CHPT 546: Crust
The thing about Alpha's Tower is that, despite all it's architectural flaws and safety hazards of fantastical proportions, it's growth was efficient. When you had Silver Cursed and a Dragon as slaves, whatever you did would be at least efficient. If not covered in blood.
But that's what the gladiatorial match was for. Claude didn't realize that for the first time as he ate amongst his captives under the midday sun. But the thought did occur to him again. They needed structure.
Shifters died. Others lost fingers and toes-- broke bones through the skin and got ripped into routinely. Some lost true family. But as they all ate... as their old blood hardened to a crusted layering over their still muscles, they looked calm. Calmer than he'd ever seen.
As if being a Lupine wasn't enough of a differentiator, he was growing more nervous. He was growing more neurotic entirely. The system points. What they meant. The delicious fresh kill. The esca--
"Hey, you can't daydream down here, Mr Save a Croc." Don poked his arm a few times as he made a pouty face. It almost reminded him of Canis when he couldn't figure something out like tying armor.
"Don't touch me." Claude continued picking up metal beams and scrap. The heat was high bright and early. Sweat washed the dried blood of the previous nights battle straight off him. And the lack of clean water was just beginning to hit him. Their source of fluid being blood only went so far. Shadows shook in the corners of his vision. And it wasn't Ashe this time...
"Stop daydreaming." Don pressed like the pint-sized king he was.
"I'm not. I'm thinking."
"That's not good....." The older Crocodillian Shifter whispered from beside him after clicking her teeth silently like a displeased mother. Her underarms jiggled and flexed as she lifted the scraps into her bucket.
"Abuela, I always say it but I don't know this time..." Don whispered back to the salt and pepper haired woman in rags.
They both silently expected Claude to inquire about what they were discussing. Considering he was the subject.
Instead, he was looking back at the maze, watching the Dragons wings unfurl as it awakened. Like SkyShip sails made of cracked steaming leather. When it yawned the air vibrated from the pure heat of it's insides coming to the surface.
"What are you thinking, Claude?"
"I'll tell you after you answer some of my questions."
"[Pushy.]" Arne commented in the back of his mind.
Don made a face.
"I've told you about dragons. More than anyone else has." Claude whispered calmly.
Don swept his curly thick hair out of his face, "How do you know a DragonSlayer wasn't here for a while before you? Somone who also told me things? Hm?"
They both jumped as Alpha hollered upstairs before recovering.
"I know that's never happened because DragonSlayers don't exist. A DragonSlayer would just be a god. And a god isn't being held here. Answer my questions, because I answered yours." Claude pressed.
Don took a few steps backwards and threw his hands up, "Bueno relajarse....."
"[You must look as strung out as you think, mate. You're scaring the children.]"
"Don hasn't been a child for a long time." Claude thought as they helped fill the other Shifters buckets.
***
A few hours later and the heat did what it usually did in the basement it faded. Not in temperature, but in how he felt it. The suffocation faded and settled as a sting on the surface of his skin, lips, eyelids and ears. His hair felt like hell. He wanted to rip it out and strangle someone with it. Possibly Don, he had a sneer going on that was irritating.
"So..... you ask me how long I've been here. When I became a smelter. How often Alpha comes in to check on us. Then ask me how often the Tower floors fall through. If the walls have ever fallen. And if there's Runes on the perimeter similar to the Boulders. " Don whispered as he sat with his back to the scraps. He watched the Dragon move around like they were at a zoo.
"[Yea.... we could've been less obvious. Cheeky bastard would've known anyway, though.]" Arne commented.
"If he's Alpha's follower, we might have to get this plan going before we--"
"You're trying to escape!"
FWOOOSH!
Don's excitement rose his voice volume out of the whispering zone, causing Furnace to scream a wall of twisting flames into the ceiling.
His demeanor recentered as Helena the old Crocodile flicked him on the forehead.
"Lo siento, I got ahead of myself. But it's true?" His eyes almost twinkled beneath his curls. He actually looked his age for a moment.
Claude brought a finger to his lips, "Don't heat up Furnace. And yes. Who wouldn't be thinking to escape this?"
Some of the other shifters looked away in shame.
Don stepped in and stood up, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about what you'll do with that information?" Claude stood up to him, looking down at the young Shifter.
"These people respect me. It can't be for no reason. It can't be just because I've been here so long. That's no good. If I can work with a DragonSlayer to get us out then, Si. I'll help you."
Claude looked down at his hand, "Help me in the maze. Right now."
Don looked around, "What? Right now?..... as in right now?"
"[Fear seems to turn his brain to fish paste.]"
***
They traveled the Maze with nothing in hand. Don assured him Alpha wouldn't be in for another few hours at least during his first round of questions. Even so, they moved fast. Claude didn't like the maze. He kept thinking of Fenrir's words and burning alive. Now more than ever for what was to come.
A few of the braver Shifters followed behind out of curiosity that slowly waned-- unlike the Moon, as they neared the break in the wall.
He could hear Furnace stepping around. Heavy footfalls followed by curled nails clicking against the metal floor. He could almost envision a Black Sarco walking across a stone slab in a Swamp making the same sound. Only this was a million times worse.
No venom. Ungodly flames.
No scales. Something more advanced. It's own brand of sorts that clicked and clanged as it shuffled and sagged against the muscle like a sheet of impenetrable metal.
The beast stepped forward and sniffed as he leaned against the wall in front of everyone.
"ssSSsss...."
He looked back at the other shifters and brought a finger to his lips.
Immediately after he faced the break in the wall, "If I lose the hand, I'll replace it with wood. Rollan would love to help me with that."
"[Let's focus on getting to Rollan first.]" Arne commented.
"Lets focus in general."
"[Fair.]"
Claude took a deep breath and slowly brought his hand out into the open.
The Dragon continued to sniff and hiss. But not attack.
He could feel heat from it's eyes. Just like Fenrir. It was almost comforting in it's familiarity. The next step was not.
With his Beast Taming powers, he reached for the Dragon speaking the language shared across all living beings, coming with a proposition for exchange. Traits for power-- for help and security.
He imagined the threads between them coming together. One of grass, wood, fur and animal teeth. The other of searing strand and scale.
It was painful. Like trying to move a weight far beyond your strength level. The recoil rippled through his soul and muddied his brain. His hand burned like hell.
The thread sparked and exploded in his psyche.
"HRASHHSSS!"
PWOOF!
A focused shot of fire erupted from the Dragons mouth, knocking not only his hand out of the way but throwing his hole body into the far wall.
[14% HP Remaining.]
When he woke up, he was outside of the maze. Smoke filled his lungs like a second skin, bringing a litany of coughs out of him that Don silenced with a hand over his mouth.
"Are you ok?" Don checked.
Claude nodded. Don removed his hand and stepped away to be beside everyone else.
"Dude.... you're not a DragonSlayer." Don commented as they all looked at his hand.
Claude followed their gaze down to his right hand.
Thick black and green scales coated his hand like a gauntlet. When he made a fist, the scales shifted and expanded giving him spiked knuckles sharp enough to rival blades. Their heat melted the metal beneath him.
"Again."