CHPT 423: The Test to Awaken Resolve…

Romulus and Remus' relationship from young reborn twins in the icy tundra of Islandia to promising Huntsman of legend was more complex than Claude could've imagined.

From the beginning. Remus wasn't the absolute evil Claude could see him as in his mind. Romulus wasn't the shape shifting saint either. They had done what they needed to survive. They fought, they disagreed, they killed and slaughtered. But they were brothers.

Remus was hurting. It angered Claude to even considering feeling for him. But he was. He was fragile at a time. Maybe so long ago even the sleeping titan himself could never remember. But he was. And Romulus didn't act until it was too late.

Remus fell into old habits. Slaughter. It was easy for a teen so strong. Prison was not a random location for Remus. It was a predestined home it seemed.

Romulus followed. Not because he too was convicted of the killing of nearly a dozen system powered Huntsmen in training, but for reasons Claude didn't know.

To watch his brother? To protect him within the walls of Mertyvolk Prison as a guard in disguise? To keep the Beast Mage from being sent into the heinous Shape-Shifter dogfights that would ultimately turn him? Claude didn't know.

All he knew was, if there was ever a time to feel guilty. It was then.

When Romulus murdered someone Remus saw as a friend….. possibly a lover.

And her name was Gloria…..

***

"WHAT…?" Claude yelled so loud as he stood on the deck of the boat that Cassidy jumped out of his jacket and fell over a box full of Sea-Predator Repellant. Ma chuckled as she hummed away.

"God damn boy, I almost just shit myself... did the Boss unfreeze?" Cassidy mumbled while rubbing his eyes.

"No. Nothings wrong. My bad, go back to sleep." Claude mumbled while fixing the box Cassidy stumbled over.

"Easier said than done. I can't willfully hibernate like our werebear over here." Cassidy replied while pointing off to Ursula who slept facedown on the wooden floor next to Claude's things. She looked as comfortable as ever.

Cassidy grunted to himself as Claude stared at Ursula.

After a few minutes, the Hunter succumbed to the Banshee's lullaby.

"Gloria…?" Claude thought as he walked out to the edge of the ships front end and took a seat. His legs swung over the ground below.

"[Mhm.]"

"As in…. Is that even possible….."

"[Well, n—]"

"Wait." Claude interrupted, "When did the last of the Lupines die— when were they born? Would you know that?"

Part of him couldn't believe he hadn't asked these questions earlier. Only now they felt so important.

"[What year is it now?]"

Claude looked up at the night sky. The clouds had finally cleared with the rebirth of the forest. Even the rotting smell had faded. It was warm. Almost as if it wasn't snowing in the world outside.

"It's twenty-two forty-one."

Arne took in a deep breath. It didn't sound like an action he meant to take. "[The last of the Lupines of Romulus died in the summer of July, nineteen ninety-one. In a forest on the outskirts of The Levant.]"

Claude's spine tingled, "T- that's relative to our time??…. Like that isn't some different shit?"

"[Nineteen ninety-one ATE (After Tangent Emergence).]" Arne said flatly, confirming everything with a simple addition to the date. One rarely used since it didn't mean much. Until now.

"Arne….. why do you know the place where the last of the Lupines died?"

"[Because, that is where I died.]"

Claude's mouth went dry, "You've been dead for….. two hundred and fifty years?"

"[It doesn't even feel like it... I can still remember it... the trees, the wind on my face….. the smell of enemy Lupines. And then…. Nothing. No blackness, no suspended animation. Just gone. Then I saw a man— tall and lanky. His skin was pale—like mine. He had black hair that greyed along the sides of his head. He was no warrior, a scholar maybe. And he was talking to me. He was telling me to do what I think is right— even if nobody else does…. Because where I'm going, I'm going to be tested.]"

Claude felt himself physically shiver.

"That's not your memory. That's mine…. You saw my father. That was before I went to The University of the Phoenix. That message oddly fits us both perfectly. What the fuck…"

The two sat in absolute silence for the next ten minutes, nearly forgetting entirely about what they'd just been speaking about until Claude gained the ability to talk again.

"So that means….. the Gloria Romulus had killed wasn't the Gloria that New Gloria is named after."

"[Oh- right. You are correct. This Gloria was said to be a descendant. She had enough power that nobody could outright challenge her claims... Apparently she also had the rest of the infamous ID card.]"

"The hell was a founding descendant of New Gloria doing in Islandia?"

"[Lets not forget, New Gloria is a ….. well, it's a dumpster fire to put it lightly. Nobody with money actually wants to stay there unless there's work there for them. I guess it's only become profitable now because of unclaimed land.]"

"Yea that won't last long with The Nine there."

"[You know what else won't last long, you being able to slay all manner of Monsters off no sleep.]"

Claude laid down on the front end of the ship and looked at the stars dotting the sky. He was too tired to try to look for shape or meaning in their placement. Even so….

"You expect me to sleep after everything you just said?"

"[Yes, I do. Or else who will lead these fine ship-mates you've brought along with you? You a have a Boss to stomp out of existence by morning. Get some rest]"

Claude sighed and shut his eyes. Such a simple action never felt so good.

"Arne…."

"[Hm?]"

"I'm sorry this is how things turned out for you…. If you wanted to rest I mean…. You know, eternally." Claude said awkwardly.

"[You forget my motives, mate.]" Arne started, "[I've been given a second chance to right my wrongs….. through you. There will be no rest for me. Not for a while.]"

"How is that going for you?" Claude asked in a drowsy voice.

"[I think you're doing just fine. We'll have to fight a god….. two gods…. And an army of shape-shifters at some point. But right now, you're coming along well. So I'm doing fine.]"

Claude was already asleep.

"[It's as your father said. A test for us both.]"