Just a reactionary chapter this week, letting the girls unwind and reflect, or start to anyways. Easier to do something like this than weave in loads of conversation/introspection during another chapter.
Weiss came to some time later. Her body felt heavy as though someone had cast her in iron and dumped her into a lake. That everything was muted - the colors of the room, the voices of those around her, made her feel like she was trapped beneath ice, so very close to lucidity yet separated by an impenetrable sheet of ice.
The bed beneath her might as well have been nonexistent, feeling herself float as a cloud drifting through the sky might, weightless and aimless. Her tongue tingled as a tincture was forced down her throat, bitter and tart, and water helped to alleviate some of the unpleasant burn that followed. Although she could just make out the crackling of a fire she felt miserably cold as an invasive chill rippled through her, racing along her veins like a poison, chilling her very soul. Blurred vision revealed the obfuscated features of someone looming over her. A woman's voice called out, distant yet close all at once, and as a hand swept over her brow and wiped away perspiration she slipped back into unconsciousness.
When next she woke Weiss gasped, eyes darting open with a start before darting around the room. Skin still prickling with goosebumps as she pictured hordes of Arachne washing over her like a black, writhing wave she gripped the cotton blanket draped over her, shallow breaths slowing as her sluggish mind worked to ease her panic.
I'm… Back at the keep?
Grey stone walls boxed her in, and a fireplace burned away, embers throwing themselves into the gate, sparks bouncing off dark iron. Transfixed on the faint light she pushed herself up on shaking arms and winced as pain throbbed behind her temple. The blanket fell and she shivered, realizing she had naught save for her linens on. Even as her body protested she threw the blanket off and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, yelping as her feet met the cold floor. Her sudden rise made her head spin, darkness tease at the corners of her vision before fading.
When did I get back…? Weiss slouched forward and laid her face in her hands. We ran into the caves, the Arachne chased us. That giant Grimm spawned…
Yang!
What in the world had happened? Muddled as her thoughts were, she could distinctly recall Yang's transformation. It was too vivid to have been a hallucination, the sensation of fire cascading off the Dimuran too real to be a dream. Yet real as she was certain it had been Weiss struggled to believe it.
People didn't turn into Grimm. Grimm came from… Well, people weren't entirely sure where, but they most certainly weren't made. From the blackened flesh to the bone claws and feral expressions Yang had done her best impression of a Grimm.
She had spoken too, hadn't she? A monster that yet retained some semblance of its humanity. It had turned on them, she had turned on them. In those final moments Yang had thought them the enemy. Weiss felt herself shiver again, this time free from any cold, rubbing at her eyes with the heels of her hands and groaning. Blake she could almost understand since those two apparently had some history. Herself? They were strangers and while she'd done nothing wrong by Yang that might make it easier.
She'd turned on Ruby though, her own sister.
Ignoring the sudden vertigo Weiss stood, staggering over to a low table where her clothing sat, folded and clean. She needed to make sure Ruby was well, and Blake for that matter; if Yang was through trying to turn everything to ash then the Dimuran too.
Dressing herself proved more challenging than she'd expected but after a few minutes of teetering and struggling she donned her clothing. Lacing up her tunic she threw on her cloak, leaving the hood down and running her fingers through her lose, snow white hair, finally realizing it was no longer done up as she usually had it. The clasp was on the table and she considered using it, then decided against it. Dressing had been hard enough, she hadn't the coordination or patience for her hair right now.
Even if she wouldn't need it Weiss clipped her rapier to her hip and left the room. Judging by the warm light spilling in from outside it had to be early afternoon, and as she walked the empty corridor, she was able to make out sounds of activity beyond the walls. A smith's hammer toiled endlessly, idle chatter of the keep's residents, indistinct, rose and fell, interrupted by the occasional bout of laughter or shout.
In a dreamlike state she wandered along until she found herself in the anteroom of the keep. She was on the first floor? Wonderful. As unsteady as her gait was now, she had to surmount stairs to reach her friends. Just. Wonderful.
"You! You shouldn't be up!"
Loud footsteps approaching should have alerted Weiss long before the voice did but she jumped at the sound, whirling around and staggering at the sudden movement. A hand shot out and caught her elbow before she could fall, clutching her head and squeezing her eyes shut. Once a brief spell of nausea passed, she looked up, blinking slowly in confusion.
"Pyrrha…?"
The redheaded woman stared back before furrowing her brow and looking around. Weiss' vision corrected itself and she saw hazel eyes watching her instead of emerald, and a jaw squarer than her friend's clench, red lips pulling into a thin, worried frown.
"Weiss, the healers said you should rest, why are you up?" She placed the voice at last and Weiss eased her arm from Ezra's grip, holding a hand up when she swayed again. "Come, I'll take you back to your room."
"No. I want to see Ruby, and Blake." Yang too, though she couldn't deny the trepidation she felt considering how things had ended. "Please, take me to them. I need to see if they're safe."
Ezra hesitated, shifting in her plate armor and adjusting her helmet tucked under her arm. Weiss noticed new scars and scrapes on the metal, a black coating caking much of the woman's armor. Before she could ask where it had come from Ezra grabbed her arm again. "They're all safe and well, I promise. Ruby suffered spellcast sickness too but woke a day before you did."
"A day?!" Weiss balked. "Just how long was I asleep?!"
"Three days. In and out, you see. Apparently, you overdid things in the caves," Ezra said, smiling apologetically as Weiss reeled. "Everyone is fine. In fact, you and Yang had the worst of it and you're both fine now."
Yang? Oh gods, that unsightly transformation. What in the world was that?! She'd been traveling with that… Thing, slept near it without a care in the world. How close had she been to being attacked? Weiss rubbed her neck uncomfortably, rolling it to hide her unease.
Three days? Gods…
A novice mistake, an idiotic, foolish error. Weiss ground her teeth and exhaled through her nose. A fledgling Magi would make a mistake like that, not someone who had been trained as a Hunter. In her panic she must have overdone it.
"Nonetheless I would like to see my friends," Weiss muttered. "If you'd be so kind as to take me to them?"
Ezra chewed her bottom lip, then much to Weiss' irritation and dismay shook her head. "I can't. Miss Branwen was very clear she wanted to speak to you once you woke."
"Miss Branwen?" Weiss couldn't stop the incredulous scoff or keep her eyes from rolling. "She's a bandit, Ezra! What are you, - soldiers sworn to protect the kingdom, doing serving a woman like that? Have you no shame?!"
"Weiss, you're wrong. She isn't a bad person, she -"
"I'm wrong? At best she's a thief and scoundrel, at worst a murderer! That you and your captain are her lap dogs…" Weiss trembled angrily and tried to move for the stairs only for Ezra to block her path. The woman looked apologetic, sure, but if she was truly sorry she wouldn't be trying to get in her way. "Ezra, move. I need to see my friends."
"And you will. Miss Branwen was very clear on her instructions though, she wanted to speak to you first. Please, Weiss. I know what you might think, how you see things here, but I promise you it's wrong. You're wrong. We aren't the criminals here."
If Weiss' throat hadn't been dry, she'd have laughed, and even then she managed a wheezing snort. Such blatant self-delusion was astounding, pitiful even. A fort stolen by a bandit and her people, soldiers made to serve her, and scores of desperate civilians looking for safety and salvation. Raven wasn't some altruistic hero, she was taking advantage of people. Scum of the lowest degree. Her nails dug into her palms and Weiss looked away and burned a hole through stone with her stare. "The High Commander…" her voice came in a raspy whisper. "He betrayed us! He's betrayed the kingdom!"
"Weiss, please." Ezra stepped back and continued to block Weiss' path from the stairwell. A few of Raven's men paused in their walk to watch the display, racing away when Weiss glared at them. "I don't know everything myself, but you have to trust me. We aren't the bad guys here."
It was decidedly sad that Ezra believed her lies so strongly. As disgruntled as Weiss was she still felt sorry for the woman, clearly in over her head and not sure what to think. Following a traitorous senior to the gallows it would seem. Rationally she knew Ezra was hardly the one to blame but with no one else to lash out at Weiss scoffed.
"You won't let me see them, will you?"
Ezra lowered her arms halfway but made no move to let Weiss pass. "Just go see her first, please? I'll send word to your friends you're awake. They might even come and find you themselves."
If the simple act of standing didn't take every ounce of focus, she had Weiss might consider trying to race past Ezra. While her mind had been quick to wake her body was a little more reluctant, and with a sigh of resignation she hung her head. "You had best not be lying. I'm trusting you because you were the first to show us any shred of decency."
"I have no reason to lie, Weiss. You four just did us all a great service and the people here owe you a debt" Ezra managed a faintly encouraging smile. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear you're awake."
Sure, assuming they were awake and well. Why hadn't Ruby been there when she woke? She'd have been there for her partner after all. Squashing the ugly feelings of betrayal Weiss glanced around the empty foyer. "Where is Raven, anyway?"
"She should be outside making her rounds. Try by the gates first, and if she isn't there maybe the kitchens?"
Weiss was already pushing her way through the doors before Ezra finished speaking. Her body shuddered and muscles burned in protest, but with a considerable effort the heavy door gave way. At once the fresh air did wonders for her, filling her deprived lungs with a crisp breath and chasing away the unpleasant staleness that clung to her from being bedridden for three days.
Even the bright, warm sun did little to help her mood however. Her face must have been fixed with the worst scowl for anyone in her path was quick to move out of her way. Civilians in rags stepped aside and bowed their heads, a gesture she might have appreciated more given better timing. Her eyes drifted around, swiveling side to side as she tried to spot a wild mane of black hair.
The keep was a bustle with activity as people scurried about like ants. Carts had been dragged out and were beginning to be piled with containers, soldiers directing lines of volunteers. Those capable had begun to break down the makeshift homes they'd built for themselves, tying timbers and strips of cloth in twine, bundling it together and piling them in a separate vehicle.
On her way to the gates Weiss patched the kitchens, pausing to watch the cooks hard at work. Steaks were carved into strips, seared on heated slabs on stone and set aside. Vegetables were cut up and thrown into a large clay pot, stirred with a spoon. Even a few loaves of bread were on display, crude, pale things but nonetheless palatable. Weiss' stomach growled and she considered stopping for a meal. After all she hadn't eaten in some time now and beneath all her irritableness a faint hunger prodded at her. One glance at the gradually swelling line however made her reconsider and she huffed, tearing her eyes from the tempting display and continuing to the gates.
Raven was busy when Weiss finally found the woman. Not barking orders like Weiss might expect or lounging about as people in power seemed so fond of doing. To her not inconsiderable surprise she found the bandit leader helping to dismantle some of the shacks, hair tied back as she hauled large bundles on her shoulders. When the woman noticed Weiss, she seemed surprised, then a smug smile appeared that made Weiss almost consider turning around and going back to the keep.
Only knowing whatever frivolous meeting Raven wanted stood between her and her friends kept Weiss from turning heel. She waited impatiently while the Dimuran stacked her luggage in a cart, dismissing a handful of workers and calling over an equal number as replacements.
"Sleeping beauty finally graces us with her presence, does she?" Raven grinned, hands on her hips. She looked Weiss over and cocked an eyebrow before laughing. "Well, in a manner of speaking. You look terrible, girl."
"And you're a brute."
Weiss' remark drew an amused laugh and once they deemed it safe those nearby joined in. Feeling heat creep to her cheeks at her failure of a rebuttal Weiss folded her arms, bristling as she waited for the woman to settle down.
"I see your tongue is sharp as ever. Good, because we've got a lot to talk about."
"Could you keep this brief? I have places I'd rather be." Like a cold cell for starters. Weiss shifted her feet and blew an obstinate bang from her eyes, then huffed and ran her hands back to keep her hair behind her shoulders. "Ezra said you wished to speak to me?"
"Aye, and relax, girl. What we have to discuss isn't something that can be said in a few words, and besides…" Raven reached out and shoved Weiss' shoulder, causing her to yelp and fall over. The woman's damnable laughter drowned out her curses. "You're hardly fit to be in such a hurry to leave. Settle down. We'll go somewhere comfortable and have a nice chat."
Despite herself Weiss accepted the extended hand and was pulled to her feet in one fluid motion. Flushed, she dusted herself down and tried to assert some level of control. Hard to do when she was as stable as a weathervane. "I suppose I have little choice in the matter?"
"I knew you were a smart one," Raven teased, putting a hand on Weiss' back and ushering her forward. Not back to the keep but towards the gates. She raised a hand and the gears inside churned audibly, chains rattling as they raised the portcullis.
"Let's go for a little walk. We've got a lot to discuss and I think it'll do you some good."
Weiss chewed her cheek as she watched the woman gather her swords, strapping both to her left hip and a small container to her right. Traveling with a bandit alone seemed like a gods awful idea on the best of days, and today was far from her best. "I don't suppose you'll let me decline…?"
"For our purposes it's best we go outside the keep." The cryptic words did nothing to help settle her misgivings, and Weiss' pointed stare didn't bring anything further. Looking back one last time towards the keep Weiss held her own weapon and nodded, the gesture bringing a wide, taunting grin to Raven's face.
"Relax, Schnee. If I wanted to kill you I'd have done so already." Raven slung her arm around Weiss' shoulders, leaning down to do so, and ushered her forward. "We're just going to have a nice chat, you and I. But bring that needle if it's comforting."
"You're bringing your swords," Weiss pointed out curtly.
"Only to remind you who's in charge here." Raven winked, releasing her hold and motioning for the gate to be sealed once more. It closed with a heavy thud and the Dimuran shooed Weiss forward, following right on her heels, arms folded as she walked.
If all Raven wanted was a discussion, then things wouldn't be so bad. If the woman had other things in mind? Weiss fingertips grazed the rapier and Weiss glanced back, cringing seeing the woman's smile gone and red eyes watching her attentively, weapons sheathed but never far out of reach.
Who was she kidding?
What in the hells had she just agreed to?
/+/+/+/+/+/
"This is far enough."
Weiss slowed to a halt and looked around to take in her surroundings. The spot was completely unremarkable, a spot along one of Vale's many roads, indistinct as any other. Free from Morris Pass' claustrophobic walls the ground opened up and expanded indefinitely as trees shot up like weeds, obscuring their view entirely only a few yards out.
The place was so plain, so ordinary that people would pass through the spot without so much as a glance.
Which was precisely why Weiss felt all the more uneasy.
Turning around and holding her weapon in hand she stared at Raven, only a few yards away, hands in her robe with thumbs hooked on the edges. The woman's black scales glistened in the sunlight and her tanned skin, scored by countless scars, rippled with taut muscle beneath. Weiss felt her fingers ease off her weapon and her breath left her in a defeated sigh.
What was she going to do exactly? Fight? In their walk she'd been able to recall more of the events from before. How Yang had made light of a Grimm that had taken herself, Ruby, and Blake no small amount of effort to bring down. Then Yang had made child's play of Yang herself, both faster and stronger than the malformed girl.
At best Weiss could hope the woman would tire out while knocking her around.
Raven snorted and shook her head. "Would you just relax already? I told you I'm not dragging you out here to kill you." The woman stalked towards the edge of the road and reached into the container on her hip. Weiss craned her head to watch, to try and see what Raven took from it. Whatever the woman removed she quickly placed back with a satisfied nod. "This spot will do just fine."
For what? Raven had mentioned a talk yet went silent and instead sat on the grass alongside the road. Her swords laid out beside her the Dimuran rolled her neck, cracking audibly and reaching into her robe. Weiss flinched on reflex, looking away in embarrassment when the woman drew a canteen with a sharp laugh.
"Bit jumpy today, are we?"
Raven spoke as if she had no cause to be. In a keep surrounded by bandits and traitors, traveling with a woman who could transform into a beast, and a former White Fang operative. If the Church knew of any of this I'd doubtless be tried for treason or something equally disastrous.
Weiss shook her head when given the offer to join Raven, choosing to stand rather than relax with the woman. With one hand never leaving her weapon she waited, watching the woman drink for an agonizingly long moment.
"Tell me…" The black-scaled bandit tucked her canteen away and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "No, better yet, explain what you saw the other day."
"Why? What purpose does that serve?" Doubtless Raven knew what had happened already.
"Just humor me. Tell me everything, don't spare a single detail." When Weiss didn't speak for a time Raven leaned back. "The longer you take the more time we spend out here, girl," she warned, stretching her arms out behind her and leaning on them. "So, go on, speak."
Puzzled by the demand Weiss acquiesced, sparing only a few details as she recounted what had happened. The uneventful walk into the forest, the sudden ambush of Arachne. Seeing the woman's lips curl when Weiss involuntarily shivered at the recollection was at once embarrassing and frustrating. Putting aside her irritation she explained how they had sought to lose the Arachne in a cave only to find a dead end, the lone exit out of reach.
They had killed the Arachne then, the entire horde, only for a larger, more monstrous beast to appear in their wake. Weiss finished her recollection and felt the familiar chill from the morning return, rubbing at her arms absently as she looked around, half expecting Grimm to appear at the distressing memory.
None did, and when it was clear she had finished Raven nodded her head slowly, seeming to half listen as she plucked at the fur lining of her robe. "And of all those events did you notice anything out of the ordinary? Anything strange?"
"Besides your daughter turning into a monster you mean?"
"Oh, so you were paying attention, good! And here I thought you were oblivious."
"How could I miss something so glaringly wrong?" Weiss said. "People don't do that! They don't change! That's… I've never heard of any magic like that before."
Raven drew one knee up and draped her arm over it, rolling a blade of grass between her fingers as she studied Weiss. "Well obviously not. Magic like that isn't supposed to exist. Hells, I'd be more shocked if you had seen it before." The woman paused for a second before chuckling. "I suppose Ozpin isn't that stupid though. Arrogant yes, but not stupid."
"Ozpin?" Hearing her mentor's name piqued her curiosity and Weiss drew nearer. "What do you mean? What does he have to do with any of this?"
"Got your attention now have I? Good girl. As for what Ozpin has to do with any of this, well, not much if I'm honest. He himself is just a small part in the grand scheme of things. A pawn," Raven scowled at the word, shaking her head and flicking away the blade of grass. "Though a dangerous one at that."
The Archbishop of Vale a pawn? Weiss giggled at the absurdity of the claim. Who would manipulate such a man? The Archbishops were the four most prominent figures in the Churches of Remnant, answering only to the respective royal family of each kingdom. Even then the royal families only had so much sway. Each body - the royal family, the Church, and the military, while all parts of a kingdom served as checks and balances between one another.
"The way you speak of things makes it sound as though there's some… Insidious plot at hand," Weiss jeered, her expression falling when Raven stared at her silently, her own face devoid of emotion. "If you've taken me out here to give me some grandiose, ridiculous conspiracy theory then kindly take me back to the keep. I've much better things to do than entertain a madwoman's ravings."
Raven smiled, grabbing one of her swords and drew it just enough to brandish it, the green blade glowing faintly and, to Weiss' surprise, shimmered, the air around it distorting. Not unlike a spell preparing to be cast.
"Magic comes in many forms, and I don't just mean the elements. There's magic which can physically enhance our bodies, magic which can turn someone invisible. We have spells to mend wounds, to turn great structures to ash, and to poison the very land itself." Raven sheathed the sword again and laid it across her lap. "The last one sounds an awful lot like miasma, don't you think? The worst kind there is. It's indiscriminate, killing humans, animals, and plants. Whatever it comes in contact with often dies a slow, agonizing death."
"What if I told you that miasma wasn't the worst kind of magic though?" Weiss crept closer still until she teetered on the edge of the road, toeing the line where grass met caked dirt. Raven gestured for her to sit and Weiss did so, though not without keeping her distance. Overhead a bird called and Raven held out a hand, a small black bird landing on her outstretched palm. "Tell me, Schnee, what's worse than miasma?"
/+/+/+/+/+/
"Uh… I dunno. Miasma is pretty nasty stuff." Ruby's tongue stuck out and she shook her head in disgust. "I mean you saw it, right? There was a whole forest outside of Holbrook before and now its gone! How's anything worse than that?"
Yang smiled patiently from her bed while her sister tried to work out the question. If the simple act of speaking wasn't taxing for her, she'd come out and say it. Or perhaps she was just reluctant to share the information with Ruby. The former was easier to face, the latter was closer to the truth. The brunette tried to fish for something more and her line came up empty. Defeated, Ruby sighed and sank into her chair, kicking one of her feet with a huff.
"I don't get it, Yang! What's worse than miasma?"
"Plenty! There's a horse's fart, a drunk belching. Slugs are pretty nasty if you've ever stepped on them barefoot…"
"Yang, I'm serious!"
The blonde laughed before it turned into a wheezing cough. Ruby was at her side in an instant and held a pitcher of water out. Yang took it, drinking greedily and spilling a bit on her roughspun tunic before handing it back. "Thanks, sis."
Ruby dragged her chair closer then and stared down her elder sibling. "Just tell me already! Tell me what's worse!"
"Alright, alright. Well for starters there's my whole thing. That stuff isn't exactly natural, ya know. Hurts like a son of a bitch too…"
"Yaaaang…"
"Oh, come off it Rubes! It's been a while and gotta be allowed a few slip ups, right?" Her little sister conceded with a curt nod, gesturing to remind Yang she was watching her however. Smiling good naturedly at her sister's 'threat' Yang reached out and ruffled Ruby's hair, laughing when she pulled away with a whine. "Seriously though," she continued, frowning as she watched the brunette. "You're not, like… Freaking out about that more?"
"W-Well… The first time was super scary, but even then, I swore it was you! You and that uh… The 'Grimm'," Ruby said with air quotes. "Had the same hair, and nose! Plus, it kinda sounded like you if you were all growly. So, I guess it wasn't too surprising? A-And… I'm sort of already here," she added, smiling sheepishly while plucking at one of her longer bangs.
"Okay, sure, but I tried to attack you, Ruby. Aren't you a little more upset about that?"
Ruby pursed her lips, drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair, then shook her head and smiled. "Nope!"
"Sis, I was totally going to attack you."
"But you didn't!"
Yang blinked, then stared before sighing and sinking back into her pillow. How could her sister be so ridiculous? She answered her own question a second later when she saw Ruby fidgeting in her chair, ceasing the restlessness and smiling the moment she realized Yang was watching her. It's just like before when we talked about Plockton.
"Ruby, it's okay to be scared ya know. I'm scared of myself when that happens."
"M-Maybe it's a little scary…" Ruby acknowledged only to quickly reach out and take Yang's bandaged hand, holding it to her cheek with a meek smile. "But you're better now and you won't attack me, I know it! And even if you did it's not like you meant to!"
Should she chalk this up to naivete or denial? Maybe both? Yang knew Ruby had been scared but getting her to admit to it was harder than it ought to be. If this was her way of coping though then so be it: no sense in harping on the subject only to make Ruby even more upset. There'd be time to pester her later, hopefully.
Their conversation was brought to a temporary standstill when a healer came by to check on Yang. They handled her as one might a poisonous snake: keeping their distance, touching briefly only to pull away. They stammered when asking questions and Yang took it in stride, even going so far as thanking the man for his help before watching him race from the room.
It had been like that since they'd gotten back. People were quick to stop by and even quicker to leave. Only Raven hadn't shown any fear around her; even Vernal for all her posturing had kept her distance when visiting Yang.
People saw her as a monster. It'd hurt more if it wasn't true.
"Looks like we're both hiding stuff, huh?"
Yang glanced at her sister and smiled gently, patting her soft cheek before playfully prodding her nose and earning an indignant squeak in reply. Laughing under her breath she settled back into her bed, nodding as her eyes drifted closed. "Guess so, Rubes. We totally get it from dad."
"He's not that bad!"
Yang raised an eyebrow and cracked one eye open. "I still remember he wouldn't let the blacksmith fix our wood oven for a month. Kept sayin' it just needed some love or whatever. Are you telling me that isn't stubborn?"
Ruby laughed and shrugged her shoulders, letting her silence be her reply. "Hey, you still didn't answer me," she pressed, leaning forward in her chair and frowning, hands clasped together tight in her lap. "What's worse than miasma…?"
/+/+/+/+/+/
The Commander had explained miasma was attracting Grimm. That was fine, it made sense. Miasma brought sickness, destroyed crops, and as Holbrook had demonstrated, could ravage an entire forest in a matter of days. That such foul magic would breed negativity made absolute, perfect sense.
Blake hadn't questioned it at the time because of that fact. Nor had she questioned when, in the wake of a White Fang attack Grimm always followed. Rare was it that their Magi were needed for anything more than intimidation. Whenever a battle broke out, they were often violent but brief. There was no illusion of it being a friendly duel between two Magi: her comrades fought to kill, as had the guards that defended the towns.
Unfortunately for the guards it was her and her companions who were the stronger fighters.
Miasma caused negativity. Battle, bloodshed and strife made people angry, anxious, and above all else, sad and depressed. A veritable buffet of negativity for the Grimm.
Everything had just worked, the explanation accounting for everything, so why question it?
Then they had reached those caves. The Arachne had fallen by the dozens, swept away in single spells and their numbers quelled in an instant. Between the four of them there wouldn't have been enough negativity to draw anymore Grimm no matter how stressed they might have been. Grimm needed larger concentrations.
Yet not one but two larger variants had spawned. Blake closed her eyes and leaned forward, legs dangling off the edge of the tower. From her perch she stared down the road, watching as soldiers hurried to and from the gates to prepare for travel. No one paid her any mind as she lounged about. Save for the guard she'd scared off climbing up no one likely knew she was even here.
Just as well because she needed the relative silence to think. To try and make sense of the ridiculous revelations she was having.
The four of them couldn't have spawned the Grimm, that was a given fact. If such a small band were capable of spawning creatures like that then villages wouldn't exist; a single family could have a bad day and spell ruin for their entire settlement. There was the possibility that Yang had been the cause of it too, that her unseemly transformation had somehow acted as a signal fire of sorts for Grimm.
Except that explanation was flawed too. Blake had seen Grimm spawn in the middle of nowhere, on the sides of a road after robbing caravans. At best there had been ten people present. Enough to spawn a horde? Hard to say, although hordes certainly did appear following their fights.
Negativity was a convenient explanation and worked most of the time but not always.
On a whim Blake held her hand out, palm facing upward, and drew from her own shadow. Black, nondescript figures swirled up the tower and danced across her skin without any sensation save for a light prickling of her skin. She formed the shadow into an orb and held it, scanning the trees above the fortress for movement. As expected, she saw none, and with a dissatisfied sigh she released her spell and watched it fade to nothingness, black specks vanishing into a blue sky.
One single spell wouldn't do anything, perhaps even two or three smaller ones. Large, all-encompassing spells aimed to wipe out large numbers of Grimm, or spells with potency enhanced enough to penetrate a Magi's defenses and strike a killing blow?
While it felt like a leap in logic the more and more Blake considered it the more plausible her theory became. Even if negativity did spawn Grimm it seemed to only do so in some places. Case and point: Fort Morris itself. The residents and soldiers both had been miserable when they had arrived and yet Grimm were notably absent. Roaming the countryside in droves, yes, but the closest they had been found were high up in the forests above, and even then, it had been minor variants.
Nothing like the beasts they'd fought in the cavern.
Negativity was out. Blake felt blood rush to her head and her heart raced, and it had nothing to do with her precarious seating. Just to be safe she swung her legs around and slid off the wall, standing to lean against the same spot and running her hands over her face.
How hadn't she seen a pattern before? Had she and just written it off as coincidence? How didn't more people see this? Gods, she felt like an absolute idiot now.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"... Magic?"
Raven nodded. "That's what I'm telling you, yes. Does repeating what I said aloud help you think, or are you just hard of hearing?"
Weiss stared at her palms, curling and uncurling her fingers. Her lips moved though no sound came out as she ran through what she'd been told over and over.
Miasma was awful, yes, but its dreadful nature was openly insidious. Everyone knew what it could cause and as such the Church forbade its use even for experimentation. It was fittingly the tool of criminals and she hadn't been surprised to hear that some miscreants were utilizing the banned class of magic for their ends. That was a logical explanation.
The idea that magic was what drew Grimm in was not.
"Let me see if I understand correctly. You're saying that magic - any magic, will cause Grimm to appear? And that, contrary to what the Church teaches everyone, negativity has nothing to do with it?"
"Gods, do you use those ears for anything girl or are they just for show?" Raven snapped. The woman slapped her hands on her knees and leaned forward. "Yes, yes, for the hundredth time, yes!" Heaving out a heavy sigh the Dimuran pinched the bridge of her nose. "What about that is so difficult to understand?"
Everything? The claim was so flagrantly outlandish, so absurd that Weiss wondered if Raven wasn't trying to play a joke on her. The woman genuinely seemed to be pushing the notion that magic was responsible for all their strife. Magic. The selfsame tool that allowed the higher races to pull themselves out of despair, to fight back against the Grimm and establish lasting kingdoms. A tool that was so openly and readily used the world over it would have Grimm crawling all over the place.
Grimm already did to be fair but there was plenty of negativity to go around as well. Great wars between kingdoms might be a thing of the past but that didn't keep smaller ones from breaking out. Villages fought, sometimes banding together against others to form almost miniature nations. There were the Grimm themselves whose very existence could cause duress.
Weiss stared pointedly at Raven. There were bandits too. People who thrived off other people's hard work, who took, pillaged, and killed on a whim. More than anything else they accounted for the most negativity of all.
And here was one trying to push blame onto one of the fundamental systems of their world and off herself.
"This all a bit too much for your little brain, Schnee?"
"Quite the contrary I think I understand perfectly." Weiss pushed herself to her feet and took her time with dusting herself off. "I understand that the woman before me has an agenda, whatever that may be, and is trying to peddle her lies to garner a following. I can only assume that you've fed the unfortunate souls within the keep the selfsame spiel you tried to give me."
"Lies, huh?" Raven stood too and loomed over Weiss, adjusting her swords in her sash. "And what would I gain by selling such lies?"
"Followers, obviously. You're basically building a cult by telling those desperate enough to listen this… Fallacy of yours. You promise them salvation and in exchange they believe your ridiculous claims."
Salvation indeed. When the people had regarded Raven with a fervor not unlike reverence Weiss had expected as much. Perhaps not a deception quite on this scale but certainly something. "If this was what you had dragged me out here for then I think I've heard quite enough." She turned and started back down the road, pulling her hood up to block out the flies that had begun to buzz around her head. Obnoxious bugs.
"Is it really so hard to believe? That magic is the root of all that ails Remnant?"
"Yes, actually!" Weiss answered without turning back, picking up her pace. Annoyingly Raven seemed to easily match it and she sighed, shooting the woman a cross look. "You're giving people false hope and promising them a better life, albeit only if they follow and adhere to your whims."
"Funny, sounds a lot like your precious church doesn't it?" Weiss stopped and Raven slowed right along with her, smiling as the shorter woman fumed. "Did I strike a nerve? Say something bad?"
Weiss scowled. "The Church does no such thing, you cur! The Church does not demand a universal worship, nor does it expect absolute loyalty! The Church acts as a mediator, the Church prevents wars, and the Church regulates magic. Without the Church the world would be thrust into another horrendous war!"
"The Church, the Church, the Church," Raven repeated in a mocking voice, spitting before sneering at Weiss. "Do you listen to yourself, girl? Do you realize how mindlessly you're defending them? Like they're infallible?"
"They might not be but they're certainly better than some bandit!"
"At least I tell people the truth," Raven shot back. "Even though sometimes people with smaller minds can't accept it."
The truth! Weiss let out a sharp, biting laughs before shaking her head. Her feet stomped purposefully as she marched along again, gripping her rapier to the point her fingers trembled from the effort. "You tell lies, Raven. It's your account versus hundreds of others, decades of good will and plenty of proof to the contrary."
"You're delusional, child." The woman genuinely sounded sympathetic and Weiss glanced back, surprised by the concerned look Raven wore. "Ozpin's really got you fooled, huh?"
Whatever shred of patience she'd had with Raven vanished the moment she dragged Ozpin into the discussion again. Not for the first time Weiss stopped and turned, hand trembling as she forced her weapon to remain put, much as it wished to leap out at Raven's aggravating face. "I will not stand by and allow you to slander Ozpin or the Church. He is a good, just man and the Church may not be perfect, I'll admit," she loosened her grip and turned her nose up at Raven. "I refuse to hear the lies of a woman that steals and kills for a living."
"I never claimed to be a saint, kid, but at least I'm honest. Which is more than anyone in that damnable organization can say." Raven leaned forward and smiled bitterly. "I'm offering you a chance to get out of that mess, Weiss. Few people learn the truth, fewer still learn it and live. Learn to accept a gift with graciousness, girl, before that gift is lost to you."
Weiss raised a hand and Raven caught her wrist in a flash. She'd had no intention of striking the woman, she wasn't an idiot, and realizing her reaction the Dimuran released her grip. "Keep your blasted gift. I will not be lectured by a woman who cannot be trusted."
"No? Funny, everyone inside that keep seems to trust me." Raven smiled proudly and cocked her head. "Everyone except you. And Yang, I suppose, but that's only normal. The rest of them are like family to me." The woman's smile turned into a cruel grin. "Something you seem to be lacking, girl."
Weiss bristled and was ashamed to feel tears prickling at her eyes. Refusing to give the woman any satisfaction she turned back, drew her hood tighter and silently began to walk back towards the keep once again.
She had a family, damn it. Maybe not in the traditional sense but she had one. Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora, and even the goofball Jaune. Ozpin was practically a father to her as was Ironwood, and so many other proctors had become almost like parents over the years. To suggest they were all complacent in some deception, perpetuating a crime against Remnant itself? She wouldn't even entertain the thought. Weiss would have an easier time believing Raven if the woman told her the sky was pink.
By the time they reached the gates of Fort Morris not a word had been uttered between them, and Weiss preferred it that way. Many of the residents were now beyond the safety of the walls, gathered into covered carts while horses were put into harnesses to carry them. Soldiers and members of Raven's band alike saluted the woman upon her return and Raven herself veered off to meet with Vernal, leaving Weiss to linger at the gates.
Not for long, it seemed. Just within the walls and making their way outside she spotted Ruby with Yang leaning against her for support, a frantic, uneasy healer trailing behind them. Further behind them still Blake followed along, staring down at the ground intently. Between her hood and the scarf only the Meera's eyes were visible and betrayed nothing of whatever was weighing on her mind.
Ruby greeted her with a bright smile, waving then gasping when Yang teetered unevenly beside her. "Weiss, there you are! Oh, we've been looking everywhere for you!"
For her partner's sake Weiss smiled, greeting Yang with a nod, then looking past the sisters at the meek healer following them.
"Raven's orders," the blonde Dimuran explained, grimacing as she uttered her mother's name. "Says I might collapse and doesn't want me going anywhere without her."
"P-Pleasure to meet you! My n-n-name is…"
"Speak up, Weiss can't hear ya!" Yang drawled.
"My name is Violet!" the meek healer shouted, cringing at her own voice and lowering her head. "I'll be a-accompanying you to P-Plockton! I look forward to w-working together!"
Fan-tastic. Weiss raised an eyebrow when the concealed Blake walked past the others and right to her. She had to lean in to fully make out what was said, getting on her toes when the Meera refused to meet her.
"Weiss, we have to talk. It's about the mission." Blake paused and glanced back, nodding to Ruby. "It's… About the Church too."
Gods forfend… Did Raven have someone tell others her nonsensical story too?! Ruby's troubled look couldn't be hidden behind her smile and Yang's own seemed halfhearted at best. Blake motioned to her and Weiss wondered what she was trying to signal until the Meera tapped the side of her neck. Fingertips tracing the Mark of the Church she glanced at Ruby, frowning seeing how her partner's cloak was pinched just a bit tighter to cover her neck.
Weiss drew down her hood, loosening her own cloak so her neck was exposed. "We'd best gather our horses. If Yang isn't fit to ride alone then Ruby can accompany her." Weiss brushed past Blake, glanced fleetingly at her partner, and paused at Yang. There were questions aplenty, but she hadn't the patience nor time to ask them. Not yet.
"Weiss…" Ruby protested, shifting her and Yang's weight to try and follow. "We really need to talk."
"No, what we need to do is to prepare to depart. Evidently, we'll be escorting an entire village to Plockton, and cooperating with bandits and turncoats to boot." Weiss grimaced at the thought. "Make sure your things are in order, and whatever nonsense these criminals might have told you? Disregard it. We're here on behalf of the Church, don't forget that."
For those of you familiar with the original "Weight of a Name" I tried to not bore you, and for those new to it, well, sorry it took near 30 chapters to get here! Something something world building.
I'm basically the Terry Pratchett of fanfic. Take forever to setup.
I'd be so out of a job if I worked as a cook. Can you imagine taking six months to prepare a kitchen?
There'll be gift cards in the mail.