Hello everyone how are you doing? Chapter 11 is up and, good grief, it is the largest one I have written until today; I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks again to anyone who liked, followed and/ or simply read the story- you are the best.
"You asshat!" an angry voice was heard inside the small building; a white-colored house used as a medical center where the village herbalist, Haspar Vinca, tended to the sick and wounded.
"I demand an explanation! And I demand it now!" Yang's grip tightened around Cyril's throat, while Ruby tried her best to stop her sister from committing murder.
"My orders were to be around- I had other matters to attend to as well. I told you that" the boy replied, seemingly unfazed.
"You were their lifeline, you stupid jackass! You were supposed to look out for them in case something happened and immediately inform us!" "Yang, please…" Ruby pleaded.
"Listen to your sister, Ms. Xiao Long" the Mayor calmly added "a mistake leaving his position might be, he is not the one who did this, so please calm down."
"Calm down?" Yang nearly tossed the boy away, before returning to the short man. "The love of my life and my best friend are inside there!" she pointed towards the infirmary.
"They were attacked by some mind-controlling monster and your guy, who had the simple job of informing us if something like that happened, had abandoned his post!"
She stomped her right leg, eyes totally turned to red. "So, don't tell me to calm down!" "Yang!" Ruby's voice cut off everyone else in the room who tried to reply to the raging blonde. "I am mad as well, but you are not helping."
Yang closed her eyes and took a deep breath "I am going to get some fresh air and 'Calm Down'. Be right back, Rubes." she sarcastically added, before leaving the room.
"Your sister needs to learn some self-control" Cyril said as he stood up from the floor. "Please don't talk." Unlike Yang, Ruby's voice was cold and flat; any emotion the cheerful girl usually carried with her had seemingly vanished.
"What you did was unforgivable; if you were a huntsman, my commander would have you court-martialed; after I would have had a turn with you. So do us a favor and don't test MY patience, too."
"I understand your anger, Ms. Rose, I really do." She glared at him "you don't seem like you do, Mr. Abbey." The man, unsurprisingly, didn't even flinch "it's not an easy situation for us too, please understand that."
"The fault is mine" the Mayor continued "Cyril merely tried to be helpful somewhere else where he was immediately needed, answering my summons."
Ruby sighed- there were times when being the voice of reason seemed so hard; how Weiss managed to pull this effortlessly on a daily basis escaped her.
"Let's focus on what we do from now, Sir. I need you to seal the trapdoor and block the way to the church. No one is allowed to get it there; not even you or your men."
"Ms. Rose" the secretary, Cotton Yang had called him, moved next to the Mayor. "The church has been shut for four days already, this shouldn't be a problem. The issue is when will we be able to go back there?"
"As long as it takes" she narrowed her silver eyes at him. "The church is a fundamental part of our community; everyone is in distress at this moment and only the power of The Altar protects us from Grimm" the man continued, undeterred.
Ruby took a large breath. What in Crescent Rose is wrong with them? "Mr. Cotton. There is a powerful monster in a secret tunnel under your church. It beat up my team without even approaching them."
"Yes, I understand, but-""My team is among the best in Remnant; veterans of the Salem War and highly skilled individuals who can take down herds of normal Grimm on their own. Do you understand the magnitude of the threat?"
He stared at her and she continued "and that is if I don't count the strange immortal Grimm waiting in the woods. This is not a matter of politics or religion anymore- we have to be cautious."
"I will agree with Ms. Rose on that. Mr. Cotton, Cyril, spread the word to the entire village. Nobody is to enter the church grounds, until the perpetrator is terminated" Mayor Abbey said.
Ruby for once was thankful for the man's assistance. "Also, nobody leaves the village after the dusk, even armed. Am I understood?" Both of them nodded and left the house, the Mayor following suit.
After she remained alone-or partially alone- Ruby turned to Mr. Vinca. "When can we see them?" The short, brown-haired man with the pale white eyes nodded.
"Your friends will be fine; I have used suppressing incense to calm Ms. Belladonna's trembling and a healing salve for both of their wounds. Their aura should do the rest- I expect them to be fully healed by tomorrow." Ruby bowed solemnly "thank you" and exited the room.
-o-
Yang was sitting on a bench holding a bottle of water on one hand and her hat on the other, the heavier than yesterday snow falling all over her golden mane, adorning it with little white dots that melt upon contact.
She flexed her metal arm. Her eyes had returned to their original warm lilac, despite the tension still visible in her body. "Can I sit?" her sister's solemn voice sounded from behind.
Yang motioned her, using her metal arm to clean the snow next to her. Ruby sat down, immediately resting her head on Yang's right shoulder, allowing the blonde to pass her arm over her back, hugging her.
"This sucks royally" she finally said, as both their gazes fell upon the towering church, casting off its imposing shade all over the village.
"I know" Ruby exclaimed. "We have been in a tight spot many times, but this is the first time we can't even get close to our enemy. It was foolish of me to let us split again, after what happened on the first day."
"It's ok, Rubes. It's not a weird thing to trust Weiss and Blake to be able to hold their own; you couldn't have known it would take them both down like this."
"That's the problem, Yang" Ruby closed her eyes as she replied "there are so many things we don't know about this place and this Grimm; if it is a Grimm and not something else. We took things so lightly- thank Dust they are both fine."
Yang chuckled, trying to relieve some tension "I knew they would be fine, since they were so talkative. They were so busy apologizing to each other; it was kinda cute."
Ruby closed her eyes, basking at her sister's warmth to melt the stress away "yuP."
-o-
The revitalizing aroma of herbs filled the room, calming down Blake's fragile nerves. She had been fine; she knew she had been fine. Team RWBY had participated in so many missions after the end of the War and Blake had no problems with her performance in any of them.
Getting engaged to Sun had improved her overall psyche as well, to the point where flashbacks hit her only when sparring with the monkey faunus.
And then, this creepy thing had appeared in this no-name village of rude cultists and made her almost strangle Weiss after a serious catfight. She inhaled deeply, the smell of lavender filling her lungs.
"Do you think Yang killed him?" she asked her friend who was resting on a very comfy-looking couch, bandages all over her face and body to keep the healing cream in place.
"No, I don't think so. When Yang shouts and screams, she never gets physical. When she represses her anger, however, is another story." The alabaster girl opened her eyes and looked at the faunus.
"This incense smells wonderful- I will ask Mr. Vinca if I can get some for home as well" Blake replied, looking outside the window. "Blake… do you think Ruby could be right?"
"I think it doesn't matter anymore." Weiss raised an eyebrow. "I mean" the brunette explained "we underestimated this thing, whatever it is, way too much already and look where we ended."
"Oh, I see; you mean that regardless if it is an Eldergrimm or not, we should treat it as one." Blake turned towards her and nodded "I believe this is the best way; I am sure Ruby feels the same."
"Knowing that dolt, she probably feels bad about all this" Weiss narrowed her eyes in worry. "Yes" the girl replied "but it also means she will be more determined to deal with it now. Ruby is a huntress at heart more than any of us."
"I know" Weiss smiled. "Not that I will never let her know that I do, of course." Both of them gave off a small laugh before the door opened and both sisters stepped in.
"Wow, it smells funny in here" the reaper said. "It is relaxing though" Weiss smiled, as Yang gently kissed her. "Nothing is more relaxing than seeing you smile" she whispered, earning another kiss.
Ruby helped Blake sit up, putting a couple pillows in her back. "How are you?" The faunus groaned "frustrated, like all of us I guess" she replied nonchalantly.
Ruby's eyes turned at her teammates, one by one. Truly, frustration was evident in their faces. She bit her lip "that's why we are going to do something for it."
"Like what?" Weiss said, earning a confident smile from Yang. "We will have the Mayor evacuate the village, first thing in the morning. We already spoke to Mr. Pale and asked them to leave as soon as possible. They agreed without a second thought."
Ruby stood up and narrowed her eyes "after that, we call in reinforcements. We isolate the area and try to find out everything we can about this thing before acting."
Two sets of eyes opened wide "That is… unexpectedly mature of you, Ruby." Weiss blurted her thoughts out, as her partner stared at her in forced mirth.
"I nearly lost both of you today, Weiss" she exclaimed. "That is enough to make me act carefully, don't you think?" She then turned around and walked outside "get some rest; we are going to patrol a little bit."
Yang pecked Weiss' lips again and winked at Blake. "We will be back in a few hours." The monochrome pair smiled at their teammates "be careful, will you?" Yang grinned "with Ruby like this, you don't have to worry about anything."
-o-
"And I tell you, Bistre, they had the nerve to shout at me! To make up for being incompetent! Some huntresses they are!"
The tall brown-haired man shrugged his shoulders "things happen, Cyril. They have their work to do as well. Just chill out and forget it" he closed the inn's door as they walked towards their homes.
"I just can't stand them! Why don't they leave already? It's not they helped anyway!" they stopped in front of the innkeeper's house. "They have a mission, Cyril. They will leave only once the Grimm are dead or they die fighting them."
"Gah, whatever. Good night, Bistre." The man sighed "good night Cyril. And please try to calm down." The man waved dismissively as he walked away in the street lights, upon the lonely road.
It was considerably late at night; the only movement inside the village was the three people on patrol- Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long and one of the Melon boys.
He thought of the huntresses and his anger grew. Why did they have to meddle with them? They didn't need any strangers! Those hypocrites from Vale, that stupid Pale and his even more stupid wife who had brought them here!
Where were the so-called heroes when the Grimm tore his parents to shreds? Nowhere! Where were they when Sheriff Cloud got killed? Nowhere!
He growled in disgust; the Mayor was right, even though he had also been forced to accept them. After all, they could do one thing well- kill Grimm. Not that it had helped them with what lurked under the church-or the ones in the forest.
A sharp pain in his neck made him stop momentarily, but went away almost immediately. Oh, how he wished they could kill it and leave; let them return to their happy life under The Altar! Couldn't they just vanish from earth? Like-
Cyril stopped walking and turned around, his gaze falling upon the church. Team RWBY; the so called heroes that led huntsmen against Salem two years ago. They were almost killed by whatever was that thing. A strange idea started forming in his mind.
If…if it came after them? If it came outside, wouldn't it be able to make the annoying huntresses vanish? Cyril smiled widely, his glowing red eyes shining like torches, as he turned around and started running towards the church.
He unlocked the gate, ran smiling through the yard and opened the large door. He got inside, ran down into the already opened secret passage, ignoring that is should have been sealed since Yang Xiao Long had closed it in the morning.
He skipped through the tunnel, ran through the open large metal doors and quickly reached the smaller metal door. He then stopped, his ragged breath allowing his mind to realize one thing.
The door was locked! And with a code-based lock on it! How was he supposed to open it? He slumped down, grief and anger overcoming him. Why? Why can't I get rid of them? Why!?
Then suddenly, he heard it. The sound of footsteps, slowly coming his way. Cyril turned around, only for him to see a tall, hooded figure covered in black, wearing a wooden mask with a strange carved design.
"Who are you?" Cyril raised his gun, but the figure didn't stop. "I am nobody…all you need to know is that I am here to help you." His voice was mellow and deep, albeit oddly familiar.
"Help me?" he lowered his gun, adrenaline rushing through his body. "Exactly" he replied in an emotionless manner. Not that Cyril minded at this moment; he had a more urgent priority. "Can you- open it? How?"
The figure stepped towards the door and entered a code "a comrade of mine built this, a few years ago. He wanted it to be ready when its time was due. Now, thanks to you, we can finish what he started"
He pressed a button and the metal lock opened, the door slowly sliding wide, dark smoke and mist pouring from the inside.
The sheriff didn't mind; he was overcome with joy! He could now deal with those pesky huntresses! They would vanish and leave his village alone and peaceful- as it should be.
They both stepped in, thick darkness covering everything. Cyril opened his lamp to check around- and stood there, speechless.
The room was small and carved in stone, with a single, stone table in the middle. A large coffin stood on the other side, held tightly by powerful, thick chains. It was made of ancient-looking stone, with carvings and patterns drawn on it that Cyril couldn't even try reading.
Five skeletons, dried up and half-covered in dust, rested in front of the coffin. They were devoid of any clothes and fairly intact, bones glistering in the torches' dim light.
The boy could feel the energy pulsing through the stone and, lighting it up a little better, saw that the thick black mist poured from inside it. He turned around "is that it?"
"Indeed, it is." The figure replied. "Sealed by ancient magic- Salem's magic- countless years ago, the one inside it can now be set free that the Queen is no longer of this world. This is where we need your help, Cyril. Help us, and we will help you in return."
Cyril smiled, red eyes gleaming. "What do you want me to do?" The man pointed forward "Stand in front of the coffin." He moved, excitement filling his very being. "And now?"
"Offer your blood." Cyril turned around "What?" before he could even register what he heard, the tall figure sliced at his arm with a knife, completely breaking the trance he had fell upon, as his blood splattered all over the ancient coffin.
"Wait! What are you doing? What am I-" the figure grabbed Cyril, pressed him on the stone and forcibly pressed his arm in the top part of the coffin, black mist swirling around the wound.
Cyril screamed in horror as he felt the mist drawing out his blood, absorbing it inside the coffin. "Stop! STOOP! PLEAS-" the tall man slammed Cyril's head on the stone, throwing him down on the ground in front of it.
He then bowed deeply. "Three lives, on the biggest night, to restore the mind. Two lives, on the smallest night, to restore your power. One life, offered to you in agony, to restore your flesh."
The coffin shook violently, as the mist started pouring backwards, gathering inside. The hooded man watched in satisfaction, as the chains were torn apart like they were made of paper, before slowly running away; he didn't want to be around when it would break free, after all.
Cyril woke up from the shaking. He stood quickly, his entire body feeling a mounting horror as he saw around, in the dim light of his lamp, the torn and destroyed coffin.
He looked at his bloodied hand; whatever was inside there had broken free. Correction, he had let it go free.
The man groaned in shock. "What did I do?" As if answering him, a slow, slithering growl was heard from the other side of the room. Cyril turned his lamp towards it- and dropped it on the ground.
The figure had narrow, red eyes and a white bone-head covering its black skin. It looked at him, opening its mouth to reveal a pair of huge canines, supported by a series of smaller, needle-like teeth.
The thing tilted its head, smiling widely at Cyril who started screaming in horror, taking in all the delightful fear this inferior creature would radiate.
As soon as if was satisfied, it lunged forward and feasted on the man's flesh, carefully keeping him alive as much as possible, enjoying his pitiful pleads for mercy.
Out in the forest, the Ghouls sensed their master feeding and shrieked, making a run towards it, their wails echoing through the dark woods.