudly, blocking her exit and stopping Claude's chase.

"Youu willll not be lllleaving...." The HellBreeder cooed while approaching Ursula.

In an instant, Frosty exploded from between her legs and Claude jumped over her, standing in the face of the approaching creature instead.

The two eyed eachother for a long stretch of seconds until the HellBreeder broke the silence, "Youuu....inhuman child! You tooook my babies....now I willl make you watch me take your human girl....."

They continued backing away while the demon approached, Claude growled curses while steam rose from his back.

Suddenly, the Demon exhaled and stopped-- casually letting them continue creating space while it checked the nails of its remaining hand in a feminine gesture that screamed of an eerie level of calm and boredom. It was letting them back away, it knew they weren't truly going anywhere.

The Demon stayed that way for a long span of seconds while they moved as far away as possible.

"Do you have any weapons?" Claude asked her in a rush as they backpedaled from the creature.

"Yea." she replied before raising the two ice spikes that she conjured in a rush.

Claude snarled without looking at her and turned, handing out his sword that was already slicked with black blood.

She froze for a moment, simply eyeing the hands that held the blade. Thick scarred fingers, hard grey skin, oily black claws.

"Take it. Carrying a sword like this is difficult anyway."

While she reached out to take the blade he continued, "I...I understand your probably in shock right now. More than you know-- but we have to focus right now. Focus on surviving and killing this bastard. We can talk after, but focus now."

With a brain-clearing sigh, she grabbed the blade in a firmer grip, twisting it a few times to warm her wrists before settling into a combat stance, "Ok. Focus. I can do that. As long as you promise to talk to me after we get rid of this Demonic trash."

Claude raised his Aura shrouded claws, "Deal....just remember thats what you asked for."

The HellBreeder copied their stances with its tail raised. Violence was on the horizon.

Just as the sun rose, the promise of blood and violence did the same-- it waited eagerly to have absolute precedence over the tainted grounds as the sun did over the earth..

Silence had fallen back over the forest, allowing the HellBreeder's words to be unmistakably understood and leaving nothing but the option to fight in its wake. A new dynamic had just been added to the battle, and the HellBreeder loved it. Loved what would come from it. More pain. More sorrow. More blood. All the battle had to do was....begin.

"Heyyy.....Cllllaude. I long to avvvenge my babies. Stop yourrr talkingg....What was it yyyouuu saidd?? Shut the ffffuck up and fight, rrright?? Lets do that, nowww."