CHPT 470: Before it all begins, Before the Blood Awakens…

Corruption spreading. Bad omens growing closer….. tensions rising. Those thoughts and ideas stayed firm in Claudes mind as the month blew by. Sometimes it almost felt like he could feel the wild shivering. Like something was just on the cusp of entering its greenery. Months ago that would've made him train in a reckless rage. Months ago he also didn't have people around him on a similar mission. His double lives were never so close. Like a man and his reflection. The same, only split by something… superficial. Something that could shatter upon the smallest impact.

So, he made sure to be gentle. Methodical— as methodical as an emotionally scared sixteen year old could. And he was cautious. There was never a worse time to make a mistake. He felt like he thought that often in stressed moments. Maybe it made him work harder.

Hell, it had to. Because they survived the month and then some. Claude took his friends Night Running every night on the weekends. A couple times they were almost caught by his mother, and on the final weekend, they couldn't because Isaac's father had come home. Isaac told them not to come. They camped out for the weekend without him. Lived in the wild and cleansed Infested Areas as much as they could.

His journey ended with him reaching Level 53. The Median Level of Monsters in SkyHaven was too low for him to progress much and his friends couldn't take much more. It was fine, he didn't desperately need power. They did.

Warren made it to Level 13. Isaac hit Level 15. And Maris felt unsatisfied at Level 19. It wasn't a boost like the one he and Ursula gained in their absence, but it was padding to the blows that would come. That's all he could manage. Everything else had to be handled in time.

Like Cassidy. The one he couldn't go meet upon his awakening. Even when only a day ago was his first Full Moon…..

***

Monday March 2nd, 2241. University of The Phoenix Training Ground….

CLANG!!!!

Metallic rattling and sounds of collision rumbled across the field as the students trained. Only the Main Entrants got to train on Preparation Day before the Tournament so the field felt larger in its openness.

Claude and Evelyn took all the room they wanted. They stood head to head. Short-Spears against Daggers. Fang on fang.

FWSHH!!

Evelyn's fiery orange aura exploded from her Daggers, pushing back Claudes spears despite the strength advantage.

"You rely on the automatic response of your Aura too much. Happens to a lot of Gold Rankers in the beginning." She said as Claude flipped out of her range.

Claude agreed but stayed silent. His was listening in many areas.

FWOO!

Evelyn threw a dagger straight at him. Claude spun his spears in a blur and deflected the projectile in a burst of sparks. He charged, feeling a sudden gust of wind at his back strong enough to push his feet across the grass. He could smell the metal— feel the heat from the dagger he just deflected.

Claude dropped to a slide in the grass just as the dagger whizzed over the back of his head and flew back into Evelyn's hand. Before she could slash at him, he swept her legs and bounced back to his feet to witness her flipping out of the trip.

She spun around inches from Claude's spear tip.

Frosty, Loba and Diamondback barked…..somehow.

Evelyn's Vulkura scowled.

"No trait borrowing?"

Claude shook his head, "No. Just trying to learn from you in simple combat."

Evelyn pulled an updraft in her direction, sending her silver and black braids out of her face. "Damn. You got that one. Keep that same energy in the Tournament— and use your Aura more often. How many Skills have you merged?"

It felt weird to be so casually addressed as his rank. Not many else knew, but she figured out in their first spar… and just didn't seem interested in telling anyone. She wasn't very talkative— not a Maris by any means, but lowkey enough.

"Three now….."

Evelyn nodded and took a deep inhale through her wide and smooth nose, "You can afford to use your Aura more often. Your Skill Efficiency is better than most. Take advantage. Obviously…. We need it." She referred to the rest of his friends training.

Ursula chased down Hector, breaking through the earth walls he conjured with relative ease while Isaac, Maris and Warren fought their own tournament mates.

Their last spar….

"Try not to leave your friends alone….. ever. I've had friends die….. and I still don't know why. Or where." Evelyn said casually. Not even a blink in her eye.

"What— they just disappeared?"

Evelyn shrugged, "Anything can happen out there. We'll be far from home…. Basically in a different world. Different predators too."

"Thanks…."

Evelyn nodded, "Sure. Any luck with Fenrir?"

"Didn't get the Skill yet. Hopefully tonight." Claude replied.

"Hopefully."

"Alright everyone get over here for a final briefing. Mess Hall food is getting cold!" Prof. Raizen shouted, causing the combatants on the field to disperse and recollect around the three Professors. One of which being Prof. Alvis who was staring so hard at Ursula's legs he had to place himself in front of her.

"[Another day of weirdness from him, huh?]"

"Y—"

Claudes mind went dark— something tugged at his brain. No… his senses. Only it was perceived as a pulling on his brain due to the feeling of distance. He kept his eyes closed and focused. He knew the feeling and knew it needed imaginative help.

The rope formed in his mind. Like glowing yellow tethers and fibers— hair, twisting and binding into something stronger until the pack bond had formed a new piece. Making them all stronger— fortified like the making of a rope.

As he looked down the ropes length he could feel different senses and emotions sparking off each thread of the tether. Blood…. Sweat….. ichor. He looked through another's eyes. Down on hands with complexion lighter than his own. Fur shrinking back into skin. Claws sinking. Vision changing. Spider bites scabbed over and unable to infect. The Lupines of Romulus were hard to infect— poison.

Cassidy seemed to appreciate that, he could feel him smile in his dazed state as he breached through a thicket of trees on weak legs and found Rollan waiting for him with his Satyr bodyguards.

"Hm…. the transformation was successful, yes?"

"Haha….. hell yea, partner."

The intense clarity of the first linking faded and he found himself looking at Ursula.

Cassidy had awakened as a Lupine just in time for The Sunlands. Just in time for the Slayers Tournament….