The black cloaked figure slowly entered the room, hesitating only for a moment as its eyes adjusted from the complete darkness of night outside to the dim fire light of torches that were perched on each of the throne room's pillars. They swept in, heading down the large stone room, following the long, dust-filled, red rug between the stone columns to the throne. She placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as she spotted her target and prepared to attack.
"You know what I appreciate the most about Fort Castle? You might be inclined to think that it's the secrecy and location, one really couldn't ask for a more secluded sanctuary," the woman sitting upon the throne spoke to the intruder. Her words dripped with seduction and felt heavy upon the stranger's ears, as if she was breathing them directly into their ear, a wryly and evil smile plastered on her face. "The history. This is where Faunus took a stand. This is the same spot my Great Grandfather captured General Lagune and where the tables turned. Faunus were not meant to be confined to the Island Menagerie. We deserve to live among the people as equals…" The stranger stopped as the woman looked up from her throne, her Grimm mask unnerving the assailant. "Or perhaps as more." The woman on the throne returned her gaze to her fingers, examining the nails carefully.
"Do you not fear me?" asked the cloaked one. She was but 15 feet from her target, but she knew something was different about this one. She had never met her before, but she knew that this woman was very powerful just by her demeanor alone. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she had found her. This was her final target.
"Adam Taurus… He was my brother. It was his idea, and father's, to keep me locked in a cage at all times when I wasn't training. They said that if the other members knew how strong I was, that they'd kill me. They told me that the White Fang feared me." The woman's head rolled to the other side and peered over her shoulder, into the poorly lit corners of the room. "They were right and though I hated that cage, it taught me that love can be shown in many ways, even if those ways are… unconventional." The target looked at her assailant again, this time a smile creeping across her face, head tilted slightly. "But at the same time… I know that my family feared my power as much as the rest."
"You know why I'm here, don't you Athena?!" demanded the assassin. Athena's head rolled back and she let out a nauseating laugh that filled the empty fort and resonated.
"No no no… She'll never do!" Athena declared to herself as she slowly stood. It was then the killer could see her long red hair. She wore a short black dress embroidered with red tribal patterns and the Taurus Wilt emblem on the back. A belt hugged her midsection, with the right side slightly higher than the left, and her black crude leather boots had matching straps. Black stockings climbed up to her thighs with the family's Wilt emblem on the outside of each, held in place by straps that disappeared into the short ruffles of the bottom of her dress. Her long split cape with a black exterior and red interior completed her look. "Most of the students that he sends to me get the courtesy of me asking their name." Her face was expressionless. "But I already know that you aren't worth my time."
"I've fought hard for this moment!" The assailant tried to demand respect, but Athena seemed soulless at this point. Athena's opponent charged and before they could reach her, Athena disappeared. Athena's black katana, Wither, impaled the student from behind. The student gasped as they hit their knees from Athena removing the sword.
"Not hard enough apparently. Did you even know my semblance?" Their head slowly shook and Athena pulled off their hood quickly, revealing a teenage girl with blue eyes and a short blonde pixie cut. "You attacked your target without knowing an extremely crucial detail about them? Seems like someone was in a bit of a rush." Athena dragged the girl to her feet by her hair and the girl screeched in pain, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Don't cry child. I love you." She cupped the girl's chin. "I love everyone in the White Fang. Understand?" The girl choked back her tears and sniffed, trying to smile.
"Mmhmm." She nodded gently.
"Good. Everything that I do, I do for the good of my people." Athena smiled and turned back towards her throne. The girl took a deep breath as she slowly moved to unsheathe her sword, with Athena turned away from her, she had been given another chance. Athena spun back to the girl quickly taking her off guard, and sliced right through her neck. Her body dropped to the floor and her head rolled away as it landed.
"Damnit! Athena!" A built man with ram's horns stormed into the room and stared down at the girl's body. "How is killing everyone I train helping?" Athena bent down and picked up the girls head, staring deep into her eyes. She clenched her teeth and seethed, tears welling behind her mask. She looked back at Joseph for a moment.
"She was beautiful, wasn't she? And I loved her… I love them all! Do you think that I want to kill them?!" The man grabbed her arm and found himself pinned to the nearest pillar, the sword at his neck.
"Athena… Just because you're a Taurus…" She smirked and her voice lost all emotion.
"You think my power is my namesake, Joseph?" The blade drew blood and he shook his head slightly. She dropped him and walked back to her throne. "Fifteen students… All unworthy… And my patience is running thin." She sat back down and crossed her legs, leaning forward as he approached her. "You're running out of time Joseph."
"You want perfection Athena, don't be imprac…" She stood and loomed over him from her seat.
"Don't tell me what to do! I am in charge of the White Fang now, and I make the rules! I will do everything that I need to in order to make sure that the Faunus race is given the respect that we deserve!"" He trembled slightly and this pleased her. She smiled again and waved for him to leave. "If the White Fang hopes to survive, you will train others that will equal my own power. I cannot tolerate anything less!" Joseph nodded and began to leave her presence and she followed him for a few steps, stopping above the dead Faunus. "Don't fail me again." She stood there for a long moment as he left and gently lifted the body, holding it in her arms for a long moment as she cried. "I'm sorry child. But I need to protect them." She moved past her throne, where there was a fire pit that burned in the middle of the room and she set the body in it, watching as the flames consumed the girl.
Athena slowly sauntered through the building and stood at the top of the stone steps that led up from out of the forest. There was the slightest hint of sunlight beginning to fill the air, the day would begin soon and so would their work. She needed to ensure that everything was going the way that she had planned. A girl who appeared young enough to be attending one of the academies knelt at the bottom of the stairs.
"Mistress," the girl said as she placed her forehead on the ground.
"Crimson," Athena called out to the girl. Athena's breath caught in her chest as the girl looked up at her. The mixture of magenta and teal in her eyes suited her mischievous nature, and even Athena had to admit that they were naturally captivating. Her short black hair was in a mess as it normally was, and hid most of her face as she peered up at her mistress, her mouth twisted into an evil and wicked smile as she kept her head low. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I couldn't sleep well last night," Crimson replied, her voice sweet and seductive. She placed her head on the ground again as Athena made her way down the steps, stopping at the bottom and lifting the girl's chin with her fingers. Athena lightly caressed her jaw and pulled her to her feet, their lips but inches apart.
"Didn't the mission go well?" Athena asked her. Crimson quivered in ecstasy. She smiled as she reached for Athena's mask to remove it, but Athena frowned and turned away. Crimson knew that it was unwise for them to be seen together like this in public, but Joseph had left and everyone else was still sleeping, why was Athena so worried about them being noticed? Crimson understood that Athena didn't love her, but she was willing to fulfill any needs that her mistress had. Crimson grabbed her arm and Athena stopped, looking back at her.
"Of course it did, but I knew that the new student's initiation was last night and I was afraid…" Crimson stopped. Perhaps it was better that she kept her fears to herself. She knew that Athena could handle herself, but the idea that she might be in danger always caused Crimson anxiety. "I knew that you'd be fine Mistress, it's just that I still worry." Athena was still looking at Crimson's hand before looking her in the eyes again.
"Why are you lying?" Athena asked. Crimson's eyes filled with fear, the sparkle in them dulling as she released Athena and stepped away. Athena looked the girl over, she wore what she normally wore, a wrap bra with a chainmail crop top leaving her midriff bare, her left forearm covered with a black fingerless glove that extended up past her elbow. Her dark red skirt extended past her knees, a slit ran down the right side, revealing her leg all the way to her upper thigh. Athena was well aware that she had a black White Fang emblem tattooed on the small of her back. A small metal rod was attached to her hip.
"Mistress, I'm not lying!" Crimson yelled in a panic. She cringed as Athena reached her in two quick steps and slapped her across the face, sending her sprawling away in fear. Crimson knelt again as Athena marched after her and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her to her feet. "I don't know what you speak of! Please forgive me, though I am not worthy of your forgiveness!"
"When you returned last night, were one of you missing your mask?" Athena asked. Crimson stopped struggling, steadying her breath as Athena let go of her and she fell to the ground again. The girl shook as Athena stood above her, sword in hand. "I watched as the four of you returned, I know that one of you had lost your mask." Crimson suddenly realized what Athena was referring to and became even more apologetic.
"Hunter told me that he had forgotten it in his tent! I didn't realize that he had left it at Beacon! I'm sorry Mistress, I believed that I had only chosen the strongest for this mission but I was wrong! I have failed you!" Athena bit her lip as she contemplated swinging, ending the life of this pathetic Faunus before her. She sheathed her sword and helped the girl to her feet, looking her in the eyes. She didn't feel any differently about this girl than she did anyone else in the village, but Crimson had always served her well and Athena was far more patient than her brother had been.
"You have failed me, but I am not unforgiving. I will allow you to live," she told Crimson. Crimson's eyes lit up and she smiled, throwing her arms around Athena before realizing what she had done. She let go and brushed Athena off who remained expressionless through the entire ordeal.
"Thank you, Mistress!" Crimson cried out. Athena looked away as though she had stopped listening and began to walk down the worn dirt path back towards the village, Crimson following along side of her. Leaves slowly drifted off of the trees and scattered across the path as Athena admired the beauty that fall brought with it. She looked at her handmaiden, her eyes filled with wonder as she marveled at the forest around them. Crimson was mesmerized by the forest's transformation.
"Crimson, do you know why I enjoy fall so much? Do you know why I find it to be the most essential of seasons?" Athena asked. Crimson looked up at her with wide eyes, thirsty for any knowledge that Athena would offer her.
"No, Mistress. Tell me, please?" Crimson yearned for wisdom, and in her eyes, Athena was a goddess and could do no wrong. Everything that Athena said was truth and was for the good of the entire Faunus race. When she had first arrived it was Athena who offered her a chance at a second life and spared her from death. Athena would be their savior, and Crimson would remain by her side until the end. Athena chuckled slightly under her breath.
"When we're alone Crimson, you may call me Athena," the woman reminded her. Crimson shook her head, she couldn't call Athena by name. She was grateful that the woman recognized her at all outside of the rest of the tribe. She was hardly anything special. She was just another page in the same story as everyone else who ended up there. A 19 year old who had been forced to join the White Fang when they killed her parents and gave her no other choice. She embraced them immediately. She had always seen things the way that Athena had, the weak needed to die in order to ensure the survival of the whole. Her parents had refused to join the White Fang, and it displayed a weakness that she had never known was there. Did her parents want them to be treated like animals forever?
Her mind was wandering too far and she returned to the moment, looking away from Athena and deeper into the woods.
"I simply couldn't. I'm not worthy…" Athena stopped her and pulled her in close, brushing her lips against her pupil's. Crimson trembled and could feel her knees becoming weak as Athena's hot breath washed over her. Her, a common girl having an intimate moment with a goddess. The thought was simply too much and Crimson could feel her face flushing, her entire body overheating. She knew that it would never be, but she wished to be a goddess too so that she could be with Athena forever.
"Do you fear me Crimson?" Athena asked. Crimson rested her forehead against Athena's and nodded, not sure if it was what Athena wanted to hear, but she couldn't lie to her. She was more afraid of Athena than anyone in the camp, if not all of Remnant, but it was part of what made their relationship so thrilling. It was forbidden and one slip up meant that Crimson would have to give her life. She would do it willingly if it meant that she'd be helping Athena. She was grateful that Athena had saved her once before and she would be just as grateful if Athena took her life.
"Y- yes. I am terrified of you Mistress. But I love you more than I love myself," she told her. Athena sighed thoughtfully before kissing Crimson hard on the lips, giving her the release she had been waiting for. She gasped as Athena pulled away and began down the path again, leaving Crimson to soak the moment in for a few fleeting seconds. Athena toyed with her and it pained Crimson to know that they would never be together, but if she could serve her mistress like this, it was well worth it. She thought of it more like being rewarded, and it made her want to follow Athena's rules even better.
"You have served me well Crimson. I won't forget that when I'm finished remaking the world over as my own," Athena reassured her. "The reason that I enjoy fall so much is the change. It's is the perfect season to prepare for the year to come." Athena's expression became dark and she gave a twisted smile. "It also brings winter, and as we know all too well, winter always gets rid of the weak." They entered the village and Crimson stood beside Athena at the stone archway that provided the only way in and out of Anzen Village. Children began to run about as more of the light from the sun poured into the village and allowed them to see more freely outside of their night vision.
"The initiation at Beacon will begin in a few hours," Crimson reminded her. Athena nodded thoughtfully as she smiled warmly at the children that ran up to her. "Everything is in place as you asked. We'll have our answer soon enough about the new class." Athena nodded at her.
"Princess Athena! Look!" A young girl called out to her, holding a small daisy towards her. Athena knelt down as she took the flower and pulled the girl in. Her eyes lit up as Athena kissed the top of her head and thanked her.
"It's beautiful Ulva. I'll love it forever," Athena told her. The girl giggled and ran off back to her hut to tell her mother what had happened as Athena stood back up.
"Mommy, the princess knows my name!" Ulva called out. Athena turned to Crimson and motioned for her to follow as they headed across the village.
"I truly love everyone in the village, and I have my father and Adam to thank for that. I realized that I shouldn't hate these people for being afraid of me. They can't help feeling that way, it's natural. It doesn't mean that I shouldn't love them. It just means that I have a deeper love for them than anyone who came before. It's a burden I'm willing to carry," Athena explained to her. They had passed by the bakery and the blacksmith before reaching a path that would lead them to a few farms on the far end of the village, and Hunter stood down the path from them and they both watched as he noticed them, dropping down to one knee and shaking in his White Fang armor.
"Athena, please forgive me…" He managed. "It was an accident and it will never happen again! I swear it Your Greatness!"
"You lied to me, Hunter!" Crimson called out as he bowed his head. "You told me that you left your mask at home but Mistress says otherwise! She says that you lost it in the Emerald Forest near Beacon. Is that true?" Hunter shook as he clutched at his chest. Athena looked at Crimson, smiling as she could see the same look of justified rage she often felt herself in the girl's eyes.
"What are you talking about, Crimson? I did leave my mask here! I was in a rush to get there because the longer we took, the more dangerous the mission was going to be! Six of the others died last night during the mission! What you asked us to do was suicide! I wasn't about to allow myself to be killed by that thing!" He called out. "Please forgive me, Athena!" Tears fell from his eyes and pattered on the ground as Crimson removed the rod on her side. Athena grabbed her arm and looked at her before looking down at the weapon.
"You should only use the Dust blade in emergencies. The mystic abilities of this weapon are something that even I don't understand. It's powerful, you should not let it go to waste when you know its true power," Athena instructed her. Athena removed her blade and held it out in front of her, horizontally. "Remember that we only kill to make sure that the strong will survive. The weak will only hold us back." Crimson nodded and her eyes lit up as she turned back to Hunter, she looked crazed. She took the rod and turned quickly, slamming it against Wither and swinging back towards Hunter as the weapon in her hand transformed into Athena's sword. In a mad dash, Crimson immediately reached Hunter, the blade at his throat as she had knocked him over and sat on top of him.
"Crimson, please don't do this!" He cried out. "Check my tent! My mask is still there!"
"Do you hear that?" Crimson asked. Her eyes became red and black and Hunter filled with terror. "You're a failure and Mistress can't allow such weakness to exist around her. What if you had slipped up protecting her life?" She extended her claws, that being her Faunus feature, and sliced through his armor plate, pulling it off of him and tossing it away. "You're nothing." Hunter shook even more as he watched the red leave her eyes, filling them only with a soul-piercing black void as she plunged the blade deep into his chest. "You deserved to die."
"Well done Crimson," Athena told her as she walked over. "It would seem that your training is paying off." Crimson shook with pleasure as she watched the blade slide out of his body, blood dripping off and splattering against his shirt. After a long moment, Crimson looked up at her, her eyes becoming normal again as she smiled up at her mistress and her weapon became a rod once more. Athena looked down at the body before meeting Crimson's eyes again. "He seemed so sure of himself. Who did he think he was fooling?"
"Then teach me!" Crimson shouted as she slowly stood. "Allow me to become your apprentice!" Athena shook her head and walked away as Crimson retracted her claws and stood up.
"You know that I can't allow that," Athena reminded her. Crimson pouted slightly before returning to her master, noting the blood on her hands. She stared at it for a long moment, a forgotten memory thrashing at the back of her mind. She looked back up at Athena and nodded.
"I know," she muttered under her breath. "What do we do now?" Athena smirked and chuckled.
"As I said before, fall is the perfect season for planning, and everything is in place for me to have my revenge on Belladonna and Xiao Long."
An evil emerges in the form of a familiar foe. Will the students be able to hand Athena and her handmaiden? Next week, Neela and Eliana get prepared for their initiation in the forest as Team RWBY discusses a newly discovered concern in Chapter 9 - The Gift and the Relics!
A special thanks once again to my co-creator OrganoidZero.
A big thank you to Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay classy!