CHPT 556: Test and Take

"Yea fuck that name." Li never failed to fail at the perfect times.

"Ew…." Tara seemed about as enthusiastic at the nomenclature as her and Marcel's shared nemesis.

"I'd prefer not to be called a dog. Had enough of that with the Monkey." Helena's second in command, Paco, commented.

"The fuc— Wolves aren't dogs. And a StoneApe isn't a Monkey!"

"….." Deafening silence.

"Alright whatever. We leave at nightfall, and we don't enter a City until we look like we're supposed to be there. I'll figure out a name we can all agree on by then."

"Where are we getting clothes from without entering a City?" Don asked.

"We're not getting clothes. To infiltrate a Guild Hall we need armor. Tangents have an abundance of Loot as long as they're completed. That's a quick job as long as we find the right one."

"The right one?" Don asked as he began handing everyone a metal spear crafted by himself.

"One that you can safely level in." Claude replied.

"…..Right."

***

When night fell they were already on the move. Claude's anxiety wasn't just his own anymore— hadn't been for a while. Neither was his tenacity. He had to get back to the Sunlands. Whatever was transpiring in his absence wasn't good. It couldn't have been with Ronin's suspicion. Maris' future and the Full Moon all in rotation.

He needed to return. But first he had to lead them to the right Tangent.

Right one indeed….

Not only did they find the right Tangent— a low Silver Ranked Undead Excursion, they found three more in the same general area.

General area for ShapeShifters was different from general area for a team of Night Runners.

They ripped through the Amazon like there was a time limit connected to their lifespans. Any Primal monstrosity that approached was sent elsewhere in peace— much to Li's dismay. And any NightRunners riding the trails had no idea what traveled upwind.

Silver Cursed. Wolves. Feral Warhounds. Birds of Prey. Snakes. A Lupine….

But they when they first stepped out of the shadows and onto the path forged by man, they were only human.

"I feel exposed." Don commented.

"Welcome to the man's world, young man." Tom replied as they all settled.

Despite their differences they were once joined by as a band of misfits of sorts, Claude aimed for something more formulaic currently.

In spite of the obvious muscular bulk of the WereTigers, he advised them to grab lighter armors and cloth bindings to work alongside their explosive speed and stealth. What bits lacked dark color he drenched in berries and dirt.

A work in progress.

He approached Li with piles of berries and dirt in hand.

"Wipe them down. Stripes. So when you shift it's less obvious." Claude whispered.

Li raised an eyebrow at him as he pulled down his half mask, "Ahhhh you've done this all too many times haven't you, sweet sixteen?"

Claude pulled his face mask back up for him, "Focus."

He looked over the others. The Hybrid…. StoneWolves, he was beginning to call them, wore the armor that was more restricting to the human form. They could hold it during the shift.

Unlike the Lions who wore the bulkier bits of Knights armor. Shoulder plates, arm guards, knee braces all under thick cloaks and threaded vines. The manes needed covering if things went south.

The Crocs looked terrifying. Cloaks and muzzles. Combined with their towering height and broad shouldered frames, they looked like reapers. And every inch of exposed skin, Claude covered in water logged wood and braided vine. Too on the nose?

If their disguise wasn't functional there was no point.

Claude slid on his knights helm and waved everyone forward towards the scents of man.

The heavy footfalls of Horses paraded around them, blending in with the soft jingles of their own gear. Claude practiced keeping them calm as Night Runners blurred past and Pterodactyl-Airmen soared overhead. If he knew anything about early night, the day timers were just turning in. More activity.

"Perfect."

All the while the others kept their eyes peeled for any telltale signs that all hell was close to breaking loose.

Acidic excrement. Fallen trees. Massive tracks. Shedded scales. Even degraded plant-life.

"So…. Uhm….—" Don struggled with all the new human scents filtering in through his mask. It didn't work as well as Claude anticipated.

He placed a hand on Don's shoulder and pulled him closer, covering the young Shifter in his scent.

Another group of Night Runners on horseback came racing past with bags of the dead.

"You keep saying names…. Why?" Don questioned.

Claude pointed at the floor. Then his finger rose to the tree's— the foliage lining their path. The flowers reflecting the scarce amounts of starlight off their multicolored petals.

"Tracks….. Raptor." He pointed at a collection of barely perceivable prints running across the path.

"I smell blood." Don commented as they stepped over it.

"They were hunting. Easiest way to track pack hunters. Their tracks aren't clear, they're stomped in and full of smells. All over the place— they look scattered sometimes."

Another team rushed past. Don didn't react so aggressively.

"There's other pack hunters in this forest. Try to find some. Smilodons, Bone Crushing Dogs. Arc-Alosaur's." Claude shrugged as he suggested the idea.

Don searched. And the impulses waned.

The others followed.

The city welcomed them soon after. With the cluttered sounds and scents reaching their apex, Claude took in what he could.

The city was walled off. High walls mounted by spikes, Fire Mages and Archers. They even had overhead coverage from flying predators. But all that came secondary to the scent markers. Some chemically synthesized harsh repellent that made Claude's eyes water and his ears burn. It hit the others as well.

It would be stupid to think they only strong armed their way into controlled property. Primals were strong, but they were animals ultimately.

Claude scanned the rainforest. Nothing but Jaguars, Pythons, Raptors and River Rhino's. The scent reduced the activity of the bigger predators. Even the Night Runner activity died down.

He gave a command.

The pack dove into the dense forestry lining the path, leaving him standing alone.

"What are we doing?" They all collectively questioned. At least the ones more resistant to his commands.

"Wait here. I'm going to get you some things to blend in better." Claude replied as he headed toward the city.

"What was the point of bringing us out then?!"

"Practice run. I can't just throw you all into a city right off the bat, are you insane?…. Don't answer that."

Li chuckled, "You su—"

"Shut up. Ride the city perimeter. I'm going to grab what I can and bring you guys in from the south end if possible."

"North." Helena cut in through their mental link.

"What?"

"North end. We're on the south end."

"Do you still have my bag?"

"Of course, Alpha. But why do we need two sets of gear?"

Claude shuffled into the city running alongside a team of Heroes.

"I'll need a new disguise after this."

He sunk into the first alleyway he could find, yanking one of the heroes in with him using his Malevolence Tether.

SHRIP!

"ACCCHCK!"

The Horses went nuts on the night time streets, knocking off the other Heroes who flipped into landing positions unsheathing their weapons and abilities.

VWWOM!

Before they could move on their ally an unseen force smashed them into the earth.

In the alleyway, Claude kneeled over the Hero. He was an Archer. But his weapon wasn't a bow. It was a set of Rune-Written Bola's. The feathered helm on his head was left bent and frayed from Claude's grip on his skull. His other hand, aimed the spear out towards the streets, freezing everything.

"Deixe-me ir, agora!" The man cursed passionately.

Claude transformed just as the people in the buildings rising around them began to poke their heads out of their windows and watch.

The steam from Claude's transformation engulfed them in a thick cloud just as the bystanders began to watch. With no time to waste, he lifted the man and smashed his head into the stone floor.

Thud!

"UAh—"

By the time the smoke cleared, Claude was gone.

And somewhere else, someone screamed.