Chapter 34 – The Terms of War
Weiss
Forty-Five minutes earlier…
After speaking with Starla, her warning continued to linger in their minds. Knowing that Vir Nominis Umbra was most certainly on the way? Adding on top of that, something happened here after Atlas was destroyed, which got Umbra's attention uniquely? Something was going on, and somebody was hiding something.
"What do you think she meant?" Coco asked.
"About what Umbra sensed?" Fox asked.
"Yeah… I mean… I can't think of what Ruby, Oscar, Jaune or Pyrrha could have done when we were at Beacon to have got his attention like that, or even direct his attention on Dragonspire Keep. I mean, he already knew the relics were being hidden there this whole time… so…" Coco pondered aloud.
"It must have been the Relic of Creation…" Weiss agreed.
"Exactly… but that just means… who the hell used it? What did they create? And why?" Coco asked.
"Well, when we get back, we can ask Kragen. He runs that castle. If anyone knows, it's probably him." Fox stated.
"I wouldn't count on that." Weiss added.
"Huh?" Coco replied.
"Kragen's had a history of playing fast and loose with strategy, and has on more than one occasion lied and done things without telling us. Abandoning Ren and Nora to go after the Visionary Book years ago in the Sunken Library, letting the Silver Eyed Warriors be slaughtered by Death to unleash Ruby's Spirit Animal." Weiss explained as she walked along the path.
"What are you saying? You think he used the Relic of Creation without telling us?" Fox asked.
"I wouldn't put it past him. He's on our side and I trust him… but not fully… like I said, he always does things of his own accord. And I rarely believe a word he says, just like Ozpin." Weiss explained.
"But why would he do that? Why risk the lives of all those people? Using the Relic is essentially yelling, hey Umbra, we're over here! Come, kill us! The guy may be unpredictable, but he's never struck me as stupid." Coco said.
"I never said the man was stupid. I'm sure he has his reasons, and they could be smart… I just hope it doesn't jeopardise the plan. Using the Relic was never part of the plan." Weiss stated as she kept walking.
"Gods… if it isn't one thing, it's another, huh?" Fox sighed, shaking his head.
But as they walked and continued to discuss the subject, Weiss slowed, hearing the faint sound of a crow's caw echoing through the snow. She stopped and held out her arm, stopping Coco from walking, and the conversation cut short. "Weiss?"
Weiss stared ahead into the snow, and slowly, she drew Myrtenaster.
But the worst thing appeared before them, as the snow slowed and came to a stop as fingers snapped. And directly in front of them… was Vir Nominis Umbra.
He lowered his hand, smirking sinisterly. Both Fox and Coco drew their weapons to be ready for a fight, but he shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… you know better than to challenge me." Vir Nominis Umbra stated, Weiss kept Myrtenaster pointed at him. Then she sighed, closing her blue eyes and admitting defeat.
"Drop your weapons." She sighed.
"What?" Coco scoffed, eyes igniting.
"We don't stand a chance against him… not yet…" she stated, staring back at him. Umbra couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"Listen to her. Miss Schnee clearly is the wisest of her bloodline to know when a fight is not worth having." He stated, his arms held behind his back. Fox turned his head and heard snow shuffling behind them. Weiss turned around to see Knights' Bannermen rising like the undead from the snow. Lumps of the snow dropped from their black armour, their burning red eyes glowing bright inside the sockets of their skulls, glaring at them with deep demonic snarls.
Weiss was the first to drop her weapon, letting Myrtenaster hit the floor with a metallic clank. Weiss dropped to her knees and held her hands behind her head. Coco gritted her teeth then sighed, forcefully dropping Gianduja onto the floor and closing her eyes, extinguishing the flames and joining Weiss. Fox was the last one to surrender, gripping his blades tight, and Umbra just stared back at him.
But he sighed and did the same, kneeling with them.
Vir Nominis Umbra smirked, clapping as he walked towards them. "That's good. Now… time for a walk. Come on, off your knees, gonna have plenty of time to stay like that in a bit." He assured, the Bannermen suddenly grabbed them and forced them back up.
Weiss felt her heart hammering, not sure if this was going to be the end of the line or not, but they had no choice but to follow him. They walked with Umbra and his corrupted humans. "You were spying on us…" Weiss said.
"Of course. Starla was quick with that bow. I gotta give it to her. Buuuuut, still managed to figure out where you were. That was all I needed to know." He said as he walked, head held high.
Weiss shook her head, clenching her hand into a fist, looking back at the Bannermen who were carrying their weapons.
"Gonna be dumb, but I might as well ask… why are you doing this? Capturing us?" Weiss asked.
"Not a dumb question at all. In truth, I'm hoping not to have the three of you cut down just yet. I have a great deal of respect for you all, continuing to fight against me despite your chances of victory have plummeted further than the darkest depths of the ocean. And despite the coming defeat… you still fight. It is admirable." Vir Nominis Umbra explained.
"We've heard you say that so many times now that it's just getting boring to hear." Weiss sighed.
"Heh… but it's the truth." Umbra stated. "And truth is something that is precious these days."
"Yeah… and you always tell the truth, huh?" Weiss scoffed.
"Always." He answered.
"Well… you still haven't answered my question. Why capture us?" Weiss asked.
"I have come to discuss terms with Miss Rose… knowing her, she's too smart to just join me for a stroll on our own. So… you are my bargaining chip. She comes and talks with me. I let you go, no matter what the end of our discussion is." Vir Nominis Umbra explained.
"She will never give up the Relic to you." Weiss stated.
"I know… this is simply a show of respect. To give you the choice." He assured.
"And if she doesn't talk with you? You'll kill us?" Coco assumed.
"Of course… but knowing Ruby Rose? It will not come to that… her devotion to those she cares for is painfully predictable." He stated, chuckling sinisterly.
Weiss narrowed her eyes as they followed him towards Dragonspire Keep, clenching her hand into a fist.
How can someone seriously see kindness and love as something to manipulate?
How cruel can you possibly be?
She sighed, closing her big blue eyes as she walked, not even bothering to understand the ethics of Vir Nominis Umbra.
Weiss looked at Coco and Fox.
She was afraid. And she could tell from their expressions that they were just as afraid as she was. There was no point in denying the fact… nobody wants to die.
But only one thing lightened the load of her fear…
… her trust in Ruby.
That was all she needed to keep her nerves in check.
Ruby
She felt her stomach knot, staring down at the monster responsible for all the death and suffering plaguing Remnant at this very moment. With Weiss, Coco and Fox on their knees, with Knights' Bannermen pressing blades against their throats, Ruby knew she had to choose her words carefully.
Not again…
I won't lose Weiss the way I lost dad…
She hardened her stare at Umbra. "Come on down here, Ruby. Let's have that talk." Vir Nominis Umbra said to her.
"Let them go! And then we'll talk." Ruby assured, making him chuckle.
"Does it really look like you're in any position to negotiate? I've set the terms. You would be wise to go along with them." Vir Nominis Umbra explained.
"UMBRA!" The voice of Starla Schnee exploded from their left. Weiss' eyes widened, and she turned, gasping. Starla flew towards the area and landed, her large Angelic Dove wings spread from her shoulders. "The hell are you doing? Let her go." She commanded, with the rest of the Knights of Grimm landing as well.
"This was never discussed." Death agreed, staring at him.
Vir Nominis Umbra did not even break his stare with Ruby, and she looked at the four Knights, who glowered at Umbra.
"Did you not hear me? LET HER GO!" Starla yelled, until he suddenly held out his hand and she gasped, lifted off the ground by telekinetic power, strangling her throat. His eyes glowed red and his skin darkened, teeth gritted in a scowl.
"Interrupt me again… and you will sorely regret what I will do, I promise you." Vir Nominis Umbra snarled, his voice morphing into his natural demonic tones.
"Stop! Please!" Weiss screamed, but Umbra just stared Starla down with anger in his eyes, but she just stared straight back. But to all their surprise, the Knights of Grimm all drew their weapons and stood beside Starla, even Krekras pointing Ferrum Arctus at him.
The tension hung in the air, but now everyone saw that the Knights of Grimm were indeed challenging Umbra more and more. Ruby closed her eyes and raised her voice. "ENOUGH!" She yelled, her voice echoing in the mountains. Umbra slowly turned his gaze back to her. "You give me your word that no harm will come to my friends… or the Knights of Grimm… then we'll talk." She stated, and he stared at her with a surprised expression.
"I expected you to request the safety of your friends… but even for the ones who slew your friends? Your loved ones? Your mother?" He asked with a chuckle.
"The only one guilty of that crime is the one who cursed them in the first place." Ruby stated, which made him narrow his eyes with frustration. He looked at Starla, still choking her with his telekinetic powers, then he sighed, dropping her.
"I give you my word." He agreed. Rylen and Axzura crouched and tended to their friend, whilst Vir Nominis Umbra walked back in front of Weiss, Coco and Fox.
Ruby exhaled shakily, then walked towards the stairs, but Oscar swiftly caught her hand. "Wait…" He stammered.
She looked at him, then smiled, caressing his cheek, before giving him a loving kiss. "I'll be okay. Umbra is a man of his word… it's one of the few things we know for certain about him." Ruby assured, before walking back down the stairs. Oscar watched her go, and he clenched his shaking hand into a fist, and he calmed his nerves, turning to stare back at Umbra, who was waiting for her.
Ruby stepped off the last stair and approached him. Vir Nominis Umbra looked at her and then nodded his head. "Come…" He said, walking towards a peaceful path into the mountains. Ruby hesitated, but she still followed him.
"And if anyone tries to follow us, Weiss Schnee is dead." He said aloud, making sure that the threat was very real. As Weiss was on her knees, she jolted as a floating blade formed behind her spine, ready to impale her in case anyone tried anything. Blake and Yang walked through the opening gates, with Velvet and Yatsuhashi by their side, staring at their friends in grave danger.
Starla coughed, Krekras helping her back onto her feet. Weiss looked at her Ancestor with concern, then at the other Knights.
Everyone saw that.
Everyone saw the Knights of Grimm defy Vir Nominis Umbra.
Ruby and Vir Nominis Umbra walked up the peaceful path together, passing by colourful bushes. Ruby looked at him, her hand staying close to Crescent Rose. "Come now, Ruby… I am not going to hurt you. If I wanted to kill you, I would face you in battle, not stab you in the back. You deserve better than that." He stated as they walked.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't exactly trust you… after everything you've done." She stated.
"Fair enough…" He said with a chuckle in his voice. "… oh and by the way… congratulations." He said, gesturing to the ring on her finger.
"W-What?" she stammered.
"It was a truly beautiful proposal. I must give it to the lad." He said, then she scowled.
"You were spying on us even then…" she scoffed.
"Of course I was. With my little crows and ravens at my command, why ever wouldn't I? I get to hear so much gossip… and see so many heartwarming moments like that." He chuckled sinisterly.
She wanted to punch him… but she contained her hate as best she could.
"So… why do you want to talk with me? Is it to try to convince me to give up the Relics again? You think that after watching you destroy Atlas, it's changed my mind?" She asked him, and he slowed down, looking back at her.
"Has it?" He inquired.
"What do you think?" She asked. He smirked and continued.
"I think you're one of the most stubborn heroines I've ever met." He admitted. "And believe me, I have met a few."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Ruby said as they continued to walk up the Mountain Path.
"Ruby… this is not a conflict you can win. I honestly do not understand why you continue to fight back against me… after everything you've seen me unleash on your people. Billions are dead already… your world will not survive even should you destroy me." He stated. "Letting the world fade away in a blink of an eye… it would be the merciful act."
"And all those lives? Thrown into the Charred Forest so their souls can be corrupted and consumed to become more Grimm. To slaughter more people in another universe?" Ruby asked him.
"It wouldn't matter. Nobody would remember or feel a thing. It would all simply end." He stated.
Ruby shook her head. "Everyone deserves a chance at life, Umbra. I don't know why you can't just accept that." She said, walking past him and continuing up the path.
"Well… there is a great deal about me you don't know." He stated.
"Then tell me? Ever thought about that?" She asked him. "Help me understand."
He stared at her, his brow furrowed. "You continue to perplex me." Ruby still stared back at him, wanting him to just try to explain it to her why he continues on this endless campaign. But he just kept walking up the path.
"Well, I guess we're both just mysteries to each other then, huh? What an amazing pair we are." Ruby stated.
"That we are." He agreed.
They walked up the path further, and Ruby looked out across the vast land of Anima, seeing the setting sun approaching the horizon. She watched his every move as they continued up the mountain, away from Dragonspire Keep, and she could already see where they were headed. There was a trail of smoke from what was most likely a campfire. Perhaps that was where they would speak.
But as Ruby walked with him, her mind trailed back to what had just happened. "You're losing control." She said, and he slowed his pace. "We all saw it… the Knights of Grimm… your curse is losing its strength on them." She stated, and he looked back at her.
"Perhaps… perhaps it's time for new blood to replace them… the need for them is running out anyway." He admitted, but she scoffed.
"You're afraid, aren't you?" She questioned, making him stop once again.
"What?" He asked her.
"You're afraid of losing your control over them. If you can't control them… then your power is fading… and maybe this time you will lose." Ruby said to him, making him smirk.
"I see Ozpin's methodology has rubbed off on you." He said as he continued to walk up the path. Ruby followed him, but she continued.
"How long did you think you could control them for? The Higher Demons are obviously different. They existed as caretakers for the Charred Forest when Salem was still the Overseer… but these are people. People who corrupted with a curse that played on the opposite of who they were. How long did you really think it would take before they would break their curses?" She asked him, but he continued to walk up the path.
"You never even considered the possibility, did you?" She presumed. "Hell… you couldn't even control the Ebony Berserker…"
Vir Nominis Umbra reached the top of the path where the campfire was, holding his hands behind his back. "The truth is, Miss Rose… it didn't matter to me how long it would take for them to break their curses… all that mattered is that they did their duty for as long as I needed them to do so. And they have… now they are simply weapons to be used whenever I need them to be." He explained, he then looked out at the horizon. "Take this, for example…" he said.
Ruby walked up to the campfire on the mountain, then he eye widened when she saw it in the distance, something they could not see from the other peak. The massive plumes of smoke and the still burning flames of Mistral could be seen in the distance. She stood beside the artist of this destruction, staring at it all. "… after everything that has happened… the years spent rebuilding that once great kingdom… now buried in the ashes of your failure. The Knights of Grimm helped me sew the seeds of your end… so it matters very little to me if they break their curses now. It changes nothing." He stated.
Ruby scowled in anger, clenching her fist tighter, staring at the devastation of Mistral.
Jaune
They couldn't leave Nora alone in that room, even though there was an emergency… they just could not bear to leave her alone like this.
Ren stayed with Nora, keeping her wrapped up in his arms. She had finally stopped crying, but she felt so fragile now, sniffling amidst the silence. Jaune stood at the balcony, staring out at the Keep from the tower, seeing everyone at the keep. He lowered his binoculars and stammered. "It's Weiss… Coco and Fox. Umbra captured them… I just saw him leave with Ruby up one of the paths." He said, turning to Pyrrha, who was leaning against the balcony as well.
"Damn it…" she stammered.
He sighed. "We have to trust she can handle it… I can't… I can't leave Nora like this." He said.
"Neither can I." Pyrrha promised, walking over to Jaune and holding his hand. The two stood together on the balcony and he pressed his head against hers.
"What are we gonna do?" Jaune stammered, looking over at Ren and Nora on the bed, seeing Ren gently stroking her hair.
"I don't know… I really thought it was gonna work for her. I destroyed the Onyx Phantom fragment in me… Hyde destroyed the Hym in Cardin… I… I hoped it would be enough." She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Maybe… maybe there's still a way. Maybe we missed something…" Jaune said, thinking as hard as he could. But as hard as he pondered, nothing would pop into his head to give him any kind of answer.
Nora sighed, and she sat upright, surprising Ren. She had been laying there for a while, and she wiped the tears from her eyes, exhaling. "Okay… you can quit tiptoeing around me." She said, getting up from her bed. "I'm still cursed… and I'm gonna die… probably tonight…"
"No… no you're not. We're gonna find a way to –"
"Jaune, just stop. We tried… but we lost. There's no point lying to ourselves about what's happened… and… I just have to accept this now." Nora stated.
"No, you don't." Ren argued, standing up from the bed and looking at her.
"Ren…"
"No! Don't give up on your life like this. The Lord of the Wood has marked you for years and only now it's sending you these messages? It's trying to scare you, to break your resolve. You've seen it everywhere. The Charred Forest is creating hallucinations everywhere. Why is this any different?" Ren questioned.
"Because I can feel the mark, Ren… it's not something any of you can understand." Nora explained. "Every single time I see these visions… it's like I can feel a ticking clock… I can feel it even now… this horrible feeling that just won't go away." Nora explained, burying her head in her hands. "I can't… escape it… especially not now."
But her team refused to believe it, shaking their heads. "We're not gonna let it happen." Jaune promised.
"It will kill you if you try… please… I don't want to see you all like that." Nora stammered.
"Well, it's too bad, because we're not letting that bastard get to you without a fight. We'll tear it apart and we're gonna keep you safe. You have my word." Jaune said.
"And mine." Pyrrha greed.
Ren held her hand, and he sat on the bed with her. "I'll always be here for you… and nothing will ever change that." He said to her.
Nora's lip quivered, but she pulled her hand away. "Don't you get it?"
He raised a brow. "I don't wanna die… but that isn't what scares me most anymore. Every single time I saw that vision, I saw all of you dead. You all died in so much pain… taken from me… and then I had to watch before I was turned into a totem. What I fear the most is exactly what you just said you're gonna do." Nora explained, and they all looked at each other with regret in their eyes.
"Nora… I…" Jaune stammered, struggling to find the words.
"I don't want any of you to die… and I definitely don't want you to die trying to change a fate I can't escape." She argued, getting up and storming out of the room, pushing the door open and slamming it shut behind her.
"Nora!" Ren called out, reaching out for her, but she was gone.
The three of them stood in the room together, feeling defeated.
And unsure of what to do next.
Weiss
What do you even call the sound of a dead man's breath?
That was the question which lingered in Weiss' mind as she listened to the constant, rhythmic sound of the Knights' Bannerman's breath behind her. The breath was icy cold, making her hairs stand on end and her skin prickle with goosebumps. They stood completely motionless, blades pressed against her throat still, even with that blade of Umbra's floating behind her spine, ready to skewer her if anyone tried anything.
Coco and Fox stayed quiet as well, just hearing that almost metallic breath over their shoulders. But the fear of their potential doom was alleviated every single time they looked ahead and saw their friends and loved ones. "We're gonna get you out of this, okay? Just stay calm… Ruby's got this." Yang promised, her foot tapping nervously on the floor. Velvet was pacing back and forth, keeping her eyes on Coco, who just smiled back at her.
Weiss turned her gaze to see Starla was also keeping her eyes on her descendant. "He didn't even mention this to us in his plan…" Starla scoffed.
"I really thought you were all going to attack him for a few moments there." Weiss chuckled, which made Starla smile.
"I was going to… if he hadn't pulled the telekinesis card on me." She added, making Weiss laugh.
"For someone who talks a bunch about playing fair sure likes to cheat a lot." Weiss said.
"When it suits him." Starla agreed.
Death stood beside Starla but turned his gaze to Oscar, who was looking at him by the stairs. The Black Knight walked towards him and the two stood by the stairs together, looking at the prisoners. "Here we are… being friendly with each other in a situation where prisoners are involved." Oscar chuckled.
Krekras even let out a slight chuckle as well. "At least you're not the one in the cell this time." He said.
"Yeah… thank you, by the way. I can't remember if I ever thanked you." Oscar said.
"For what?" He inquired.
"For covering for me when I unlocked my semblance. You could have told Tyrian about that, but you didn't. You probably saved my life." Oscar said to him, and he looked ahead once more, hands atop the pommel of his sword.
"You're welcome."
I guess he never was much of a chatterbox.
"But why? Why did you do it? You had no reason to do it… and back then, you were always constantly challenging Salem. I assumed you wanted to take her throne for yourself." Oscar asked, and he glanced down at the short man.
"I protected you… because I remembered the young boy who washed up on our shores in Arkhonex. A boy lost in time… I wanted to make sure he would be able to make that journey some day." Krekras explained, and Oscar looked at his hands.
"Well… and because of that… I caused Salem to become what she was…" He sighed.
"No… that may have played a part… but Cynthia always had that part of her in there. That was… outside forces at play. The Stone, Umbra, The Knight of Vengeance manipulating her into using the stone… but it wasn't your fault. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time for the beginning of her descent." Krekras explained to him.
Oscar pondered on his words.
Maybe he's right… I just happened to be the boy she had a crush on… anyone else could have been that person…
… it just happened to be me.
"You saved my life… I hope that one day I can return the favour." Oscar said, looking up at the Knight with a smile.
"Why would you want to save the life of the monster who took your girlfriend's eye?" He questioned.
"Because that was the Knight of Death… not Krekras Blackridge…" Oscar answered. Death stared at him for a few seconds, before turning his head back to the others and slowly returning to them. Oscar said what he wanted to say, and he could tell that those words stuck with him.
Just looking at the other Knights gave him all he needed to know as well. They were feeling the curse waning on them now.
It's funny, because Oscar was not the only person who stared at the Knights like this. Blake looked at Fury with the same feeling, now understanding the truth of their curses. Axzura Vex never killed her parents. It was the Knight of Fury. Rylen Vasquez never murdered Cardin Winchester, that was the Knight of Fear.
All of them were controlled by their Inner Demons… they just needed that last push to help save them from it.
To overcome the monster eating away at them.
Death stood beside Starla, and he saw them… the friends, the innocents and the enemies, all battling in the courtyard behind them. But he looked away once again… feeling the curse trying to bury Krekras Blackridge deep down.
And Weiss could see it on all their faces.
She turned her gaze to the Mountain Path where Ruby and Vir Nominis Umbra had walked.
"You got this, Ruby…"
Ruby
"It seems fate has brought us full circle, Ruby Rose." Vir Nominis Umbra said, sat by the campfire, and Ruby on the other side, both looking out at Mistral burning in the distance. He smiled, looking at her. "The cruel curse of the gods… they must enjoy watching us fight. I guess I don't blame them… I enjoy the fight too… and how I will miss it when it is over." He said.
"I have made many mistakes in my life. I've fallen into dark places, forgotten who I was, failed many people… but this time I will not fail." She promised, glaring at Vir Nominis Umbra. "I don't believe in the hand of the gods… all I believe is in myself and those who fight by my side. That is all I need to win… all I need to defeat you." She growled, her fists clenching tightly.
He chuckled, shaking his head with a sigh. "You are wrong, Ruby. I've heard those words uttered more times than I can count. From fallen universe to fallen universe… there is no way you can win. Believe me… no way you can win." He explained, looking at her for a few more moments before turning his gaze back to the view of Mistral aflame.
Ruby scoffed, shaking her head and looking at the flames as well.
"Which is why you must give me the Relics… spare all those people the suffering that I will unleash upon them. When I destroy this universe, nobody will feel a thing… it will be instantaneous. No pain… no horrific deaths… just fading away. It's a better way to go than the billions that have been lost already." Vir Nominis Umbra explained.
"And what gives you the right to make that choice?" Ruby asked him.
"Experience… it is not a thing your mind can comprehend… a rotting tree of universes, filled with the curse of the Gods… only by burning the whole tree down, and from its ashes, can something new blossom. Something free from what they created." Vir Nominis, Umbra explained, making Ruby shake her head.
"I don't get you… some moments you talk about the curse of the gods and building a new world… then other times you act like you do this just because it's all you know. Which is it?" She questioned, and he stared at the flames. She could see them reflecting in his eyes.
He was quiet for a while.
But eventually he answered. "Can you even imagine… not knowing your own origins? Being born without a purpose?" He asked her, looking directly at her.
"W-What do you mean?" She asked.
"I do not know my beginning… I just… exist… I woke up on the shores of the Gods' Universe… lost and alone… but there was another who was with me. The only person I knew I could trust… a friend… the only one I had in that entire universe. Where all saw me as… something should not even exist." He explained, and Ruby listened intently. "But time and time again I saw the rot of life that the Gods created… life that was always doomed to suffer the same fate… and when they tried to rid me… in the Charred Forest… that suffering became the only friend I had… and it became… a hunger…"
Vir Nominis Umbra picked up a twig and tended to the flames, staring at them. "… but even then I tried to find beauty in the world… and I sought my friend after I was freed from my exile… since I could trust them with anything." He said. "But someone you trust with anything… can take everything."
Ruby stared at him as he spoke. "She took all I had left… and allied herself with the gods… leaving me with nothing but the suffering to sustain me… giving me a purpose of my own choosing…"
He stabbed the burning twig into the flames and looked at her. "So when you ask me… whether I remember what my motivations are? Always remember… that I know why I do the things that I do. The gods chose to create a cycle of suffering… and despite my hunger being sated by this suffering… I am the only one who can cleanse their universe of this curse. And when it is gone… and the last Remnants of their creation are erased… only then will I create a world free from the pain they inflict."
It was all still too much for Ruby to understand. How could someone truly comprehend such information? He had clearly left out a lot of important details, and he was only sharing his side of the story.
"It's funny… we basically have the same goal. We both want to make the world a better place… where people no longer suffer… but the difference is, you are still spreading the very thing you want to erase. I don't know everything about what you went through… but your mission is never going to make things better. You have embraced your hunger… and now it is all you know. How are you supposed to make a new universe when all you have ever let yourself know is pain?" She asked him.
He was silent, but he continued to prod the flames with his stick, pushing harder and harder until it snapped, sending embers high into the air. She looked at him, waiting for a response. She had never seen him lost for words before, but he exhaled and let the twig fall into the flames.
"This is the last time I am giving you this choice, Ruby. I will not extend this offer again." He said to her. "Give me the Relics… or I will unleash the Oncoming Shadow on Dragonspire Keep."
He clearly did not wish to tread further into his past, and whatever more there was for Ruby to learn… it definitely haunted him. Ruby looked at Crescent Rose leant against the log beside her, and she picked it up, standing tall. "I can't. Just as you can't abandon your purpose, I cannot abandon mine." Ruby said, and he sighed, nodding his head and standing tall.
He held out his hand to her, and she glanced at it and back at him. She took his hand, and they shook hands. "Come midnight… I will extinguish this campfire. It can be seen from Dragonspire Keep. When the firelight goes out… the Oncoming Shadow will follow." Vir Nominis Umbra told her.
She turned and walked away from him, whilst he stood by the fire. "Good luck, Miss Rose… you're going to need it tonight." He said.
"You too, Vir Nominis Umbra." She replied, walking away, leaving him to tend to the campfire some more.
The Terms of War had been set.
They had until Midnight… until hell came riding to their gates.
"Oh… and one more thing?" He spoke up, causing her to stop and look back. "What did you use the Relic of Creation for?"
She furrowed her brow in confusion. "W-What?" She stammered honestly. He smirked.
"Never mind…" He assured, sitting down, laying that question in her mind. She continued to walk, letting that question sit for a while… until it hit her.
Ruby returned to the gates of Dragonspire Keep, and already found the Knights' Bannermen leaving, and the sword that was levitated behind Weiss dropped to the floor. Velvet and Yatsuhashi sprinted to Coco and Fox, whilst Blake and Yang ran to Weiss, immediately hugging her with relief.
Ruby stood there, and she exhaled shakily. "Ruby?" Oscar asked, holding her hands.
"What did he say?" Yang asked.
"… we have until midnight and when that campfire goes out… then he will send the full force of the Oncoming Shadow on us." Ruby answered. They all looked at the rising pillar of smoke from where they were.
Hearing that sent shivers up their spine, but Ruby had that question still in her mind.
"Where's Kragen?" She asked, sounding angry.
"Huh? Why?" Oscar asked.
"… we need to talk."
Author Note - Here we go
Time to find out what Kragen did with the Relic, since let's be real he is the only man who would have used it. I enjoyed this chapter, having it focus on that discussion between Ruby and Umbra was fun, especially when Umbra dropped some very new information on his past. Very interesting indeed, and that is just a snippet... hehehe
A bit on the shorter side but it didn't need to be beefy so I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!
Stay tuned for the next chapter!
- Matt