Chapter 15: Ignis Familia
Absinthe Moor is in this chapter. Some astute people might remember who she was introduced as. Well, your suspicions are soothed.
She had the next appointment already. A small old woman sat at a café, looking sharp and spry for her age. Salem sat down, giving a light smile to her old friend.
"The weather is nice, auntie."
The passphrase, as the woman snorted, loudly.
"There's a storm coming, I can feel it in my bones."
The old woman's wrinkled face was enough, even with Salem enjoying her acquaintance's little peculiarities. It had been years since they had met for the first time.
"Fuck, fuck, FUCK! YOU ANIMALS!"
The shout had drawn her attention, even as she saw the woman grossly outnumbered by seven of the Faunus revolutionaries. It had been a pleasant stroll, the forces of the Faunus grossly overestimating the surplus forces of General Baloo... A surprise, really. Some of the mongrels had even dared to attempt to harm her. The error of their ways had been taught.
"We're going to be doing that, you cold cunt. You've killed several of our brethren!"
Salem sighed, as she knew this scene would play out over and over again. The woman would be raped and possibly kept as a mother to the Faunus forces.
It was a tactic that was often used by the armies of the world, though personally she cared little for rape. It made for some amusement when the victim was a particularly loathsome little creature... But it was rather distasteful. It broke spirits and bodies. It worked well for those around... Such silly little commoners, imagining their loved ones broken and ravished. A whisper in their ear, stoking their flames of vengeance...
The eyes of the woman held a fierce glare, full of defiance. They met hers and she smiled, power coalescing inside her. It would not be a bad idea to ensure that this woman lived... Allies were often those who needed to be aided in a pinch...
Flame and earth moved, as her powers reached out to the elements of the world and the Faunus were shattered, her powers never touching the woman, as she smiled devilishly at the soldier of the Unified Human Army. "I thought you'd need..." Salem glanced down at the dismembered hand that laid there on the ground. "A hand there, girl."
The woman was smart enough to see the situation, kneeling before her immediately. "My life is yours, ma'am. If not for your help, I would have..." It hadn't even been a challenge. There would have been a rape happening, yet she had made sure that this woman had been spared from such a thing... A precious gift, to most women.
"What is your name, girl?"
The words came easily, as she rose to her full height, standing there like the queen she was. The soldier looked up at her, those eyes brimming with hope. There was hope and a desire to serve in those eyes, like any retainer...
"Absinthe Moor, my lady."
The way of formality was there, even though she bore no identifying marks. The girl was smart, she supposed... Smart enough to realize that she stood before a woman who wielded the power of magic.
"A pleasure... This war was created by one man, Absinthe."
The words came so easy to her. The woman nodded, understanding that it was her time to remain silent. "Equality between the Faunus and humanity... They would never see us as equals. Their traits, special. Their hardiness, different." The anger on the woman's face grew.
"They took my brother and sister... I'm... I'm all that's left."
Salem had figured as much. The eyes had been ready to die, ready to bite her tongue and to perish before they could violate her, not before trying to take with her as many as could be.
"And I will be all that you need, Absinthe. With my support... You will see that the humans win this war."
It was a truth, mostly. The Faunus revolt had already been determined to have the Faunus regain their rights... The divide between humanity and the Faunus had to be widened... But the girl shouldn't know such details.
"One man, my lady?"
The respect in the woman's tone was enough, as Salem smiled.
"A man named Oswell Purple... You might know him." The stern look on the woman's face was there, as she nodded. "A grand war, he seeks... In order to cooperate with the Faunus. I do not think there will ever be peace... Do you?"
"They're raping, murderous beasts!"
The girl was fierce... She liked that.
"Good... Do you want to work with me, Absinthe? Craft a world where there can be only one vision for the future?"
It hadn't even been a second of thought before she had gained yet another one who followed her desires... A new hand would have to be crafted for the poor dear. An emissary of the Queen would need to be... handy.
"The storm can be weathered... The girl is in the hospital still, recovering."
In a certain manner of thought, indeed. Saphron Arc would undoubtedly be awake now, horrified with the thought of her father raping 'poor Selene Umbra'. The program on her Scroll would send every file she sent, every single line of text, straight to Salem's own. Parental controls... with a dash of extra.
"Do you have more news?"
The question was whether she would have need of the woman's Semblance. Absinthe Moor, a woman whose touch could blacken a part of the memory of someone and make it hard to retrieve without permission from her... An assassin for nearly thirty-five years. Useful for nearly forty.
"Not really... it's nice to see you again, auntie."
The way that they conversed was more coded than anything else. A woman with an older woman that appeared kind... An illusion. Absinthe Moor was a cold killer, no matter how much she milked the old grandmotherly lady look.
"It is. I've got a few years left in me."
The polite request for another mission, one that required her other talents. It was amusing to see what simple devotion could mean to a person. The training that had been provided to Absinthe post-Revolution had honed her to a razor's edge. It was amusing to see it.
"Perhaps I should place a visit to the poor dear."
The woman's eyes glinted. The urge to kill was growing within the woman's body, yet Salem knew well that the knife would never rust within the well-oiled sheath so easily. Killing Saphron Arc would be as easy as snuffing the poor dear's life with the smoothest of stabs right to the heart.
"No, she came from the hospital. Do not worry yourself... I will make sure that she has the best of care at her new home."
Her own dismissal of the thought of assassinating Saphron Arc, the quiet acceptance of her aged assassin at the change of orders.
"Will she be like me when I was younger?"
Salem gave it some thought. A person could do terrible things when given suitable motivation. Saphron Arc... Held some promise. A mothering woman, a kind housewife...
A decision was reached.
"No, her beauty is not tarnished by such horrible events. She's such a pretty girl."
The thought of Saphron Arc as an assassin didn't sit well with her. The girl was such a trusting, naive soul... She knew little of how cold and heartless the world really was.
"A shame... I'd like to visit her, just to say goodbye."
The woman had moved in one of the neighbouring houses half a year before, observing the Cotta-Arc family. Salem never would leave such things to chance... and it wasn't like the woman was entirely unpersonable around humans.
"You can, if you would like to. I will promise you that no beast will touch the girl whilst I am there."
The woman nodded. She would obey the grand design, as all people who served her would. Absinthe Moor's hatred of the Faunus eclipsed most things, the worry in the woman's mind about some young pretty woman daring to go the wrong path keeping her up.
'A certain skill is required... But nobody expects an old woman to be able to fluidly wield a dart gun, or a stiletto...'
Salem liked the thought of the woman taking an active hand in the life of Terra Cotta. "Perhaps you could place a visit to her wife? They've had a fight... It would be such a terrible shame to let two lovers quarrel..." The assassin nodded, as she smiled. The familiar killing urge was there, though there was a brief moment where the woman's fingers tapped twice on the table.
'To talk... A change of the plan?'
"Dear... Could you help me to the bathroom?"
The question was to get a moment of alone time, so that her assassin could convey some important bits. Absinthe Moor had never really trusted technology, so it would come to things like this.
As they were in the women's bathroom and she assisted the elderly woman into the stall, Salem allowed herself a moment of peace, as wind buffered a space around the two of them. The sound was being blocked, a little trick that she'd found out about over the years after Ozma had parted ways with her. It had come out for humanity's knowledge, centuries later, that sound travelled through the air like a wave... but to break that wave was to deny sound.
"The memory of the Arc woman is spotty. When I touched her before the big bang, the sea of memories had some missing patches. Is it truly alright to leave her as she is, Mistress?"
The words of the woman were mulled over, as she immediately saw the problem.
"You know as well as I do, that the girl needs her adversity... What would you say..."
The assassin looked at her, before turning her gaze away. Salem knew it to be one of the small quirks of the woman, especially when delivering news that wasn't pleasant.
"Saphron Arc has been sexually assaulted before. She doesn't consciously remember it, but she had certain faded patches in her memory. If you'll forgive me the use of those words, Mistress." Salem blinked. Her lips thinned.
"Drugs?"
She inquired, to which the assassin shook her head. An older woman like her shaking her head like a youth was something of an amusing sight to some, as the woman shook her head.
"It's like a pool filled with water. I can only dim some of the things, but I get a general gist of things. Chemicals in the blood that dim the memories, trauma's... You said that I would make a great therapist, and..." The woman blushed, almost shy at saying such a thing. Salem laughed softly. Serving her was everything with Absinthe, and Salem did not flinch from the tougher subjects.
"She doesn't remember the night she came to Argus... Now, her spouse... There's the interesting part. She does remember what happened on that night." Salem waited. Absinthe straightened out, a hard-bitten look on her face.
"Real piece of work, too..."
Salem had guessed something of the sort. It wasn't to say that she fully empathized with the girl, but... "Get to the point." The look on her face was less controlled, anger showing through her.
Terra Cotta had been a perfect hire for the department of technical maintenance. Too perfect for Salem to believe it. It was just too great to have a woman who worked as a technician be absent all day and leave the household to her partner...
'As far as I know, Gravity and Fire Dust are never used in technology...'
She was not dumb, after all. Affording a two-three story house in the middle of Argus as a family when space was at a premium inside the Kingdoms... No matter how many radar dishes you fixed, you'd hardly be able to afford it on the salary of a woman with a child and a non-working partner.
"Ex-Specialist. Served under Cordovin for three years before being discharged on grounds of pregnancy. Linked to Jeremy Contour romantically, and from what I've gleaned... Still on pretty good terms with the service. Enough to do some digging on your alias, Mistress." Salem showed her displeasure with a narrowing of her eyes. It was clear to her that there had been more things below the surface...
'Well... That is a very interesting thing, you know...'
She was aware of Absinthe turning paler by the second, as her lips quirked into a smile that was as cold as her heart was right now.
'Perhaps it might've been a bad idea to push Saphron into such a state...'
The brief spark of guilt that she felt was squashed quickly. It would all be alright. She was not going to let Jaune suffer by having some mole from the Specialists sneak into his family...
'One daughter of many, a girl that was in need of love... Oh, you were just the perfect little target, weren't you? A naive girl, thinking that an encounter with a dark-skinned woman would just lead to a happy family...'
She debated briefly about calling Jaune. It would be nice to inform him of his sister's... partner and her allegiances...
'But...'
She was always prepared for every eventuality. "We should place a visit to the gravesite... The poor parents must be so distraught... Right, grandmother?" The assassin stiffened, as Absinthe Moor saw her change. Light eyes turned to a deep coppery colour, hair turning slowly into a deep ebony colour, the facial features shifting to reveal similar features.
It was an illusion, crafted with the appeal of youth. She snapped her fingers, resuming the appearance of Selene Umbra, giving a kind smile to the woman that didn't reach her eyes.
"Indeed... mistress."
A snap of the fingers again and the wind ceased, as Absinthe hit the flushing button, taking her hand like an elderly lady should.
"It's such a shame indeed..."
Salem smiled. It was a shame indeed...
She watched with careful eyes from a distance as the confrontation between the two women took place, Saphron's hurried steps back to the car. A look on the girl's face of being broken, of being done with things...
'A good moment... ahh... how we play the games...'
Innocence was found in few people... Absinthe shuffled along, her walking cane more of an accessory rather than a need. Salem knew that the woman had the agility of a younger woman, keeping in shape through a rigorous set of exercises, yet the illusion had to be maintained. As she walked up to the couple, she could see the man comfort his partner...
'Such a stupid little ploy...'
Just because she had held her suspicions, it did not mean that she killed indiscriminately. She saw the woman straighten, as the two of them approached. "Terra, dearie... Are you alright?" The worried voice of Absinthe, doing her best 'concerned neighbour' speech.
"Miss Moor, and..." Salem smiled, as much as she could.
"Melinda Nyx, grandma needed a little bit of help to move around, since the... accident." She smiled what was probably one of the kindest smiles that she felt, as she looked at the oath-breaker, the woman who had beguiled one of her prince's sisters.
"I'm... I'm fine. Losing Adrian is..."The woman's tears were genuine, Salem could tell. She gave a sad sigh. Empathizing with such people... It was one thing to ensure that the spouse was dismissed... another entirely to harm the ex-partner.
"How is Saphron taking it?" Absinthe asked, in her usual old lady voice, Terra's face hardening a little as she heard the name of her former partner.
'Anger... My, did it really hurt when your partner killed your child? You poor, poor dear.'
"She's claiming that it wasn't her fault... I'm done... No, we're done with her."
Terra looked at her partner, Salem noticing the man looking her over with eyes that meant little good.
'Hmmm... Curious...'
"Jeremy Contour, I was Adrian's father... well, me and Terra broke up."
The man reached out to shake her hand and she felt the pull of a Semblance. Internally, she smiled, as she gave a concerned look. Semblances were such weak little things... So easy to beguile. It was but a flex of a primal magic within these lower creatures... She was much stronger than them.
"It must be terrible for you..."
The man's eyes didn't quite hold the same empathy, even though his appearance was a little scruffy. The Semblance wrapped around her, the man's eyes looking particularly interesting. In a remote part of her mind, Salem noted down the effects.
'One that inspires trust, but with the caveat that the person needs to touch someone else...'
It was a refined Semblance. One that had the ability to make people trust this man... which meant that he was not to be trusted.
'I see...'
She did not imagine that Terra would be alone in her actions... But to see such a Semblance in such a man so closely linked with her... She could see the cues of interest in the man's eyes, the small movement of the body.
'Oh well...'
"Thank you... It's... It's tough, but Terra needs me. We're no longer together but..."
Salem had noticed the irregularity in Terra's finances, and the way that the money funnelled into the man's account. They might have been partners once...
'My... To think that I am speaking to a leech on the family...'
She wasn't enthused with these results. She had her values and her hopes. To see the poor dear be led by the man… It was a real shame that Terra Cotta and her man had evoked her ire… Such talent might be useful, when the man had been suitably broken in.
'You should not have touched that which is mine.'
The man was going to be yet another unfortunate casualty… Alas, it must be thus. She'd have to see whether she could arrange for something whilst at Atlas… There would be a call for a capable protector…
"Oh no… You were such a nice couple."
The faked empathy in the woman's voice showed clearly just how great the deception had gone. To the outside world, Absinthe Moor was just a woman who cared for her neighbours, the little doddering lady who'd fought in the Faunus Rights Revolution…
"We've had to part ways, Miss Moor…"
The woman was nothing if not sympathetic. Salem would have thought it genuine if she hadn't known the truth. There was nothing redeeming about Terra Cotta in her book… The first strike had been when she had dared to investigate…
'No…'
There were ways of making lesser women regret. Salem knew well the feeling of regret, as she had felt it once, when the breath had escaped her husband's lips for the last time, when she had carried the burden towards the Gods.
'Rest easy, Terra Cotta… You are not important in the grand game…'
A few hurdles in the woman's path, even with the military structure in place. Terra Cotta and her partner Jeremy would find their advancements in their career drying up, slowly…
'Whenever new information comes… It would be such a shame… I was just going to kill you, my dear… Now it's gotten personal.'
Perhaps she would try that old trick… It was not that hard to abduct someone if you knew where they lived. It would be... Hmmm, she supposed it would be a nice little gift for the dear ex-partner...
"That's a shame… She was really friendly too. I was outside when the explosion happened… It was a problem in the Dust mechanism, wasn't it?" The sad look on the woman's face was a lie… As if the woman had actually cared for the spawn that she had put onto this world.
"Yes… Yes, they delivered my case of Gravity and Fire Dust to my home, I was supposed to take it into work…" The words were easy, as Absinthe Moor put on a surprised face.
"I wasn't aware that you worked with live ammunition, Terra dear…"
The woman blinked, taken aback by the comment. Absinthe Moor raised her fake hand.
"The Revolution wasn't kind, dearie… When we got issued Fire and Gravity Dust, you knew that you had to blow something up."
'The lack of knowledge about her neighbours…'
Salem could see that Terra was mentally backpedalling, from the look of surprise on her face. Terra hadn't known that Absinthe Moor had been in the Faunus Rights Revolt, fighting for the Human side… Saphron knew, because she actually had gotten to know some of the neighbours.
'How staggering… My, my…'
"Ah… I do sometimes have to bring in some Dust to the outposts. It's easier, because the commute there is usually with several Huntsmen." The excuse was flimsy, even as Absinthe patted the woman's hand with her own, no doubt gaining more memories.
"I know, dearie… We were supply runners during the Revolt as well. The good ol' girl squad still fought for humanity, even if the animals came at us in droves." Terra gave a laugh that was a touch nervous, as her gaze slid to the side.
"So, you were in the fighting forces back all those years ago?"
The man who was Terra Cotta's partner spoke up, his attention sliding from her to the old woman. Salem did not much care for the way that the man had been observing her cleavage.
"Yeah... Got a few scars too, dearie, nothing a young' un like you should see though..."
Salem turned her attention to the grave, brushing lightly over the small marker as she knelt, the utter lack of emotion inside her as she did so not visible on her face, which obviously was emotionally laden.
"It's such a sad thing to see when a child dies."
The anger inside her welled up, remembering the faces of her daughters. Ozma had killed them, he would've had to... She wasn't at fault, no. She was their mother, she was the queen...
"We're... We're getting back together. Just... not with Arc in the equation."
The man's words were disposable, as Salem looked up. The man's hand rested on her back, telling her that it'd be okay to get up. To trust the man's words.
"I'm going to move from Argus to be with my granddaughter."
The woman's words drew a slight touch of surprise from Salem, as she wondered where the woman was going with that line of thought, the plan altered.
"Yes, grandmother has said that after the explosion there wasn't much left for her."
Salem improvised, unhappy with the sudden twist that she had been given on the grand plan. It would not do for Absinthe Moor to be out of reach...
"Indeed... Now, let me hug the two of you. You look like you need it."
The old woman hugged, whilst Salem watched. The woman's Semblance was touch-activated as well.
"There, there... We have to make arrangements... My dear cat was caught in the blast."
Salem knew that the woman had no cat... But it was enough of an excuse. The two bereaved parents gave a slow, almost zombie-like nod. "I wish to have her buried in the graveyard for pets... She would have liked it."
"Grandmother, we must go..."
The woman nodded, letting go of the pair. Absinthe's steps were faster, as took longer strides. Salem could spot the calculating look on the woman's face. Clearly something had been gleaned from the woman's memories.
When they got onto the tram, Salem helped her 'grandmother' to one of the seats, sitting down next to her. The knitting tools came out, as Absinthe Moor continued to knit a shawl. Salem did not speak up, as they got out at the place where one of the safehouses was. The door opened with a simple press of the palm, the scanner allowing her entrance, guiding the two of them to the room where they would talk.
"Give me one good reason why you would abandon your post, Absinthe."
The words were not a question, but rather a demand. The illusion of the young woman fell away and her deathly pallor and crimson eyes bored into Absinthe Moor's eyes, as the woman lowered her gaze, like a child standing before its mother.
"They intend to move back to Atlas. The man has suggested it, yet they wish to be able to maintain their standard of living." The answer did not soothe Salem, as it was merely thoughts within the man's head, Absinthe Moor's body language telling her clearly that the woman was fully prepared to accept responsibility.
"I wish to follow after Saphron Arc. Please grant me that wish, Mistress Salem."
Surprise did not show on Salem's features, though the recollection of the earlier comment about taking Saphron Arc as an apprentice did appear.
"As an apprentice, I would imagine that the woman is unfit." The old woman's hard face showed a crude sense of amusement, her eyes glinting with that interest, not even shivering in the presence of a goddess and queen of the world.
"I've seen Terra Cotta's assessment of the Family..." Salem's eyebrows rose, as the assassin chuckled lightly, as if something was very funny to the woman's standards. "Oh... There may not be a suitable heir in Saphron Arc... Yet what I have seen..." The old leather-like tongue brushed over old lips which had bitten down on many a harsh situation.
"I hold within my employ a Faunus man."
Salem said, the woman's face turning sour for an instant before the face turned to its neutral look. It was a setback for the woman, who seemed to deliberate for the time being about something before nodding.
"If he serves you, he is tolerated."
The smile on Salem's face could terrify others, as she saw the devotion within those eyes.
'The cruel irony is that the two of you hold many similar views...'
She was hardly the first woman to get along well with her enemy. Salem had lived it, with her marriage to Ozma.
"Good. Mister Callows has some repute within the underworld... See to it that the paths of the two of you do not intersect overly much..."
The assassin nodded, closing her eyes for an instant. Salem knew that the woman was plotting things already, a touch of a smile on the woman's lips.
"The Mad Scorpion... My, you do bring in the stragglers, Mistress."
The smile on Salem's own face was more insidious, as she looked at her Scroll. A buzzing, an incoming call from her dear prince.
'Night-time in Vale...'
She had received his call earlier... It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to check up on the young man... Children could be so easily distraught. She knew it well with her own, when they had still been amongst the living.
Another of Ozma's sins, for which the man would pay, dearly.
The darkness was like a cloak around his shoulders, as the energies inside him smothered the flame. Power rushed through his veins, colour bleeding out of his skin as the power swelled. Flame burned within his hands, as he caught sight of a shadow. A gash along his cheek, Pyrrha in front of him after a moment.
"A futile guess, Master Jaune... No, no, no... There cannot be servitude without power! The Mistress may be upset, but she will never dismiss poor Tyrian... No, no, no... There must be a trial, a battle!"
The man flickered into existence in the flame's light, standing there within the shadows. The man's eyes were a deep purple colour, the smell of blood in the air.
"Be quiet."
His voice held more strength in it as the fire inside him was smothered. Pain rushed through his body, as the man inched back into the shadows, not deigning a response.
Tempestuous power roved through his body like a white-hot flame, searching for a way out, as the energies shifted to the earth. A barrier was thrown up in front of him, a burst of mocking laughter coming from the man who moved in the dark, as Pyrrha gasped.
"He's fast!"
In the darkness, he could see nothing, even as he heard Pyrrha's breathing, her body warm and close. His wrath increased as he smelled the blood on her, the rich blood that should have been spilled by him.
Energies shifted, a light fizzling as lightning wrapped around his fingers. A shadow was caught and a bolt of it shot out, faster than the shadow could move. A sizzling sound, as something hit the ground, one of the man's shoes now made into charcoal.
"Now, that was an interesting trick, Master Jaune... Truly, truly, truly! A trick, a feat, a sound that is neat... Ooh..."
He was aware of the presence behind him, a hand grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. Golden eyes looked at him, the man's body present, the smell of something sickly sweet hanging around him. A tap of something against his shoulder, a stab and then, liquid ice sliding through his veins.
"A little tap, close to expire..."
The man was gone, before he could bring the forces to bear, a blast of flame buffeting the walls. There was nothing that caught flame, luckily, even as the ice continued to work through his system. The dark ocean receded, as the ice joined its blackened depths, corrupting and destroying the ice.
"To prepare for your funeral pyre!"
The elements clicked together and a molten blast of rock and flame shot out, hitting something. He could feel the fire work through his system, as he watched the flames lick along the stone, a body pulling free from it with a nimbleness that he felt was inhuman.
"To try a shot like that, perhaps too late... But to die here, that will be your fate!"
Pyrrha was on the man, a flurry of jabs and thrusts with her javelin, her shield blocking several of the swipes of the man, working through her defence. Pyrrha's blood smelled sweet, as he felt himself freezing in place.
The darkness receded, the world turning into scales of gray, his whole body surrendering to the ocean of blackness. He barely noticed his heart stop, as he felt the power go through him. The light snuffed out as he tapped into the powers that had been granted to him by his Mama. Pyrrha had bled.
'No.'
An inhuman sound came from his mouth as the power inside him rocketed, his pale skin and crimson gaze beholding the man. The air solidified around the man, his body feeling the strain increase and pinch, squeezing and pulling, as it was hard to breathe...
Tyrian Callows rose into the air before he was slammed down to the ground with a sound like someone bumped into something, the man's body hitting the ground, as his hand flicked. There was no flame for him, there was no time... everything was starting to turn dark, but he would not allow some disloyal beast to harm what was...
'Mine.'
Pyrrha slackened, the darkness continuing to course through his body, the flame doused. The man's shimmering flame seemed to dissipate as the man slammed into the ground once more, blood leaking from the man's mouth at the sensation. Flame coursed through him as the elemental energies of Mama's gift flowed through the air. Flames burned in the air.
"Submit or be destroyed."
The words were spoken like a king, as he looked at the man. Golden eyes looked almost manic, the broad smile heedless of the danger. One of the man's cheeks had a long gash, undoubtedly courtesy of Pyrrha. Blackness continued to creep into his vision, as his chest hurt.
"Master... No, no... Young Master Jaune... The Mistress will be pleased with this test! Yes, yes... It was my own idea, to see whether you could be the one to f-" The air condensed, the flame flickering out, the man's voice choked off as the bubble of air around his head shrank.
"Submit."
The man's head lowered, as the man's eyes closed. Lips moved, as words were spoken that never were to be aired, as the air had condensed.
He let go. Swaying, he reached for Pyrrha. She was at his side, yet he blacked out.
The feeling of a jolt going through his system woke him up, finding himself laid on a coat, Pyrrha's worried eyes looking at him. The lightning Dust crystal that she'd used on him was near-empty, the glow slowly fading from the crystal as she laid it away.
"Jaune? Can you hear me?"
The worry in her voice was great, as he nodded slowly.
'Everything hurts...'
"Young Master Jaune..." His gaze rose to the man, who currently was bare-chested, the scars on his body standing out perfectly, a stretch of burnt flesh visible on the upper part of the torso.
"I am at your service. Whatever you command, I shall heed, second to the Goddess' own words."
Jaune wished that he could get up properly. Everything hurt really badly, with his body feeling the impact of the pain still left in the nerves. The ocean had receded a little, the flame of life so small. The darkness yearned, yet the power that it yielded was there.
"You're just an animal that needs to be tamed."
The words came out angrily, as he felt the pain stab inside him once again, the rush of blood as he sat himself up, the man giving a little bow, as if to confirm that.
"I shan't deny that, Young Master Jaune. It is a pernicious little twist, a desire to slay that will never be missed... Yet in service to the one who is divine, I shan't ever waste my time." The man's words were flowery, yet he caught the gist of it.
'A method to the madness... A test for me, to see whether I was worthy to follow... Truly a foe who shall breach an accord made, in order to sate his rage.'
He felt stronger, as the anger flowed through him. He looked at Pyrrha, making a motion with his arms. "Could you help me up, Pyrrha?" He felt the pain go through him, with his body still mostly unharmed. Pyrrha looked a lot worse for wear, several cuts on her cheeks and face having started to bleed, the red leaking and crusting on her skin. She looked like a goddess of victory...
She helped him up, the feeling coming to him. He felt the closeness, licking over her cheek as she assisted him. She shuddered, as his tongue made its way up to her ear.
"Thank you, Pyrrha."
It had been close. He had nearly died. His erection felt like it was going to burst, as he smelled her. The life within her was so endearing... so sweet and yet so tender, as his hands slid over her body, touching the armour. She quivered a little at his touch, like a fresh flower that would be plucked, a maid whose flesh he could taste as was his sovereignty over her.
His mouth pressed against his partner's neck, tasting the blood that'd gotten there during the brief fight against Tyrian. She smelled nice, as his hips pressed against her. A gasp, uttered from her mouth, as he leeched the warmth from her. She felt his presence.
"Jaune..."
The warmth wrapped around him, stoking the flame. She couldn't resist, not with how close he was. His tongue traced up, her voice turning breathier. There was a craving, a persistence... A similarity to Weiss, yet not.
"Jaune..."
A smell, peculiar and familiar, as her fingers pressed against his chest. Dainty fingers, armoured with the cloth of control. A woman's touch for a man's chest.
'The weakness to the touch of a man... Invincible, never... A chink in the armour to beguile...'
He felt the craving, the need. If he let it control him, she would have her innocence taken here. He restrained himself. Weiss was... Weiss.
The image of driving into Weiss the spear of his might, to see her flush and pant, screaming and whingeing for more, for harder thrusts... To hear her keen and moan and groan, perhaps with the others of her team watching as he drove himself into her. They would see her moan, writhe and love, like a woman was loved by her man.
He was aware that his lips had found Pyrrha's, the warmth slowly leeching into him still, as the kiss lasted, Pyrrha's green eyes looking into his own red ones with uncertainty, a lack of clarity in them. He broke the kiss, his gaze looking away. This was not the behaviour of a young Huntsman... This was the behaviour of a man who used and took away...
"It's... It's okay, Jaune. Your heart stopped..."
The concern in her voice was touching, as his hands squeezed her rump, the little wiggle that she instinctively did making him smile. She smiled back at him, almost shyly. Her cheeks were paler now, the warmth still coming.
"You need the touch... You need another's Aura."
That made sense. The flame inside him was slowly rising, as the ocean of darkness continued. Pyrrha had awakened his Aura, even with his body starting to heat up again. Slowly, colour returned to his features, watching carefully the woman who had awakened that little flame.
"Thank you, Pyrrha..."
She smiled. A smile of a woman. Weiss smiled like that when she was happy for someone. Pyrrha's cheeks were red, leaning against him.
"Nora and Ren would not forgive me if I came home with your body..."
Pyrrha mumbled, seemingly in search of an excuse.
"You would not leave here alive, 'Invincible Girl'."
The man who he had dominated earlier through sheer force of magic spoke, as Jaune watched the man's long braided hair shifting lightly, as he approached.
"Your aura whittled away... Your flesh feeling the sting... No... The sweet kiss of death... I have taken down better men and women than you, Miss Nikos." It was not a lie. He could detect no lie in those words, which meant that the truth had been spoken.
Pyrrha looked like she was willing to challenge that assertion, yet he held up his hand to forestall the argument. It was time to call his mama. She knew the truth of the world... She knew a lot of things.
The call connected a moment later, the screen showing a waiting symbol before his mama appeared, the look on her face slightly better with her complexion healthier.
"Jaune... And you might be?"
The tone shifted abruptly, from warmth to something that sounded faintly questioning, the redhead watching carefully over his shoulder.
"Pyrrha Nikos, ma'am. We... well, Jaune is my team leader." The smile was back on mama's face, as she parsed the information. He knew that she would like Pyrrha... Pyrrha was great.
'You will be even greater when you're finally joined with me...'
Weiss did seem to adore Pyrrha... Images of the two young women side-by-side, his hands busy with toying with their bodies. Gasps and groans, shudders and deep breathy moans... an enticing sight, yet the power that flowed into him was hardly something inconsequential.
"Tyrian has tested me. I survived."
There was a moment where his Mama froze up completely, going stock-still. Her blue eyes shifted, turning a hateful deep red colour, her facial features twisting into an angry manner before they relaxed once more, the smile on her lips never fading.
'She's angry...'
"That's good, Jaune... I would have really been upset if he had killed you." The tone she used was not so light as it seemed, as her eyes looked in the direction of Pyrrha.
"You should wash your face, dear. Blood is unbecoming of such a beautiful young woman... The partner of my little prince will need to be elegantly groomed..."
"I will make sure to look my best when he introduces us all to you, Miss Arc."
The misunderstanding that Pyrrha had made about Selene and her relation to him he would clarify later on.
A thoughtful look came to the woman's face, as the bruises seemed to have remained. He really wanted to know who had laid a hand on his mama... The man must be the worst of bastards to ever do something like that to his mama.
"Do inform my dear Tyrian that I will call him after he has brought you to the airship docks. Children should not be out playing in the streets at such a time, my dear." Mama really cared. He smiled, as he knew that mama meant well.
"Do inform him that I am terribly disappointed in him, no... I am upset."
The Scroll's volume was loud enough to hear, the man flinching like he'd been burnt with a hot poker. Jaune saw the conflict in the man's eyes, as his gaze dropped down to the floor.
'To punish or to let the man be indebted...'
"It's normal for people to test out the skills of their charge, right?"
He said, his eyes watching the man perk up. It was an attention that seemed like an animal ready to strike or to dash away.
'Easy... Incidental or perhaps emotional?'
"Jaune, there is a certain modicum of respect that I would like to see from the lesser people against their betters... You cannot forgive every slight against you... You are higher than them in the food chain."
He smiled, one that he knew would put his mama in a better mood. He squeezed Pyrrha, who flushed lightly at the touch.
"He's tested me... I mean, I went through Initiation at Beacon... Don't be too harsh on him, mama."
His mama's eyes were conflicted. She had said that he should use every means at his disposal to ensure that he got what he deserved...
"Oh... Very well. Inform him of my disappointment with his actions. I will speak with him upon the morrow."
Mama was weak when he pleaded... It would be for the best...
'Oh yes... A Huntsman who can take my partner on, who nearly slew me... It wouldn't do to let mama waste him...'
Skill and power went a long way. Training that he could not get anywhere else, even with Pyrrha helping out... Mama wasn't here right now, so he had less observers.
"Sleep well, my beautiful child. Should you perish... The world will see a storm of flame and blood. That I promise..." The words weren't a lie, as she debated for a moment, her eyes going to something out of sight.
"I will make sure that Saphron arrives swiftly, Jaune. There's... There's been a fight between her partner's ex and her... Your father did nothing... Mister Rainart managed to keep the young man back, but..."
Anger flushed through his veins, as he imagined the man doing nothing indeed. It was just like his father to merely watch on whilst others hurt.
'Abandon your dreams... You should just be a farmer...'
His oldest sister was hurt... That wouldn't do. He'd not had much contact with the woman post-ceremony, but to hurt his big sister...
Images of inflicting pain, of tormenting the woman Saphron had married... Letting her know what a massive mistake it had been to spurn his loving big sister. He knew nothing more than the desire to cause her pain.
"Jaune... Jaune? Dear?"
The call from his mama jerked him out of his thoughts, his reflection showing that his skin had gone pale and his eyes were now a burning red once more.
"Don't worry..."
If Mama said that, she wanted him not to worry. "Everything will be alright... She'll be with you in a few days. I will instruct Tyrian to properly prepare a bedroom for her. Don't forget that your agent is coming to visit you too..." He smiled. His big sister and Adelheid. Mama was too concerned, but he hoped that Saphron and Adelheid could be good friends.
Selene blew a little kiss at him, as he shut the Scroll connection off after his mama had disconnected the call from her end, looking at the man. "Selene is disappointed in you." The man's eyes were wide with that panic, his gaze down as the man quivered for a moment. There seemed to be something ready to erupt, the man's head shaking and trembling as his eyes looked up at him.
"You... You made her not so mad... The Goddess would have struck me from this place... Yes, yes... Tyrian would no longer be there... No longer there." The man's voice was emotional, slightly manic in nature and tone. There was a frantic look in those golden eyes, as the man bowed deep. The gaze never left him, the head almost unnaturally angled.
"Ask not the Scorpion why he stings, yet blame the turtle for why it sinks..."
The man's words were cryptic, yet showed no malice, the eyes of the man never leaving him, as he straightened. "Master Jaune, this lowly Tyrian is at your service. No outside blade shall lay upon your flesh to harm, Master." The upgrade had happened suddenly. No longer was it 'Young Master Jaune', but rather it was 'Master Jaune' at this time.
"I think it might be time for us to head back to Beacon... What do you say, Pyrrha?"
The girl snapped from a daze, looking away from him, a faint smile on her face. The suspicion in her eyes was still there when she looked at the man who had attacked them, yet there was a trust in him.
'And from that trust, your heart is opened, the treasury ready to be pillaged...'
"That'd be grand." Pyrrha's trust in him had never faded. The feeling of her arm there to support him as he walked with Tyrian towards where the car had been parked. The trip back to the airship docks was silent, as he let himself wonder about things, plans and ideas. Pyrrha's hand had wrapped around his, as he glanced at the reflection in the rear-view mirror, her expression looking like it was thoughtful.
He felt the warmth inside her, the life and the power… He felt himself thinking about how it would feel to take her, to claim her and make her gasp and moan. His finger slid over her palm, a motion slow and deliberate, her breathing growing a little lower.
"Jaune?"
Her voice drew him from his thoughts, his eyes meeting her green ones. He could see that she was a little concerned, as her smile warmed him.
"We've arrived."
He met Tyrian's gaze as he got out of the car. The man was still shirtless, the coat having been discarded, the scars visible. "She will call you in the morning." The man knew of his mama's disapproval, the golden eyes watching him, as the man merely nodded in subservience.
"Thank you, Master Jaune."
The respectful tone of the man was nothing but the reverence that was required for someone who had such a great mama as he did, as he smiled. The man's eyes sparked, as Jaune caught the man's desire to lash out.
"She may not be as kind as I am… But you did not manage to kill me. Is it not a beneficial thing to receive the grace of the son of a goddess?"
The man's term for his mama, perhaps true, perhaps false, was thrown out to see the response. It was a feeling he had, as he witnessed the response. A curling of the lips, the eyes glowing with an intensity, the purple colour bleeding into the man's eyes.
"Yes, yes... It is, it is! Master Jaune... I shall endeavour to ensure that your sister is given the best of welcomes... The Mistress has foretold that I shall have guests, guests! Tyrian will ensure that there will be none who dare snoop around for the Mistress' guests!"
The man's verbose speech was a little odd to get a hold of, yet Jaune could see the mind that hung behind that speech. Odd though it might be, speech-wise, the man's insight had been something that he could see there. A predatory insight, watching clearly for weakness... and seeing only strength inside him.
'The world is so easily beguiled...'
"Have a good rest. I'll give you a call in a day or so. Mama won't be so bad." He knew that she wouldn't do anything bad. She was his mama, after all.
Thirty minutes later, they entered the Beacon Academy grounds once more, Pyrrha no longer supporting him, as he felt he had the strength to keep on moving. Looking at the massive academy that stood there like a castle, he felt the urge to laugh for some reason, as he looked at Pyrrha.
"Care to join me in the castle, my princess?"
She smiled, as he offered her his arm. They were together as partners, banged up but still alive. The scars of battle were still on their bodies, yet they had forged through the fire and the flames to arrive at the point where they could be counted as having been alive at the end of it.
She took the shower first, as he dealt with Nora and Ren. Ren looked worried, the delicate hands already rubbing over some of the sore spots on his chest. The young man's scent was floral, as Nora seemed to do her best to contain herself, a look on her face that held concern.
"He must have spared you the worst! I mean, come on! Doing such a thing to a cute scraggly fellow like you is just a crime!"
Nora's motions and arm gestures made her chest wobble interestingly. He briefly wondered whether Nora would be better at sex than Weiss, before he squashed that thought away somewhere, Ren's delicate fingers pressing against the spot where his chest had been massaged by Pyrrha in order to revive him.
"It was more of a test of my skills..."
It had been an attempt to murder him. That much he could glean from Tyrian's words, the man's behind-the-scenes motivations as clear as day, just from that look in the eyes. Downplaying it to his team might be wrong, but he knew that if he told them the truth... there would be complications.
The needle pushed into the skin, as Ren adjusted his delicate hands a little, looking at him. Ren's hair was half-parted, Nora still moving along with a lengthy excited rant.
"... made it look like an accident! Rennie! We should give Jaune congratulations!"
"Nora, he's been hurt... We're not going to give him a hug."
The words of the young man made sense, as he smiled at him, a faint wavering smile that reached the eyes.
"But I am happy you are still alive. You feel like a good person."
The thoughts that went through his mind were unhealthy and yet healthy... The urge to find Weiss and get a re-do of this evening was nearly irresistible, Nora's eyes blazing, as she got up in his face. "Yes! Yes! He's a good person, Rennie! He looks at us like we're cool people!"
"Well, you are a nice girl, Nora."
The ginger girl looked at him for the longest of moments, her eyes looking directly into his own. He watched, as her eyes seemed to narrow and relax, flexing and twitching, his gaze sliding from her eyes down to her body, then up. He couldn't remain in one place with his eyes, as he had thoughts of making the bedsprings squeak and groan, to rock that body like it should be rocked.
"Exactly. Pyrrha is lucky that she got you... Because if I would have gotten you, you'd be getting the Nora treatment! Yee-haw!"
He wasn't sure what the 'Nora treatment' was, but it was definitely something that made Ren groan. Of course, that could just be because they were totally not 'together-together', but Jaune figured that it might just be something between the two of them.
The door opened an Pyrrha walked out, wearing a towel and a smile. How easy it seemed to have been to get comfortable around him, after having fought together. "The shower is yours, Jaune."
"Thank you, Pyrrha." He thanked her, passing her by and plucking one of the towels off the rack, one of the fluffy ones that he'd brought.
As he stepped into the shower, he briefly gave it thought about the way that he had handled things...
His heart hurts... So it might just be that the power required more Aura to bolster his own? It was worth exploring, given how close he and Pyrrha had been. She'd been so warm, whilst he was so cold.
The food tasted bland. As she and her dad and Mister Rainart sat in one of the many eateries in Argus, Saphron Arc felt the strain of the day hit her. The gooseflesh that ran over her body whenever she saw her father's face, the images of Terra being angry with her...
"I've got to go to the bathroom."
She mumbled in excuse, glad to see that she received no comment. The Scroll in her pocket was there. She'd call her friend...
The dialing tone rang twice, before it was answered.
"Hey, Addie."
Adelheid's face showed clear marks of stress, as she wore a set of clothing that looked ragged, her pretty blonde face staring back at her. "Hey Saph... How's things?" The little joke that they'd had going on was enough, as she briefly mused on things.
"Not... super, really. Met my ex-partner at the graveyard."
Saphron knew that the bandage was still on her face, as the ornament had hit her hard in the forehead.
"We're... Life's so messed up, Addie."
Adelheid, on the other part of the line, gave a soft nod. "It's all going to be okay. We're friends, aren't we?" Saphron supposed that they were. She was technically his brother's publishing agent, but they could be friends.
"Yeah... I'll admit, I've not slept well... Did..." Saphron halted her sentence, as she realized what she was going to ask.
'Did my father rape your boss?'
"Did my..." She made a gesture with her hand to indicate the subject. "Do... that?" Adelheid's face told her all that she needed to know. The eyes that closed, a soft blowing of air through the nose, and an expression that spoke volumes.
"Miss Umbra... Yeah, Mister Rainart said as much. She's a strong woman, but..." Adelheid looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
'But WHAT?'
"Cases like this aren't prosecuted very often... The scandal of a Huntsman rapist... It's... It's not good for people to see their heroes fall..." Saphron felt cold on the inside, shifting a little in the dress that she wore.
'So... he isn't...'
She felt nauseous. She felt so sick. Adelheid's concerned look was warming, yet she felt so sick and twisted inside...
'But that's... That's unfair!'
"It's hard, even with evidence. If you've been in the service for a few decades... If the brand is good and you're high in the polls..."
The words were damning. Her dad might get away with it. He might be free to...
'He might do that to an-'
She paled. Setting her Scroll down, she turned and vomited into the toilet. Bile and the remnants of coffee and the bagel that she'd had splattered into the toilet, as the thought had completed itself in her mind. More slime and vile fluids came out of her mouth, as she shuddered.
Her mind was already going through the next step. If he was getting away scot-free with rape, what was preventing him from doing the same to her? She hadn't been the favourite ever since she'd been with Terra, since her partnership with the woman had been formalized...
"Saph? Saph? Are you alright?"
The dry heaves lessened, as she tried to get a handle. The toilet flushed with a press of the button.
'No, he'd never... He'd never lay a hand on me... No...'
She shivered, as she flushed. The toilet bowl was clean, but her mind felt filthy. "I just had a bad thought." She mumbled, softer than she'd intended. Her hand picked her Scroll up, as she pressed the flush button again. The sound was comforting, like her mind was washed and cleaned.
"I can't imagine what you must be going through... Losing your partner and your baby, and then hearing about your father doing such a thing..."
Adelheid's voice sounded like she didn't, Saphron knew. It was that twisting knife of knowing your father would get away with rape, simply because he was a Huntsman.
'Would he...'
The question rose, as she remembered the bad nightmare. Hearing his voice growl her name in her ear, remembering...
"That's a good girl... Terr, we should get her in a better state... I think the stuff is starting to wear off a bit." The voice was familiar, she could feel the pain, as a moan rippled from her mouth. The sensation of pain was temporary, as she felt a little airy and drifted away.
Terra was there with her, right? Why did it feel like she could trust the man who was... having sex with her? Wait? Was she... oh, there was Terra... She was carrying their baby, so it wouldn't be a problem.
"She's a real cute one, Terr. You've always had an eye for beauty, even if this one's a dyke."
The words were hurtful, but she felt so good. She giggled lightly, feeling how Terra stroked her hair. She loved Terra, yes... That's all that mattered, after all.
She had...
'No...'
Tears came from her eyes as she looked down at her groin. She'd...
A flash of something, going right into her, a groaning in her ear as she knew she could trust the man. She had to trust him because he was important, right?
'Oh gods... Oh...gods...It wasn't a nightmare... She said that I'd tossed and turned and...''
Saphron shuddered, as helplessness, anger and frustration bubbled within her. She'd been... She'd been...
"Saph?"
Adelheid's voice was there, Saphron realizing that she was hyperventilating. A light creak of the door, as she whimpered. "Saph, please, talk to me."
"I remembered bad things, Addie..."
She felt like a child. Helpless. Alone. Afraid. She wanted to ask why, she wanted to be held and told that it'd be all okay... That she hadn't been... raped. She felt filthy and disgusted.
She couldn't talk to mom. She couldn't talk to dad... Her sisters were out of the question and Addie might... she might understand, just a bit. That left... "I'm... I'm going to call Miss Umbra." She had to apologize for her father's deeds. She had to...
She remembered when that woman's partner had come inside of her. The sick sensation didn't leave her.
'Oh gods... oh gods...'
"It's going to be fine... Saph, it's going to be okay." She didn't think it'd be okay. She didn't think it'd ever be okay, but... but...
"I'm still here, and I'm not giving up on you... Think about your brother. He's still there, too? Would he not defend you?"
A little flash of hope. He...
Jaune would protect her, because she was weak. It was one of those things that had always gotten him beaten up at the schoolyard because he had to be the hero... She could see it in his eyes... He would protect what he loved.
"He... He would." She mumbled, as she looked down. She could see it dripping out, the haze of...
'Oh gods, oh gods...'
"Then... Trust your brother. With such a wonderful sister, how could he ever be a bad guy?"
The words were hardly untrue. She could trust her brother. That dumb little goof would never let his sisters be hurt, even if he got hurt in the process.
"Thanks, Addie... I'm..." Emptiness welled inside her, as she began to feel slightly better. She might've been... used... But she wasn't out of the game. "I'm... Thank you." The smile on her friend's face was genuine and encouraging, as Saphron's face set into her own smile.
"I'm always here if you need to call me." She smiled, looking at her friend. A door opened up and someone called out to her, a soft 'Adelle' on the speaker. Adelheid smiled a little brighter.
"Mom, this is my friend Saph."
A woman who obviously was related to Adelheid appeared on the screen, a smile on her lips. "Hey there, Miss Blau." She had to act normal. She couldn't be seen as weak.
"Girl problems?"
The woman asked, giving her daughter a look. The feather duster in her hands was well-worn, as the small hair net that she wore kept most of the dust out of it.
"She'd had a bad breakup, mom. Sapphire is one of my friends."
She saw Adelheid wink, conspiratorially. The name was faked, but she supposed that it'd be normal with famous people... Hidden names, different spellings.
"How sad. Are you two broken up because of issues in your marriage?"
The bitter look on her face, as she bit her lower lip, looking down. "Oh, that was insensitive of me... Sorry, dear."
"No... No... It's okay, I just need some time to get back on my feet... I've..." The sad smile on her face didn't fool her, as she realized that she'd had... she'd had...
"I've just gotten out of a toxic relationship. They were seeing someone else and... Things aren't great. The court will be issuing me a summons, I imagine..."
The woman gave a sound of concern, as she laid a hand on Adelheid's shoulder, seemingly in support of her friend.
"Adelheid has connections. She'll help out, right?"
Saphron tried to smile, but she couldn't. She felt... She felt alone. Miss Umbra had been raped... She had been raped...
"Of course... We'll be meeting up in Vale before I'm off to Vacuo."
The woman's excuse was there, as she knew it. Hidden agenda's, client confidentiality.
"Sapphire, things are going to be alright... We're friends, aren't we?"
She nodded. They were friends. A knocking on the door. "Miss, are you alright? Your father is a little worried..." The man was concerned for her. A dark thought in her mind wondered whether she had to get a chastity belt to guard her own womanhood...
"Yeah, I was just... just taking the time to call a friend. Monthly flow." She made the excuse, giving the apologetic look to Adelheid and her mother, who looked understanding.
"Do you require help?" She made a negative sound, as she slid the call closed. It shut down a moment later, leaving her to exit the stall. One of the staff of the eatery had a concerned look on her face as she stood beside the stall, as Saphron gave a little smile.
"Bad reaction to the medication, as well as needing to call a friend... I forgot to get a pad." The excuse was always valid, as the woman understood.
Five minutes later, and with a pad in, she walked out of the bathroom, spotting her father and Mister Rainart seated at the table. The cup of iced tea that she'd had there had most of the ice in it melt already, but she felt a twinge of something in her gut as her father looked at her.
Disgust.
She didn't show it on her face, putting the smile on that'd always kept people guessing. She knew well that the man was not to be trusted...
'She said that I could think of her as another mother, right?'
It was time to call Selene Umbra. She had to apologize... and to talk. If Terra was going to sue her...
She'd need money.
Lots of it.
Yes... Saphron is a bit more traumatized, because she remembered. The lucid dreaming thing knocked something loose and there definitely is something shady about Jeremy. A Semblance with a Trust Me vibe is a good sign that it isn't going to be held by someone who can be trusted.
The gears are in motion!