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Some Secret Location . . .
It's been too long since I've visited here, my home . . . Has it really been seven years?
It was a cool, cloudy day. The trees danced with the gentle breeze and wildlife lived peacefully in this area. It's not often that you see wildlife that hasn't been killed by the Grimm. But you will always find animals, birds, and other wildlife living near areas like this. How is this possible? Well, Grimm just know better than to step foot in this territory.
A strong arm shot out from behind and held me still, a drawn blade was pressed against my neck.
"You are trespassing on restricted territory, woman."
"You don't recognize the white hood, Leo?" I smirk.
Upon hearing the name the pressure from the blade slackened for a split-second, but returned the next moment. "Who are you?"
Sighing, I relax my guard to show no hostility. "Leo, it's me. Summer."
"Summer? Who?"
"Are you that- Rose! Summer Rose!"
The blade slackened once again, but the intense pressure didn't return. But the arm still held me fast.
"If you are Summer, then what's the nickname you called me when we were five years old?"
I roll my eyes. "Are we really playing this game? I called you a pussycat. Now will you let me go?"
Leo releases his hold on me the moment I say that.
"Haha! No way! It is you!" He turns me around and I'm met by that big grin of his, followed by a hug. "It's been so long, Summer!"
"And you're just as paranoid as you were when we were five."
I can't . . . I need to stop talking with these people.
"I have to tell everyone that you're back! Like, holy crap! Look at you! You've changed so much- well, you still have that white hood. But I remember when you left for that Huntsman Academy. And you never came back to visit! How could you do something like that to us? Your friends!"
"You know I couldn't just waltz back here, Leo. I could've picked up suspicious people that would've followed me back here. You know our existence as warriors with Silver Eyes is classified above top secret. Not even Remnant's Council knows of our existence. As far as the world is concerned . . . we're just legends."
"Right, right . . . So how have you been?"
"Great! But we can talk later. I have to talk to the chief about an important thing."
"Yeah, no problem." He says. "Catch ya later, Summer. It's good to see you again."
"Yeah~ . . . "
It's good to see you too, Leo, but . . . Remember why you're doing this, Summer . . .
Now that I was within the walls of the village, I had to sneak around to avoid being noticed. I didn't want anyone to recognize me. Talking to other people would just make things harder . . .
After a few minutes, I finally made it to the chief's house. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door five times. A few moments later, his wife came to the door.
"Hi, how can I help- . . . " She gasps. "Summer? Is that you?"
"Hi, Matron. It's been a while~"
"Oh, Summer!"
"Uwaa!~" Suddenly I was pulled into a suffocating hug.
"Oh it's so good to see you! Where have you been?! It's been too long!"
"Okay! I get it! You're suffocating me~ . . . " After a few moments, she let go and I was able to catch my breath. "Wow! You're still as strong as ever, Matron."
"Oh, please. Sweetheart, you can just call me Nina."
"Haha~ Right~ Sorry, Nina. I would love to catch up, but is the chief available to talk right now?"
"Oh, well of course! He's always willing to make time for his star pupil. Please, come in!"
"Thank you." After dusting off my shoes, I stepped inside their beautiful home.
The one story house hasn't changed one bit, even after all these years. It still looked amazing, but had that look of simplicity. Looking into the living room, the chief was sitting on one of the comfortable couches.
"Honey, who is it?"
"Dear! It's Summer! She's back."
"I'm sorry. My hearing must be getting worse. Did you just say Summer is here, honey? I haven't seen that girl in years!" Papa says, getting up from his couch. The past seven years did not treat him well appearance-wise. I remembered when he looked in his early forties . . . but now he looks like sixty. But his smile hasn't changed.
"Yes, dear! She is!" Then she turns to me and beckons me into the living room. "Come, sweetheart. Please, make yourself at home."
"Thanks, Matron- Nina . . . "
Stop wasting time, idiot! The longer you keep this up the harder it will be . . .
I sat down with the chief and his wife and we were able to catch up. I've told them about my time at Beacon Academy and how I married one of my teammates. They were pretty surprised at that and scolded me for not telling anyone in the tribe about the marriage. It was actually kind of nostalgic to speak with them again. I could still hear the hint of "teacher" in their voices. They had helped me learn how to control my unique hereditary powers . . .
"You seem troubled, Summer. Is something bothering you?" Papa asks.
" . . . "
I can't . . . I can't do this anymore . . .
"Sweetheart, what is it? You can tell us anything. You know that right? We love you as if you were our own daughter. Oh! Your parents would have been so proud of you!"
"Stop saying these things!" I say, my frustration finally showing. "If you keep saying these things . . . "
"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Please, you can tell us. We want you to know that this is always a safe place to say anything."
Stop fooling around, idiot! . . .
I stood up from my seat. My heart was racing and breaking. Slowly, my hands drop.
"Sweetheart?" They both look at me with those loving stares.
"I'm so . . . I'm so sorry!"
With swift agility, I reach behind me, unfolding my two swords and killing the chief and his wife with two swift swings. It took a few moments before my mind and body finally processed what just happened. Without wanting to, I just scream.
What have I done?! . . .
"What's going on in here?!" Two of the warriors from outside barged in through the door.
I look at them and they look at me with my blood-stained swords, then at the dead chief and his wife.
"I'm so sorry!"
"Summer . . . What have you-"
That's all they had time to say. My body had gone into auto-pilot. I no longer had control- no longer wanted to control myself. My warrior instincts kick in and only my assignment took priority.
The tribe was too slow to react to what was happening. By the time they knew, it was too late. How could they have known that one of their own was going to betray them? How could they have known that a dear friend to the community was going to kill them all? We were all close, like family.
"I'm so sorry! . . . I'm so sorry! . . . I'm so . . . " Tears spilled uncontrollably and my voice acted on its own, apologizing.
After five minutes of carnage, screams, blood, and flashes of white from my hereditary power, the village was silent. Nothing but death surrounds me, now. I didn't move- didn't want to move . . .
What have I done? . . . These people were innocent . . . They were family! . . .
My swords drop to the ground at the same time as my knees drop. My mind had finally caught up. The heavens were gasping in morbid horror. The adrenaline had disappeared from my blood stream. Just like with the deaths of the chief and his wife . . . I just scream. I scream and scream more. The realization overwhelmed my senses. Lights inside my head began turning off one by one.
"I'm so sorry . . . "
Grimm World . . .
I don't know how long I was sitting while in a state of shock at my childhood home. It could have been hours . . . or even a full day. But I managed to pick myself up, remembering my motives and continuing forward.
Now . . . here I was, kneeling before the enemy of all of Remnant, Salem. Queen of the Grimm. Her lifeless eyes watch me carefully as I walk the length of her throne room all the way until I reach a few yards in front of her.
"Report." Her commanding voice fills the throne room.
Curse this witch . . .
With fists clenched and teeth grit, I say, "the village has been exterminated . . . all of them. Not a single survivor remains."
Those lifeless eyes didn't move as she stared at me for the longest time. I knew what she was doing. She was seeing if I was lying or not. At this point, I was more disturbed than angry.
"I see. Well done, human." She says. A small smile indicated that she was pleased at this answer.
I'll make you pay for this . . . I will kill you . . .
She continues. "I will admit. You surpassed my expectations, human. Without needing any assistance, you single-handedly exterminated a tribe of warriors with Silver Eyes. Just one seasoned warrior is enough to make even my strongest Grimm desire to avoid a combat engagement. Your power is extraordinary and will prove to be a great asset in my plans."
I kept my head down, not even wanting to give this witch the luxury of my attention.
"I never would have considered this option, had it not been for my star-pupil, Cinder. The young one suggested that the best way to exterminate the Warriors with Silver Eyes was by simply using one of their own to do the job for us. And so far, you have not disappointed me . . . Hmm . . . Lift up your head, human. Look at me while I'm speaking to you."
With restrained anger, I do so.
Her eyes narrow and a look of displeasure appears on her expression. " . . . It seems you have forgotten the conditions of your service to me. Allow me to remind you, human." With the snap of her fingers, a portal appears next to me.
"Summer!"
"Tai! Are you okay?! Are the girls okay?!"
"I'm fine, honey. So are the girls."
Salem abducted my family a few days ago. They're currently locked up in a confinement cell somewhere deep in her castle. I could see little Ruby and Yang in the background, quietly asleep on a filthy cot. Seeing this made my blood boil with rage.
"Ruby just turned one today, baby." Tai says with a smile.
How can he smile at a time like this?!
"That's . . . That's wonderful, Tai." My eyes were getting moist.
How did we not detect the enemy right outside our home? This never would have happened if I-
"There are two things that I will not tolerate, human." Salem says. "Disobedience and failure. If you do not live up to my expectations . . . " She snaps her fingers and the projected image of the portal changes, zooming out of the cell. Outside the cell were three Seers.
Suddenly, two of the three Seers approach the confinement cell.
"Hey! Back off, ugly!" Tai growls, standing himself in front of Ruby and Yang, who were still sound asleep. But that changed very quickly when the Seers attacked Tai with sustained bolts of lightning. "Guh!" He grunts, falling to his knees and shouting in pain.
"Tai!" I cry out. Instinct took over and my swords were out. "I'll kill you, witch!"
"I do not like repeating myself, human." She snaps her fingers again and the third Seer approached the confinement cell.
"No! You stay away from my girls!" I couldn't break through the portal, no matter how hard I tried. My heart wanted to break when I saw the tentacle pointing towards Ruby and Yang. "I'll do whatever you say!" I cry out, throwing my swords to the ground. "Don't hurt them! . . . I'll do whatever you say . . . " My breathing and restrained sobs were the only sounds echoing in the throne room. I had already dropped to my knees and bowed my face to the cold red carpet.
She snaps her fingers again and the Seers cease their attacks on my family and backed off. Ruby and Yang were not harmed, but Tai was on his knees and coughing violently. His aura flashes and dissipates.
"Mark my words, human. Any further sign of rebellion and I will make you watch them suffer and die." She says. "Tyrian, escort the human to her confinement cell."
A man with a brown long coat appears from the shadows and bows before Salem. "It shall be done, my queen."
Ozpin's Office . . .
"What?"
"The reports are true, Professor Ozpin. A tribe of Silver-Eyed warriors has been exterminated. We are still investigating the cause."
Ozpin was in his office doing normal, boring paperwork. An hour into this, he received a call from Professor Goodwitch. She had received a recent report from a spy that one of the tribes of the Silver Eyed Warriors were completely destroyed.
"That's impossible. Not even a legion of Grimm can completely annihilate a whole tribe."
"I am only telling you the truth, Ozpin. I'm looking at the village with my own eyes . . . It's a tragic sight. There are no survivors."
" . . . "
This is not good . . . If the warriors of the Silver Eyes are wiped out, Remnant's chances of defeating Salem will severely be lowered . . .
"I'm sending Qrow to assist you in your investigation, Glynda. I want this to take top priority. I will take over your teaching responsibilities and you will be allowed to use any resource to aid you in this investigation. I will also take the responsibility of informing the other seven tribes."
"Understood. We will do our best to stop this from continuing. I'll let you know when we have an update."
"Thank you, Glynda. Good luck."
The line was cut and Ozpin put his scroll down. This was just exactly what he needed, another thing to add to his colossal amounts stress . . .