Chapter 32 – Ancestral Bond
Starla
In the distance, Dragonspire Keep stood tall in the mountains.
Her light blue eyes shimmered, and her icy breath left her parted dark blue lips. She felt her hand quiver, fearing the level of death and destruction that Vir Nominis Umbra was planning to unleash. Although… she still could not help but wonder…
… why hasn't he attacked yet?
It's not like he has to assemble forces the same way people would, no money or resources required. He just needs to open portals and send the Grimm flooding the Charred Forest in.
What's taking him so long?
She sighed, shaking her head and pressing her hand against her head. Then she heard the faint whispers of her children, making her turn to see them and her husband stood there. They looked so real… and she walked towards them, reaching her hand out to them. But then they faded away, crumbling into snowflakes being carried away in the wind.
Her fingers curled into a fist, and she sighed, wiping a stray tear from her eye. She turned her gaze to Fury and Fear. Both of them were in the abandoned Mistraalian Town that they found themselves in to prepare. Fear was kicking snow back and forth whilst Fury was staring into the flames that he laid in front of him. Embers trailed from his body in the air, mixing with the snowflakes that the wind carried.
"How long are you going to be brooding for?" Axzura asked.
"Pots and kettles, Axzura." She responded, making the Knight chuckle. As she walked over to them, she turned to Fear. "Rylen?"
He stopped and looked at her in confusion. "What?"
"… what did you see?" she asked.
His eyes widened, and he raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"
"I saw you when Atlas was destroyed. You dropped and grabbed your head for a few moments… what did you see?" Starla asked and he looked at her with surprise. He stammered, showing the real Rylen was still in there as he sat down on one of the benches, resting his arms on his knees.
"I… I didn't see anything…" He lied.
"You're not the only one who's been seeing things." Starla assured, walking over to him and sitting down by his side. She tapped her fingers on the top of her other hand. "I've been seeing these… visions… hallucinations… of my family. And every single time I go to them… it always ends the same way." She explained, but Rylen still stayed quiet.
"You're also not alone in that." Axzura spoke up, getting their attention.
"You too?" She asked.
"I saw it when that illusion of my treasure trove was in the caves of the Volcanic Chain Isles." He confirmed.
"What did you see?" Starla inquired.
"The Congregation of Dawn… William Schnee… the Councillors… Arkhonex itself." He answered, and as he said the words, the flames grew brighter for a few moments. "The corruption and their greed… after everything I did to help them, when those Cultists attacked them they still punished me, and were more than happy to take the riches I made."
"So you were jealous?" Rylen asked.
"Not jealous… angry… that everything I lost amounted to nothing. I was still burned at the stake for crimes I never committed… all because a pirate was an easier enemy to paint for the people… than the mad cultists who used one of the Relics." He shook his head, still unable to make sense of how the Councillors could even come to that decision.
"Politicians… they never change, do they?" Rylen scoffed.
"No… they really don't." Starla agreed, then she looked at him again, bumping his shoulder. "So? What did you see?"
It took him a few minutes to answer her question, afraid of the truth. "My family… my little girl… at first they're terrified of me. And then I watch… as the Grimm break into the home. At least… I think it's the Grimm."
"You think?" Axzura asked.
"I keep looking away… running away from it." Fear answered, burying his head in shame, unable to look at them. Starla stayed quiet, letting her theories run rampant in the back of her mind.
Mine is about my grief…
Axzura is about his rage about how the Arkhoni betrayed him…
And Rylen is afraid of what happened to his family…
"The answer is in these visions somewhere." Starla stated.
"Answer?" Axzura asked.
"Come on, you know what I'm talking about here. None of us want to serve Umbra. We are only doing it because of our goddamn curses. We don't have a choice. It alters your minds and controls my body, no matter how hard I try. But only when he needs us… after that, we're who we once were again… just as we are now." Starla explained.
"Your point?" Rylen asked.
"We can break our curses!" Starla said, hoping to encourage them. "I know we can. Wymerus did it and he was able to be reborn as Ozpin. Maybe so can we… we can have our second chance. To make things right."
"You want to stick around? Even if we can free ourselves? And even if Umbra can be killed?" Rylen scoffed.
"Damn right I do. I'm not leaving this world until I know Remnant has a safe future. Just like Ozpin… to make sure that what happened to us… to Arkhonex… and even to this generation… never happens again." Starla explained. The two Knights stared at her and they both sighed.
"I don't know…"
Starla bounced from where she was sitting. "Think about it! We can help the survivors of this world build something new! Use the knowledge of our years to build something amazing. I don't know about you, but that would make up for the pain that I've had to suffer through." Starla explained with a bright smile.
The two of them stared at her in awe.
"That's a first…" Axzura chuckled.
"What?" she asked.
"That's the longest I've seen you smile in a long time." Axzura said, chuckling. She smiled back at him.
"We can be free from these bodies, too. Ozpin was… and even if we lose the Relics at the end of this, we can find ways to give ourselves new bodies. Merlot did it for Penny." She explained, and the two Knights were genuinely pondering about what she was suggesting.
"We just have to kill Vir Nominis Umbra first…" Rylen sighed.
"And besides, we still have Krekras to worry about first." Axzura stated, looking over his shoulder at the nearby graveyard. She looked over there as well, and she nodded her head. "We don't even know if he has had any experience like we have."
"He disappeared after Atlas fell too…" Rylen added.
"Well… maybe I'll ask him." Starla said, walking past them, before stopping and looking back. "But think about it, okay? We need to consider our options… we don't have to remain as slaves to a monster tied to a destructive purpose."
She walked away from them, and she followed the path towards the Graveyard, and there he stood. The Knight of Death stood before the graves with Ferrum Arctus pressed into the floor. His glowing red eyes stared vacantly, and his block of black smoke and golden embers blew in the wind. She exhaled shakily as she approached, hoping that Krekras Blackridge was still in there.
"I'd ask if you're cold, but I've never heard you complain about anything, really." Starla chuckled, but he remained quiet as he stared at the graves. She walked to his side, dwarfed in comparison, and she looked up at him. "Where did you go?"
His head only slightly turned. "Clarify?"
"When Atlas fell… I went to help Weiss and the rest of her team. They were being swarmed by Grimm. I held them off before Qrow could save them and stop me before my curse would control me again." Starla explained.
"Do you enjoy angering Vir Nominis Umbra by defying him like this?" He asked.
"I'm done worrying about what that bastard can do to me. He's tortured me for thousands of years… turned my body into a puppet. There's nothing he can do to me that can hurt me anymore." She explained, before looking up at him again. "But the others? They lost sight of you, said you disappeared after the Kingdom was destroyed. Where did you go?"
Krekras stared back at the graves.
It was hard to tell when Krekras was in control or when the Knight of Death was. The two were so similar these days. And that was the biggest worry of all…
"I take it you heard our conversation then?" She asked.
"Of course." He answered.
"You're not a monster, Krekras. I know you hate what he has turned you into." She stated.
"Do I?" He asked.
"Of course I do. You wouldn't have protected Oscar that night when they were captured otherwise. Or spared people the amount of times you have when you could have killed them."
"I didn't spare Neptune…"
That caught her attention. She could hear it in the way he said his name. "You… feel guilty… don't you? That you couldn't stop the Knight from killing him." She asked.
"I don't know what I feel anymore… I feel so little as it is…" He answered, staring at his Isomacium hand.
She held his metal hand, gently squeezing the metal, knowing that he could not feel it, but she had hoped the gesture would help. "What did you see?" she asked him.
He did not answer.
She looked at him and she sighed, telling him the same thing that she told the others, about her visions and hallucinations. Yet despite that, he still remained silent, staring at the graves that laid before him. She stood with him and released his hand. "Krekras… I know that you blame yourself…"
He still did not move, but she continued anyway. "But what happened between us? All those years ago? Of all the things I regret, all my mistakes… what we had? That wasn't one of those things. I was lost… alone… and you were there for me and I was there for you." She explained. "I may have some guilt for being unfaithful to my husband… but my regrets and the source of my curse? It was never linked to us… Umbra just used it to add to how he tormented us." Starla explained.
She turned and walked away from him. "I just wanted you to know… none of this is on you."
As she walked away, she froze.
"You're right…" Krekras finally spoke. She looked over her shoulder at him, but he did not turn as he spoke. "… I do regret what I did to Neptune." He answered. "I tried… I tried to pull the sword away… but no matter what I did… I couldn't stop it."
Krekras lowered his head, and she could hear his trembling breath. "And you're also right about the visions… I have had them too." He confirmed.
"What do you see?"
"People… enemies, allies… innocents… all of them alike." He answered. "But no matter what I do, they always die. The enemies try to slay my friends and the innocent, and I kill them. I kill all of them? I kill the friends and innocents? I even stood by and walked away… and the enemies killed them all. No matter what I did… they always died… and I always return to the same hell every single time." He explained.
Starla pondered on his words.
How do you even break his curse?
Ours are clearly linked to the emotion we represent…
… but how do you break one linked to the cycle of death?
"Maybe all of you can break your curses… but I don't know if I can." Death stated.
"There's always a way, Krekras. We've just got to find it. You were always a protector before you were cursed… you can be again." Starla promised as she walked away from him.
Krekras stared at the graves, and he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
Thinking on her words.
There's always a way…
Vir Nominis Umbra never makes the odds be completely in his favour.
That would be unfair.
And if this cursed existence has taught me one thing?
It's that Vir Nominis Umbra never makes things completely one sided, otherwise it steals the fun from the entire ordeal.
She walked back into the square of the town where Axzura and Rylen were still contemplating what she said to them. "I'm going to scout ahead. Make sure the area is clear." She assured.
They nodded their heads, and she transformed into Dove Form, flying through the air. She flew quite the distance from the town, and eventually landed upon a ridge, looking down at a snowy clearing beneath her.
And a kind smile grew on her face.
Ozpin
He stood before the gates of Dragonspire Keep, with Maria and Carmine by his side.
Tired from the long trek and frozen to the bone, they could barely even stand. Within moments, the gates opened, and Ruby was the first person they saw, with Oscar beside her. "Professor Ozpin?" She gasped, and Ozpin smiled with relief when he saw her.
"Hello again, Miss Ro-"
Before he could even finish his formal greeting, Ruby unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. He jolted, surprised to see such a reaction, but he quickly returned the hug. Oscar walked down the steps towards his creator and he nodded his head. He still was not sure what to make of that information, of how he was created by Ozpin, using the Relic of Creation.
Perhaps it didn't even matter anymore. He was who he was, and none of that would be possible if it weren't for Ozpin's gamble. "It's good to see you're still alive… after Vale… and Atlas… I wasn't sure if even you'd survive out there on your own." She said to him, making Ozpin smile.
"Well, I guess I learned a thing or two from you." He said, turning to let her see Maria and Carmine. "Because I wasn't alone. I hope Glynda made it here alright?" Ozpin inquired.
"Yeah, Team J.N.P.R saved her and the survivors from the Lord of the Wood. It was close, but they made it out of there." Ruby smiled, stepping back. She raised her hand with a nervous laugh. "H-Hi."
"Ah, yes. This is Maria Calavera, a Silver Eyed Warrior like yourself. An old friend of mine… and this is Carmine Escalados. In fact… Team C.F.V.Y are quite familiar with her." Ozpin introduced.
"Wait, they're here? Oh, crap… this will be awkward." Carmine sighed, stroking her long red hair.
"Well, you're helping us now, so that's all that matters. We need all the help we can get…" Ruby said.
"You son of a bitch." Glynda's voice appeared from out of nowhere behind them. They turned to see her stood in the courtyard, eyes wide. Ozpin sighed with relief and walked towards her, and the two shared a kind embrace. Glynda hugged him tightly. "What is it with you and doing shit like that? First the Battle of Beacon, putting yourself in a coma for ages, then you do that?"
"I'm sorry… it was the only option we had to keep the Grimm off you and everyone else." Ozpin explained. Glynda sighed, shaking her head.
"Well… like they usually do, your gamble paid off." She admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "For the most part… we lost some people along the way. The Lord of the Wood ambushed us… weakened Cordo's forces quite a bit."
She looked past Ozpin, and then she looked at Carmine, noticing the space missing. "Wait… where's Bertilak?" She asked.
"Who?" Ruby asked.
Carmine's face said it all, and Glynda closed her eyes with grief, and she just walked over to the Huntress and gave her a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry…"
"Bertilak was like a brother to her…" Ozpin answered. "He gave his life to make sure they'd survive. If it weren't for his sacrifice… they wouldn't have survived long enough."
Ruby sighed, pressing her hand against her head.
It just keeps happening…
Everywhere…
Glynda released her and then also walked over to Maria and gave her a hug as well, relieved to see that she was still standing. As they enjoyed this bittersweet reunion, Oscar looked at Carmine.
She shuddered, rubbing her shoulders, looking around as the cold continued to set it. That gave them the hint that they needed. "How about we get the three of you inside? You look frozen half to death."
"Thank you…" Carmine sighed with relief. They guided them inside, and whilst they walked, Ozpin slowed down and he nodded at Hazel, who spotted him. Hazel nodded back, and continued helping set up further defences, carrying heavy artillery crates with ease to turrets, catapults and trebuchets.
The three of them sat at one of the tables and were fed warm stew and warm drinks, alongside warming blankets. They also had built multiple makeshift fireplaces in the grand hall, keeping the temperature at a very comfortable level. Ozpin held one of the cups in his hands whilst Ruby, Oscar, and Glynda sat with them. "So, why have you come here? You were trying to keep the Relic as far from the others as possible." Ruby asked.
"I was… but we continued to try to find transport of our own, and help as many people escape as we could. To ensure there are some survivors." Ozpin explained.
"Where did you go?" Oscar asked.
"Queen's Cove… to find Carmine and Bertilak." Ozpin answered, before shaking his head. "The entire city is destroyed. The Grimm were there in full force. Our defences barely even bought them any time. We hardly even escaped the flames ourselves." Ozpin explained.
"Gods…" Ruby sighed. "We'll have to tell Kassius… he spent some time there when we were split up."
"The same is said for Argus and Mistral. Argus held out the longest thanks to the defences Cordovin put in place but, that's gone now. And Mistral was destroyed by the time we reached it on the Argus Limited. Atlas is the only one left now." Ozpin answered, but the faces on Ruby and Oscar said it all.
"No… not Atlas too?" Maria gasped.
"We were there. The people of Mantle rebelled against Jacques Schnee and what remained of the Acolytes of Lien, but even with Weiss killing him, the Oncoming Shadow still arrived. The plan went wrong in so many ways… and to cut a long story short, Vir Nominis Umbra has the Relic of Destruction, and he used it to wipe out the entire Kingdom. The Atlesian Soldiers you see here? They are all that's left." Oscar explained. That news left the three of them silent.
"They told me the same when I got here. Most advanced Kingdom on Remnant… destroyed in an instant." Glynda scoffed.
"And now we have three Relics sitting in the same place." Ozpin sighed. "We're playing right into Umbra's plan."
"You think he already knows where we are?" Ruby asked.
"I honestly believe he has known about Dragonspire Keep this whole time, but instead, bode his time. He knows that there are Silver Eyed Warriors here, the only people who can make him vulnerable. He will not attack an entire fortress of those people without a good plan." Ozpin explained to them all.
"I just hate the not knowing part…" Ruby sighed, shaking her head.
Ruby looked across the table and saw that Maria was staring at her. "Hmph… you're not how I expected you to be." Maria admitted. Ozpin and Glynda both stared at her, remembering the things that she said back at her home.
"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.
"Your lack of confidence… in spite of everything you've done and survived." Maria answered.
"Well, with Umbra, I never really know if our past victories were really us beating him… or him just letting us go along the path he wants us to." Ruby stated, clenching her hands into fists.
"I was wrong about you… when I saw the news of some Silver Eyed Huntress murdering another Huntress in cold blood back in Vacuo… I assumed you were another case of a kid going mad from the things they've seen." Maria explained. "I've seen it before… countless times…"
Ruby stared at her, and then her eye softly lowered, remembering how she murdered Dew like that.
"… it's nice to see that you're actually just a cute, bumbling idiot." Maria answered, making Ruby chuckle.
"Not one to mince words, huh?" Ruby presumed, and Maria just shrugged.
"I find that shit is just confusing." She said, staring at Ozpin.
"What?" He asked, confused, which just made Ruby and Oscar both laugh.
As they chuckled, Ozpin looked past them and stood up, seeing Qrow Branwen freezing in place when he saw him stood there. "Well, hell… look who it is." Qrow chuckled.
"Hello again, Qrow." Ozpin greeted, walking over to his old friend and embracing in a warm hug with him.
"Good to see you're still alive, you old bastard." Qrow said with a chuckle, making Ozpin shake his head.
"Glad to see your wits haven't left you."
"Never."
Qrow was not the only one to be surprised at seeing Ozpin here, as they turned to see who was walking with him. Kragen and the Architect, the two who saved him from his curse. "Ozpin, I'm surprised to see you well, considering the state of the world." Kragen chuckled.
"The same can be said of you." Ozpin replied.
"Then you'll be pleased to hear the news. My decryption of Merlot's data is complete, and I have located the Fountain of Creation. All that's left now is to wait for the Relics' Power to be contained and fit for travel, so that we can get them all to the Embered Grove." The Architect informed.
And for the first time in a long time, Ozpin's eyes widened with amazement. "I could not have asked for better news." Ozpin chuckled.
They turned when they saw Pyrrha emerging from the doors leading to the stairs, where they just went to speak with Kragen about Nora's curse. "She's ready."
"Who's ready?" Oscar asked.
Kragen chuckled, turning back to Ozpin.
"Well. Perhaps your timing is more impeccable than ever." Kragen said with a smile.
Ruby furrowed her brow and stood up. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"We're getting Nora ready. Jaune has just gone with Yang to get Kassius…" Kragen explained.
"Get her ready for what?" Ozpin asked.
"To try to break the curse the Lord of the Wood has placed on her. Perhaps having you with us will be more useful than just myself." Kragen stated.
"She knows of the risks in breaking a Cursemark?" Ozpin asked.
"I've warned her of the potential outcomes of failure… but she's willing to take the risk." Kragen answered. Ozpin sighed, staring at his hand and closing it into a fist, remembering how it felt to be a cursed.
"I cannot blame her… I know what it's like." Ozpin stated, and Kragen nodded his head in agreement. "I will join you, and help in any way I can."
"So will I. Anything you need." Ruby said, standing tall.
In fact, everyone bar Carmine and Maria stood up, since everyone would be there for Nora Valkyrie.
It was that comaraderie that Ozpin always aspired for his students to develop.
Since only together can people rise against the darkness.
Weiss
Weiss held out her hand as she walked towards a large clearing of snow, catching a snowflake between her fingers.
Her short hair fluttered in the wind, then she walked onto the snow, feeling the cold entering her boots. She wore a warm cloak around her body to withstand the cold of these mountains, as did Coco and Fox, who walked with her. "Gods, how the hell have these people lived up here for so long? It's frigging freezin'." Coco shuddered, scratching her head, but only touching her soft beanie hat.
"Tell me about it… I miss the damn deserts." Fox trembled.
"Oh, come on, it can be significantly worse than this. At least the blizzards have stopped for now." Weiss added.
Coco grumbled as she followed Weiss. "Still though… how have they still got feet?"
"Probably by doubling up on their layers on wintry nights." Starla's voice burst out. Coco and Fox immediately drew their weapons and the barrels of Gianduja immediately started spinning, but Weiss held out her hand and pushed the Minigun down.
"Wait! Starla… are you… in control?" Weiss asked, calling up to the Knight of Loss, who stood upon the prominent ridge above the trio.
"I am, and I am feeling even better knowing you all made it here." Starla responded. "Although, not to rush things along… but how are your skills?" She asked curiously, and Weiss smiled, throwing her cloak off and spinning Myrtenaster through her fingers.
"Oh, you bet." Weiss smiled.
Starla shot down from the ridge and landed in the snow, forming multiple glyphs behind her and blasting towards Weiss. Weiss sprinted forward, dropping and sliding across the snow before launching herself towards Starla. The two clashed their blades together, and Starla smiled.
"How long has it been since you sparred?" Starla asked her.
"A long time… since Winter…" Weiss answered. Starla smiled, then she shot away from her and landed.
"Well, then… I guess we should make her proud, and prove how much she has taught you." Starla stated with a smile. Weiss smiled back, and she formed more glyphs, firing them at Starla, but she jumped away and bounced off one of the trees.
"Uh… do we help her?" Fox asked.
"I… don't know…" Coco stammered.
"Worry not! We are merely sparring, as Schnee Warriors should always be at the top of their game!" Starla laughed, sliding across the snow and blasting towards Weiss, slashing across Myrtenaster. Sparks flew as the Knight of Loss rolled past her, connecting her Tonfas together into Bow Form, firing at her. Weiss cartwheeled out of the way, then deflected the two arrows left, cutting them down.
Weiss reached into her pocket and lined her blade with fire dust, igniting the Rapier, and then she jumped into the air and slammed the blade of her sword into the ground, creating a large fiery explosion. Starla rolled backwards, scraping her bow across the snow, before forming a glyph beneath her feet which threw her high in the air. Starla fired multiple arrows downwards towards her, but Weiss effortlessly deflected them.
Starla laughed with joy, landing on the side of the cliff to their left. "Your skills would have made even the greatest Ancient Schnee Warriors smile!" Starla cheered, before rocketing towards her and smashing her fist into the ground. White energy swirled around her and created a powerful pulse, pushing Weiss away. But she thrusted Myrtenaster forward at Starla, which the Knight responded by deflecting her away with her blade, then flipped backwards, kicking Weiss up the chest.
In the background, Coco and Fox were now sitting down, more relaxed now they knew the two were just having fun.
"This is pretty entertaining." Coco chuckled.
"It sounds like it." Fox agreed.
Weiss jumped into the air, forming multiple glyphs, closing her eyes as she summoned a swarm of Nevermores which all flew towards Starla. The Knight of Loss rolled through the snow, her long white hair throwing it across the ground behind her. Then she drove one tonfa onto the floor and conjured multiple more glyphs, firing icicles towards the birds.
But as Weiss sent them towards the Knight, she then blasted towards Starla and slashed across her side, then kicked her in the chest. Starla tumbled towards the edge of the cliff, then she flipped back, and extended her Knight Wings, giant Dove Wings that almost shone white in the sunlight. Then she came crashing down, and spun around on the spot, smashing Weiss away.
Starla was still smiling kindly, so proud to see how far Weiss had come, even showing more skill and strength than her sister did at this point. "Again!" She demanded, and Weiss launched herself forward, and their blades clashes, making Starla laugh again as she retreated backwards, sliding through the snow. They both struck over and over, like they were dancing with blades. Sparks bounced away with every single strike their blades made, and Weiss formed huge spikes of ice from her glyphs which knocked Starla backwards.
She landed between two black glyphs which held her in place, then Weiss thrusted towards her throat, but stopped.
The tip of Myrtenaster was just reaching her throat, and Starla smiled at Weiss. "Well done." Starla congratulated, and Weiss disbanded the glyphs, releasing her ancestor. "You've come a very long way from the girl who was constantly trying to prove herself. Now? Well… you'll be having people singing songs about you." Starla assured with a bright smile on her face.
Weiss blushed, sheathing Myrtenaster. "That would be a very peculiar feeling, come to think of it." Weiss chuckled as she walked with Starla back towards Coco and Fox.
"Have you given much thought to it?" Starla inquired.
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.
"On what you will do when you win?" Starla clarified.
Weiss scoffed. "That's assuming we do."
"I believe you will… Umbra's acting strange. I think things aren't going the way they normally do. It's making him… weird." Starla explained.
"Weirder than usual?" Weiss chuckled.
"Yes. Much weirder." Starla laughed. "But really… have you thought about it?"
Weiss sighed, shaking her head. "Nep and I had… so many plans. Thought about settling down… having kids. But now… now that he's gone…" Weiss stammered, and Starla closed her eyes with grief for her.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." She sighed.
"No, it's okay… and I get it. There needs to be something after…" Weiss agreed. "But… I don't know. The Schnee Name… it won't mean much anymore. The S.D.C is gone. My father is gone, my entire family is gone."
"Not your entire family." Starla promised, squeezing her shoulder with a kind smile. Weiss smiled back at her, bowing her head.
"I guess… continue my singing… in a world without Grimm. My blade won't matter much." Weiss explained.
"It will be a big world. A whole new world, brimming with possibilities. The sky will be the limit." Starla stated. The two Schnees walked over to Coco and Fox, who were sitting on a rock.
"Have fun?" Fox asked.
"Yeah, that was… super out of the blue." Coco stated.
"Schnees like to spar. Winter and I used to do it often, especially when I was little. It was nice to do it again." Weiss said, sitting down on a rock as well, whilst Starla just comfortably sat in the snow.
"I do apologise for being so sudden, though. When I saw you walking there, I just had to see how far you've come." Starla said, gently booping Weiss on the nose.
Fox chuckled. "Just sitting here… chatting with one of the Knights of Grimm super casually."
"Ah… you haven't ever had the opportunity, have you?" She realised.
"Yeah, something like that." Fox answered.
"Well, my curse has a habit of activating whenever Umbra needs me for something. Then my body is out of my control, but I remain conscious the whole time. His idea of a sick joke to constantly torture me… someone who abhorred violence." Starla stated.
"He is a sick bastard, huh?" Coco scoffed, shaking her head.
"He is." Starla agreed. "Although since Weiss and I were on the topic… what about you two? What are your plans after this is over?"
Like Weiss, they were surprised to hear her sound so optimistic about their chances, but they played along. "I… don't know. I mean Velvet and I… we've only really started dating a few days ago… I guess we'll just have to see what happens." Coco shrugged. "I'd love to make a fashion business, though. Make some super trendy shit."
"I may take you up on that." Weiss chuckled.
"What about you, tough guy?" Coco asked.
"Hot dog stand." Fox answered instantly.
Everyone shared the same reaction, of surprise and confusion.
"That was fast." Weiss laughed.
"A… Hot Dog stand…" Coco sounded completed dumbfounded.
"A whole world… of possibilities… and that's the first thing that popped into your head?" Starla asked with a chuckle.
"People are gonna be hungry, and I'm one damn good chef. Plus, hot dogs are fantastic." Fox shrugged.
"You are so weird." Coco shook her head, laughing.
Starla suddenly spun around, the second she heard a Raven cawing, and she fired an arrow into it. The bird dropped into the snow, and they all jolted. But from here, Weiss could see the crystal beak. Starla stared with a sudden hate in her eyes, and she sighed, letting it fade. With her veil still over her face, they could not see the expression, but they could feel it from her posture.
"Umbra…" Weiss realised.
"Yes… me being here was no coincidence, I'm afraid." Starla sighed.
"He already knows we're here, doesn't he?" Fox asked her.
"Yes, and he knows that the Relics are here. All three of them." She confirmed.
"Three?" Weiss asked.
"I saw Ozpin arrive at the gates on my way here… with his relic. I fear that Vir Nominis Umbra was hoping for this very scenario. All three Relics in one location." She explained to them all.
"Fuck…" Fox sighed, hanging his head low.
"What can we expect?" Coco asked.
"He's going to throw everything he has at you. He sent myself and the other Knights here to oversee things. I'm not sure about the others, though. I didn't even realise the Lord of the Wood and the Hound were going after Glynda until recently." Starla explained.
That made them shudder to think that even what was thrown at Atlas was even smaller than what he was going to unleash on Dragonspire Keep.
"But you can still win… all you have to do is get those Relics out of there before he reaches them." Starla stated.
"And reach the Embered Grove." Weiss sighed.
It all seemed easy in theory.
But Umbra always had this infuriating way of making things harder.
"You should also know something else…" She had earned their attention. "I was there when he started laying the plans… I saw what got his attention. I was arguing with the Demons about what he did to Atlas, but in the middle he just turned. He sensed something… and the only times he ever would react like that is if a Relic was used… or if he sensed something in the plan change. It's happened with Ruby, Oscar, Jaune and Pyrrha. When they did something that was outside of his control, outside of his predictions. Something he believes is not possible." Starla explained.
"What do you think it was?" Weiss asked.
"I don't know… my guess is possibly a Relic. I don't really understand his whole Butterfly Effect philosophy, or how he can possibly control it. But seeing him be proven wrong would make all my years of suffering worth it." Starla chuckled, making the three of them smile.
"Now I would love to see that." Coco agreed.
Starla turned, hearing the howl of a nearby Grimm, and she stood up. "You should get back to the Keep. It's going to be dark soon." Starla said to them, and they stood up. But just as Weiss walked away, Starla walked over to her, and held her hand.
Weiss looked back at Starla, seeing her kind smile. "Remember what I said." She softly asked, then wrapped her arms around Weiss in a gentle embrace.
"You're… so warm…" Weiss said, surprising Starla. Her eyes widened when she heard those words.
But… I've always been so cold…
Weiss hugged her back, burying her face into her shoulder. The two held each other for a few moments before walking away from each other. As Starla watched them go, she heard the sound of someone landing on the ridge behind her.
She turned and saw Death staring down at her. His Nevermore Wings still sprouted from his back. But he didn't say a word, and just transformed back into his Beast Form, flying away.
Weiss' words stuck with her.
Things were changing…
Kassius
Despite the cold, Kassius was more than happy to help with the heavy lifting.
With the powerful heaters inside the walls, he found himself getting hotter and hotter, so he just had to take off his shirt to cool off. Amidst the snow… it was utterly baffling to imagine.
Yet there he was, sweating from all the heavy lifting, with his impressively defined muscles on show.
He easily picked up the back of rocks and brick, and carried it on his shoulder towards where the builders were needing them to repair the holes in the wall. He set it down on the makeshift lift they made and hauled it up to them, wiping the sweat from his brow. He rolled his shoulder and slapped his hands together. Kassius crouched down to the next sack of heavy materials, but suddenly another hand grabbed it and set it onto the lift.
"Need a hand?" Sun asked him with a smile. Kassius smirked and nodded.
"Sure." Kassius answered. Sun lowered his head and sighed, though. He still felt the guilt of what he said to him back in Atlas. Kassius picked another sack up and carried it over, setting it onto the lift, which Sun also did.
"Hey… so… about what happened back in Atlas. The things I said…" Sun began.
"Sun…"
"No… please." Sun begged him, following Kassius to the last two sacks. They both carried them over and set them on the lift, and took this moment to talk. "What I said to you was wrong… and I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have called you a failure, and I was completely in the wrong and I…"
"Sun. You've gone through something that no team leader should ever have to experience… and you're angry and I do not blame you." Kassius said.
"You lost your team too… and you were never an asshole like I was." Sun stammered.
"I wasn't? I tried to kill Ilia, someone who was a victim in what happened. I was too blinded by what happened to see the truth. I wouldn't consider the things I was willing to do as non-assholery." Kassius chuckled. "Believe me, Sun… you're no asshole."
"It doesn't excuse what I said." Sun said.
"No… but here you are. Apologising for it." Kassius said, walking with him and sitting down on a bench. "We all have our moments. Moments we just lose our sanity for a bit and say the dumbest shit imaginable." Kassius said, looking at him. "What makes someone great is the ability to own their mistakes."
Kassius held out his hand. "So c'mon. Let's just let bygones be bygones." Kassius said, and Sun smiled, clasping his hand and shaking it as a Cloaked Kannix walked past them.
"Thanks." Sun smiled, and Kassius patted him on the back, standing back up.
"Kas!" Yang's voice called, getting his attention.
"Hey, Firefly… you good?" He asked her, but she froze, staring at his pecks and six-pack, and his arms… his whole body in fact. "Yang?"
She snapped out of her gaze and stared at his handsome face. "Uh… Jaune needs your help. It's about Nora… well, to be specific, they need Hyde." Yang said.
"Hyde?" Kassius asked.
"They're trying to get rid of her curse… and they think Hyde can help break it the same way he got the Hym out of Cardin." Yang explained, and Kassius turned to see Hyde looking at him in his head.
"You think you can do it?" He asked subconsciously.
"For Nora? I'll do whatever it takes." He promised, which made Kassius smile.
Kassius looked at Yang with that same smile, and he nodded. "Lemme go get my shirt." Kassius answered, jogging over to where he left it, whilst Yang was still staring.
Sun chuckled. "Careful, you're gonna start drooling."
"Shut up." Yang quickly chirped.
"You sure you're not gonna faint?" He cheekily grilled as he followed her.
"I'm ignoring youuuuu." She sang, whilst Kassius caught up.
This was Nora's best chance.
Perhaps her only chance.
Author Note - Here we go, let's hope to god that this plan for Nora works
Nice to have some quieter chapters after the chaos, plus getting to have a chapter focus so heavily on Starla and the Knights was nice. She's not even an antagonist anymore XD She's just trying to figure out how to cure this curse that binds them all to Umbra. And she's so close... just needs to figure out what the trick is to break it once and for all.
Also that moment between Kassius and Sun was nice, having the two make up was super important. Also Yang having a bi panic when she saw him shirtless was pretty funny XD I just couldn't resist lol.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter - The Cursemark
- Matt