Here we have chapter 34. More or less, I hope I did all characters involved justice with it.
"This is the kitchen" Ruby examined the room, briefly illuminated by Weiss' embers. The same fungus-covered theme was spread all over the ovens and household appliances, crawling even upon the broken fridge and tossed utensils.
"No corpses here; seems they evacuated this wing rather quickly" the alabaster girl noted. "Yeah…" the pair walked down the empty room, carefully striding over the protruding, moldy knives.
"And I thought Blake's kitchen was bad enough as it is" Weiss' heeled boot nearly skidded of a fallen butcher's knife. "It can't be that bad." The petite girl shook her head.
"It is that bad. And I am living with your sister; just think about it." Ruby didn't reply; she only noted to never visit Blake when Sun had been away for days.
Next was a small corridor they passed through very quickly, leading to a broken door. Blood was spread all over the doorknob and glass.
They exchanged glares and then Weiss stepped in, Ruby covering her with Crescent Rose. Cyan eyes scoured the room and then the woman's face dropped and an unhappy sigh escaped her pink lips.
The room was unlike anything else they had seen so far. For starters, there were no windows. Additionally, there was furniture, personal items or anything resembling a mansion's room to begin with.
Instead, both girls found themselves looking at a spacious area. There were about twelve small benches, made of some weird-looking pitch-black rock, with splintered wooden chairs around them.
In the middle, a large metal forge stood, with thick pipes connecting its interior to each of the benches. On the wall just behind it, a stand for shovels and picks was etched, the items broken and thrown all over the place. A small cabin was visible just next to it.
But the reason for Weiss' dissatisfaction was something different; next to the cold, abandoned forge, above a large sack, were the remains of another human skeleton, badly torn apart on top of a sea of dried blood.
"These are huntsman clothes" she exclaimed as she stood over the corpse. "I think he is like the one you found in the stables."
Ruby checked his weapon and affirmed. "Judging from his position, he got attacked and slain with his back turned. How did he-" her voice stopped the moment her partner knelt and looked into the sack, anger visible in her face.
"I knew it" she cut an edge of the canvas with her blade, revealing a hoard of small, dusty, bloodstained jewelry. Ruby's eyes opened wide. She may not have been an expert in the field of fine arts, but these were truly beautiful. And they looked pricey, too.
"Grimm came here" Weiss hissed "and instead of protecting his comrades, this third-rate buffoon got eaten alive trying to get away with the jewelry."
"Some would call it come-uppance" the brunette replied, earning a malevolent glare from her friend. "Weiss?"
"They can keep their own twisted sense of come-uppance or justice to themselves, then. This guy is responsible for the deaths of many people, children included." She got up and turned her back to Ruby.
"He should get trialed for his crimes and sentenced to spending his life atoning for them, not ending up as Grimm food while trying to stash away more fucking money!"
"Weiss…" Ruby stepped forward "…cursing doesn't suit you." A humph was the only reply she got. Ruby took another step. "Want a hug?" she smiled, knowing her partner was truly aware of that.
"No…but thanks. And sorry, I get worked up so much when money is involved." Ruby stood next behind her- and grabbed her best friend from her waist, picking her up.
"RUBYYYY! WHAT ARE YOU-" the slow and affectionate giggle from the red girl's lips stopped Weiss' protests. "Remember when you told me to 'shake you up' if you start acting stupid?"
"I wasn't speaking literally! Dolt! Idiot! Moron! PUT ME DOWN!" Ruby complied and released the ex-heiress, who turned around, cheeks puffed red in embarrassment. "Do you think now is a time to play-"
Once more Weiss' words were cut off. Ruby was smiling softly and had a very serious expression on her face "feeling better now?"
Her cheeks reddening even more, she turned and looked away "just keep searching. Dolt" she murmured, moving towards the cabin.
"You are welcome" the reaper replied, walking to one of the stone-forged benches. She rubbed the surface- it was smooth and despite the dust and humidity, devoid of any traces of mold of fungi.
Other than that, it was nothing more than a massive piece of rock, save for a large, rectangular-shaped hole in its middle. Ruby lit up the hole and found out an opening on the rightmost side, communicating with the tube that connected the forge with the bench.
She let her eyes wander off, her mind quick to connect the dots. "This is a matrix for shaping metals" she whispered. "But what reason would one have to shape metals into bars?"
Not having heard her question, Weiss walked past the stand and stood in front of the cabin. Small and without any door, the room was in a good shape- as well as the three diving suits standing inside it.
A small- rotten desk with an ancient-looking computer was behind them. An iron locker stood next to it; she opened it and came face-to-face with weathered diving equipment.
From empty oxygen bottles to grappling hooks, this finding was not strange, but one of the most bewildering ones they had stumbled across so far.
Before leaving, her eyes fell to one small box inside. The label was rotten, but it seemed well-sealed. She opened it and saw six small data cards- in an astonishingly good shape.
"Did you find anything?" Ruby asked her as she moved towards her. "Diving suits, for some reason. And a few data chips- we can check them later" she replied, stowing away the box in her bag. "How about you?"
"This is a forge for molding metal into bars" she replied back. "But I can't find any reason for that to be here. Bars are totally useless- hard to forge into weapons and helpful only in stocking ore. But why would you-"
"Wait" the ex-heiress replied "how about gold? This is useful if you forge it into bars. You can transport it easier and…"
Ruby tried really hard to follow Weiss' train of thought. She really did. But it was really tough to do so, both because her friend's voice trailed and slowly vanished in the background and because of the visage that replaced her.
Amber eyes narrowed in gleaming satisfaction, as wavy black hair framed the hateful face. Cinder, swords in hand, took one elegant step towards her.
"Did you think it would have been that easy?" she licked her lips- and got punched by a jet-fast fist. "Yes!" instead of cowering away, Ruby cracked her neck and punched once more her mortal enemy-
Cinder simply burst into flames. Ruby didn't even begin to comprehend what happened, as the heat charred her skin.
-ο-
The smell of ash and smoke filled her nostrils, filling her chest- wait, when did her breasts become that small? She knew she lacked in contrast to her sister, but still…
"BROTHER!" she turned around. Why did she? She wasn't-
She turned around, to see the image of a gentle-looking young woman with short black hair and kind amber eyes. She was standing in front of a burning house, a pair of bloodstained falchions in her hands.
She had a pained expression from the bullet she had already received protecting him. "Follow me, back to the mansion. We have to talk to father."
"Why" he heard the words ran out of her mouth. "Dad said to get the boat and leave." When did Tai say that? And where was Yang? Wait, who was Yang again?
The woman looked at her in confusion. "Are you ok, Alizar? Did you get hurt and lost your mind? The boat was destroyed by those huntsmen who killed Robus!" she spat the words out as if cursing.
As soon as she heard the words, her mind went into overdrive
Alizar? Who is Alizar? She grabbed her head, trying to focus. She was dizzy- way too dizzy. Tai, Yang, Weiss, Blake, Jau-ne…she repeated the names to not forget.
But, who are these people?
The rush of memories assaulted her. He felt her head would split in half from the pain and intensity. She tried to hold the surge back, but couldn't help it; images flashed into her mind.
In a sunny day at the beach, a slender, black haired woman wearing a summer dress tackled her to the ground. Her amber eyes were glowing in happiness, matched only by her smile. Who is she?
New Year's Eve. A young girl was standing next to him, as she supported a young, jet-haired boy trying to grab an apple from the tree in their garden. She was standing next to them, worried. Who are they?
A study room. A man was signing up papers. He was short but lean and well-shaped, with deep black eyes and short black curly hair. His jaw was slightly narrow. He looked at her and smiled. Dad?
A waiting room. The day was dark, filled in fog and miasma. She was sitting on a couch, fiddling her boyish fingers. She was anxious, she remembered that well.
Opposing her, the falchion girl was sitting, wearing an elegant black dress that covered her entire sculpted body. A large hat was in her left hand and she was holding Robus' trembling arm in her right.
Robus? Who was- oh yes, Robus! My brother! How did I forget about him?
She remembered that day. Their mother had suddenly fallen ill and had been isolated in her chambers. Among them, only Elia had managed to talk to her.
Right! Elia, my sister. My big, beautiful, strong sister! How did I forget about her?
And that day, their father had asked them to gather in the living room, without prior notice. He had something important to tell them, he had only said.
He had just walked out to them- he seemed tired. Of course he did; he had pulled so many all-nighters trying to save and help mom. Not even that weird doctor who attended her had tried so much.
They stood up. Robus was afraid and he was no better. If their sister was anxious, she didn't show it. It would be most unbecoming of the heiress of the mansion.
"Elia, Robus, Alizar. My dear children. I am afraid I have something very unpleasant to tell you." He looked at them; his eyes wet and filled in tears.
Alizar remembered that day.
That was right, Alizar! Her- his name was Alizar! Son of Octavios and Charlotte! Brother to the murdered Robus!
"Alizar?" the woman was now standing in front of him, as the fire burning house made her image glow like a single torch in the night.
Her eyes were still shining, but not with the gentle caring glow of a sister; it was the menacing glare of a warrior. "Elia?" he said.
"That's me" her gaze softened. "We have to go before other huntsmen come by, brother. Are you hurt? I can carry-"
"No, I am fine! Sorry, I will try to not drag you down, sis." She nodded "you never would. And if you did, it would be worth it. Now follow me- we will take the tunnels; it's faster this way!"
She walked past him and started running to the newly-established outpost. He turned around and shortly followed after her.
Alizar. Brother of Elia, the most gentle and most caring person in the world. As long as he was with her, he would never ever get hurt. He would always be safe with her.
-o—
Finding their way inside the tunnels was child's play. Not only they were quite straightforward, with only a few turns and twirls, both of them had also spent half their childhood walking them.
That's why when they failed to open the trapdoor that would lead them to the gold refinery in the mansion they immediately knew something was off.
"This is sealed- from the inside" Elia said after her third failed attempt to push it open. "Can't you do anything with your power?" he asked her.
"I could try, but don't you remember what dad said?" she replied. "The exits are sealed only in emergencies. There must be a reason they closed it- maybe to prevent the huntsmen from finding the mine!"
"…" Alizar felt dread rising up his spine. "What are we going to do then, sister?" Elia jumped down the opening and landed next to him.
"We will go to the mine and hide. It is the safest place and even if they find us, I can fight better there." Alizar gulped. "But I don't want you to fight, sis! You will get hurt!"
Her eyes narrowed- for a moment Alizar thought they turned lilac. "I told you already" she gripped her swords. "As soon as you are safe, I will make them pay for this; I promised on Robus' body!"
She didn't say anything more, just nodded to the boy to walk ahead. Alizar reluctantly complied and the siblings made haste for the northern part of the tunnels.
The redhead panted, gasped and groaned. Despite the tunnels being stale and very clean, with well-lit and spacious paths for them to take, the events of this night had started taking their toll on him.
And, despite all that, he was being left behind. Elia was nimble and fast, not even breaking a sweat. But he would be damned if he let himself drag his sister down! Clenching his teeth he endured.
After quite some time striding, they reached a fork in their path. Both of them knew it quite well; the left side was going down to the mine, while on the right was a sealed metal door they had never seen open.
Or at least that's what it should have been. Because at this moment… "The weird door is open" Alizar said. Judging from her reaction, his sister had noticed too.
"Let's go in there. If it's open, father must be nearby." He wanted to say something, that he had a strange feeling about the place, but who was he to doubt her? So, he simply nodded and followed Elia.
The path was going up and both children put some considerable effort into scaling it. It was dark and lightless, but after a few minutes of running, they both noticed an opening.
An opening from which a bright, sickening green light was pulsing through. He gulped. With all that running, he had forgotten about the wicked pillar of green energy that had burst from the mountainside.
"It's okay…" Elia gave him a strong, reassuring smile. "Just don't get away from my sight. I will protect you." With those kind words, she walked forward.
The boy followed her once more as they emerged up to the night sky. It was cloudy and musky, with no visible stars. On their left was the dark mountainside and on their right they could see the equally dark ocean.
The pillar of green energy was alarmingly close, bathing the rocks in its alien light. They couldn't see either the mansion or the village.
"Let's go" the girl only said, clutching her weapons. They passed over a thin, rocky bridge above a deep chasm none of them wanted to check and walked along grey, green-lit jagged pieces of earth.
Finally, they found themselves climbing a wide and short staircase made of stone. The pillar was even more visible now and the aura it pulsed was suffocating.
But what drew their attention more were the two voices talking from above them. They recognized one of the voices at once; it was their father's. Both of them rushed forward. And gasped in shock.
A large circular platform spread in front of them, formed by three extensive circles of weird-looking yet familiar runes carved on the ground. Black goo was covering the carvings.
On four sides of the platform, statues depicting strange, humanlike forms with reptilian faces stood, hands outstretched towards the middle, where the pillar was pulsing from a large hole in the ground.
And in front of the hole, their father stood. He wasn't wearing his regular huntsman attire or his casual clothes. Instead, he had a large red ceremonial robe on, covering his entire body.
A strange gold-greenish medallion depicting some dragon-like thing was the only ornament he wore. Next to him stood a tall man with brown hair and a rich beard- the doctor that had been treating their mother.
"What are you two doing here?" his voice was more concerned than angry, yet still had that characteristic mellow voice. "Didn't I tell you to get the boat and leave? Where is your brother?"
"Father" Elia stepped forward as Alizar just stood there, watching. "Huntsmen attacked the village and destroyed all boats. Robus..." she didn't avert her gaze "…didn't make it."
Alizar didn't manage to determine if the pang in his chest was from hearing that or from the reaction of pain in his father's eyes. Surprisingly enough, the doctor didn't even flinch.
"They even took my boy…" the man closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "This is another reason to be done soon, Octavios" the doctor just announced flatly. "Remember what you two promised us."
Alizar looked at their father turn around and nod to the man. "I know. And, as I told you already, I will finish this." He looked at both children "all of this."
"Father? What are you-" Elia was cut off before she could continue "Bistre" he addressed the doctor. "You do have a boat hidden, don't you?"
"I do." "Then, please" he exhaled deeply. "Take care of my family. They are all I have left in this world." The man raised an eyebrow in question. "I will finish the ritual- no matter the cost."
While both children were too shocked to respond to that, the tall man simply replied. "I do not approve of you taking such a risk, Octavios. Losing you is going to be a huge blow if you fail."
"Don't lie to me, Woodrock. I already know of the young fox-girl you gathered in Menagerie and I have seen what she can do. She can take my place any time. Am I wrong?"
Still keeping his neutral face, the man nodded. "Very well- I shall respect your wishes and take care of them."
"Father what is the meaning of this?" Elia asked her eyes filled in tears. "Why won't you come with us?" Octavios red walked next to his children and hugged them tightly.
"I can't. There is something I have to do. I am sorry, for everything that happened." "Daddy…" Alizar felt herself tearing up.
"Take care, both of you. You are all that's worth in this horrible world. Elia, protect Alizar. And you, my boy, take care of your sister. No matter what happens, I love you both."
-o—
His memories were blurry from that point on. He remembered fighting with Elia who dragged him away while crying. He remembered his father's chanting and the clouds getting thicker as Bistre lead them away.
He remembered waking up on a small boat, looking at the island. His home, now a mass of burning buildings slowly covered in a gray-greenish fog.
He remembered himself and his sister crying at each other's arms. "Why did this happen? WHY?" Elia was bawling her eyes out. "Why...mom, dad… Robus… it's so unfair!"
"You think so? Well the world is unfair" Bistre's calm voice was infuriating. "To hell with the world then!" Elia shouted. "If this is how the world is, it would better not exist!"
"Big words, kid. But it is what it is. You can't do many things about that. I hate this world and the people pulling the strings behind the scenes, but what we need to do is nearly impossible."
Elia raised her eyes. Alizar- no, Ruby Rose looked at the broken girl's burning eyes as she looked at the tall man "what can I do, then? I will do it, no matter what it is!"
And the last thing she saw was the man smiling for the first time since Alizar remembered him. He turned around to Cinder and replied calmly.
"Can you become a monster for the sake of this determination of yours?"
"Yes" she fiercely answered, tears running down her shining eyes.
"Then, that's what we will have you do" Bistre's smile deepened. "And then, we will have you kill a Goddess."