Another shorter entry this week, more of setting-the-scene, but figured I'd put this up on its own and get us started.
Even though COVID will be preventing me from doing anything with the family this week I'm still likely going to be busy to the point we may not see an update for the story. You'll know if that changes based on whether or not anything is posted!
Weiss' discussion with the yet-to-be-named woman had been utterly infuriating. Yet like a field mouse in the clutches of a hungry hawk she was wholly at their mercy. The woman knew it, Weiss knew it, and now Qrow seemed to understand that too. Despite the warm decor of the hallway she found herself in Weiss felt frozen, trapped in the woman's machinations. Helpless. The cream-colored walls, glowing with the soft light provided by the sun, mocked her. Plants with vibrant flowers - lilacs and daffodils in clay pots, sprigs of lavender reaching halfway up the wall in large planters - brought no sense of calm or happiness. Weiss squared her jaw and scowled at the supposed hospitality.
Qrow, as sorry a state as he looked, fared no better.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Yes, because the first thing I would do upon seeing you would be spin a tall tale."
Qrow stared at Weiss, blinked once, then sighed and slouched back in his chair. For an overlong moment he stewed in silence, rocking on the back legs of his seat, eyes flickering between the floor and the door to his right. Ruby, Yang, and Blake were just beyond the threshold, two-thirds of whom were out-cold and borderline comatose going by Qrow's recollection. Not that Weiss was sure the man could be called 'reliable' at this point, or even coherent. Despite their only being in Liar's Bay for a day he looked haggard, somehow even more unshaven than before and clearly deprived of sleep. His clothing, rumpled and still stained, had not been changed since their arrival either.
Not that Weiss could exactly blame him. If her friends were in as dire straits as she'd come to learn she would not have ever allowed herself the pleasure of a meal.
"Fuck," Qrow eloquently said, hands running over his face then back through his unkempt hair. "Okay, so you're gonna do it?"
"Naturally. We can't very well turn them down can we?"
"Could force 'em to cooperate," Qrow grumbled.
That was possible, although the lady of the house had made it clear she had Magi of her own in her employ. Weiss fancied herself a decent combatant; she figured under the right conditions Qrow could be downright lethal, a one-man army even. Yet exhausted as he was and herself being unarmed, she was hardly leaping at the idea of battle.
Weiss shook her head and dispelled the thought with a wave. "I'll do it. It can't be too difficult to get what they want. I mean how bad can this city be?"
Qrow snorted, his lips twisting into a rueful, almost mocking smile. "You remember the name of the town, don't ya?" Naturally. People hadn't stopped dropping the name ad nauseum since she'd woken just hours ago. "Everyone's got a motive here, Weiss, and nobody's gonna give you a straight answer without a favor in return. You're agreein' to run around the whole city for this lady."
"Well, do you have a better idea? If you do, I would love to hear it, Qrow."
"I did mean it when I said force 'em."
"And give them actual cause to hurt my friends - your nieces? I'll play messenger for them."
"Gonna be doing a lot more than that, princess."
"Whatever it takes I'll do it," Weiss reaffirmed. As close as they were to escaping Vale now, she would play whatever games this city had if it meant getting her friends the treatment they needed. "They have all the leverage here. It's despicable, under-handed…"
"They're a bunch of cravens and pricks," Qrow drawled.
"But they did save us." Not that some sense of honor compelled Weiss to see her given task through; she doubted many people here gave a damn about honor. "I just wanted to come by and see if you had any advice before I left. That…" Weiss looked to the door wistfully. The room beyond laid silent, the faint smell of lavender incense slipping beneath the door. Her lips worked to form a question and a lump formed in her throat.
"They're stable, kid. Doin' just enough to keep 'em alive." Qrow scowled and shook his head. "Ruby's got miasma poisoning something fierce though and Blake got a nasty gash on her side. Yang's exhausted but fine; she won't let anyone else near either of 'em unless they're a healer."
They were safe then. Well, safe as one could be with a veritable powder keg of a woman watching over them. Weiss' fingertips glanced across her neck and traced her Warden's mark. She was no better than Yang in that regard, ready to go off and attack someone at a moment's notice. At least Yang had some semblance of control over her episodes.
Qrow set his chair back on four legs and removed his flask. Weiss almost took him up on his offer when it was produced but shook her head. "Never spent much time here honestly. This is the sorta place folks come to disappear, either by choice or otherwise. I know the lowest levels are pretty shady," he mused before chuckling. "They all are, really. Just cuz one's gotta nicer paint job doesn't change the fact its shit. There's a church here, normally the place I'd go if I needed information or shelter."
Qrow trailed off, chasing words with drink and slouching back. The clergy would be of no use to them here, especially if they were informed of what had happened. Were there Hunters in Liar's Bay? Qrow shrugged at the question; people came and went so frequently it was impossible to know.
In short you have nothing for me, Weiss wanted to point out. That was unfair though. Qrow had not put them in this situation and he certainly was not leveraging his niece's well-being for some absurd job. Why does Ozpin even allow a place like this to exist? If it's such a dredge of humanity they should have cleaned it up ages ago.
But they didn't and now here they were, one foot out of Vale and the other firmly cemented in place, their exit blocked by a woman with more laundry than an orphanage, all of it laid at Weiss' feet to sort.
"Right, well… I suppose I'll be off then." Weiss shifted her weight between her feet and pursed her lips. "Unless you think there's anything I could use? Anything at all?"
"Sure, kid. Don't trust anyone here as far as you can throw 'em. Not unless you've done something for them," Qrow answered. "Place is the epitome of tit-for-tat, scratch my back I scratch yours, that sorta deal. No one here's gonna stick their neck out for ya and if they do there's always a catch."
"Lovely. Do you at least have a suggestion for where I could begin?"
"Sure. Mare's Ass."
"I beg your pardon?"
"It's a tavern." Qrow cracked a lazy smile and chuckled. "It's a dump and you're just as likely to be shanked as you are served a drink…"
Weiss rolled her eyes. Hard. "You certainly know how to instill confidence."
"The folks there are loose lipped, plus a lot of information brokers hang out there." An information broker is how we got into this mess in the first place! Qrow either missed Weiss' pointed stare or ignored it in favor of his flask. "Start there. Just listen to the chatter, see what folks are talkin' about. I guarantee you'll find something."
"Like a disease…" Weiss mumbled.
"Hah, probably. One if you're lucky." Qrow grinned, the gesture lopsided and halfhearted. "Look, I don't know the place well, okay? And I'm not leavin' them alone." He nodded towards the door, yawned, and ran a hand over his face again with a huff. "Just keep your head down, alright? I wish I had some kinda advice for ya, I do."
"I'll start with your suggestion. It's more than anyone has given me so far." Qrow's raised eyebrow reflected her own incredulity; the woman had been adamant that Weiss work for her but hadn't provided an ounce of useful information beyond what her job would be. "Thank you, Qrow, and…" She couldn't ask for an update on her friends, not without Qrow leaving the manor to find her. "Keep them safe?"
"No one that's not supposed to go in is gettin' by me, snow princess. You got my word there."
The only word she could trust since waking up. Mustering the shadow of a smile Weiss stepped forward, wrinkling her nose when Qrow's pungent body odor filled her nostrils. In place of hugging the man she placed a hand on his shoulder instead. "Get some rest. You're no good to anyone exhausted." Her eyes slid to the door. "And bathe if you can? I very much doubt Ruby wants to see you like, well." She gestured to Qrow.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see if there's a washroom inside," Qrow brushed her hand off and chuckled. "Be safe out there, yeah? If you run into trouble -"
"I'll rely on the guard if I need help."
Qrow's laughter was short and clipped. "The guard? They're some of the worst here, Weiss. No, either come back here or, ya know." He tapped the side of his neck. "The Church."
Weiss would sooner take her chances with the crooked guards than the people actively hunting them. Nonetheless she nodded, passing one final wistful look to the door before stepping back. She didn't want to leave. Hells, she would just as soon scrounge up Lien somehow and pay for the healing services herself. Yet the time that would take, not to mention the questionable activities she might have to perform for it, was time they couldn't spend. Ruby was effectively poisoned and not improving while Blake had received the bare minimum to keep her alive and relatively stable. Both needed better care. She needed to deliver it.
Sooner rather than later.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Vale City was orderly both in its layout and the conduct of those within its walls. For the most part. Districts were segregated by canals and changes in scenery; farms beyond the outer walls led to smaller, more modest homes which in turn gave way to shops and markets. Just beyond the markets one would find the Church at the center of the city, the Grand Cathedral towering above all else - besides the king's palace, naturally. Beyond the cathedral lay the nobility's section of the city where homes were far more spread out and space, usually a commodity in the bustling city, was abundant by those who could afford it.
Liar's Bay was nothing like that. Even from where Weiss stood at the topmost level she could tell just from a glance. Living up to its name the city rose up from the ocean itself and terraced tiers of structures climbed the stones surrounding the inlet. As though the god of Earth themselves, Genrei, had taken a great blade to the mountainside and cleaved it in two, Liar's Bay grew atop of unmoving stone like fungus on rotting logs.
The bottommost level was impossible to make out. Weiss leaned against the stone and wrought iron railing, the only thing keeping those on the upper roads from plummeting hundreds of feet to their demise, and attempted to pick out places of note.
Fog rolled in from the ocean where cold and warm air met casting a blanket of mist over the lowermost levels. The occasional watchtower with fires burning bright dotted the area, a few larger buildings showing clusters of lights too, but overall Weiss could not make heads or tails of the layout. The mist swirled perpetually, trapped in the bay and harassed by winds which swept up the mountain's face only to peter out as they reached the top. Lazy breezes swept up fallen petals, tousled Weiss' hair and carried the faint scent of saltwater in its embrace.
"Find people who can help, she said. Find the Mare's Ass, Qrow said…" Weiss grumbled, leaning against the railing and dropping her chin on her arms. "I can't find the streets nevermind a building. How in the hells am I supposed to do this?"
Get lucky, she supposed. Ask around until someone pointed her in the right direction. Or killed her for being too nosy.
Weiss huffed, pushed herself back and started down the road. Like a coiled King Taijitu the streets wrapped themselves around the mountain's face, twisting and turning as it worked its way down. Where she stood now they were made of polished stone meticulously placed so a carriage would barely rock if one passed along it. On her right the sheer drop, to her left manors that rivaled Lady Lavender's. Trimmed hedges, flowerbeds, statues and fountains were usual suspects in the yards. Brick and mortar comprised some of the homes with trimmed, flowering ivy crawling up lattices along their faces and the rest, like her "gracious hostess'" home were a dark wood frame and whitewashed stone. Some had stained glass windows, others valued privacy and grew cherry and sugar maple trees to block passersby from glancing inside.
All of it was too much for Weiss' taste. Extravagant, excessive, and gaudy. Not that she was sure she'd prefer what awaited her beneath the veil. Her hand settled on Myrtenaster and she ran her thumb over the cold basket guard, biting the inside of her cheek as she cast another wary look downward.
From inside the fog a box emerged, swaying precariously on a long, thin line of steel. Weiss paused briefly to watch the cable car slowly rumble its way to its destination two levels beneath her, perplexed and fascinated by the machinery. Walking the roads from the bottom to the top would take hours, or a very long time anyways, and that was provided you didn't somehow get lost along the way. Whoever designed the cable cars probably had earned themselves quite a pretty bit of Lien in doing so; one of the manors behind her must belong to them. Assuming they did not leave the dreary, fog-encrusted city after making their profit.
Must be nice, getting to leave whenever you'd like. Weiss stepped to the side of the road to let a carriage rattle past, turning her nose up right back at the woman who stared at her. Barely wide enough for two carts to travel side-by-side she checked for more traffic, what little there was, and continued along.
At least the weather was nice. Silver linings, Weiss mused, lowering her head as a sudden gust came up from the cliff's edge, rustling her tunic and throwing leaves back in her face. With a sputter she brushed them away and smoothed her clothes, glaring at the invisible wind and sticking out her tongue.
Blue skies just made her want to leave the city even more. A flock of gulls flew overhead, and she lifted an arm to shield herself just in case as she watched them dive down into the fog below. Another car came up on the lines, a crowd of ants emerging from it. From what little she could tell there were warehouses on the level beneath her. Not ones used to store just any goods if she had to guess.
"Liar's Bay doesn't have many rules. Don't mess with anyone else's business, don't start trouble, and you're pretty much given free reign to do whatever you want," Qrow had told them before. Weiss was skeptical of just how lawless a place the city could really be though; rules were necessary, otherwise you had people running rampant.
I suppose I'll find out for myself soon enough.
Down and down she went. The road drove further into the mountain and hanging rocks blocked out the sun leaving Weiss to walk in cooler, cramped spaces at times. The lower she went the rougher the roads became; cut and carved stone turned into cobbles, and when the cobbles faded away gravel took its place. Once she'd descended a whole two levels the roads were a mixture of gravel and dirt, weeds sprouting up and trees, lone bastions of color against a brown and grey backdrop, split the earth and in some places the road too. At one point a small stream of water blocked her path, carving a narrow chasm in the road, and a bridge of planks and sheets of wood was all she had to pass by it without getting wet. The boards flexed beneath her modest weight and Weiss scurried across. How was a cart supposed to manage to get down this far without running into an accident?
Judging by the lone cable car above her, the only one to reach the topmost level, Weiss supposed they weren't meant to. Not easily anyways. The woman who passed her earlier was still a level above inspecting smaller yet still grandiose homes; Weiss suspected most of those in the topmost level rarely ventured down unless they needed to. Typical.
In place of railings of stone and iron, wooden fences provided meager protection against the dropoffs. Weiss kept to the far edge along the mountain's face just in case, blanching whenever she noticed parts of the slope on the outer edge dipping away sharper than the rest. Some of the fencing buckled and bent, posts sliding into the earth and gradually down the cliff face. Did they even bother to maintain these? Most of the wood appeared rotten or on the verge of it, covered in lichen and moss and discolored by years of neglect.
Three levels from the top Weiss finally arrived at her first stop. The warehouses she'd seen from above lined up in an orderly row to her right, abominations made of sheet metal, stone, and brickwork. Crowds of workers toiled to deliver new cargo or remove older containers, beasts of burden made to drag boxes twice their size across the dirt road. Even before Weiss reached the first warehouse her nostrils began to burn, eyes tearing up and her throat itching. Deftly avoiding animal waste she snaked her way into the throng of workers, keeping her head down and eyes forward.
"Oh, and a humble word of advice, dear?" Just picturing the woman's face now, smug as can be, made Weiss grind her teeth. "Try not to look at anyone. Most here will take that as a challenge."
Not that Weiss expected anyone to have time to look her way. Men and women wearing what equated to rags, sometimes even less, worked just as hard as the animals being made to carry containers. A few cranes rose above the warehouses and worked to unload pallets of goods from carts and Weiss cringed watching one sway precariously in the breeze, thankful she wasn't one of the workers standing beneath it.
Trying to find the warehouse she was after wasn't too difficult; the paint job on the structure, orange mixed with a splash of lavender, was just as garish as the woman's home had been. Without the paint Weiss would have passed it by entirely. Waiting for a proceeding of carts to pass she jogged across the road, ignoring the pointed stares of workers as she wove through them and headed towards the foreman's shop. Little more than a small shed attached to the side of the warehouse Weiss made a beeline for it, stopping well short when the two guards stationed outside it placed down their cards and rose from their seats.
Supposedly word had been sent that she would be coming by. Just in case Weiss removed her hand from her rapier - not realizing until now she'd been onto it - and put her hands up in deference. "I was told to come down here and speak with Feldgrau?"
The two guards shared a look and approached. They did not look much older than Weiss herself. Youthful faces, although one had black hair that greyed towards the tips, were pulled into tight masks of indifference. The smaller of the two, a girl with a cloth covering half her face, continued towards Weiss while the taller of the pair looked her over. Unsure why she needed a pat down when her weapon was plainly visible Weiss went along with it anyways, rolling her eyes and sighing.
"He is here isn't he?" she asked, lowering her hands when given the clear. Her arms folded and she tapped a foot impatiently. She might have to be courteous to the woman in the manor, but she wouldn't extend the same to these two. "I need to take one of the cars down into the city."
"We know." The boy flipped his bangs and nodded towards the cliff behind them. "He's down checking a shipment, but you got the clearance already. Miss Malachite has a ride ready for you."
Miss Malachite? Why did that name sound familiar? Weiss smiled tightly. "Wonderful. So I'm free to go now then?"
"Almost. I don't know where you're going but you're going to need something." He glanced at his partner. "May, can you go grab the token?"
"Already got one, Brawnz." The girl winked, or maybe blinked, digging into her vest and tossing something to Weiss. "Use that wherever you go, it should get you into most places without trouble."
"That isn't a free ticket to start a mess though," Brawnz warned. "Most of the other families will know you're an outsider. Try anything and we're not going to bail you out."
Other families? Weiss turned the wooden coin over in her palm curiously. A crudely made piece whittled out of some pale wood, the vague approximation of a spider engraved in the material. "How considerate. Nice to know I can rely on you for help," she muttered.
"What was that?"
"Thank you for your help!" Weiss shouted, smiling and pocketing the token. "Where is this car, exactly? I'd rather not have to search for it."
May grinned and skipped over to her, putting an arm around Weiss and spinning her around. "There, just past the stalls," she said, pointing to a large wooden structure. "It's reserved for workers that come up from the docks; they come and go in shifts. If you hurry you might just be able to make it down with the next one."
"Hurry?" Weiss heard a loud whistle and blanched watching a man waving passengers inside. Pulling free from May she started to run, bobbing and weaving through the crowd. Behind her she could hear May laughing.
"Have a nice trip, kid!" the cyclops shouted, no doubt enjoying Weiss' mad sprint.
The house for the cars, wide open on two sides, jutted out over the edge of the cliff. Weiss reached a guard rail on the outside and vaulted over it, stumbled, and brushed past the next wave of passengers waiting their turn. The car had begun to shift from its housing, swaying as a pulley began to churn, the cables slowly grinding away to carry the vehicle back down below.
"Wait!" Weiss bumped off a man in armor and stumbled again, rushing for the slowly descending car.
She liked to think she was patient, certainly more so than Ruby or Yang. But as friends were wont to do some of their mannerisms had begun to rub off on her. Their penchant for cussing people out - More of a Yang habit really - and restlessness from Ruby.
Weiss' foot left the platform and she felt weightless for a split second. By the time her mind caught up with her body's actions she squealed, clawing at the air and grasping for anything to hold onto. Her fingers caught the door of the car and she dangled for a second, legs kicking as she hauled herself up.
Apparently, their bullheaded decision making was getting to her too.
People stepped back as she clambered inside, heart ready to explode and arms trembling. Only once she felt her feet touch the floor did she relax, sitting on her rear and giggling weakly. Time was of the essence and she could ill afford to wait for the scheduled cars to take her down the mountainside. She could have continued to walk, sure, but it took an hour to descend three levels and many more still remained.
Weiss shook her head, beside herself and her idiotic decision. Someone cleared their throat and she glanced up sheepishly at an irate conductor, the burly man cracking his knuckles threateningly. On a hopeful whim she retrieved the coin from her tunic and held it out for him to see, lips trembling as she fought to keep her smile.
"One more for the car…?"
The conductor looked like he wanted nothing more than to throw her right back out of the car. Someone inside laughed, then another, a small round of applause following suit. The man glared at his other passengers, then at Weiss, before dropping his arms and sighing.
"Pull that again and I'll toss you out myself."
"Understood, sir!"
Weiss waited until the man was well and gone before picking herself up, smiling as a few grimy workers clapped her on the back or congratulated her. Passing off their praise with awkward platitudes she stood close to but not in the doorway, she wasn't going to give anyone a chance to make good on the conductor's threat and leaned her head out to watch. Another car passed them heading in the opposite direction, albeit a hundred odd feet away, and slowly the car made its way further and further down. Past rows of flowering trees which Weiss realized was a grove of sorts; apples and apricots, cherries and lemons hung from the branches. A level below that more homes appeared, much smaller than those above and more in line with what Weiss might expect to find in Vale's more modest districts.
From below the fog rose up to meet them, the air growing cooler and heavy with a fine mist that seemed to hang in the air. Only now that they flared to life did Weiss notice lanterns hanging from the exterior of the car, clinking lazily against it as the rocking vessel continued its descent. Weiss stepped back and dusted herself down, trying to make her meager outfit as presentable as possible.
Two potential leads awaited her; Qrow's suggestion of the crudely named tavern and Feldgrau. The foreman probably knew more about what she was seeking and would be easier to approach than any stranger. Then again, I should be able to ask just about anyone from the sounds of things.
Silhouettes of buildings began to appear within the fog, the pleasant blue sky above becoming replaced by a grey, overcast blanket, warm air being seeped away so rudely by the cool mist. Liar's Bay spread out beneath her, and though Weiss still could scarcely make out its layout she knew it was going to be a nightmare to navigate, nevermind do her job.
"Catching a murderer in a fog-drenched, alien city…" Weiss sighed deeply, hands gripping a railing inside the car as she lowered her head. "Sure, why not?"
Welcome to Liar's Bay, folks! Here's hoping you enjoy exploring this city as much as I did creating it! See you next chapter and as always, stay safe, stay healthy, and thank you for reading!