Author's Note: Hey, all. Jsut finsihed this with the help of my Beta, Mr. Stark357. Enjoy. WARNING: There is a bit of Lime in this chapter. Nothing too explicit for an M-Rating, I hope, but be warned, skip to the next scene if it offends you.
P.S.
I'd also like to give a shout out to RejectedKnight23 for updating Sunshine and Shadows II, part of my favorite RWBY fanfic series. Seriously, go check out Sunshine and Shadows! The series is phenomenal. Start with Part I and read In the Meantime if you want (I've never read Team BLACK, so I can't honestly say anything for or against it). Also, Four Deadly Secrets by OneirosTheWriter has been updated and is also worth checking out. Now, if only Dinas Emrys would update Premium Well, I'd be in RWBY Fanfic Heaven . . .
Act 1: Shadows within Shadows
Chapter 5: On the Subject of Slaves
"Please, Mistress, have mercy," the Vampire whimpered. He was kneeling before Weiss in the middle of the Vampires' throne room, wearing torn clothes, his orange hair unkempt, bound with chains. The bands around his ankles, wrists, and neck were silver-plated; Blake guessed that even if he was strong enough to merge into the shadows or the stone floor, he would have been in too much pain do so. Additionally, the burning probably distracted him from using whatever Semblance he had (if he had one) and encouraged him to focus his Aura on healing. Blake had no reason to believe the Vampire wasn't guilty of whatever crimes he was accused of, but given her own recent experiences, she couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for him.
She and Yang stood in the corner, some distance from the Master and her bodyguards. In front of them, every Vampire and slave in the coven was assembled. There were too many people for Blake to differentiate individuals, but she guessed there was a roughly equal number of slaves as Vampires—and, any Faunus she saw was not a Vampire—in which case . . . Blake struggled to look disinterested, but it was difficult. There must have been two hundred people in front of her; she was one Werebeast in the presence of a hundred Vampires. This was a scene from her nightmares.
At least her new mistress and the psychic link they shared was helping, somewhat. Yang was scowling at the kneeling Vampire, and Blake felt the fear she should have felt in this situation being drowned in the blonde's fury, the absolute contempt Yang (and by extension, Blake now) felt for this bloodsucker. A small voice in her wondered if she would explode if it kept up. As it was, she was sorely tempted to attack the defenseless Vampire.
"Sorry," the blond whispered. Blake saw her wince as she tried to control her emotions. "But, I think we came at a bad time."
"It's always amusing to watch someone without mercy beg for it," the white-haired Vampiress said, eying her subject like a cockroach. She was seated on her throne with Ruby at her feet. On either side, Fox and Velvet stood guard while Coco and Yatsuhari flanked the prisoner. "Dearest Yang," the female Master asked, "what is the law regarding killing mortals?"
"Don't do it," Yang said. "Unless you have to," she added reluctantly.
Weiss nodded. "As it should be. Now, Ocher," she said, addressing the captive. "How many Humans and Faunus have you killed?"
"I can't remember, Mistress," the bound Vampire said.
"Coco?" the Master asked.
"Eleven for sure." The tote-carrier shrugged as she replied. "Plus who knows how many we don't."
"Eleven innocents . . ." the Vampire Queen hissed. "Do you have even the slightest idea of the trouble you've brought on us?"
"Mistress, I—"
"Silence!" Weiss cut him off. "That was a rhetorical question. I already know you don't. Otherwise you wouldn't have done it! Does anyone here know the most effective way to bring Hunters down on our kind?" She was addressing the entire assembly now. "They find dead bodies of our victims! Do you really think they care when we sneak into bedrooms and steal from sleepers? Or when we tap the veins of the homeless? Of course they do!" Weiss said, settling into a brooding, intimidating figure, like a viper trying to determine if a human was within striking distance. "They care, but they almost never learn about these things. The mortals who bare our marks—if they can even find them—are almost always too frightened to admit to them. It's one way the stigma against our kind is beneficial to us," she said, scowling. This is why we are forbidden to kill, why we keep slaves who feed us with what they can spare. Dead bodies can't be ashamed of themselves. They cannot hide their wounds and the symptoms of their blood loss from others, and their families are often distraught enough to go to the authorities. And, if you confine all your killings to the same place, Hunters can find where we are!" Weiss took a breath to steady herself. Again she questioned Coco. "When was the first person, that we know about, killed?"
"Three or four months ago," Coco replied.
"Three or four months," Weiss hissed. "Eleven people were killed in three or four months! Congratulations, I'm quite certain there's a file in every Vale police department and in Beacon's archives marked 'Vampire Serial Killer!' If the Hunters haven't already dispatched their teams to investigate our territory, they must be insane!" Weiss glared at the bound Vampire, who whimpered some more from his submissive position.
"Please, Mistress," he begged. "I can't help myself, I—"
"That's what you said last time!" Weiss screamed. Jumping to her feet, the Vampiress abandoned all semblance of a royal queen. This, Blake realized was a Master Vampire, a creature of wrath and power. A lioness in human form.
"Two months ago, you stood before my court, spouting the same lines. How your sire never taught you control. How hard it was to change after you'd spent decades living like this. I took pity on you then. Allowed you a chance to redeem yourself, and did you take it? No!"
"But, Mistress," the Vampire spoke again, and Blake was suddenly aware of how oily it was. If Weiss was a lioness, this Vampire was a snake. "Be reasonable, how could anyone tame their base instincts in a mere two months?"
"You could have asked for help!" Weiss screamed, her fangs flashing. "I assigned you a team of partners to join you on your hunts. They should have educated you in how to control yourself. Instead, you ran from them to kill whenever you could. This wasn't about your instincts. This was about murder!"
"What of it!" Ocher screamed. It was apparent he'd lost whatever poise he had. "There are dozens of us! We could annihilate all the Huntsmen in Vale with no effort, why should we fear feeble mortals?"
"Fool! Mortals are not like us!" Weiss screamed. "They are not fractured or territorial. Haven't you paid attention to the world since the end of the War? Hunters from all over the world work together in battle. They cooperate with their nations' militaries and police forces. And they all share technology and hunting tactics. Do you have any conception of the force they could bring against us? Thank Oum your victims didn't include Hunters, or we'd already be facing them!"
"But, we aren't without resources, Mistress," Ocher replied, his voice so oily Blake thought it must be flammable. "Are you not the scion of—" Suddenly, the Vampire found his mouth filled with the Coven Master's blade. Blake gulped; she hadn't seen Weiss draw it.
"Mention my sire and me in two breaths, not one," Weiss ordered. Withdrawing her sword, she made a show of wiping the blade. "Ocher, you have done more than just disobey my laws; you have betrayed us all. And, betrayal," Weiss' eyes scanned the assembled crowd, "is not something to be taken lightly. It must be dealt with quickly, cleanly, and unambiguously."
Weiss raised the blade to Ocher's neck once more. Blake closed her eyes. In the dark, she heard a gasp.
"Then again," Weiss said, musing out loud. "I'm given to understand that three strikes are usually given before one is called out, correct?"
Ocher looked around, realizing Weiss was speaking to him. "Yes, Mistress. That is the usual rule."
"Then consider yourself down to your final chance," the Master said, sheathing her blade. "If you break my law again, you will die, and your head will be delivered to the Vale police to help them close the case on your mistakes."
"Thank you, Mistress!" Ocher's bravado had evaporated now that there was another chance to save his scrawny neck. "You're generosity is legendary!"
"Not quite," Weiss said. "You're still going to be punished. I must set an example after all. So, you're going to spend the next one hundred and twenty-one years in the Carcere Aquae."
"The Prison of Water," the convict repeated.
"Eleven years each of your eleven mistakes," Weiss said. "Pleasant dreams, Ocher. Anyone who wishes to may say their good byes on the way. Dismissed." With a flick of her hand, Weiss returned to her throne. As she sank into it, Ruby took one of the Master's hands in her's and started playing with it. The Vampires and slaves slowly filed out of the room, not uttering a word until they'd past the door. Even then, they spoke in hushed tones.
Coco and Yatsuhari pulled Ocher to his feet and began to drag him away. "Coco," Weiss called, halting them. "Stay. I would like your opinion on something. Velvet and Fox will aid Yatsuhari in escorting the prisoner."
Coco nodded and left the prisoner's side, sauntering over to the Master. Velvet and Coco did likewise. The Vampiress made sure to swat Fox on the butt as she passed him. Her mate rolled his eyes at her antics, taking Ocher under his arm and leading him away.
"What should we do with his slave, Mistress?" Coco asked.
"He's still in the Infirmary, isn't he?" Weiss asked, absently, seemingly more engrossed in Ruby's actions. "When he is well enough to leave, assign him to a new master or mistress. Use your own discretion; I don't care who gets him. If no one else turns up, let Violet keep him. I'm certain she could always use another set of hands."
Coco smirked. "What a kinky nurse we have."
The Queen of Vale's Northern Night pulled a face. "Just because we live underground is no reason for your mind to live in a gutter, Coco. Not everyone is as oversexed as you are."
"I'll bet Violet would be happier if she was," Coco said with a smirk. "What's the problem, Mistress?"
"No problem," Weiss replied. Withdrawing her hand from Ruby, she beckoned Yang and Blake over. "I just thought you would like to hear the tale our newest member has to tell."
Blake felt a wave of irritation pass through her, and she wasn't certain how much of it was her's and how much was Yang's. Still, the pair took a few steps forward. Coco took up position beside the throne.
"Why have the White Fang been transforming their recruits into Werebeasts?" Weiss asked.
Blake frowned at her. It wasn't enough to be called a glare, but it was obvious Blake held no respect for the Queen of Vale's Northern Night. Then, her limbs loosened and her brow relaxed against her will. Blake growled internally. This was Yang's doing; the blond brawler had adapted to their empathic link with remarkable speed. In other circumstances, the Werecat might have been impressed.
With a sigh, she replied, "I don't know. My mentor said it was necessary for us to become stronger. At first, I thought it was just becoming stronger warriors, but, as time went on, he and our leaders began saying stranger things, frightening things. They spoke about . . . 'evolving our race,' and 'becoming the masters rather than the slaves.' I still don't know what's going on, but . . ."
"But?" Weiss asked. Her voice was quiet now.
Blake took a deep breath. "When I was turned, most of the White Fang's operatives and supporters were still mortal. Now, almost none of them are. Almost every new recruit I've seen has been infected."
Yang drew in a tight breath. That sounded like a whole lot of Werebeasts.
Ruby, though, drew everyone's attention. "But, how are they keeping this a secret? There's a lot of White Fang, right? How is Vale not being overrun with Werebeasts every full moon?"
Blake looked at the slave girl for a moment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yang doing the same. It was . . . odd. Wasn't this girl a slave? The infected Cat Faunus saw Weiss make a gesture with her hand that presumably meant she was to answer the question. "I'm not sure. They lock the young ones up to keep them from going on a rampage, but I have no idea how the higher-ups do it themselves."
"There's not a lot you can do with an army of Werebeasts," Coco noted.
Weiss nodded. No, there isn't. We will have to discuss this further. In the meantime, Dearest Yang, why don't you introduce your new pet to her new home and teach her, her new duties."
"Yes, Mistress," Yang replied, sounding unhappy.
Blake herself was beyond unhappy; this . . . Vampire was talking about her like she was an animal! Just like the humans she'd protested against as a child. It doesn't matter what I am, or where I am, she thought. It's all the same.
A warm hand wrapped around hers.
Blake looked up and saw Yang trying not to look her in the eye. "Come on," the blond said. "It's time for us to go." Turning, she waved to her sister, who smiled and waved back. Then, the blond Vampiress led her raven-haired slave out of the room.
NEW SCENE
"I'm sorry about all this."
Blake looked up. She and Yang had been walking in silence for some time now. They'd stopped in front of a set of closed doors and remained there for five whole minutes before Yang had finally spoken. Beyond the doors, Blake could hear the clanging of pots and pans and the smell of herbs, spices, and meat; it was probably the kitchen.
"You're not the one who's at fault, Yang," the Cat Faunus replied. It was difficult to say; her natural instinct was to rage and yell at this woman for the position she'd put her in. Still, Blake forced herself on. "I understand that you're doing this for your sister, and I can't hold that against you. There was a time when I would have done the same thing for the White Fang, before . . ."
"Before they turned into a pack of crazies?" Yang asked, then cringed. "Sorry, that was bad, but I have to wonder, how long were you in the Fang? From what I understand, they haven't exactly been . . ."
"Sane?" Blake offered.
"Respectable in a long time."
Blake sighed. "My parents were members of the Fang in the old days; you could say I was born into the organization. After they died, the White Fang became the only family I had lef—" Blake was shocked when a pair of powerful arms wrapped themselves around her. This was the first time she was conscious of the brawler's warm Aura as it enveloped her in a second embrace. "Why . . .?" It was difficult to talk. Partly from the confusion, partly from the warmth that made her inner feline want to stretch out and purr in contentment.
"I'm sorry," Yang said. "I just . . . Ruby and I lost our Mom when we were kids. Kind of makes you sensitive to someone else with similar problems."
"You must have spent a lot of time hugging people then," Blake managed to say. She immediately regretted it, realizing how cruel it sounded, but Yang just laughed.
"Yeah, that's life on Remnant for you, but I also got to hug a lot of people for good stuff, too. So, it wasn't all bad," she said, drawing back and giving the infected Faunus a smile. Blake though it was ironic that a Vampiress should have such a bright, sunny smile.
"Well, that should be enough bad memories to last us both a while," Yang declared. "Let's get started with the tour, shall we?" So saying, she took Blake's hand in her's and led her down the corridor.
NEW SECTION
"And this is the Rec Room," Yang said, as she introduced Blake to the new room. So far, they had seen the kitchen (a room more for the convenience of the slaves than their blood-drinking masters and mistresses), the Gym (where Yang promised they'd practice regularly), the storage area, and the living quarters (not that they'd gone in yet, it was just between the areas used for storage and their current location).
Blake took in the sight. Yang was a far cry from what she'd expected in a Vampire, but the rest of the Coven's hideout had surprised her as well. Blake wasn't certain what she expected of a Vampires' lair; her theories had ranged from living in the sewers like rats, a theory she had more or less abandoned after meeting Yang and seeing the infirmary, to a life of luxury in the mansion of some aged or diseased slime ball who sponsored the Vampires in exchange for the promise of immortality. This idea had some appeal to it, given who the Coven's Master was. More realistically, she half-expected a militaristic set-up like the White Fang used. Instead, what she'd found was positively . . . homey. It wasn't as extravagant as her mansion idea, but it was better that what she'd left behind.
Take the Rec Room, for instance. It was sparsely furnished, but the furniture looked "well-loved" as opposed to "cheap" and the handful of mostly Human slaves lounging about seemed perfectly content with it: a wide space with three couches, four chairs, and a large rug, none of which went together particularly well. On a table in the middle sat an old, wireless stereo broadcasting a sporting event. Against the wall were a couple of short bookshelves with a tall one in between them.
On instinct, Blake glided over to the books, like a moth to a light. She saw they were mostly paperbacks, some more tattered than others. Looking over the titles, the infected Faunus saw biographies, mysteries, comic books, a guide to origami, an astronomy textbook, trashy romances (she made a special note about those), a birdwatchers' guide to every species of bird native to the continent of Vytal, fairy tales, and a complete encyclopedia (those were the only hard-backed books and looked fairly expensive). The eclectic nature of the collection fit with the furniture and further convinced Blake that, no matter how refined Coven's prissy Master might act, her new "team" was financially strapped.
"See anything you like?"
Blake jumped at the sound of the cultured voice beside her. Turning she saw the rabbit Faunus she'd seen earlier with the Queen's Throne Room. The brown-haired girl still wore the pinkish armor and black tights Blake had wondered at earlier. She was also holding a book in her hands and shuffling a little.
"Not yet," she answered.
The rabbit Faunus smiled. "My name is Velvet," she said, awkwardly offering her hand. "I'm Fox and Coco's slave."
Blake eyed her, raising a single eyebrow. "Do you always introduce yourself as someone's property?"
Velvet dropped her hand. "It's a custom when new slaves arrive . . . to let everyone know who's with who . . ."
"You mean who owns who," Blake corrected.
"Well . . ."
"How can you be so . . . pleasant about it?" Blake asked. Seriously, the woman had smiled as she'd listed her owners. SMILED! What was wrong with her?
"Hey, Blake!" Yang shouted, running up behind the morally outraged Werecat. "Are you hungry? It's kind of late; I'll bet you're hungry! Want to get something to eat?"
Blake ignored her. It wasn't easy; once again, she felt the empathic bond she and Yang shared begin to affect her, filling her with a sense of urgency. It was all Blake could do to keep herself from turning around and walking away. Odd, though, there was something else. Something underneath the desire to leave. It was the feeling that something very, very wrong was happening.
"Grrrrrooooowwwwwllllllll." It didn't help that Blake hadn't eaten in almost two days, and Yang was suggesting food. It was a good thing the infected Cat Faunus was feeling so indignant at the moment; otherwise she'd have been blushing furiously at the actions of her treacherous stomach. "I can wait," she said, trying to fight down the blush.
Velvet sighed. "There are a lot of different relationships. I'll admit, some of the Vampires are rather unpleasant—especially to their slaves. Most of us, however, have a constructive, amicable relationship with our masters."
"Amicable?" Blake asked. "You're owned, like an animal. They can do whatever they want to you! Even eat you! How can you possibly stand up for them?"
"Because they saved my life!" Velvet exploded. She was shaking as she continued, "Because I was accepted by Vampires the way I never was by Mortals . . . by humans OR Faunus."
Blake cocked her head. "What do you mean . . . ? Why weren't you—"
"I'm sorry," Velvet said. "I'm sorry, I . . . I have to go . . ." Turning, she ran down the hall with surprising speed.
"Wait!" Blake yelled, halfheartedly. A fleeing Rabbit-girl was NOT a good thing for a Werebeast to see, especially one whose animal half was already predatory. This close to the Full Moon . . . Blake struggled, but finally managed to shove the growling, raging feline within her back down. She'd probably pay for that later, but it was better than letting the beast out here and now.
The other problem was that Blake wasn't certain what she would say to the fleeing woman. What was there to say? What was up with her? Was she really unaccepted by her fellow Faunus? Granted, there were bullies in every race, Faunus included, but this sounded like more than that. It sounded like the poor girl had been ostracized by her peers. Why would they do that? Humans I can understand; there are so many who would take one look at her and walk all over her, and there are some Faunus who would do that too, but wouldn't her friends and family stand up for her?
"Um, Blake?" Yang asked. "Can we go now?"
Blake felt that same tugging she'd felt from Yang earlier and looked around. Now, she could see the other slaves in the room had all stopped listening to the stereo and were looking intently at her. All of them were scowling. Leaving seemed like a good idea.
"Does the kitchen have any tuna?" she asked, walking towards the exit.
Yang took her place beside her, shielding Blake from the glares of the other slaves as well as she could. Blake wouldn't say it out loud, but she was touched, if a little confused. "Not sure," the blond answered. "Never actually asked. Vampire, you know?" she said, flashing her fangs.
"Oh, right, you can't eat or drink anything other than blood, can you?" Blake asked.
"It's possible," Yang said, her voice not as loud as usual. "Drinks are all right, as long as they're not alcoholic. Food's tougher. Meat is easiest, especially if it's raw and red, and that stuff can still twist my stomach into knots if I eat too much. I've heard it helps if you drink a lot of blood before or after. Kind of like heartburn medication, right?"
"I wouldn't know," Blake said. "It's not so bad for Werebeasts; we don't have to worry about alcohol or garlic or the like. Our only real hang-up is that anything other than raw meat loses a lot of its taste. It isn't the same as your problem, but we also have to eat a lot of more calories than normal Faunus because of our odd metabolisms. Can you imagine eating an extra-large meal consisting of unflavored tofu?"
Yang actually laughed. "I guess we aren't that different after all!" she declared, slapping Blake on the back. The Cat-eared Meta stumbled forward under the woman's blow. For a split second, she was furious with this casual violence, before a wave of concern and shame crashed into her. She looked up and saw Yang's expression mirrored the emotions. "Sorry," the blond said. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."
Blake sighed. She needed to learn to stop immediately assuming the worst in others, especially humans (or post-humans). "It's all right," she said. "I guess I'm still a little weak from . . . everything." That was something she never expected to do again: admit weakness to someone else.
Yang shrugged. "Well, there was something else I needed to talk to you about anyway. Might as well do it now. I noticed you were curious about something earlier."
"Yes, that empathy bond is very annoying," Blake replied, crossing her arms.
"Hey don't blame me for that," Yang said. "Anyway, I'm guessing it's from the looks you were getting from the others in the Rec Room, right?"
Close enough, Blake thought, trying to control her emotions. Out loud, she replied, "Yes, I get the feeling I said something I shouldn't have."
"Did something is more like it," Yang said. "OK, rule number 1 of living here is this: don't make Velvet cry." The blond frowned for a moment, then amended her statement. "Well, actually rule number 1 is don't piss off anyone you can't beat the snot out of, but rule number 2 is don't make Velvet cry."
"I take it she's popular?" Blake asked.
"Sort of," Yang said. "Mainly, she's just the nicest thing on two legs and as sweet as Atlasian ice cream. Most people around her think upsetting her is kind of like kicking a puppy."
Blake cocked an eyebrow. "I seem to recall her being a part of your fiancé's honor guard. Seems like she should know how to fight."
Yang frowned, though Blake got the feeling that for once, it had nothing to do with Weiss. "Oh, she can. I don't get it either but, she can. You'll see; she trains in the Gym like the rest of us."
NEW SECTION
"Still worried?" Ruby asked her mistress, lying down beside her. It was almost dawn, and the pair had retired to Weiss' room after spending nearly an hour discussing the situation with Coco and her team.
"It makes no sense," Weiss said. Her hands were propping her head up as she continued contemplating the situation. "Why are the White Fang turning so many? I thought it was just to create an army of Werebeasts to throw at us or the Council or whoever their target is, but then why continue these recruitment drives? Why not just capture as many Faunus as possible and bite them?"
"That'd probably make them too angry to work for the Fang," Ruby said. "I mean, look at Yang, how unhappy she is with being a Vampire. Would you want to make an army of that?"
Weiss frowned. "No. Yang is powerful, a formidable ally, but if you weren't here she wouldn't even be making an effort to work with us. An army made of so many similarly-minded, reluctant Metabeings is . . . undesirable. Certainly, it's doubtful they would ever consent to training, and the White Fang we've faced until now have all been trained at least a little."
"So, maybe they are building an army," Ruby suggested. "You know, making anti-Hunter Metabeings!"
"You read too many comic books, dear," Weiss said.
Ruby pouted. "It could happen."
Weiss grimaced. "Perhaps, but I hope it isn't." She sighed. "On an unrelated note," she said, turning to look Ruby in the eyes, "What do you think of this Blake?"
Ruby sighed. Now she leaned back and looked at the ceiling while her beloved watched her. ". . . I think I like her. She doesn't take gruff from anyone, kind of like Yang. She still cares about the people in the Fang, even if she disagrees with their methods, so she's loyal and she has a good heart."
"You don't worry that care and loyalty will make her a danger?" Weiss asked.
"Nope," Ruby said, smiling. "Blake knows what they're doing is bad. She just needs to learn that we're the good guys. Then, she'll be all right with us, and we'll live happily ever-after."
Weiss gave a decidedly un-ladylike snort. "We're hardly angels, Ruby," she said. "We enslave others, we steal the blood of Mortals, and—as much as I try to stop it—not all of our coven are particularly fond of sparing their victims' lives."
"But, you do try, Weiss," Ruby said, looking her lover in the eye. "You try to control it. You punish the ones who break the rules, but you try to be sympathetic to the ones who just can't help themselves; not even the police do that!"
"Damn it, Ruby, if you hadn't been there, I would have killed Ocher. I'd have cut his head off myself and had Fox or someone dump the remains on the police's doorstep. The only reason I didn't was because of you, because I didn't know what you'd think of me if you saw that. As it was, he's still spending over a century in suspended animation!" Under other circumstances, Weiss would be perfectly aware of the irony of her actions; she had spared Ocher to keep Ruby from seeing her as a monster, and now she was trying her best to make her love understand that a monster was all she ever could be. Tired people, however, are not known for making the best decisions.
"Why wouldn't you have Yatsuhashi do it?" Ruby asked. "He was closer, and with that giant sword of his, it would have been easier."
"Because I can't seem squeamish in front of the others," Weiss replied. "And because it's my responsibility as Master of the coven, not his."
"If you wanted to scare people, you could've used Crescent Rose," Ruby said. "My sweetheart's pretty intimidating."
"What?" Weiss cried. "Ruby, that's your weapon! I couldn't use Crescent Rose to do my dirty work! It'd be like . . . like . . . I could never do that, Ruby."
Ruby smiled up at her. "And you didn't, just like you didn't kill him. You did what you had to for us to be safe, Weiss, all of us, and you did it without having to resort to killing." The young woman's eyes were shining now. "You're more like an angel than you realize. You try so hard to hold on to your morals, even when it's hard. And in spite of all the nasty stuff you have to say about the others, I know you'll fight tooth and fang to protect them, slaves and mortals and Vampires alike. Because that's what you do, Weiss, you protect us. " Ruby blushed. "I think that's one of the reasons I like Blake; she reminds me of you."
All the more reason not to trust her, Weiss thought. She considered explaining that was why they should be worried about Blake betraying them to the White Fang or this all being some kind of elaborate trick, but now was not the time for that. Instead, she gave Ruby a predatory smile. "Is that so? Well, perhaps I should be concerned about just how fond of this new girl you are."
"What? Weiss, what are you talking about?" Ruby asked, squirming at the look Weiss gave her. She was intimately familiar with that look. "Come on, you know I love you."
Ironically, given they were discussing a Werecat, Weiss purred. "I know, Ruby, but I think I should remind you why you love me." Then, she was kissing her, a strong, long kiss that made Ruby's toes tingle and her body go limp.
"Weeeeeiiiiiss . . ." the girl moaned as her mistress drew back.
"Ruuuubbbyyyyyy," Weiss replied, still smiling but looking hungrier. Much hungrier. The white-haired Vampiress leaned forward and kissed her beloved again, this time, drawing Ruby's shirt up over her head.
Ruby still blushed at the thought of being seen in her bra, but she couldn't deny that the look on Weiss' face made the blush easy to ignore. It was her eyes; the way they stared at Ruby, sparkling with playfulness that others rarely got to see, if ever. Smiling, the russet-haired girl reached up and began unbuttoning her mistress' shirt, kissing each inch of exposed flesh as she did so. Her kisses ended at Weiss' waist, and Ruby straitened up to push the shirt from Weiss' shoulders. The expression on Weiss' was one of the most beautiful things on Remnant. The Vampiress' eyes were closed, her head tilted back just slightly, and the faintest shade of pink tinged her cheeks. Ruby grinned at her accomplishment, then leaned up to peck Weiss on the nose.
Awakening from her Ruby-induced stupor, Weiss immediately pounced on the girl, pushing the slave-girl down and kissing her lips in an almost violent display of passion. The russet-headed girl responded just as fiercely, snaking her arms around her mistress' back and pulling her closer. Weiss' hands were busy too, pulling Ruby's skirt down below her knees, where the eager concubine kicked it off. Ruby responded in kind, shoving Weiss' skirt down far enough for the Vampiress to climb out of it.
The two broke their kiss then. Ruby was panting and blushing; no matter how many times Weiss had seen her totally naked or vice-versa, she always felt a little . . . odd at the thought of seeing one another in their underwear. She had to admit, though, that Weiss looked great: a white, lacy panties and bra set that probably cost more than Ruby's whole wardrobe. The fact that Weiss was seeing her in red versions of the same outfit only made it worse. It was seduction in its purest form.
Of course, Weiss without her clothes looked great too. More than that, Weiss was perfect. Ruby loved touching every inch of Weiss' skin, as smooth and soft as cotton, covering surprisingly hard muscles. The Vampiress' figure was the same way, every inch of her body blend seamlessly into the next. Add to that the more intimate details, like perky, pink nipples, her cute little butt, and the tiny tuft of silky, white hair just above her slit . . . Add to that the look on Weiss' face, sometimes hungry lust, sometimes smoldering seduction, and sometimes pure, adoring love, and Ruby was often star-struck by the sight of her beloved.
Weiss, meanwhile, struggled to understand just what Ruby saw in her. She had a pretty face, yes, but it was marred by the scar on her left eye, a memento from . . . another time. Her hips were almost nonexistent, and her "breasts" hardly seemed worthy of the name: more like raised bumps of fat on her chest. To top it all off, she was short. Weiss was fairly certain her appearance was the result of her own "unusual" genetics, but that didn't make her feel any more comfortable with the idea that she could and had passed as high schooler on more than one occasion.
Ruby, on the other hand . . . wow. Even when she was clothed in a simple slave's dress, the girl's natural form and boundless energy was enticing. In the red lingerie Weiss had acquired for her, she childish girl became a born seductress. On the other hand, Weiss thought, unclasping her favorite Human's bra, Ruby was at her most beautiful naked. The russet-haired girl had full, beautiful breasts (not as big as her sister's, but that would have looked ridiculous on Ruby's smaller body). Likewise, Ruby lacked Yang's bulk, but made up for it with an enticing mix of lean muscle and soft curves. That was ignoring the best part: her head. The red/black hair, the adorable crew-cut, the soft, childlike shape of her face, and her eyes . . . those big, expressive silver pools that radiated innocence and trust and yet also desire and eagerness, and a love Weiss knew she would never deserve . . . and that faint pinkness that colored her cheeks even after all they'd been through together . . . It was no wonder she could barely keep her hands off her beloved slave-girl when they were like this.
Wait, why was she trying to keep her hands off Ruby?
Weiss pounced, clamping her mouth around the Mortal girl's breast, slicing into it with her fangs. Above her, Ruby moaned as Weiss' tongue lapped up her blood, while stimulating the nipple and areola.
They spent the next hour or so performing similar activities. Weiss partook of both Ruby's blood and more intimate juices, drinking the toxic fluids, fluids that would be poison to anyone Mortal but were safe, nutritious even (well, the blood was), to a creature immune to all known diseases.
It made Ruby only more eager to return the favor.
NEW SCENE
Velvet was dragging her feet back to the room she shared with her master, mistress, and brother-slave, Yatsuhashi. It was right next to Mistress Weiss and Ruby's room. Convenient for a team of bodyguards, and considered something of an honor among the Coven.
At the moment, Velvet didn't feel honored. She felt like she was a teenager again, dealing with all the angst she thought she had left behind when she'd joined the Coven. The new girl, Blake, wasn't a bully, at least, not like that brute, Cardin Winchester—Velvet had heard he'd graduated Signal and was now a Captain on a team in Beacon. How?—but she brought up unpleasant memories of her own family. Of the siblings she'd grown up with. How, they'd tried to "help" her, to be understanding, or to make her understand that she was a wrong. Or a freak. Or a betrayer of all Faunus.
Velvet was so lost in her own thoughts. That she was basically walking on autopilot, so she didn't notice that she'd stopped in front of the door to "her" room until said door flew open and she was yanked inside by Coco. The fashion maven pulled her into a kiss that left her lips bruised and to which the Rabbit-eared Faunus could only reply, "Wha . . . what?"
Coco pulled back. She'd removed her beret, sunglasses, scarf, and necklaces making her appear younger and more vital. Behind her, Velvet could see Fox and Yatsuhashi standing a few feet apart, sans armor. The female blood-drinker smiled, showing off her fangs in that kitschy, Vampire way that she loved. "Come on, Vel," she said. "Don't tell me those lovely ears of yours are going deaf . . ."
It was at this point that Velvet snapped out of her own self-imposed isolation from the world. Now that her mind was clear, she could hear what was going on in the next room: Weiss and Ruby's room. Instantly, her ears burned and her face flushed at the sounds of the Coven's Mistress and her slave making love. Even without her superior hearing, she should have heard that. They were so loud.
"You didn't hear this?" Yatsuhashi, the only one in their group limited to human hearing, asked. Despite his size, his voice was quiet and even. He took a couple steps forward, brining himself closer without invading anyone's space.
Coco, meanwhile, pulled back from Velvet, albeit keeping her hands on the Faunus girls' waist. Coco wasn't wearing her sunglasses now, so Velvet could see the Vampiress' brown eyes running up and down her form. "What's wrong," she asked.
". . . It's nothing," Velvet replied.
"It made you cry," Fox said. Even before becoming a Vampire, his blindness had left his sense of smell well-above Human average. Multiplied as it was by his transformation, Fox had probably smelled her out this instant she had entered the room. "That isn't nothing."
Coco frowned. "Who did this?" she asked. Leaning forward, she began sniffing Velvet's form. "That Werebeast Yang has?" This time, her question was a growl. "What did she do?"
Velvet gulped. "That's not . . . It's difficult . . . She just . . . brought up bad memories."
"From before?" Fox asked, walking up beside his mate. Coco, looking more like a security-chief and less like a primed attack-dog, stepped aside to allow him in.
Velvet nodded in reply, then remembered who she was speaking with and said, "Yes."
Coco smiled in a way that she usually reserved for Grimm. "Maybe we should speak with the new girl about proper manners in the Coven."
Behind her, Yatsuhashi began stretching his limbs out. Velvet knew he had no intention of causing real pain to Blake (she wasn't an enemy and was a woman to boot), but it was still an impressive display.
"Please don't," the Faunus whispered.
"Velvet," Coco growled. "If you're about to say this isn't worth it . . ."
"It's not that . . . Well, it is . . . what I mean is . . ." The stuttering girl swallowed. "I don't need that right now . . . I need . . ."
"You need?" Coco asked. Cocking her head to the side, the brunette Vampiress instantly morphed into a picture of faux-innocent curiosity. Beside her, Fox grinned, stepping closer to Velvet. Close enough for the Faunus girl to feel his breath on her skin.
Velvet was accustomed to this game. Enough so to know that they wouldn't let her go without answering them. Blushing intensely (and she could see how that appealed to her Master and Mistress so much; even Yatsuhashi looked interested, despite his valiant attempts to remain stoic). ". . . You . . ." she finally replied, raising her hands in front of her.
It was Fox who responded fist. Smiling like his namesake. "As you wish, little slave . . ." he said, capturing her wrists in his own, stronger grip. The blind Vampire slammed her against the wall, kissing her lips with twice the ferocity of Coco earlier, nipping them slightly with his Fangs.
For Velvet, it marked the first steps on the well-trod path into Heaven . . .
Lexicon: Covens (cont.)
Occasionally the question is posed by young Hunters, why to Vampires form covens? Surely, it only increases their chances of being found-for how many places could conceal large numbers of Metabeings in a single city?-as well as the competition for food. The answer is protection. A Vampire without a coven is without protection from Hunters, must search for victims alone, and risks running afoul of Vampires who have chosen to band together to protect "their" territory. Covenless Vampires must either live nomadic lives in the cities, constantly changing their hunting and sleeping areas to avoid detection or they must live outside the protection of the Kingdoms, where they are vulnerable to Werebeasts, Grimm, and other monsters. Thus, a Vampire will remain with a Coven even when they find coven life inconvenient or uncomfortable simply because there are no better options.
Unless of course, they kill the Master and take its place.
Author's Note: You know, until I scrolled down here, I didn't realize I'd repeated the "Heaven . . ." thing in my Author's note.
You just scrolled back up to check, didn't you?
I'm sure someone will ask me if 100 Vampires plus another 100 slaves is too many to logically conceal in a single city. I'm going to do this in the story later, but let me throw you a bone right now and do some math. We don't know how big Vale is, so I decided to use real world cities for comparison. According to Wikipedia, in 2014 censuses New York City was the largest city in the U.S., but was only the 21st largest in the world. It has a population of about 8.5 million. That seems like a good baseline number to compare the cities in Remnant to, especially when various official media has shown that the majority of Remnant is covered by Grimm. Vampires only live in the Northern half of Vale, but compare 100 Vampires + 100 slaves + Team RWBY, Team CFVY, and Ocher to half of 8.5 million. Does 209 really seem like that many in comparison to 4,250,000?
You know, I originally intended the trial scene to end with Weiss cutting off Ocher's head and quoting O-Ren's speech from Kill Bill (fun fact, Weiss "two breaths" line is stolen from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book stories. Only there, it's Mowgli telling Akela how to speak of him and Man. Seriously, I hope this new Jungle Book movie will be good. It looks good, I'm excited about the idea of King Louie-who was an addition of Disney's by the way-being a prehistoric ape and a lot meaner than in the stories, but I really can't help but be disappointed by the idea that they're STILL making Kaa a bad guy! Or girl. I don't care if he's a she! Kaa is Mowgli's friend Disney! What's so bad about a snake friend! If Kipling could pull it off in the Nineteenth century, why can't you do it in the Twentieth or the Twenty-first?)
Boy, did I digress. Anyway, I changed my mind because I had trouble rationalizing the action with my beliefs as a Christian and a person about the Death Penalty. So I opted to give Ocher one more chance. And, I'm happy I did because now I get to reveal more about Vampire biology (I bet you're all just dying to know what the Prison of Water is, by the way, that was a title I borrowed from the TV series, Kindred the Embraced, except they used a "Prison of Light," man, I am such a nerd.) And, I like Ocher, I think he may become a useful character later on down the line.
P.S.
"Ocher" is a shade of Yellow or orange and he has orange hair, this fits the "Color Naming Rule" as spelled out by Mounty Oum himself according to the RWBY wiki.