For those of you who have yet to read Cold as EICE, I would recommend reading that first. Or you could enter this sequel blindly and read CAE as a prequel, that might work, who knows?
Chapter 1
Outsiders
?, Castea
I sat behind the bar, polishing the last few mugs and wrapping things up for the day. People had mostly gone home or to sleep at this point and I might as well clean up these dishes before hitting the hay myself. I took a final glance around the bar to make sure no one was lurking under a table before turning around to put the mugs down in their place.
"Done, nice, clean, and polished," I said proudly before turning back to the barroom where a figure now stood in the doorway. It looked like a young-ish man carrying someone along, they staggered into the bar and set down the person they were carrying onto a table. I looked at the man in confusion, he was a fairly round-faced man with short cut brown hair. He wore a red overcoat and a white shirt under it, as well as leather gloves. As he approached the table I noted the rounded glasses set over his one deep green eye, the other eye was covered by a leather eyepatch with a botched attempt at some design on it. The figure he'd set down was a red-haired woman who was starting to cough up a storm. After a moment I mustered up the courage to speak to my intimidating guest.
"Can I help you, sir?" I asked.
"Please tell me you lot have medicine," The man said exasperatedly, his tone was surprisingly smooth and kind sounding. "I can't tell you how many towns we've passed through that either don't have or don't believe in medicine."
"What kind do you need?" I asked.
"Antibiotics, and cold medicine if you've got any," He answered.
"You can get those at the apothecary," I said. "I think they should still be open."
"Okay, keep an eye on my friend please, at least until the others show up," The stranger said.
"Others?" I asked nervously.
"Yes, others, as in more hunters and huntresses," The man said sarcastically. "When they come in, tell them Isaac's getting medicine."
"Umm, of course, sir," I replied.
So much for wrapping up the night, I sighed and moved out from behind the bar to take a closer look at the woman the man had left here. Her ginger hair was something of a mess, it was straight, fairly long and had clearly not seen a brush in years. The girl had sharply defined features, haughty ones like you'd see in portraits of those Atlesian billionaires. She was wearing a sweater with an odd design on it and the words 'casual fashion' on it. The woman eventually stopped coughing for a moment and pulled herself up, she turned to look at me with piercing unnatural yellow eyes. She blinked once before coughing and straightening herself out.
"You can stop staring any time weirdo," She said weakly.
"Sorry!" I said, flustered.
"It's alright, it's not something I'm unused to," She said sullenly. "Where'd Isaac go?"
"To go get medicine," I answered.
"Great," She said, slowly pulling herself off the table and onto the chair. "At this rate, I was worried that sickness of all things would be what kills me."
"Who are you people?" I asked, tired of waiting for that to be said.
"Hunters and Huntresses headed to Mistral," The woman said. "I'm Elith, thanks for not kicking us out of the bar."
"Don't worry about it, I won't turn down folks needing help," I said, suddenly a loud howl and some gunshots could be heard outside. "What was that?"
"Probably the others, there's a reason Isaac ran ahead," Elith said. "But don't worry, the problem will be gone by the time they get here."
"What problem?" I asked nervously.
"Grimm, what else would roar and require bullets out in these parts," She replied. "Don't worry, it's five hunters against a few Beowolves, we'll be fine." And just like that the ruckus outside quieted down swiftly, a minute or so later the door to the bar opened again. A woman walked in first, she was mid-sized with pitch-black hair that had recently been cut. She was wearing a simple grey t-shirt and blue jeans, but that wasn't the odd part of her attire. She was wearing a Grimm mask of good make, it looked almost perfectly like a Beowolf's mask. 'Bandit' was the first thought that went through my head, but the woman's demeanour was hardly threatening at all. She walked over to us and removed the mask, revealing tan skin, reddish-orange eyes, and a pair of cat ears twitching now that they were in the open.
"Hey Clara," Elith said before starting up another coughing fit.
"Stop trying to talk Elith, you aren't helping your throat at all," Clara said exasperatedly.
"Make me," Elith said with a grin before coughing again, Clara shook her head at this.
"Honestly I wonder if you're as smart as we give you credit for," Clara said.
"I resent that statement," Elith replied. As these two had their odd exchange, two more people entered, a man and a younger girl. The man was wearing an emerald cloak that partially covered the armour he wore underneath, he pulled down the hood of his cloak and popped his neck. He had slightly grown out black hair that was just barely kept in check and had chiselled features that were not unlike a statue. He had light blue eyes with a friendly look to them that offset the man's threatening vibes. Wrapped around his neck were the arms of a girl I judged to be about sixteen or seventeen, she looked tired and winded. She had braided blonde hair and green eyes just like the 'Isaac' guy who'd come through, not to mention similar facial features. She was wearing ash coloured hiking clothes and had a blue scarf on.
"You can get off now Draht, you're tired, not injured," The man said to the girl.
"Just one more minute?" Draht asked sheepishly the man just sighed and set the girl down on the table.
"Barkeep, did a man named Isaac come through here?" The man asked.
"Yes, he said he was grabbing medicine at the apothecary," I replied, still overwhelmed at the sudden rush of people. "What's your name?"
"Erik, sorry for bursting in so late at night," Erik said, he searched through his pockets before procuring some lien and handing them to me. "For troubling you."
"Thank you, sir, can I get you anything?" I asked.
"Have you got ginger ale?" Erik asked.
"Yes, I'll grab some for you all," I said.
I hurried back behind the bar as one more person entered. The newcomer wore a large trench coat and had a black tricorn hat that seemed just a bit too big on them, it had drifted to partially cover their face. The newcomer slightly adjusted their cap to reveal their face, a small bit of dirty blonde hair was sticking out from the hat and hung over one of his hazel eyes. He seemed a fair bit older than his companions, he was probably in his mid to late twenties.
"Alright, Lyra should be in here soon," The man said. "That could've gone more smoothly."
"It's not my fault they caught me by surprise Dusty," Draht complained.
"It is, however, your fault you were hanging around without someone to watch your back," Dusty said, Draht simply pouted in response. The four of them continued to talk as I poured out ginger ale for each of them, as I finished pouring the fourth two more people entered. Isaac had returned, and a woman was now accompanying him. She wore a dark grey cloak and had an aged appearance, she may be in her forties or late thirties. They had messy black hair and dark blue eyes, under their eyes were dark circles, it looked like they hadn't slept for a while.
"I've got the medicine, this should help," Isaac said as he rushed over to Elith. While Isaac tended to Elith, Dusty approached me.
"Are there any rooms for rent here?" He asked. "Anywhere we could stay a night or two so our friend here can get better?"
"Of course, there's an inn across the road," I answered. "You can take rooms there if you've got Lien."
"Thanks, sir," Dusty said before handing me some lien. "Can you grab me two shots of whiskey if it's not too much trouble."
Elith, Castea inn
I felt groggy uncomfortable and poor, but at least you weren't sick, your group had rested here in town for three days now and you were certain you were fine to go other than some slight after effects. You quickly dress in some sweatpants, a shirt, and of course your beloved casual fashion sweater. The aches in your side slowly fade as you stretch and prepare to face the day, time to get those aches back through some old-fashioned hiking through Mistral. You swing your door open to be immediately confronted by Isaac, seems he heard you getting ready and was waiting.
"You know there are easier ways to give me a heart attack, right?" I joked as I pushed past him.
"We shouldn't be going yet, you aren't well enough," He said, oddly blunt for the usually jokey and evasive guy.
"Isaac, you aren't stopping me, I'm not running a fever, we're leaving. We'll waste our time if we dilly daddle on my little grogginess," You give a frustrated huff and keep walking off.
"Elith, we all get that you have that whole tough independent schtick going for you, but this is just plain stupid, rest one more day?" He asked, his ridiculous concerns highly evident.
"No." I said plainly. "When I said I liked you, Isaac, that was not giving the go-ahead to try babying me through life, I don't know if you recall but that Cinder chick is probably about to put hundreds in danger. What if we stay here and the day before we get to Mistral, a building blows up, or her friends invade like in Beacon?"
"Yeah but,-" I cut him off right there.
"Who's more important to you Isaac, potentially hundreds of lives, or me?" I asked, he opens his mouth to respond but you keep going. "It's rhetorical, I swear if you answer that." I kept walking and he stopped following me, but a frustrated sigh fills the air. It's sweet he cares, but goals have to be kept straight. I confessed to him, but afterwards I made it clear that things beyond that would have to wait until there was less to stress over. I needed less distraction, not more.
Clara, ?
Here again, walking through a forest, I'm certain I'm dreaming, it's the same surroundings, the same humming tune in the distance. But it felt so real, so right, but I knew it was fake. It had to be, I wake up from dreams, which is what happens, and I wake up never anywhere near something like this place. But you forget dreams right? I always remember this vividly. I heave a sigh and look around, following the normal progression. A lilting tune was being hummed, echoing through this grove as I walk after this voice and look for what I always see and hear, but I'm unpleasantly surprised. I was suddenly falling, watching my surroundings darken, suddenly there were fires burning, crumbling buildings surrounded you and the air was full of screams and shots are fired around you mingling with grimm roars. It's Beacon, everything is in ruin, and something was weighing on my knee. With dread I looked down to see what I knew was down there, a white fang soldier, blood dripping from the bit part of his neck, blood was also upon my chin, slowly dripping onto his face. I remembered this, I bit him, I'd killed him so brutally, so personally... I'd tried shutting this out but it was still here. I began to cry slightly as I cradled the dead man, the example that I could be just like a Grimm.
"Felt good, didn't it? The taste, the warmth, feeling them go limp in your hands…" A soft voice echoes.
"Who goes there!" I shout at it, rolling the corpse off of myself.
"Patience, time will tell~" The voice leaves with a laugh as the area fades back to the grove, I see someone up ahead, the humming was from them, they slowly turn and and as always, I wake up in a cold sweat.
I groan in frustration and fear, then take the rag I always kept nearby at this point and wipe the cold sweat off. I needed to talk to someone about these dreams, and that note from the journal... but how could I without sounding like I'm mad? I'm certain my condition makes me suspect to the others to some degree, they've all seen me in that zero state and you've physically changed significantly, no denying. I look in the mirror to examine the once blue, now reddish-orange eyes, the once auburn now black hair, and the other small, less noticeable shifts. You hate this, but it's your lot. I heave another sigh, at least I can still act like my chipper old self other than these stresses, that much to be thankful for. I get up and leave the room and seek out my friends.
Isaac, Castea
Why was Elith so obstinate, sure we'd lose a day or two, but we can't do anything if she dies or something. Maybe I was worrying too much? I give a frustrated sigh to the air and pace outside, she'd won and we were going to continue our travelling. Erik comes out first and walks over.
"We'll be fine, only so much longer to go, even without the horses." He said. "We'll make it just fine." Right, I forgot there turned out to be no stables in town, so we still only had two horses now, some Grimm had gotten to the others, progress had become much slower after that.
"Yeah, you're right, still a lot of distance though…" I sigh.
"And we'll cover it the same as all the other stretches we've crossed." Erik smiled as he said that, patting me on the back. I can't help but return it, he's a good leader, for the type of guy he is he can be pretty infectively optimistic when he tries. "Come on, let's get ready." The two of you head to the edge of town to stock up the horse packs and get a quiet moment. You make some space on one of the horses, just in case Elith got over herself enough to take some rest. You lean on a tree and idly trace a finger on your eyepatch and think, gods you miss depth perception. At least your knixes aren't really precision weapons.
"You know, there's really no shame getting yourself a replacement, none of us wanna see you get hurt cause you don't wanna-" Clara's voice pipes in suddenly.
"Look like my dad?" I interrupt. "I'm fine with the patch Clara."
"Okay, but…" She says.
"I'm fine with it." I won't, I just, I don't wanna be any closer to him than I already am, even if he's all gone now. Elith comes with Dusty, Draht, and Lyra, allowing Erik to keep Clara from maintaining the discussion.
"Time to hit the road guys, Mistral can't be that long off," Erik announced, and with that, we met the road once more.
Author's notes
Okay, so long time doesn't really describe it right, but yeah, I haven't uploaded in a long time, sorry. I don't know how regularly I'll be able to upload, but I'll do my best to update this story to you all. Secondly, I'm going to make sure that this story is far more coherent and considered than it was before, I understand that many chapters were seemingly pointless or starting things I never followed, but I'm better now and assure that more quality content will be put forth.