CHPT 395: The Howl of a Lupine....

Claude's eyes burst open with a start. They stung. Every inch of him stung. His muscles felt like they were popping and reforming infinitely, his breaths felt fuller-- as if the demonic air was suddenly as crisp as the night that hung over them. His eyes immediately scanned through the darkness. Ursula was in her cage, still asleep but transforming. Even as they stood in relative silence, her muscles bubbled in the darkness and her eyes glowed from behind her tanned lids. Ahead of her, Frosty lay in his cage. His breaths heavy as he laid against the cold floor.

Under the partially blocked light of the waning moon, he could see the glimmer of blood matting his fur. He'd been cut... stabbed.... burned by the Cyclops.

"[Claude..... I'm so sorry. They would've done more to him but he wanted you awake to witness it, the scrawny bastard.]"

Either way, for the time being. Everyone was still alive. Frosty needed medical attention, but his condition wasn't dire. He was just tired. So tired.

DING!

[God-Granted Skill Boost Requirement met!]

[(Strength of the Jotunn) has been fully awakened!]

Claude's head fell as he hung in suspense of his restraints. The tears leaked in droves, but he didn't let them blur his vision-- his focus.

As he looked down at the floor, he found a few oddities. Dead animals were everywhere. And now that he could smell it, he felt sick. Dead Wolves, dead Hounds, dead foxes, mountain lions, Griffons, snakes. Everything. All laid over grass.

Grass that was never there previously. How grass so lush was growing in a land claimed by Demons was beyond him. Maybe he'd done it when he was using his Element in the Astral Realm.....

But then again, he wasn't doing so as he stood. But, ever so slowly it was spreading. Piece by piece in the darkness as if each blade of grass was a set of eyes and ears to a being Claude didn't not know of.

And the silence. A number of the Demons that once stalked the grounds were gone. He could hear their roars and sounds of violence as they pillaged outside the canyon for reasons unknown.

"[Claude. You did something.]" Arne suddenly said.

"What are you talking about?"

"[I don't exactly know. But it's the reason Ursula is transforming-- the reason you see so many dead animals at your feet. They're fighting a war against the wild out there. Your final howl. It was loud, Claude. Bloody loud. And you called things.... from everywhere. Empowered them. And they're arriving. Then again, others already have I'm afraid.]"

"This is my chance...." Claude thought. He needed to break free now. While he had some sort of chance. Frosty and Ursula needed help. The wilds sacrifice couldn't go in vain. If he had to fight tooth and nail to do so, he would. Even if he lost his arms or legs in the process. Whatever it takes.

He flexed against the binds.

One of the Hexenbiest's crawling along the network of icky black webbing on the higher levels of the canyon screamed at him and sent a telekinetic slash to his face from above.

The wind suddenly gained the form of clawed fingers as it swiped his cheek open at the Demon's command.

SLSHHH!!!

Claudes head swung off to the side. He spit out the blood that had already begun to fill his mouth and looked up at the Demon. He looked at all of them as they peaked in and out of their canyon.

"[Some are afraid-- i've noticed. They sense HellSlayers the same way you sense Demons. And I think the absorption of the Armaments made you a bigger threat to them than ever before.]"

"Good." Claude said flatly.

He let his focus hone the negativity within. Birds flew overhead. A scarce number, but enough.

He called to them-- for their assistance with his Class based abilities. Spoke to them through the language of Tamer and beast. An age-old style of communication that ran deeper than vocal word.

They heard his call.

Three birds no bigger than crows divebombed in the darkness and descended on the HellBred Arachnoids and Hexenbiests like a midnight swarm.

Their screeches were loud. Fierceness that mirrored his own inner intensity. As the Demonic monsters screamed and swatted at the attackers, Claude activated (Unbound).

His body burst in green flames mocking the shape of busted chains as a wolf howled from seemingly everywhere at once.

When it all died down, he remained restrained. And the crows had fled at the sight of deep red hellflames and deadly webs. A failure.

"Keep trying." He said, unfazed by the failed escape attempt.

As he wracked his brain for another idea while the skill was on cooldown, that familiar scratching at his wrists came once again.

He looked down reflexively, trying to find what it was. All he noticed at first was the change to his body. His muscles had grown. He looked bigger. Not grotesquely buff, but fuller without a doubt. And the veins in his shoulders and arms were glowing. A wild verdant green. Small spirals of steam rose from the surface.

"[What did you do while you were asleep....]"

"I embraced what I am..... again-- I think."

The scratching came again, followed by the small sheering of metal. His binds had loosened around his feet.

"The hell..." Claude fought to remain calm, to not tip off what seemed to be things working in his favor.

It came again, followed by a frustrated hiss.

"You're doing fine. Stay calm... Stay focused with me and your assistance won't be in vain." Claude tried to sooth his unseen supporter.

Whatever was going to work at his binds behind him purred in response.

"[Blimey. She came all this way....]" Following Arne's words, the creature stepped out beside Claude. In the dark, the creature was naturally camouflaged. Invisible under the shadows, but the feline green eyes remained. That was all he needed to see who it was.

"Long time no see." Claude said as the Glorian Lion purred a reply.

And then it was off in response to the sound of footsteps.

The Elven Murderer entered the canyon, steps angry and forceful. He was covered in blood. None of it his. Probably all belonging to the dozens of creatures he held by the tail to show Claude.

"Nice trick... but useless in the end." He said in a tone as dead as the animals he dropped in front of Claude.

The Harpy suddenly flew overhead. Her transformed state both nightmarish and beautiful under the moonlight. Her feathers glimmered and shined in all manner of colors. Blues, silvers, greens, yellows, reds. Shaped and formed into something natural. Natural. Such an unfitting word for the monster as she devoured a wolf mid-air with her beaked jaws and taloned fingers.

She dropped the remains in front of Claude and stared daggers into him.

Claude didn't look away from her until The Elf spoke to him.

"You slept a long time."

"..."

"Long enough to remember the location of the Armaments I hope."

Claude's pulse raised as Frosty's ears perked up. He knew what was coming. Keeping the focus he had gained grew hard.

"No?" The Elven Murderer assumed, "Ok, that's fine. I was waiting for you to awaken so we could continue our show anyway. He's a feisty one so it could get messy. I suggest you find your answer within that time. Or I'll move onto the girl next. Where is the Gnoll!?"

Claude yanked at his binds, urging himself to think. He could hear the beast coming from outside.

"No...no! GOD DAMMIT!" It felt like he was back to square one. "WAIT!"

Just as the PitGnoll arrived, the grass that had begun to cover the stone floor exploded in size as it grew out to Frosty's cage.

Claude didn't use any magic...

Everyone in the canyon froze.

A healing wave rose from the grass, bringing life to Frosty's injured state. Another-- powerful, skilled. Ancient.

The PitGnoll barked and sent a stream of fire from his Armament infused arm at the grass. It burned and smelled like death corrupted by things he couldn't describe.

Then the grass grew back.

The PitGnoll moved to do it again, but the Elf stopped him by placing his hand on the creature.

"Stop!....Stop stop." He sounded more alive than ever. He sounded like Cyrene in the presence of her ideal monster.

Claude suddenly knew who the Elfs ideal Monster was.

An odd thought.

The Elf began to laugh. A weird and muffled sound that erupted form his masked face.

"Yes! I will get what I want. The Order of Midnight demands it!"

"The what?"

Before Claude could think any more on what the Elf said, the Harpy hissed angrily.

"He's here. It's the Druid.... "

And that's when Claude heard him. Whistling some old folkish tune as he approached the canyon in the distance. It didn't sound as happy as usual. In fact, it sounded dark-- like violence and death made melodic and intimately vocal.

In a weird way, it sounded like Death's Ambience.....