CHPT 396: Oak Awakened, Purpose Reborn....

"The Druid is here...."

After Claude had heard the Harpy confirm his suspicions, Rollan's ominous melodic tune only rose louder. Like the steady tick of a bomb following a calm cadence.

It was chilling. Rollan had only ever been chilling to Claude one other time. And that was nothing in comparison to what he felt as he stood tied to the pole at his back. His steps sounded like they were coming from below ground-- a dull rippling thud. The Demons hidden in the canyon hooted and hollered like Monkeys gone mad as the grass continued to spread.

"Watch yourself, you arrogant bastard!" The Elven Murderer yelled out to him before slamming one of his chained blades into the grass creeping toward him.

FWSHH!

The grass exploded into vines that twisted and wrapped around the blade, attempting to secure it immediately. The attempt failed in response to a stream of blue flames exploding from the Elfs hands. It trailed down the chains around his wrists and coated his blade, burning the vine-like binds quickly.

No growth boost followed.

"Those flames aren't normal." Claude thought passively.

The tune faded...

"[I'm afraid nothing happening right now is normal. In fact, as Rollan would say, th--]"

"This seems to be some heavy shit you've got yourself into Monsieur, no?" Rollan said, suddenly standing right beside him.

Claude almost jumped out of his skin. The Harpy screeched as if she couldn't see him entering the canyon-- as if he appeared out of thin air...

The foulest of smells lingered on the air more strongly than usual. It radiated from Rollan like heat from a furnace. He studied the man in the silence as best he could, with the little time he felt he had.

The usual stood in front of him. A tall dark-skinned man of late-middle age. No older than fifty. No taller than six foot six. He wore nothing but a torn tattered green sweater, ripped up black pants and no shoes. His blindfold strapped firmly over his eyes and ears looked the same as always.

And his cane-sword. It was so caked in blood and viscera that it looked two inches thicker than usual. Thats what he smelled.

Demons.

He must've been out there. In the war that waged in the distance, loud enough to shake Claude's core and make him think the world was ending outside.

"What did you do out there, Monsieur?" Rollan whispered to him without turning his face from the Demons that had begun to gather ahead in the shadows.

Claude shook his head, "I-- I don't know...."

"Well, I'll tell you what, Monsieur. In all my short years of living. I've never seen anything like it... not a thing. We could survive this, no? But when I free you, you must join them-- empower your wild-blooded allies, yes? And we can escape the touch of the desert...." Rollan whispered in a rush before facing the Demons more directly.

"What are you talking ab--"

"Liam Beauregarde! How you've changed." Rollan suddenly interrupted.

The Elf stiffened momentarily. Claude had never seen him move with such intensity-- life, even. Rollan poked him in areas Claude didn't know existed within the lifeless killer. Why?

"That is not my name anymore, Ligneore. I shed my beginnings as you've forgotten yours, you pitiful drunk!" The Elven Murderer's French accent had thickened in his anger.

"Nothing is forgotten--"

"Oh?! I bet you things are hidden though, my fellow Javelin failure. Don't try to hide your surprise...... you never thought you'd see me again. Did you?"

Rollan's entire being had gone hard. As hard and dark as the tune he once sang so fervently. "No. There was a time-- a very short time where I assumed I'd never seen anyone from that part of my life again, yes? But then, I found the Elves. Oui, I found them. Their distorted remains and stolen parts. It was reminiscent of you. I had an idea that it could've been you. But the last I heard; you were Piloting the BloodStarved in Arthuria. You continue to descend deeper into blackness every time I see you, Liam."

"Maybe I'm just being brought closer to the truth, Ligneore. You always were painfully naive. Blindly following your human captors and tree growers..." Liam spat with a potent metaphorical venom dripping from his words.

There was a hatred that ran between them. Spanning years. Growing over decades. It was strong, Claude could smell it. He suddenly felt like he'd fallen into someone elses story.

"No matter." Rollan said, "I can't afford to be merciful anymore, hm? You see, you took my home guardians..... and you've dabbled in magic that threatens that which is natural. As a Druidic Warrior of the world, I will cleanse you from its surface. By. Any. Means. Necessary."

When Rollan finished speaking, the air took on an edge that made Claude shiver.

The others felt it. The Demons continued screaming in both terror and excitement again. One of the HellBred Hexenbiests succumbed to it's baser instincts and leapt from atop the canyon to pounce on Rollan.

He didn't even acknowledge the Demonic Witch-Monster descending on him as he began fiddling with his blindfold.

FWOO!

The creature picked up speed as it fell.

Liam stood frozen with the Harpy and PitGnoll.

SHNK!

A collection of vines burst from the ground, twisting into a thick spike that ripped straight through the Hexenbiests face. It tried to move but another spike ripped through it's midsection.... then another.... and another.

Claude wasn't even looking at the Demon anymore. His eyes had naturally peeled back to Rollan who seemed to draw the attention of the entire canyon. The air was changing indeed. And as Rollan removed his blindfold, he knew why.

He knew why Liam-- and Elf, seemed to know him since childhood. He knew why Rollan seemingly appeared out of thin air at times. He knew why Rollan was such an oddity shrouded in secrets.... why he didn't interact with humans.

He wasn't human.

"Rollan....." Claude whispered as Rollan wrapped the blindfold around his fist. "You're an Elf???"

"I'm not fully recharged-- but no matter. I will extinguish you all." Rollan whispered before violently powerful green natural energy rose from his body in the form of the most potent Aura he'd ever seen. It lit up the entire canyon. And as the Aura grew, so did Rollan.

No more was the feeble old man standing hunched over and seemingly on the verge of breaking.

His muscles bubbled and grew to bestial proportions until he casually reached up with one thick fingered hand and ripped off his sweater like it were made of paper. The veins coursing through him were like roots lending power to a massive oak. Rollan was the oak. Massive-- imposing, full of life in every way. Even his skin glowed.

The grass around him grew naturally, twisting and empowering itself without him having to do a thing.

"Elemental Shroud..... Incredible..." Claude said in a partial daze at the sight of it all.

The Harpy spread her wings and flexed her talons, "Come on Druid!!!"

"Show me how you've grown in your ever-changing age, Ligneore." Liam spat.

The PitGnoll barked a series of orders at the HellBred Cyclops, Arachnoids and Hexenbiests crawling throughout the canyon.

The odds were stacked against them. Claude needed to escape. To help. To save Ursula and Frosty.

As the thought entered his mind, Rollan cast him a look. Quick and to the point as his cloudy white eyes seemingly looked directly into him.

"Remember what I said. When I give you the chance, get the hell out there."

As soon as Rollan delivered the message, he grabbed the handle of his great-sword with two hands and plunged it into the ground.

"NOW!" Immediately, Liam lunged at him as glowing green symbols ran up the sword. The ground rippled for a fraction of a second, reminding Claude how Rollan would casually shake the earth with the tap of his sword.

This was different. So different.

"Too late, Liam." Rollan twisted his sword in the earth, causing a crack of green energy in the form of lightning to explode from the earth.

As Rollan turned the blade, the ground twisted like a vortex had come to life beneath the rock floor. The sound made Claude realize, the sounds he heard earlier that he thought were Rollan's footsteps were something else entirely.

Roots.

He was pulling roots into the canyon to use for this moment.

FCHCHGCHGHG!

Massive portions of stone and rubble ripped apart as the world swirled. Each broken piece run through with thick deadly roots and vines that vaguely held their small world together.

The pole holding Claude broke from the ground and left him to fall on his face. The world continued to twist. The heavy winds it all generated ruffled his hair and threw it in his face, causing him to view the madness through fragmented images.

Demons below ground were smashed to shreds and impaled by the twisting roots. The roots. They moved with a purpose, slithering and weaving through the rocks to reach Rollan who still stood beside him.

From where he plunged his dull sword into the earth, the roots rose and bound themselves to Rollan, copying the contours of his muscles and shape of his joints until he was encased in a sort of grassed and wooden second skin resembling that of a knight with antlers made of pure energy.

"What the hell is that?" Claude yelled into the chaos reigning through the canyon.

"Go, Monsieur!" Rollan yelled down to him.

As he said it, his binds had been snapped free by the Glorian Lion.

He wasted no time and exploded to his feet.

FWOOM!

One of Liam's swords flew over his head in a massive sweeping motion. Rollan deflected it with his sword-cane and immediately engaged in battle with the Elven Murderer.

Their war was enough to rival what waged on beyond the canyon. As the twisting interior of the canyon began to slow at the deactivation of Rollan's magic, Claude leapt and bound through the chaos to reach Frosty and Ursula.

In the midst of his pursuit, HellBred Monsters filled his path. With none of his weapons on hand, Claude used his aura shrouded claws to rip and tear through them. With (Strengh of the Jotunn) fully awakened, his physical might had exploded in ways he couldn't have imagined. Each punch and slash at a being's throat was exponentially more deadly than ever.

He stuffed the thought in the back of his mind and ran his fist through the final Cyclops' face. It's magical eye bursting on his knuckles burned. He threw the creature off and ripped apart Frosty's cage in a rush, doing the same to Ursula's before picking her up and hauling her over his shoulder. As she continued to transform, she only became heavier. But the weight was no problem.

CLANG!!!

Rollan and Liam's swords clashed. The Harpy flew past them in pursuit of Claude.

"My DAUGHTE--" Before she could reach him, a bundle of vines rose from the ground and wrapped around her leg.

"Move, Monsieur!" Rollan yelled.

"I'll come back for you." Claude replied before taking off.

In his exit out of the canyon, a hideous laugh bounced off the walls and attacked his ears with a physical intensity.

"HAHahahaha!!! Cllllaude, Monsters don't flee! Come fight!" Cyrene yelled from the shadows before bursting through the metal gate in the far canyon wall.

Claude picked up his speed. Cyrene chased with sadistic glee igniting her eyes.

In her pursuit, HellBred Arachnoids and Hexenbiests joined her. She threw back a bolt of red lightning blowing off their legs and splitting their hellish skin with it's sparking heat, "Fuck off!" She snapped. "He's mine."

Following her words, the roots below ground began to move to grab hold of her.

Claude was almost out of the canyon. The smell of blood and death had grown exponentially. And Cyrene was gaining on him, flipping and dodging the wooden assault taking place around her.

"Get out of the canyon. Get out of the canyon." He repeated as he ran.

"Come here, Clllaude!!!!" Cyrene wailed.

The night sky in the distance loomed overhead as the sky split from the disappearance of thick rock structures.

No more than a hundred feet ahead and he'd be out.

Cyrene caught onto this accordingly, "You think you can hide out there?! I'll make you stand out.... ahahaHAHA I WILL!!"

ZZZSHSHSH!

A thick arc of red lightning exploded from her outstretched hand. Claude jumped the rest of the distance on monstrously powered legs, drawing the attention away from Frosty and the Glorian Lion as he shielded Ursula from the blast with his own body and Aura.

The bolt hit, it's affects lessened but still familiarly maddening in nature as it sent them crashing and rolling into the battlefield outside the canyon.

He was alert, immediately shielding Ursula once more as HellBred creatures fought off an assault of mind-numbing variety directly over them.

Claude looked around the battlefield in disbelief. He didn't understand what he was even looking it at.

But that didn't matter. Only Rollan's words. Empower them.

They would lose if he didn't.

In a rush he rolled over and placed his hand over the sanded grounds, feeling for the life beneath.

The druidic markings along his arm began to glow, the Phantom Wolves exploded from his skin and began clearing the area around him along with Frosty and the Lion. Slowly, the others realized his presence.

A collection of howls from all manner of races-- species and beings began to shake the earth. It invigorated him in ways he'd rarely felt. Not magically-- no. Something far more simple and arguably more potent. It livened his spirits.

It was a response. He'd howled. Cried for help in a moment when he had none. And now, here he was on a battlefield surrounded by beings relating back to all his achievements-- all his decisions and pursuits to do what he thought was right....

And they had responded.

The strength of variation.

A single thought ran through his mind as he sent a healing wave through the battlefield, scorching the HellBred Monsters and strengthening the wild.

"Is this the true power you strived for, Romulus?"