CHPT 526: Back, But Afar

"I don't doubt your Red Queen as much as I once have….. perhaps my assumptions have done me wrongly here. But I am not a zealot by any means, Rupont. When the Red Queen faces me in the flesh, I will make my children bow their heads…. And so on. You will have Arthuria as an ally."

One bad meeting. One good…. Sort of. It just took Maris getting blended alive to make it happen. It took Maris taking a beating so bad her ancestors felt it.

Life…..

On the bright side, Claude's whole plans of making her go through all of the meetings and introductions was paying of. She was learning— seeing pure power and treachery in many forms. In clothing made of the dead. Magic to blind the eye of the mind and soul. Eyes that looked where they shouldn't. And cruelty. Maris wasn't new to any of that. But a fresh reminder in context was what he hoped for. And more.

They'd gotten more.

They'd made a confirmed ally. Well— a circumstantial ally. And less they, more just Maris.

Claude was fine with that.

Hell, a weight felt lifted off just chest just from that fact alone as he sat atop a hill on the mountainous valleys, miles from the truly ugly and beaten castle.

The River Metal monoliths looked like streaks of black in his vision from where he sat, high above the political discourse of Vampire life. The winds ruffled his hair, less saturated with death and fire. Nature had returned to his nose.

He was so thankful flowers bloomed around him until he sat in a rainbow garden. He may have spilled some seeds…. Purposefully.

"[Thank you again, Claude. You don't know how much it means…. To have a while longer back home.]" Arne said.

Frosty adjusted his head on Claude's lap as Loba pushed her way in to join.

"If I could I'd stay here another week for you. Least I can do, Arne. Part of the exchange for keeping me alive in all my uhhh…. well, every negative quality people have popularly noted."

Arne chuckled, "[Nerd….]"

"Whiny."

"[Ohhh let's see…. Ah, dramatic. That'll always hit you right in the bollocks.]"

"How about Ruffian?"

"[You matured beyond that one ages ago. Come on.]"

"Fair." Claude thought and smiled as he picked a piece of dirt off of Frosty's tusk. The action caused the VanaWarg to roll onto his back in search of belly rubs. It didn't take much.

"Why are you degrading yourself?" Ursula said as she came over and sat behind him, leaning against his back. The smell of her hair swallowed him whole. If Maris' possible ally removed a weight from his chest, Ursula's smell removed another from his shoulders.

"I am…. Mentally insane." Claude managed.

"I want to laugh but I also want to hug you." Ursula leaned back so the back of her head rested on his right shoulder.

Claude did the same and rested the back of his head on her left.

The sky was beautiful. Dark clouds was Arthuria's tourist attraction. Thick and roiling like slow motion waves of smoke. The setting Sun sent a blast of ripe orange light across its tops, giving the thunderous clouds a red under glow that splashed against the flowers and stones topping the mountain valley.

"We did something good here. Just sucks ass that Maris had to get beat on like that."

Claude sighed, "Would she have taken it any other way?" He glanced at her, sleeping on Diamondback's crusty double-scaled back. The Primal's green slitted eyes held Claude's briefly before he hissed quietly like a teenager angry with their parent.

"Good point. Good point."

The two silenced and faced the new approaching figure.

Sloane came and stood over them nearby. Sticking out like a corpse in a flowerbed.

"You knew your Red Queen would show up in that way?" Sloane looked over Maris and sniffed once before stepping aside as if she were a toxic chemical.

"No. I knew she wanted to stay though."

"Maris is stubborn. To a fault." Ursula explained.

"That's good to have in a pack."

Claude turned and looked at her. She held his gaze before looking away once.

"[Nice… you've gained her respect and admission of inferiority.]" Arne commented.

"So you recognize her as…. My people?" Claude reiterated.

"You're all bizarre. But that makes sense. Bear Woman….. Monster Ancestor Princess. Lupine Reborn out of nowhere…. Seriously where did you come from— I haven't heard about you all in ages."

Claude shrugged, "I was…. Asleep."

"Some nap."

Ursula chuckled.

"Speaking of sleeping. If the Red Queen is your pack, then do the Vampires end up serving the Lupines?"

"Hell no."

"Can you please take a seat? I feel like I'm about to get stomped out." Ursula added.

Sloane watched Ursula.

"Cut it out." Claude's instincts directed his social habits.

Sloane looked away from Ursula, "My apologies." She sat a few feet away, eyeing Loba before she could come over and brush herself against the WereWolf Alpha.

"So, how do the Vampires not end up serving you?" Sloane tightened her overly strained blonde ponytail.

"Maris is her own person. People in my pack aren't owned by me…. I can say that right now— that's probably gonna bite me in my ass later. But I'll stick to it while I can. Freedom is cool. I don't want to be a tyrant."

Sloane looked horrified as she stared at him.

"Claude…. I think she's pro-tyranny." Ursula whispered.

Frosty huffed after Sloane stared for too long.

"How new are you?"

"How new are you?" Claude asked.

"I've been an Alpha... for three months."

"[Green as the grass, mate.]"

There was silence as they sat. The Vampires waiting in the distance, slightly unnerved by the peaking rays of sun.

"So…. You…. You defeated your previous Alpha.?" Ursula asked, with an emphasis on the word defeated.

Sloane looked her up and down, "No. I was fourth in command. My cousin was the Alpha….."

"So, what happened?"

"He went missing. Serving Vampires in an annual trade."

Silence again.

"Before any of you begin thinking I'm foolish. Rupont and the Sunlandian Vampires are impartial and have backed my Pack for centuries— before either of us were turned. I work with Rupont and only Rupont because my Cous— my Alpha, spoke favorably at all times."

Claude held up his hands, "I won't judge."

"You should."

He looked at her.

"You're an Alpha. You need to judge everyone."

Sloane half bowed once before backing awa—

"Aht aht— stay right there, young lady. This is a family picture moment if I've ever seen one." Rupont interrupted, taking a stand beside Maris.

"I thought you were going to wait over there." Claude said.

Rupont waved him off. "I needed some sun on my skin. The Sunlands' have got nothing more than a raging fireball. This is where it's at. This is also where the Druid heals…. Any healings for the soul?" Rupont teased.

"Any answers for me?" Claude asked.

"Possibly."

"Rollan—"

"Doesn't ring a bell….." Rupont said immediately.

"Just tell me to shoot." Cassidy was in Claude's mind in a heartbeat.

Rupont looked down at him as if he heard the mental discussion. No malice in his face— just a playful carefree grin.

"THE RED QUEEN IS HERE!? Why are we sungazing instead of celebrating."

"I owe it to someone." Claude sat firmer on the grass.

"Well, times running out. Try not to forget, Ronin hates you."

"He's got a son to worry about at the moment. Just a little more time."

Rupont erupted into a cloud of bats and black dust.

"So, Arne. You haven't told me a story in a while…."