CHPT 522: Switch

Following Isaac's discussion about Aeron and his impossibly coincidental meeting with Sgt Bertrand, the day pushed on. Less full of harrowing revelations and ominous thought provoking ideas.

Even with the buffed number of guardsmen, Claude's brain remained in a place scarcely protected…. At times. When he didn't work against it. When he forgot about his responsibilities. He was tired of being mentally disturbed. Chaotic in thought and theory. Much like Ra Stadium. More guards but no curfew. No new rulings like the ones they were given back in New Gloria when Jack came out as his greasy and demented true self.

Arne rationalized it as culling the weak. The strong students like Tufani and Donna wouldn't get kidnapped… or killed so easily— or transported. Or whatever the hell was happening to everyone. So the tournament heads didn't care. Their pockets saw no shrinkage. The public's eyes lost no glint of greed when placing ludicrous fixed bets.

Risky.

"Like everything..." He thought as he entered Predators Forest.

And disgusting to just let assailants roam. Maybe his nose would tell him something more than intense fear and excitement.

And maybe his enemies would try him in his home away from home.

Maybe….

Samuel…. Bengal …. Jack.

He froze.

Neither.

But an enemy was in the forest. Somewhere deep in the trees. Behind the thick green groves and bushes. Forcing the animals into hiding and discomfort like the sight of thunder clouds dark enough to swallow the sun. Loud enough to shatter the earth.

Instead of shutting his eyes to use his Natural Vision and give away one of his greatest sensory abilities, he blinked a second longer than usual. Letting the natural world show itself to him in freeze frame images again and again as he pushed deeper in.

Every link. Black sky, bright green earth. The moon at the treeline cast pale shadows on the ground in an unnatural and difficult to comprehend manner. The roses and relatives of spellblooms twinkled like stars in a garden of light.

Something else twinkled as well as Frosty, Loba and Diamondback closed in.

With his natural vision, it looked like living lightning. Pure energy formed into the shape of man, resting on a tree. Wings like some divine figure under the sun.

Frosty spun around at his back and grew to the size of a small tree. In a burst of cyan magical energy and steam, his muscles unfolded into large predatory sections of steel tendon and bone. A tornado of grass spun into existence as he shook his snout and tusked fangs.

Frosty channeled his Dominance Skill through them both. The mixed magics swept through the greenery.

Claude watched without much surprise as the being of light stood unbothered. The wave of dominating magic wrapped around him and tore like paper.

DING!

[Dominance Game Failed!]

[-5% Strength]

[Dominance Game Failed]

[-5% Health]

Frosty whined.

Claude reached behind and sunk his hand into the massive VanaWarg's furry hind legs. "Your fine buddy. Next time give me a second to adjust, though. We're a team…"

"Hurry it up, Claude. Sloane can't hold that portal in the forest forever… also Maris is getting impatient." Cassidy spoke into his mind.

Unfortunately he had a little interruption.

Little as in deaths ambience was blaring so loud in his ears his skull tingled like punched church bells.

"I know you can see me. I can see you too." Ronin said casually before jumping out of the tree he occupied in a burst of burning leaves. Wings of lightning unfurled at his back as he divebombed for the earth.

The ground scorched to burning black embers before he even landed.

Claude didn't move. Even as The Dominator moved out from the bushes in simple plainclothes.

"Why are we still trying to intimidate this kid? Did it not fail the first forty times?" She asked as he rose to meet Claude's eyes.

Ronin ignored her. Claude got the feeling he did that often.

Seeing him sent flashbacks of Samuel to his brain. The two were spitting images of eachother. Ronin was Samuel in ten years… ten thousand more battles with black hair and darker blue eyes. Although he was clearing mixed race. If his accent wasn't a dead giveaway it was the shape of his lips and nose.

"Claude. You haven't made as much of a ruckus as I expected, to be frank." Ronin said flatly.

"Yea your son's got that covered."

Ronin clenched his jaw and looked back at his partner.

The meeting felt less accusatory and offensive than usual.

"That's why you're here…."

His previous game plan to send the father and son after eachother was working without him. Advancing….?

"You don't sleep in The Dugout. You sleep here…"

Claude raised an eyebrow at him.

"Redvine spoke to the trees."

"The f— she can do that?" Claude worked like a dog to quiet his excited questionings.

"While above ground, you haven't heard….. seen anything?"

"Marshal….. please." The Dominator ran a hand over her slicked back black hair and pursed her black lips.

"Quiet!" Ronin snapped at her. Frosty barked.

Ronin centered himself and adjusted his suit jacket, "Have you seen….. Samuel…. Out here at night? You will answer me truthfully. Not because you like me or respect me— which you do. Because the fate of New Gloria rests on it."

"Wait…. What?"

"[Think Claude. This isn't like Ronin at all— to request someone else's help. Much less your own. He's insinuating some very serious things here, mate. S—]"

"Samuel was gone for a day. The disappearing students stopped. It comes back again, the day he returns….." Claude finished.

"[And now Ronin is here, asking for a witness… after he asked you why his son was acting so bizarre in the team fighting tournament. Claude, he's beginning to treat Samuel as he once treated you.]"

Claude's eyebrows unfurled and his face relaxed, "No."

The two powerhouses looked at him in confusion.

"I don't sleep up here for surveillance. I sleep up here so your son doesn't try to kill me unarmed. I sleep up here because I'm welcomed here." Claude referenced the forest where hundreds of eyes glinted in the sunlight.

"I said no, because that's my answer. I didn't see your son dragging students out of here in the dead of night. Not possible with the guards out—"

"Oh yes it is. We've fired fourteen for inaccurate night shift recollections already."

"FUCK!" Claude swallowed.

"My answer remains the same. I haven't seen a thing."

Ronin's lip vibrated as if he were going to curse…. Or smite him. "If I find your lying you will be sent to the Halls of the Basilisk."

Claude nodded, "Right…"

The two headed out.

"But your son is a killer. And not the kind that slays monsters."

Ronin stopped at the end of Predators Forest.

Claude's skin tingled like the energy in the air was collecting into burning white hot lightning. Like a million bites all at the same time forever.

"I don't know when you caught it but that's why you came to me. Maybe you think I'm one too— maybe I am. But I'm not like him and you know that. Your son is twisted. He's been twisted for a long time. Ronin, are you so blind you can't tell when the person you created—"

"Don't…. Tell me about MY creations, boy. You have no idea….. you don't. Keep yourself out of trouble. I'm getting involved. Now." A bolt of lightning fell out of the sky and hit the two members of The Nine. And then they were gone.

"Claude! Sloane is getting angry! And she's bleeding from the nose. Can we get a god damn move on? It's time to meet some more bloodfiends haha! We're going to Arthuria." Cassidy spoke into his mind.

Claude looked down at Loba who carried two Short Spears in her jaws. Brand new. Glistening under the sun. Handles wrapped in glowing leopard fur and Stone-Skin Hide. The blade was long and heavy, made from a stone melded with steel to create a liquid hybrid style with a jagged and uneven surface. Like animal fangs.

A paper fell with the weapons as Loba handed him the weapons.

The paper was written in Ursula's hand writing, "Rupont said we'd need our best weapons. And I didn't get you a birthday present yet. Xoxo."

"THE FUCKING PORTAL!"

"ALRIGHT!"

Claude took off, his feral trio followed.

VWOOMP!