CHPT 301: Nothing has Changed....

The battle against the Harpies was a distant memory. Very distant in his mind. But, as he ran through the forest, burning off the maddening energy absorbed when he grabbed hold of his Lunar Artifact, the symptoms of the battle remained.

Their blood. It still coated his oily black claws, still mixed with Frosty's frothy saliva that fell from his jaws in reddened globs as they bounded through the wild. Even his fur, along his arms and chest was matted by dirt, twigs and more blood. Some of it being his own, leaking from long slash marks that marred his sides and shoulders where they sunk and swiped with their talons.

Another battle survived. Another lesson learned. Maybe more than one....

Either way, he didn't think much of it. After it was all said and done, and the magic of the Moon no longer piloted his brain and super charged his muscles. His mind was his own once again, and he found himself walking with the automatic directional knowledge of the Lupines towards Rollan's home once again.

Hopefully the man would be deeply asleep within his home with the bird and Ursula safely doing the same. Soon enough she'd find that sleep would no longer be a very important part of her life. Now was her time to enjoy it, she didn't have much left.....

He shook off the thought of the world of pains she'd soon feel as he stomped through the forest. He had other matters to wrap his head around.

"[So.....]"

"Hm."

"[Roman Monsters....]"

Claude sighed and looked up at the sky, giant werebird women no longer loitered the expanse of night, screeching obsenities and flexing their talons with malicious extent. He held a new appreciation for silence following the gruesome deaths of the Harpies...if that was at all possible.

"Roman Monsters.....yea.." He took his eyes off the sky as the canopy of a near collection of trees swallowed up the navy blue and sunny orange expanse. Morning was near.

"[Is it worth it?]" Arne asked, almost in a whisper.

Claude rubbed a hand over the spot where the leading Harpy stuck her talons into his side. The injury just below his ribcage was already scabbed over and itchy. He didn't know how long it'd been, but his rate of healing had definitely increased. Lunar Evolution was incredible. And still, he found himself seriously considering if it was worth it....dawning the title of a Druid that is.

The doubt lasted a few seconds before an image flashed across his mind and a word whistled into his ears.

Tall...Bronze skin...muscles made for murder....a devilishly handsome face followed by a devilishly hideous transformation. He saw that horrid true form break from the mans handsome allure before his arm was bitten hard enough to split bone. The sight of his silky black ponytail slithering in the wind still made him shiver...his followers were never far.

Dolion...Jack...Samuel...Remus. All of them.

The final part of his very simple equation involving them and their eradication was personal growth. Power, to put it simply.

"Yea, it may not be ideal, but it's worth it. I need a teacher Arne...I fucking suck with my Element....Isaac could already use Elemental Shroud in it's beginning stages as a Knight. Warren can conjure small scale tornadoes.....Maris can pull the blood out of anyone she cuts. Even Ursula was making frozen armor from her sweat. All at levels that are a fraction of mine. I should be doing more."

"[And you believe Rollan will get you there?]"

A cool breeze ruffled the forest and sent the rich untainted scents of the wild into his nose, "I do. We both know there's more to Rollan than what meets the eye. He could teach me things I need. Get me closer to gaining more power and control, and along the way I can keep helping him. Sure I'll have a new set of Monsters attracted to me, but if i can't deal with that then I'm fucked when Remus wakes up."

"[....IF Remus isn't already awake.]"

Claude's insides flexed so hard he thought he was filled with metal trinkets meant to represent the organs he once had, "Why the fu--....Can you not say shit like that when we're walking through a forest in the dead of night?"

"[Of course. Forgive me, Claude. That was rather crass considering the way your plate is already overwhelming with personal and existential dilemmas...]"

Ashe who was trotting beside him and watching as he spoke with Arne, let out an oddly understandable wolven cackle following the guide's words. His face must've given away what the guide was saying.

".....Nice, Arne."

Arne's light banter littered with regal hints of sarcasm and any other socially comedic strategies kept up for the rest of the walk as the sun slowly rose. By the time he was back in recognizable areas, he was relatively relaxed and he could feel the beginnings of true tiredness pulling at the back of his mind. But, that familiar buzz of lingering Lunar Magic remained....