Authors Note: This is the revised chapter, and as such has been re-uploaded as a different file. The entire wording has been changed, therefore any reviews made to the old Chapter 9 may not be relevant to this updated version. Sorry for the inconvenience!
It was pitch-black. The wind howled with a supernatural fury, tearing branches from the trees and casting a torrential downpour, flooding everything beneath the canopy. Thunder exploded overhead in a barrage of deafening noise, drowning everything else out beneath its roar. Nature itself was alive, directing its wrath upon the forest in a hateful rage fueled by the earth.
It lashed at their eyes, stinging them with barbs of ice. It chilled them to the bone, each step more exhausting, every movement harder than the last. The cold sapped their energy, freezing to the bone, limbs numb beyond feeling. The journey tortured them without end, withering away at their resolve with every passing minute. Only their combined willpower prevented them from turning back. This was something they had to do, no matter what.
Fear stalked them as they moved, dread seeping through the cracks in their minds. Doubt seeded itself into their hearts, challenging their resolution to falter. They wore brave faces, but they felt the apprehension grow inside them. The trees hindered them at every turn, forcing them to a crawl. A small team of four were alone on this unnaturally stormy night, in the depths of a jungle filled with murderous creatures. And they were moving further into the darkness.
A frail girl paused in the gloom, unsure of herself. Three others stopped behind her, too unnerved to speak. They watched the area around them, squinting through the blackness for any signs of danger. Everyone was on edge. She glanced over her shoulder at her teammate, silver eyes locking into blue. Neither of them spoke, but each could see the fear inside. Ruby gave a grim nod and continued, feeling a hand on her shoulder. Her partner held her rapier in the other, holding the weapon close to her side. She was nervous, everything about this felt wrong. Doubts and despair worked their way through her veins, shrouding her heart with dismay.
Another hand was firmly grasping her own shoulder, gripping tightly. Blake could feel the anxiety lingering above them. It blanketed them like a cloud, sapping at their spirit like a parasite. She knew they were all unnerved, but this was something else. Something more. She tried to apply rationality and logic, reasoning that they were overreacting. The storm that raged above would surely impact their perception, wouldn't it?
Yang was holding onto her teammate with a protective grasp, trying to keep her spirits high. She was uneasy at best, frequently trying to see into the darkness that surrounded them every step of the way. Nothing could shake the sense of dread that was spreading inside her, slowly replacing all of her usual positivity with dismay. It felt more and more like they were approaching death.
She halted along with the rest of her team at Rubys order. She didn't say anything above the deafening shriek of the wind, it would only be lost. Instead, she passed her request back to Blake through a single gesture, raising her hand to her ear and tilting it towards the sky. They all strained to listen, trying to filter out the fury of the weather. Amongst the crashing thunder and unbroken torrent of rain there was something else, slicing through the wind. A shrill cry that pierced their ears. They all knew that sound far too well, very aware of what it meant. It continued as they pressed forwards, growing in intensity and pitch. It was filled with malice, stabbing at their ears with a razor sharp beak. It was a Nevermore.
Ruby brought her team to a halt, crouching low into the cover of a large rocky outcrop. Weiss, Blake and Yang all followed, bending low to scrape what shelter they could from the harsh gale. They gestured to eachother with hand signals, something they had rehearsed in preparation for situations such as this. Blake watched her leader describe a cliff-face, a large clearing ringed by trees, and the Grimm circling in the sky above them. She tensed instinctively to the crack of lightning that scratched the sky, and positioned herself to watch the area without being discovered. The light gleamed against feathers, sheening them in white for a second, and then the dark returned.
Something was amiss. The Nevermore swooped in arcs, each beat of its wings sent the trees below bending beneath the force, before being tossed around by the wind once more. It gave off a restless air that Blake felt through the bitter cold. She watched the blackness intently, waiting for the lightning to illuminate everything once more. She caught a glimpse of something to the left of the clearing, rising above the canopy. It appeared to be linked to the cliff, but before she could be sure, it faded from view. The wind threw lashing drops of rain directly into her eyes, but she couldn't blink them away when her team was depending on her. She felt the passing of the Nevermore above her again, throwing the trees apart.
She observed the next few minutes in a sense of twisted tranquility. The thunder which barraged her ears previously had faded away, taking the ceaseless howl of the wind and the unending rain with it. All was silent as she watched with baited breath between flashes of lightning. She observed the Nevermore descend slowly onto the edge of the cliff, spreading its wings in an intimidating display that filled her with despair. It reminded Blake of her past. A bad omen, foreshadowing death. Shivers of fright riddled her body continuously, yet she could not avert her eyes. It cast a penetrating screech into the air, scything through the silence which had settled.
It was no more than a few seconds after the Grimm began to shriek that Blake noticed a movement to the left. She watched through seemingly slowed time, and did her best to follow what was happening in the blackness. Something very large, easily taller than the trees around them erupted from its cover, launching itself at the perching Nevermore with startling speed. It closed the gap within three strides, each one shaking the ground. Lightning struck once more, illuminating the rain sliding down jet black scales. A guttural growl echoed around the clearing as the Nevermores cry was sliced in half.
Jaws locked around its torso and pulled, slamming the giant bird into the ground with a large thud. The impact kicked up water and mud from the ground, throwing Blakes view of events into distortion. Before the Nevermore had even recoiled from the collision did the same pair of jaws clamp around the Grimm's neck, a clawed foot pinning it in place. The head yanked back, snapping the spine of the avian in a single motion. A violent flash of lightning struck at the same time, highlighting the soulless red eyes burning internally. They seemed to stare into Blakes own, despite her knowing it was unaware of their presence.
The sickening sound jolted her back into reality with a start. She fell back in surprise, overwhelmed by the assault on her senses. Her eyes stung, ears rang with the claps of thunder, and she became immediately aware of the lack of feeling in her limbs. Ruby offered Blake her hand, pulling her teammate back to the cover of the rocks. She turned to ask her teammate what she had saw, but stopped in her tracks. She didn't need to ask, Blakes eyes told everything. This was the only cue Ruby needed. She pushed the dread inside of her down and rose slowly, being mindful not to move too suddenly.
They could all hear the repulsive sounds of a corpse being shredded to pieces, and they could all smell the scent of blood carrying on the wind. Despair had begun to rise in their hearts, blanketing them with a sense of foreboding. Yang signaled first, suggesting they move while it was distracted. They stepped backwards in unison, keeping their eyes focused directly on the clearing in front of them. Somewhere in the darkness was a predator, and it was only a matter of time before it would be finished eating, Blake knew that. She guessed they would have a few minutes to escape, but the changing wind carried the risk of blowing their scents towards it. It was a chance they had to take.
The rain smashed into them, freezing their veins even further than before. Their muscles were stiff with fatigue, and they stumbled backwards, not daring to run. Blake gave a horrified gasp that died in the back of her throat as she kicked against a rock. The creature had stopped eating. She couldn't see it, but her imagination was working overtime, casting horrifying images of being torn to pieces into her mind. She tried to block them out, but they taunted her with memories that she'd rather not remember. Another flash confirmed her fears as she watched two puffs of steam escape from its snout. It was staring directly at her with a terrifying calm.
Time slowed to a halt as they exchanged gazes. Blake wanted to move, to run. But her legs were rooted to the spot, refusing to listen to her pleas. She could feel tears welling at the corner of her eyes, being stolen from her the moment they escaped. She begged her body to respond, but it didn't. Burning red eyes seemed to reach into her very soul as she stared at them, too frightened to move. She held her weapon protectively in front of her, a rising panic taking over her senses.
She knew where it was even though she couldn't see it. Her eyes were fixated on that spot in the darkness. She willed herself to act, hoping with every fiber of her being that she could break from this frozen state she was in. Lightning struck with a crack, triggering the attack. Clearing the corpse of the Nevermore in one stride, it opened its jaws to loose a thunderous roar that ripped through the wind. Blake let the tears flow, watching the black beast bear down on her with a frenzy. She resigned herself to her fate. She had tried to run, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough. She watched as it charged towards her, claws extended in a furious attack. She saw the mouth lined with razor sharp teeth and closed her eyes.
This was the end.