AWOO, everybody! Here we are this Werewolf Friday at the next major battle. Again, I really had to stretch myself for this chapter. Battle scenes ahoy!
Enjoy!
The werewolves and Huntsmen took only three hours to rest and eat before setting off toward the mountain. The group consisted of Pyrrha's whole pack, except for Scarlet and Corsac, as well as Jaune, Nora, Velvet, Yatsuhashi, Yang, Brawnz, and Octavia. Coco had decided to stay with Fox to help protect the town in case any more Grimm came. Ren, Scarlet, and Corsac had tried to convince the group to let them come with them, but their inability to leave their beds quickly put an end to that argument.
The rest of Brawnz and Nebula's teams remained in the town to lead the other Huntsmen. Dew and another girl named Gwen had hugged Octavia tightly, urging her to avenge their fallen leader.
Pyrrha and Jaune walked at the front, their hands tightly clasped. Every now and then, they'd glance at each other and ask the same silent question: "Will we get out of this alive?"
The sun was beginning its descent as they reached the foot of the mountain. They wouldn't have much time. Brawnz cast a look toward the abandoned silver mines and sighed quietly.
The group paused only for a few minutes before heading up the mountain path. Weiss took Ruby by the hands and pulled her into a long kiss. "I love you, Ruby," she breathed as they parted. "Whatever happens, I don't regret anything and I wouldn't trade a single moment we've had."
Ruby sniffled. "Weiss, you're gonna make me start crying again." She snuggled into her fiancé's front. "I love you too."
Yang walked over and hugged both of them. "Don't start getting sappy. We're gonna be fine. Blake, get in here!"
Blake smiled as she joined the group hug. "We have to survive this," she pointed out. "You need to get back to Neo, after all."
"True." Yang's gaze hardened. "I'll give those leeches an extra hit for Griffin. Perry and Nebula too."
"We all will," Sun said as he joined them. He kissed Blake's cheek briefly. "For luck," he said with a wink.
Flynt and Neon were holding each other close. "If we survive this," Flynt muttered. "We're having pups in the spring, no matter what."
Neon nodded. "Definitely." A slight smile came to her face. "If we have a boy, let's name him Perry."
Flynt kissed her forehead. "Good idea."
Pyrrha wanted to come up with a rousing speech for her pack, but felt as if everything that needed to be said had been said around Perry's grave. Besides, this was only a short rest. They would be moving again soon.
So, she took the time to hug Jaune tightly and touch several warm kisses to his face. "You'll be careful, won't you?"
Jaune, despite the graveness of their situation, smiled in response to the gentle kisses. "Of course. Can't have your human dying now, right?"
Pyrrha let out a short laugh. "I'll never live that down." She looked at Jaune for a long moment, then leaned in. Carefully, she touched a light, dry kiss to the very corner of his mouth.
Jaune's heart stuttered and his knees felt weak. There was something he desperately wanted to say, but he bit his tongue. If one or both of them ended up dying, those words would only bring more pain. He would wait.
The group moved on, keeping a wary eye on the sun as it sank lower and lower in the sky. The betas could sense Grimm nearby. There weren't as many as there had been in the daytime attack, but they were big, mostly consisting of Death Stalkers and King Taijitus. The Nevermores were perched further away. Pyrrha watched her packmates, noticing how sluggish their movements were due to lack of sleep and, in some cases, poison from the scorpion.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, they crept further and further up. A large cave was visible beneath a long outcropping of rock. The scent of ice and decay wafted down to them.
As they started to climb the steep rock face beneath the cave, a nearby caw sounded. They froze. A Nevermore had spotted them. And they were sitting ducks!
They hurried toward the ledge, scrambling up the side. More Nevermores started to circle. One swooped down, grabbing Tukson and throwing him onto the rocks below. He fell with a sickening crack.
Pyrrha gritted her teeth, willing the tears away as she hurried to the top, spinning around to face the Nevermores as they flew in again. Picking up a stone, she threw it as hard as she could at a nearby one, which shook its head in annoyance, allowing Nora, who was nearby, to finish her climb.
The Huntsmen moved to the front of the ledge, slashing and punching at the swooping Nevermore. The werewolves backed away, keeping an eye on the cave, though many kept staring at the edge. Was Tukson alive down there? Was there time to climb down to check before the vampires awoke?
Then, without warning, the smell of decay grew stronger. A pair of hands came out, grabbing Ferron and dragging him into the mountain. A strangled scream rang from the darkness.
"NO!" Pyrrha was not about to lose another packmate. She rushed into the cave, followed closely by Ruby and Weiss.
Everything was chaos. The glow of three pairs of eyes blinked and flickered, giving the only light. One set of eyes was low to the ground, where the gurgled cries were sounding from. Pyrrha lunged toward the eyes, grabbing blindly.
The creature moved away with a hiss.
"Watts, you fool!" a cold voice rang out. "You just drank from a werewolf!"
A mournful howl echoed off of the cave walls. Footsteps retreated deeper into the darkness.
The other werewolves flooded into the cavern. The betas started to use their powers, remembered that the vampires were immune, and let out low growls of frustration. At least there weren't any Grimm inside.
"Go get them!" Jaune called over his shoulder. "We can take care of the Grimm!"
Pyrrha took a deep breath. They either had to get the vampires close enough to the entrance for someone to throw the Dust crystal, or bite them and hope that Jaune's theory was right.
The betas led the way, feeling along the walls, finding a tunnel that led into a larger opening. Old weapons clattered under their feet and the smell of death was strong. The pack tensed, looking for the slightest glimpse of yellow or red eyes.
A hiss echoed all around them. Something ran by. Someone swiped at it. Then, there was silence again.
"Why did you have to interfere?" A low, feminine voice slid into their ears like a worm. Only Weiss and Pyrrha managed to keep from shuddering. "Those humans didn't concern you. We could have harvested them over time while you lived your lives in the forest. Now, thanks to you, we must kill them all."
Pyrrha snarled, even as the vampire's words struck a chord within her. "Don't try to put the blame on us. You could have left them alone. Why not hunt animals if you're hungry?"
A loud cackle from another part of the cavern caused the werewolves to flinch. "Silly doggy! What's the difference between living and surviving? Only human and Faunus blood can make us feel all warm and happy inside." It was the voice of the scorpion vampire.
"Let us help you, then," Pyrrha begged. If they could get out of this without bloodshed, she would consider this a true success. "A werewolf bite stopped the vampirism from spreading to our friend. Maybe we can help you too."
A sharp hiss sounded, followed by a whistling past Pyrrha's ear. She ducked, seeing a glimpse of yellow eyes before all was dark again.
"Stupid puppy. We don't want to change," the scorpion hissed. "Why would we give up power and immortality? Why would we settle for a mortal life?"
"What's the difference between living and surviving?" Blake said smugly.
"Enough!" the female voice snapped, causing the rocks to vibrate. It was clear that this was the Lady. "I will offer you one chance. Give us the rest of the humans, and we will let you leave unharmed."
Sun snorted. "You sound scared to me."
The Lady growled. In the next second, a gurgling sound from within the group sent the werewolves into a frenzy. Hands grabbed, trying to reach for the cold, dead flesh of their opponent. The smell became strong, then faded again as the vampire retreated.
Pyrrha clenched her fist. "Stay close."
The pack pressed closer together. One of the forms stumbled. "I'm okay," Neptune groaned. "I'm fine…"
"Neptune, get in the middle!" Pyrrha ordered.
That annoying, creepy giggle sounded again, this time echoing from wall to wall as the vampire scampered along the stone. A cold breath of air was the only warning before Ruby let out a scream.
"RUBY!" Weiss rushed toward the sound, feeling her teeth extending into fangs. Night was upon them.
All around, the other wolves began to transform.
"Block the tunnel!" Pyrrha ordered, rushing toward where they had come in. They couldn't let the vampires surprise the Huntsmen from behind.
Something was running alongside her. She smelled ice and corpses. Suddenly, she turned and lunged to the side, grabbing a handful of cloth and yanking. The cloth slipped from her grasp just before a lance of pain went across her cheek. She felt warm wetness dripping down. Hurrying to the tunnel, she turned and planted her feet firmly on the ground. She couldn't risk transforming until the others were with her.
Weiss roared as she completed her transformation, sniffed the air, and ran at where the smell of decay was strongest.
"Ah, ah, ah!" the scorpion's voice called. "Don't come any closer. Let us out, or I'll break this cute little puppy in half."
Something stumbled nearby and Weiss grabbed for it. She growled as she smelled corpses and filthy snow. The vampire in her arms trembled. She turned her head in the direction of the scorpion and barked.
Another cackle. "We don't need an idiot who would drink from a werewolf. You can have him!"
Pyrrha felt a gust of air. Then, two hard, icy hands were clamped around her throat. She managed a choked gasp just before her head started to spin.
The pack heard and surged toward her in one motion, claws grasping at the vampire as Pyrrha fell to the ground. They heard something leap over her and into the tunnel.
Sun bolted into the tunnel after it, howling at the top of his lungs, hoping the Huntsmen would understand the warning. He heard several others behind him. Rounding a corner, he could see the outline of their opponent in the light of the rising moon. The Huntsmen spun around and made a wall in front of the vampire, even as the Grimm attacked them from the back.
Pyrrha, meanwhile, struggled to transform as quickly as possible. She heard a snap as Weiss cracked the neck of the vampire in her arms before rushing toward the cackling vampire. There was a whoosh and another crack as something hit the wall. Weiss screamed.
The transformation finished just as the scorpion vampire could be heard running toward the tunnel. Pyrrha lunged, managing to swipe the creature once before it darted past her.
Weiss howled in anguish, snapping the neck of the vampire in her arms, then rushed to the edge of the cavern. Ruby was on the ground, slumped against the stone wall. Nearby, Neptune collapsed.
Pyrrha barked an order to pursue the vampires through the tunnel. Weiss and Sage were to stay behind and guard Ruby and Neptune in case their enemies doubled back.
Weiss pulled Neptune over to where Ruby was and threw the incapacitated vampire across the cave, keeping her ears pricked for any sign of movement from him. As she heard the pawsteps fade, she lifted Ruby's limp form into her arms, holding her close to her chest. She felt Neptune cuddling nervously against her side. Something warm and wet seeped into her fur, and she realized that he was bleeding.
Tears spilled from her eyes as she counted Ruby's faint heartbeats and pressed a paw to Neptune's wound. Maidens, help us…
Meanwhile, the werewolves tore through the tunnel as fast as they could, their pawsteps and snarls echoing off the stone and creating the illusion of a much larger pack than there was. There was the sound of shouting as they drew closer to the outer cave. As they reached the end of the tunnel, their vision was assisted with the small dapples of moonlight that managed to make it to the very entrance of the cave.
The silhouette of a tall, gaunt figure was doing battle with Jaune, who was being quickly pushed back. Brawnz tried to come at the creature from the side, only to be slashed in the face with long nails.
Roaring a challenge, Pyrrha lunged toward the Lady, which turned and swiped at her face, catching only the very ends of her fur. Sun ran around, snapping at the monster's arm, only to get a hard blow to the shoulder. He fell back with a yelp.
Flynt and Neon were attacked from the other side by the scorpion vampire, which continued cackling and giggling as each of their attempted attacks missed. Flynt stumbled, weakened by a sting he had gotten the previous night, and Neon leaped in front of him, eyes blazing.
"Why fight, little doggies? Why not tie up the humans and have a nice feast with us fellow monsters?" The vampire scampered close to the humans, licking its lips. It sniffed Jaune and grinned. "I like the smell of this one." Its eyes began to glow.
Jaune blinked, then felt a sharp pain in his eyes that moved rapidly throughout his skull. His knees shook and he whimpered. Images of blood, corpses, and the inner thoughts of Grimm filled his mind.
Pyrrha growled sharply, jumping around the Lady so that she could get her claws on the scorpion, which wasn't fast enough to dodge her completely. She left four long scratches down its side, which dripped blackish blood. When the vampire got into its insect-like attack stance, she firmly planted herself between it and Jaune.
The scorpion tilted its head, then laughed yet again. "Oh, you've already claimed that one, have you? What is he? Your pet? Your toy?" Its eyes started to glow again.
Pyrrha felt the vampire's attempt to get into her mind, and easily shrugged it off. A deep, burning rage was rising in her chest. How dare these monsters speak so callously of her human? How dare they see nothing but food when they looked at what they used to be? She thought about how easily the vampire that had drunk from Ferron had been discarded by its fellows. You know nothing!
She felt a warm hand on her back, and immediately felt some calmness returning to her. She could feel Jaune's gentle gaze on her.
"Don't let that thing get to you. We have them."
The scorpion giggled. "You do, do you?" His smile suddenly fading, he lunged toward Pyrrha.
Pyrrha moved to meet the creature halfway, grabbing its shoulders and trying to bite at it. She felt Jaune darting around her and tightened her grip.
In that moment, Fennec and Sage joined her, grabbing the vampire's ankles. Actual fear entered the creature's eyes, and its tail darted toward Sage…
But, it just smacked against the fur, leaving a black stain. The vampire blinked, then let out a shriek, thrashing in Pyrrha's embrace as a shock of agony went through its body. "YOU BASTARD! I'LL EAT YOU ALIVE!"
Pyrrha saw that the scorpion's stinger was on the ground. Jaune was brandishing his sword, a grim smirk on his face.
"Bite him!" he urged. "Let's see why they're so afraid of werewolves!"
"GET YOUR FILTHY PAWS OFF ME!" the vampire screeched.
Pyrrha opened her jaws, only to get knocked off her feet by the Lady. She was brought to the ground and felt sharp nails digging into her neck.
Jaune, thinking fast, picked up the broken sting and jabbed it into the Lady's back. "Get away from her!" he shouted, brandishing his sword.
The Lady hissed with annoyance at the sharp jab to her back, but didn't waver as she clamped her hands on Pyrrha's muzzle, holding it shut. A scream from the scorpion, however, did cause her to turn.
The creature was running around the cave, slashing and biting wildly at anything it could reach. A bloody bite wound was on each of its ankles.
Salem hissed as she realized just how much she had underestimated her foes. The battle was lost. Her small coven was destroyed. All she could do was escape. Throwing Pyrrha to the side, she ran toward the cave entrance, ready to tear the humans apart.
"Don't let her leave!" Jaune jumped on the vampire's back, trying to reach around to get her with his sword. He let out a yell when he felt her fingers digging into his side.
The Huntsmen closed their ranks, trying to make a wall between themselves and the vampire. "We need to use it now!" Octavia urged. She stared at the ground as the glow from the creature's eyes became more intense.
Pyrrha heard and realized what needed to be done. The werewolves couldn't leave the cave without providing an opening for the vampires. Therefore, the only option was to retreat into the tunnels and have someone block the entrance when the fire erupted. I'll do it, of course, she thought, though the thought of how much it would hurt made her tremble.
With a bark, she ordered her forces into the tunnels. She saw Flynt and Neon throwing the scorpion to the side before obeying. Sage paused long enough to pick up Ferron's body as he followed. The others ran down the tunnel quickly.
Jaune gasped when he realized what was happening. "Pyrrha, no-"
Pyrrha snarled to cut him off and shook her head. There was no time! Touching her nose to his shoulder, she barreled down the tunnel after her pack.
When she reached the end, Sage tried to push her aside, but she shook her head. I'm your Leader. No one else will take this pain, but me! She stood at her full height and pressed the back of her neck against the stone above the tunnel's roof while gripping the sides and curling her tail around her waist as much as she could.
Tears streamed down Jaune's face and he cursed quietly before rushing behind Octavia. "Okay, now!"
Brawnz, his eyes tightly shut to avoid the madness-inducing glare, gave a mighty shove, pushing the vampire back a few feet. Then he and the others rushed for cover. Octavia threw the crystal as hard as she could toward the cave floor. As soon as it struck the stone, it erupted in a burst of blinding flames.
Pyrrha heard and felt the heat rushing down the tunnel and braced her body before white-hot, bone-deep pain erupted across her entire back and the backs of her legs. She could feel her fur and flesh melting away and parted her jaws to let out a sound that was half scream, half roar. She held onto the cave walls for support, refusing to fall and let the torrent of flame hit anyone else. A few embers slipped through along her sides, and the werewolves yelped as they dodged them.
Then, there was silence.
For Pyrrha, there was nothing but pain. Once the sound of fire vanished, she fell forward. Sage caught her in his arms, and she whimpered as his paws touched her new burns. He carefully lowered her until she was lying on her stomach on the cool cave floor.
Jaune peered around the corner of stone and into the cave. Everything was coated in blackness. His stomach churned as he looked at the spot where Octavia had been standing. Did she know how powerful it would be? he wondered.
Brawnz stood up, wiping his eyes. "Dammit," he growled when he realized what had happened to Octavia. "Those bastards just had to take one more from us."
One more… Jaune hurried into the cave, which bore no signs of the vampires that had been in there before, and rushed down the tunnel, followed closely by Yang, Velvet, Yatsuhashi, and Nora. "Pyrrha!" he called. "Ruby! Weiss! Blake!"
A bark answered him, causing him to practically sob with relief. He stopped, though, realizing that he and the others would be next to useless in the pitch black of the deeper caverns. "Bring the injured and dead out!" he called, choking slightly on the word "dead."
The Huntsmen returned outside, breathing in the fresh air, not speaking. The Grimm were gone. Those that hadn't gotten killed had fled upon the deaths of their masters.
Jaune's fists were clenched. Velvet had a hand on Brawnz's shoulder. Nora and Yang were hugging each other tightly. Yatsuhashi stood silently near the cave's entrance, ready to help carry anyone who needed carrying.
Then, the werewolves emerged. Sage came first, holding a heavily-burned Pyrrha. He placed her on the ground near Jaune. Next came Weiss, who was holding an un-transformed Ruby. Then came Sun, who was carrying a bleeding, unconscious Neptune. Fennec followed, carrying Ferron. The others followed, their eyes wide and their jaws slack with shock.
The group set to work immediately. A quick check of Ruby showed that she was heavily bruised, but that none of the injuries were fatal. She would awaken within a few hours. Neptune had a deep gash in his stomach, which Jaune hurried to clean and stitch together. Ferron, despite the bite on his neck, was still breathing. Oddly enough, the bite wasn't turning black the way Fox's had.
Pyrrha had gotten the worst of it. Her entire back, along with her hind legs and the base of her tail, were heavily burned. The only comfort was that she wasn't suffering from any Dust effects. That was one good thing about crystals: Once they went off, the Dust was gone and replaced with an explosion of whatever element it held.
Yang started to withdraw the numbing ointment, only to be stopped by Jaune.
"Don't use creams on a burn like that," he said. "We need to cool it off with water. When she turns back, we'll need to improvise a loose bandage to keep the skin from breaking." As he withdrew his water bottle, he looked at Pyrrha's back, which was an expanse of red, blistered flesh. His stomach twisted as he imagined how much pain she was probably in. He carefully started sprinkling water on the burn, almost positive that he could hear sizzling.
Sage, remembering something, went back into the cave and dragged out the last figure in the tunnel: the mustached vampire that had attacked Ferron. Strangely enough, its skin was taking on a pinkish hue. Its neck was at an odd angle from when Weiss had broken it.
The vampire whimpered as it looked at the other werewolves. "Please," it wheezed. "I'm going to turn human, so I'm not a threat anymore. Just let me go."
Sage tilted his head, glanced at Pyrrha, then finally settled on Weiss. She seemed to read his intentions and nodded once. Snorting, Sage approached the edge of the ledge and threw the vampire from it and onto the rocks below.
Brawnz peered at the broken, twitching body, which sat near Tukson's motionless form, and nodded. If the thing was turning human, it would be dead within an hour. "More than that monster deserves," he muttered before looking at the three injured werewolves. "We shouldn't risk moving them yet. I'll go to town and get more medicine." He wrinkled his nose distastefully at the cave. "This will do as shelter for now."
It was decided that most of the pack would return to Obsidian with Brawnz, Yatsuhashi, and Velvet. They'd bury Tukson's body and return with medicine for their packmates. Jaune, Yang, and Nora chose to stay at the cave for the time being.
Weiss gently licked Ruby's cheek before joining the others. Sun, Sage, and Blake nuzzled Neptune, who moaned quietly, grimacing with pain as his wound twinged. All of the werewolves paused by Pyrrha and bowed their heads before beginning the climb downward.
There was silence as the humans sat with their injured friends. Yang stayed close to Ruby, Nora comforted Neptune, and Jaune sat down next to Pyrrha. He carefully touched a hand to her uninjured brow, feeling his heart leap when her ear flicked weakly. He emptied the rest of his water bottle onto her back.
"We did it, Pyrrha," he whispered, his voice thick and his eyes stinging. "We did it." He leaned close and breathed three more words into her ear, not knowing or caring whether or not she could actually hear them.
Clearly, I like tormenting myself. Hey, I already have a hard time with battle scenes. Let's write one that takes place half in the dark, half with limited lighting! That won't make me want to pull my hair out at all! In all seriousness, this was a good exercise for me. We have officially finished the Vampires vs. Werewolves arc. Next, we'll have two mini arcs before the Return to Vale arc, which I know you all are eagerly waiting for.
More good news: I have commissioned a friend of mine to make cover art for this story. I can't wait till it's done!
If you like what you see and want to show extra support in exchange for rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.
If you want to see writing tips, prompts, top 10 lists, and fandom rants from yours truly, check out my blog at soloragoldsun dot wordpress dot com.
Peace out!