Chapter 25

Nora stood, the others following as she walked along the lake's edge. Sudden footsteps alerted Ruby to Penny's return. She looked to her friend, who twitched a smile, holding out her hand to take. Ruby did so, giving it a squeeze. Nora suddenly halted, staring at a particularly aged-looking tree. She approached, kneeling by its roots. Nora clenched a hand to her chest, breathing long and deep, before reaching out to grasp the mossy wood. "Hjelp vær så snill." She pleaded in a strange tongue, gazing up into the leaves. Nothing happened. The air was still, no birds sang, no creatures scurried, and Nora slumped with a whimper.

The sudden crackling of bark rang through the clearing, and the very forest came alive with movement. The trees bent and warped, forming bodies of bark and leaf, female in form, yet so obviously different, with their vine-like hair, crowns and clawed feet resembling the very wood that birthed them. A dozen surrounded the group, with the greatest of their kind standing before Nora, taller, paler, mottled, grass-like armor adorning her forearms and feet, a cloak of leaves hanging from her shoulders, her brown eyes gleaming in the shade.

"Magnhild." The tall spriggan spoke.

Nora gasped, falling prostrate before her. Leveling a stare at the other three, the spriggan quirked her head at Ren, who bowed in respect, before it shifted its gaze, narrowing its eyes at Ruby and Penny, who gazed in wonder. Around her, the lesser spriggans observed curiously, whispering amongst themselves. Ruby found herself locked into the leader's gaze, brown boring into silver, like no one had before. Suddenly the spriggan knelt, reaching down to cup Nora's face, bringing it upward. They began conversing in the strange language, the spriggan's voice soft and motherly, Nora's unsteady and emotional. Nora crept forward on her knees, clasping her hands as she spoke frantically.

"Ruby." Nora suddenly spoke clearly, both her and the matron looking back at the summon. Ruby waved. "And Penny, they are good people."

The spriggan hummed, murmuring an affectionate phrase, standing, running her nails through Nora's hair as she moved to approach. "My name is Amber, Matron of this isle." She introduced herself, now towering over the automaton and summon. "It is rare I encounter mysteries in this world, yet two stand before me, beings of blood and steel...so familiar, yet so alien. Aberrations of nature...blameless be your existence, yet more violations of the humans." Penny flinched as Amber suddenly reached out, staring wide eyed as the Matron traced the plates composing her facial features. "And you would defend them...for all the pain they cause you, the fate to which they cursed you."

"My fate...my fate is my own, Matron Amber." Penny's voice warbled. "I fight to protect all innocents, however removed I may be from them. I fight to prevent more fates such as mine." She made her last statement with more confidence.

The Matron smiled sadly at that. "Were it so easy." She looked to Ruby, who once more found herself drawn into gentle brown eyes. "You wish to avenge your friend."

"I want to help protect the people I care for." Ruby declared.

"And you expect us to assist you?" Amber pressed.

"I wanted to ask for your help defending our home." Ruby answered.

"This was our home before any humans settled the island." Amber growled. "Destroying our forest, spoiling the beauty of this place." She strode past the two, gesturing to the clearing before them. "How much longer until this too is gone, until one human steps foot in this glade and decides to take it for their selfish desires, and these metal men who cut down our trees without a flicker of forethought, killing our sleeping sisters, how many more must we lose before they understand we are here, and our patience is wearing thin."

"They don't know better, but we can teach them." Ruby defended. "And the Templars will only be here until Cinder is caught. Then they'll leave, but the longer we wait, the longer they'll be here. This is the only way. Please Amber, we need your help. We'll do anything in return, I'll do anything in return, even if I have to stop every human from harming your trees myself!"

"You promise an impossibility." Amber scoffed. "Humanity has shown time and time again we cannot live in harmony."

"The humans on this island wish only a peaceful existence." Ren noted. "How long have they lived on these shores and scarcely expanded?"

"And you would have us reward them for it?" Amber pressed. "Encourage them to take advantage of our home?"

"No, but this is their home too." Ren replied. "You can either make peace with them and find a way to coexist, or they can remain ignorant until you decide enough is enough and start fighting back. And what happens then? With Nature itself rising against them, they would hold nothing back, and fire would consume all. There is no sense in conflict Matron, the only choice is peace."

"Do not presume to know my choices Lie Ren." Amber shot back. "I know full well the hope of peace, just as our Atlesian sisters once did, and the humans burned them for it. These same metal men that roam our island, these Templars, razed their home, and yet you accompany them through ours, leading them deeper and deeper. And you call yourselves our kin."

"Matron please." Nora plead. "These are good humans. They seek no harm. We only walk alongside Templars so they do not wander astray, to focus their hunt, but the longer we hunt, the harder it is to focus them, the more they want to spread, and the closer they come to conflict with you. Please do not let that happen." Tears ran down her cheeks. "I hate killing humans, it pains my soul, but if I have to I swear it. I will fight and die alongside you, should it come to that, but please, let us try to avoid that. We only ask one favor, and when the Templars leave, we will honor you, and ensure the people do so too, whatever it takes."

Amber glared at the quivering werewolf, who struggled to maintain her composure beneath such harsh appraisal. Eventually she relented, turning to Penny this time. "You came here with them, you consider them your brothers. What say you? Will they leave, satisfied, should this vampire be captured?"

"I assume so Matron Amber." Penny answered. "The General only came out of care for former Specialist Schnee...he may wish to maintain a presence of sorts on this island but...I may be able to help avoid that, I hope."

The Matron sighed, closing her eyes. Around them the other spriggans did the same, whispering ceasing for a time. Nora shrunk in on herself, whispering in the strange language. Ren knelt to pull her into his arms, stroking her hair and whispering back. "Your prey hunts nightly, just northwest of the main road, between the villages." Amber finally informed, pointing for emphasis. The spriggans resumed their activity, some leaving, sinking into the trees from whence they came. Nora looked to the Matron with renewed reverence. "This is the assistance we grant. Do with it what you will. We will be watching."

Amber knelt before Nora and Ren, once more cupping the girl's cheek, exchanging more foreign words. Nora nodded, grinning, bowing her head, only for the Matron to plant a gentle kiss upon her forehead. Nora gasped as the Matron stood, blinking blearily up at her as she turned her gaze upon Ruby and Penny one more time, meeting their eyes in turn.

"Thank you." Ruby smiled.

"Thank you Matron Amber." Penny bowed her head. Amber quirked her own. She seemed about to say something, before deciding against it, turning away to sink into the large tree, the few remaining spriggans following suit.

"She accepts me Ren." Nora croaked, teary eyes bright once more. "We can stay, we have their blessing!" She jumped to her feet, pulling her mate along with her.

"Yes Nora, I was listening, I saw." Ren grunted as Nora lifted him into a hug. "But first, we need to talk about this plan."

"Oh, right." Nora released her mate, giggling. "Cinder first, family later! Hey Penny, how ya' feelin'?"

"Uh...I'm oka-" Penny hiccoughed. "Excuse me. What happens now Ruby?"

"Now...now we don't tell the Templars anything." Ruby replied. "But you know. You can be ready. If we capture her, then we'll come get the Templars, and they can all go."

"You should just kill her." Nora spat. "That monster deserves it."

"Capture is preferable." Ren disagreed. "So she can answer for her crimes, and be made an example of."

"Though should she attempt to escape from Templar custody, the sentence is immediate execution, as per Templar custom." Penny noted.

"Ooh, there's that!" Nora cheered.

"I hope it doesn't come to that." Ruby murmured. "I hope this all just goes right, so no one else gets hurt. I just want this all to be over."

Night was falling. After a day of rehearsal and preparation, all was in place, but not all were ready as they gathered in Glynda's living room, the time of the hunt encroaching. Glynda and Blake exchanged final, hushed words, Ren kept an excited Nora placated by the fire, and Weiss bundled Ruby into her arms.

"Thank you Ruby, whether this works or not, thank you for doing this for me." Weiss expressed, hugging Ruby close.

"Anything for my friend." Ruby responded, giving Weiss a firmer squeeze before allowing her to pull back.

Yang knelt down, clasping Ruby's hands in her own. "You'll be fine. Just focus on your anger and it'll make it your strength, and don't be afraid to be rough. Vampires are really tough, trust me, I know." She winked, just as Weiss swatted her over the head.

"Ruby." Pyrrha called, standing patiently to the side. Yang gave Ruby another wink, before joining Blake and Glynda with Weiss. Pyrrha knelt as Ruby approached, reaching out to pull her into her arms. Ruby could feel Pyrrha's heart racing. "Come back to me." Pyrrha whispered into her shoulder.

"I promise." Ruby murmured, planting a soft kiss on Pyrrha's cheek. "I'll always come back to you." They remained as such, enjoying the warmth of each other's affection, until a soft voice called.

"Ruby." Blake said. Ruby and Pyrrha pulled apart to find the shadow aspect in wait.

Pyrrha stood, leaving a hand on Ruby's shoulder as she lay another on Blake's arm. "Please be careful."

"I will protect her with my life Pyrrha." Blake promised. "Are you ready Ruby?"

"Ready and willing." Ruby chirped, pulling out her knife. "Should I do it here or later?"

"Later Ruby." Blake chuckled. "Come on, we have a long night ahead of us."

"Alright." Ruby sheathed the dagger and hugged Pyrrha once more.

"Ruby, if you feel something has gone wrong, please do not linger." Pyrrha beseeched.

"If something goes wrong, I will personally intervene." Glynda interrupted. "But there will be no mistakes tonight. She grasped Blake's arm to pull her into a heated kiss. Nora whistled before Ren could silence her, and even Weiss blinked in surprise as pink tinted Pyrrha's features. "Will there?" Glynda murmured, bumping their foreheads together.

Blake smiled back. "Never."

First came the sound - footfalls, fast and irregular. As Cinder got closer she could hear more - heavy breathing, little whimpers. Then there was the smell - like manna from heaven - blood, fresh blood, virgin blood, a scent brand new and yet familiar. It took her back to a time long past, when she had found Emerald tending the gardens, a cut on her finger, the scent of her still virgin blood mixing with the flowers.

Cinder was cautious. She could not afford to squander this opportunity, not now, not when the situation was so desperate. She was already hunting closer to civilization than she would have liked, what with the Templars now searching her previous hunting grounds. The forests seemed barren, and Emerald could only eat so many of those horrid rations before they made her ill, and Cinder could not have that.

If the vampire could subsist from another source for a time, it would take the pressure off Emerald, allow her to regain her strength. And what a source. Cinder's prey came into view through the darkness - a girl, a teenager perhaps, knees and arms bloodied, terror etched on her face as she raced along an overgrown path, a damaged basket in hand and a tattered cloak flowing behind her. Cinder usually enjoyed the hunt, luring, seducing her prey, but there was no time for that. She was far too thirsty to wait, and that scent...could this finally be the one that would slake her thirst?

The girl was sprinting, powered by the surge of adrenaline that could only be inspired by sheer panic. Still, Cinder had no trouble outrunning her. She found a spot on the path ahead, around a blind turn, obscured by brush and darkness, and there she waited. It did not take long. The girl came charging down the path and barely had a chance to gasp and stumble before running into Cinder's waiting arms. Cinder caught the girl, who looked up at her with tears in her eyes, the terror on her face melting away. The vampire offered a kind smile. The least she could do was comfort the girl before drinking her dry.

After taking a few heavy, ragged breaths, the girl returned Cinder's reassuring embrace. "Thank the gods!" The girl cried. "I thought I was a goner! I was going to visit my grandma's house in the mountains...and I took a shortcut...but it was the wrong one and I got lost...and it started getting dark and it's dangerous at night and I didn't want to stop running...and I fell down a few times but...but now I found someone! I was so scared!"

"Shh, it's okay." Cinder soothed, rubbing the girl's back. "I've got you now, you're safe. I'll protect you." The girl's breathing calmed as she smiled at Cinder. Her silver eyes were...mesmerizing. Cinder would have loved nothing more than to spend some time admiring the girl, so beautiful, so innocent, her skin so fair. But her scent...it filled Cinder with a hunger the likes of which she had never experienced. She had to have a taste. "Just...relax." The girl nodded against Cinder's shoulder, and the vampire saw her opening. She bared her fangs and bent down to bite.

Cinder felt a sudden pressure around her neck and jolted upright. It mostly subsided, but something remained. She reached up to feel a leather collar around her neck. "What is this?!" The vampire demanded. The girl smirked at her, and suddenly her cloak dissolved into strands of red. The girl pushed her away with inhuman strength, just as the strands wrapped around Cinder's body. "What are you?!" Cinder struggled against the binds, but soon more ensnared her, these black, impossibly dark, like the void itself. She snarled and attempted to transform to mist...and nothing happened.

Before Cinder could process what was going on, there was a flash of light and an older blonde woman appeared before her. "Cinder Fall…" The woman smirked. A dark form floated beside her, resolving into a beautiful woman with amber eyes.

"Wha-who the hell are you people?!" Cinder shouted.

"Who they are is immaterial." The blonde waved off the question. "I am Glynda, Master Witch of Patch, and you're under arrest." She reached out toward Cinder, and lightning flew from her fingertips.

Emerald stood at the cave's mouth, waiting. Cinder never made her wait if she could help it. She knew it made Emerald's insecurities arise, her paranoia, her fear of abandonment. There were many humans who desired Cinder's love, many who threw themselves at her feet at the slightest provocation, virgin women, offered by their families like cheap whores, property to be traded for simple favor, but she would have none. Emerald was all she desired, her loyal servant, her faithful concubine, her love, and Emerald had nothing but adoration for her, even as she developed a taste for virgin blood.

She was there when it happened. Much to Emerald's shame, it was her own eyes that had wandered, for the first time in her life another caught her gaze, and along with it, Cinder's amusement. A lovely dancer in Mistral, young, innocent, beautiful, eyes like diamonds, hair like fine silk, she came undone between them, a dozen times over. And Cinder fed. And fed, and fed until the light dulled from her eyes and her skin paled sickly. And Cinder laughed, a laugh Emerald had not heard since they were but children. And they made love so passionately that Emerald could barely awake the next day.

And so their journey took a turn, from a simple desire to explore the world, to experiencing the rush of first love, over and over again, that single ecstacy Emerald could never hope to provide. She never once denied Cinder, never once doubted her, never once scorned her desire. Cinder was her love, one and true, and no matter what pretty body lie drained of life's blood before her, Emerald knew Cinder would always return to her.

So she waited. And waited. And panicked.

"Mercury!" Emerald called, padding back into the cave. "Mercury!"

"I'm in the middle of something." Mercury jabbed. Emerald huffed, tearing aside one of the privacy curtains to scowl at the sight before her, Dew riding Mercury like a whore in heat, whimpering into his neck as she bounced in place. "What? Ready to join in?" He sneered.

Emerald glared, picking up Mercury's discarded pants and throwing them at his smug face. "Cinder hasn't come back!"

"Really?" Mercury rolled his eyes. "I hadn't noticed."

"She was supposed to be back by midnight!" Emerald exclaimed. "It's nearly dawn!"

"So she's probably found another toy somewhere." Mercury scoffed. "Take your envy elsewhere-"

"Mercury please!" Emerald choked, shaking. "Please go and search for her. Make sure she's safe, please. I'll do anything!"

That got Mercury's attention. He quirked his brow, then slapped Dew's rear. "Off." He ordered. Dew whined, but hurried off, lest she incur harsher pain. Her master stood, pulling on his pants. "Anything huh? That's a big promise." He smirked.

Emerald had to suppress a shudder. "I don't care, just find her, make sure she's safe, and I'll deal with your anything next time she leaves."

Mercury shrugged, pulling on his boots, shirt and jacket. "Fine then. Play nice with the pet while I'm gone. She's all worked up because of you after all." He chuckled, brushing past.

Dew whimpered, obediently waiting on her knees, quivering with unchecked lust, staring up in hope with her big violet eyes. As Mercury stomped out she sighed, trying to still her beating heart. "M-Mistress?" She murmured.

Emerald felt her heart ache with pity. She knew the thrall's mind was fighting back against Mercury's control, she had been from the start, but it was a losing battle against such a powerful grasp. "It's okay, you don't have to touch me."

"But Master sai-" Dew started.

"Master isn't here Dew." Emerald cut her off. "You don't have to do what he says."

"But Master said you would play with m-me." Dew protested. "He said you had to! If you don't he'll be mad at me. Please don't make him mad. I just want to be good!" She begged, pleading with her hands clasped.

Emerald sighed, kneeling to take the scared woman's hands in her own. "I will, I will, calm yourself." She soothed, reaching up to cup Dew's tear-streaked cheek. The thrall nuzzled into her hand. "Just...don't call me mistress. My name is Emerald, your name is Dew, we are humans, not playthings, to be cared for, not abused." Emerald was not sure if her words could get through, or if they would do any good. She hoped the girl inside, the one locked away by enthrallment, had no awareness at all, that she did not know what was happening to her.

"N-not abused...will you care for me M-M...Emerald?" Dew whispered, still shaking, both in fear and arousal.

Emerald closed in, her lips hovering close. "I promise."