Chapter 11: Down the Rabbit Hole
-ASH -
The sky grew dark and the forest around them seemed to turn foul. Bushes, trees and rocks look more and more monstrous in the darkness. Rasmatas wanted to wait until nightfall in an attempt to lure the beast to fight on their turf. He had Billy and Lyra set up several traps, mostly tripwires and rudimentary alarm systems. Ash and Morgana were on watch. Eventually the work was done and they gathered around the warm flames. The air was growing cold and thick.
"How much longer?" Morgana asked. Rasmatas sniffed the air.
"It won't be that much longer. You need to exercise patience Miss Umber." He started chuckling. "I haven't had to say that in a long time."
"You mean you..." Morgana started talking but seemed unable to form the words.
"I used to teach at Beacon for a time. I assumed that the job offer was some form of jab at my age. Too old to do field work, at least that's what they think. I could still throttle a dragon if I need to." He started to ramble. "But I digress, I taught your parents. Your mother was a great huntress and your father had the potential to be something far greater. It's a tragedy that he retired."
"He didn't really retire." Morgana said. Rasmatas nodded.
"Right you are. He designed protective armor for hunstmen and huntresses." Rasmatas said. "Of course, he is simply running from his problems."
"What are you talking about?" Morgana asked.
"Do you own one of those armored suits?" Rasmatas asked.
"I do, I just don't necessarily use it." Morgana said. Rasmatas shook his head.
"How would your father react if he knew you weren't wearing it?" Rasmatas asked.
"He'd throw a fit." Morgana answered.
"Your mother was a wonderful woman. She was reckless and sometimes careless." Rasmatas said. "Your father was bookish and prefered his rules. She died right in front of him. Had she warn a suit of armor like your brother has, or the one you don't wear, she might have lived."
Morgana went silent. Rasmatas glanced over at the severed head in a jar. It looked like ice cream left out in the sun. It was beginning to melt. Rasmatas smiled slightly. He pulled out a small pad of paper and scribbled into it.
"Your mother always got herself in trouble. Your father covered for her all the time. I saw through the deception but I also saw his motivation. I'd just pretend otherwise and let him have his little victories." Rasmatas said. His smile grew a little warmer.
"I never knew that." Morgana said softly.
"And now you are here. At Beacon working alongside myself, much like Ethan and Iantha all those years ago." He said. "And your company includes the daughter of Myrcella Tawny herself."
"You knew my mother?" Lyra squeaked.
"No, I never met her." Rasmatas said. "But I knew her music, saw her perform live once. I swear she could play any instrument you handed her. Absolutely wonderful."
"Oh." Lyra said, she sounded a little disappointed. "I heard she was a huntress."
"Well she was and she wasn't. That was sort of a part time job for her." He said. "She wasn't much of a huntress though, she was more of a radical. She believed that grimm didn't feed just off of negative energy but of positive energy as well. Any grimm could be soothed with the right reinforcement of emotion."
"Did that work?" Ash asked. He remembered Lyra's tranquilizing effect on grimm.
"Well, she led an interesting career. It's said she would be seen wandering into the forests with an entire pack of grimm in tow, leading them from civilization. She never fought, she never carried a weapon. They say she'd never hurt a fly." Rasmatas said with a solemn nod. "A wonderful woman. She saw the good in everything, even evil itself."
"What happened to her?" Lyra asked. Her voice was softer and squeakier than usual."
"She was torn apart by a pack of grimm." Rasmatas replied. It was like ripping off a bandage. She looked like she was holding back tears. "I'm sorry for your loss poor girl. She would have been a wonderful mother, one you really deserved. Never trust life to not be cruel."
"Do you know any of my family?" Billy asked.
"Alas, young William. I've never had the pleasure." He said. Billy looked crestfallen. "Where did you grow up?"
"On a farm, out west." Billy said. Rasmatas nodded.
"Did your family fight in the faunus war?" Rasmatas asked.
"Yes, I still carry the family sword." Billy said. He drew his blade. Rasmatas picked it up and examined it carefully.
"I know this blade." He said. "Blades like these were forged near the end of the war. Forged for the survivors of a particular disastrous night raid. The battle of Fort Castle." Rasmatas said. "The blade and guard are connected by a chain, it was a symbolic representation of the chain of command and how, if it isn't controlled properly, it could to ruin and death for the ones carrying the orders. It was to remember General Laguna's blunder and remind the survivors never to repeat such a terrible mistake. Gefangnis Soldaten I believe was the name of these swords. You might not come from a family of hunstmen, but you do come from a family with a rich history of it's own. "
Billy stared down at his sword as if he was holding a holy relic. He smiled and sheathed it. Ash looked around at his team. Billy aside, the rest were looking miserable. Ash shook his head. Rasmatas sure had a way with people. Rasmatas glanced his way.
"Now Thomas Gray, I remember him." He said. "Same class as Iantha and Ethan."
"Really?" Morgana asked. Rasmatas nodded.
"He only became a huntsman because his father told him to. It was never about helping people for him, it was all about publicity. CEO's son becomes hunstman, saves small family from grimm. It was all an act for profit." He said. "A terrible hunstman at that. So he went home, became a company man and sold guns to whoever would buy them."
"He went home because my mother was pregnant." Ash replied. Rasmatas shook his head.
"He went home because he could no longer find profit in it. He'd have far more success in the family business." He said. He was staring at him intently, almost as if he were challenging him.
"My father is a great man." Ash said. Rasmatas chuckled.
"Your father was a puppet to his father, don't be like either of them." Rasmatas said. Ash felt his hand closing into a fist. He took a deep breath and relaxed it. "Worse off he stopped what he was doing to make military contracts to develop some truly horrifying weapons. Ethan makes armour to protect, Thomas made weapons to harm. Ethan knew deep down what a hunstman is. A shield for the weak, not a weapon for the strong."
"Yet hunstmen are defined by their weapon." Ash replied. Rasmatas shook his head.
"Tools, nothing more." Rasmatas said. "I heard your father sold his soul to the White Fang, the company in ruins, of course he'd be desparate to send his own son to do their dirty work."
"He did what he had to, as did I." Ash said. Rasmatas shook his head.
"You were simply following orders. We are back to the chain of command, never follow it blind." He said. Ash felt his fist beginning to tighten again. Rasmatas stopped. He raised a hand up and started sniffing. "Grimm."
The alarm system went off, jingling cans echoed through their clearing. Soon dozens of beowolves were charging towards them. Ash smiled, he felt the need to hit something right about now. Might as well be the grimm. He drew Silver Faust and opened fire. The fight was far harsher than they expected. After half the attackers were killed, a rumbling sound echoed around them. A massive beowolf, which was beginning to rival a small house in size, entered the clearing. It charged headlong towards them. Ash aimed carefully, he was sure if he could afford to miss. He fired, the bullet went straight through the creatures face. However, it didn't stop moving.
The beast crashed into Ash, when they hit the ground there was a crumbling sound beneath them. The ground gave out and they were sent tumbling down a deep pit. Ash tried to grab the sides of the sinkhole, his hands screamed in pain. The sinkhole slid at a sharp angle, Ash slammed into the roof and began to roll. The beowulf was just ahead of him, struggling to slow it's decent. He saw a light ahead. Next thing he knew he was crashing into a pool of icy water.
His entire body was screaming in pain. His hands were bleeding badly, his weapon was nowhere to be seen. He struggled to wade out of the icy water. He pulled himself up by his elbows. He rolled onto the dry ground. He glanced back at the pool. The beowolf was climbing out the other side. It turned to him and growled. There was an echoing roar, the beast turned and ran down the nearest tunnel. He lost sight of it, but now he could make out a large creature emerging from the darkness.
-GWYN-
She awoke to the sensation of pain and a foul coppery stench. Her wrist felt like it was burning, she could feel a warm liquid dripping down her arm. Her feet were dangling, she couldn't find the ground. Her arms felt like they were at her limit. She opened her eyes, it was dark enough that it didn't make much of a difference. She could faintly make out red candles, burning dim. The little light reflected off wet stone. She tried to turn herself around, the rope creaked. She could faintly make out a wooden beam, she seemed to be tied to it. She faintly made out a second rope. She followed it down to find Natasha dangling just like her. She glanced up at her binds, they were so tight they were digging into who wrists, blood was dripping down her arms, her hands were turning white. The silence was broken by distant chanting.
She shifted and struggled. Her legs kicked helplessly. She struggled to climb her rope but her hands wouldn't comply. She burned her hands during the attempt, though she couldn't really feel it at this point. Natasha was starting to wake up. The chanting was getting closer. She couldn't make out the words, but by the sound of it they were a pretty big choir.
She tried to find the source of the foul odor. Down was pitch black, the edges of the room barely lit. Not a clue to be found. She could see light coming down a newly revealed hallway. So there was an exit. That's generally a good sign. She tried again to slip her bonds, climb the rope, anything to get herself out of this compromising position. She could finally make out the words, there were only two on an endless loop, syllables stretched to their limits.
"Sha-dow man, sha-dow man, sha-dow man." The voices repeated on an endless loop. They were finally entering the room.
They wore dark robes with skull masks painted like a grimm. They also wore what looked like animal bones in what could only be described as a macabre version of a child arts and crafts projects. Bones forming crowns, tusks, antlers, you name it they were wearing it. Some of the bones looked different than the others. She really hoped those were animal bones.
Each of the hooded figures lit a torch. The room illuminated, her eyes were blinded. She could now see a circular room, walls addorned with paintings and carvings. The ground was tiled in uneven steps. However, the entire center of the room, including below herself, formed a massive pit. It looked like someone attempted to drill a whole through the world itself. She couldn't see how deep it goes or whats at the bottom. She didn't want to know what was at the bottom.
The chanting ceased. The hooded figures knelt down and held their torches above their heads. A man stepped into the room. He wore the skull of a stag, with great antlers. They were bleached black and had red and white patterns painted along it. He wore an intricate outfit, it almost resembled a robe worn over a robe. With intricate patterns and archaic script in vertical streaks across the 'outer' robe. He stepped up to the edge, the tips of his feet were dangling over the edge. He was perfectly statuesque where anyone else would be struggling for balance.
"The time has come once more. The hunger craves and the beast it sates awaits his feast. The sacrifice brings us power, the sacrifice brings us hope, the sacrifice brings us life." The man began to preach. His voice was deep, booming and growled as he spoke. He sounded old, maybe even ancient. The hooded figures began whispering their own chants. "That which lies beneath will rise, the fire will return to the sky. The end has revealed itself and the time is at hand. The devourer must be sated, the hunger must have sacrifice."
Gwyn tried lifting herself up again. She was barely holding on but she needed to think of something. She kissed her hands, the pain was starting to fade. She then bit into the rope. It was far tougher than she expected and tasted awful. She struggled to hold herself up and ended up falling. She heard a loud creaking sound as the rope reached it's limit. She tried to find the source. The light revealed that the beam they were tied to was old and starting to rot. A plan started to form in her mind. She needed Natasha's help.
"May our blood show our conviction." The man said.
He drew out a wave patterned blade. As did the rest of the hooded figures. They each held up a hand and sliced along the palm. They held their bleeding hands over the pit. With the same hand they then grasped their torches by the burning end. She could hear them struggling to keep the screaming bottled up. The released and dropped the torches into the pit. It was a very long way down. It took almost a minute before she heard a splash.
"Natasha." Gwyn whispered.
"Where are we?" Natasha muttered.
"Don't know, but I have a plan." She replied. "Grab the rope, we climb then we drop. We have to do it together."
"I don't know if I can, everything hurts." She said feebly.
"Too bad, if we don't do this we're dead." Gwyn said. She began to climb the rope. Her hands burned but she didn't care. She heard Natasha trying to climb. The preacher was continuing his sermon. It wasn't getting any less creepy.
They reached about the half way point, her arms were screaming at her, her hands were chalk white. She began to count. Natasha looked like her arms were about to give out. The man was watching them carefully.
"The hunger must be sated, you will be remembered." The man said.
"Sorry, but we're not on the menu." Gwyn replied. "NOW!"
They dropped. It felt like she had dislocated both her arms but the beam was buckling, she could hear loud cracking noises and next thing she knew she was falling. With a heavy wooden log ready to land on her as soon as they hit the ground.
"Think you can use your aura?" Gwyn asked. Natasha shouted something but she couldn't quite make it out. "Well, it's now or..."
There was a loud splash and both her legs felt like they had snapped. She was now completely submerged. She floated to the surface. It definitely wasn't water and the smell was even worse. She tried her hardest not to gag. They quickly untied each other. Gwyn could see faces staring down at them. Something brushed her leg. They weren't alone. She felt it wrapping around her leg. She desperately looked for a way out. She heard splashing, Natasha was swimming towards something. Gwyn followed, whatever was wrapping around her slipped off easy enough. Natasha was climbing onto jagged rocks. She pulled Gwyn up, they couldn't see much, there was no telling if there was a way out or if this was a small rock.
"How about that bubblebath?" Gwyn asked. The ground started to quake. Natasha reached into her clothes and pulled out a tiny glowstick. "I'd ask questions about where you kept that if it wasn't so useful."
She cracked it, it barely illuminated but barely was better than nothing. They crept slowly across the rocks, the wall drew closer and sure enough there was a path. Gwyn felt a cool breeze along the back of her neck, she turned around. Nothing but darkness. She didn't like this, she felt naked without a weapon. They reached a door. It was torn to pieces. Thick chunks of wood shredded like paper. They stepped over and continued.
The smell wasn't as bad, though their clothes were probably needed a good bonfire to get the smell out. A whistling sound drew near. The glowstick was beginning to dim. Natasha gave her a worried look. It didn't look like she had any more. They turned a corner, the cavern seemed to brighten. They slowed their steps, the last thing they needed was to run into those cultists again. The It was starting to get hot, very hot.
-GABRIEL-
Their cleanup job was about as easy as they expected. A couple dozen dead beowolves and ursa. Thankfully no deathstalkers. The sun was starting to wane. Rudd lit a small fire and warmed his metal gloves up. Arthur set up some rabbit snares while Lancel set up a cooking rig. Gabriel skimmed through his scroll. He noticed a small blinking light, someone left a message. He noticed the rest of their scrolls had the same blinking light, but everybody else was too busy to notice. He checked the message. It was short and direct. Gwyn and Natasha are missing.
"Uh guys, we need to go right now." Gabriel said. The others stopped what they were doing. "Gwyn's in trouble."
"Right." Arthur said. He kicked over his snares and grabbed his things. Rudd buried the fire. "Where were they last seen?"
"They were not far from here, they were on an assignment." Gabriel said. Coordinates popped up on the scroll. "Due east, about an hours walk."
"Let's make that forty five minutes." Arthur said.
It was closer to forty seven minutes but they found Orin, Kol and their huntress. The huntress was running her hand across the dirt. She looked like she was trying to count the grains of dirt.
"There's an impression in the dirt, light but there. Someone was lying here." She said. "No signs of dragging. They were carried. We can rule out Grimm."
"Alright, so we're dealing with people?" Arthur asked.
"These woods are pretty remote. Plenty of grimm lingering." She said. "People who choose to live in grimm infested forests are often reclusive and well armed."
"I have a feeling I know where." Orin said. He looked a lot paler than usual. "There was a town we found last time we were here. The people there were... odd."
"Define odd." Gabriel asked. "Like funny looking odd or psycho killer odd."
"A bit of both." Orin said. "I can lead the way, it's not too far from here."
Sure enough they found the town. It was decrepit and abandoned. It looked like noone had lived there in centuries. There was something behind the houses. They carried their weapons out as they walked through the streets. The silence was deafening. Behind the houses was a long ravine. It looked like something big crashed here. The ravine got deeper the closer it went to the town, until finally it stops to a mound of dirt.
"Well this is quaint." Gabriel said. He scanned the boarded up windows. His hairs were on end, as if something was watching them. He scanned the treeline. All the bushes looked like people. It was a little unsettling.
"I found something." Kol roared. They found him behind one of the houses. The cellar door was unlocked.
They entered the cellar, weapons drawn and ready. Arthur drew his sword, the blades edges expanded outwards. The large blade began to glow brightly, illuminating the room. One of the walls was torn open, a cave was visible. Deeper into the darkness, Gabriel couldn't help but think how horrible that sounds. He couldn't help but smile. Damsel in distress, unknown perils, a dungeon beneath a ruin. This was turning out to be a classic adventure.
-GWYN-
The cavern was sweltering, everything was bathed in a red glow. They were walking along a narrow pathway over a pit of molten slag. The cavern was filled with a thick cloud of smoke, they struggled to breath, each breath gave way to coughing and choking. They could see the other side. Not much further. The slag began to bubble. A sudden jet of steam burst through the churning liquid and splashed molten slag across the cavern. They barely were able to block the droplets with their aura. The heat was even worse. Gwyn noticed the hems of her dress were starting to smoke.
"Almost..." She mumbled. She began wheezing and dropped onto her hands and knees. Her hands were burning. She crawled painfully, Natasha's arms pulled her back up to her feet.
"Just keep..." Natasha mumbled.
She choked on the sulfurous air. Everything was starting to spin, her ears began to ring. The heatwaves were beginning to turn opaque. The jagged rock cut her hands and legs as she struggled to keep moving. There was another blast of steam, thankfully this time the slag landed nowhere near her. She could faintly hear voices, scratching at the back of her head. She shook her head, beads of sweat flung towards the slag, sizzling and evaporating before they could even reach it.
Gwyn reached the other side and collapsed. The ground was burning hot but she couldn't move anymore. Natasha struggled to drag her. Gwyn tried to kick her legs against the ground. She crawled desperately, it took quite an effort but they managed to place some distance between them and the natural oven. Gwyn stared at her hands, they were horribly burned and practically deformed. She kissed them, they began to hurt even more. The blisters were beginning to heal but it was taking far longer than usual. It also hurt a lot more. She kissed Natasha's hand and curled into a ball.
"I really don't like this cave." She said. She stared down at herself, she was covered in dried blood and burns. Natasha looked about as rough.
"How far down do you think we are?" Natasha asked.
"Too far." Gwyn replied. She checked her hands again, it looked a little better. The pain was beginning to pass.
"We need to keep moving." Natasha said. She struggled for a minute then stopped. "I can't get up."
"Maybe we should rest for a minute." Gwyn said. The walls of the cave felt like they were closing in. She shut her eyes and breathed as best she could. She couldn't fully relax, there was something wrong with this cave, something evil about it. She could feel it seeping into her skin. She could hear a rhythmic beat through the floor. When she shut her eyes it felt like the whole cave tremored with it.
-CALICO-
An old factory in the docks, long since condemned, was rumored to be a meeting place for the unsavory members of society. If Calico couldn't find Victor, he'd just have to find Roman. He noticed a few people unloading boxes into the warehouse, some sort of deal was about to go down. Nobody left as far as he could tell, nobody entered since. He noticed a delivery truck pull up. The back opened and several thugs climbed out the back with heavy crates. As did a man in a bowler cap. Roman argued with one of his goons, he then stormed off into the building.
Calico kept low and hurried along the rooftop. He rappelled down the side. He saw another vehicle pulling up. Another delivery truck. He crept behind a car and watched as the truck opened up and a dozen hooded figures emerged holding briefcases. Likely cash, but why would they buy something from Roman if they worked together. Unless it wasn't intended for him.
Calico crept down an adjacent alley. There was a second story window he might be able to reach. Thankfully it was open. He flung Ranger and hooked it into the windowsill. It made a far louder noise than he wanted. He climbed the building as quietly as he could. The window led to the foreman's office. It wasn't much to look at, plus the lightbulb had exploded at some point. He crept to the window and watched.
Roman and the White Fang weren't the only people here. He could make out Junior and the twins sitting on a couple of crates. Next to them was Trevor Chartreuse, a small time crook like Junior. He had a simple briefcase. There was another man he didn't know beside him. Young but big. Last was a surprising sight. Jasper Gold, runs a couple of nightclubs and casinos across Remnant. To say he's rich would be an understatement. Definitely the last person you'd expect to find among the crowd. He could make out the Narzisse twins behind Roman, as well as a girl wth an umbrella, another unknown. On of the white fang scanned in his direction. He could make out a pair of antlers. He ducked, of course Ivory would be present. He peaked over the edge, her attention was elsewhere. He could also make out another familiar face, Whisper, another old friend from his time in the White Fang.
"Isn't this quaint?" Roman asked. "I have to say I never thought you'd stoop this low Jasper, to dirty yourself in such a filthy locale."
"I forgot how much you loved the sound of your voice." Jasper replied. "Who called this meeting?"
"I thought you did." Junior said. Jasper shook his head.
"Then who..." Trevor said, he stopped mid sentence. Footsteps echoed throughout the building. A woman in a red dress and dark hair entered.
"I invited you here to discuss an important matter of business." She said. "We are looking to expand our efforts."
"If you wanted to talk real estate we could have met elsewhere." Jasper said. She smiled and walked past him.
"Mr Chartreuse, Junior, I will be needing you to distribute something special. You will take the cargo Roman brought and distribute it within three days time. Junior, I will take the dust off your hands." They weren't exactly common thugs but she ordered them around as if they were. "You will each take a briefcase, you'll find the money to be worthwhile. Trevor, I accept your offer."
Briefcases were shifting hands, crates were carried out. Jasper seemed the only one unimpressed. She circled him, running her hand along his shoulders. He grabbed her hand and pushed it away. She frowned.
"Cheer up Mr Gold. You have an important task as well." She said. He shook his head.
"I don't take orders from you." He said. "I came here out of courtesy."
"But can't you see we are in this together?" She asked. He laughed.
"That may be so but I'm doing just fine on my own." He said. She was starting to look annoyed. He took a step forward, she backed up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do. I hope you find the lackey you're looking for."
They watched him leave, she looked furious. Roman put his arm around her and began rambling. Calico noticed Ivory was looking right at him. He staggered back, knocking over an old paper weight. It hit the ground harder than he wanted.
"You hear something?" Trevor asked.
"I smell a rat." The woman said.
Calico climbed back out the window. He swung Ranger across the alley, onto the roof of the building next door. He lept, slamming against the side of the building. He quickly scaled the wall and rolled onto his back. Hopefully they wouldn't check the roof.
So Roman wasn't the only one with a job offer. It was a little strange to see common crooks working with the white fang, even stranger that the white fang sent a human to negotiate. There was more to this than stolen dust and military mechs.
-ASH-
Ash crawled feebly away from the beast, it circled the room, staying in the shadows. It was like a vulture waiting for it's meal to die. He scanned the room for a weapon, any weapon. Silver Faust was nowhere to be found. He noticed a glimmer coming from beneath the pool. A sword, intricately carved with a broad and surprisingly thick blade, adorned with strange runic symbols. The blade itself had small windows revealing a core inside the blade, made entirely of vibrant crystals. He reached for it, dipping his hand into the water. He slowly lowered himself in. He felt something grab his legs and pull. He flung across the cave and slammed into the wall. He dropped to the ground, his aura absorbed as much of that as it could. He tried to stand. The beast was hiding in the shadows again. All he could see were bright blue eyes.
He ran for the pool again. He felt something collide with his chest hard. He dropped to the ground, he was tossed to the other side of the room. He felt something break. His chest was searing in pain. He grabbed a rock and chucked it straight at the beast. There was a bright orange glow and the rock went soaring across the room. Bathed in a blinding light, the beast was forced to reveal itself. At first he thought it was an ursa, but it's fur was white, it was covered in golden antler growths across it's back. To sum it up, it looked regal. The orange glow around it was unmistakable. It had an aura. Grimm don't have auras.
"What the hell are you." Ash said. It advanced, he backed up. He tripped over a rock and landed hard. He backed up as best he could, it was inches from his face. He could feel it's breath, they were practically mouth to mouth. It opened it's maw wide, it's teeth pressed against his face. It recoiled, slowly and carefully.
"Who. Are. You." Three words, searing into the back of his head. He couldn't see the speaker, it didn't even sound like words, more like thoughts. It was devoid of accent, inflections and grammar. Like a raven repeating words, guttural and animalistic.
"Grimm can't talk." He said. It roared, he felt saliva splash against his face. His ears began to ring.
"I. No. Grimm." Three more words, gauging against his mind like chisel on stone. He really did have a talent for pissing people off, including talking bears.
"Why haven't you killed me?" Ash asked. The bear moved closer, it's teeth were massive.
"We. Will. Have. Words." The beast carved into his mind. He felt his nerves twitching manically. Just a simple hunting job. Ash refrained from laughing, Morgan was right, he sure does know how to pick them.
- GWYN -
A beast charged through the darkness, a beowulf in a mad panic. Blood dripped from it's fur, somebody got to it first. A blade was sticking from it's back. She and Natasha hid in the shadows as it passed them. She got a good look, a saber with a revolver handle. She knew it well.
"Ash." She whispered.
"You sure?" Natasha replied. "What would he be doing here?"
"Either he's here to rescue us or he's in the same boat." Gwyn muttered. She crept out and looked for it, it was nowhere in sight but she could here it's struggling footsteps.
"Judging by the fact he's unarmed, I think we're out of luck." Natasha replied. The beating felt like it was getting louder.
"Either way, that was a rather nice weapon. I'd rather have that in my hands than remain unarmed. Let's go!" She shouted. She took off, she couldn't tell if Natasha was following or not but hoped for the best. She turned the corner, the beast spun around and hissed. Blood dripped out of it's mouth, it's eyes were wide. Normally she wouldn't trust her odds at fighting a grimm unarmed but this time she looked in better shape. She looked at her hands, they were starting to actually look like hands again. She barely noticed the agonizing pain.
The beast lunged, she called up her aura as best she could muster. It collided, she went flying. Natasha lept over her and slammed her palm into the beast's forehead, a pale white glow surrounded her. There was a deafening crack and the beast was spread eagle on the floor. She held her foot up high, higher than Gwyn ever could. She swung it down hard, there was another loud crack and the beast stopped squirming. She drew the blade and tossed it to her.
"Where'd you learn to move like that?" Gwyn asked.
"Ballet, let's go." Natasha responded. Gwyn lifted her jaw and followed her. They went back the way they came.
"Alright, so now that we are better off, we should find Ash." Gwyn said. "The beast came from this way, maybe we'll find him."
-LYRA -
"We need to find a way down there." Lyra said. She circled the whole, Billy had his head in it. He explained he was trying to figure out how far down it was. Rasmatas has been silently stroking his beard the last half hour, she could feel his eyes burning through the back of her skull.
"You think he might be dead?" Morgan asked. Lyra squeaked. "What I mean that as a friend, you know. Maybe we should plan a funeral?"
"I think I have an idea how deep it is." Billy said, he pulled his head out, it was covered in dirt.
"And? That is?" Lyra asked. Billy took a moment to count with his fingers.
"Really deep." He replied. She squeaked louder. Why does she bother. She frowned and sat down. She could hear Rasmatas shifting quietly behind her.
"It seems we have nothing but problems today." Rasmatas said. Lyra turned, he was glancing at the jar. The head was dissolving. He tapped his scroll. "A couple of your classmates went missing a few miles from here."
"Went missing?" Lyra asked. "It's a forest, they could have made a wrong turn."
"Maybe, but their scrolls aren't responding either. Apparently they are believed to be in a cave." He said. "Curious wouldn't you say?"
"A cave." Billy said, he glanced back at the whole. "You think this sinkhole could lead to one?"
"The odds are slim. Then again, when do hunters refuse based on chance?" Rasmatas asked. "We need rope, we need light and we need to be ready for close quarters. There's a particularly strong weed in this region, Grimmweed. Aptly named because it's a pain to dispose of. Find me as much as you can find, that'll form our rope. Sir William, sharpen your blade. Miss Umber, we are going to need torches and your dust will be invaluable. Chop chop!"
The others set off immediately. Lyra smiled, she never actually saw a huntsman in action before. Other than professors and students. For the first time since meeting Ozpin, the future looked bright.
- ASH -
"Alright, you aren't a grimm. Please don't eat me." Ash said. His back was to the wall and the beast was inches from his face. He could feel drips of saliva running down his shirt.
The beast cocked it's head to it's side. There was something about it's eyes, they're were vibrant. At first they seemed blue but now it looked like something else, like there was more than one color in there somewhere. The way it caught the light in just the right way was like light through diamonds. The intricate antler structures that draped it's body looked like they were made of bone but there were intricate carvings and even trimmings by the look of it. The carvings glowed when it's aura shined. They didn't seem natural, but who would carve into the bones of a giant aura powered bear. His mind was still trying to wrap around the talking aura powered bear.
"You. Hunt. Man." The beast carved, his eyes watered and his hand tightened into a fist. It was getting less invasive but the pain seemed to linger.
"In training." He said. The beast stared, his eyes flickered.
"You. Lead. Hunt. Man?" He asked. Ash wasn't sure whether to laugh or not, he resisted the urge.
"Just three, and we're not exactly that good at our jobs." Ash said. The best growled.
"Do. Not. Lie." The beast roared. It was like a pencil snapped against his brain. "You. Lead. Hunt. Man."
"Wait, man..." He said. Man, singular not plural. Hunt man. "Rasmatas!"
"Speak. No. Evil. Here." It roared. Ash wanted to smile at the thought of finding someone who didn't idolize the man.
"Is he the evil or huntsmen in general?" Ash asked.
"Pain. Hurt. Kill." The beast carved.
"What?" Ash asked.
"Bleed. Hunger." The beast continued. It was getting less coherent, and the pain was only increasing. "Flee. Forfeit. Hope."
"I don't lead Rasmatas, he's merely an observer for this mission. A mentor, well more of a critic at this point." He said. The beast frowned, or at least he thinks it did, he's not exactly privy on ursine body language. It growled.
"Why. Are. You. Here." The beast roared. Ash felt the rocks scrap against his back.
"Hunting grimm, why else?" Ash said. The beast growled "Some huntsmen were killed by something big out here."
"It. Hungers." It growled. It began to pace around. "Listen."
"I'm listening." Ash said. It growled louder.
"No. Listen." The carvings were drilling deep. He closed his eyes. He heard it. A rhythmic beat, pounding like a drum. The jagged rocks against his spine were vibrating, as was the floor. Faintly, like an echo. Quiet, but there.
"What is that?" Ash asked.
"Your. Grimm." The beast roared. "Echoes. Hungry. Always. Hungry."
"How big is this grimm exactly?" Ash asked. The bear stared, completely vacant of emotion. It held that face for a minute before relaxing.
"Beacon." The beast carved.
"What about Beacon?" Ash asked.
"Smaller." The beast sat. Ash felt a crushing weight on his chest. His lips were feeling parched. He really knew how to pick them.
"How much smaller?" Ash asked.
"Sand. In. Desert." The beast carved. Ash felt a rumbling below, dust fell from the ceiling.
"Oh crap." He said. He heard echoes coming from the darkness.
"Hunt. Man." The beast growled. "Can. Not. Know. Here."
"Why are you here?" Ash asked.
"I. Watch." The beast replied.
"Watch what?" Ash asked.
"I. Watch." The beast replied.
"Got a name watching bear?" Ash asked. The beast tilted it's head.
"I. Do. Not. Know." The beast carved. Ash barely felt that one.
"Alright, for the sake of brevity I'll call you Vigil." Ash said. "Vigil, I'm Ashton Grey and I'll assure you I won't tell a soul you exist so long as you don't eat me."
"Hunt. Man. Bad. Taste." The beast carved.
"I don't know if your being funny or not." Ash replied. "I'll try to avoid mentioning the talking bear and see if I can find a way to kill this thing."
"Good. Luck. Hunt. Man." The beast carved.
The voices were closer, light was coming down the hall. He turned back to Vigil only to find an empty cave. He looked down at his mangled hands, his torn and bloody clothes. He wasn't exactly able to defend himself. The light was dim but there, a faint green glow. Around the corner came two girls, one of whom was holding a glowstick and the other had her hands on the familiar shape of Silver Faust. He smiled.
"Well I'll be damned, I was beginning to question my luck." Ash said. They certainly were a sight for sore eyes.
"Ash, how'd you get down here?" Gwyn asked. Ash pointed to the hole. "I took shortcut, hurt like hell and looks worse.
She grabbed his hands, her hands were more worn than usual. She kissed his palm. He felt a heavy crunching sensation. He wasn't sure what hurt more at this point, his head or his hand. He didn't remember it being this painful.
"Sorry about the pain." She said. Ash flicked his hand back and forth like it was on fire.
"Anything wrong with your semblance?" Ash asked. "I fell like you just broke my hand."
"I don't know, I feel really weird, I think the cave is getting to me." She said. "I keep feeling something, through the walls."
"Is there any way we can climb back up?" Natasha asked. She was sitting at the bottom of the whole. "Looks a little steep, nothing to grip either."
"I'm not sure, there's an entrance though. A proper one." Ash said. Vigil definitely needed a bear sized path to the surface, so it was only a matter of where.
"How would you know that, for all we know we're trapped." Natasha said. Ash felt eyes burning through the back of his head, followed by a sharp sensation of a nail running down the back of his head. He felt his nerves jittered like someone just scratched a chalk board.
"Intuition." Ash said. The feeling subsided. He passed it's test, though the feeling of being watched continued. "Let's find this exit.
-CALICO-
The broken moon broke the darkness covering the city. It's rain-slicked roofs were reflecting an amicable glow over. With a loud splash Calico crashed into the roof, spinning into a roll. He spun Ranger and launched it. It flung to the building across from him and he hooked to something, that was good to know. A loud crack echoed through the night followed by twenty more. They were doing a good job keeping pace with him. He swung over the street below and raised his legs. He crashed through the window and recalled Ranger. He slid across the carpet and broken glass, bullets whizzing over his head. He rolled behind a cubical. Several fist sized holes punched through it. He was in an office building, best he could tell from his location. Another bullet punched through the cubical, too close for comfort.
There was a loud crash, he waited too long. He hopped to his feet and vaulted over the cubical wall. He saw at least three hoods moving through the cubicle maze. He was spotted pretty fast. The bullets were continuing their crescendo. He dove through a side door, crashing into a washroom. Not exactly the most defensible position. He slammed the door behind him. He could hear them coming, he had to act fast. He kicked every stall door open except the last one. He climbed into a random stall and lifted himself up behind the door. He held himself up with one hand on the coat hook and a foot on the toilet paper dispensor. It sounded like it was going to give way any second.
The bathroom door burst open, he held his breath. He could hear them closing in on them. He noticed he was still casting a shadow. He muttered a few choice curse worlds, he covered his mouth. He heard them passing him, going for the closed stall. He heard it slam open. He swung himself out of the stall, swinging Ranger. His feet hit the floor, which turned out far more wet than he'd hoped. He slipped and land on his back. Ranger flung from his hands, the white fang thugs were drawing weapons. Ranger crashed into the light bulb, everything was suddenly dark.
Calico spun around and bullets were flying. Ranger came spinning around, wrapping around one thugs legs and with a single pull all three came tumbling down. With the blinding flashes gone he was starting to see clearly in the darkness. He could make out the thugs were climbing back to their feet. He sprinted their way and slid. His leg slammed into the head of one thug, he spun around and kicked another in the face. He slammed the back of his hand in the third's. He hopped to his feet and ran for the door. Three down, twenty more to go. Twenty guns were aimed at his head, a familiar face was looming behind them.
"Now this won't do." Victor said. He stepped closer. "I give you a way out and you spit on my generosity."
"White Fang working for humans." Calico said. "You of all people are okay with this?"
"My opinions don't matter Calico, you were given a task and you've yet to perform it." Victor said. He raised a heavy wooden club. "You have twenty four hours left."
"Twenty four." Calico felt his hand reaching for Ranger. Victor started to smile.
"Go ahead, your friends won't make it to morning if you do." Victor said. "But make my evening interesting."
"Ash is a friend." Calico said. Victor smiled a toothy smile, his fangs looked sharper than usual.
"Then choose, your team or a drunk" Victor said. He motioned his men to step back. "There's the door, find Grey and bring me his head!"
