The Deadly Nightshade of Stephanite
Carmona's Manor
Looking over the ring resting in his finger Dewolfe thought about a logical reason behind this but nothing came to mind which prompt him to ask the one question, "Why?" He asked still looking at the ring.
Blake didn't bother responding and remained silent for a moment then she let out an easy sigh, "I...wasn't given much choice. It was something that just happened." She explained lowering her head and gripping her fists that rested on her lap. She felt guilty to say the least.
"I see." Dewolfe acknowledged dropping his hand and turned to Blake. Seeing "that" look on her face was something he was all to familiar with to which he reacted by flicking her bow in attempt to ease her expression. The result, Blake eeped and quickly went to cover that side of the bow and shoot Dewolfe a shocked expression. Dewolfe gave a calm smile which she returned back by giving a nervous smile.
Before long she realized she's been staring into his eyes longer and she'd liked then she remembered about the rings they wore, "The rings." She said holding up her hand and placed it in front of Dewolfe to show him. He did the same as well but in comparison Blake's ring was contrasted with his by having the metal Silver with Black edges, "The metal is called Stephanite, sometimes they're referred to as-" ; "Black Silver." She explained but was interrupted before she could finish by Dewolfe.
"A rare earth metal found in the deepest caverns. Stephanite can often be mistaken for Silver and Carbon respectively. The mineral reacts in accordance with the sun and moon, under directly sunlight the metal can either fade to a shiny silver or a black metal and vice versa while under direct moonlight." Dewolfe also explained with his knowledge on Stephanite, "What makes the metal to rare, Stephanite in it's refined form makes it very brittle and subject to shatter like glass if enough force is applied especially in it's raw ore form." During his travels when he's not doing mercenary work, he often goes treasure hunting within the ruins of Kingdoms from the Old Worlds or exploring caverns in effort to find more ruins.
Blake smiled in response to his explanation, "Why don't we get you something to eat." She told him getting up from her seat.
Just as she was about to head for the door Dewolfe responded, "Right behind you." he said as he swung the bed coverings over and attempted to jump out of bed.
"Wait hold up." Blake told Dewolfe before quickly turning around and proceeded to place him back on the bed but Dewolfe reacted a little faster and placed a hand out preventing her from getting closer, "I don't think you should be walking." She said just as she hit Dewolfe's hand into a complete stop.
Dewolfe shook his head, "For Luna's sake I'm not helpless." He told Blake just before finally climbing out of bed and onto the floor. Still feeling pain within his body, Dewolfe hunched over to ease most of it and with that he could only move so fast. He lifted an arm and gestured Blake to come over so she did just that and once she got close Dewolfe wrapped his arm around her shoulder for support.
Blake suddenly began feeling nervous and uneasy being so close to Dewolfe especially having his arm around her neck.
Main Area
"Good morning, sir." A familiar voice said to Dewolfe just as he and Blake were entered the entrance hall, "I trust the missus' care care was successful?" He asked politely. It was the butler to Carmona who stood with a typical butler posture.
Dewolfe quickly glanced to Blake with no expression, "I suppose." He said turning back to the butler.
"Indeed, several days go by and you look fantastic, sir." The butler complemented.
Upon hearing those words Dewolfe turned to Blake with a questioning look, "You shouldn't be walking." She told him in response with a concern expression.
"Mercenary, You're quite the resilient man." The voice of Carmona spoke from behind the butler.
"Carmona." Dewolfe greeted turning from Blake to face Carmona who walked around his butler and in front.
Seeing that he wasn't quite on his feet, Carmona handed him a cane to which Dewolfe took without question, "When I was rescued by a couple of mercenaries I didn't think for once that the mercenaries was actually a couple. I was none the wiser." He explained.
"Believe me when I say this; It's pretty unexpected." Dewolfe commented turning to Blake once again but this time with a stern look. She ease off her support slowly making sure Dewolfe had his balance when he had the cane ready.
"Damn rights. Now let me return the favor and say that you're welcome to stay in my home as long as you like." Carmona told Dewolfe and Blake wit open arms gesturing gratitude.
Blake watched Dewolfe stand with ease then turned to Carmona, "Thank you for your hospitality." She said to him with a friendly nod.
"Don't be like that. A favor for a favor." Carmona waved his hand like it was nothing, "I'll have Jeeves here show you around if you're up for it."
Dewolfe reached out a hand into the sun beaming from one of the windows and felt a surge, not a surge of heat but energy emulating from his hand, "Sure." He agreed with a grin.
Nighttime
After the tour Dewolfe seemed to have disappeared from the manor. Carmona and his butler Jeeves haven't seen him since and offer to help search by leaving the manor in case he left. Blake was in a bit of a panic searching the entire manor but there was no sign. If he had left then he couldn't have gone very far and the other two would've found him already but none the less she realized she had checked everywhere except the once place she forgot to check; the balcony. Quickly making her way to the doors she prayed she'd find him there and sure enough he was, "So this is were you've been all this time." She said with a relieved tone and a deep breath. Dewolfe's been sitting in a bench overing looking the manor's front fields underneath a bright full moon.
Looking up at the stars and moon Dewolfe seemed relaxed and laid back. He turned to Blake in response to her statement after a short while, "Nobody knows this but my aura is solar-powered. For most people; aura naturally regenerate overtime, others reset after a night's rest. Mine however needs to be in direct sunlight to..."recharge" and unlike most people mine regenerates faster than average." He explained turning back to the night sky.
She froze to process his words, "It been several hours since the sun went down, why are you still out here?" She asked with a confused expression.
"I prefer to be alone when I want to gaze at a full moon, the goddess of the night." Dewolfe said with an honest look on his face Blake immediately picked up on, "Keep things between me and her."
Not wanting to say anything else or leave Blake wouldn't leave him out of her sight, "Mind if I join you?" She asked hiding her nervousness in her tone.
"I'm not stopping you now am I?" Dewolfe sighed. He scooted over then turned to Blake and cocked his head while patting the bench beside him inviting her over.
Blake accepted his invite and made her way over and looked over to the sky as well. Normally she would've passed on star gazing by this time was different, she found the stars amazing. It's been too long since she took the time to look at the night sky and because beacon was close to the city there weren't any stars but now she was deeply amazed at the sheer numbers dotted across the vast sky. Her imagination began to take over and she swore she's seeing shapes and outlines of certain stars but before she could continue there was something bothering her for quite some time and had to get it off her chest, "Hey...uh...listen I've been meaning to ask..." She trailed her words hoping she'd catch his attention in which case it did. He promptly twitched his wolf ear and slightly turned his head towards her but didn't look at her, "...What's Bodark exactly?"
"In what context?" Dewolfe spared no time processing her question and asked what she means by that. By the sound of his voice, Dewolfe knew there was something a lot more than the word Bodark since most would assume the mercenary company but to member there was something more.
"Well...you mentioned folklore when we were talking to the prison guard. I assume that has to have some reference the mercenary company." She stated full of curiosity. Clearly she had been wanting to ask this for awhile but since most people would pickup on the eerie spooky feelings of Vitoze, none bothered as to what actually cause the uneasy feelings.
Dewolfe sighed before taking his gaze to the moon once more, "The Bodark Mercenaries are but a shadow to the original Bodark. The Originals was a civilization belonged to a race whose name is lost with time. They chose to follow in a similar path to an ancient breed of wolves back when." He explained what knowledge he knew about Bodark.
"They chose to become wolves?" Blake questioned. She had been told that some people are referred to as wolves but the way he sounded was actually become one. People have been known to act like one but to live like one was completely different story.
"Much like the mercenary company. There are a lot of speculation regarding their appearance but many believe they resembled Beowolves." Dewolfe told Blake. She began imagining a Beowolf without the features of Grimm and just plain fur and physical features of a wolf, "This race lived amongst a civilization that once dominated the skies and were subjugated due to their inability to fly. Eventually they became to be feared not just by the sky civilization but to everyone else for their tenacity and fierceness because of this they were granted their freedom."
Upon hearing, "Freedom" Blake promptly leaned against Dewolfe for comfort and wrapped both her arms around his, "Interesting, I'd to hear more." She stated and continued to look into the night sky.
"Like the majority of wolves, there's some connection between us and the moon. They believed "Luna" gave them strength and for that they worshipped the moon." Dewolfe continued but this time he looked directly towards the moon. He let out a sigh before continuing his explanation, "They mainly resided in the forests of Vitoze back when there used to be one. There they remained isolated, seeking, hunting within those forests until one day they just disappeared. Overtime the forests died, the Original Bodark may have vanished but some people believe they never left, this is where the scary camp story comes in."
Just as he finished she was reminded of some stories, "I've heard some of them. People often hear rustling in the forests, footsteps behind them, and that eerie feeling that something's always watching." She told him.
"Watching, Waiting, Seeking, Hunting." Dewolfe commented.
At this point things had become quiet and the two of them just enjoying the night sky. Blake was then reminded of Dewolfe's Stephanite explanation and wanted to confirm his words. She held out her hand only to notice the ring was completely grey but before long the ring began changing color. Her ring slowly faded from grey to shiny black with silver edges and Dewolfe noticed and placed his hand next to hers. Both rings were completely opposite of color from the morning prior.
It was truly something to see and Blake admired the metal even more despite being brittle. She lowered her hand to look at the moon and let out a relaxed sigh, "It's beautiful out here." She commented nuzzling her cheek into his shoulder.
"Yeah. Just me, you, and the moon." Dewolfe said leaning back on to Blake and rested his head onto hers. Using one of her hands she reached for Dewolfe's and held it tightly like she wasn't going to let go anytime soon. It was still cold from before but if Blake just held it then maybe she'd warm his cold hand.
"Hey love birds!" The voice of Carmona shouted from the main road heading towards the manor, "You two should kiss!"
Blake widen her eyes and looked to Dewolfe with realization, "How 'bout you mind your own damn business!" Dewolfe shouted back. Carmona off in the distance shook his head and waved his arm to ignore him, "What an nosy idio-" Dewolfe never got to finish because Blake grabbed his head and brought his lips to hers beforehand. He widened his eyes in response but when he realized she had her's closed he simply let it happen.
She finally eased off and finished the kiss and opening her eyes she had seen a soft expression on Dewolfe's face, "I'm sorry." She apologized with a guilty expression, "I shouldn't have done that." She said before standing up and headed towards the balcony entrance.
"Wa-wait, Blake, Blake." Dewolfe called out and quickly stood up but he got up a little too fast and lost his footing when he applied pressure on Carmona's cane, "Ack-Dammit!" He blurted before hitting the balcony floor and landing on his back also feeling a surge of pain.
Blake stopped at the door upon hearing a thud and a little crash. A part of her wanted to turn around and help him out but another wanted nothing to do with him. She eventually was overwhelmed with embarrassment and quickly left the balcony leaving behind an helpless Dewolfe.
Dewolfe did his best to climb back onto his feet but each time his did there was pain preventing him from going further than getting off his back despite feeling recharged from the sun. After a short struggle she stopped and let out a sigh, "What a damn cliché; Help I've fallen and I can't get up." He chuckled, "Just a another lonely night huh, Luna?" He asked looking to the moon but no reply, "Yup, Just another lonely night." He self-acknowledged before chuckling again and laid on the floor like a helpless idiot.
Morning
Strolling out of bed and making her way towards the dining hall after getting dressed and checking on Dewolfe but didn't find him. She had assume he'd woken up earlier and headed to the dining hall without her but one thing was for certain, she couldn't shake her dream off the following night.
She was standing in the center of an open field between two wolves. On her left closest to her heart was a menacing white-colored wolf with bright red glowing eyes, it's fur burning like a fire as the wind brushed against it. The wolf growled and snarled in her direction with a furious expression causing Blake fear but despite her fear she felt also safe. To her right closest to her mind stood a a majestic black-colored wolf with bright blue glowing eyes, it's fur swaying softly with the wind. The wolf let off a soft mysterious welcoming presence with a calm expression but Blake couldn't trust it despite seeing her freedom. She turned back and forth towards each wolf like she was given a decision to pick one but she couldn't. She didn't know what to do and when both wolves charged at each other with Blake in the middle she immediately woke up.
Trying to brush it off she finally made it into the dining hall where Carmona sat at the head with Jeeves standing at his side but Dewolfe wasn't around anywhere she had to ask, "Have you seen the mercenary?" She questioned Carmona.
"I thought the mercenary was with you. After all, that last time I seen him was on the balcony." Carmona replied just as he finished his breakfast.
Then that's when it hit her, hard. That thud from last night was from Dewolfe and she completely forgot about that, "Oh no!" She exclaimed before running up to the balcony entrance. She felt a surge of mixed feelings as she ran up the stairs; Anger, Guilt, Sorrow, all directed towards herself for leaving him on the balcony especially outside. Vacuo has been know to have hot days and cold nights, "Mercenary, mercenary!" She called bursting through the doors and scanned left and right in search for the mercenary.
He wasn't around where he should be but there was a small of a trail of disorder leading back into the manor. Assume he crawled himself and left a trail of chaos she followed it. The trail lead to a fairly large window with one of it's casements open with no screen. Walking inside she found herself in a study and sure enough Dewolfe laid against a desk on the far end of the room. She walked over and knelt down beside him then just as she was about to touch him she notice the same locket from before clasped in his hand. She carefully to the locket and looked at the picture again and she still couldn't believe the resemblance and just as she was about to close it she pushed the open button allowing the picture frame to flip loosely. Curious, she flipped the picture over and read over an engraving written in handwriting; Sterling Vulpe. She immediately closed it and carefully placed it back into his hand. She sighed and began to lay him down for more comfort.
"Took you long enough." Dewolfe commented once Blake applied pressure to his shoulder and slightly pushed him over but he react quickly enough to remain upright.
"You were awake?" Blake questioned. He sounded as if he was awake for quite some time and yet he didn't look like he stayed the night awake.
"Wolves are generally light sleepers." Dewolfe said in his defense.
"I see." Blake acknowledged his words and remained quiet. She then took a seat next to him in a fetal position, "Who was she too you?" She asked though she didn't want too but felt the urge and couldn't help it. From time and time again she had been wondering who she was, why Dewolfe carried a picture of her around, and what she had to do with Dewolfe.
"She was...my late fiancé..." Dewolfe told Blake gripping his fists with the locket in hand and sounding sorrowful, "...and the White Fang took her from me." He angrily said.
Hearing the White Fang's name dropped Blake's heart, she couldn't blame Dewolfe for losing someone to the White Fang because they were known to kill certain Faunus. One of many reasons why she left the organization, she didn't want to be a part of it anymore and she felt sorry someone as beautiful as the woman in the picture was killed by members of the organization she once called friends.
"In my retaliation; I killed the assassins and the one who gave the order. When I did, I sent a pretty strong message." Dewolfe said with a calm sinister tone. It became clear he did something extremely inhumane to keep him off the radar of the White Fang for quite some time or they never bothered to care but regardless the left him alone.
"Violence doesn't sovle anything." Blake stated pressing against his body with an open hand.
Turning his head to Blake he shot her a serious expression, "When I lost something precious taken from me and had those responsible at my knees I LOST MY SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO!?" He asked raising his voice. Obviously he cared for the woman a lot to have risen his voice.
"She must have meant the world to you." She responded shortly after a brief moment of silence.
Dewolfe let out a long depressing sigh, "I thought for once; maybe I can have a normal life. Escape from all this fighting." He said explained with hand gestures, "I was wrong to think I would have a normal life." He stated dropping his hands as if he slammed them to the floor.
"You can't beat yourself up for something that you had no control over-" ; "That's easy for you to say." Blake was interrupted by Dewolfe mid-sentence and remained quiet for a moment before responding with a comeback, "I'll admit, I've made some questionable choices in my life but the end you just have to move on. If any of us could remake our choices, we would."
"I don't know what to do anymore. My heart's telling one thing and my head's telling the other, I'm confused to the point where I'm feeling sick." Dewolfe admitted. Since the night before he has been feeling ill and didn't want nothing to do with anyone.
Blake wasn't show how to respond and could only think of what she's been told when she was younger, "I've been to told by a close friend of mine that; You should always listen to your heart." She told him completely leaning uis body and rested her head on his broad chest.
"Where were you when I needed someone like you?" Dewolfe commented before wrapping his arms around Blake giving her a hug and gave her a soft nuzzle using his chin to her scalp, "My mother always sung this song, especially before bed. In one of the chorus' she sang in the most tranquil tone; Begin again, but know when to let go."
Begin again, upon hearing that Blake immediately felt something strike her heart with realization. It was something she wanted to do but the one she forgot was to let go but in all her attempts of running away it was the only thing she need to do. She leaned off of him and looked deeply i to his eyes before standing up while holding his hand, "C'mon, let's go." She said to him trying to get in up onto his feet.
Dewolfe frowned in confusion and just let Blake tug on his arm. He wasn't going anywhere not that he would anyways, "Go where? I'm perfectly fine right here on the floor. Can't we just stay here?" He said pulling back his arm causing Blake to forcefully fall forward and land into Dewolfe's lap.
She sighed in response, "Fine." She calmly agreed and continued to lay in his lap just like a cat would.
"Begin again, but know when to let go." Carmona said leaning against the wall beside the door frame outside the study with arms folded. Apparently he had been there for sometime and didn't want to bother the two, "Now there's something you don't hear everyday." He commented like he had heard those exact words before. He leaned off and headed down the hall leaving the two to have their moment.
Dining hall, Following morning
With another day gone by Dewolfe and Blake spent the majority with each other and even went as far as sleeping in the same bed but never gone beyond than a simple hug aside from the spontaneous kiss the mercenary received that one night. The moment they woke up the proceeded to head towards the dining hall and Dewolfe had enough strength he didn'd need Carmona's cane anymore, "I told you already; I don't know." Blake slyly answered in response to Dewolfe's question on how she felt about him.
"If you're gonna be like that then that's fine-" Dewolfe stopped in mid-sentence stopping at the archway where the entrance hall met the dining hall. Sitting at the dining table where Carmona usually sat, four individuals sat along on the far side near the wall all with serious expressions. Three of them were girls with the respective colors of Red, White, and Yellow and Blake recognized the three of them but the fourth she almost mistaken for Dewolfe due to the exact resemblance. The only difference was the color-scheme and the color of his irises.
"Take a seat, Mercenary." Carmona kindly told the mercenary and gestured to take the head of the table on the other side of Carmona. Without acknowledging or responding he did as expected and sat down at the head of the table with Blake sitting beside him, "I just want to clarify; You kidnapped a 17 year old girl then forced her to marry you?" Carmona asked with curiosity.
Dewolfe narrow his eyes to Carmona then turned to the four individuals sitting to his right and let out a loud sigh, "I'll take responsibility of kidnapping but the marriage I had no part of." He said with complete honesty.
Carmona also narrowed his eyes back to Dewolfe and set off a vibe like trust was being question, "Curiosity has the better of me." He responded with a unsure tone of voice.
"As a mercenary do you think marriage would the best option for me?" Dewolfe asked in his defense. There was some truth in his voice because of what happened to his fiancé quite some time ago and Dewolfe knew it was him standing out of sight and heard everything he had said the morning before.
Carmona knew what he was referring to and couldn't help but accept the fact and his reasoning, "Perhaps not." Carmona acknowledged with a nod and gestured his butler to bring breakfast for everyone.
Blake had her attention on the girl with yellow the entire time she had seen her and she did not look the slight bit happy, in fact quite the opposite. She had her hands clasped into fists and to add on top of that her eyes were blood red filled with anger but the thing is she was holding herself back and Blake knew it. She had her eyes glued to Dewolfe the moment she saw him and if she had her way Dewolfe would most likely be a pile of crushed meat.
"You know why we're here don't you, Brother?" The individual mirroring Dewolfe's facial appearance asked sitting beside Carmona.
Dewolfe slightly turned his head from Carmona to the individual, "Of course, you wouldn't be here otherwise...Brother." He replied in a calm tone. Despite the tensions in the air, Blake now realized something important and why they were here. She now remembered being in the center between two wolves that were exactly opposite of each other's personality and had one goal in mind; Her.
I know there needs to be a little more od description but whatever. Oh, Like any other shipping name of RWBY I decided on something clever like, "Black Silver" and after doing some research I found a mineral similar. The Mineral "Stephanite" is often referred to as Black Silver Ore and in my case I took the liberty to make it a brittle metal and that's the magic of Dewolfe and Blake's relationship. It's brittle.