CHPT 348: Execution, A Choice Not Often Expressed In the Face of Monstrosity....

After the events in the forest with the HellBred and the Satyr's had come to a very confusing close, the rest of the day flew by at it's usual speed. Spent hauling the massive Demonic corpses into a crackling bonfire in silence followed by training and hunting until the sun fell-- even earlier than the previous day.

When night came, the cold grew-- transformed, like a Silver Cursed man on a Full Moon. Once an innocent and warmhearted young man, made into an ice-cold beast of magic and bloodlust.

Claude was glad the cold didn't seem to bother him all that much. He had a feeling if it did affect him normally, it would've consumed every ounce of warmth held within him like a starved Wolf. Even with his closeness to the fire that had long since burned the corpses of HellBred Centaurs, Goblins and Satyr's to unrecognizable murky black embers, the cold winds hovered around them just waiting for the crackling flames to quiet.

But, that wasn't happening any time soon. In fact, in the awkward silence shared between him and Ursula, it felt like the flames of the fire would last forever.

Ever since his run in with the Satyr-- she hadn't spoken much. In fact, she hadn't really spoken at all, and with Rollan gone it made the day exceptionally quiet. In an odd way, it was fortunate he too, was deep in his own mind, or else the day would've felt even longer than it did as he sat near the fire with it's warmth pressed firmly against his face.

"[I'm sure she's just rattled, mate. It's natural, think about how long it took for all of this to be laid out to you. Such a short span of time....for her it's been even shorter. I can only imagine how full her mind is with all of this. I'm sure small talk would help in taking the edge off, hm?]" Arne provided over the steady crackle of flames biting away at the thick logs of wood.

"Right...." Claude replied before sitting up, "So.....we've been making a lot of progress out there....."

Ursula looked up from her calloused hands, forced a smile and nodded, "Yea.."

The silence spread like a dragon opening it's wings for a morning stretch.

"You know when Rollan's getting back? I'm sure he would've wanted to put the corpses in an....actual effigy."

"[Oh for fucks sake, can you talk about anything other than Monsters, you twit?]"

"ALRIGHT! Fuck this..." Claude snapped, grabbing everyone's attention before looking back to Ursula, "Talk to me before I go nuts. I respected your silence and tried not to pry into your brain in hopes that you'd tell me on your own...but what the fuck? You've been in your head the entire day with that look on your face.....that's my thing.....you're supposed to be the one who's upfront about everything.."

Ursula laughed for the first time all day. Not a hysterical laugh but one of understanding as she nodded in agreement, "....Damn. I guess I usually am a bit more upfront about everything. Then again-- I've never seen anyone save a Monster......I don't know if you know this or not Claude, but that is a fundamental difference to what we've been taught our whole lives. To what we've seen even. I mean don't get me wrong...I understand my own hypocrisy-- with me being a literal Shape-Shifter questioning saving a Monster. But I come from being a Human just like you...."

Claude didn't speak, sensing she was still looking for the words to express her thoughts verbally.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is.....why? Why them? Where does it stop for you? We kill Monsters all the time....it's what we've been taught to do.....why?" Ursula finished.

Claude sighed and ran a hand through his black hair, feeling how cold it was despite how warm he felt, "In the beginning I wasn't entirely sure why. But, I've had time to think it over....to think into why it wasn't right. It's not as simple as one reason or the other....it's a number of things-- a number of experiences. Not all Monsters are mindless or without reason.....there's victims and innocents on both sides. Just like there's Humans that are Monsters....and Monsters with humanity....at least that's what I think..."

"How do you know those Satyr's wont go run through a village a kill everyone with a pulse? How do you know you didn't make a mistake.....?" Ursula said as she ran a hand over her face in a mannerism that often indicated stress.

Claude shrugged, "To be honest I don't....."

"Oh that's just.....that's phenomenal." Ursula retorted sarcastically.

"Then again, how would I know the same for any Humans I've saved?...wait that's so smart.." Claude said, surprising even himself as he looked into the fire.

Ursula seemed to feel the same way as she nodded along in silence, "So what? We save Monsters now?"

Claude shook his head, "We make choices. Remember, it's not as simple as one reason or the other. It's many...one of which being the path of Druidry....."

Ursula's eyebrows climbed up her face, "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Long story. The point is we make choices with what we know.....i've seen Monsters in this forest...living without thirsting for Human blood and flesh. Some are trying to survive just like us....who are we to step in the way of that if they aren't in our way....I'm just trying to do the right thing. I think part of that is saving who I can...maybe the sides don't matter as much to me anymore...I don't know-- I'm still figuring it out."

Ursula laughed nervously, "That makes two of us.....hehe...Here I was thinking you've done this before."

"....."

Claude's face must've given up the words his mouth failed to provide.

"How many?"

"What?" Claude replied, avoiding her eye contact.

"Don't fuck around, coolface. How many Monsters have you saved? You told me no more big secrets!"

The fire flickered and flinched as her breaths gained an icy edge that matched the glow of her eyes.

"Allright chill out....damn. Less than a month ago.....Banshee's." Claude decided to leave out the portion about the Heroes trying to gain entry into the Midnight Wardens Guild.

"...How many?"

"The whole Tangent..."

Ursula's face paled, "Holy shit.....Banshee's are SpiritBorn....how do you know they haven't been following you?" She asked while looking up at the sky with a look of terror on her face.

"I don't. But they didn't deserve what they were facing....It wasn't right. So I stepped in. They left me with a gift and then I woke up back outside.."

".....Claude...."

"Wh--"

"A GIFT??" She interrupted.

"It's not too crazy....just a sensory Skill...."

Ursula's face suddenly went hard-- she was thinking, "...The music....You said you could hear the music in the Ghoul Tangent."

"[How in the bloody hell can she do that?]"

"You sure you don't want to be a Detective?" Claude attempted a joke.

Ursula ran her hands over her head again, "Claude. You can't tell anyone else this...."

"Obviously."

"No I'm serious." She said firmly, "Right now, you're only at ends with Ronin.....but if someone were to find out you can be given abilities through magical transfer by other Monsters....that would put you up against The Nine as a whole....maybe even all Heroes. Claude, do you understand how groundbreaking that information is?"

"You make a good point....." Claude replied as he pressed his closed fists to his lips, letting the full realization dawn on him for the first time.

Sure it was a simple-- yet powerful, Skill. But the potential of the concept was where the danger resided. He suddenly found himself imagining the same instance with the Banshee's playing out in a Mythic Level Tangent with a pack of Silver Cursed.....or a Clan of Snow Elves that felt more charitable than hostile...what could come from such a gift at that level if it was possible? If it was always that simple?

He sat on the log in silence for a handful of minutes just thinking it over to himself. Maybe even more time passed due to the sound that emanated from the person sitting across the fire from him.

Ursula faintly laughed to herself in response to her own thoughts, pulling Claude out of his own mind to look at her face that was still faintly lined with shock.

"What?" He asked from across the fire as Frosty rolled over at his feet.

"Saving Monsters and getting Skills from them.....It's just insane....but it makes so much sense that you'd be the one to do it in a weird way." She said with her half-smile still giving her freckled cheeks a rosy glow.

Claude shrugged defensively, "What? Did you want to kill the Satyr and his little brother....or son? I already have enough trouble sleeping.....I couldn't do it."

Ursula continued to faintly laugh at the oddly practical hilarity of it all as she slapped the log she was sitting on causing Blackbeak to squawk along to the beat, "Honestly....I couldn't either. Fuck all that."

***

A critical adjustment had just been made in their way of moving as Heroes, where that would take them, one could only imagine...