CHPT 570: Hysteric Ascent

Thursday Morning April 8th, 2241. Location, Ra Stadium. Samuel's Execution in forty-five minutes…..

Ursula couldn't sleep. Claude's nerves were like hands of fire placed on her scalp to sear endlessly. Maybe she was feeling his own hands running across his scalp as he paced Rupont's small walled Home within the stadium. Psychotic self soothing mannerisms reminded her of Dolion. She shivered a few times at the thought of him. His reaction to what was coming. Claude must've thought the same. It was possible. He was already tense after biting Maris.

But this.

Well, the combination of it.

He needed a break as much as she did. More so. But the day begged for movement of all forms and tension of all kinds.

She could feel it even as she sat in her room inside the Dugout, dozens of feet above ground. Dirt and magical torch light everywhere.

She waited.

"So what was it like?" Warren asked as he leaned up against the wall, peering out the open window down into the street. An arrow was already loaded into his bow.

"Focus on the street. If the other Lupine of Remus, Bengal makes a move, you shoot."

"Yea, I'll ask the questions." Isaac said to Warren from the other side of the window with his sword and shield out. "So, what was it like? Is Maris ok? Is she just…. A god now?"

"How the hell do you make friends with a god? I'm just a guy…. With sticks…." Warren said as he peeked out the window again.

"You're pretty good with your sticks, bro."

Warren and Isaac fist bumped.

"Maris….. well, I think it went well. I think it's going well. After Claude bit her things kind of went wild. Everyone started hunting and dragging corpses to the cave entrance and there was a lot of blood and….. yea."

"Sounds primal." Isaac commented.

"Actually…. It was very advanced. Everyone was so coordinated. So many streamlined thoughts and feelings. I'm still kind of dizzy from it." Ursula replied as she sat on her bed.

"Man, I couldn't be a Lupine. Imagine having someone in your head at all hours? I can't even have sex in private..? That's insane?"

"You don't have sex at all….. unless something happened with Robin?" Isaac side eyed Warren. His corn-rows gleamed under the multicolored torch lights.

"Come on man it's been like two weeks I'm not an animal….." Warren retorted before cringing and looking at Ursula, "Damn, my bad. I didn't—"

"Window." Ursula pointed.

"Yes, ma'am!"

A silence followed that reminded them of how tense it was. Even with all the chatter of students— now more than adjusted to Dugout living. There was still the surface. The overwhelming reality.

The footsteps— so many…. So powerful, just overhead.

Ursula felt like a child again, hiding in the Legrand Estate's many corridors and basements when her father fell into a drunken rage.

All that power and intensity completely unchained and fiery like a storm.

She could feel the storm overhead again. Only this time it didn't feel like it would end. It felt like a new standard was being set.

All of it.

The Tournament. Everything they'd experienced. The Elders. Vampire Society. Red Queens. Lupine Wars and espionage.

It felt like it all was being brought to a point with every step made above ground.

"Speaking of death... Samuel's just …. gone?" Warren whispered the last bits.

"He was bad news from the jump. The only reason he came back was to recruit people to be like him. If Claude didn't mop the floor with everyone during the martial arts expo there'd be more Lupines of Remus here." Isaac replied, "But….."

"It feels weird right?" Warren said, eyes scanning the shapes of all the students walking the streets, sparring and playing.

"It does. I don't know…. Ronin offing his son. All just happening over our heads. And then what?"

Ursula could feel Claude's insanity.

"Yea… then what…."

Then, Samuel roared.

It was a weak and panicked sound full of feral rage. Quiet— muffled by the many feet of solid earth separating the council members and the students below ground.

Safe for Lupine ears only.

But there were two.

Two Lupin—

FTWOO!!

Warren fired an arrow into the sounds of student commotion.

It was only then that Ursula realized she was face down on the floor convulsing. Her skin was on fire. An adrenaline like she'd never felt before gripped her tightly. Viciously.

"It's starting…" Ursula mumbled as she got up with Isaac's help, wiping drool from her mouth.

"What the execution?!" Isaac questioned.

"I-I don't know….Warren?"

"Bengal… I hit him in the leg but he's moving. He's heading for the surface….. "

They rushed out of their dirt student apartment, jumping through the window in a rush.

By the time they sunk their feet into the packed warm earth, they got a clear view from the open streets.

Hysteria.

Ursula didn't understand until she quickly recalled her earlier spasm.

"The students outside heard Samuel. The weaker ones were sent into a panic from it….."

"Or Bengal." Warren supported as students blurred across the streets and trampled over each other in the alleyway.

BSSHHHZT!

A blast of lightning sent two students flying out of an alley with steaming chests ahead of them.

Conroy and Chase came staggering out with visible wounds.

"What the FUCK is happening?" Chase questioned.

"It's Samuel." Ursula answered truthfully.

"Isn't it always?" Conroy added.

Warren pulled his bowstring taut and took aim.

Chase joined him, aiming his glaive, "What are we shooting at?"

"Bengal. Stairs."

They all looked ahead to face the stairs running up the walls towards the opening in the ceiling.

A one armed furry man hopped eight steps at a time. Eyes ablaze and claws extended.

He wasn't hiding anymore.

Slowly, other sane students followed to escape the hysteria. Which led the others.

And slowly, everyone was rushing to the surface.

Including them.

Ursula couldn't help but feel like that was a terrible idea. But she couldn't be the child in the basement forever.