Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope you are all doing fine.

Chapter 102 is here and as always I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks a lot for keeping up and following/ favoring/ reading the story; you are all awesome!

See you again next week in chapter 103. Until then, be well and have fun!

Darkness spread around her. Buildings were engulfed in shifting wisps of smoke. Cars, trees and street lights were barely visible to her, hidden beneath the whirling veils of black shadow.

Green eyes narrowed. The constant swarm of red eyes preying on her through the mist as she proudly strode across the bloodstained, corpse-filled pavement. Fox ears twitched at the sound of bones being chewed.

Death everywhere. She didn't mind; as long as one's death served a higher purpose, it was a joyous occasion. Those people would be surely remembered as the ones who paved the way for a new era to rise. She was certain the afterlife would welcome them with open arms; they were the nameless heroes of this era, after all.

Cherry stared at one broken mailbox and let a small smile appear on her hood-covered face. I hope you appreciate me washing it- I hardly had any time on my hands.

She then took a deep breath and started walking towards her objective- an old observatory on top of a hill at the edge of the city, from where a pillar of green eldritch light shot up to the top of the massive dome.

The round staircase to the observatory's top floor was dark and humid. But she didn't care in the slightest. For her, darkness and shadows was a way of living - a path paved for her since the moment she was born.

She steadily climbed up, heart beating fast in anticipation. She could feel it; her entire being felt that something important was upon her. As if her life's purpose was slowly being fulfilled in front of her very eyes.

Year 71

Island of Menagerie, Grong Mountain Ridge.

Bistre Woodrock growled in discomfort as he finally reached the small plateau located in the isolated part of Grong Mountain. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and moved up, hastening his pace.

His destination was now visible; a small, well-concealed shrine at the end of a hidden path, surrounded by large granite shards engulfing it like a massive ribcage, stood as old and isolated as he remembered.

Passing through the abandoned heavy wooden doors, he was really careful to not make any sound. The only person he wanted to know he was coming was aware of his presence any way.

"Ah, Bistre." And, speak of the devil, there he was. Merrily sitting at the edge of the remarkably well-tended small orchard and pond, an old faunus with deep wrinkles and a long white beard sat on a rock bench.

His eyes were a deep green color, highlighting even more the pale white features he had and the floral patterned white kimono he wore. Two long fox ears stood on top of his head, twitching as he stood up.

"There is no need for you to formally greet me, Master Silk" he greeted him. "It is; since I stopped being a master quite a long time ago" the fox faunus nodded, his wrinkled fingers playing with an old talisman that resembled the head of a Leviathan.

"I don't think so" Bistre replied, his voice as calm and serene as ever. "I know you have at least one disciple at this point, don't you?" "Well, I am the one who told you of her. This is the reason you are here, right?"

The tall man nodded and Silk motioned him to follow. They walked through a series of old wooden rooms and an empty training hall to the main building and the ancient library filled in magnificent books.

Large statues of Grimm decorated the pillars and ornate paintings made by former believers of the Old Ways still adorned the walls. It was as if time had frozen here- were there more people around, Bistre would never had realized a total ten years had passed since he had last visited this place.

Silk opened the library door wide and stepped in. Bistre followed in-

"Master" and stopped at his tracks. A young girl was standing in front of them. She was really small and petite, with deep, short cherry-colored tresses forming a bob and a pair of curious feral green eyes.

She wore a small, terribly sewn kimono and had a pair of fox ears as well. On the table next to her, a pen, a book and few parchments of paper were spread. Was she studying?

"Hello Cherry" Silk greeted her. "Are you doing your math?" he asked. "No" the girl answered in a quiet and quite intelligent manner. "I did my Math an hour ago- now I am reading the religious texts, Master."

"As always, you are quite the enthusiast, Cherry. But I will have to stop you from that and introduce you to Mr. Woodrock. He is a friend of mine and a fellow believer despite being a human" he explained.

"Oh; it's an honor Sir" Cherry gently bowed. "No need to be formal with me, Cherry. And, I don't think there is a need to stop studying. I will just have tea with your Master here, so don't mind us" Bistre replied.

The girl bowed solemnly and returned to her studies as the two of them sat in the small kitchen. "She is way too timid, Master Silk. How is this girl who bows in front of me going to serve the God of Darkness?"

Silk nodded and poured them some tea "she is phenomenal, Bistre. The reason she is so curt and polite is because I am teaching her to. She is only ten and has an immense level of intellect and skill for her age."

I was ten when I first met Master Bistre Woodrock. At this point, I was only an apprentice; just a typical shrine maiden, born to an unknown father and another shrine maiden who died giving birth to me.

"What skill are you talking about?" the brown bearded man narrowed his eyes. "She can already deal with creeps. Do you know when the last time a ten-year old could kill Grimm was?" the fox elder asked back.

"Are you training her in combat despite being so young? Why?" Silk closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "My time is coming closer, Bistre; sooner than I expected it to."

If Woodrock was surprised or saddened by the revelation, he didn't show it at all. "At best, I will live a couple more years. And, since she and I are the last two of our line, she will have to continue on her own."

"So, you are training her that much to prepare her for when she will be left alone, right?" a pair of round brown eyes narrowed. "Yes. She will not only replace me in the cult; she will surpass me by a long shot."

The only place I had ever known was the shrine; the only person I had ever met was Master Silk. He was a father, a mother and a friend to me.

He taught me anything a person would need to know at a young age and so much more. Math, science, literature, talking, reading, writing, history, sports, hand-to-hand combat and even swimming in the lake.

And of course he never neglected my official training. He indoctrinated me to the sacred religion of Death and Rebirth; the worship of the God of Darkness and the circle of life and death- the religious belief of life gaining its utmost value through the significance of its end.

He showed me the ancient path and helped me understand the Old Way and use its runes- gifted by the God himself. He even helped me master my semblance and learn the traditional Naginata combat style.

I was fascinated to learn so many new and interesting things! We may have been on our own, but I was so content and excited that I didn't care.

Of course, the world did. And it wasn't long before our Lord decided to call my Master back to him.

Year 74

"M-master…" Cherry could barely hold her tears as she tenderly poured some tea for the old man, now a pale shadow of his former self. He was on a large bed, supported by a series of pillows and blankets.

"What did I teach you, Cherry you little fox?" his voice, rasp and hoarse, still had a dignified air surrounding it. "Crying for my death is the same as denying the purpose of my existence, remember?"

She sniffed her tears in shame and offered him to drink, helping him chug down a few audible gulps. "As long as death serves a purpose, it never is a sad event- for it means the circle can continue" she replied.

He smiled deeply "I have taught you well; I am glad. I can now go with no regrets. Do you remember the tradition?" he asked. She nodded.

"Good. I am leaving you both my holy pendant and Mandragora. I am sure you will make good use of them" he took the Leviathan talisman off and handed it to her.

"What- what am I going to do now, Master?" she gulped, fiercely grasping the talisman in her fingers. "You will now do the thing you came this world for, Little Fox. You will lead our order to glory."

He caressed her cheek. "Never neglect your training. Continue your path to becoming stronger and more devoted. And, when Bistre comes to find you, follow him. He will show you the path of the Lord."

Silk closed his eyes and a teary Cherry helped him sip some more tea. "Yes, Master. I will do my best. For the glory of our Lord the God of Darkness- and His children" she whispered, making the man smile.

Master passed away in silence, having no regrets. For him, his part of the story was over. For me, my part was now starting.

I buried him, according to our sacred customs, without a coffin. His body must rot and decay, until it finally becomes nutrition for the new generations now that it no longer hosts his venerable soul.

Then, I continued my training even more ferociously than before. Using the library and the excellent tomes he had amassed in his younger days while travelling, I kept learning and expanding my knowledge as much as possible.

"Fuahhh! That was good!" A naked 14-year old Cherry stepped out of the cold lake, water dripping down her trained muscles and curves. She hastily checked the area for Grimm and then put on her clothes.

Of course I kept training my body and semblance as much as I could. Running up and down the ridge while trying to not be seen, swimming in the secret lake up the mountain, climbing…

I did everything I could in order to build a strong, healthy body and mind that would one day serve as the perfect weapon for the new Master I anticipated. The one who would show me the new path I should follow.

Suddenly, as she had finished putting on her blouse, she heard a series of loud growls from inside the mist. Without even turning around, she picked her talisman and whispered a tune, making it flare green.

"Hmm… one, two, five Beowolves" she said. "I am sorry" the woman picked Mandragora up and whirled it as the Grimm stepped one by one out of the cloud, trying to surround her "but you will have to serve as a means to hone my skills even more."

She gave a polite, respectful bow "oh, fragments of our Lord's great power, return and be one with Him once again" she chanted, flaring her aura as they charged at her.

I was especially focused on training my combat skills against every Grimm I could. Semblance, spearmanship, my runes… I had to become even stronger. Even better. Even deadlier.

After the battle ended, the girl dragged her exhausted body towards the temple. She checked the position of the moon; there was no time for eating or even bathing at the moment.

Pulling a small vial filled in blood she had extracted from the Beowolves she ran to the altar and emptied it inside a small, wooden chalice. The girl moved her fingers along the floor and started whispering as her magical power flared to life.

"Thank you" she raised the cup "for providing us with your blessing My Lord. For watching over us from afar." The runes surrounded her and she lowered the chalice "for allowing the circle of life and death to keep on one more day" she opened her mouth and drank the contents.

But I never, EVER forgot worshipping my Lord; the one whose powers I was born to serve as long as I drew breath.

Year 78

Bistre barely managed to contain his surprise as the, kimono-clad, cherry colored young faunus woman standing in front of him bowed deeply.

"Welcome Mr. Woodrock; my former Master had told me you would visit me." The shy, intelligent girl was no more. In front of him stood a woman- no, a warrior- that oozed feral power and determination.

"I assume Silk has passed away then" he exclaimed. "Four years ago. He told me to prepare for the day you would come and pledge my service to you as an agent of our Lord" she solemnly replied.

Bistre's inner self grinned in excitement. Silk had done an excellent; no, more than excellent job! This old senile fool had trained a worthy and powerful replacement! The only thing remaining was…

"Does that mean you are ready to take the initiation trial?" he asked her. "Any time you wish, Mr. Woodrock." "Follow me; we are going to the lake" he said, turning around.

The massive energy surrounding Bistre's spell was impressive. She had real confidence in her own magic, but her former Master's friend was really powerful!

She stared in awe as the extensive array of runes started fading away, as the lake's surface started to stir. "Good; it seems I managed to draw it out." She nodded and moved towards the water.

Then, it suddenly appeared. There was no climactic standby or a tense silence. A large explosion on the surface filled the area in water and fog, as a huge Grimm appeared from the lake.

It was almost fifteen meters tall, with a massive reptilian body and a shark-like tail, dripping water from every pore. Its back had a series of spines and its forearms were long and clawed.

It had a long, dolphin-like head with three sets of hungry yellow eyes and a series of razor-sharp teeth. Thick white bone covered its head and chest, forming massive armor pieces.

"It may be quite smaller and less powerful than its aquatic brethren" Bistre's mellow voice told her "but this lake Leviathan is as formidable as any ancient land Grimm, possibly more than a Goliath at least."

I still remember the feeling I had when I saw it; powerful, hungry, filled in hatred and primal fury. It was scary. It was deadly. It was… majestic!

Bistre failed to conceal his excitement as the massive beast finally fell down and collapsed on the shore, in front of a heavily battered yet alive Cherry. She had done it! That fool Silk had truly raised a holy warrior!

The ecstasy I felt when it collapsed in front of me. The satisfaction I had when I realized I had passed the trial! The Lord had deemed me worthy of carrying his blessing!

The fox girl moved forward towards the vanishing Grimm and stretched her talisman out. "Your task is almost done; wait!" her commanding voice boomed, engulfing the beast in magic and- stopping its fading?

And so, I had to thank him. For I knew at this point, nothing sort of absolute devotion would be enough to repay him for bestowing that honor upon me.

The man's brown eyes opened wide as he saw the girl remove her clothes and stand in front of the corpse. Is she going to do- what is she?

Without even one moment of hesitation, the fox girl reached out and put her hand inside one of the wounds her Naginata had inflicted on the Leviathan. She held a groan as she felt her fingers burn but kept on.

I still remember the face Master Woodrock mad when he moved closer to me and saw the freshly grafted Leviathan holy mark on my chest and belly. This might have been the only time I ever saw him shocked.

"You" Bistre stared at the girl's naked body. She was filled in blood, sweat, grime and humidity from the battle. But, all of them paled when compared to the mark she had carved on her body with Grimm blood.

The head of a Leviathan, surrounded by charred, black-green flesh, was now part of the girl; a testament of her absolute devotion to the God of Darkness. "You performed the ritual according to the Old Way" he said.

Cherry bowed "I am but a humble servant of the Lord. As per Master Silk's instructions I hereby place myself under your service as the high ranking priest of the Old Way, Master Woodrock" she solemnly said.

Bistre smiled for the first time in a while. This was beyond anything he ever expected or hoped for. Now, his plan, his life's work was closer than ever to be completed!

"Arise, my child" he said and she complied. "I give you now, as your Master and elder, your second name." He placed his hand on her forehead and closed his eyes "welcome to our order, Cherry Itazura."

-o—

The top of the building had been remodeled. The giant telescope had been removed and cast aside, the opening it once occupied serving as a way out for the powerful beacon of magical energy that shot up from a massive series of glowing runes carved in blood on the metal floor.

Parts of the ceiling were adorned in numerous glyphs as well, most of them depicting star positions and constellations. Numerous human corpses hung from the walls, bound in iron chains, dripping red blood.

Wearing a long dark purple robe over his brown attire and wearing his Berengel Talisman just beneath the end of his thick chestnut beard, Bistre Woodrock ceremoniously chanted over a bowl of thick black goo.

"I wonder" he asked, without turning to look at her "why is it that both you and RWBY survived, but Azure didn't?" The question didn't surprise her at all; she had been anticipating it since she had contacted him.

"He performed sacrilege, Master" she lowered her head, but not her voice "he didn't deserve to live- unlike RWBY who proved themselves as valiant as they are honorable" she flat-out admitted it, without reservations.

"So, you aided our enemies instead of our comrade" he said "who said you could act like this?" Cherry didn't flinch "I took that decision on my own, trusting my own heart; as Master Silk always instructed me to."

"Silk also said to trust and follow me so that we may reach our order's long-life goal. And you disobeyed me, Cherry" his mellow tone didn't change but she could feel his disappointment through his words.

"I am aware, Master Woodrock" she knelt; her head still lowered "this is why I kneel before you and await your verdict" she lowered her hood and revealed a face full of thin black scars with charred green edges, running down to her chin and nape.

"I see…" he replied as if he could clearly see her face despite having his back turned at her "Grand Mother punished you already, despite letting you leave. I am, truly, astonished at the whims of the Elders."

The man finally turned around and walked towards her, drawing a thin, curved dagger from his belt- similar to the one Blake had taken from the sacrificial chamber in Cornfield "left cheek" he announced at her.

The fox faunus raised her head and turned her left cheek towards him. Bistre dipped the blade inside the bowl, coating it with the black, acidic goo. The weapon gave a faint green light for a second before fading.

"Forgive me, my Master" she whispered, her voice not breaking even when the weapon carved her fair skin, drawing inside it all the dark lines that had formed on her face, replacing them with a vertical scar that marred her left cheek down to her jaw "for I have failed you."

"You are pardoned, Cherry" he then withdrew the blade and offered her the sizzling liquid. The girl took one large gulp from it, devouring the miasma as if it were water offered to a thirsty traveller.

Her stomach, throat, cheek and eyes hurt and she felt the magical power from the unholy substance try and burst out from within her bowels. She grabbed her talisman and prayed to calm her mind.

A few more seconds passed and she managed to feel well enough to open her eyes and stare at Bistre who had again walked away with his back turned.

"Go rest. And do not fail me again like this. The day of reckoning is now upon us and I will not tolerate any more failures. RWBY will soon come after us and I count on you to properly deal with them- properly."

When Cherry Itazura rose from the ground there was no hesitation- only the determined gaze of someone who had been expecting this day their whole life "as you command, My Master" she replied, burying her emotions deeply inside her chest.