Hello everyone! How are you doing? I hope you are all fine!
Chapter 174 is here and as always I wish you all enjoy it!
Thank you once again for keeping up with Rise of the Eldergrimm. I will not thank you much more today- there are 3 chapters left and I will say what I have to in the last one. There will be a double chapter on the 21st and the epilogue on the 31st.
Now, without any further ado, please have fun! I will see you all in ten days!
Yang took another step forward, spending a few choice glances towards the back where her friends were struggling to keep the dark magic out of their tortured bodies. She had faith in them- but they had little time.
"You tricked me" she raised her arms trying to amass even a bit of what energy remained in her body. The power was being leeched so hungrily; she barely flared her semblance up. "It wasn't such a hard thing to do."
"Where is the Mad King?" she had to buy time for her to think a way for them out of this. Her head hurt like hell and even in her best she wasn't much of a planner. Having the insides of her skull pierced by an Elder didn't help too.
"I find no reason to tell you, Yang" Maize scoffed. "The only thing I care for is maintaining the ritual and finalizing my plan after so long. And I for sure am not going to help you find the answers you seek" he added.
"I have to congratulate you, however. You all played your part nicely. I didn't think you would be able to defeat all the spawns that Charon left behind. You truly are an exceptionally talented group of huntsmen."
"Praise from the likes of you feels like an insult" she spat. Her gaze fell on the runes hanging on the wall. She carefully bent her knee and, in a simple heartbeat, jumped forth to smash the magical arrays.
"NO!" Weiss' warning was too late to stop her. Yang's attack met with a powerful force field that repelled her punch without even shaking. She felt energy pummeling her body, rocking her nerves as it blew her away to skid on the floor. She jumped back up, her legs and arms bleeding.
"You need to get your act together!" Weiss gently moved next to her. In total confusion Yang stared at her lover-
The alabaster girl's thin, elegant fingers had completely blackened. Half of her palms were covered in dark blue runes that shone with power. A set of bloody dark lines were climbing up Weiss' petite arms, turning thinner and thinner as they reached her elbows like vile tree branches.
"Two spells are being cast in here" she explained to the shocked girl as drops of blood ran down her eyes and lips. "One is the ritual that he is using to siphon power from us. The other is a protective force barrier."
Maize's yellow orbs glared down at the girl. "You used dark magic to try resisting the ritual's effect. Interesting thought, but quite the amateur execution" he explained. "All you are doing is pointlessly buying time."
"I know that" her strands fell on her forehead. Yang could feel- no see- her beloved girl's ragged breathing and the life force being consumed by both the ritual and the dark magic. Weiss was killing her own body.
"Baby, no!" she reached out to her but a thin blackened finger rose to stop her. "I don't have much time till I collapse again, so save it! I need you to-" she hesitated for a moment. "I need to use you, sweetheart."
The girl was almost crying. That was enough to drown any objections or protests that Yang might have. "I don't have time to explain why, but we have to utilize Ruby's worst conceived plan ever; Golden Overload."
Yang's mouth opened wide as she failed for a couple moments to react to the surprising suggestion coming out of Weiss' mouth- and the even more surprising fact that it was Weiss suggesting it of all people.
Still, there was one thing that she was sure of, even in the middle of a dark ritual that was absorbing their lives and with the resonating vile energy of the Grand Mother slowly eating away at her flesh and body.
She trusted Weiss with her life. And there was nothing, nothing Yang wouldn't do for her beloved ones. She felt the girl's glyphs forming and immediately ran towards the place their array had just started to form.
Specifically, she ran to the absolute center of the room where the giant pillar of energy was striking at. Without hesitation, she dived into the pillar under the surprised and utterly confused stares of their enemies.
"I don't understand" still firmly holding the mannequin, Celain asked his stoic partner. "What is she doing? She will simply accelerate her death like this!" Even if he heard him, the yellow-eyed professor didn't reply.
For he was perplexed as well. Schnee had turned her back at them and was sniffing and sobbing; that was somehow expected under the current circumstances, even though it hardly befitted one of her fame.
Xiao Long had dived to the center of the glyphs, where the ritual was at its strongest, in her own accord. Was she trying to commit suicide? He could barely believe that from what he had seen from the stubborn girl.
Yang stood in the middle of the pillar. The power was suffocating, but she cared not. She felt as if her very flesh was being drained from her bones, not to mention her nerves being on the verge of frying trying to resist Grand Mother's influence. How she still held, she was amazed.
She ignored them all and gritted her teeth to purge the Grimm from her eyes even for a few moments. If it the last she would see of her woman, she wanted to use her own eyes for that.
Lilac met cyan. Weiss wiped the blood off her eyes and left smudges on her cheeks. She raised her hand and the dark lines in her arms glowed.
"I love you, Snowflake. With all my heart and soul."
"I know; and I love you even more. To hell and beyond!"
Yang activated her semblance and poured all the amassed power from the Grand Mother, letting the monster's influence run wild. At the very same moment, Weiss activated the glyph and bombarded the blonde with a wave of raw, unfiltered dark magic she absorbed from the circle.
Yang screamed at the top of her lungs, as she felt her skin boil. All the malice, hatred and wickedness from the deepest bowels of hell poured into her skin, crawled up her bones and coiled around her soul.
"I am with you!" Weiss screamed at her, her heart literally bleeding at the mere thought of what she was now doing to her girl. "Hold out! I know you can, sweetheart!" she cried over her running stream of tears.
"What are you talking about?!" Yang forced a loud laugh. "I am gonna give those two-" her gaze fell upon Maize, whose eyes opened wide "-a run for their money!" "No way!" the professor shouted in shock.
"Are you two crazy? You can't possibly believe you are able to overload the ritual!" he protested. "I sense anxiety, professor?" Yang screamed to be heard above the roaring of the pulsing, agonizing shadow beams.
"Too bad!" she added. "You want energy? I happen to have a bitch in my body that has more than enough to assist you!" Weiss bit her lips at the sound of Yang's provocations. "Come on; gorge yourselves!"
The darkness spread out, dying the pillar in its macabre hue. The runes carved by Maize cracked and shook violently, straining to contain the sudden spike in magical power gleefully emanating out of Yang's body.
A sudden chill filled the atmosphere, rising up to meet the fierce gaze of the gleaming alien stars that gazed upon the human offering. The air grew humid and full of malice as small wisps of green lights jumped out of Yang's black-enveloped form, dancing around the pulsating pillar.
Weiss felt her body temperature drop. Her aura, already on the verge of breaking in pieces, waned as she struggled to maintain her spells.
And then, the voice came. An ancient, primordial voice that couldn't in any reasonable manner of the progress of civilization suit any of the mortal races pitched out high. It was loud and booming like thunder.
"You hopeless vermin!" The worst part of it was that it came right out of Yang's mouth, gurgling and squelching as if it struggled to speak like a normal human. As if it was trying to learn how to do so.
"What do you think you are doing, using me as fodder, you imbeciles!" the voice roared at them- at all of them. "And you offer my power to my long-hated brother nonetheless! You will pay for this sacrilege!" it shouted in a mighty fit of rage.
Weiss knew at once who that was. The voice and mannerism was a tad different, but she couldn't mistake that powerful, imposing sound that reminded her of Avyssos so much for anything else than Grand Mother.
The sky shook and the stars shone as if provoking it. Yang's body moved a step and raised its fleshy left hand, gathering power around its claws. Seeing Yang act like this almost broke Weiss' heart, but she kept steady.
"You are not part of this!" she screamed, hoping to distract the Elder and allow her girlfriend to regain control. "And you have no right on her body!" she may have said that a bit too emotionally for her tastes.
A shiny red eye focused on her. Weiss almost choked on her own blood as her stomach and throat burned under Grand Mother's gaze. "Your belief is as insignificant as your very existence, human mage" it simply announced.
"In your dreams!" A shiny blue blade appeared out of the corner of the Grand Mother's eye. It didn't slice at her, but slammed on its back with a mighty thud. A loud screech left the Elder's lips as it strained in agony.
Ruby spun on her left foot and attacked her sister again. "I know you're in there, sis!" she screamed out. "You fool-" before it could counter her attacks, a glistering blue chain-blade appeared and wrapped its body.
Using the last of her vial, Blake tightened her grip around her friend's torso, the Anti-Elder substance causing the monster immense pain and making it voice an inhuman concert of non-vocal monstrous utterances.
"What is thi-" a loud gurgle cut her screaming off, and a familiar voice burst from the transformed mouth once again. "Get back in, you big ugly bitch! This is my stage- our freaking moment!" Yang screamed out.
Blake bit her lips and lightened the grip so that she wouldn't cut the Grand Mother off entirely. They still needed it power for Weiss' most ridiculous plan in the six years she had come to know the pale girl.
Ruby just stood by her sister, crying with her sister's every pained gasp and bleeding with each drop of her black blood dripping on the floor.
She had faith in Yang. Her sister was strong and would make it. She had faith in her. And yet, watching her suffer hurt so damn much.
-o—
"I don't believe what is happening!" Unable to act, Maize turned at his partner. "Get Safira's body ready. We have to transfer her soul to the effigy now, before those lunatics destroy everything!" he commanded.
The pale ghost of a man staring at him, however, slowly withdrew away from him. "Fergus?" Maize questioned. "It is too soon to activate the spell Professor. Not to mention extremely risky with the circle like this."
"It's now or never! I am not going to sit by and let them ruin everything I worked for" he stepped forward, turning his back at the ritual site. He stretched his arm and opened his palm "please, Fergus. It is time."
Celain however shook his head. "I said no! I told you from the beginning that I am not going to take any chances against the world. And you- you told me you had everything under control! I hardly see that, Maize!"
Goldenrod's shoulders slumped as he took in Fergus' outburst with his usual calm, stoic demeanor. "You swore the Mad King wouldn't escape your trap. And now, we have not one, but two world-ending monsters in a situation that is far from being under your control! I won't let you-"
All of a sudden, Fergus' body shook and hazed. His words were cut off at their moment of speech and his form turned blurry. A light, ethereal sensation filled his mind, horrifyingly soothing his tormented soul.
"What- what is this?" he asked, his voice far too hushed for his taste. "What are you doing to me, Maize?" he asked again, seeing the tanned man's outstretched arm glowing in power at him.
"Didn't you wonder why after Blekklat's death you didn't vanish in the afterlife, dear Fergus?" Goldenrod asked and the man gasped in shock.
"The reason is this; Gnastaur collected your contract after it absorbed the three-faced horror. And then, I collected it from Gnastaur's room when Yang Xiao Long and her friends fled using my non-detection skill."
"Maize… please don't do this… don't torment the world- your own girl- for the sake of…" Fergus' voice faded away, his mind slowly vanishing to the afterlife. "Farewell, friend. I release your soul from the contract. May you find peace in ever after, along with all of your beloved kids."
As Goldenrod released the contract, Fergus barely managed to see the doll-his finest creation- landing on the man's arms before his world saw white and his ears welcomed the melodious chime of children singing.
After decades of suffering, Fergus Celain's soul had finally found peace.
-o—
Maize knelt before the open sacrificial ground. Team RWBY didn't pay him any attention, their faces turned towards the pulsing pillar in the middle, where Yang Xiao Long was struggling against Grand Mother.
Arc and Wukong were still down, leaving no one to deal with him. He sent one mental regard towards his late comrade and tenderly picked up Safira's doll from the ground. It was much lighter that it looked.
The runes were expertly carved on top of Safira's body. The effigy was ready for use- and so was he. "My little girl…" he whispered as his feet carried him next to the ritual ground. "I failed to stop you back then."
He drew a knife from his pocket and gently caressed its hair. "I failed to be a proper father. I allowed you to fall into depravity. You marred your hands with the blood of so many people- because I failed to stop you."
He took a deep breath "if your soul is somewhere out there watching me, then you already know what I am going to do" he slowly sliced his left arm open, letting his blood drop on the doll's torso.
"You know the only way for someone to be revived using this spell is for someone else to sacrifice themselves. A life for a life" he slowly opened his right wrist and made sure to smear if properly. "And the most effective sacrifice is one who shares the same blood with the recipient."
Maize hugged the doll and slowly tilted forward, towards the circle. As his body began to accelerate, he sliced his own throat, still failing to let go of his daughter's new body. The pain was unbearable, but he smiled.
"I leave the rest to you, Safira. I hope you will someday forgive me."
-o—
Yang felt weird. The world around her was being literally messed up. A primordial Grimm was trying to devour her mind while battling another one, a crazy regretful father was trying to use her soul to revive his dead lunatic daughter. Oh, and Weiss was shooting dark magic at her.
Thankfully, she had turned numb half the way so she couldn't feel any sort of inhuman pain that bombardment of dark energy was pounding at her. She knew she was dying for sure, though. It felt… weirdly weird.
Voices called out to her; numerous and pitched, belonging to all sorts of people. Cries and shouts, screams and utterances; all resonated inside her throbbing skull. They carried an unmistakable power within them.
A white haze surrounded Yang. She blinked a couple times, as cold air assaulted her skin. A misty palette of all spectrums of white engulfed her form. She rubbed her skin in confusion- and immediately stopped.
Her right arm felt strange. Slowly and steadily, she raised it and let her lilac eyes imprint the image of its fleshy pink skin. There was skin; her own skin. No inch of metal or Grimm protoplasm could be seen on it.
Yang took a good look of her boy and then began caressing her face. It was normal, truly normal. No bone, fangs, claws, red eyes or any other Grimm appendages marred her form. Even her metal arm had been-
"I am dead, aren't I?" she whispered, realizing the possibility, as thin milky white mist passed through her fingers. It was cold- and humid. "I must be dead" she repeated, putting more voice behind her words.
"Close enough" a mature, yet playful voice replied to her through the eerie haze. Out of nowhere, a dark form slowly appeared at the corner of her eye, noiselessly moving towards her at a fast yet relaxed pace.
She hadn't forgotten that voice and as an instinctive response her eyes narrowed. She remembered its owner laughing her heart out as her lips breathed fire upon Coco. She remembered her smirk as her eyes glared down on Yatsu and Fox while her fingers seared their flesh black.
Long Neon blue hair. A beautiful, oval face with a playful grin etched on it. Gleaming, shining yellow eyes full of murderous intent. A toned, tan body standing a bit taller than her, sporting a long blue lizard tail.
"Safira" Yang hissed. The girl wore a long blue cloak on top of a white uniform with tight-collared shirt and creamy trousers with boots. She looked as fine and psychotic as ever. "Death did you well, you bitch."
"What can I say; death suits me a lot" she giggled in complete mimesis of her former antics "which I can't say for you. Your actual body is such a mess that you had to revert to your original state to reach this place."
"What is this place? I would bet it's the afterlife, but there is no way I am reaching the same Ever After as you when I die" she did say that a bit reluctantly, but she still firmly believed in her words.
"Oh you are not dead yet" the taller girl chuckled. "This is a barrier in between worlds- an observatory of sorts. You were able to reach it due to your interference with father's awakening ritual. Congratulations."
"Oh yes, the ritual! What am I doing wasting my time with you? I have to get back- the others need me to stop-" "Time barely matters in this place. You have all the time you need, calm down" she giggled again.
There we go again with her nonchalant attitude and annoying laugh. "I still have no reason to stay around with you. You are one of the worst people I can think to spend much time with, especially at such a time."
"That may be, but don't you want to enjoy looking like your old self a bit longer? Or do you want me to remind you what you ended up like in the real world?" Safira let out a snort. Yang gritted her teeth in anger.
"I have accepted my fate" the blonde replied. "Once we end the ritual, we will find and seal the Mad King back. Then, I will leave my fate to my loved ones. Farewell, you sassy bitch" she turned around "I hope you-"
"How are you going to seal the Mad King when you have no idea what He is to begin with?" the question stopped Yang at her tracks. It lacked all of Safira's usual playfulness and macabre easygoing demeanor.
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" she asked. Safira rested her face on her right palm "let me tell you a short tale; once upon a time, there was a human witch called Salem. Surely you know of her" she laughed.
Yang rolled her eyes "it was my mistake to ask y-" "she too sought the Mad King's knowledge and power in a desperate attempt to break the curse of immortality that plagued her for eons" the maiden continued.
The brawler stopped again, but this time didn't turn around. "Being a masterful strategist and a charismatic diplomat, Salem convinced the followers of Charon's great enemy, the Grand Mother, to launch a full attack on the great Elder's domain- Helion castle of Clayhorn City.
She intended to use them as distractions in order to find the Elder, kill it and obtain its magical knowledge. A sound plan if I say so myself. And it went smoothly; the battle that raged in these halls was monumental."
Shaking a bit from the prospect of hearing more, Yang turned around again and leveled the girl with her skeptical look. "So, she succeeded?" the huntress blurted. "Well, look at you all interested" Safira chuckled.
"No, she didn't" yellow eyes narrowed playfully at her "because when she entered the King's chambers, she found exactly the same thing you all did- nothing but a fake. A disappointing replica of what she sought."
The ex-maiden played with her fingers a little, testing Yang's patience even more "In her anger, Salem leveled the whole castle and the very few survivors fled away in fear of the Grimm Queen. That's when she realized the truth; what both she and you failed to comprehend about the entity behind the myth of the Mad King and its cursed domain."
"What are you-" "Tephrus, Charon, Mad King and so many other names have been given to that entity. But this is wrong- the names have been given to the myth, for there is no entity to bestow the names upon."
Yang's eyes opened wide. What Safira was implying, what she wanted to tell her, was-
"The Mad King is not a creature; it's a dimension. The entire Kingdom of Clayhorn was the Mad King. The sands, rocks, monoliths, stars and even the air its residents breathed; all of it was the Mad King. This is why normal Grimm and mortals couldn't live in this place to begin with.
Salem realized that and decided she had to take drastic measures. She used her magic and cut the Kingdom away from the world- literally. The seat of power is the entire dimension and the coffin of enchanted clay the old songs speak of is the village of Clayhorn itself, not the hills."
"You are messing with me" Yang whispered. "When the King wanted to act, it merely enhanced one of its monstrous servants to act in its stead and serve as the Chief Retainer. Thus, even if it was killed, Charon was safe and would simply choose another one for its uses. Simple as that."
"That's why Aios left such an impression on us…" Yang whispered. "Not only Aios. Gnastaur, Ichor, Blekklat, Alastor; all of them served as hosts for Mad King's power. Alas, they still were no much for your strength."
"How-" the blonde snapped out of the girl's enticing storytelling. "How do you know so many details about what happened? You have been in this place for quite some time!" she shouted out. "How do you know?"
Safira stood up and gave Yang one of her creepiest, sweetest smiles. A chill ran down the huntress' neck as she heard the words that came out of the dead girl's mouth.
"That's because" her voice turned lower and harsher "I am Charon's chosen and high priestess of the Mad King's domain, my dear sacrifice."