CHPT 347: What is Right?....Where Will my Ideals Take Us?

It didn't take long for him to catch up with Ursula and the others-- now hot on the trail of the fleeing HellBred Satyr. On his way to catch up with them, he found the three others it had killed that Ursula spoke about. They were obliterated.

It looked like they were hit by cannon balls. Bodies sat slumped against trees with no heads to be found-- all that stood in their place was black blood and bits of brain that splattered against the bark of the trees they laid against.

One clean and powerful shot.

The idea of a Satyr with that much kicking power made Claude's skin tingle-- it also made him miss the blur of movement ahead between two evergreens.

"There!" Ursula shouted from behind him, locking him back into the chase.

They were close now. Claude sped up, following his Prey Drive while motioning for Frosty to follow him. The two wolven brothers swept through the forest in a Wild Magic boosted sprint, turning and veering off path in an attempt to hit the two runners from the side and finish the fight for good.

Along the way their scents grew clearer. The typical demon stench still hung firmly on the air and disrupted his nose, but he could still clearly make out the musky wild odor of Satyr....along with a fainter smell that was reminiscent of Satyr...combined with a creamy-- almost milky, scent.

He couldn't help but realize how the scent alarmed something within his mind- making him hesitant. He shook off the feeling and closed in.

All he needed was another chance to see them-- which he did. Another blur. The sight pulled him into motion, lunging forward and reaching for the Nature that flowed beneath their cloven feet.

It all happened in a second. By the time it was over, he was rolling through the forest with Frosty at his side, ready to face the rooted Demonic Satyr they now stood in front of instead of behind.

That was the plan. To face it. The Demon. The Intruder. The Unnatural Monster.....only that wasn't what he was looking at.

The Adult Male Satyr stood on high alert. It's masculine muscled physique rose and fell with each heavy breathe it sucked in through it's hybrid face. It was one of the less human looking Satyr's. Blanketed in thick dark brown-- almost black fur with lines of whitish-grey running in rings around it's mane of hair that flowed down it's neck and back. It's snouted face trembled, barely containing a protective snarl that shook it's dark lips, revealing the sharp teeth within.

It's horizontal goat-like yellow eyes watched him intently. They burned with an intensity that made fire look icy. An otherworldly determination ignited the beast like the sun.

And Claude knew why as his eyes trailed down to what moved behind the Adult Satyr's legs.

Another Satyr....

Smaller than the other and missing it's protective horns. It looked more human-- almost like a young boy-- no older than ten, covered in a thin layer of brownish blonde fur. The crusted remains of tears ran down the young creatures face, staining it's tanned cheeks and emboldening it's traumatized eyes as it continued to try and move it's legs that were stuck in Claude's roots.

He now understood that odd milky scent from before. The scent of a young child....so reminiscent of a human child....

He hadn't moved for a handful of seconds, but it felt like they'd all been looking at each-other for decades.

Then, the others began to catch up.

The Satyr heard it at the same time as Claude, shown in the way it's left ear twitched followed by it's fur standing on end.

"NAAAGHHH!!" The Satyr let out a beastial mannish roar in a panick.

"WAIT!....Wait!" The words escaped Claude's lips before he even decided his next move. In all honesty he was surprised by where his mind was taking him.

Ursula and the others came to a stop just as they got sight of the two Satyr's, causing them to panic further in an attempt to escape the constantly regenerating binds.

"Get back!" Claude snapped at the others who regarded him with confusion, "Get! Back!" He repeated firmly.

"Claude....what are you doing?" Ursula asked through their Bond unintentionally.

"Not a Demon....." Claude said before taking a slow step towards the Satyr's. "It's not.....it's not right...."

One of his core values-- one of his driving factors as a Lupine. It seemed to have taken control of his mind once again....only this time, there was no Full Moon influence. Only his own decisions and their consequences.

It wasn't right.

Claude took a step forward, along with Frosty.

"NAAGH!" The Satyr protested, increasing it's protection of the young Satyr.

Claude froze in his tracks and raised his hands, closing his eyes as he tried to force himself to relax.

The Satyr's watched as his change retreated until he was left in his human form. No claws, no fangs, no fur, no wild eyes. No immediate dangers or weapons.

The action seemed to work partially, leaving the adult creature confused but no less protective.

Ursula watched him continue to close in from a distance. Millions of questions fired off in her mind and even more were left unspoken from somewhere deeper within. Not an ounce of fear seemed to show in his eyes as he approached the Satyr that had already shown it can explode heads with a kick.

Instead, he looked confused-- remorseful. She often refrained from reaching into his mind through their bond due to the chaos of his thoughts and feelings-- but she couldn't help doing so this time around.

"--ot right.....it's not right...." His thoughts repeated in a clear tone that was stuck somewhere between anger and determination.

After a few seconds, he was crouching beside the adult Satyr who held the younger Satyr behind it with a fierce protectiveness as Claude ripped apart the binds holding it's massive legs.

As soon as Claude finished, she watched him back away slowly, not even casting a glance at the younger Satyr.

"Good move.." She found herself saying despite her previous hesitance over the matter.

Once he was far enough away, he stood back up and watched as the adult Satyr hesitantly began freeing the younger.

When it was freed, the four looked at each-other in the grass in silent observance for a few seconds as Ursula watched.

She couldn't help but notice the similarity. In a weird way, they were mirroring each other. The Satyr and his younger brother-- son? facing the Lupine and his own.

Seemingly from two very different walks of life-- made similar through their understanding of connection.....protection...growing...leading. Their difference wasn't so clear cut as they stood facing each other. The sight confused her to no end.

***

".....Why aren't they leaving...?" Claude asked Arne as they stood frozen, trying not to spook the Satyr's.

"[I have no idea....about what's happening at all quite frankly...]"

Following his words, the Satyr moved towards him, motioning for the younger of the two to stay behind it.

"[Oh for fucks sake....]" Arne cursed as the two came to a stop in front of each other. The Satyr stood about tree inches taller than Claude and shadowed over him with it's closeness.

So close that Claude could smell the berries on it's breath and the blood of Demons beneath it's hooves.

Following his scenting, the Satyr did the same, causing it's large nostrils to expand further before it hesitantly leaned in and sniffed his shoulder. It was an oddly exact motion-- like it meant something.

He was stunned by it all to say the least-- even more stunned when he found himself leaning in to do the same. As he moved in to smell the Satyr's opposite shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Frosty leaning forward so intently that he was practically laying down with his snout twitching as he smelled the younger Satyr's outreached hand. The wind of his wagging tail fell on Claude's leg in calm beats.

After a few sniffs, the Satyr backed away causing Claude and Frosty to do the same.

With nothing left to do, the Satyr puffed out it's chest and snorted in his face, sending snot and spit splashing into his face before exploding past him and taking off into the forest with his younger family member close behind.

With the Satyr duo gone, whatever intensity had been holding him suddenly let go, threatening to send him to his knees as the rest of the pack exploded from the forest to surround him and Frosty.

Ursula watched him with a look of shock still in her eyes, "What the hell was that?"

Claude answered honestly, "I'm not entirely sure....."