62 INQUIRY FOR TWO

Claude had dreamed of his return. He'd thought over a million scenarios over the years. How he'd come home and tell his father he was selected by House Ronin to work beside his legacy classmates Samuel and Tai.

A dream made long before he'd really met them and was only familiar with his own skewed idea of them.

Then it became more real. He dreamt of getting into any house— except his current, and simply having a nice dinner with his father while they discussed the future. His future. As a hero.

Now it was real. Reality. Darker. Nothing he could've forseen.

He wasn't excited. He was terrified. He wasn't looking forward to slaying more monsters as some valiant savior of New Gloria. He was dreading to learn more of how human they were— with their statues and worshiped figures and more. Most importantly, he wasn't coming home to have a nice dinner with his father.

He was coming home with a witch— who may or may not be his mother in-law, to learn of his inhuman origin. And what that meant for Claude— who was already being chosen— or played with, by a dark-god.

"You're shaking." Ms. Oracle said as they entered the forest circling his cabin home.

"Of course I am." Claude replied.

"Why? You're human."

"But my father isn't."

"And look how long he's survived." Ms. Oracle replied.

Claude couldn't argue with that logic. Maybe he was hoping she'd say something he could accept at face value to make him r—

A wolf howled. The primal cry was both bone chilling and familiar.

Ms. Oracle's aura enveloped her in multicolored brilliance. It had a metal sheen to it— speaking to her Tank class. That was before it solidified and took the shape of armor.

"Steady, child." She cooed.

Her words had a protective warmth to them.

"It's ok."

"Is that so? Seconds ago you dreaded the thought of your father."

"It's not my father." Claude took notice of the floating energy construct of a shield on his left arm brought on by one of Ms. Oracle's supportive Tank skills. "It's my brother."

Claude led them through the forest circle. They stepped out into the green clearing on the other side and found his fathers cabin seated in the center. It was just as he left it. The wooden box was old— weathered by rains and the dry sun of the Angelo's District. The shingled rooftop was occupied by a hawk. A smaller one than the average with clean brown feathers and eyes like the suns….

"Ray!" Claude thought. Casually he held out an arm.

Ray squawked and jumped off the roof. Instead of flying, he glided across the clearing and perched on Claude's arm, where old scars of previous botched landings were evident.

The Island Dogs jumped up to smell the bird as they waited.

"Birds don't howl. So where's the wolf?"

Frosty howled again and came trotting out from the other side of the forest.

The moment the PitWolf saw Ren, Riptide, Rivera and Rain, his fur stood on end and warning huffs kept the silence broken.

The Island dogs hugged closer to Claude while Ren stood firm. Royal as ever.

"Easy buddy." Claude said to his brother.

Frosty closed the distance and stood over Ren with a territorial growl.

Ren didn't move.

Frosty leaned closer, sniffing the hybrid all over. Seemingly at the same time, they both understood their relation to Claude and relaxed.

Ren snorted and gave a nod before stepping aside.

Frosty barreled through and nearly threw aside Riptide. The size difference was egregious to say the least.

Frosty pushed and shoved around the island dogs as he scented them thoroughly and moved the others trying to do the same. The Island dogs were longer than him— better for swimming, but he was far taller. His wolven runners dna was still strong in him. He was also denser. Hulking— was an accurate term for Frosty. While slender fit the others. You would've never thought the PitWolf was essentially a child among men.

If they were in water, it would've been a vastly different story. But they weren't.

Frosty's white-tipped fur settled and his tail wagged as Rain licked his nose and playfully pushed him.

Frosty playfully bit his ear before pushing past them and greeting Claude.

"Hey, man." Claude scratched behind his ears, taking note of the scabbed surface level cuts beneath his fur. "You've been busy."

Frosty groaned and his back leg bounced.

"I think you've hit a sweet spot." Ms. Oracle said.

Frosty opened one eye to look at her, matching her own facial imbalance for a moment.

She shrugged, "Just an observation."

Frosty closed the eye again and continued to enjoy the scratch.

After a few seconds he whistled, "Alright, you six go play."

Frosty barked and took off. Ray followed. So did the Island dogs. It didn't take long for him to hear them splashing into the river hunting salmon with Frosty and Ray.

Ren remained seated beside him.

"What?"

"Mraw…." Ren perfectly mirrored his tone with a deep voiced cat like meow.

"So you're staying?"

Ren blinked.

"Alright." Claude approached the cabin, "He must be sleeping. He should be here."

The trio moved toward the cabin. Claude's home gym equipment made of woods, leathers and vines watched idly as he stepped onto the porch with Ms. Oracle and Ren.

Goosebumps spread across his skin. Sometime along the way he shrugged off his shark-skin armor and wore only his form fitting vine and leather mesh layering. It was warm against his scarred and dirty skin.

"Given your home dynamic, your rebirth as beast tamer is agonizingly obvious…." Ms. Oracle commented.

"Good thing you didn't come to where I work." Claude said as he opened the door.

It was dark inside. The air didn't have its usual staleness, meaning his father had been inside recently. New papers littered his desk beside the window to his left. The kitchen was untouched. Leaves littered the floor in a trail leading to his fathers room deeper inside.

Claude looked back to Ms. Oracle. She loomed over him in the dark of the cabin like a ghost.

"I think we're supposed to follow it. Ren is."

"What?" Claude turned and found the beast scenting the leaves as he trotted towards Gil's room.

"Wait!" Claude ran after Ren.

Ren sped up.

The chaos climbed until the three of them burst through the door and into his fathers room.

It was clean. Tidy. Or at least most of it was. Boxes were opened. The desk was pulled away from the far wall and outside air flowed through the open window across from the door. Flowers and vines crept in from there. Which now made sense.

A dryad stood in the room, looking through Gil's things.

The bizzare instance left them all stunned into silence.

Claude especially as he studied the creature. The dryad was young— strong like a fresh oak. Its physique was akin to a laboring human. Big thick limbs lacking definition for the sake of padding and strength. Wooden slabs and roots twisted to give it braided form. It wore a skirt-like interweaving of flowers and vine. On its face, a mustache of dandelions twisted as it whispered to itself in thought.

"I…. I know you." Claude said.

Ms. Oracle side eyed him.

Ren circled the dryad.

"I'd hope so. My essence resides within you." The dryad said.

Claude's hand rested on his chest, where the dryads once stabbed the remains of a dead dryad into him to cleanse him of the demon virus he contracted a month ago. Or was it two? He was losing track of everything.

"You died…."

"A tree can be cut down, but unless their roots are taken, new growth will emerge." The dryad said.

"Why are you here? I mean…. Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life. But why…." Claude asked.

"You worry of your father. I attempted to get answers for you. I tried to speak to you through the trees. It was urgent. But your mind is so clouded…. You did not hear."

"Well, I'm hearing now." Claude said.

The dryad nodded, "You are."

Claude looked at Ms. Oracle.

She looked at him, "You understand what the dryad is saying?"

Claude nodded.

Ms. Oracle raised an eyebrow, "It seems your father isn't the only one holding secrets…."