Hello again to all of you. How are you doing? I hope you are all fine!
Chapter 146 is here and as always, I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you all once more for keeping up with the story so far! You are all awesome!
See you all next week in chapter 147. Until then be well and have fun!
Sun's whistling mixed with the revving of the SUV's engine, creating a cacophonous concerto that threatened Weiss' very sanity. "I am not making it to Clayhorn alive; please tell Yang I love her" she complained.
Seated next to her in the back of the car, Jaune gave her a smile of deep compliance "he is a little tone deaf, yes." "A little?" cyan eyes opened wide in exaggeration. "How can Blake sleep like this?" she asked.
The boy stared at the front, where Sun continued his incoherent tune. Right next to him, Blake was taking a quick nap, visibly undeterred by the atrocious crescendo her boyfriend caused. He sighed in acceptance.
"Blake loves it; that's why I keep doing it. Sorry, guys" Sun smirked at his friends. "Ruby is bad at that as well, so I am used to it" Jaune shook his shoulders. Weiss begrudgingly accepted her fate and sat back again.
"Let's go over her plan once more" the alabaster huntress declared. "I think we have a good half an hour before we reach the place" Sun told her, pointing at the red monolithic shapes standing tall in the horizon.
The surrounding area was filled in low dunes and rock, the sand layers thick and dense enough to allow the construction of buildings and the pavement of asphalt. The road was a tad boring, but safe enough so far.
"We first scour the place to settle a camp while trying to gather info of our surroundings. We don't leave the camp at night, unless there's an attack or ambush on it. We always act in couples while searching."
Jaune nodded "we try to locate as many landmarks as we can for today and tomorrow we start exploring them, while making sure to search all traces of the mercenaries and the monsters that attacked them."
"The mayor's office and the clay pit manager's house where the teams from Shade made camp should be our first priority, according to Xanthe and Theodore. If we find any clue, we report first and follow later."
"I am glad to hear you were all paying attention and not only Weiss" a purring voice, accompanied by a cute yawn, cut them off as Blake woke up to the discussion and smirked at her teammates before kissing Sun.
"Did you rest well?" Weiss asked her. "Yes, I needed this since I spent all morning discussing the details with Theodore." She rubbed her eyes and yawned once more "I am good to go, though. Don't worry at all."
They passed by a sign. It let drivers know they were reaching Clayhorn, written in bright red paint on top of a weathered wooden plank. "It has to be right behind the dunes" Sun noted, as the road made a left turn.
Blake took a quick stare at the low hills that stood between them and the towering monoliths, acting like a barricade crafted to keep people away from the town. She turned he gaze back to her boyfriend.
"Find a safe place around here to leave the car. We'll continue on foot" she instructed. "Safety measures?" Weiss asked her. "Whatever we see and fight in there, I want us to have a means to escape" Blake replied.
"We will also upload- My scroll is dead" the cat girl narrowed her eyes. Weiss stared at her own one; there was no signal or battery remaining, even though she was sure she had fully charged it this morning.
Sun pulled off the road and hid the car behind a large rock. "This should keep it away from the eyes of thieves" he opened his door. "I am not sure what kind of thief would try walking out here, man" Jaune replied.
They stepped out of the car and started preparing their equipment and adjusting their attires.
Blake had chosen a cream short-sleeved shirt with purple trims and a matching purple pair of trousers with pouches. She wore a gray top and a black belt underneath, with both her blades strapped on its sides.
She had her hair tied up in a ponytail with a few loose strands framing her face. A thick maroon scarf covered her neck. She wore dark boots with low heels and an item bag was tossed over her shoulder.
Weiss had opted for a short white dress with a blue belt and matching short skirt underneath. Her sleeves were short, reinforced with black-trimmed blue cloth shoulder pads held by silver clasp-like brooches.
Thigh-high desert boots covered her legs, next to her swords' blades. She had her hair tied up in Winter's style, with a long cascade running down to cover her backpack. Kendrick's scarf was tied in her left arm.
Jaune wore a long pair of reinforced blue trousers with leather chest armor in black colors. Crocea Mors was in its shield scabbard as usual and his brown boots matched his long desert cape and backpack.
He turned around to look at Sun whose attire was as simple as ever; a short, wide open shite shirt with no reinforcement and a long pair of desert blue pants with brown boots and cape, resembling his own set of colors quite a lot. Ruyi and Jingu Bang were strapped on his side.
The monkey faunus shook his shoulders and threw his travel bag over them. "Blake's orders" he winked at the cat girl, who sighed, opened a small suitcase and took out four old-fashioned radios and gas masks.
"Here" she gave each of them one set "the radios are what we will use to communicate and the masks are a safety precaution. I take it you all have checked your weapons and stored enough dust?" she asked them.
They all nodded. Jaune gripped the handle of his sword. He was acting tough and he knew it, but the excitement of being back in action was a sensation too hard to quench. A hopeful smile appeared on his face.
"Let's go then" the cat girl took a good look at her mirror blade, resting at her belt. A solemn nod from the shadow was the only confirmation she needed. "Lead the way" she told Sun and the boy started to climb.
-o—
The climb was easier that it looked in the beginning. Covered in sand they may have looked, but the dunes were formed of solid desert rock and thus easy to scale without issues. It took them a good ten minutes to reach the peak and stand before the mysterious village of Clayhorn.
The town-village was built in a small valley that was formed between the dunes in its south, the Red Rocks in the northwest and an extended clay pit in its east, forming ripples and snake-like lines up to its top.
The houses were rather large, surprisingly so, and made of rock with the addition of triangular tile roofs, covered in sand and dust. There was no clear building structure, only a mass of buildings spread around.
There was also no greenery. The only pieces of decoration were a few clay slabs placed- or abandoned- in some parts of the village. The roads and alleys were steep and the ground was uneven, with lots of ups and downs creating a miniscule labyrinth of narrow passages in the town.
The terrifying part, however, was the silence. Weiss' instincts flared and her gut churned. Usually, even in the deepest night, a place would have a few people walking, talking out loudly or maybe driving their cars.
But here there was nothing. There was nothing moving, creating noise, performing chores; she couldn't even hear the sounds of wildlife! She stared a bit further and her eyes fell on the Red Rocks in the west.
Their surface was an eerie hue of red, dyed a blazing scarlet by the rays of the afternoon sun. She immediately felt the chills, as the color was reminding her of the mysterious meteor Yang had reacted to back then.
As the sun hit, they cast enormous shadows over the village, engulfing its roads and passages in a deep darkness. The night hadn't fallen upon them yet, but the place was becoming dark already. She didn't like it.
"It's a tad creepy" Jaune commented. "Just 'a tad'?" Sun said. "I'd hate to be out in the open in this place when the sun set. Hell, I feel my tail hair stand on edge." Weiss shared the sentiment, despite having no tail.
Blake didn't comment. Her eyes were fixed on a certain place- a lonely house on the slope beneath them, where the solar rays were getting reflected on something shiny; something metal. It was moving… slowly.
"Follow me" she said. Everyone turned at her and instinctively followed suit as they saw their leader fall in fours and start skulking towards the nearest house, finger on her lips to show them they had to be silent.
There was no need to tell them anything more. They all understood at once; she had spotted an enemy or a potential threat. What a nice and warm welcome, Sun smirked in the inside before he started crouching.
The cat girl jumped to the nearest rock, as stealthy and as nimble as the shadows cast by the monoliths. Without turning around, she urged with her index finger for the others to follow suit.
Sun's physical might made it quite easy for him to crawl next to the cat girl, despite lacking her grace. Jaune stared at Weiss, who strapped her kneecaps tighter before following suit. Welcome back, she whispered at him when the blonde collapsed next to them, all sweaty and scraped.
Blake smirked and quickly took a peek over their cover. "Whatever it is, it's constantly moving around the house and doesn't seem to have noticed us" she informed them. "How far is it from here?" Weiss asked.
"About fifty meters; we can charge it, but I don't want to rush in blindly without knowing what it is" the faunus replied. "There is no cover in between us; how are we going to scout further ahead?" Sun asked her.
She pointed at Eidolon, gleaming in the faint light "I can summon her to do that." "You have never been able to summon her that far!" Weiss countered. "Not on her own, she hasn't" Jaune replied instead of Blake.
Yellow feral eyes narrowed in satisfaction that the taller boy had gotten wind of her intentions. "Can you do it?" she asked him. Jaune stared at his fingers- they were trembling a bit. "I won't press you if you can't."
"I am not sure… at this point I don't know if it's due to excitement or to fear" he answered her honestly. "Then, I will-" "But that never stopped me before, guys" he remarked as he stretched out his hand to her.
It took less than a second for her will to call out the blade. The shadows stirred and the mirror-like clone appeared before them, covered in a misty aura like a ghastly halo. She glared at it- and Eidolon faded away.
It covered the distance, moving through the dark shadows like a ghost. Its form instantly focused and dissipated as the ethereal being drew a huge amount or Blake's aura to fuel its shadow-jumping spell.
Thankfully, the faunus had more than enough to spare at the moment. "It's working!" Weiss' eyes shone in energy, focusing her magic to try and follow the trail of magical power the blade left behind each jump.
Blake nodded, eyes closed in an attempt to focus, while Jaune poured his semblance into her shoulders. She held the blade in her palms and was currently sitting cross-legged with Sun on the lookout above them.
So far, so good… the blade whispered in her mind. It manifested once again and faded away to the next shadow, finally landing on the back of the house, hiding in the corner of the outer stone wall. Get in, she said.
The familiar didn't even think to disobey her master. The gleam was coming out of the nearest window, still moving and flailing around as its purple eyes scoured the panel. It was open. Eidolon jumped in at once.
The interior was a mess. Filth, dried up blood and rotting flesh adorned the broken furniture and scarred walls. Pieces of metal and splinters of wood were thrown around, leaving a large open space in the middle.
Said space was currently occupied, however. A pile of human bones and flesh was strewn in circular patterns over a pool of dried blood. Scarlet trails on the floor indicated they had been dragged up there.
One of the pieces was a rotten, horribly mauled head. A metal pendant hung from its neck, its surface reflecting the light of the sun as it swung in the- Eidolon's eyes narrowed. There is no wind and no reason for it to move like this, Blake's voice reached its mind. Eidolon mentally nodded.
Should I check it out? It asked her. No, I can't hold you any longer, she replied as the world faded away and the blade vanished back to its master's side. Blake opened up her eyes and turned at her teammates.
"The place looks clear but we are going in prepared in any case" the cat girl grabbed Nightfall and turned her gaze at Sun who took his weapon out and slowly led the way towards the mysterious isolated house.
Swords in hand, Weiss and Jaune followed them. They moved slowly yet steadily, stopping every few steps to make sure nothing was gaining on them. A cautious advance was needed in enemy grounds, after all.
The shadows were growing every moment, increasing their anxiety as the dark corners caught their eyes. I can't even imagine how terrifying this place must be even under normal circumstances, Weiss thought.
They reached the back of the house and, unlike Eidolon, moved to the front porch. A small rectangular stone fence separated the house from the surrounding dune. Sun thought it was way too isolated a place.
The front door was open and Blake slightly pushed it before stepping in. Envelop at hand, she carefully scanned the frugal room before she let the others follow suit. "It does look empty; deceptively so" Weiss said.
"That pile of human remains arranged to act as a nest isn't deceptive at all" Jaune walked past them towards the mentioned item. "They are too messed up to identify anything, except for the pendant" he added.
"Don't touch it!" Blake grabbed his hand and pointed at the shiny metal object. Sun raised an eyebrow but instantly realized what his lover had seen before them- as always. "It has stopped moving" Jaune observed.
"Way too quickly for something left alone" the cat girl nodded at Weiss who had stepped away, moving closer to the half-opened window that Eidolon had used to get in- a glass rectangle placed in a dirty gray wall.
She tilted her head to note down the angle the pendant must have had for its rays to have such a trajectory. A large shadow was being cast by the nearest monolith, covering half the window and her left eye.
The noise from Jaune and Blake discussing the moving pendant wasn't enough to deter her, but she quickly clicked her tongue in frustration. She didn't have Ruby's keen eye for this and the shadows cast by Red-
The shadow moved, allowing the setting sun rays shower the window panel and both her eyes. Weiss' blood froze- the shadow had moved way too fast for comfort. "Someone is stalking us!" she turned around.
It all happened in a blink. Blake, Sun and Jaune instinctively raised their weapons at her warning. The next moment, another shadow was cast on the window, passing by swiftly as it circled the house.
Weiss jumped away from the panel, raising Crown in defense. A heavy, loud sound scraped the outer walls as if something was climbing it. It skidded on the tiles throwing a couple of them on the thick sand below.
"Back-to back formation" Blake commanded. They moved away from the nest and made the usual defensive triangle form with the petite girl in the middle, ready to provide support to Jaune and the two faunus.
The sound of footsteps echoed from above, making all huntsmen raise their weapons towards the ceiling. A few more tiles rolled on the roof with a loud cracking sound before they fell on the porch. Blake gulped.
The sound moved, climbing the roof towards them. Cracks echoed on the ceiling. Claws scraped by the clay-baked leaves. "There is no sound of breathing or hissing" Sun mentioned. "It's way too silent" Jaune said.
The movement stopped, as if the being noticed them talk. Blake made a gesture with her finger to stay silent. A slithering noise scraped their ears. To Sun, it reminded of an animal scraping its tail over hard floor.
Blake's ears stiffened. A loud, piercing noise sounded from above them. It was cacophonous, deeply guttural and absolutely inhuman. The cat girl felt as if a huge toad or frog was croaking out to- its companions!
The attack came from the opened door. A figure burst out of its hiding place behind the porch, covered the distance between them in the blink of an eye and lashed out towards Weiss with its mouth open wide.
Jaune was the nearest one. He turned around and raised his steel shield up, managing to deflect the attack away from the petite huntress. The figure slammed on him and the boy pushed it away with all his might.
Or at least, he tried to. Despite his recent recovery, Jaune's body hadn't returned to his previous strength. His muscles ached in agony and the creature pushed back, slamming his shield away from the boy's hands.
Before anyone could manage to react, the monster head butted Jaune and threw him back. Weiss flicked her left index and formed a gravity black rune, stopping him from crashing on the wall at the last moment.
Sun created two clones and attacked, flanking the attacker. It croaked as well and made a considerably long jump without any running start, avoiding the boy's semblance and landing on the wall above the nest.
It was a Grimm; no one had even considered the possibility of it being anything else to begin with. That long, reptilian body with the charcoal-black skin and bone plates couldn't belong to anything but a Grimm.
It stood on two legs, just a bit taller than Weiss at full height. It had long clawed arms that could easily serve as an extra pair of feet. Its tail was equally long and full of small bone spikes and plates.
A lizard's head was lowered at them, plating covering its needle teeth and long, slippery tongue. Disproportionally large red eyes stared at the humans the same way a snake gazed at a pack of cornered mice.
On its neck, a large fan-shaped membrane frilled in the setting sunlight following the creature's breathing. Red and orange markings adorned it forming various shapes and images resembling venomous frog colors.
It opened its mouth again, letting another croak. Sun helped Jaune back to his feet and the boy brandished Crocea Mors at the monster. Weiss' rapier shone with a fiery hue, shining light in the darkening interior.
Suddenly, another croak came from above, as if answering the previous challenge. The first creature, the one that had baited them into letting themselves open wide, ran across the tiled roof with immense speed.
It climbed down the stone walls and reached out from the window, its jaws opening as it aimed for Weiss' unprotected back. Lashing out like a frog's, it attempted to skewer its victim from a safe distance.
Blake was there. She hadn't forgotten of the creature above and, fully confident in her teammates' ability to handle the visible one, she opted to wait in advance for its hunting partner next to the open glass panel.
As soon as the creature decided to use the opened window to ambush Weiss its fate had been sealed. Nightfall's magma-colored blade spun in a wide arch and severed its head off its shoulders with a swift motion.
The second one screeched out at the humans and then jumped through the open door. Sun's clones formed immediately and ran after the skulking Grimm, covering the distance and grabbing it in a heartbeat.
The lizard-shaped body thrashed around, trying its best to escape or at least take down a few of them with it. Weiss wouldn't have it of course.
She skated on top of her glyphs and timed her thrust the very moment that Sun released the lizard-Grimm. Myrtenaster skewered the bone plated head and the flailing monster vanished before the white woman.
"That was unexpectedly easy" Jaune, chest writhing in pain, noted. "I think those two were scavengers, feeding on the human remains they found and decided to nest on" Sun replied to him "lots of birds do so."
"I am sure they were not the ones responsible for the massacre" Blake noted, moving towards Weiss. The alabaster girl stood a few meters far from the yard, mismatched cyan eyes hovering on the eerie spectacle.
The sun was still visible in the horizon, but the Red Rock shadows had almost completely engulfed the village already. Despite the blue color of the sky, the atmosphere was darkening enough to deter any search.
Yellow eyes narrowed. Standing next to her friend, she noticed the few narrow passages that spread before them, coiling around like snakes in the makeshift uphill and downhill rocky alleys, flanked by small houses.
Shapes of confusing proportions and sinister outlines formed at the red roadblocks, threatening to invade their mind, fester in their imagination and feed the unnamable fears of the feeble, exhausted human beings.
"What are your thoughts?" Blake asked her. "They were aiming for me. Both times, they went for me- the one in the center of the formation" Weiss replied. "They felt like I was important and went after me first."
"And?" she couldn't wrap her mind around Weiss' thoughts for now. It could be the ominous feeling seeping into the atmosphere, blocking her thoughts. Exhaustion was out of the question; she had rested properly.
"They also laid a trap, based on us scouting ahead and noticing the light from the pendant. For scavengers, they are quite aware of how humans think and act" the platinum-head huntress concluded "unnaturally so."
Blake stared at her friend, averting her gaze from the growing shadows that filled the streets and blocks. "We should go in; this battle delayed us a bit so we will start our search tomorrow morning" she explained.
Weiss nodded and followed her captain inside, her thoughts dancing all the time around one single question her mind was unable to answer.
What if their true intentions were to delay us to begin with?