And the train keeps on rolling! I'd comment more here, but running off very little sleep. Here's hoping this chapter isn't plagued with spelling and grammar errors!
Did the gods weep? Did they even care what mortals did, whether they lived or died? She had liked to think so. Weiss had believed that magic had been bestowed upon them by sympathetic gods, a gift to wash away the blight that was the Grimm.
Then Yang had planted a seed of doubt and it was all she could think of. Restless, sleep had not come easily, and when it did it was fleeting. With her mind racing as it was Weiss couldn't possibly sleep, and so she had gone into town. Residents were up before the sun, hard at work repairing what damage they could.
One boon of early rising was the chance to speak with some residents, and ask about the sealed door. No one she spoke to could tell her anything about it, and indeed, no one was even aware of its existence. They had more things to worry about right now than some secret passage.
These people went about their day not because it they were not grieving - they would be grieving for some time - but because this was habit. Grimm would attack, people died, they would rebuild. Weiss had to wonder what Holbrook had looked like years ago.
Most towns this far removed from the capital hardly lasted 5 years. That Holbrook had remained standing so close to Mount Glenn was a testament to the people's tenacity. Or perhaps their idiocy, Weiss couldn't decide which.
By the time Yang joined her outside the sun had just begun to rise into the sky. Though the Dimuran had slept she didn't seem much better, decidedly less peppy than before. Then again it was dreadfully early.
They shared a cold breakfast with some of the residents, exchanging light conversation as they ate. While the townsfolk began to rebuild their lives, Weiss and Yang had yet more work to do.
The trek up to the tunnels was not a long one, but fatigued as they were, it may as well have been miles. Weiss signaled for a break at the mouth of the tunnel, and again once they reached the door. A day full of fighting and now this? Weiss counted their blessings no Grimm had spawned overnight.
The door was just as they had left it the day before. On approach the runes came to life, a dull hum reaching Weiss' ears. Whatever lay beyond this door could well prove to be Holbrook's, and other nearby towns' salvation. With nothing but time, she began to inspect the handiwork before her. Several moments later and Weiss felt confident it was within her ability.
"A three layer encryption, no doubt imbued with some kind of failsafe. And judging by the nature of the runes used, whoever made this is highly trained in their use."
"... But you can open it right?"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "Would we be here if I couldn't? Just make sure nothing tries to kill us while I work, won't you?"
The runes were complex, far beyond what she used in her own spells. Where hers signified an element these were more general in application. She could crack the code, though it would take a while.
After just a few minutes Yang let out a groan. "Can't you go any faster?"
"Well it depends… Do you want me to rush, and potentially set off whatever spell they've tied into the seal? Or do you want me to be safe?"
The Dimuran whistled. "Oh boy, you sure know how to make a hard choice!"
"It was rhetorical. Now please, be quiet while I work." One wrong move and something could go terribly wrong. Seals were doubly potent when a spell was concealed in them, making any would-be thieves or prying eyes especially careful.
Weiss' eyes shone blue as she worked on the runes, light reflecting off her eyes. One by one she deactivated them, a meticulous labor. To disable a rune meant applying its counterpart, a sort of balancing system. All runes originated from an ancient language, and the more one knew, the more spells one could perform.
Her knowledge of the runic system was extensive, which was fortunate for them. Save for two she handily disabled every rune on the seal. The remaining ones were characters she knew, but did not know their opposites.
Letting out a frustrated sigh, Weiss stepped back and stared at the door, willing it to give her the answers. "So close… But those two are obnoxious."
"Here, let me take a look." Weiss was dubious as Yang eased her aside, staring at the markings intently. The Schnee girl let out an impatient sigh and shook her head.
"Yang, it takes years and years of study to even begin to understand the runic system." Weiss listed off on her fingers. "There are different combinations which can alter a rune's applications, not to mention needing a fundamental understanding of what each separate rune is capable of. Without that training - "
"Got it! You need the runes for "speech" and "fate"."
Weiss blinked, dumbstruck. "I'm sorry… Come again?" She looked to the door again and felt like she'd been slapped in the face. Yang was right. "Since when can you read runes?"
Yang stood tall and beamed, a hand on her chest. "You never asked! Honestly I can't read that many, but I know these two! Saw 'em in a book once! Or maybe it was a scroll… A letter?"
Weiss carefully transcribed the two runes on the door, jaw dropping watching the final pair dispel. Yang had actually been right, she noted with no small degree of awe. "How did you know that…?"
"Like I said, read it somewhere once!" Yang clapped her hands as the seal faded. She pried her fingers into the crack down the middle and with a grunt of effort parted them, revealing a staircase. "Huh… This keeps getting weirder and weirder."
This was most certainly not part of the mines. Weiss peered into the darkness and took her first step down. When her hand touched the wall a blue glow suddenly erupted from the stone, a trail of markings racing down into the depths below. Well, there went their discretion.
The stairs wound down and they descended for what felt like a hundred feet. The air had become notably cooler than before, almost to the point of seeing their breath. Weiss pulled her cloak tighter around herself, jealous that Yang didn't seem to be fazed at all.
"Let me guess." Weiss mumbled as she hugged herself. "Your magic keeps your warm."
Yang grinned broadly. "Jealous?"
"N-No…" The shivering didn't help any and Weiss scowled while Yang laughed at her expense. "Why is it so cold? Dust, it's like winter in here." She hadn't experienced this degree of cold since she'd been home in Atlas.
The next step felt oddly flexible as her foot sank down on it. Weiss immediately stopped, a dull grinding sound catching her ears. That couldn't be good. Before she could even utter a word of warning the ground beneath her suddenly gave way, and for a moment she was weightless before dropping through a hole in the stairs.
She'd have plummeted down had Yang not caught her by the cloak. Hanging precariously, she looked down and paled, a long fall awaiting her. "Don't let go of me!"
"Ngh… Wasn't planning on it!" Yang clenched her teeth and her muscles strained visibly as she struggled to lift Weiss. When the Schnee looked up and saw Yang hanging onto the stairs by one hand, partly in the gap as well, her blood ran cold.
"J-Just let me go, I can break my fall."
Yang scoffed and tried to pull them up. "Yeah, how you gonna do that? With your head?"
"I don't know! I… I can use a spell!"
"And what? Bring Grimm crashing down on us too? No way Weiss. Just…"
The last thing either of them wanted to hear was stone breaking away. Weiss looked up and saw the stairs beginning to crumble under their combined weight. "Yang! Do something!"
Weiss yelped when she was suddenly lifted and thrown, grabbing desperately onto the steps. The stone broke away behind her and she turned, eyes widening seeing Yang falling. "Yang!"
The Dimuran avoided any serious injury with a burst of flame, but she still took a nasty fall. Weiss' breath caught in her throat until she saw Yang slowly get to her feet, waving up. "Are you alright?!"
A stupid question in hindsight; of course Yang wasn't alright, she'd just fallen almost four stories straight down. It was a miracle she was even up at all. "Good, I'm good! I think."
"Can you get back up?" The Dimuran looked around and shook her head.
"Not happening! There's a door down here though, I'm gonna see where it leads! Just go on ahead, and be careful!"
"You too! Don't do anything stupid!"
Right. Careful. Weiss hissed through her teeth as she pulled herself up and sat on the edge, heart pounding erratically in her chest. That was much too close for comfort. Who designed a staircase to collapse like that?! Of all the underhanded, obnoxious tricks…
Once she'd collected herself and her nerves settled, Weiss continued down the stairs. At the end was another door, surrounded by an ornate frame. She approached carefully, not wanting another surprise, and was pleased to find no runes sealing this one. With Yang currently lost down below she was on her own here. Taking a short breath she nodded to herself, giving the door a push.
It offered little in the way of resistance as Weiss slowly eased it open, peeking inside. A queer green light seeped through the cracked door, and she listened for any movements inside. Once certain she wasn't about to explode, she opened the door completely and stepped inside. She had expected to find… Well she wasn't sure what to expect.
A room full of Grimm was the last thing on her mind. Weiss drew Myrtenaster and prepared for a fight until she noticed something peculiar. The room was full of Grimm, but they were all not moving. Encased in some kind of container, Weiss glanced around before slowly approaching.
Her hand brushed against the container and she found it to be glass, albeit very cold glass. The Grimm inside made no movements even as she drew near, and Weiss noted the strange liquid that the beast was suspended in. A look around her showed there were perhaps a dozen more containers just like this one. Each one housing some variant of Grimm.
Moving further into the room revealed shelves lined with containers, and to Weiss' horror, the containers held body parts. Severed hands and feet, organs, and even a few heads. "What in the world is this…?"
At the center of the room lay a large table, and on top was an array of books, tomes and papers. Much of it made little sense, using anatomical terms that were well beyond Weiss. She sifted through whatever she could get her hands on, freezing as she found a single sheet. It didn't say much, but the large print on the head of the sheet had grabbed her attention.
"Grimm subjugation..." Weiss read aloud, frowning deeply. Was such a thing even possible? She looked over the letter carefully, color draining from her face as she took everything in.
Application of command runes on Grimm appears promising. Select combinations are proven to impose basic control upon Grimm, though some will is retained. Beasts do appear to be able to self-govern. The extent of this will is unknown, will pursue further to test their threshold.
The page described the process, but that wasn't what had Weiss so concerned. I've done it! A Beowolf was made docile by my commands earlier today. Further tests show proof of concept. A few more trials and I should have be able to command multiple Grimm with ease.
This was… It seemed like something out of a fairy tale. Commanding Grimm? That wasn't possible, it couldn't be. Ozpin needed to see this, or someone, anyone at the Church. Whatever was going on here couldn't continue.
"Ah… I was wondering who had managed to get passed my seal. It would make sense that a Schnee was responsible."
Weiss drew her weapon and spun quickly. A lone figure had entered the room with her. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Clad in a long crimson robe that dragged behind him, the old Muran smiled.
"What am I doing here? Why, this is my lab, young lady. I should be asking you that."
Weiss kept her weapon trained on the man as he walked closer, slowly backing away herself. "You're trying to control Grimm?" The man stopped and finally noticed the paper in her hand. He smiled and laughed.
"Trying? My child, no, I am not trying to control Grimm. I am controlling them. Did you not just read my notes? I've achieved what no one thought to be possible!"
This was… Pure insanity. "People cannot control Grimm. Whatever you're doing here… It must stop! Under jurisdiction of the Church - "
"The Church? The Church?" The man howled with laughter. "Miss Schnee, who do you think sanctioned these experiments, hm? Who do you suppose asked me to test these spells?" Weiss' veins ran cold.
"I admit that the nature of my experiments have become a bit… Beyond what they deemed "ethical", but one cannot argue with results. The power to wield Grimm as weapons. Just think of it! With mastery of Grimm and magic both, I could be unstoppable!"
What drove a man to this level of depravity? To levels that he'd think using Grimm as tools was acceptable? "Grimm are monsters, nothing more! They do nothing but kill and bring despair! A town nearby was nearly wiped out because of them, and you mean to tell me you want to use those things?!"
"Ah yes, you must mean Holbrook? A shame, that. And I was so certain the experiment would be a success."
"Experiment…?" The man smiled sickeningly. "What are you talking about?! What experiment? What did you do?" Why was he smiling? What was there to be proud of? "People died because of that attack! How can you stand there with that smile on your face?"
"Because, child, the experiment was still worthwhile. Those Grimm didn't randomly attack Holbrook. I ordered them to. You would be amazed how easily those mindless creatures can be made to heel to a superior master."
"But why am I explaining myself to you? You have been nothing but a nuisance, Miss Schnee. Though I do believe I have a use for you yet!" Weiss' watched on in silent shock as the man wove runes before him, hastily raising some of her own. His spell went off first, though it wasn't aimed for her.
A surge of energy struck one of the tanks and the Grimm inside slowly began to awaken. Weiss turned and fired her spell instead at the tank, shattering the glass and striking the Grimm within. The creature was thrown against the wall, its tall, spindly body crumpling on impact. Had she killed it?
"My my, you're a Schnee with that weak of magic? How disappointing. Perhaps this test won't be as fruitful as I had hoped."
The Grimm slowly began to move. Every movement was sharp and unnatural, with an audible crack as its limbs stretched. The being rolled its neck before its head snapped to the side, red eyes flaring to life and training themselves on Weiss. It almost looked human apart from the massive horns protruding from its forehead, and the telltale bone plating on its face.
Its jaw unhinged and it released the most awful screech Weiss had ever heard. Her hands shot up to her ears and she grit her teeth, trying desperately to drown out the sound. Something struck her suddenly and threw her across the room, colliding hard with a bookshelf and collapsing before it.
The man's enthusiasm glowed as he watched Weiss hide behind a counter to avoid another strike. "Let us see what is more capable! The Church's beloved Hunter, or my dear pet!"
/+/+/+/+/+/
Weiss flipped over the Grimm's arm, falling and rolling to avoid the second. It had yet to move from where it had fallen yet still managed to attack. The way its arms extended, the high-pitched shriek it emitted every time she struck it. Just what was this thing?
The man in the robe cast another series of runes and Weiss countered with her own. Fireballs met in midair and exploded. Again the Grimm lunged out, grabbing a hold of her leg and dragging her across the floor. Myrtenaster was driven into its forearm and the beast howled, letting go and swinging back out.
She couldn't get close, and any attempts at magic were nullified by the madman in the robes. She needed something else. Ice, she always fell back on ice. A flash freeze would rob the creature of its dexterity and prevent it from attacking. Ice was applied to her blade and she waited for the next attack. It swung, and Weiss deftly ducked beneath the arm, slashing at the outstretched limb. Ice quickly encased the wound and weighed the limb down.
Another limb stretched out and Weiss ducked beneath it, racing under and towards the Grimm. The man tried to attack with a spell but she used the beast's body as a shield, getting in close enough to strike. With a single, quick thrust she pushed the sword up and into its chest, unleashing the rune immediately. Ice erupted from the wound and spread over the Grimm's body, encasing it.
When she pulled the rapier free it shattered the ice, causing the Grimm to crumble. She stepped back, smiling despite her labored breathing. "That was it? Seems like your pet could use some work."
"Oh no, you've slain it. Whatever shall I do! Oh wait, I know!" Weiss gasped as something cold grabbed her leg, pulled down to the ground before being suddenly lifted upside down. The ice she'd shattered had begun to reform, the Grimm piecing itself together. She tried to run the Grimm through, astonished to see its body reform harmlessly around her weapon.
She was thrown across the room and into a table, bouncing off the surface and collapsing beside it. "Do you think I wouldn't prepare for a Hunter? I'm afraid you'll find your magic ineffective against this creature, Miss Schnee!"
"Don't be ridiculous… All Grimm have a weakness." Weiss grabbed the table and pulled, collapsing with a groan. Gods did her chest ache, and upon clutching it she felt a warmth through her clothing. So a flash freeze wouldn't work. What kind of Grimm could reform after being killed?
Inhaling sharply, Weiss rose to her feet. The Grimm reformed and had begun to move now, lumbering towards her, dragging its arms behind it. The way it moved was unnerving, and the vacant stare… It was definitely Grimm though, she was certain of it. And Hunters were trained to slay Grimm.
With speed befitting something far more lithe the Grimm charged at Weiss. She waited until it drew near and knocked aside its claw, striking its torso repeatedly. She ducked beneath another, weaving in and out of its errant strikes, unleashing a barrage of thrusts whenever she could.
"All you're doing is pestering it, child!"
Infuriatingly, the man was right. She tore into the Grimm's flesh only to watch it reform around the wound. Shame her injuries didn't mend like that. Sidestepping a claw she pinned it underfoot, running Myrtanster through it. Weaving a rune before herself she unleashed a blast of flame point blank, engulfing the upper half of the Grimm. Flesh melted away and it went limp beneath her.
She wove another rune, and a third. She incinerated flesh as it quivered and bubbled, erasing it entirely. No Grimm was immune, she'd prove it. On the fourth spell she managed to erase all trace of the creature completely. And expend nearly all her strength.
"I take it back… Well done! It appears I've further work to do. Thank you for that invaluable lesson." Weiss staggered towards him, her hand at her side and Myrtenaster pointed towards the figure.
She had just about had it with this man. "As I was saying… Under the authority of the Church, you are hereby under arrest." Her footing nearly went and she caught herself on a shelf, exhaling painfully as a pain shot up her side.
"I think not. I've far too much work to do to go to prison. I'll give you a consolation prize however! Something to commend your efforts!" A series of runes appeared and released bursts of magic, igniting each of the tanks. "Let's see how you fare against three! Surely a Schnee can handle it!"
The Grimm climbed out of their tanks and landed with a wet thud. Disgusting. "A Schnee is more than capable of handling these…" Weiss responded tersely. "And I'm better than just a Schnee."
"We'll see how long that bravado of yours lasts!"
Weiss' eyes darted to the nearest Grimm, flipping back to avoid being grabbed. She spun and wove between the other two, launching herself over a table to distance herself from them. One reached under and tried to grab her leg. Weiss stabbed it just short, twisting and tearing to sever the hand and dart back. Not that it mattered to a beast with regeneration.
Two arms jettisoned forth, one grabbing the bookshelf behind her, the other the wall. One of the Grimm lunged at Weiss and she rolled out of the way, watching the shelving collapse and crush the beast. Weaving a hasty rune she ignited the shelves, cursing seeing the creature begin to reform.
Fire worked, but to conjure up enough to kill all three was impossible. Weiss darted behind an empty container to catch her breath, having to run once again when a creature circled after her. Another sharp pain jolted through her and she stumbled, which proved to be enough for one of the creatures to get on top of her. They went to the ground and she leaned away, striking the side of its skull as it bit down on the floor.
She struck again and again, using the hilt of her rapier to break the bone. At least she managed to pry it off herself and crawl back, using a single, quick rune to knock away another with a burst of air. Between her use of magic and the gash on her side she was on fumes already, and none of the creatures had been slain.
All three moved at once, and Weiss hastily erected a wall of solid stone. Claws scraped against rock and the Grimm shrieked in frustration, beating at and chipping away at her defense. She had to kill at least one, then she could make for the door. If she could just get back to the surface…
Weiss watched as the stone crumbled and a claw broke through, blindly reaching for her. Rising onto her knees she thrust the sword through, catching the beast in the eye. Her sword flashed and ice raced along the blade, freezing it solid. That gave her just enough time to rush out from behind her wall.
And directly into another beast. Its hand caught her in the throat and lifted her high, throwing her back and pinning her against the wall. Myrtenaster clattered to the ground beneath her as both hands scratched at the claw, trying to break the grip.
Though it pained her to do so, Weiss carved a rune in the beast's arm. A trail of flame raced down the limb and consumed the Grimm whole, prompting the remaining one to back away in fright. She dropped to the ground and collapsed, chest heaving and gasping for breath. The flame hadn't been hot enough, and she watched, despondent, as the Grimm reformed within seconds.
The third managed to shatter the ice shell that had trapped it, limbs thrashing about. All three shrieked and turned on Weiss, poised to attack. She crawled towards her sword as they descended upon her, rolling over and holding it out defensively.
A door exploded then. Or it might be more accurate to say an entire wall was blown apart. The sudden eruption was enough to halt the Grimm's attack, and everyone in the room turned towards the now gaping vacancy in the room.
Yang grinned as she threw a Beowolf into the room, half of its body vanishing still. Her hair, her skin… Everything seemed to be on fire. Her eyes, red as a Grimm's, held Weiss carefully. "I thought I told you to be careful."
The three Grimm shrieked again and turned on the Dimuran. The flames around Yang surged and another explosion went off. Weiss felt like she'd been thrown straight into an oven.
Then everything went dark.
I believe this is what people refer to as a "cliffhanger". Though there is a distinct lack of cliffs currently. A fire hanger? Grimm hanger?
Next update soon!