What's this?! Two chapters in a week? I haven't done that for a long time now, so... Surprise!
This is also the longest chapter by quite a bit. About 12.5k words, 30 or so pages, and lots of time spent. Was a VERY busy weekend in terms of writing.
But here we are, the end of Merlot's involvement, and even better, the point where the girls are really going to be together.
Enjoy!
Merlot was a mountain peak in a blizzard. Unreachable, unattainable, and likely fatal if they even tried.
Try they must, however. Lightning bolts whipped through the ward, crashing against the magic imbued walls and splashing out, hissing and crackling like over energetic snakes. The wind whipped up and tossed debris haphazardly, forming a wall of defense between Merlot and the four girls.
If the lightning and rubble wasn't enough Merlot stood poised in the center of it all, book in hand and more than prepared to strike out or defend as need be.
The focus to maintain a single spell for Weiss was trying enough. Two was pushing it under the best of circumstances. Merlot had two now but appeared more than capable of unleashing more at a moment's notice.
No Magi is unbeatable, no one invincible. Weiss hands trembled as she spread her feet and readied herself, tossing her head as hair whipped back in her face. He's powerful, but he'll make a mistake. We'll have to capitalize on that.
Easier said than done.
Yang's shout was muted by the screaming winds. Her fire erupted in pillars that cut a straight path towards Merlot, immolating stone and burning white hot. Even as Merlot contained her fire with another set of barriers the Dimuran bolted towards him, weaving between her own pillars and obfuscating his view. She tried to anyways. Yang leaped over crashing stones and her left hand went up in flame, swiping through the air and sending an arc of fire crashing down upon Merlot.
"Pitiful."
Yang tumbled through the air from a concussive blast and Ruby took her place in a flash. Red streaks soared through spells and even lightning itself couldn't match her speed. Merlot's smug expression waned as his eyes struggled to track the streaking girl, and Weiss formed a pair of runes, firing a volley of ice and fire.
Merlot grinned and unleashed a burst of wind. Ruby, caught in mid-leap, yelped as the sudden gust threw her aside and directly into Weiss' spells. Somehow, she twisted her body mid-flight, shattering shards of ice with her scythe. Her cape was singed by flames yet she landed largely unharmed, skidding across the ground and disappearing again.
"We have to work together! Don't attack alone!" Weiss shouted, voice deafened by the howling winds. The ground underfoot quaked and she dove, rolling and scrambling as the earth split, then erupted and spewed forth flames. Fireballs rained down from above and she wove a rune, heart threatening to burst from her chest as a torrent of water engulfed the fire.
How would they work together if they couldn't even speak? Blake had broken them free but that seemed more like a fluke now. Merlot wouldn't be caught unawares a second time. Not unless they could overwhelm him.
The Meera struggled to stand and Weiss watched as Blake covered her mouth, body shuddering violently between coughs. It was all the ravenette could do to avoid spells now. Thankfully she wasn't the only one who noticed, and Yang rushed to her side, unleashing a blue flame burst to counter Merlot's own.
Yang and Blake might be inaccessible to her, but she still had Ruby. Better yet? They didn't need verbal communication to work.
Weiss found Ruby darting between electrical shocks, her clothing charred but free of visible wounds. Their eyes met and Weiss raised two fingers, spun her wrist and smiled. With a nod of understanding Ruby crouched and her body glowed, magic building rapidly. Her entire body vibrated, hair rising on end, and then with an audible clap that could easily have been thunder she rushed forward. Rather, they rushed forward, as a pair of red streaks broke off from each other and moved to lock Merlot in a pincer.
Merlot hurled debris at one and watched his projectile shatter. With a self-assured smile he propelled another at the second, gawking as it too destroyed his ammunition.
Not just a trick. Weiss smiled and ran her hand along her rapier, taking a deep breath and drowning out the wind battering her body. Ice crystalized on her weapon and she prepared a second rune, reaching out behind herself and placing it in the air. She jumped, angling her body forward and slamming her feet into the rune.
Her eyes teared up as wind slapped her in the face, hurtling violently through swirling rubble towards Merlot. The first red streak reached him and just barely missed cutting him down. The second hit a wall of stone and was crushed between a second.
Weiss dove through the rubble and thrust her rapier towards Merlot, air around her rapier sparkling as ice readied to explode on impact.
The second Merlot turned on her she tried to twist her body and avoid the oncoming spell. With so much momentum she couldn't adjust, her own velocity keeping her body rigid. Merlot's hand crackled and glowed violet, and just as her rapier was about to strike his chest her entire body seized up. Intense pain wracked her entire being and by virtue of being unable to move her fingers kept a hold of her weapon. A soundless cry of pain erupted, and she wheezed as a pillar of stone caught her abdomen, driving what little breath remained from her lungs and throwing her back.
"Children, children…" Merlot tutted, stepping back as the shadows at his feet opened. Blake's dagger missed by a hair's breadth, her subsequent lunge by a bit more. Only Yang's wild attack prevented the Meera from being electrocuted too. "You should learn to recognize greatness!" He erected a sheet of ice to block Yang's claw swipe, a burst of wind to push himself out of a burst of fire. Another gust threw Yang back.
Yang grinned as she tumbled head over heels and waved her hand, the air around Merlot sparking and sizzling. A series of explosions went off and engulfed the man in a fiery inferno powerful enough to wrench the debris floating around him away, shattering and throwing chunks of stone away.
Weiss' cheer died in her throat seeing the stone tomb erected at the epicenter and her heart sank when the stone crumbled away to reveal an unharmed Merlot at the center.
"Lab rats who rebel are to be dealt with." Ruby's scythe wasn't blocked, and Ruby wasn't thrown away like before. The brunette gasped as Merlot caught her weapon, pulling and kicking Ruby hard enough to tear her off it. While Ruby skipped and bounced away Merlot admired Ruby's weapon casually, entirely uncaring of the barrage Yang unleashed on him. "A scythe…? I'd be impressed if it wasn't so horribly dull. A farmer's tool as a weapon…" He scoffed and dropped it at his feet. "Do you think this a game, children?"
"Merlot!" Yang howled and hurtled towards Merlot on all fours. She ignored spells pelting her and came within striking distance.
A deep purple rune flared in Merlot's hand and Yang dropped, shrieking in pain as her body convulsed. Blake erupted from Yang's shadow and again narrowly missed Merlot, gasping as her arm was wrenched and she was lifted, slammed onto her back and rebounding off the packed ground.
"Perhaps you think me a defenseless old man? Fragile and withered with age, hm?" Clearly that wasn't the case. Weiss wished she could land a decisive blow if only to stop the man's incessant blathering! "I will make you recognize my prowess! I will not be overlooked, least of all by mere children!"
Weiss wove a pair of ice runes and fired them hurriedly at Merlot. She released a fire spell and pushed away the lactic acid build up in her arm, forcing her twitching fingers to cooperate and formed another volley of ice.
Merlot brushed aside her spells with little more than a flick of his wrist. He flipped the page in his book and twisted spires of stone formed overhead, shifting and angling towards Blake. Yang screamed and stretched her misshapen hand out to grab Merlot's leg, bellowing as a spire nailed her hand to the ground.
"Ruby!"
For a split-second Weiss felt weightless, her feet not striking the ground despite running as quickly as her legs would allow. Then her lungs swelled, her eyes flashed, and her entire body felt a rejuvenating burst of energy explode from her center mass and spread through her limbs. Sounds became muted and the world itself slowed, time seeming to crawl to a standstill.
Blake was before her in an instant and Weiss scooped her up hastily, her speed enhanced but her strength minimal. Every ounce of power she could muster went into lifting Blake, her head turning as Merlot's salvo rained down on them, slower than it should have been. Ruby's gift of speed began to wane, and Weiss twisted her body, lunging forward in a desperate effort to avoid being skewered.
Red filled her vision and she became nauseated as her body came out of an enhanced state, hurtling forwards for the second time in as many minutes. Twisting and turning desperately she cried out as she took the brunt of the impact, striking the ground and losing an already tenuous grip on Blake. The Meera rolled away as she slammed into the wheel of a cart, screaming in pain. Her rapier flew from her hand and clattered out of sight.
A second bombardment faltered when Merlot's attention was torn away, nearly as his leg was too. Yang snarled and lifted the man off his feet, blood soaking his trousers as she lifted and spun her body around. Merlot clutched his book to his chest and curled around it as he was thrown through the air, right up towards the ceiling of the ward. Yang's hands swelled with white flame and she formed blistering orbs, launching them and directing them towards Merlot.
The resulting eruption bathed the entire fortress in a blinding white. Weiss felt her skin heat up instantly, hot air filling her lungs, and the world became little more than distorted silhouettes. Her ears rang painfully as the blast subsided, trembling from being pressed forcibly into the ground. Tears mixed with blood dripping down her left eye and she pushed herself to her hands and knees, gasping painfully as each breath sent a jolt of pain down her side.
Merlot hovered in midair, a barrier surrounding him splintering and cracking, shattering like glass. Several spots already broke away and the Magi sported a handful of burns for it, cloth burned away, skin red and scalded.
Yang managed to strike Merlot and cause injury. All it took was an incredibly powerful spell, one which dropped the Dimuran to her knees.
If not for Ruby's desperate diving save and tackling Yang aside the blonde would have been crushed beneath rubble. The silver-eyed girl collected her scythe in the process, hair caked to her face and drenched in sweat, chest heaving as she stood in front of her beleaguered sister. Weiss crawled for her scythe, awkwardly groping for it with one eye open before grabbing it and rolling onto her back. Ice shattered harmlessly against Merlot's barrier and she watched, dejected, as he released his shield after.
"Disappointing." Merlot's body began to glow with a green light, his burns slowly mending and healing over. "I pity you, truly I do. Weak and without the means to truly use magic's full potential. Even you, Yang. You who I gave immense power, all you could manage were superficial wounds." The elder Magi landed and turned to a new page again, and the rubble around them began to shake and lift off the ground. "Tell me, Yang. Have you the strength to defend against this? No… I command you defend your friends!" Merlot laughed and lifted dozens of pieces of rubble skyward, shaping them into pointed projectiles. "Protect them and die!"
Weiss' earthen barrier faltered as it went up and Ruby crouched, ready to try and bat away anything Merlot threw at her. Her legs wobbled and she nearly toppled forward. Beside Weiss, Blake coughed up black mucus and shuddered, her head hanging as shadow swelled around her, struggling to pull the four of them out of harm's way again.
Beyond the barrier blue light flashed in the sky, then a volley of ephemeral arrows showered down against the ward. Like oversized raindrops they pelted the barrier, splintering and dissipating on impact. A handful made it throw and forced Merlot to turn his attention away, using debris to form a shield for himself.
A larger arrow struck the barrier and broke a hole in it. Yatsuhashi leaped from a nearby wall and fell through, greatsword cutting through debris and glowing red. Merlot nimbly dodged but still had to shield himself as Yatsuhashi twisted in his fall and swung an arc of magic at the elder Magi, shattering his shield.
Floating rubble shifted and an orange blur rushed towards Merlot from above. Fox hurtled downward, bladed gauntlets taking strands of hair and tearing through Merlot's robes. Merlot backpedaled away, cursing and unleashing another spell that mirrored Yang's own, igniting the air before him. Fox dodged, and Yatsuhashi rended the ground at Merlot's feet, narrowly missing. Blue tendrils caught Merlot mid-stride and Fox dove for him, curling up instead when flame and wind erupted from Merlot, throwing him and Yatsuhashi back.
Blake ducked beneath the boys and drew a dagger, weaving out of the way of a fireball and chasing Merlot back with frenetic swipes. She tumbled away from a deluge of water, and Ruby managed to pin his robe, missing the mark as Merlot stumbled out of the way, pushing her back as well.
Yang's disfigured form crashed into Merlot's back and threw him off his feet. Only a hasty barrier prevented her claw from tearing him asunder, and a sudden lightning storm forced Yang away.
"More are on the way." Weiss blinked blearily hearing Fox beside her, nodding graciously as he offered her a healing potion. She popped the cork and greedily drank, gasping in relief as her aches and pains instantly began to lessen. "Your friend… What is she?"
Even the blind guy could tell Yang wasn't quite normal. Weiss might have laughed at the notion if her body wouldn't fall apart from it. Instead she snorted, struggling to her feet and relying not the least bit on Fox for support. Yatsuhashi used his broad weapon to block Merlot's spells, defending Ruby and Yang both. The towering Hunter's surprisingly swift cuts showered Merlot in arcs of energy, blistering and crashing against his barrier. From above a smaller volley of arrows struck Merlot's barrier from behind and the dual attacks shattered it.
Merlot's face, glistening in sweat, finally registered signs of concern. His brow twitched and he erected another barrier to block Coco's volley, reducing the ground to fine sand to slow Yatsuhashi's charge. His body shimmered and he blinked away, reappearing several yards away from where he'd stood. Closer to Yang and Ruby.
"Enough!" The same eerie rune from before flared and Yang screamed, doubling over and collapsing as she lunged for Merlot. Ruby turned to attack and gagged when a hand grabbed her throat, lifting her off her feet. "Attack me again and I will kill her!" he shouted, glaring at Weiss. "Schnee, you are to come with me! We are finished here!"
Weiss' rune faltered when Ruby wailed, dropping her scythe and clawing desperately at Merlot's hand. Coco's prepared hail of arrows held steady and neither Fox nor Yatsuhashi made any move to attack.
"That's much better. I'll admit you caught me by surprise, but you're still outmatched! And besides…" An incandescent, bestial howl filled the air, accompanied by several more. Merlot sneered. "It seems you have other issues. Come with me, Schnee, and your friends can see to the Grimm."
Weiss took one look at Ruby's face, rapidly turning blue and her struggling waning, and nodded. Pushing Fox's hand off her shoulder she made the long walk across the battered courtyard, navigating craters and casting a listless gaze at the crumbling buildings around them. Ruby tried to call her but only choked gargling reached her ears. Yang screamed at Merlot's feet and Weiss' chest clenched painfully.
Her own freedom for Ruby's life? So be it.
Merlot's triumphant smile disappeared the moment blood splattered his face. For a moment, no one moved, not him, not Weiss, and even the fading Ruby could only stare in shock.
Yang sneered and her claws dripped with blood, malformed arm weighing her down and making her slouch. At least she had an arm. Merlot's severed limb lay at his feet and the bloody stump that remained shifted, spurting blood.
Then Merlot screamed, stumbling away and shaking his head in disbelief. Bloodied, tattered cloth hunt from his shoulder and he cried out, turning and running from Yang. The air ahead of him began to shimmer and glow, and space itself distorted, twisting before expanding and forming a pale blue portal.
"Stop him!"
Coco shot her volley and missed by a hair's breadth. Ruby collected her scythe and swayed on her feet before giving chase, with Yang hot on her heels. Blake rushed ahead of Weiss and caught up to them quickly enough as Merlot vanished through the portal.
"Go with them!" Coco turned out towards the forest and formed another volley, her bandaged head bobbing slightly. "We'll handle the Grimm, kid! You deal with Merlot!"
Fox pushed her ahead and nodded, dropping a few more potions into her pouch in the process. Yatsuhashi waved her along before charging towards the buckling gates of the fortress. Snarls and howls filled the air and the wooden doors began to flex inward, threatening to give way.
Ruby and Yang rushed through the portal first. Blake glanced back and nodded, hurrying in after them. Weiss gave her thanks and forced her body to move, ignoring her easily broken or bruised ribs, clinging to the abatement of fatigue that her potion afforded her.
Spells crashing down and Grimm's frenzied cries were the last things she heard as she reached the closing portal, reaching out and throwing herself through it.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Maybe diving through a portal wasn't the best idea in hindsight.
Much like a normal door the portals always opened elsewhere, obviously - that was the entire point of a portal. Unlike a door however you hadn't a clue where it might dump you unless you created it or were told beforehand.
Weiss was confused long before she got a face full of grass. Sputtering and groaning at her ungracious landing she closed her eyes, inhaling and pushing through the aches and pains. Blindly groping for her rapier and finding it nearby she rolled onto her back, lifting her head and watching the portal blink closed behind her.
Merlot!
She sat upright and failed to find any sign of Merlot despite only being a moment behind him. What she did find was her friends, although that might not be as reassuring as she'd have liked. Yang lay curled up on the ground, head in her hands and twitching. Blake sat beside her, doubled over and sickly as can be, black veins reaching up across her face. Between them Ruby desperately tried to console the pair, looking up when she heard Weiss approaching.
"Here…" She knelt and removed potions and salves both. Blake snatched a potion and downed it instantly, coughing and throwing the vial aside. Weiss smiled patiently, then worked with Ruby to get Yang to open. The Dimuran panted, groaning as her mouth was coerced open, then sputtering as a potion was dumped down her throat.
"Where are we…?" Weiss asked, looking around in bewilderment. Ruby shrugged and went back to comforting her sister.
"I don't know. Merlot went through the portal, we chased him, and now we're here…" She sighed, then gasped as black smoke began to spill off Yang. "Oh no! Y-Yang, are you okay?!"
The Dimuran managed a thumbs up before groaning again. Smoke continued to pour away but rather than transformer further like she did before she began to change back. Reassuring, but again with a caveat as Yang came out looking every bit as sickly as Blake did.
"Plock… Plockton…"
Weiss gawked at Yang in disbelief. "Impossible! That was still a day's travel at least! To create a portal that distance… It's impossible! He couldn't have done that on a whim!"
He hadn't, and Weiss realized that the moment she said it. Merlot had a portal prepared - probably not for a hasty escape like he'd used it for but for quick travel. It would require immense magic, yes, and precise planning, but it was feasible.
That he'd have enough energy after everything to activate it from so far away, and to escape us…
Where was Merlot?
The answer to that question was easy: within the city before them. Weiss stared at the wood and stone buildings some few yards away. Every building was dark, and the grey, stormy sky overhead shrouded the town in an ominous darkness.
The blood trail leading towards the town said the rest.
"He moves surprisingly fast… For an old prick," Yang grumbled, sitting up and swaying. Ruby caught her arm for support, and she smiled weakly. "Thanks. Blake, you hanging in there?"
"Barely." Blake tilted her head to show the veins, then squeezed her eyes shut and winced. "It… Whatever it is, it keeps clawing at my mind. It's like… It feels like having someone whispering in your ear… Inside your head."
"Creepy." Ruby shuddered.
"If we can still fight, we need to move," Weiss urged gently. "Merlot is injured. He's strong, yes, but he's still just a man. Even if he heals his wounds, we've crippled him." She glanced at Yang skittishly. "Er… You crippled him."
The Dimuran flashed a halfhearted grin, then leaned against Ruby and stood. Weiss offered Blake the same support and together the four of them began the arduous, slow trek towards town with Yang carrying Ruby's scythe and Weiss clipping her rapier to her belt.
It was slow going, which was inevitable. Merlot might have suffered the worst wound but each of them was banged up, or in Blake's case, ill. Weiss would be lying if she didn't feel the slightest bit disconcerted with the Meera so close to her. Every twitch made her glance warily at the dark-haired girl, each groan potentially leading to her fully giving in to the madness.
And what of the others back in Ambrose? Grimm had begun to appear in droves. Coco, Fox, and Yatsuhashi appeared capable, and certainly stronger than any of them. They were only three people however, and the only other person who could even use magic in town was a healer.
Magi weren't invincible. They'd proven that with Merlot. How long could the three of them hope to hold out against swelling numbers?
Against her wishes she pushed their plight from her thoughts and tried to focus on the here and now.
Plockton was a wretched place, and that was likely even before it was abandoned. Tall two- and three-story buildings densely packed together loomed over them, shadowy pillars against the overcast sky. Brown, black, and grey were the predominant colors and the occasional planter did little to take away from the bleak setting. The cobbled streets were slick with rainwater and puddles gathered in various depressions on the roads. Chances were it wouldn't be long until another deluge struck.
If not for Merlot's obvious trail and the occasional smear on the side of a building they'd never find him. Plockton's streets were a maze, although that wasn't true: mazes were planned, the city's streets were in disarray. In a manner much more reminiscent of a child scrawling in the dirt they cut through narrow side roads, circled around large structures, and stumbled across wide open roads, or as open as they got in the crowded settlement.
Eventually, Merlot's trail stopped. A spattering of blood on a sealed door had to be the end of his trek, and although not a single light within betrayed his presence Weiss was certain they had found him. The two-story home leaned slightly to the right, chimney coming apart at the seams. A window had been smashed in at some point and rain water dripped from an overfilled gutter, pooling in a grimy slop in front of the house.
"Right… How do we wanna do this?" Yang asked.
"An animal is always the most dangerous when it's cornered. We shouldn't do anything too hasty."
"Blake's right, we can't go charging in," Ruby agreed. "For all we know he's watching us right now…"
Weiss craned her neck and squinted as she tried to make out shapes in the dark windows. Nothing moved, and if not for the obvious blood marks she'd have assumed, like so many others, the house was abandoned. Walking into the home was a trap, but it might be their only choice; Merlot wasn't going to leave his shelter without a good reason.
"We could burn the house down?" Yang cracked her neck and eyed up the property.
"And risk burning Plockton to the ground? The houses are too close together, and besides…" Weiss shook her head. "People want to return to their homes when we're through. There wouldn't be much left if we did that."
They could smoke him out? So long as they were mindful of the flames Merlot could be forced to evacuate. The smashed in the window would be problematic for that plan, as would the other half dozen windows on the building.
Collapse the structure? Plausible, but they ran the risk of damaging nearby homes, not to mention the amount of magic it would take, something they had waning reserves of.
Weiss glanced between her friends and bit her lip. Merlot seemed intent on taking her along. Why she couldn't say and even Yang hadn't known, but he'd made that very clear. Enough that he was willing to kill Ruby to force her into submission. He had no issue killing the others, Yang was effectively on a leash…
But he wanted her alive.
Weiss took a deep breath and eased Blake off her, smiling at the Meera's befuddled expression. "I'll go inside and get him to come out. Or I'll force him," she said, fingers grazing her rapier.
"Weiss, that's too dangerous!" Ruby protested. "What if he takes you and teleports again? Or what if he attacks you? We might not be able to help in time!"
"He had a chance to kill me during the fight, Ruby. And, lest you forget, he tasked Yang with bringing me to him. He might attack me," Weiss licked her lips and forced a smile. "But he won't kill me. And all I need to do is make him step outside."
"You're sure you can do that, Weissy…? We're running on fumes. We'll fight if we've gotta, but no promise we can stop him if he tries anything."
Weiss removed her pack and handed it to Ruby. "There are salves and potions inside. Take as many as you need and be ready. We'll need to take him by surprise." Assuming Merlot was foolish enough to follow her out in the first place. "Can you three be discreet until then?"
"I can hide in one of the buildings," Blake mused, looking around to survey their surroundings. She pointed to an opening in a nearby three-story structure. "I can watch the door for you and wait nearby."
"Ruby and I can wait around back in case there's another exit, or if he tries anything." Ruby seemed less than certain but nodded to her sister's plan. "Still… What if he teleports away? He loves using those portals, I wouldn't be surprised if he's got one there."
"If he did then he'd have come out in the building, not outside of town. At best he'd perform a hasty spell like in Ambrose to escape, and I'll fight back, and signal you three with a spell." Weiss offered her best reassuring smile. "Have a little faith in me. I'm the only one that can go in without risk of him killing me, and shy of bringing the building down we can't force him out either."
It wasn't an ideal plan, far from it. Merlot could have already left or have prepared spells in the event someone did come in after him; he had to know they were in Plockton by now. Did she want to do it? Did any sane person want to jump in a pit with snakes?
Without any further complaints Weiss steeled herself and trudged through the murky puddle, marching up the crumbling stone steps to the bloodied door. She tested the cold iron handle, giving it a jostle, then slowly eased it open and peered inside. No light, and no signs of habitation. Only wet footprints and a thin trail of blood showed Merlot had come inside. Sparing her friends one last look she went inside, cringing as the door closed with a thud behind her.
Weiss was fortunate she wasn't afraid of the dark. Stumbling upon a crazed Magi in the dark? She wove a simple fire rune and lit a candle light. It provided hardly more than a few feet of illumination but was better than nothing. Thunder crashed outside and she jumped, gasping and clutching her chest. Smiling at her own skittishness she took a few deep breaths to try and quell her racing pulse.
"Right… Where are you, Merlot?"
A turned over bookshelf blocking the staircase might have been her first guess if not for the cobwebs and layer of dust coating it. Grimacing, she turned her attention to the rest of the first floor. The spitroast and fireplace were long abandoned, a cauldron with liquid still inside festering and filling the house with a fetid odor. A table and overturned chairs showed nothing besides abandoned meals and food long since rotted.
Following speckled drops of blood Weiss slowly moved through the house, circling around a broken bench and pushing aside hanging, wilted planters. She lifted her hand when the trail came to an end, groaning and slumping.
A basement? Of course he'd gone into a basement. How wonderfully trite. Difficult to say with her personal light too but she was certain light was pouring out from a crack in the floor. Snuffing out her flame confirmed it and Weiss grumbled about her misfortune, drawing her rapier and hesitantly grabbing the basement door. The knob twisted without resistance and she slowly drew it open, gagging and burying her face in the fold of her arm.
The wretched smell hadn't been rotting food, or mold, or anything of the like. Whatever it was, a smell akin to rotten eggs, only infinitely worse, came from below. Her eyes welled up and she clasped her right hand over her mouth, breathing through her sleeve as she led with her rapier ahead of her. Lights flickered below and shadows moved across the staircase, pausing when Weiss' foot hit a step and creaked.
"Not yet… Not yet!"
Merlot scurried about like a cornered rat. They had him! Weiss redoubled her efforts and hurried down the stairs, running into an invisible wall of noxious fumes. She nearly retched, taking a moment to gather herself before rushing to the bottom of the stairs.
"Stop… Right…" Weiss' arm dropped, and she stared, baffled and disturbed at what she saw.
Barrels upon barrels of black, fleshy objects inside. Wriggling, sloshing. Tables strewn with papers, instruments used for surgery scattered around the room. And in the far end of the room, hidden away from the light, a cage against the wall housed a Grimm. Chains bound its limbs and runes lined it, flashing as Merlot approached.
The Grimm lifted its narrow head, four antlers scraping against the bars of the cage. Eyes normally glowing with revulsion were dull, a raspy, low snarl its only cry. Gangly limbs struggled weakly against constraints and shifting its emaciated frame. Weiss never thought she'd have felt pity for a Grimm before now, but seeing the thing on the verge of death, surviving purely because Grimm couldn't actually starve, she felt an inkling of it.
Merlot slumped against the cage and smiled wildly, his stump of a limb waving as if to keep Weiss at bay. "Y-You're too late! I've done it! I've finally done it!"
Through with manic ramblings Weiss drew a frost rune and unleashed a chilled wind. It struck a barrier and faltered. Stewing, she marched forward and drove her rapier into the same shield, scowling as she failed to pierce it. Merlot laughed, then reached into the cage and pet the Grimm, lips quivering as he pressed his face to the bars.
"My faithful pet… All my hard work… It's not for naught! The world will see my brilliance!" He laughed, stumbling back from the cage as another spell struck his barrier. "They will see… Ozpin, the Church… They'll all see…"
"Merlot! Stop this at once!" Weiss struck the barrier again and again, gritting her teeth as her weapon bounded off the shell without effect. "By authority of the Church of Vale, and under Archbishop Ozpin, I hereby sentence you -"
"Shhh, shush, child! Don't you see what's happening here?! Why don't you understand? Why doesn't anyone understand?!" Merlot cackled and began to tear off his robe, trembling as he shrugged it off, then desperately began to claw at his tunic. "I am driving forward society! I am doing what no one thought possible!"
Merlot tore off his tunic and began to weave a rune. His chest glowed and Weiss' blood chilled, pushing with her palms against the barrier and desperately trying to break through. Her attempt at another spell failed and she pounded her fists against the barrier fruitlessly. "Stop! Stop!"
The symbol on Merlot's chest ignited, the same symbol that Yang had shown on her back. A glaring light erupted from Merlot and the Grimm screeched in pain, shrill and piercing. Weiss stumbled back and clasped her hands over her ears to drown out the noise, groaning as her very bones ached from the cry and her teeth rattled.
The light subsided, the cage was empty. Weiss cracked her eyes slowly and stepped back towards the stairs, unable to take her eyes from Merlot.
Black tendrils erupted from his stump, twisting and expanding, turning into a limb. Black skin materialized and a new limb formed, larger than his normal one, sporting razor sharp claws. Just like Yang's.
"Incredible…" Merlot lifted his new arm, one not unlike the Grimm's, curling and flexing his fingers. He chuckled, lowering his head as four white antlers sprouted from his skull, grunting as his body twitched and expanded. He staggered forward, eyes rolling back and twitching as his leg bones snapped, reshaping themselves. Legs shaped like a goat's grew and elongated, bone sprouting and reshaping his feet into hooves.
The Magi collapsed forward onto his hands and knees, panting heavily. He lifted his head and smiled, righting himself and, after a brief self-examination, laughed in delight.
"Simply marvelous. I feel so… Whole," he mused, voice warbling, deeper. One eye, still human, swiveled to hold Weiss. The other, blood red with a yellow iris, quivered in his skull, darting around the room independently before fixing itself on Weiss.
"I've done it… I've done it!" He laughed and swung his arms, knocking over containers of quivering mass, his ribbed chest shaking. "The next step in evolution. No more fatigue, no need to rest, or eat… An endless fount of energy with the mind of man!"
Weiss turned and scrambled back up the stairs, halfway up when the barrier shattered. Merlot howled in delight, his perverse laughter booming as she darted through the house and threw open the door. Her feet barely reached the puddle beyond the door when the roof of the home erupted, raining shingles, wood and other debris down onto the street below. Weiss narrowly avoided it with Ruby's help, panting desperately as she and her partner pressed against the far wall.
Merlot sauntered out from the basement, flexing his hands and staring, wide eyed and slack jaw. "Such power! And I didn't feel a thing!" He laughed, then reached into his tattered bag at his waist and threw his spell book aside. "I need no books, no incantations, no runes! I have become something greater!" He smiled, a long, black and purple tongue lolling out of his mouth.
"And… I no longer have need of you, Schnee…"
Ruby and Weiss dove separate ways as flame erupted from Merlot's hand, turning brick black and melting the iron handrails of the home. Above she heard Blake shout a warning and Merlot towered over them, sneering as he aimed a spell point blank in Weiss' face. Her skin sweltered and her hair stood on end as fire and lightning mixed.
Yang roared and landed on Merlot's back, wrapping an arm around his neck and wrenching hard. To her credit Merlot dispelled his attack and stumbled back. "Pest!" He grabbed Yang's sides and lifted her off with startling ease, throwing her aside like a child no longer interested in his toy.
"Yang!"
Ruby raced to her sister's side and Weiss followed suit as daggers buried themselves in Merlot's chest. He casually removed them, smiling as Blake nimbly dove out of the building, caught herself on another, and rolled after jumping from a balcony. Shadows did little to hold Merlot in place and she joined the others as Merlot's body began to crackle with energy.
Weiss pushed the sisters ahead of her, building a wall of stone at their backs and waving Blake along. "Run!"
They didn't make it ten feet before the wall exploded, showering them with rocks. They kept running, and not a single one dared look back as Merlot laughed, his casual gait belying his bloodlust.
"Yes, run! Scurry like the rats you are!" he taunted, sneering as he destroyed a home just behind the girls, leveling it with a single spell. "Forget your master! I am something far, far greater now!" Merlot dragged a hand through a home and grabbed a handful of bricks, shattering windows and stone as the girls cut down an alleyway.
"You should be honored: you'll be the first to die by my hand! Today a new god is born!"
/+/+/+/+/+/
It was a damn shame they'd not brought the house down around Merlot. Both because it might have killed him, gods willing.
And because Merlot clearly didn't share the same sentiments about preserving Plockton's homes.
Weiss might have felt annoyed if sheer terror wasn't dominating her thoughts. They didn't know the town at all, not the layout, where might be safe, or even how to get out safely. Not that anywhere was likely safe anymore.
Another building exploded as a blast of magic tore through it. A house a block behind them went up in flames, fiery debris flying and crashing into other buildings. Weiss' entire body shook as the ground under their feet trembled, errant bursts of magic causing craters to form and spires to erupt.
Merlot wasn't aiming his spells anymore. He didn't need to. With so much raw magical energy now at his disposal he could fling spells all day until he finally got lucky.
The 'how' of Merlot gaining such stamina would wait until later. Weiss had assumed Yang would be a bottomless fount and yet the Dimuran was every bit as fatigued as the rest of them. She had changed back too, a first for everyone involved, Yang included. Seeing the blonde struggle as she tried to invoke a transformation for herself was distressing enough. Hearing Merlot steadily come closer with his wild blasts was a million times worse.
If the sky hadn't already been overcast, then the billowing plumes of black smoke would have done the job. As if it hadn't been miserable enough the entire town somehow became darker, the towering smoke blocking out what little sunlight there was It was like running through a town at night. Blind. With a monster chasing you.
If they survived this Weiss could imagine having nightmares for weeks.
If. If. If.
The uncertainty was worse than anything.
Another home exploded, this one only three buildings back. The shockwave from the blast threw them off their feet and left them scrambling. Wheezing and feeling the gash over her eye reopened Weiss groped blindly for a wall, staggering to her feet. Her hand found Ruby's and she pulled her partner along, grimacing as pain wracked her chest, a stabbing sensation making her gasp for breath.
"Come on! This way!" Yang's voice sounded far more distant than it should have, and Weiss had trouble focusing her vision. The blonde waved them along, ferrying them down a narrow passage between two oversized homes.
Through the cacophony of noises, explosions, and the roar of flames in the distance, Merlot's laughter taunted them.
The narrow road they took was a dead end, though provided some shelter… Until Merlot eventually decided to strike again. Pressing themselves around the corner and out of view the four girls collapsed, struggling just to breathe. Blake hacked up a lung, or near enough, clamping a hand over her mouth to try and stifle the noise. Black liquid spurted free between her fingers and she doubled over, hands trembling against the ground as her body tensed.
"Yang! Whatever you did before -"
"On it!" Yang knelt at Blake's side and pressed her hand to the Meera's back, uttered a quick apology, then funneled magic to the point of contact. Somehow Blake kept from screaming, though she did slam her head into the ground and kick blindly. Another coughing fit, not as violent as the last, and Blake collapsed with a groan.
This wasn't going to work. Whatever Yang was doing to keep Blake from going mad it was hurting as much as it helped. Weiss fumbled with her bag and handed over another potion and salve, then thrust a potion into Ruby's hands. "Drink," she ordered. Ruby nodded and chugged the bitter contents, grimacing and shuddering. "We need a plan. We can't keep running. We'll never last…"
In a war of attrition, Merlot would win. He'd never tire and despite their numbers they would. They already were. A battle of strength wouldn't serve them any better; blowing apart multiple buildings would take immense magic energy and Merlot seemed to do it with ease.
That left only one option; hope Merlot's transformation would render him wild, or wild enough that they could outsmart him. Yang's had made her rampant before. Perhaps Merlot's would too? We only need a brief lapse in judgment… Weiss peered around the corner and gasped as a nearby building crumbled.
"Yang, do you have much energy left?"
"The potion's helping, sure. Why, what's your idea?"
Idiotic, frankly put. Weiss picked herself up and took in their surroundings. Four buildings packed tightly together with no room for maneuvering. No escape besides cutting through them. Weiss put her hand against cold stone and smiled.
"That spell, the white flames… Could you do that again?"
"That's a big ask, Weissy. Takes a lot of energy to get 'em that hot…" Yang paused, rolling her shoulders before nodding. "But I'll try. Plan on hitting him?"
"No, I doubt brute force will work anymore. He seems to heal too quickly, he's too durable. Not unlike you when you've changed." Weiss smiled uncertainly. "We'll bring down the buildings around us. Goad him into chasing us down here, then…" She paused, cut off as another building crumbled. The ground under their feet shook and Weiss cringed as she heard the windows above them shake and crack, though thankfully not shatter.
"Bring the buildings down on his head!" Ruby glanced up and smiled, collecting her scythe. "I can act as bait! I'm fast, and -"
"Let me do it," Blake interrupted, gasping as she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Sunken eyes that made her look like an insomniac sought Weiss', pale skin drenched in sweat. "I've got enough magic left… Let me bait him in. You'll need Ruby to get Yang out before everything comes down."
"You sure, Blake…? You're barely moving as it is," Yang warned.
"I've had worse." Weiss sincerely doubted that. "Besides… I'm probably still… Nimbler than you three…" She glanced at Ruby. "Nimbler, not faster. I'll have the easiest time moving in the narrow streets. And Weiss… You can freeze him in place while Yang sets off her spells. From a distance."
What was already a hairbrained scheme had turned into a complete nightmare. What if Blake couldn't get away? What if she couldn't halt Merlot? Or if Yang's spells didn't bring down the buildings?
What if Merlot caught on and just blew them all away?
No… If he wanted to do that he could have already. He's toying with us. He won't kill us easily. Weiss smiled darkly and nodded. We'll have to hope that arrogance overshadows common sense.
"Blake be careful," Weiss instructed. "If at any point you feel like it's not going to work then flee, we'll find you."
Ruby threw her arms around Blake and hugged her, Yang mirrored it a second later. Weiss felt a twinge of embarrassment at not offering one herself then shook her head. There would be time later to ponder her callousness, but only if they acted now. With Merlot coming closer and another building erupting nearby they had mere moments to act.
Blake waved the sisters off and staggered to her feet. Doubled over, she drew her final two daggers and coughed again, drawing her scarf over her face and walking back through the narrow road. Weiss watched her as far as her vantage would allow.
They waited. For the longest singular moment of their lives they waited for any sign of something that could happen. With the explosions that had been rocking Plockton coming to a halt everything was eerily quiet. The orange glow outside of buildings going up in flames game an otherworldly hue to everything.
Then Merlot howled and another building crumbled soon after. Two houses away from her own. Weiss focused on the small road and wove as many ice runes as she could manage, leaving five hidden in the road before scurrying into one of the buildings. No sooner had she closed the door did a pillar of fire erupt from the far end of the road, filling the passage and embroiling everything in a scorching inferno.
Blake dove free from the flames and ran desperately down the road towards them, one of her last daggers notably absent and blood, not her own, coating her sleeves and chest. Another inferno spilled into the passage and Blake wasted no time in throwing open any doors, instead throwing herself through a first-floor window and disappearing inside.
Merlot wasn't far behind, his wide, towering frame dragging against walls. A wound on his face was still healing and black smoke poured from the wound, dark crimson blood seeping from the gash. He stormed towards the end and noticed the smashed window at the end, sneering and extending a hand, magic swirling in his palm, a fatal concoction of nearly every element imaginable from the looks of it as reds, blues, purples, blacks and every color in between swirled together.
Pulling on her reserves of magic Weiss unleashed her runes the moment Merlot took another step. Ice bloomed in an instant, encasing his forward leg and racing up to his hip. It did nothing to dissuade him from casting, but it did draw his attention long enough to make him give pause. Weiss turned and rushed from her house, ignoring the agonizing pain as she shouldered the front door open and staggered out into the street.
Merlot's spell hit Blake's building.
Three more explosions did the rest.
Three-story buildings of brick and stone crashed down in a deafening, furious waterfall, kicking up massive clouds of dust. Glass shattered, Weiss staggered and barely kept upright as everything shook, and she rushed across the street as parts of the building came down too close for comfort.
As the buildings continued to crumble Weiss covered her mouth with her cloak to breathe through the dust, hurrying down the street. She found Blake outside, sat against a wall and fighting for breath but otherwise unharmed. Making up for before she embraced the Meera gratefully, smiling and waving over Yang and Ruby as they emerged unharmed. The sisters were dirty and caked in layers of dust but in one piece, thank god.
Weiss could almost laugh at the relief she felt. The rumbling ceased and the buildings finished collapsing, save for the occasional chunk coming loose. Weiss gave Blake's back a pat and stood only to yelp as Ruby tackled her, wincing as she landed hard on her rear. Not that Ruby noticed, far too busy hugging her.
"Weiss, I'm so glad you're okay! I was worried you wouldn't get out!"
Annoyance gave way quickly and Weiss gently flicked Ruby's head, smiling at her friend. "Please… I'm hardly as slow as you think. Just because I don't have your magic…"
"I'm surprised Blakey got free!" Yang grinned, slumping against the wall beside Blake. Her hand was caught over the Meera's head and she chuckled sheepishly. "Congratulatory head pats…?"
"I still have one dagger left, Yang. I will use it."
Ruby slid out of her lap with a laugh, trying to get Yang to leave Blake alone. Weiss cracked a smile and watched them argue, eyes catching the black marks still just poking above Blake's scarf. They needed to undo that somehow. It was Grimm, that much was certain, but how did they go about removing it? The process hadn't been the same as Yang's, they'd learned that back in Ambrose with the woman in the basement. These were ingested, so would they work their way out of the body eventually?
Weiss pushed herself back up again and moved towards the rubble. Their answers might be buried under tons of stone but perhaps they could still find clues. Merlot's spell book might have more notes, or some of the papers in the first house may have survived. They were still operating on borrowed time but now they at least had a chance to really search.
I hope Coco and the others are doing okay… Weiss pushed smaller pieces of rubble aside, absently picking through it as she frowned. They'll have to be. They're skilled, they'll be able to handle themselves.
A piece of rubble tumbled down and landed at her feet. Weiss thought nothing of it until she noticed a black streak slathered on the grey stone. At first she assumed it was charred from the blasts, picking it up and turning it over. Then she noticed the black smoke fizzling from the mark. Merlot's blood perhaps?
Weiss tossed the scrap back into the mountain of rubble and dusted her hands on her tunic. Another piece tumbled back down and she frowned, glancing up as a second followed suit.
The remains of the buildings began to shake, tremors spreading through the ground powerful enough to throw her off her feet. The rubble spilled into the road and Weiss scrambled back on her hands and feet, staring in awe as the once towering houses shifted, debris rising and falling away.
A burst of energy threw pieces skyward and massive stones rained down around them, landing on roofs and blasting smaller structures to pieces. A billowing cloud rose from the epicenter and a stifled, strained growl made her skin crawl. Long, black tendrils snaked their way free from the wreckage and pushed pieces away, reforming into a claw. A second limb pulled through and the center of the pile burst.
Merlot dragged himself free from the pile, wounds sealing up as his skin bubbled. Blood splattered on shattered stone and he grunted, using magic to push the stone back further. With a distorted laugh he climbed out entirely, limbs cracking as they reset, blood dripping from still mending wounds. His head, partially caved in, began to reshape and his wild eyes glowed as his body healed rapidly.
"Astounding! Astounding!" His voice warbled and he admired himself like a work of art, spreading his arms and looking towards the heavens. "I am immortal! No longer is it a selfish power the gods keep for themselves! I have truly transcended!"
Weiss grabbed her rapier and tried to form a rune, finding her fingers wouldn't cooperate with her. She tried to make a call and the words died in her throat. Transfixed, she watched as Merlot walked free from several tons of brick, mortar, and stone, shrugging off a veritable mountain like it had been nothing.
We can't kill him… How in the world…
"Afraid, children?" Merlot smiled, teeth misshapen as the rest of him, razor sharp. His blackened tongue rolled out and he licked the air, groaning as he closed his eyes. "That is new… That sensation. It must be what fear tastes like." He laughed and cocked his head. Do you fear me, children? Do you fear your new god?"
Weiss stumbled back and felt her rapier rattle in her hand. Breathless gasps were all she could manage, her arm refusing to lift her weapon. The others were just as silent, just as petrified, she was sure.
As if they weren't already experiencing Hell on Remnant the black puddles appearing made it infinitely worse. Her heart sank as Beowolves began to claw their way free of the ooze, snarling and snapping their jaws at the air, sampling their collective fear. Savoring it as Merlot had.
Then, in a sudden turn, they moved away from the group and focused instead on Merlot who regarded them with disinterest. A Beowolf howled and lunged, claws outstretched and mouth wide.
Merlot caught its head and broke its neck in one hand, dropping the fading corpse with a scoff.
The Grimm ignored them entirely and focused instead on Merlot. Spawning as quickly as they did, they rushed in pairs, sometimes more. Merlot bat them aside with ease, ignoring superficial wounds as he healed through them, blowing away entire groups with a single spell.
Weiss felt a firm hand on her shoulder and nearly tripped as Yang pulled her away. Ruby and Blake fled down another road nearby and Weiss followed suit, shrinking under the countless roars and howls as Grimm began to spawn within the city. She glanced back and watched Merlot cleave an Ursa in two with a single stroke, then fixed his gaze on them once more.
"Did I say you could leave?"
A wall of earth cut off their path. Merlot grinned and flattened two buildings nearby, opening the ground and letting it swallow them up like a voracious animal. With little more than a road's width to either side, large craters blocking their escape, and Merlot in their only way out, there was no escape.
"Let us play a little while longer, hm? I wish to test my abilities further. These Grimm are dull creatures." Merlot scoffed and shook his head. A Beowolf jumped onto his back and dug its claws in. He cursed, grabbing its head and lifting it off, crushing it under his hooved foot. "Nuisances. Let me see how Hunters fare!"
Weiss paled, hands groping uselessly at her sides. He was joking, right? Fight him? They couldn't beat him before and now this?!
The wounds on Merlot's chest stopped closing yet he didn't seem to pay them any mind. Nor did the wounds on his back, spilling black blood as he strode forward at a languid pace. He flexed his arms and hands, cracked his neck, and crouched, curling a finger as if goading them into attacking.
"He's not healing anymore…" Weiss whispered, not daring to take her eyes off the… Man? Whatever he was now. "We'll only have one shot at this…"
"Weiss?"
She raised her rapier and grit her teeth as Merlot barked at her, laughing and slapping his hand against the ground.
"Wonderful, wonderful! Let's test my new form together, shall we?!"
Weiss ignored him, taking half a step back and turning her head slightly to glance at Blake. "Blake… Just like you did in the cage. I'll need you to time it." Blake nodded silently, swaying as she stood. "Ruby, can you buy us time? You don't have to attack, just distract him."
"You got it, Weiss!" Ruby twirled her scythe and stood ready.
"Yang…" Weiss took her last potion and tossed it to the Dimuran. "Think we can count on Wildfire to make a mess of things?"
Yang grinned, popped the cork, and downed the potion before nodding. "Count on me."
One chance. One shot before Merlot caught on and snuffed them out like gnats. He continued to watch them, bemused and not the slightest bit concerned, even affording them the time to plan. He thought nothing they could do to hurt him. He thought he was well above them now. Maybe he was right.
But Weiss lived to prove people wrong.
She wove a pair of runes and braced, aiming her rapier and taking a deep breath, doing little to calm her nerves but clearing her mind enough to focus.
"Go!"
Ruby vanished in a flurry of red, darting headlong at Merlot, then darting aside at the last second. He didn't give chase and continued smiling at the remaining members. Ruby saw to that, swiping at his back when he ignored her and snarling, swiping blindly at the speeding little girl.
"This is your plan?! To annoy me?"
Yang stepped forward and grinned, hair glowing as she gathered up magic. She stomped forward and Merlot bat aside the wall of flame with ease, scowling as Yang repeated the same spell.
"Are you not taking this seriously?! Do you want to die that badly?!"
Yang laughed and formed a fireball, condensed it, then hurled it at Merlot. She took off and snapped her fingers, letting it explode in his face, scoring nothing but light burns. Merlot took the bait and answered with a spell of his own, slamming his claw against the ground angrily as Yang jumped over it, swatting blindly as Ruby cut at his arms and chest.
Weiss unfurled her volley of ice and watched them shatter harmlessly against Merlot's arm, guarding his face, he opened his mouth and flames swelled inside. Yang threw her own spell at him and they exploded on impact. Merlot howled, staggering back and covering his face with one hand, dropping it and shaking his head, throwing black blood everywhere.
"ENOUGH!"
Flame swirled at his feet, lightning sparked around his body, and with a blast powerful enough to knock them away he released a large blast. Ruby was thrown out of her stride and back across the clearing, digging her scythe into the ground and slowing her momentum. Yang flipped head over heels and struck the ground once, righting herself and throwing an erratic volley of fire. Merlot blocked it all, roaring angrily and hurling stone at Yang.
Blake emerged from the shadow at Merlot's back as Weiss felt the world begin to grow faint. The man-turned-beast swung around, and she landed on his arm, dragging her dagger through tainted flesh and abandoning her weapon as he fired a spell at her.
"The same trick won't work twice!"
Color faded. Sound faded. Everything faded. Weiss floated in nothingness, only the cool metal of her rapier a reminder of what sense even was. Despite existing in a void, she felt a sudden rush of wind, her body pulled hard, ferried through the complete pitch.
The hiss and crackling of flames came roaring back. Light flooded her vision and she nearly went blind. Her lungs filled with a greedy gasp and she threw her body forward, arm outstretched. Merlot twisted around as she emerged and grabbed for her.
She went right under his hand.
Weiss grunted as her rapier struck something hard, but not impenetrable. Her head throbbed painfully, and she coughed, tears running as pain blossomed in her chest. An ice run beneath her formed and a pillar exploded into existence, pushing her into Merlot and forcing her weapon in deeper. Flesh gave way, the tip slipping between the bone plating on his chest.
She drove her weapon up to the handguard and only then did her momentum stop. For a split second she feared she'd missed. Then Merlot screamed, a purely angry yet also distraught sound. Black blood seeped from the wound, then sprayed, catching her face and chest, dribbling down her arm.
"YOU DARE WOUND A GOD?!"
Merlot's claw wrapped around her and she breathlessly screamed as his fingers clenched, threatening to crush her. The pressure was short lived and Merlot screamed again, his arm tumbling to the ground. Weiss hit with a wince and blindly wriggled to break free, feeling Blake and Ruby both grab her and drag her out. Merlot screamed and grabbed for them again only to be engulfed in a towering blue flame.
"A god? Nah, you never were a god." Yang snapped her fingers and fresh flames exploded, engulfing Merlot entirely.
Weiss watched as Merlot flailed, desperately batting at the flames spreading over his body. His warbling cries of anger turned to ones of agony, stumbling around blindly. Yang's spell ceased yet the flames remained, eating away at flesh as pieces fell away and black blood continued to spill from his chest wound. Weiss rapier began to melt yet the blade remained embedded, buried in his heart.
"Why?! Why?! Why, why, why, why?!" Merlot fell forward and one of his legs vanished, black smoke rising from his body. He dragged himself forward as flesh began to melt from bone, and bone turned to dust. His red eyes glowed as his magic flared or attempted to. He couldn't focus. He hadn't anything left to use.
It took nearly all his energy to heal from the collapse. He thought he could heal through anything…
Merlot screamed again, collapsing against the ground. His other arm faded, and he rolled helplessly as flames began to die out at long last.
"Even… So called gods have their limits…" Weiss panted, frowning as she watching Merlot try to regenerate again and again only to fail. "Take your twisted ambitions… With you to hell."
Sickened by the sight of Merlot writhing about Weiss thought she'd break. She forced herself to watch however. Forced herself to witness Merlot's end, because for as deformed as he was, as wicked as he had been, he was just that: a man. A man they'd killed.
The sobering thought made her watch his final moments with pity. A look that he reviled.
"I am… A god…!" He struggled to move, an arm beginning to reform only to crumble as swiftly as it had begun to heal. Merlot groaned, shaking his head. "No… No… I perfected it. I… I am the next ev… Evolution! I. Am. God!"
Weiss finally tore her gaze away as Merlot's body faded. His red eyes stared at her as he crumbled, a chilling rattling noise passing his lips. The light of his eyes died out and his head fell, reduced to a fine black mist, then vanishing.
All that remained was an indecipherable, black scorch mark on the ruined road.
She dared to think Merlot would rise again. Somehow, some way, his ashes would spring back to life. No one spoke for an agonizingly long moment, no one dared to jinx it. Not again. Only when a chilling wind swept his ashes and carried them off did Weiss finally relax, shuddering and laying back, closing her eyes as her headache.
Hells, everything ached. Her chest felt like she'd been kicked by a horse, her legs were limp as wet noodles, and her arms struggled to lift so much as an inch.
She'd take the pain. Pain meant they were alive.
Somehow, despite it all, they were alive.
Ruby gasped and Weiss nearly cried out as she assumed the worst. Cracking one eye she saw her partner staring at Blake, supporting the Meera as black smoke rose from her body. Unlike before however she showed no signs of losing control. Indeed, Blake pulled the scarf away and the black veins began to fade, and while she remained sickly in appearance Blake coughed, yet no black ooze followed.
"That musta been the Grimm…" Yang staggered towards them and smiled, flashing a thumbs up before collapsing onto her rear. She waved dismissively as blood leaked from her nose, chuckling and groaning as she grabbed her ribs. "Hit the ground, I'm fine. Probably busted my nose though… And a few ribs… And my ass…"
"Yang…" Ruby whined, smiling amused and shaking her head. "You were amazing…"
"Right back atcha, sis!" The Dimuran laughed, then winced again and pouted. "Sheesh. You weren't half bad yourself there, Blake. You too, princess."
"Hate… You…" Weiss wheezed. "Blonde… Boob…"
"See, she's fine! She can still insult me!"
Blake snorted softly, rolling her eyes as she used her scarf to wipe soot and sweat from her face. "Idiots…" she cracked a smile and laughed softly. Ruby and Yang joined in and Weiss tried. She really, really tried, but her chest tightened, and she groaned, which for some inexplicable reason made them laugh even more.
"Take that… Back… Hate all of you…"
"Hate you too, Weissy," Yang teased with a wink.
Weiss struggled to smile, lifting her head and grabbing her chest with a painful, raspy wheeze. "C-Come on, we need to move… Before Grimm appear…" She rose with no small help from Ruby and as howls filled the air, thunder cracking in the distance, the four girls stumbled from the scene with all the haste they could manage.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Weiss grimaced as she was propped against the wall. Rain continued to come down in buckets, crashing loudly around them and the canopy above did little to block rain. Ruby offered her canteen and she accepted it graciously, taking a gracious helping before offering it back.
"Did the Grimm follow us?" Yang asked as Blake returned.
The Meera nodded somberly, wiping wet bangs from her face and sighing. "Managed to kill two, lost the rest in between houses… They're coming though…"
"We can just pick a direction and walk? Ruby suggested hopefully. "The city ends somewhere, right?"
"And walk through all the Grimm? We'll never make it in time. Best we can do…" Blake trailed off to cough, slumping against the wall. Yang helped her under their makeshift shelter and the Meera shrugged off her support. "Best we can do is wait for them to move on…"
"We're injured though. Weiss has broken ribs, you're still sick, Yang might collapse any second…" Ruby hung her head, clutching her scythe. She looked out into the pouring rain before frowning. "I still have energy. I could cut a path through the Grimm, let you three -"
"Absolutely not…" Weiss glared at her partner until Ruby hung her head. "No… Splitting up. We camp… If we must…"
"I get it, Weiss, but we don't have stuff to camp with. Plus like Rubes said we're kind in rough shape." The Dimuran smiled, but by now they all knew it was a front. She'd nearly collapsed twice since leaving the scene of their battle and that had only been half an hour ago.
Progress to get out of the city was painstakingly slow. Weiss couldn't really walk, Blake was in the same boat as Yang: unable to back up her talk. Only Ruby was in any decent shape and even she was running on fumes.
Thunder shook the city and Weiss grimaced, covering her ears and waiting for the sound to pass.
"On the bright side…" Blake mused, smiling bitterly as she closed her eyes. "Whatever that thing did to me… It's made me sicker than Weiss…"
"You're worse than Spellcast Sickness? Ouch."
"No choice but to keep moving."
Or potentially die sitting as they were.
It felt horribly cheap after their triumph over Merlot. The universe must owe them some good fortune by now, right? Yet here they were, medical supplies exhausted, without food or water - unless they wanted to drink the rain. They had shelter, sure, if abandoned, mold-infested homes were an ideal shelter.
Plenty of ways to get sick and die. At least they got a choice in that regard.
Lightning exploded over Plockton and Weiss braced for another round of thunder, groaning as it rattled her aching head. She opened her eyes and her vision swam, glancing over as Blake finally sat as well, panting and trying to wring out her drenched clothing. She cracked her canteen, shook it, and huffed when nothing came out. Ruby offered the remainder of hers.
Another crack of lightning illuminated the abandoned streets, reflecting off the rain drenched cobbled paths. Yang narrowed her eyes and peered into the darkness, stepping out from the awning. A third flash and Weiss watched her visibly deflate, hands raising before dropping uselessly to her sides.
"Fuck…"
A singular Beowolf stopped in the road and stared down at them, red eyes piercing through the darkness. It licked its jowls and slowly turned on them, rising up on its hind legs and snarling. Ruby clutched her scythe and prepared to defend them only to gasp and step back in fright.
Four more Beowolves wandered into the road, and behind them an Alpha leading the pack. Yang tried to form a spell but only managed sparks, wincing and clutching her arm. Blake staggered to her feet and collapsed.
"I… I can kill them…" Ruby whispered.
"You're almost out too," Weiss snapped back, grabbing her friend's cloak. "You'll do no such thing."
"But Weiss!"
"Maybe… We can hide inside?" Blake suggested.
"How long until they beat down the doors…?" Yang growled and rubbed her face, slapping herself. "Come on, dammit! Let me change! Why won't it happen?!"
Merlot's death hadn't freed Yang in the same way Blake had been. Yang's mark remained and the Grimm presumably still lived. Shame, because that curse was probably their last-ditch effort at surviving.
The Alpha shouldered past its lesser counterparts, fixing its gaze hungrily on the group. Could Grimm smile? Weiss swore it did. It knew they had nothing left to offer. It understood the last of them was liable to slip, and that for all her speed she was vulnerable. It knew they had been served to it on a silver platter.
The pack roared and barreled down the road towards them. Weiss grasped for the rapier that no longer existed, then struggled instead to form a single rune. Blake clutched her dagger and stood, falling back against the wall but holding her weapon ready.
"You want some, bastards?!" Yang screamed, stepping forward and raising her fists. "Come on, come get some, you damn mutts!"
The Alpha surged ahead of the pack and lunged at Yang, jaw wide open and claws outstretched Easily twice or thrice her size the Dimuran shrank back slightly, cocking back her arm to throw a useless strike.
Yang's punch whiffed as the Alpha flew abruptly into a wall. Its body slumped to the ground and its head rolled free, eyes fading as its body followed suit. The remaining Beowolves charged on undeterred, fixated on the four weak Hunters. One's head flew from its shoulders, another was cleaved in two, bisected from the head to its rear. A third was cut to ribbons, and the last, coming dangerously close to reaching Yang, stopped abruptly in midair, a red blade jutting out of the back of its skull.
"You damn mutts…?" The Beowolf went limp and began to dissipate before it even hit the ground. Raven snorted, shaking rainwater from her sword then smirking at the befuddled Yang. "Interesting last words, Yang. Disappointing too."
Normally Yang would probably have shouted at her mother, or cursed her, or even attacked. Instead the Dimuran sank to her knees, staring blankly ahead and trembling. Ruby dropped too, scythe clattering loudly against cobblestone, and Blake slouched, exhaling loudly.
Weiss could only stare, dubstruck as Raven canvassed the area. The woman nodded once and sheathed her sword, whistling loudly. A small group rushed from an adjacent alleyway, arms full of bundles, hurrying past the bandit chief and trying to tend to Weiss and her friends. She made no effort to push the man away as he began to inspect her for wounds, wincing only when he grazed her chest.
"Broken ribs, ma'am," he said, to which Raven nodded.
"Carry her. Carry all of them if you must. I'll keep Grimm from reaching you."
Again, Weiss didn't protest. Yang did for a moment before her struggling proved fruitless and she slumped against her helper's back.
Raven ran a hand back through her hair and spat, glancing up at the sky in disdain. When she turned back to Weiss and the others she grinned, raising an eyebrow and spreading her arms. "I told you that you belonged to me, didn't I? And I protect my property."
"Fuck you… Raven…" Yang grumbled, burying her face and groaning.
"My tribe is clearing the city as we speak. The villagers are safe and waiting for us to finish," Raven explained, ignoring her daughter and turning, walking back towards the alleys. "Keep close and keep quiet. We'll get back to camp and take care of you girls there."
Weiss wanted to complain but couldn't find anything to complain about. She had asked the universe for a break, hadn't she? And it had given her one, albeit not in a form she'd expected. Preferably someone from the Church, or hells, someone from the Commandery even.
Beggars couldn't be choosers. Mouthing a voiceless thanks as an oiled cloak was draped over her shoulders to block out the rain she clung to her aide, nodding once. Raven grinned and motioned for the group to follow her, drawing her sword again and balancing it on her shoulder.
"This makes it two… Three times? You're making this a habit, girls. You owe me."
Ah, there it was. The caveat. Even when the universe saw fit to grant mercy it came with strings attached.
So be it. At this point she welcomed whatever she could get.
Even if that meant an obnoxious bandit saving their lives.
Again.
You know when you have that coworker who you really kind of don't like but they help out or they're actually good at what they do? And no matter how much you dislike them you probably owe them one?
That's Raven. Except their coworker in this case has a sword. And magic. And... Kills people.
I really hope your coworker isn't like Raven...
Tangential ramblings aside I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lots of pew pew!
Next chapter... Soon! Don't expect one nearly this length. Likely just tying up some things.