Maybe the church wasn't as clean as it could be due to the fact that it only serviced a group of small villages out in the country. Maybe the many dust flecks drifting quietly through the moonbeams coming in through the tall, dirty, stained glass windows on the walls was simply because the clergy had lacked the proper tools to keep the small, hall-like structure in perfect shape, and not because this house of faith had simply been left abandoned or forgotten about at the edge of the village in question that Yang and Blake had been called to. Either way, the calming feeling that churches normally had was replaced by a foreboding atmosphere that only heightened along with the darkness clinging to corners and under wooden pews. And yet, the small girl with the red tinged hair only pulled her crimson cape around her some more instead of immediately making for the door.
Even as Ruby tried to reassure herself that the pair of hunters would be back soon, the echo of her footsteps rebounding off the walls shook her nerves with each break to the silence pressing down on her as she paced slowly down the main aisle. The hunter and her partner, Yang and Blake, had been assigned a bounty for a pair of vampires that had been wreaking havoc around the villages here for the past few weeks. And as an apprentice hunter, albeit one to her older sister. Ruby was supposed to tag along to the hunt to watch and learn.
Yet, almost as soon as they had arrived just as the last rays of the sinking sun, this church had been where the youngest of the trio was left behind, along with the horses and packs of equipment.
"It's a pair of vampires, sis. No idea how old or how strong." Yang had tried to explain when her little sister protested about the decision. "And you're still in training. There's always the chance that they might get out of our control and start causing collateral damage, so I'd rather have you out of the line of fire if it comes to that."
Maybe it was reasonable to make sure the apprentice wouldn't be harmed in an especially dangerous hunt, if this hadn't already happened many other times before. For a year, the three had been travelling to hunts together, and, with the exception of a handful of times when it had been deemed safe enough that she could actually watch from a distance, Ruby had either been sent off on an errand while the real job was taken care of, or like today, been stationed at a safe point away from the danger. Only once had she ever been allowed to take part of the hunt, and that was for a pixie throwing a tantrum over a ribbon being stolen from it.
Her hand twitched towards the weapon that lay folded up and perched on her lower back, under her cape. How many times would she have to beg Yang to let her do more, to let her show that she was capable of at least watching the fights without becoming a liability? This was supposed to help her eventually become a hunter in her own right, and how was she to do that without any actual experience?
An empty sigh slipped out as the thoughts ran through her head yet again as she neared the altar again during her pacing. With each time that she was left alone like this, the more desperate the questions seemed to be to have answers finally given to them.
"What do I have to do to prove myself?" And just why was she letting herself actually say the question outside of her mind? Was the teenager trying to appeal to some higher power that might be listening to take pity on her and provide an opportunity?
Heh, Uncle Qrow would probably scold her for doing that if he was here. One of the oldest hunters to still be around, he seemed wary of almost anything. Most said that was why he was still around today when so many of those who had become hunters alongside him now lay in graves around the world.
Looking across the altar, and up towards the biggest stained glass pieces, that of the four basic Dust forms, lit up with a pale glow from the moonlight, the girl paused, trying to recall a time when she had actually asked why not to voice prayers out loud.
"You never know who might answer your calls. Could be an angel. Could be a demon."
The creak of old wood straining against being moved cut through Ruby's thoughts, one hand reaching immediately for the cold metal on her back as she turned round to face the main church door that was now being held open.
"Oh?" The voice that spoke was light, although there seemed to be an edge of humour to it. Enough that a person watching the scene could say suggested that the person was amused to find what reaction her entrance got. "I wasn't expecting to find anyone else here at this hour."
Ruby's hand stayed where it was under her cape as she viewed the cloaked individual. While her silver eyes scrutinized the form of the stranger, golden eyes gleamed curiously back at her.
"...Haven't got much to say, do you?" The stranger spoke once more when silence fell back in between them. A hand emerged from under the dull brown cloak, rising to grasp at the edge of the hood masking her face. Dark hair spilled out as it fell back, most of it curling around the woman's left shoulder. While the moonbeams coming in weren't the best lighting to see the other's face with, Ruby could surely see a tug come to the corner of full lips before the woman spoke again. "Or perhaps, you think I'm a ghost?"
"Ah! Sorry!" There was not much reason to snap into being defensive here, in a church of all places. Ruby knew well enough that anything like a vampire wouldn't even be able to place one foot on the grounds around this building. Her hand fell away from her weapon as the girl straightened back up, her stance relaxing. "I guess... I just wasn't expecting anyone to show up here either. I thought the news of vampires would keep people from travelling at night." She tried to explain, the same hand that been ready to whip out Crescent Rose now awkwardly fiddling with the hair on the back of her neck.
"Vampires?" A glint passed sharply over the stranger's gaze, the light smirk never changing. "I hadn't heard any such news before now." As she talked, the woman started to stride slowly towards the altar where Ruby still remained standing by. "But, it sounds like you know enough to tell me about it."
"Oh, you're not from around here then?" A small whinny came from Ruby's horse tethered outside. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't heard another horse trot up to the church. Had the woman been travelling on foot? It was uncommon, but not unheard of for people around the poorer counties like this one to opt for trekking everywhere instead of investing in a horse they would have to then feed and shelter.
Perhaps her trek had gone longer than originally though, and the church was where the woman was seeking shelter for the night. "What would make you travel out this way?" Ruby racked her brain, trying to remember if there was anything more than poor farming soil and a couple of mines out this way.
"Visiting some old friends, you could say." There was a click of heels echoing round the church as the stranger kept walking closer, the repetitive noise like the tick of a clock in an empty room. "To be honest though, I'm more interested in what a young girl like yourself would be doing alone in an old dusty church like this. And how you would know of vampires being nearby."
"Oh, oh yeah." She hadn't explained that part yet. "I'm an apprentice of hunters that came because of a bounty put out on the vampires." That got a raised eyebrow from the woman, now at the two steps that raised the ground up onto the platform the altar was laid on.
"Hmm, you look a little young to be an apprentice hunter." Ruby let out a noiseless laugh at hearing that age old statement yet again. "But if that's the case, why aren't you out there with them?" A slight tilt of the head accompanied the question. But as before, the soft smirk still remained. "Surely the role of an apprentice is to help with hunts." It made Ruby squirm inside to hear the questions she had been asking herself just minutes ago being echoed by another. Even any other person who heard of how Yang made her stay behind would notice it as odd.
"W-well, they thought it safer for me to stay behind." Silver eyes darted to dodge the gaze of golden ones as she echoed her sister's words from before, turning to focus on the stained glass some more. Because of that, Ruby missed the smirk of the other woman growing in response. "We don't know too much about them, and it's easier to prevent harm than it is to deal with it afterwards."
"That sounds wise." Having looked away, the girl hadn't realised the woman had come up beside her until the next time she spoke. Jerking back to pay attention, Ruby turned back, her cheek met by a cool hand coming to cup it.
A light grip tilted her head to face the older woman looking down on her. Being this close, now was the first time the teenager was able to notice just how pale the stranger's skin was, though it was hard to tell whether that was just a trick of the moonlight. Those same golden eyes she had seen earlier were now practically glowing like two amber lanterns.
"I mean, it wouldn't do to let a cute girl like you get put in harm's way." A thumb traced down over Ruby's cheekbone as the girl froze in place from the contact. Another glint of light passed over the stranger's eyes as Ruby's breath caught in her throat. "A pretty little face like that, shouldn't ever be marked by cuts or bruises." The hand pulled away from her cheek to drift along a stray strand of hair, pushing it back behind her ear before dropping away.
"U-Um, thank you?" There was still a tingle along where her face had been touched as Ruby pulled back from the woman, feeling the need to gain a bit more personal space now. That had been... weird. "...I'm surprised that there weren't already other people from the villages in here when we arrived." Maybe a change of subject would get rid of the awkwardness. "Wouldn't a church normally be used as a refuge from a vampire attack?" Not to mention they were normally a hub for the community. This one though... It felt like no one had come here in months.
"Hmm, true." The woman had both hands perched on the edge of the altar now, leaning on the stone as she peered over it. "But as a refuge from vampires, the protection for that can be broken. And I'm betting that," One hand rose up to point a scarlet nail over the altar, to the floor that would be behind it. "Is a sign of that having happened."
Curious, Ruby joined her at the stone table, brows creasing as she looked at the scene. There was some kind of dark stain on the floor, forming the shape of a large splatter. Did someone spill the sacramental wine during mass? No, the stain was far too big to be from a single cup or jug. Not to mention, wine normally went light when it stained stone. If she had to guess, that maroon colour looked more like old blood...
"...There was a murder?" It was hard not to voice her surprise and confusion instead of keeping it as thoughts. "But, that wouldn't normally do anything. The spells lain by the church shouldn't be affected by someone dying on the grounds." Theory that she had had to read over and over as part of her initiate studies was helpful to reassure herself with. Even though it didn't stop a creeping cold from going up her spine.
"Didn't you wonder why there wasn't a priest here to meet you?" The whisper almost sounded conspiratorial, increasing the cold feeling prickling Ruby's skin. "If it was a murder among the normal members of the villages, then true, nothing would have come of it other than grief and death. But if a clergy member, one of those who helped weave the spells onto the church, and who also served as an anchor for them..."
The message was clear. If it was true, then this meant the building was no safer to stay at than any other part of the villages. And any traveller who thought the place would offer a safe night's sleep, would probably awake to find themselves drained of blood. Still, while such a story would make sense if indeed there was no protection left here, there were still glaring holes that Ruby needed answers to, even if she felt half sure of just what those answers would be.
"Y-you say all that like you know for a fact that that's the story behind it." She tried to control the chattering of her teeth, even as the chill spread from her spine. "And yet, you said before that you aren't from here." The smirk on the woman widened, this time enough to show a patch of gleaming teeth hidden behind her lips.
"I was wondering when you might catch on." Dark hair shifted around the woman's shoulder as she straightened up to look yet again at the girl with her. Now smiling right at the apprentice, Ruby could see the telltale fangs replacing the normal eyeteeth that humans would have. "I had heard already from my protégés the trouble they had caused here, but I wasn't absolutely sure all the spells had been undone until I set foot on the grounds tonight. Now, not a single one remains to restrain my strength here, let alone repel me from entering."
The silence that fell now was more deafening than ever. While Ruby tensed up, the vampire remained relaxed, as if they were only having a pleasant conversation. Amber eyes fixed upon a hand slowly trying to slide unseen behind the girl's back, reaching for a weapon.
"So. What will you do now?"
"Go faster! Come on!" Yang goaded her horse, despite it already foaming at the mouth from how much effort it was putting in to gallop at top speed. Blake followed close behind, silent but still nudging her heels into her own steed's sides to encourage it in a different way.
The blonde gritted her teeth as she saw the church come into sight. She knew something was up from the very moment they had engaged with the pair of young vampires. The both of them had acted cocky, and yet dodged any attempts to draw them into direct combat. Like this was just a game to them, flitting around the village in the valley behind them now, forcing the hunters to chase them round and round thinking they were going after the villagers hiding in their houses.
It was hard to keep track of the time, but after what felt like an hour of 'playing', both the vampires suddenly took on the same surprised look, like hearing someone call out their names. And once that happened, it was all over. A kick to knock them back from the silver haired one, and a flare of billowing smoke from the green haired one, and they were both gone.
Minutes after that was when they had discovered from the villagers the recent event of the local priest having gone insane and hacking his wife to pieces during a choir rehearsal before slicing his own throat.
Had this all been some kind of trap? No, who would want to set a trap for any one of them? Hell, why would they presume that the hunters would stop there instead of going straight after the vampires they had been sent here for? The only reasons for them to destroy the living anchor of the protection spells would be to destroy the one place of refuge the villagers had, and to make anyone else who stayed there a sitting duck.
And here they had been, thinking no place was safer to leave Ruby than at a church.
A shatter of glass ripped through the air as they neared their destination, both girls immediately glancing to where the giant window above the main doors had been, now replaced by an empty frame. And as shards of broken glass twinkled while falling to the ground below, a figure draped in a large cloak stepped into it, a familiar, limp figure being cradled by them. Yang couldn't help herself at the sight.
"Ruby!" Without even pausing to think about it, the blonde reached over shoulder, drawing out her crossbow, aiming it at the figure, and pulling the trigger all in one swift motion.
As was half expected, the bolt flew straight at the figure's head, only for one hand to snap up at the last moment to catch it, still holding comfortably onto the unconscious girl with the other arm. The wood crunched in the vampire's hand as a gust of wind blew off her hood.
"So that's her name. Shame I didn't think to even ask for it before." She spoke calmly, dropping one half of the snapped bolt to the ground below. "Either way, I guess this means I have another gem to add to my collection."
"Let her go. Right now!" Anger and desperation lined Yang's voice as she reached for another weapon to use. Golden eyes flicked over to the faunus, who was grabbing her own crossbow to use. A sadistic grin spread across the vampire's face as she analysed them.
"As you wish."
The arm that had been holding on so securely to the girl so far pulled away without even a second's notice, letting gravity take effect far quicker. Eyes wide, the blonde hunter practically flew from her saddle in her rush to prevent Ruby from hitting the ground. As that happened, Blake's own bolt shot from her crossbow.
Only to pass straight through the suddenly empty cloak of the figure as a high pitched screeching filled the air. A swarm of bats flew out from the garment as it fell back into the church, zooming down to reach the girl just as she got within a meter of the ground, and knocking Yang back with their sheer force by taking off by her. Her arms raised to prevent the flying vermin from getting in her face, the hunter had no protection for the sharp end of the broken bolt that was stabbed into her shoulder as they passed.
She fell back with a grunt of pain. One hand reached for the broken bolt to immediately try tugging it out, but the slick feel of her own blood took any purchase away from her fingers. From her position, all she could do now was watch the dark cloud of bats disappear with alarming speed into the distance, taking her sister with them.
