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The night continued eternally in the haunted forest and nest of Grimms. It was almost as if, the moon was frozen behind the former princess' castle. Patch was miles away from the forest, but with the commanding of Grimms passed onto Weiss, the fires of hell and brimstones circulate within the cells of her already dead body told her valuable things.

It would appear that the denizens of Patch have managed to turn the tide of battle to their favour. With the Grimms launching a surprise attack in the village, the denizens and a few hunters there altered their offensive defence to a turnabout retreat. Thus curtaining the Grimms to overwhelm the village and make the White Fang defend the village instead.

Sitting on the king-sized bed in Weiss' room, she stared at the vanity with a spaced out look. In the veins of Weiss' dead body, slithering flames thrummed in silent, dying fury as each Grimms were slain. Yet, blood was offered in the bowels of the Grimms, feeding the Queen of Hell with power. Cinder was pleased. Weiss could tell as the Grimms were continuing their onslaught on the White Fangs; the brimstone imbued into her body churning and boiling to command the Grimms from here.

Suddenly, the connection was cut off, relaying that Cinder has had enough for now. Freed of commanding the Grimms, the hellfire grew silent, dimming until it was a slivering fire moving inside of Weiss' body, and the brimstone quieting as it turned tender like clay.

"Hmm," Weiss hummed, breaking out of her trance and cupping her chin between her fingers.

The assault was not as desired or planned according to Weiss' strategy. Patch remained and returned to the denizens that have momentarily retreated. The White Fang had taken the brunt of the Grimm's attack and suffered heavily. It would seem that the White Fang wanted control over the village. Unlikely could they maintain control from the casualties done by the Grimms. But how did Patch become aware of the Grimms' approach?

Regardless, Weiss stood and placed her hands on her hips, frowning from a situation she might have to deal with. The damages done to Patch were extensive to bring the village to ruins. Very likely they would be looking for help around their location. The castle could most likely be seen if the villagers scouted further out into the forest. Weiss remembered the valour and determination of Patch's villagers during her infiltration. They would not back down or out so easily by the likes of Grimms, and perhaps even Weiss.

'I hope they are not as foolish as that yellow barbarian,' Weiss thought, amusedly smirking as she strode out of the room.

Instantly, Weiss was teleported to the core of the castle, where six pillars stood proudly and protruded up to the roof of six towers and all the way down to the apex of the land she possessed. Myrtenaster, Weiss' former brandished weapon, was found pierced into the centre of the floor. The rapier shimmered with an unknown source of light; granting mysterious elemental energies towards six different pillars along the engravings of the ground. The engraving was much like a glyph that Weiss used to cast magic or summon an entity from the void.

For a long time since Weiss' resurrection, she had Myrtenaster with her unused. Feeding blood into the undead body, the precious substance should not be marred by an honourable weapon. The only time Myrtenaster was to be pulled and brandished at Weiss' side, was when uncivility set its course for too long and outright refuse to see compromise or no understanding leading towards harmful means.

Now, Myrtenaster rested at the core of her castle supporting the land, which nested Grimms at her command and given by Cinder to provide feed. Weiss was here for a reason, and that was to resume time and hide her castle. Because in due time, the villagers of Patch would scout out the forest in hopes to quell the Grimms from their nest. What they did not know, was that the Grimms burrowed their nest beneath the large lake behind the castle. Even then, the castle was first priority as the Grimms were indispensable.

The castle was limited of defensive fortifications, mostly to allow Grimms swarming into the castle from behind when the invaders breached in. After all, the castle was capable of shifting to Weiss' desires and lock them from within, unless they have brought countermeasures such as hunters, mages, exorcists, knights and such sorts that understood arcane natures.

Stepping upon the platform where Myrtenaster was plunged at the centre of an engraved glyph, Weiss raised her palm facing the floor as she walked towards the rapier with a regal gait. Myrtenaster responded with a haunting, soft shrill of the wind and the glyph beneath Weiss' feet came to life to greet its master.

"Myrtenaster," Weiss called, and the energy around her stilled and welcomed her.

"Time shall continue. I ask of you of what will occur upon dispelling," Weiss inquired, stopping before the rapier as her hand hovered over the hilt of her friend.

An influx of gravity subtly shifted Weiss about whilst rooted to the ground, signifying that the moon, or in fact, a copy of the moon was vanishing. Morning had already begun, the sun simply hidden behind the cloned moon by the axis of the land rotating with the core of the castle's land. A castle within a globe illusion, wherein the glass was the shield that hid the castle and Grimms from the sun and unseen from the mountains and high places. Now that the shield and globe were dispelled, the land and castle were formed together as one with the natural land. Weiss sensed a shift in the energy, the formation of Dust turnings its flow away and distant of Myrtenaster's reach.

"I see," Weiss said, lower her palm to her side.

Myrtenaster hummed in a communication only decipherable and heard to her. Weiss clenched her fist as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Accommodate them with me? To my castle where the grounds are nestled with Grimms?" Weiss sharply said.

Myrtenaster lowly howled a windy breath, providing a detailed explanation that benefited Weiss slowly.

Weiss quirked a brow, "Although you may provide summoned familiars around the castle, I believe it will take its toll. The ruse will fall," She pointed out.

Myrtenaster blew a brief gust of wind as if huffing in annoyance. Myrtenaster glowered with a silent tremor to rebuke.

Weiss laughed and lowered her head, "I suppose you are right. I have had competent companies on occasions and did not think of providing for you," She grinned, as Myrtenaster chimed.

"Very well. I will relay this with Cinder. Tell me your plans before their arrival, please," Weiss said, turning around to leave the core.

Myrtenaster bade Weiss farewell with a trickle of falling snow to the door she was heading to. Weiss giggled as she stepped through. A good-natured humour from Myrtenaster with Weiss almost always leaving with the snow ethereally falling over her. It was picturesque so to speak, Weiss' summoned friends always beside her no matter what.

"One day my friend. One day," Weiss said aloud, as she stepped into the longest bridge paved around from tower to tower across six of them.

Weiss looked over the haunted forest that was once cast in eternal shadows now cast in light. The sun blaring above Weiss' back, and the forest turning into glittering green sparks of beauty. Placing two hands on the bridge's rail, Weiss exhaled slowly, letting out a breath of cinders and ash. Weiss looked down to her hands to see moulded cinders shaped as her hands and faint simmering fires glowing like pores.

"The things that you suggest. Hmph! Impossible," Weiss grinned, her lips curving with the faint rumbling and rattling of cinders being shifted.

Weiss did not need to look at herself to remember how different she was compared to the night. A vivid horror walking around in daylight. Weiss' hair retained its colour, but the strands of it were less than silky or smooth. Its natural health long dead that when touched, the texture was rough and fragile as if ash flowed and formed her hair. It was even possible to kill someone by chaffing them with just a swallow or smell of it.

Weiss' eyes were no longer beautiful blues. They had turned shallow and haunted, filled with cracked blue and dirty yellow replacing the white of the eyes. They looked bloodshot as veins of red from the edges of the eyes vined around the cracked irises. Just looking at them petrified their hearts, a sight that would turn people frightened and as pale as a white sheet.

Both Weiss' face and skin no longer held the pristine flesh and skin. They were charred and rigid moulds of cinders and silent fires aglow like pores all over. A touch would not burn, as it was warm and yet prickly on the surface. A little bit. Cracking a grin as Cinder had called Weiss an inverse porcupine.

Then a sombre smile adorned Weiss' face, predicting the outcome of meeting the villagers. Obviously, Weiss' appearance was enough to frighten them and pose a threat from a glance. While the summons could provide hospitality, first impressions were enough to spark an unlit candle. With no desire to cover Weiss' own imperfections, she hoped the two denizens of Patch would be useful as an olive branch with the villagers.

As for Cinder, she was not someone to be trifled. While Weiss was given a huge lenient freedom and choice to do anything and whatever, she was still bound to the Queen of Hell loosely. It turned out that the soul Weiss possessed protected her from Cinder's influences. Aside from the alternate form and nature, Weiss could potentially be her own will as a Grimm while not. A complicated chemistry resulting from the soul and Cinder's resurrection.

Despite the trifling failure, Cinder was pleased and amused of Weiss. Much of what Weiss had done for herself had resulted in a loyal exchange of what Cinder desired. Blood on a daily basis from the Grimms. Now, Weiss has two humans in her castle that would be a sore eye to Cinder. Yet, Cinder would not do anything as long as Weiss kept fulfilling the exchange. Unless Cinder could see the potential to exploit the exchange further from Weiss.

Weiss turned to enter one of the six towers to arrange the castle's layouts. The thought of it suddenly brought a mingling noise into Weiss' mind. Wincing as the sharp, keen slice of fog disrupted Weiss to a halt. A small pleasant warmth and a scratched voice coming from a faceless figure. So familiar it was, Weiss could feel a bond with it.

"Curse this foul void!" Weiss growled, her hand on the rail while the other clawing at her head.

It was as if Weiss spirit was stolen off. This had happened before, and sometimes not the same image recently happened in Weiss' mind. Its instantaneous flash of a chequered memory, an acidic downpour of metallic needles piercing into Weiss, clicking and tapping from the inside in a brief moment.

Who could this person be? What has changing the castle's layout has to do with it? Weiss thought frustratingly. Deep inside of Weiss' soul, the familiarity was too much to cut off the fogged memory. Weiss simply felt distraught, lost even if she should erase it completely. Despite keeping the needling phenomenon for the past forty years, pieces of those foggy memories have been filled in by the sights Weiss saw little by little.

Perhaps, Weiss should not change the castle at all. An involuntary smile warmed up to Weiss' soul, shaking her head in exasperation. Whatever it was, Weiss needed to think of a gift if she must speak with Cinder. A means to calm the Queen of Hell from interrupting.

Leaping off the bridge, Weiss transformed into a swarm of bats. They were not any ordinary white bats. Their wings were sharp and lethal to the touch. Their heads covered with a mask similar to that of a Grimm. Eyes hollowed and the red lines of the mask carved in around the edges, extending outwards to the face of the mask. Down along the torso was the place of their mouths and fangs behind the thin slit. Their legs were that of rotten bones and flesh, held together like a loose wrap. And their talons sick and uneven should flesh meet them, shredding and tearing out with ease and tormenting, bleeding pain.

The swarm of bats flew in formation, flying off behind the castle and over the lake. There, a well isolated within the barren scape of dry land and dead air was found. Glynda Goodwitch, the witch beloved by the Queen of Hell was a sacrifice thrown into the well to appease a god. Glynda fell into Cinder's domain instead of the solid end of the well full of rotten dead and filthy pests. Whatever happened next was the death of the land and people itself, satisfying and pleasing Glynda and Cinder.


Meanwhile, back in the quiet library of Weiss' castle, a cat crawled in across the ceiling to paw at a hanging ribbon. The ribbon unfolded and draped down to the floor beside Blake, who was sitting on the couch and reading a book. The cat morphed into the ribbon and went down along it. Its figure prominently rising along the ribbon without an actual cat there. The shadowy cat finally landed on the floor, and the figure disappeared, pulling the ribbon back to place on the ceiling.

Suddenly, two bright, brown eyes popped open on the floor, meowing at Blake. Blake's ears twitched as her eyes and attention remained focused on the book. A faint nod had the cat telling of news and a proposal. Blake sighed and frowned.

Weiss had left the castle unmanned, somewhat. A guardian spirit has been actively providing several summoned avatars for an event or occasion of sorts. Myrtenaster had asked for Blake to temporarily maintain the castle's hospitality until Weiss has returned. The cat on the floor meowed again to add that they would like to be a part of the event.

Blake turned her head and eyed at the brown eyes with a thin smile, "My library require repairs and loaned dues that must be paid," Her tone carried a sharp and yet, low and calm authority.

"Will you be negligent as you participate?" Blake asked, her voice taking a subtly amused tone.

The cat hissed and meowed in reply. Blake amusedly smirked.

"Yes. You have worked hard to the bones. I apologise," Blake nodded.

"Tell the guardian spirit that I have given permission, and that Weiss provide me with an excellent cuisine in return," Blake said, giggling and turning her head back to the book.

The cat purred as it closed its eyes, groaning at Blake much to her amusement. They would be getting an earful from Weiss of Blake's exchange. Their companionship had worked much that way anyway. Where both kept to their backs and sides firmly as allies and companions in arms. Then and sometimes, they would find each other's company a drab. So, they bemused themselves by stepping on each other's toes to see who would raise their claws out. Alas, they were friends that mused their days and cherishing each other's company.

The reminiscing came to a stop when suddenly, Blake could hear a fluttering of cloth of some kind. Alerted by the unknown, Blake rose and closed the book, carrying it at her side as if it was a weapon. Strangely, the library should have detected any presence to Blake, thanks to Gambol Shroud. The only presence in the library was the woman and girl on the altar and Blake. Both were asleep and still on the altar from what Blake could feel and tell.

Stepping around the library, lurking by the corner of the shadows as the light of the sun beamed through the windows positioned oddly around, Blake eyed the altars through the gaps of the shelves and books. Blake could grasp a sight of red fluttering about, or perhaps twitching from what looked like falling feathers.

Finally, when Blake had a clear view of the unknown from the walls of the library, she startled at the sight of the girl's spirit hovering above the physical body. Ruby's spirit astonished Blake. It was pure and innocent as petals of red roses dropped down the form of Ruby's spirit. A gentle glow enveloped both the physical body and spirit. Blake was wary of approaching, especially when the spirit was clearly apart from the body. One wrong approach or move would harm the spirit more than the body. Blake watched until it was necessary to intervene should the spirit wander off.

Fortunately, Ruby's spirit was healing the physical body, bringing an inquisitive look on Blake's face. The red petals touched the body, shimmering with a warm light and sinking into the body. With Blake's keen eyes, she noticed that with each petals falling and sinking into Ruby's body, a faint pink pulse spread outwards. But then, the red petals looked wrong in Blake's eyes. Blake took a few careful, quiet steps to have a better look.

It was then Blake realised with a gasp, startling the red petals were actually red birds of many different species, flying away from the spirit. Ruby's spirit was bare and still aglow, and sinking quickly back into the physical body. Upon seeing this, Blake dropped the book and ran towards Ruby to inspect. Worried that the spirit had returned with too much force, causing instability within the physical body.

Taking Ruby's wrist gently onto Blake's hands, a pulse was found rapidly beating. Blake checked for the lungs by placing a hand over Ruby's chest and another hand hovering a little over and beneath the nose and mouth. After a few minutes, Ruby was breathing fine.

Blake let out a relieved sigh and returned her hands to her side. What Blake saw had surprised her. Looking over at the two sisters, Blake wondered what they were. They had interesting Semblances unique from most hunters. Blake was not sure if Weiss brought hunters, humans, or some other worldly beings. Blake decided to find some answers regarding the two sisters. Perhaps, they were more than what meets the eyes.