Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope you are all fine!
Despite being sick, I somehow managed to uphold my schedule, so here's chapter 144. As always, I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you all once more for keeping up with the story, either by following, favoring or reading and commenting it. You are all amazing!
See you (hopefully) next week in chapter 145. Until then, be well and have fun!
Vacuo's market district was being scorched by the morning sun, its pure yellow rays reflecting the myriad of colors and highlighting the vastness of trading goods that were being put on display to satisfy customers.
Loud noises and bustling crowds accentuated the atmosphere, giving it a vibe of rich vividness. The smell of fruit and meat products was strong enough to almost be visible; a mystifying aroma dying the streets.
Huntsmen, traders, civilians and mercenaries alike passed by, walking on the sandy roads of Vacuo's outskirts; Remnant's largest open market was home to bright heroes and thin, shady hooded figures altogether.
For Yang Xiao Long, however, this place was a nightmare. The aromas were too stimulating and the atmosphere was too bright, the sun being an actual pain in the butt as she moved through the crowd with a large brown hood hiding her face and hair.
The colors were blinding her. That vividness was abhorrent; it reminded the brawler of the colorful world she was trying so desperately to not let go of. The only positive thing was the lack of mirrors and windows.
"Wait up; I am going to lose you!" Ruby's voice sounded from behind. It may be good for you, little sis. She turned around- and her lilac orbs came upon a pale face with puffed lips and swollen eyes with no irises.
She jumped backwards, stifling a gasp. The figure moved away in shock, its features returning at once. The tanned complexion of the man under the cloak was adorned by a pair of deep blue eyes. He turned away.
Yang lowered her cloak even more and let her sight fall upon any figure surrounding her. Thin, skeletal jaws and puffed lips faded, replaced by various healthy skin colors and vivid expressions. She held her breath.
"Yang!" dressed under a black cloak hiding her face as well, Ruby finally reached out to her sister, cutting off expertly from an opening between a flower stand. She had a serious face that melted away as soon as she saw her sister staring around, flabbergasted. "Are you ok?" she asked.
"Yeah" Yang said weakly, tugging her hood even harder "just thinking of a few things." "What things?" Ruby asked again. Yang decided to not let her little sister get worried even more and forcibly smiled at her.
"Things like this place and how crowded it has now become" she said "I still remember it being a scarcely visited area, frequented by outlaws when Blake and I would stop by to get information" she quickly added.
"You may have missed it" not buying her sister's bravado, but playing along with her antics, Ruby commented "you were busy being grumpy about not being put on the war's front line for a while." Yang scowled.
"It was a stupid idea!" she countered, starting to move again towards a large stand "Blake and I should have been out there!" Ruby sighed in a good-natured way "even though she didn't complain, she felt so too."
"She had her issues with Sun back then, not being sure if she wanted to return his feelings or not; even though I have no idea why she was that puzzled" Ruby noted. Yang chuckled bitterly and raised her left hand.
"You know Rubes" she stared at the palm, deftly covered by bandages to hide the atrocious mark hidden beneath "sometimes you stay away from things you love, just because you are afraid of hurting them."
"Don't project Blake's worries on your fears and don't give me any of that" Ruby dashed next to Yang, a few rose petals flying around as she sped "or you may end up hurting the ones you love no matter what."
"I…" Yang stared at the extended benches, full of fruit and dried nuts. "I can't understand what you feel right now" the reaper moved close. The sheer proximity sent alarm signals all over Yang's brain. "Sis, no! You-"
"I am here." Silver eyes fixed on Yang, poking holes at her from beneath the hood "as you always were for me, so will I. And if you are afraid to get closer…" she rubbed her neck, over a series of pink bite mark scars.
"We will find a way, sis" her fierce gaze softened again. "Elder or not, I am not letting this thing get you; whichever way it wants to." Yang's eyes started getting wet and she stopped moving. She raised her hand-
And immediately retracted it. Her eyes were wet in moisture and her heart was heavy. She looked at Ruby; no, she looked behind Ruby's messy hair and cloak. Beyond the waves of people and sea of goods.
How am I supposed to tell her? She nodded and masked her tears, as she mustered all her power to send the horrible images away. How am I supposed to tell her all the death I see? I can't burden her like this! Not her! All those people… Vale's dead… the souls devoured by Grand Moth-
She brought forth the image of that accursed cave again. The horned beast's shadow was cast on the wall, surrounded by the ephemeral fog and the green-black wraiths with bulging eyes and bloated faces.
Calm down… control your breath… The wisps floated towards her.
You are better than this… you are strong! She took one step forward and tried to return the gaze. As if reacting to her, the dead faces halted; an action they hadn't done before in any of their previous encounters.
You are strong! You have to be strong! Yang raised her left arm. She felt a tingle beneath the bandages. A wild, almost primal, joy filled her heart. The specters tilted their heads and moved their eyes towards her outstretched arm in macabre unison.
She withdrew it, forcing the shapeless monstrosities to stare back at her. A pang of sadness rose from deep within her stomach- a feeling she knew wasn't hers. She brought her hand before her eyes- the dark figures raised their heads, gleaming orbs of the underworld fixed on it.
Why are you so happy? She asked. Are you the one calling them, you bastard? There was no reply and she didn't expect one to begin with. She clenched her fist- until gentle warmth suddenly enveloped it.
Yang jumped on her spot. Her vision blurred for a moment and her ears rang in agony, eager to take in all the commotion of the bustling market and the myriad colors of the world surrounding her; especially, her sis.
Ruby was holding on to her, hands cupping her accursed bandages and the wicked eidolon hiding beneath. Wait, she is holding me? Alarmed as much as she was scared, Yang reflexively jumped away- or tried to.
Ruby, always far stronger than her stature would indicate, held her in place, refusing to let go. "Rubes! No-" "You are making a scene; chill a bit, will you?" She pointed around with her eyes, showing the crowd.
Yang's brain finally kicked in and she quickly fastened her hood. Heart beating as a dog's, she raised her gloved mechanical hand to show to the gathering crowd that all was fine. She waited a few tense moments.
"Let me go, Ruby!" she hissed. "Never, until you calm down." "Holding me is way too risky!" she argued. "You and Blake decided that, not me" the reaper countered. "I may hurt you again, you overbearing child!"
"You are hurting me more now!" Ruby countered and Yang stopped on her tracks. Her determination shattered under her sister's sad eyes. She stopped resisting and surrendered herself to the brunette's mercy.
With a nod of understanding, the silver-eyed woman moved her sister's hand towards her neck. Yang's heartbeat rose again, ready to flee the very moment that vile bastard tried to attack her beloved sister again.
There was no such indication, however, or any change in her mood or feelings. Her fingertips were gently pressed on the pink wounds that covered Ruby's neck. The tissue was slightly ragged, but relatively soft.
"See?" Ruby smiled beneath her cape "it doesn't hurt" she rubbed her sister's hands on top of her own "you are not hurting me- and you will never do such a thing." Unable to hold back her tears, Yang smiled.
"I would recommend you to not make a fuss like this in front of my stall young ladies" the voice that cut them off was melodious and cheerful, but at the same time carried an air of professional seriousness with it.
Both girls hastily wiped off their tears and turned towards it. Ruby was quick enough to tug her hood, but her sister didn't even attempt to do so. She recognized the voice's owner and was happy to see him again.
The man was a bit younger than her father, tall and proud, wearing a set of brown pastel-colored loose pants and a darker blouse, beneath a long brown desert cape. He had a long belt full of pouches and a sword.
His skin was dark, darker than most of Vacuo residents would ever be. Short-cut red hair and a finely honed red mustache adorned his face, with a pair of shimmering honey eyes glaring at the girl. His belly was a bit plump for his height, but his shoulders were broad and muscular.
As they turned around, his eyes opened wide in recognition. "Yang?" he asked, doing his best to not shout despite his surprise at seeing the girl. "Is that you, you fire-punching crackpot?" the man deeply grinned.
Yang returned the smile with a bit of effort "hey there, Rosso. Nice to see you, you money-grabbing weasel."
-o—
"You look like you've seen some shit girl" Rosso said as soon as all three of them got seated on a set of fluffy couches around a low table. With a sigh leaving their lips, they took off their cloaks and set them on a chair.
Yang wore a dark maroon short-sleeved blouse with numerous buttons and a matching pair of thin-fabric trousers with short dark boots. Her hair was tied down in a side ponytail, adorned with a brown ribbon.
Above her blouse, she wore a sleeveless black vest with red trims to match the equally dark cowboy hat she now swirled in her brown glove-covered hands. Ember Celica was attached to her wrists, as usual.
Ruby's attire was a slight variation of her usual one; a weathered wine red skirt with silver corset and a creamy white short-sleeved top. Silver straps decorated her elbows and matching bracers guarded her wrists.
She wore ankle-high desert boots and had a couple straps on her thighs too, holstering a few dust-powered bullets. Crescent Rose and Thorn were, as usual, strapped on her belt and back with silver metal clasps.
The bright sun was illuminating the room's interior, coming in through small yet uncovered windows. The decoration was the exact opposite of his general good store below; simple, practical and non-extravagant.
"Hey; no need to be so rude" Ruby's eyes darkened at the stranger who so casually remarked her sister's state. The blonde raised her hand to tell her it was all right "he has a good point, Rubes. I look terrible."
Her eyes fell on the merchant. "My sister needs no introduction; I am sure you would know all about her even if she wasn't as famous as she is" the brawler disclaimed. The man made an affirmative hand gesture.
"Ruby, this is Victor Rosso. He is a merchant of all goods, especially top-secret and classified info about things going down in Vacuo's wild side" she then explained, making the brunette's eyes light up in recognition.
"You were Yang and Blake's informant during Grimm invasion in Vacuo" the reaper pointed her finger at him. "Informant and supplier of goods" he smiled as the door opened and a gentle-looking man stepped in.
Rosso smiled at the guy who returned the gesture as he placed a tray with milk, strawberries, dates and carrot juice on the table before he left. "Mind the shop; tell the others to not bother us" he told the man.
"These are our favorite drinks and fruit" Ruby remarked "boy, they look really good" she added. "A small display of hospitality" Victor's face brightened, seeing Yang dig in the carrot juice and fresh dates at once.
"Please enjoy them; but not before telling me why all that secrecy. You do look like hell, Yang" Rosso sat back comfortably. "Mm" she quickly chewed a couple fruit and discreetly licked her teeth before answering.
"We are in an unofficial mission, man" Yang's voice lowered. "We are hunting a very old, very dangerous Grimm and we have reasons to think its lair is somewhere in Vacuo. I want to ask if you have any info on it."
"Very old and very dangerous…" Rosso's eyes narrowed in thought "my mind goes to the Hydra, but little Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee took that one down during the war…"
"We are talking about something significantly stronger. Something with such a presence that world itself around it would warp and twist; things like what happened in Clayhorn, for example" Yang announced.
Ruby choked on her milk and turned around to glare at her sister. Lilac winked at silver, followed by the man's smirk "glad to see you trusted me enough to know of Clayhorn. Your mind is as sharp as ever, firefly."
"You were the one who recommended the mercenary guild to Shade, weren't you?" He nodded in approval, making Ruby's eyes open wide in awe. Yang knew this guy very well- and made full use of her knowledge.
"In a way, I sent those people to their deaths. Garcia is mourning and I will have to apologize to him sooner or later." "I know; friends of ours are paying him a visit already. But we are not here to talk of Clayhorn."
"We are" Ruby cut off her sister, trying to join in the conversation "we are asking if you know anything like it to have recently happened in the country. Mysterious deaths, ephemeral sightings, paranoia… anything."
His honey-gold orbs narrowed at her. Yang smiled, her hand gently yet carefully rubbing her sister's shoulder, filling her heavy heart in mirth. She had missed that- she had missed relaxing lately so much!
"This is Vacuo, young lass" he replied "rumors are as numerous as the grains of sand in the desert. And most usually, equally useless" Victor announced. "This is why we are asking a skilled informant" Yang joked.
"Still; to think of one case…" "Something recent would do- any incident that happened the night of the meteor when was the last time we have sightings of the thing would be fine" Yang mixed a bit of truth and lies.
Victor turned silent for a while. The sisters stood on edge, waiting for a reply or any indication he was willing to share any sort of information on the matter. Yang took the opportunity to chew a few more dates.
"A particular fellow comes to mind" he finally announced. "A customer of mine; he is a painter. Quite the eccentric kind of guy I can say." The two girls leaned forward, urging him to continue.
"Long story short, patrol found him delirious on a street at the night of the meteor. People say he was mumbling incoherent things, chanting and scribbling pictures on a wall like a deranged maniac" he surmised.
"Do you know anything else?" Ruby gulped. Yang squeezed her wrist, trying to calm her rising anxiety. Words have power in Elder Religion; speaking casually of them is asking for trouble, Cherry had told her.
"Strange thing is; the guy was arrested and brought for examination, but the next morning he didn't remember a thing. He denied all that had happened and said he had no recollection of the event.
Police brought him in front of the pictures he drew and he said that the style was definitely his, but swore he had no memory of making them. He was forced to pay a vandalism fine and was released the next day."
"That sounds like something we should check" the reaper nodded. Her sister sighed and released her wrist, hoping Rosso's trained eyes would not pay her any mind. "Thanks for the help and the treat, pal" she said.
"Yeah" Ruby stood up and shook the man's hand "we appreciate your help but we should be on our way before night falls" she suppressed a shiver on the idea of night finding her in the windy streets of Vacuo.
"No problem; I am happy to help people who fought for us" he stood up as well and shook Yang's hand, choosing to not comment on her light grip. The blonde nodded at him "Do you have the guy's address?"
-o—
"Petro Ribuli" the blonde said on her scroll, carefully tugging it under her hood as the sisters trekked through the crowded market. "He lives in his atelier, 38 Rain St. on the third floor" she finished with her report.
"Do you think there's a chance in his condition being related to Tephrus and his potential awakening?" Blake's voice reached her ears through the static. "Because you have nothing concrete connecting those two."
"I…" Yang clenched her left fist. She felt her blood pumping as her veins tightened. "I think it is weird enough to warrant a better look" Ruby cut them off, closing in to her sister enough to whisper in the microphone.
"Hmm…" they chuckled, the image of Blake standing over the phone as Weiss made circles on the room, listening to the conversation on the speakers, flashed through both their minds. "I understand, to be fair."
"That's one nice surprise; I thought you would be all like 'get your asses here at once' and such" the tall girl jabbed. "That's Weiss' current state just so you know. She is glaring daggers at the phone as we speak."
Yang sighed and licked her lips "I think we are up to something, baby. I know it sounds stupid, but I do have a reason to think of-" "Last time, you said the exact same thing and we ended up splitting for no reason!"
"We sealed Grand Mother and found Eidolon cause of us splitting apart back there! And saving Cherry was-" "Not as important as your life; at least to me!"
Everyone stopped talking at once, cautious to not add more fuel to the petite woman's outburst. Even Sun and Jaune, seated next to the black and white duo, held their breath to not provoke the ex-heiress' wrath.
"You are not the only one who's worried about all this" Yang replied in a rather surprising show of reservation. "And looking our lead one by one is a safe and extremely slow tactic we have no time to follow."
A pair of mismatched cyan eyes narrowed at the frustratingly calm and reasonable reply. She walked over the speaker and gulped "do what you think- you always do so, after all" fear and worry laced her words.
"A-hem!" Blake cleared her throat with a pretty loud motion, forcing all people to stiffen and the arguing couple to stop any retorts they were thinking up in their tracks. "If you two are done flirting may I continue?"
"Your impersonation of Glynda is scary; don't do that again please" Sun raised his arms in surrender. Yang and Ruby nodded, despite nobody seeing them. "Apologies; please go on" Weiss retreated back in shame.
"I do believe that splitting in two teams will be far more efficient, to be honest" Blake concluded. "We have to cover such a huge area and with nothing more than rumors and sightings to guide our investigations."
"We four are one thing but Yang and Ruby are half a team" the pale girl argued. "We should at least provide them a considerable backup during their search" Jaune added, making the reaper smile in concealed mirth.
"That is a good idea" the faunus approved. "Before you follow with your investigation, report to Theodore. Ask him to provide you with Rumpole's contact info and let her be aware of your whereabouts."
"We are having Xanthe and CERS as backup for Yang and Ruby?" Weiss' eyebrow rose. "Does anyone have any arguments against that?" Blake's tone turned more decisive, despite her fingers thumping at her elbows.
"No, it sounds reasonable" Jaune smiled. Sun gave a thumbs-up and the two sisters accepted the plan with fervor. Weiss sighed, her reasonable part admitting it was a very good idea on Blake's part "I am fine too."
"In that case, you two are to investigate this Ribuli person and his case" the vice-captain of SHU announced.
"Take as much time as needed to do a thorough job but make sure to upload the EOL and keep in touch with Rumpole, us or authorities of Shade." The Rose-Xiao Long sisters bumped fists "leave it to us, Blake!"
"Meanwhile" the black-haired beauty spun on her heels and stared at the rest of her teammates "Weiss, Jaune and Sun will join me for the investigation of Clayhorn. We will keep in touch as well, of course."
Weiss and the two boys nodded in approval. "Be careful, will you?" A very concerned voice beeped from the speakers. "With Blake and her majesty Weiss leading us, we have nothing to fear" Sun chuckled.
"Don't worry, Ruby" Jaune added "we are going to be extra careful this time." "And we expect the same to you two" Weiss seethed. "You know it!" Yang tried her best to sound hyped, despite her growing concerns.
"That will be it for now" Blake took a small breath "let's all come back alive" she prayed before closing the communications and turning to her three friends smiling at her with teasing smirks plastered on their faces.
Yang lowered the scroll and turned to look at her sister. "His address is uptown, in the commercial district of marble if I remember it well" she pointed out. "Are you holding well?" Ruby asked her "Weiss was mad."
"I am actually hyped for the first time in a while" she gave a big toothy grin. "As for Weiss, I am cuddling the anger out of her as much as she wants after I purge this thing to oblivion" she rubbed her left palm.
Silver smiled at lilac and the girls moved further into the crowd, all the time blissfully unaware of a pair of huge, bulging gray eyes staring at them from the dark corners of the alley before retreating to darkness.