Chapter 2
Our tale thus far: The brothers arrive at their new homeland, a monstrous ambush, new questions, and a mysterious observer
Don Orbit: Edited it again.
The two brothers walked through the clearing and over the hills. They slew more monsters along the way, of course. As it turned out, this may be their hunting ground. "What do you think these things are called?" Pestilence asked. "I don't care. I'm more interested in what the hell makes their bodies disappear." Famine answered angrily as their newest victims dissipated. Pestilence scoffed at this. "I'm more interested in knowing whom created them. These aren't obviously natural... or rather: were." He said as they walked further. "You don't think one of us found this place and made these things do you?" Famine hissed, coming close to him. Pestilence turned. "If it was, then I'd like to know whom in the nine hells he or she is. We've lost a lot of people over the years, but it has to be one of the Firstborn... a few of them perished, I'm sure. Or so we thought." Pestilence said, rubbing his chin as they walked. "A Firstborn?" Famine asked, raising an eyebrow.
"What else? The Firstborn were always more powerful than the rest of us. Lillith created them from the dust of angels and demons- the first generation. However, I heard not a few were created from unnatural unions between the two." He sighed. "Wouldn't surprise me if this was Lillith's work, though." He said. "But... it doesn't feel like it somehow." He said, thinking. "Too many variables and factors- not enough evidence." He said.
"Could be demons' work," Famine suggested. Pestilence shot that theory down. "And yet, there are no signs of demonic corruption. And it sure can't be the White City's work either. They're too clean and noble for this." "But, not enough to fuck a demon for a few." Famine muttered under his breath. Pestilence sighed. They were of a later generation of Nephilim. Their parents, they had been told, were angel and demon- runaways from both armies or so it was said. Their mother died in childbirth, though they suspected otherwise. They had been raised amongst their kin as they razed many worlds.
The two then spied columns of smoke rising in the distance. Not thick enough to be a raging fire... but possibly some kind of camp. "Think the locals will mind us?" Famine asked. "With our background, I doubt it. Don't kill anyone, but defend yourself if you have to." Pestilence warned. "And above all else:" He said in a low whisper. "Don't. Starve. Anyone." He told him. Famine looked at him indignantly. Both stopped and stared at each other in silence. Famine sighed, his fists clenching and unclenching before he simply walked away. Just then, a roar sounded.
"GODDAMMIT!" Both brothers cried out in anger and annoyance as another swarm of the damn things came out of the forest to attack them. Only this time: there were more than just one type of monster: there were others. A gigantic two-headed serpent slithered out of the forest as black shadows passed over them. The two brothers stood back to back to face them. The horde they faced was in the scores. "Think we can starve and plague 'em?" Famine asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'm not risking it." Pestilence said. The horde gathered around them, but not attacking just yet... as if they were standing by for something. Odd. That proved intelligence of some sort.
"Why not?" Famine asked, an eye looking at him, but never taking both at the enemy. "I'll explain later," Pestilence said, a feeling growing in his stomach. Just then... the monsters turned around fled. The two brothers stared. "What?" Famine asked in disbelief. "That's it?" His brother shook his head. "We're being probed," Pestilence announced. "Whatever controls these things... it's probing us." Pestilence sighed, shaking his head.
"Demons and their sorceries," Famine angrily muttered. "We don't know that," Pestilence corrected him. "What else could it possibly be? Can't be humans- they just got created!" Famine scoffed. As if on cue, they heard voices in the distance. Both turned their heads to the source and then to each other. Then, they went into hiding the forest, making sure to watch for those monsters and traveled in the woods.
They watched the clearing outside the forest as they walked slowly, making sure not to step on twigs. The voices got louder and closer, forcing both to stay in cover. Pestilence readied his bow and Famine his scales. Then, a bird flew down from the sky and into the forest behind them as did another. Both looked behind them to see where the birds had gone. No sign of them. Then, something came from further out behind a hill. A small figure clad in a white hooded cloak and- Pestilence squinted his eyes. "Humans?" He asked softly, lowering his bow. How...? Famine looked at Pestilence, his face pale. "A- Are we in Eden?!" He asked, horrified. The Nephilim horde was due to attack Eden on Abaddon's orders. Shit!
Pestilence lowered his bow. "Those can't be humans... the humans should be primitive- clad in furs and wielding very primitive clubs and spears... these look more advanced than their Eden cousins," Pestilence commented softly. The two humans looked around, searching for something. The human he had eyes on had blonde hair and sun-tanned skin. He wore short pants and some kind of shirt and jacket with hiking boots. The other had a slender figure and her hood obscured her face. He guessed this was a female of the species.
"How's it going?" A gruff voice asked from behind them. Both brothers turned to see two humans appear almost from nowhere. Famine looked at Pestilence, whom lowered his bow and slung it around his shoulders. He looked at Famine. Famine grunted and put one of his scales on his back. The humans before them were armed with a large sword of some kind and a kind of segmented sword. The scythe definitely looked familiar- something that Death would wield. Both were much smaller than the Nephilim, but possibly more agile. Pestilence observed the facial features that he could see in the shadows. One had black hair tied into a pony tail with a red scarf and wore some kind of red leather top with a very short skirt that exposed her legs. The boots she wore were knee-high. Her brother had black hair as well and wore a white collared shirt with some kind of tilted cross around his neck. A cape flowed from his back.
"Big ones, aintchya?" The one with the segmented sword asked. Famine scoffed. "Compensating for something with that sword?" Famine retorted, crossing his arms. The man's face became flushed as his comrade (possibly his sister as they had similar traits) tried to hide her grin. Pestilence rolled his eyes. "Fuck you and get out in the open." The swordsman said. Pestilence nodded. "As you wish," He said. All four of them stepped out of the trees with the Nephilim's hands raised in surrender.
"Look what we found," The male swordsman said to his comrades. The blonde raised his eyebrows in surprise and wonder before resuming a stoic facial expression.
"Wow," The hooded woman said in surprise. Pestilence looked at her. Did she have a facial condition like him, he wondered? "They're huge," She breathed. "Mind telling us why you were hiding in there?" The swordsman asked, gesturing to the woods with a jerk of his head. "Mind telling us what your business is in these parts?" Famine retorted swordsman grunted and walked up, pointing his sword at Famine. "Listen, pal. We're not in the mood right now: a shit ton of Grimm was spotted here and there's been-" Pestilence stepped forward. "Wait- you mean those things that have been ambushing us?" Pestilence asked. The team of humans looked at the Nephilim with expressions of confusion and disbelief. "You're how old and you've never heard the name 'Grimm'? Big scary monsters that eat people? Hunt them via negative emotions? Those 'Grimm'?" The swordswoman asked, curious.
"You'll have to excuse us- we just arrived on your world from elsewhere," Pestilence said, raising his hand to silence his brother. "Forgive us for the intrusion in your territory," He bowed apologetically.
"The swordsmen lowered their weapons. "Come again?" The two asked simultaneously.
"You're aliens?" The blonde asked, curious. Pestilence and Famine raised brows at this. "No. We are called 'Nephilim'. Our race is of both Angel and Demon- the First and Second Kingdoms. Humanity is the Third- as decreed by the Creator through the Charred Council... or so it is said." Pestilence answered. "This is Eden, right?" Famine asked as well.
The blonde looked at the hooded woman whom lowered her hood. She bit her lip as her comrades looked at her. Apparently, she was the leader. "Uh..." She started to say. She was young- Pestilence noted. Her black hair was in a small bun and she had silver eyes that looked innocent to him. "This world is called 'Remnant'. Humans do call it home, but so does another race- the Faunus-which look like us, only they have animal-like limbs, and of course: the Grimm." The woman said. "I'm Summer. This is Taiyang," The blonde raised a hand, smiling. "Qrow- I call him 'Stilts'." Qrow sighed at this, looking at Summer. "And that's his sister: Raven," Raven nodded at this. Famine nodded, back.
"On behalf of our world: Welcome to Remnant," Summer said, smiling and then shrugged. "I guess. I'm not an official ambassador or anything- we're just huntsmen. We hunt Grimm," She said, grimacing. Pestilence chuckled a bit. He liked this one. That, and he was relieved this wasn't Eden... and the horde wasn't here. He was happy for this, but also feared for the humans of Eden.
"I am called Pestilence and my brother is 'Famine'. We are Nephilim. We aren't official ambassadors either," He smiled. "We're actually just deserters, trying to start a new life." He confessed. The four looked at the brothers as Famine sighed. "This is not going to be a good conversation," He muttered.