Across the Wind 2 – Echoes in the deep
On a cliff overlooking a small town, Raven Branwen watches silently as horde of Grimm tearing the quaint little town asunder. like maggots to corpse, the Grimm tore apart its pitiful excuse of a defense and rush straight into its settlers. It was bloodbath, something that she won't lose her sleep over.
After all, its just nature running its course; where the weak dies while the strong survives.
Behind her was group of people, her people; the Branwen tribe, Men and women who strong enough to survive this world. Glee was clear on their faces as they wait for the monsters of Remnant to finish their feast so they can start looting what's left of that pitiful town.
No one in Remnant, especially Anima, who never heard of her tribe. A tribe of bandit unlike any other. When other bandits used their numbers to attack, Branwen tribe used militaristic strategies. That was one of many reasons why her tribe was feared across Remnant. That was why her tribe thrives.
Her tribe consisted of people from many backgrounds; from escaped convict, ex-hunters, even Atlas deserters. so long they are strong enough to survive, Raven would welcome them all.
while she watches the settlement burn, a young woman approach Raven. "Vernal." Without glancing, the bandit leader acknowledged her. Vernal was her second in command, her right-hand woman. One of few who actually loyal to her in the tribe, and not just because her strength.
"We got news from our guys in Mistral." the young woman informed Raven. "There was Grimm attack at the Eastern Gate of the city. Said that they sent soldiers, hunters, and police. Most of them died."
Raven glanced at the tan girl, Vernal took it as a sign to continue. "The horde was barely a handful, but somehow those losers couldn't handle them." she scoffed.
"Was that all? Anything about what Grimm that attacked?" Vernal shook her head at her query.
Raven felt there was something missing in this news. There has to be other details like what Grimm attacked or who leading the defense. Something must have happened in that attack that made the councils hid it from the public. After this raid, she would go personally to that city and investigate. it won't do for her tribe to be caught flatfooted.
"there's something else though," Vernal suddenly said and took out a folded paper from her pocket. "They released a new wanted poster. Someone you might interested in."
Raven took the paper and unfold it. behind her mask, her eyes widened slightly at the photo. 'If not for the name and lack of beauty mark, I would've thought it was Summer.' She mused. "Anything about her?"
"Not much. Some of our guys met with her once, said she was polite and all... but she was kicked into juvie, so I think its just some act."
"Was she strong?" Raven could care less if she was polite or not.
Vernal shrugged. "Dunno, but she got that much bounty, so she might be. she escaped the juvie without triggering any alarm, and said she was connected with the attack on the gate…. oh, and she might be the one who clean the Crimson Tomahawk off the city." Now that was interesting.
"Cleaned?" the bandit leader asked with barely concealed interest.
Vernal nodded. "Yep, the city now spotless from them, even the ex-members got snuffed."
Raven didn't know whether to be interested or concerned. Crimson Tomahawk was a big slaver syndicate. Their notoriety was known across Remnant with many branches in the four kingdoms. Their members were no joke, they had many hunters on their payroll, not to mention the clusters of Atlas Soldier and police officers on their pocket. Hearing members in their main base of operation was cleaned felt unreal.
How someone could kill all hundreds of them in mere weeks? How did she locate them all? There was something that they kept secret of all this. Raven sure this fugitive was the perfect scapegoat for distraction, to kept the reporters from sniffing around.
"Tell our spies to keep an eye out of who went in and out of that city, I will personally go there and investigate more about this myself." Raven told her second in command, who nodded in affirmation. She remembered the call she got this morning, 'And I might get an answer from Summer.'
Raven took another look at the poster. The way this kid looks like Summer was disturbing, not to mention her silver eyes. No doubt that 'Chess Master' will be interested in her, if not already.
Her burner Scroll in her pocket suddenly rang followed by feeling of 'hollowing' in her gut. Raven didn't answer it. 'Something happened in the camp.' Was her instant thought. Turning around, she yelled at her group. "All of you; fall back!"
The group didn't question her, they knew something must have forced her to return. Instead, they stood up and readying their weapons. The glee on their face gone, replaced by silent anger.
Raven turned from her group and used her Semblance, Kindred Link to create a link directly to her camp. With a swing of her sword, Omen, a familiar red portal was opened. she noted that the portal was slowly closing in by itself. A sign that the one she teleported to was dying. Clenching her sword, she let her group walk into the portal before she entering it herself.
The group came out right in the middle of the camp… or what was left of it.
To everyone's shock, the camp was reduced into crystalized ruins. Corpses strewn about everywhere, some of them were nothing but pieces of limbs and guts, while the intact ones were crucified on cross made of red crystal. Sand under their feet has become red with similarly colored spikes jutting around them. pools red taints the ground, lightly reflecting the burning sun in the sky.
"Well, that's take care of it…," said an unfamiliar voice.
Raven drew her weapon followed by Vernal. "Show yourself!" Vernal demanded.
Stepping out from Raven's tent was a tall figure dragging the person Raven teleported to. Their face was obscured by a mask, vaguely shaped like an owl face. their body was covered in tattered hood with unmistaken shreds from bladed weapons and bullet holes, but despite that, it didn't show clearly what hidden inside. they used black gloves with Mistralian number 'VIII' on its back.
After stepping out to the sun, the hooded figure raised the man in his hand. in an instant, crimson spikes burst out of his body, instantly killing him. they threw the corpse aside, it broke apart the moment it hit the ground. "Thought you guys would take your time raiding, guess not." the figure said lightly.
Raven noticed their voice was masculine and the glimpses of their wide hips, they might be a man under the hood. On her side, Vernal ready to pounce but a subtle gesture from Raven stopped her.
"Well then, I'll get straight to business you see, my organization—" the hooded man's words were cut by a loud bang. He was then thrown to the ground like ragdoll before stopping lifelessly before Raven's tent.
Glancing back, Raven nodded at the sniper at the back of the group. Raven could care less about his organization. her people were slaughtered and possibly tortured. whatever their offer was, retribution will be her answer.
The group move forward, closer to the man's corpse. Meanwhile, Raven and Vernal stay on their position. No matter how strong someone's Aura was, only select few Semblances able to fend against 13.2 mm Anti-Materiel bullet. It was designed to pierce the toughest of metal, after all... but there was just something gnawed on her gut, making the bandit leader nervous for the first time since her return to her tribe. Her eyes squinted behind her mask. Something just wasn't right about this.
One of her tribe members, a rotund man with sniper rifle squat before the corpse and flipped it over. The man grabs the corpse's mask and pulled. Raven finally noticed what was wrong; when he was thrown, he hadn't spill his innards nor bleed. "wait—"
"…should've seen that." The corpse's hand shots up and grabs the man's wrist.
Startled, the rest of the group leapt back to their leader. The rotund man tried to pulled his hand from the seemingly resurrected man's grip, the keyword being tried. His struggle came to a stop when myriad of smaller spikes came out all over his body. the man didn't cry nor scream. His life ended the moment those spikes pierced his skin. His corpse didn't even fell, the spikes on his rear keeping him from falling over.
The hooded man sat up before standing. Turning around, he said, "I didn't know the Branwen Tribe would use sneak attack… well, you guys are bandits, should've see that coming. It was all on me." The man shrugged.
Raven looked down on the man's chest, eyes narrowed. His hood was shredded, revealing his chest that was covered by crystal. The bandit leader could see the anti-material bullet from earlier barely pierced its surface. Just what was this man's Semblance?
The man then sighed defeatedly. "Guess leader was right. welp, dialogue time's over." The man crossed his arms, palm opened facing the bandits.
Sands under their feet lightly rumbled. The crosses standing around them melted in an instant before entering the corpses that fell from them. said corpses land on their feet, red crystals burst out of their hands shaped like makeshift maces and blades. with a flick of hands from the hooded man, the zombified corpses stood straight, their movement stiff, their skins covered in red crystal spots.
The bandit group formed a circle facing the zombies. Raven noticed their unnerved expressions, even Vernal's… but she stepped forward, facing the hooded man. Vernal grit her teeth and forced herself to stand beside Raven.
"Hey, you guys big on that 'Strong versus Weak' thing, right?" the hooded puppeteer asked and flicked his hand once more. tentacles made of red substance appeared under his feet and start collecting the scattered limbs on the sand before stacking them behind its master.
The result was a giant abomination made of flesh stitched together with the red substance. The flesh golem lumbered to the man's side. it has no head, just an amalgamation of limbs forming a hulking body kept together by strings of red. Severed heads on the construct's body seems alive, their eyes looking straight at Vernal who took an involuntary step back.
"I'm a gambling addict, so lets have a little bet." The hooded man said. "If my puppets can defeat your guys, then by your own rules, you serve us; the strong. If I lost... well, I'll show you where my group is, you can do whatever you want with them." Raven didn't answer, there was a subtle mocking tone in the man's voice.
Scowling, she and Vernal took a stance before instantly charge forward. the rest of the bandits followed their leader, rushing against their undead compatriots.
Raven was before the hooded man in an instant. she brought down Omen but was blocked by crystalized tendrils of her foe. Leaping back, she sheathed Omen and changed its blade with Dust infused one. On the side, Vernal was forced to use hit and run tactics on the flesh golem, dealing burning wounds with her blades. The hooded puppeteer hasn't reacted, his expression hidden by his mask.
The hooded man raised a hand facing her. instantly, his hood shredded in a burst of crystalized tendrils, revealing what hidden underneath.
He has no skin, Raven could see every fiber of his muscle to the goriest detail; the way they contract and loosening following his breath and slightest of movement, the way they bleed every time his tendril moves. She also found out that the tendrils were in fact his muscle fibers, specifically from his chest region. Dull red crystals covering some spot of his body, the most prominent one was on his chest; covering his fleshless ribs, where Raven saw his beating heart underneath.
"I don't think you care, but I'm a polite man, so I will introduce myself." The man suddenly said with zero ounce of care. "I'm here on behalf of the Titans. Number 8, Codename; Justice."
A wave of his hand and tendrils around him coiled together, forming small, thorny drills. Another wave, tall thorny crystals burst out of the sand, circling them. A small arena was formed, no doubt to keep anyone from intervening. Raven refocused on her enemy, who finally in a battle stance.
"Raven Branwen… do you believe in karma?"
Penny Polendina walked the hall towards her father's lab. She moved as carefully as she could, lightly skipping over strewn cables on the floor. She tried kept her hand steady, avoiding sudden movement, lest she dropped her tray and spilled the tea she was carrying.
'Steady… steady…' she repeated the words like mantra. She needed to deliver this task flawlessly, both as per directive and as training to blend in with the rest of Remnant's population.
You see, Penny wasn't a normal girl, she wasn't born but built in a lab. Her skin was flawless with freckles decorating her face was a specially designed synthetic skin over metal frames, Hair on her scalp was orange silky fibers, her green eyes optical cameras. Her movements were stiff if one look at her very closely. Penny Polendina was an Android, The first of her line.
She was created not too long ago; only 9 years, 3 months, 2 days, 12 hours. By human years, she was a child, but her body frame was of 16 to 18 years old teenage girl. Because of how young she was, she still has many things to learn social wise and combat wise.
Penny was created under the program SENTINEL, aiming to improve Atlesian Knights while decreasing negative reaction from the masses caused by their fearsome and inhumane appearance. Directed by one of Atlas finest mind; Dr. Pietro Polendina, He was also the one who propose the androids to be more humane like in appearance and as disarming as possible. that was why SENTINEL Androids have young teenager appearance, between 15 to 20 years old.
So far, the only one who ready to be deployed was Penny. her first directive upon her creation was to learn more about humanity. when she finished, the data she collected would be used to aid in creating more of her unit, her brothers and sisters one might say.
The artificial girl arrived before an unassuming white door at the end of the hall. A compartment on her back slid open and a short sword float out, which she used to knock the door with. She needed her hands to hold the tray, after all.
"Coming!" a woman voice responded and Penny heard shuffling towards the door.
'Is that?' Penny wondered. The voice was familiar, she quickly scanned her memory to compare, but the door was already opened and she was greeted by a sight of familiar blond-haired woman.
"Penny!" Dr. Salome greeted. "How have you been?"
Penny's face brightened at the sight. "Doctor, it has been a while!"
Dr. Salome Gray, a very known doctor among Atlas academics. Her breakthrough in Aura physiology has helped hunters across Remnant who has problems with their Semblances, not to mention her invention that helped Penny's creation; the Akashic Heart.
The good doctor was part of SENTINEL program and close friend of Dr. Polendina. She was initially recruited because her accomplishment in Aura physiology and her mastery in Neurology. When the researchers were stuck in their research for the perfect AI for her unit, Dr. Salome proposed to create a personality core powered with Aura in goal for her unit to be more empathetic and sentient. Hence the creation of Akashic Heart.
In human terms, if Pietro was her father, then her mother was Dr. Salome.
The woman flashed Penny a warm smile, "I'm glad… and you brought some refreshment! Why don't you join us? we have many things to catch up with. here let me help." Penny answered with a nod and She ushered Penny in, taking the tray Penny was holding.
The two moved closer to a small coffee table at the middle of the room, where the blonde doctor placed the tea on. Penny sat near her father, while Dr. Salome pours them tea before sitting next to Penny.
The woman took a sniff and hum, "my, Argus black tea? I haven't drink them in quite some time." Dr. Pietro took a sip of his own tea, while Penny chugged it down in one go. "I know your directive is to be effective, but it is rude to chug down like that, Penny." Salome chided.
"Ah, m-my apologies." Her core heats up lightly in shame.
"Now, now there's no need to apologizing. Mistakes like this is very common. Besides, people from eastern Vacuo would take it as a compliment instead." Her father said while patting her head lightly. Penny smiled once more, she hummed and nods.
"Speaking of eastern Vacuo, have you heard what happened to Kaligula?" Dr. Salome suddenly asked.
Father rubbed his chin in thought, "Kaligula… that is small town we visited when we searched for that fragment, yes?"
"Indeed, it is a town built near an oasis 52 km away from that ruin. It's a small town, at least it was."
Father frowned, "why, did they got attacked by Grimm?"
Dr. Salome shook her head. "Oh no, on the contrary, that town has expanded in the last few months. They assimilated with another town. I heard it was an order of their new leader. Someone called himself; the king of Uruk."
"A descendant of a noble family? But why don't they just go to Vacuo and speak to the council like the rest? Why bother assimilating settlements?" Father hummed with slight surprise.
Penny tilted her head in confusion. She never heard of this 'Uruk'. Her history database was quite vast, yet she didn't find any mention of it anywhere. A forgotten kingdom, perhaps?
"Perhaps they seek to reignited the era of Kings?" Salome said with enigmatic smile, one that Penny found undecipherable. The blonde woman then shook her head. "But I digress, let us continue our discussion, Pietro."
Father nodded, "About this fragment, Are you sure that will be enough? I don't mean to doubt you Salome, but the idea that this shard is able to power whole kingdom is simply absurd."
"True, if that shard alone, it won't be enough to power a computer, let alone a kingdom." Dr. Salome nodded before continuing. "We need its other half, a combining reagent, and a certain relic." Father gasped, but Penny didn't understand.
"Relic, you don't mean!?" to Father's relief, Dr. Salome shook her head.
"It's not that relic. There is one relic that I have researched, and I think it will be the perfect container once we combined the stone. Unlike that relic, this relic simply acts as a container, it is unable to do anything on its own. totally harmless."
Father tilted his head and asked, "and pray tell, is this relic has a name?"
"It is a small drum with runic markings. It has no name, but I will call it; the Amala Drum, the perfect container for the Eye of Amala once we combined them. I found out about its existence about three years ago, when I was still with those archeologists from the academy. never thought of it as more than a simple decoration until today, so I left it behind." Dr. Salome shrugged, fiddling the cup of tea on her hands.
"But some digging on the shard's history and reading on the drum's runic made me think that these two was made for each other." The good doctor finished and sip her tea.
Father hummed, his expression became more thoughtful and went silent. Meanwhile, Dr. Salome just continued to sips her tea in bliss.
In all honesty, Penny was lost on what the two was talking about. Despite how often they spoke of their project with her around every time the good doctor visits, she just didn't have enough data to connect the dots. The only thing she knew was this 'Amala Drum' will be used in the project they have been working for years; something about replacing Dust as energy source.
Not to mention how they kept their data written on paper, unlike their fellow doctors. Honestly, they were too paranoid even for Penny.
Father then spoke again, after a good minute of contemplation. "Are you sure this relic will really help us?"
"Science is series of failures and successes, Pietro. In this field, there is no definite 100%. Don't worry, I have counted every possibility that might occur and I have taken preemptive means to boost our success rate." Was Dr. Salome's answer.
"And if it still fails?"
"If it fails, then nothing will happen. Other than we falling back to square one, that is." The blond doctor said simply.
Father went silent again before nodding. "Alright, I will ask to James to spare some soldier to help the drum's retrieval."
"Try not to let the council knew, Pietro." The woman said, her expression became serious. "Our goal is to open a new age to humanity. we don't need the narrow minded to interfere, their greed will do nothing but impedes."
"New age, huh? ever the idealist." Father chuckled, "Very well, I will speak to James directly about this."
Salome's feature brightened again and turned to Penny. "Good. Now, why don't we catch up, Penny? It's been a while since we last met." Penny nodded vigorously; imitating Salome's closed-eye smile she always has. Dr. Polendina chuckled and leave the two to converse.
Penny then proceeds to tell what she learns from Tv's and occasional people watching from her room upstairs. She was happy that Dr. Salome's eager to hear what she told her, despite how mundane it was.
She hoped that one day she could understand what made her always smile. It would be sensational indeed.
In the unsavory corner of Vale, Cinder was sitting alone inside a bar.
Rapping her fingers on the wooden table, she eyed her surroundings. the bar was almost empty, aside from Mercury who sat in the corner table and Emerald who kept herself hidden with her illusion, that is. Glancing to a clock on the wall, she gritted her teeth.
'he's late.' She hissed inwardly; her fingers started to leaving scorch marks on the table. These few days was very trying for her, she almost lost her temper if not for her Mistress scolding.
She lost her chance to get Fall Maiden's power due to some incident in Mistral. Her target sustained injury in that incident and was forced to retreat back to Beacon Academy. Cinder had seen the injury and she would laugh if she wasn't affected by it.
Fortunately, her Mistress has granted her a second chance. If she was unable to steal the Fall Maiden, then she was to take the other three. Unfortunately, Winter and Spring Maiden was out of her reach, with Winter maiden in Atlas and Spring maiden whereabouts is unclear. It only leaves one last option; Summer maiden.
The door of the bar creak open. Looking up, Cinder scowled at the view of a young man sauntering towards her as if he didn't late. He was a boy her age with wild onyx hair, wearing a plain hoodie and jeans. "Yo, Cindy." The boy greeted and sit across her.
"Herman. you're late." Cinder all but hissed.
"Psh! Sorry, sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all. "Place packed more than usual, probably because that killing spree in Mistral few weeks back."
Herman, a street rat who was very skilled in thievery. Cinder met him when she first stepped foot in Vale, when the he snatched Emerald's purse when she tried to pickpocketed him. she was intrigued enough to occasionally hired him, but his happy go lucky attitude really grating her nerve sometimes.
"I don't have use for your apology. Do you have what I asked?" the thief chuckled lightly at her demand.
"Who do you think you asked to? of course, I have it." Herman threw a folder on the table. Cinder slid the folder closer before opening it. "Feeling bold, are we? I really want to join you in your little excursion, but sadly I'm rather busy lately."
'Not that I'll let you in.' Cinder mused. Ignoring the thief before her, Cinder flipped the pages inside the folder. Nodding, she turned to Herman. "This is it. your pay will be transferred as usual."
The thief grinned, folding his hands behind his head. "Great, another satisfied costumer. Oh, bartender iced milk just like usual!" Cinder took that as a cue to leave.
Standing up, she walks off the table and exiting the establishment. Emerald immediately followed her while Mercury waited for few more minutes before exiting the bar.
They made their way towards their hideout, an apartment in the downtown, before Cinder showed them the content of the folder.; Blueprints, profiles, and various confidential files. All of it was stolen from the councils of Vale.
"Whoa, look at all these…" Mercury whistled and took a file. He quirked an eyebrow. "Is this her? the Summer Maiden?"
Cinder nodded and took the file off his hand. "Samantha Green, age 26. She was a teacher in a village in the outskirts of Mistral."
On the file was a photo of a gray eyed woman with pale complexion and ashen hair. Her IDs and personal information also available in the file. Up to 5 years ago, she was a teacher in some backwater village, before she was convicted for a murder…. At least that was what the police released, but the truth already in her hands.
Samantha Green became a Summer Maiden after its last Maiden, who was a recluse hermit, passed away. Other than granting ability to use magic, gaining Maiden's power would boost one's Aura and strength, which means instantly unlock their Aura and Semblance. Which ironically started Samantha's downfall.
Emerald took a file and flipped it open. "…she killed everyone in her village? Talk about brutal!"
Cinder nodded. "Samantha has been reported to having early symptoms of schizophrenia and paranoia, which was diagnosed the day before she became a Maiden." She chuckled, "as the result, she unlocked her Semblance which killed everyone, including those who tried to take her in. no doubt her mental instability caused her powers to went berserk."
Mercury moved behind Emerald and take a look. "She killed 5 officers and a soldier without even touching them." he noted before asking. "How did she kill them and the villagers?"
Cinder frowned and shook her head. "It is unknown, it was either she used her Maiden power, or her Semblance is a powerful area type one." The files didn't elaborate on that matter, it seems that they want to hid every detail as much as they could.
"An unstable Maiden with powers to kill a person handsfree. Herman's right, isn't this a little too bold?" Mercury smirked. Cinder smirked back and tossed another file. Her two underlings took the file and opened it; their eyes widen from what they saw.
"Are you sure about this, Cinder?" came Emerald worried response. "Is she even there after all this time?"
"I asked Herman to steal the most updated files, despite my dislike towards him, he proves time and time again to be competent in his job. She hasn't moved in the last 5 years."
Mercury hummed. "And here I thought we're bold enough, now this certainly takes the cake."
Cinder smirked. "Fortune favors the bold, Mercury. Enough talking, let us prepare, everything needs to be perfect if we want this one to success." Her two underlings nodded and they started their planning. After some consideration, Cinder sent her underlings out to do their tasks.
Alone in the room, she turned to the sprawled files on the coffee table. She lifts two up and began to reread. It was a pair of Blueprint. On their corners, the building's name was written in cursive; Supermax Prison, Gehenna.
"I look forward for our meeting, Samantha."
To be continued
(A/N: thus finished the side story. Chaos faction has been introduced along with Chaos hero—whoever it was. next chapter we will continue Ruby's shenanigans in Atlas. Will Raven survive her encounter? Will Penny understand what makes Salome smile? Stay tuned for the next instalment of 'Across the Wind'!
Man, if only mainline SMT has more diverse Chaos and Law representatives. Like, that one Chaos Hero in Raidou Kuzunoha (I forgot his name), or that Law heroine in Devil Survivor (My brain is a mush.) it would be much more fun, social Darwinism Chaos just wears off after awhile. And there won't be Type Moon characters. As much as I like heroes from Fate series, Famed race will consist only from SMT version of heroes.
Please review and criticism if needed, I'm curious about your thought about this chapter. hope you enjoyed this chapter. Have a good week everyone!)