Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope at least better than me, who has been sick the whole week.
I managed to finish chapter 143 and I hope it came nice enough for you to enjoy it! However, I am exhausted by all means.
I will try my best to finish 144 in time for me to upload it next week. If not, I apologize in advance since my entire energy is currently diverted to attending work and resting at home when not working. However, if I don't manage to finish it in time, I will upload a double chapter the week after that to make up for it.
Anyway, I digress. Thank you so much for being here every week and following/ favoring/ reading the story. One part of me strives to be regular in my uploads in order to thank you all for your constant support of the story. I appreciate you all so much!
Well, that's that. See you all (hopefully) in one week with chapter 144. Until then, be well and have fun!
June 16th, 86
Headmaster's office, Shade Academy, City of Vacuo
"And that's the extent of our knowledge at this point" dressed in the formal meeting SHU uniform with a low collar shirt and long trousers with low-heeled shoes, Blake and Weiss finished their briefing of the Eldergrimm situation, grateful for their audience's friendly patience.
Said audience was no more than two people. A tall man with powerful muscles reminiscent of a statue, dark close-shaved hair and tanned skin was supported by a short woman with deeper tan, a long sandy-brown braid framing her short stature and deceptively mischievous features.
The man was dressed in a checkered vest and an open storm-blue cape with silver belt, matching boots and bright white slacks. It was the usual attire for Headmaster Theodore of Shade Academy.
The woman, whose name was Xanthe Rumpole, wore brown pants with a loose dark green tunic clinched with a brown leather belt at her waist, partially covered by a sleeveless dark brown long coat with dust-infused glittering flakes of pyrite; trademark article for Theodore's right hand.
"Blake… Weiss" Theodore let out the honorifics as soon as the briefing was over "are sure about all those things you just said?" "We are not absolutely sure about details, but the major idea has been confirmed."
"Ancient Grimm, too powerful for Salem to control awakened by a strange cult; sounds like a folk story of bad taste" Xanthe noted to the two girls. Weiss nodded "if I hadn't faced those things, I would agree."
"You said you killed one, didn't you Blake?" Xanthe cut off Theodore's attempt at a question. "It wasn't fully awakened and had sustained a lot of damage before I fought it- I would have no chance otherwise."
"And what about-" "Xanthe; let me speak, will you?" Theodore groaned to his second-in-command. She narrowed her eyes, but accepted it. "Do you think something like this is in Vacuo? Is this why you are here?"
Weiss turned her gaze to Blake, who coughed in her fist "Dr. Oobleck hasn't pinpointed the exact location yet, but he is sure it's somewhere in Vacuo. The stellar map and Weiss' findings agree to that estimation."
"So that's what you meant when you sent the others out to investigate" the short woman smirked "you want to gather clues and pieces of info that might tip you off about that Mad King's domain location."
"The incident in Clayhorn you told us of is a high priority" Blake replied. "But I would like to be aware of other things as well; that's why we ask for your help and support despite this not being an official mission."
"Ain't that precious?" Theodore stood up and cracked his neck. "It was like this the first time we met, wasn't it? You four asked me to help with Vacuo's defenses against Salem." He leveled the girls with his eyes.
"My answer is still the same; I see no reason to turn you down" he gave them a powerful smile. Blake and Weiss returned the gesture to the man, while Xanthe sighed in exasperation. "Call team CERS here now."
"You want a report again?" she stood up. "I want Blake and Weiss to listen to their story firsthand." She waved in agreement as she left. "Few words, quick acts. It's good to see you never change, Theodore."
The man chuckled, despite the obvious worry in his eyes as he took out a big blue envelope. "You two, on the other hand, have changed a lot. You used to be a pair of shy, reserved teens- and look at you now."
Weiss blushed and averted her gaze. "I don't think we were that shy, to be honest" Blake protested. "As if! Compared to Yang and Ruby, you were like mutes! I had to tease you in order to get a proper response!"
"Time changes people" the pale girl murmured. "That it does. At least in your case, it's for the best" he ushered them an envelope. "What is this?" Blake asked, carefully taking it.
"I will have a copy of it made for you from one of my students; he has a photocopying semblance. They are a few reports about unidentified and unresolved incidents that happened in Vacuo the past two weeks."
"That would be extremely helpful; thank you, Theodore." Blake smiled. The man boomed and crashed on his couch "if you want to thank me, be sure to smile more like this, Blake. It's good to see you happy again."
She nodded at the boastful display of affection "thank you." "I am glad to see you in a better shape as well, Weiss. When the news said you had been down with illness, a lot of our students were praying for you."
"What about you and Xanthe?" she jabbed at the man. "Well, we had a bit of faith in you and your team!" The woman's voice cut her off, coat swaying in her shoulders as Rumpole stepped in "team CERS is here."
Knowledgeable enough to not wait for permission, CERS stepped in. A tall boy with sandy white hair and blue-red desert robes twisting over a set of thin leather pants and cloth blouse led them in, sword in hilt.
An equally tall boy with a vivid red Mohawk and a short girl with light purple hair and an even lighter purple complexion followed in. The last one was a thin girl with broad shoulders and piercings all over her nose and lips. She was shaved bald with a red lizard tattoo on her skull.
"I don't think I have to introduce who those two ladies are" Theodore's words enough to make the huntsmen nervous, it seemed. The purple-skinned girl was tapping her elbow in an impossible speed, Blake noted.
"Christopher Sand, Violet Everthorn, Wilfred Rustic and Marie Scarlet" Xanthe ignored her superior's antics and introduced the team. "This is team CERS, on their third year in Shade Academy" she added.
"A pleasure and honor, madams" Christopher smiled. Blake noted that he conducted himself properly and addressed them in respect, but without any of the usual exaggerating antics people meeting them did.
He has a good head on his shoulders- his team is lucky to have such a leader. Violet and Wilfred were visibly anxious, especially talking to her, while Marie had a stoic, unflinching expression as she greeted them.
What an odd team. "Call us Blake and Weiss, if you will. We are closer in age to each other than with your teachers" the cat girl tried to ease the tension. Violet blushed and fidgeted. Christopher smiled again.
"Enough with the pleasantries; tell Blake and Weiss what you guys saw in the mission" Theodore cut them off. Christopher turned his eyes at the violet-haired girl whose complexion had turned a tad brighter.
"Let me explain, please" Weiss didn't miss the way Wilfred eased the faunus' anxiety and stepped forward. "We actually saw very little and I am not sure of how much help it is" he scratched his hair in thought.
"The village was silent and communications had been cut off. There…" he hesitated for a bit. "There was a strange vapor rising from the place like the steam you get when you put down a fire; only without ashes."
Blake and Weiss shared a look or worry "was it like a fog? Dense and so thick you couldn't see through?" the alabaster huntress asked. "I don't think so, no. Problem wasn't with seeing. It was with feeling, Weiss."
"Could you please elaborate?" Blake pressed on. "Sure; Violet said she felt like the fog was evil." He turned his gaze at the faunus and the girl nodded in confirmation. "The steam was wrong- felt wrong and made me uneasy. It- excuse me for saying so- it felt wrong to exist at all…"
"We were with the standby units" Marie added. "The place was full of steam and giving off an uneasy aura… like…" "Miasma" Weiss blurted.
Everyone turned at the pale girl, whose eyes had narrowed. "This is as much a confirmation as I have ever seen. Blake" she turned to the cat girl. The faunus' yellow eyes shut and she licked her lips before talking.
"Could you please leave Clayhorn to us?" she asked Theodore. "Sun and the rest of our group are already in the market district looking for extra pieces of information. As soon as we regroup and prepare, we leave."
The man shared a quick glance with Xanthe, who shook her shoulders. "Fine by me; but this is not only on you" he turned to Xanthe "this is a delicate and urgent matter. I would like it to remain confidential."
The woman nodded "I will search every nook and granny in Vacuo for information on both the cult and the Mad King. If they even think of trying to act, I will crush them." Theodore nodded and turned to CERS.
"Sir-" "Unfortunately, both you and the mercenary guild you worked with are already in deep. So, your new assignment will be to assist Mrs. Rumpole in her investigation until the coming storm ends. Dismissed."
With a mixture of confusion, excitement and respect, Xante and CERS left the room again, leaving Blake and Weiss with Vacuo's Headmaster.
"Are you going to tell the council?" Weiss asked the man. "Not yet. I've got to have something to tell them. Star movements and the prayers of some old-gone cultists won't count much" he took out a large keychain.
"I am going to search for clues too, in my own way." He threw the chain to Weiss, who grabbed it. It was a dark one, made of cast iron. There were four numbers carved on four keys hanging from it; 6, 7, 26 and 27.
"Your old stuff is here; use it as much as you like. If you need anything in terms of information or equipment and I am not around, Prof. Mine will be in charge."
Weiss stared at the chain. A sense of fondness and a sweet wave of nostalgia hit her. "Thank you, Theodore" Blake replied, the man waving at them as they stepped out of the office and picked up their scrolls.
"We have a place and a mission; return to Shade and meet us at the old dorms." Then, they moved towards the rugged abandoned dormitory, both trying their best to not let nostalgia cloud their minds.
-o—
The guy was tall and had a rugged face; full of scars and weathered by the desert wind. His outfit was plain and simple; a battle vest light and durable. His dusty eyes fell harshly upon the two men as he stood up.
It was a rare thing for Vacuo to see two outsiders finding their way in the back alleys. It was even rarer for them to be a famous couple of huntsmen, known all over the land for their deeds and war stories.
Not that it mattered to him, of course. He had a job to do, heroes or not, and we would make sure to do it. Boss was not well; heck, nobody was well after the hell they had all been through four days ago.
"Not every day you see celebrities around this place" he finally said. "If you are investigating illegal work, piss off. We are not in such business anymore and we are not in the mood to entertain you guys."
Sun rolled his eyes and Jaune rubbed his head in a Ruby-like manner "I won't try to sugarcoat it" he pointed at the door behind the man's back "we know you were hired by Theodore to investigate Clayhorn."
"And what of it" he gnashed his teeth so hard, they made actual sound. "We want to ask a few questions about the case. Freelancers like you guys rarely submit reports, so we would like as much info as possible."
The guy took a sour face as if he had bitten into a slice of lemon. Jaune didn't flinch, but held back out of respect. The black ribbon of mourning was strapped around the man's left wrist, after all; it was a bad hour.
Despite that, they wanted to find as much information as possible and as fast as they could. "Follow me" he groaned and ushered the two of them inside, bypassing the cloth hiding the guild's interior.
As soon as they stepped in, they felt a good number of eyes staring at them. The interior was shaped more as a salon than an upstanding and state of the art office, with lots of people occupying the large tables.
The smell of oil and machinery from hastily made repairs, along with the distinct aroma of medicinal alcohol tickled their noses. Torn faces and weathered eyes filled their vision, along with lots of black ribbons.
They tried to stand as respectful as possible without showing any fear at all as they followed the guy to the bar, where a large man dressed in well-sewn hide and cloth armor stood while polishing a few glasses.
He was bald and tall, with muscular scarred arms and face. His skin was slightly tanned and his jaws a bit malformed. His eyes darkened as they stood before him prim and proud while they waited to be addressed.
"Professor of Vale Sun Wukong… and Jaune Arc, the man who returned from the underworld" he spoke calmly but his voice was powerful on its own right "what business do you have with us, esteemed guests?"
He dragged the last part quite unnecessarily to not hide the irony in his words. Jaune took one step forward "are you Garcia Martinez the boss of the guild?" he asked. "That's me and I know you already know it."
"We want information about your last mission in Clayhorn" Jaune said.
Garcia's eyes darkened and he stopped polishing the glass. The man who had brought them took a couple steps behind. Sun peeked at their surroundings out of the corner of his eye- everyone stared at them.
"Out of respect for your accomplishments I won't kick you out the usual way; go" he grumbled. The two huntsmen exchanged a quick stare. "Listen Sir" Jaune tried again "we just want a bit of help with the case."
Sun saw the mercenaries tense. Their hands went towards the weapon handles and their eyes were fixed on both men. He felt as if they would jump at them at any moment should Garcia give the signal to attack.
Thankfully for both of them, the bulky man seemed less aggressive than the monkey faunus feared. "I don't want to discuss about that incident. I have nothing to say to Theodore's men and nothing to you as well."
He let the glass down and signaled his men to stand down. One after the other, the mercenaries returned to their respective work, sending a few gazes at the boys who were still standing next to their boss.
"I don't want to be rough or rude with you two, but you are wasting my and your time. We have had a really shitty incident lately and Theodore is to blame for that. Tell him I will finish that damn report if he comes to my people's graves and apologizes to their souls in heaven" he finished.
"We are sorry for your loss" Jaune honestly replied. "But you can't use it as an excuse to not help us" Sun interjected. Garcia's eyes opened at listening to that. Tension rose inside the room at the blonde's words.
"Don't test my patience, kid" the man threatened. "You grew up here, in Vacuo's streets. You know how badly I treat those who disrespect my people, Wukong" he lowered his head next to the monkey boy's.
"I know that" Sun countered. Jaune took a step to the right, trying his best to stand in waiting for any mercenary who would like to defend his boss's honor. "I know how caring of your men you are; like Jaune said, we are truly sorry for all the people you lost in the Clayhorn incident."
He curled his fists and dropped the smile, trying to tough it up against the towering man "but you are not the only ones who lost people dear to them. I understand your pain, but you can't let it control you, Sir."
He raised his hand and pressed it on his chest at heart point "please help us learn more of the incident; so that we may help you bring a bit of justice to the deaths of your people. I am sure you agree with that."
Garcia stared at the two men. His eyes poked holes at them, but now Jaune could easily see the sorrow and sadness well hidden inside his brown orbs. The man was truly furious and deeply mourning his people.
"You have spunk, Wukong" he finally said, motioning the others to stop for the second time. "Marco, come over here" he shouted at a young man with a red Mohawk who was fixing a broken radio next to the wall.
"Boss" he said in a casual yet somehow respectful manner, lowering his goggles and revealing a pair of puffed eyes, surrounded by large black circles. He had a mechanic's suit, with three black ribbons on his scarf.
"I am gonna bring you drinks; those two need to ask you a few things. Tell them everything you told me too, but if they say anything as stupid as the Shade Academy guys let me know; they'll be gone in a moment."
"Now that's not pressing at all" Sun smiled in an awkward manner as the three of them sat down. They exchanged their names and as soon as the bulky man brought them three beers, Marco took a deep breath.
"It's been three days already, since we returned" he started. "I haven't stopped thinking about it since then" his eyes opened wide and he took a quick sip of his beer. "How much of the situation are you aware of?"
"A week ago, without any prior notice, all communication between the city of Vacuo and Clayhorn Village was suddenly cut off" Jaune took out his notebook "so Headmaster Theodore called an official investigation."
"That was us" the boy nodded "we teamed up with an Academy team to start investigation of the place. Operation went smoothly- except for the absolute lack of any resident in the area, that is" he quickly added.
"Lack of residents?" Sun and Jaune's faces paled. The images of rot and decay lurking in Nyctos' dome were still fresh- and painful. "Were there any remains of them?" Sun asked, a knot forming on his throat.
"No remains, no bloodstains and no signs of combat or even an ambush having happened" Marco replied. "Plates were half-filled and rotting, a few houses were left with open doors… some plates had been broken."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Sun asked again. Marco took a huge sip of his beer "whatever happened, it made everyone stop what they were doing and disappear without leaving any trace behind."
He then bent his head forward, licking his lips as he whispered "imagine a place that looks like a giant dollhouse; empty and abandoned, waiting for a little girl to come and play with it. That's how it felt to me, man."
Jaune let out a weak laugh and Sun rubbed his chin "that's one creepy way of saying it, man" he replied. "Well, this is how it felt to me. The only other notable thing than that was the power outage in the area."
"You had issues with communication?" Jaune's eyes opened in a surge of recognition. "Comms were bad; like, really bad from the beginning. We had to reestablish them every few hours by using relay points."
The boy finished his beer, licking the glass "aside from that, the whole place had lost power. Nothing worked and with no apparent reason. I tried many times to turn back the general energy supplies, but in the end we had to rely on our portable devices to make any decent work."
"To sum it up, the village was abandoned as if the residents vanished into thin air. The only other issue was the strange loss of power supply and communications, without anyone to serve as a possible culprit."
The boy stared in Jaune and Sun's blue eyes, one after another. "Kind of like what you say, yes. We were all alone in the village- or at least that's what we thought before the meteor passed by and I saw…" he gulped.
"You saw what?" hoping he had managed to hide his intent Jaune made the question to the boy. "I… saw a Grimm walk in the half-lit street. I… have never seen something like this in my life, man" he whimpered.
Sun felt a shiver run down his spine from the sheer terror in the boy's voice. The images running in his mind were so vivid, as if the guy was projecting his thoughts into them.
"I stood there… as the thing looked at me from the other side of the road while I was trying to reach Jason and the transmitter. It was half covered by the darkness, so I didn't manage to take a good look, but…
That face, man! That face; with the canine bone plating and the tiny little red dots! God, that face! I don't know if I screamed or not, but it stared at me- and then walked away! The Grimm stared me as if it was smart enough to understand I was no threat to it and walked away!"
The two blondes tugged their clothing to cover the pimples that were forming on their skin. "What did you do after that?" Sun blurted. The boy gulped audibly and stared at the faunus with a face full of guilt.
"I ran away… as everyone behind me started to scream."