Here we are at Chapter 133. Now that Team RVWBY is all back together, it's time to begin the journey home, among other things. I do not own RWBY or Tales of Berseria. They belong to their respective owners. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 133. Enjoy.
Chapter 133: Daemon Highway
In the crew quarters aboard the Van Eltia, Weiss is the first to stire from her slumber. She groans as her eyes flutter open. The first thing she sees is a few strands of blonde hair. She finds herself held within Yang's comforting embrace. The pair had slept together, much to the former heiress' joy. It had felt like a lifetime since she was last with Yang. She gently slides a finger across her cheek. This, however, is enough to stir the blonde brawler awake. Yang's eyes slowly open up, and soon she smiles when Weiss is the first thing she sees.
"Good morning, Snow Angel," Yang says.
"Good morning, you blonde brute," Weiss replies.
"Careful now, this brute could wrap you in a strong, tight bear hug right about now," Yang playfully warns her, pulling her in closer.
"I'd rather she not. I do appreciate being able to breathe after all... I've missed this. Talking with you like this," Weiss says, resting her head under Yang's chin.
Yang kisses her hair, "I'm glad to see you too, Weiss,"
"When I saw you... When I saw you fall into that darkness... I thought you were dead. I thought I'd never see you again," Weiss nearly cries.
Yang leans back to pull her chin up to look at her, "I'm not dead, Weiss. I'm here, and so is everyone else. I admit, I'd rather we all be in Vacuo right now, but we're still alive, and we have a plan on getting back home. We're not done just yet,"
Weiss takes a moment to calm herself and nods, "Right. Sorry about that,"
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Yang mutters and leans in to kiss Weiss.
The pair have a few gentle kisses before they separate. Yang then looks past Weiss towards Ruby and Velvet, the pair in their own slumbering embrace.
"Yang, is something wrong?" Weiss asks.
"It's just... I'm worried about Ruby. She just... doesn't appear to be the same since we all ended up here. I've never seen her this bad before," Yang says.
"Ruby's been through a lot. We all have. What happened in Atlas... wasn't an easy pill to swallow," Weiss says.
Yang sighs, "I wish it were that simple. I want to help her... but I don't know how right now. This is... way worse than anything before,"
Weiss rubs a thumb on her cheek, "We'll figure it all out, together. Right now, let's just be there for her while we find a way home,"
"...Okay," Yang concedes.
Weiss plants another kiss on her lips to help her girlfriend feel better. Shortly after that, they get up along with the others and head for the main deck.
"Hey, you guys get some rest?" Eizen greets them.
"Yes, thank you, Eizen. Are we close to the port?" Velvet asks.
"We'll be arriving shortly. Thankfully, there are no navy ships skulking about. Must've sent them all off into the ocean to hunt for us. However, we'll need to move as soon as we hit the port. That ship we hit will fail to report in soon, and when it does, their buddies come looking for it and will have a better idea of where we are," Eizen says.
The wind blows and they all look to see Zaveid joining them, "Great, so we get to see the big capital. Can't say it's my biggest joy. Some of the liquor they had there sucked. No real taste,"
"Do you always just blow in whenever you want to?" Weiss asks, annoyed.
"A guy's gotta make an entrance, princess," Zaveid jokes.
"When we reach the port, we'll take the highway to Loegres, then see the Bloodwings. Hopefully, they'll know where Jaune or Crescent Rose is," Blake says.
"Well, better get ready to dock then," Eizen says, flipping his coin as he looks out to the port up ahead.
…
They soon reach the port and dock. Benwick deals with the guy that owns the port for some under-the-counter business so they don't get sold out. Meanwhile, the girls gather a few supplies with some money given to them by the pirates. After making sure everything is set, they get ready to leave the port, but Ruby stops when she notices Eizen staring at the ship and its crew.
Ruby walks up to him, "Eizen, you okay?"
Eizen sighs, "Yeah, just... I'm gonna miss these guys. We've had some crazy adventures together, even without my curse getting in the way. Those were fun times. Getting into fights, searching for treasure, getting so drunk we couldn't stand up. I think the only times that were just as good were the times I spent with my sister, Edna. But, I still have to leave. Soon enough, I'll become a dragon, and then it'll be to dangerous to be around me. It's time to say goodbye,"
"I'm sorry you couldn't stay with them longer. I know what it's like... not being able to spend anymore time with the people you care about," Ruby says sadly, thinking about Pyrrha and her mother, Summer Rose.
"Thanks, but you're not completely alone, Ruby. You can still be with your sister, and Velvet, and the friends you still have. Don't forget that," Eizen reminds her.
Ruby looks back at her team as they talk, waiting for them to join them.
"Do you... want me to say anything to Benwick and the others?" Ruby offers.
"No, but I appreciate it. I know that deep down, they knew this wouldn't last. But, that won't stop them from manning the wheel of their own ship. Just like you and the others," Eizen says before walking off to join the others.
Ruby looks between him and the ship and then follows. After saying their farewells to the Van Eltia, the group leave the port make their way down the danann highway.
"If this is supposed to be some kind of major highway, why aren't there more people around?" Blake asks.
"The daemons. People can't see them, but that doesn't mean they're not there. Plenty of chaos has happened along the roads, so people are more cautious when they use them," Zaveid explains. "We'll need to be careful too. Especially you, little missy, since you don't have a weapon.
His words make Ruby groan sadly at still not having her 'sweetheart' with her.
Velvet comforts Ruby, "Don't worry, you can still help, and I'll be right there next to you should trouble arise,"
Ruby is about to reply when they hear a sudden howl ahead of them. They look to see a pack of wolves appearing out from the brush by the road. Red eyes glow as the wolves eye the group like meat.
"I don't remember wolves being on the highway," Velvet says.
"Like I said, things have changed since you've last been here, Velvet," Eizen takes out is arm band.
"Alright, I was starting to get board anyway," Zaveid takes out his pistol, but then gets an idea. "Hey, kid, you take this," he tosses it to Ruby, who catches it. "I know it's not like that grazy weapon of mass destruction you normally carry, but it still kills whatever you aim it at. Don't worry, I got a few other tricks up my sleeve that I can use,"
The wolves charge at the group. Yang cocks her gauntlets and makes the first move, punching a wolf in the skull as it leaps at her with its jaws wide open. One comes at her side, but ice spikes shoot up from the ground and skewer it. Yang glances back as Weiss conjures a glyph to fire off some more ice shards. Blake throws her chain scythe, the blade stabbing into one wolf. She swings her weapon around, pulling the wolf with it, towards Velvet. Velvet engages her arm blade and makes a downward swing, slicing it in half. Two wolves jump at Eizen, but he catches them in the air, tosses them both up, and then throws a series of punches that sends them flying. One wolf runs around the group to go after Ruby in the back, but she turns and aims Zaveid's pistol, firing off a shot. The shot burns through the wolf, killing it instantly. The weapon doesn't feel quite right in Ruby's hands, but it'll have to do for now. Meanwhile, Zaveid conjures up a wind arte to blow two wolves away. Just as the wolves' numbers start to thin, Velvet hears some noise above and looks up to see a number of eagles flying down on them.
"Oh, that's just great," Velvet mutters before firing off her gauntlet.
Most of the bullets miss all but two of the eagles. One swoops down, talons out, towards Weiss as she's fighting some wolves, but Yang notices and jumps up into the air, throwing a right cross at the eagle to send it crashing onto one wolf. Yang lands next to Weiss and they nod to each other before focusing back on the fight. Ruby aims and fires off another shot, taking out one eagle that gets too close to Blake. Blake dodges one wolf's attack with her semblance, coming behind it to slice it in half with her katana. Velvet engages her demon claw before absorbing a fire Dust crystal. She swings her arm, sending out a wave of fire at the flying daemons, burning through a few of them.
"Eizen, this better not be your damn Reaper's Curse thing again!" Yang yells as she uppercuts another wolf into the air.
"Hey, you know the deal when travelling with me. I figured you'd be used to it after all that traveling with did back on Remnant," Eizen replies, punching one eagle that gets too close into the tree branch.
"Besides, doesn't this make things more fun?" Zaveid jokes, swinging his pendulums around.
"I'd hardly call this 'fun'," Weiss argues.
Ruby fires off another shot at an approaching eagle, "Can this thing really fire no more than one shot at a time?! This is such a stupid design!"
"Hey, I didn't make the damn thing. That's just how it is!" Zaveid looks offended.
Velvet jumps into the air, swinging her foot blades around to slice off the wings of two eagles. They fall towards Blake, who flips in the air while spinning her chain-scythe around, slicing them into pieces.
"Their numbers are thinning," Blake notes.
Just then, a sudden rumbling travels through the ground, stopping the fighting. The group look around as the rumbling gets stronger, gets closer.
"What is this? An earthquake?" Weiss asks.
"No, something much worse," Velvet mutters.
Approaching from the trees, they spot a large, bipedal ape-like creature walking towards them, wielding an axe in its right hand. An Orc Kong. It was much large than the wolves and the eagles around them.
"Oh, of course something bigger had to show up," Velvet mutters.
"At this rate, we might just go bananas," Yang jokes, much to the groups irritation. "Bad time?"
"You guys focus on the stragglers. I'll handle the big guy," Velvet charges at the orc kong.
"Velvet!" Ruby calls out. She glances at the gun in her hands. "Crap, why did I have to lose Crescent Rose."
The orc kong swings its axe down on Velvet, but she flips around the strike and it hits the ground. She slides low, swinging her arm blade at its right leg. The daemon roars from the strike, but continues on the attack. It makes a horizontal swing at Velvet, but she jumps over the swing and swings her claw downward. Claw marks rake across the orc kong's face, causing it to roar in pain. She fires off a few shots at its chest, but its body is thick. Velvet jumps back to gain some distance. Back with the others, Weiss freezes w few wolves to the ground with her ice Dust, giving Yang the chance to jump into the air and smash her fist into the ground, sending out a burning shockwave that sends them all flying. Ruby and Eizen take out a few more eagles, while Blake and Zaveid hook two more with their weapons and pull them to the ground hard. They look over as Velvet continues her fight with the larger daemon. Velvet engages her Maiden powers, sending out a blast of lightning to electrocute the orc kong. It falls onto its knees, but makes another desperate swing with its axe at her. Velvet ducks under the strike and goes up close, grabbing its face with her claw. She focuses her power through the claw and fires off a fire blast point-blank, incinerating its face. The orc kong falls to the ground, defeated. Velvet is about to eat it with her claw when she hesitates.
"No, I don't need to do that anymore. Guess it's just habit," Velvet thinks before deactivating her abilities and arm blade.
She turns to the others, not noticing the orc kong slowly sit up and prepare to swing its axe. However, a shot flies right by Velvet and hits the daemon between the eyes, ending it for good. Velvet looks at Ruby as the culprit, pistol aimed at the orc kong. Ruby sighs with relief.
"Nice shot," Zaveid gives her a thumbs up.
Velvet joins the group, "That looks to be the last of them. You guys okay?"
"Yeah, we're okay. I guess it's not entirely different from fighting Grimm, but it still feels weird. Velvet, I mean, you're a daemon, so wouldn't that make these creatures your own kind?" Blake asks.
"Pretty much, but most creatures, human or otherwise, when they become daemons, they lose their sense of self and reason. They become mindless. Kind of like Grimm. Those such as Rokurou and I were the exceptions. I never really thought about it back then. I was only focused on my revenge at the time," Velvet replies before walking up next to Ruby. "Nice shot by the way. You okay?"
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks. It just... doesn't feel right," Ruby sighs as she stares at the gun.
"We'll find Crescent Rose before we return home. I know how much it means to you. For now, just use that to defend yourself," Velvet pats her head.
"Okay. Since the daemons are gone, we continue towards the capital?" Ruby asks.
"Best to get going now, before more daemons show up," Eizen notes.
"Then let's go," Velvet agrees.
With that, the group continue on their journey towards Loegres. They fight more daemons along the way, but these were simple affairs compared to before. As the sun began to set, they finally reached the capital. Luckily, Zaveid gave them the gald needed for the entry fee since he couldn't pay it as a malak. Once inside, they see the capital is as busy as ever.
"Is it just me, or are there more people here than the last time we were here?" Velvet asks.
"It's not just you. Since the fall of Artorius and the daemon's becoming more prevalent, more people have come to the capital for safety and security. Come on, let's not worry about that. Let's head to the tavern," Eizen says.
The group stay together as they move through the crowd and eventually find the tavern. Entering, they find some people out and about, eating, drinking, and making conversation. Velvet looks around until she spots the counter at the back, and the old woman standing behind it.
"Tabatha Baskerville," the woman looks up and sees a familiar face in Velvet as she approaches. "It's been some time,"
"My, my, and here I thought I'd seen it all. I heard you were dead after accomplishing your little... performance. To what do I owe the pleasure, Velvet Crowe," Tabatha only appears a little surprised; must be because of her staunch willpower.
"I'm surprised you remember me, given my change in appearance," Velvet says.
"I'd never forget the face of one of my best customers. And who might these ladies be?" Tabatha looks back to her teammates.
"These are my teammates. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. My friends. Also..." Velvet leans in close. "Eizen is here too," she whispers.
"I see. I can't see him, but I had this... feeling as soon as you approached. His idea to come to me, wasn't it," Tabatha smirks.
"Of course. We'd like a couple rooms, and some information," Velvet asks.
"That shouldn't be a problem. However, there is one... complication," Tabatha says, her gaze turning between her and Yang.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Yang asks.
"Well, the issue is-," Tabatha begins.
"Well, well, well, look at you, beautiful," one guy, a sailor who's obviously had too much to drink, stumbles over. "Haven't seen you around here before. What's your name?" he starts hitting on Yang.
Yang rolls her eyes, "Sorry, buddy, but I'm not interested. I don't date drunks, or guys for that matter,"
"Oh come on, now, no need to be like that," a second idiot waltzes up behind him. "If that's the case, then maybe your girlfriend could come with us. Is it her?" he points at Velvet, who narrows her eyes. "Or is it her?" he then points at Weiss, who almost gags from his alcohol breath.
"You can bring your girlfriend with you. We can make it a double date or something. Have lots of fun," the guy wiggles his eyebrows. "I mean, just look at you. Just the right figure, and your hair is gorgeous," he reaches for Yang's hair, only to freeze when Weiss aims the tip of her rapier at his face.
"Touch one strand of her hair with your disgusting hands and it'll be the last time you have hands, got it," Weiss warns them, seething.
"Hey! Who do you think-," his buddy comes up, ready to go.
"That's enough," Tabatha shuts him up. "You know the rules. No brawling in my tavern. If you two idiots want to keep this up, then you can do it somewhere else. Now, take your drunken stupidity and get out of my tavern," she says it with such authority that it actually scares the two idiots and stuns the group.
The two goons seem to sober up a bit and make a run for it. Those that watched the show laughed a bit before going back to their business.
Velvet smirks, "Still as feisty as ever, even in your old age, I see,"
Tabatha smirks back, "I'm old, not dead, my dear. Now, where was I-oh yes. Your little friend there has a problem," she gestures to Yang and Velvet again.
"Okay, out with it! What problem do I supposedly have?" Yang is getting impatient.
Tabatha pulls out a piece of paper, "You really should be careful about stirring up trouble,"
The paper is a wanted poster with a drawing of Yang and Velvet, their descriptions, charges, and their bounties being at 10,000 gald each.
"What?!" Yang balks.
And that's the chapter. Velvet's group finally reach the capital, but now they have a new problem to deal with: being fugitives all over again. How will they deal with this? Will they make it out of the city before the authorities lock them up? Until then, please Read and Review.
