Volume CRBN!

by Dancesnapple

Four individuals. Four different people of different walks of life resulting in an adventure. Hopefully, a bond that can last. Team CRBN (carbon). Features: OC Main character, main team has two OCs alongside a lovable crime duo, and some family drama on all sides. Features a 'soundtrack' element for the fic. ENJOY! Story begins on third listed chapter. Very slow start.

70. 68 Her Vengeful Glare

These chapters are ending up a lot longer than I intended originally. On top of this, a good deal of my writing time has been eaten into so i am hoping things turn out well. Enjoy everyone!

Chapter Sixty Eight: Her Vengeful Glare

The sun rises, then falls.

A full day passes since Blair experienced the strange vision. Her tampering with the dog faunus man's aura was cut short that night when her focus lapsed enough to release it. The aura died out as expected, leaving her with nothing but unanswered questions.

Things she knew:

Setante has memories oh himself as a raven bird faunus. This conflicts with the fact that he is actually a red haired dog faunus.

Setante did indeed meet Aline Zandril. Or at least, an Aline Zandril that also has the same black streaks in his platinum hair. The problem is that he is the son of the Isla Cadavera chief. So, she definitely should have found a clan scroll for Zandril... Or maybe Zandril is an alias after all?

Setante is the son of the past chief of Isla Portus... Hmm.

And all this occurred more than sixty years ago... Before the loss of Cadavera. Yet... that doesn't match up!

Since, she's already gone up the mountain and spent a full day further checking records of symbols with the dog's seeming cooperation. He smiles. He laughs. He serves dutifully... Blair could simply demand answers about his past, but that would put her cards out top early. She needs to find something to question him on without letting him know she violated his aura...

Speaking of frustrations... Blair speaks with her team. A three way conversation updates all the parties. Blair shared the information with the four others, but nothing was gained from group speculation that she couldn't think of herself.

As for Carmine, Neo, and Makara, the three informed Roman and Blair about obtaining Kallen's cooperation. The group were spending time with the faunus between sessions with the Proskys. The twin directors were apparently bringing Kallen, and by extension the others, to several outings to discuss a film. Between meetings, Kallen and Makara were spending time working on her preferences.

Finally came Roman's updates. Now with the context that Zandril is descended from Cadavera, Roman informed them that the island's chief was infused with a Geist of all things before telling them of the coded message. One thing was for certain. The fall of the island was no omen. Something brought it about through intelligent design...

However, despite translating the first part of the message, Roman was hitting a wall with translating the second section onward. Roman insists on remaining until he hits a breakthrough, so he and Ciara will rely on some rations to sustain them at least another day further.

Thus, they can only keep going...

Blair exits a cafe with a blended drink, breakfast eaten, as she glances to the mountain... She has to think of something to pin Setante with. Make HIM reveal his hand...

. . .

Roman scowls at the violet characters of the wall message. His jacket is draped over a pole with his hat balanced on top. He wipes his hair out of his face fully as he scrutinizes the litter of pages strewn about him.

The first section of the message was so damned easy compared to the second. For starters, he discovered almost mid day yesterday that the second part of the message also uses the number alphabet cipher... in Base 7.

Why in Base 7?! Ugh.

Either way, he determined that the second section of the message must be directed towards someone native to the islands. The Base 7 would favor them deciphering it rather than main land people. But that then leads to the third section of the message. This one was the shortest of the three.

The first section seemed almost as a preamble. The third seems to be icing on the cake for the messaging...

"Chaos is power enriched by the heart. Order is power given by those above. She will light the way. All that is asked is the let her in. The King's Order is born of lies.

Always lies, Oz?"

That... didn't sit well with Roman. The entire message seemed to be an open lecture to the world, but the very last line turned to a pointed statement to what must be a single person. Oz? Like Professor Osborne of Beacon at that time period? Such a familiarity if that is the case. A striking difference from the rest of the formal phrases.

Too bad Silver Streak burned his bridge with Professor Superior. This would be a question for him of all people. Oh well.

As for the middle... He's already confirmed a number alphabet cipher in Base 7. Which then leads to three more ciphers. Eventually, what he thought were sentences ended up being descriptions of symbols. Ciara was the one to point out that the symbols being described were the same parts of the symbol language of the island.

If it wasn't for the possibility of the message directing to another lead, he'd have simply recorded the message on video and taken it back to Candidus. Though, he very well may have to if they get nowhere in the next few hours.

A new problem came that after deciphering the base 7 cipher, the next issue seemed to note a Hill cipher. In Hill ciphers, numbers also replace letters, but the numbers displayed are actually part of an unknown multiplier. Meaning, the number representing each character was multiplied by another number to change what they're looking at.

Through elimination, Roman tried dividing each number by 2, then 3, then 4. Then seeing if the messages noted another code or a deciphered message. He also did the same thing if the code was actually a reverse Hill cipher, meaning he would have to multiply the numbers he already has.

In either case, he was able to find two different directions of the next cipher step... One of which he thought was a Mono-alphabet cipher, replacing one single letter with another while leaving the others unchanged. However, upon going further with that, he didn't get what he wanted. Again, by elimination, he assumed the other way was the correct one...

"I'm such an idiot! It's so obvious!" Ciara shouts out, spooking the conman from his irritated thoughts.

"It comes with being blonde, but share what it was." Roman quips with a smirk.

"You have the correct line of ciphers, but the wrong numbers. Look." She holds up a paper beside him. The white dust vial was now nearly empty, but it was still holding up. "The Base 7 number to alphabet into the Hill. There's a step between them. I'm so pissed I didn't remember before."

"Remember?" The ginger looks at her curious.

"The base 7 implies that this second stage of the message is meant for our tribes." Ciara comments in a huff. "So, wouldn't it make sense to use a cipher that only we use?" She sits down, cross legged, and writes down. "So, Isla Portus originally made this cipher, but essentially, they intentionally multiply the numbers by 7. Just like multiplying by 10 in Base 10, where 11 would become 110, the same happens with the Base 7."

"So, Base 10's 11 is 14 in Base 7. This changes the number to 140 in Base 7. Then, we cut off either the first digit intentionally. This means what originally is 14, representing letter K, into 40, which translates back to Base 10's 28."

Roman strokes his chin. "Which then loops the alphabet around, minus 26, so that actually translates to 2, which stands for B." He then gives her a dull look. "Have I mentioned I hate your islands?"

She smirks. "Granted, this specific one may not translate to letters until after the Hill cipher. The numbers are completely different, but try running the Hill cipher now."

He sighs and begins running through the process.

. . .

Blair sighs. Mera tribe, deceased. Known for being fisherman. Their line failed when their main family took to waters to fight a low grade Grimm horde a hundred and thirty years ago. At this point, Blair was only continuing to ask about the dead families to preoccupy Setante. She's yet to figure a way to properly question him.

She sits down with a sigh, rubbing her eyes. She feels as if she's back at Beacon studying for exams looking all this over. Now with the context that Setante knows Zandril, she knows she isn't going to find a scroll pertaining to Zandril's name.

She'd already looked back through her translations of the dead family scrolls. The seventeen scrolls that all tell of the sub tribes that perished in the fall of Isla Cadavera... None of which were noted to be the clan of the Chief. Zandril's father or grand father.

She supposes that she could start with that, though. She blinks in realization followed by admonishment for not thinking it sooner. The blonde quickly looks to Setante. "I have a question, if you would."

Setante smiles warmly. "If I can help, then ask."

"Which of these families was the Chief family of Cadavera? I would think their family scroll history would note such things." Not a suspicious question. Should be fairly straight forward.

The dog faunus smirks. "Ah, no single position was ever hereditary."

That's a lie. Ciara told Roman the exact opposite, just like the name Zandril. Blair's eyes narrow slightly at the simple dismissal. Setante seems to take notice.

He answers with a relaxed lean against the stone wall. "While some families prospered ahead of the others, it wasn't until after Atlas began overseeing us that we were stable socially in such a way. Before then, members could grow in renown until they could openly challenge the then current holders of titles for their duties."

"I thought you said that Atlas mostly allowed you autonomy." She presses.

"Allowing us to govern ourselves with exception to certain actions. Allowing our governing members to openly challenge and potentially killing each other in single combat, rare as it ever got to that extent, was deemed unacceptable. That was a term in place by Atlas General Titan." He shrugs. "Part of our excessive growth to modern technologies over the last half century. We got domesticated, save for some core aspects."

He then holds up a finger. "But, to answer your question, no. An individual family does not lay claim to such titles, so it would not be included.

If she were Carmine, she would mentally scream an obscenity. Thankfully, she settles for silent fuming. "I see. Thank you." She looks back to the scrolls before her. "Then, who was the last chief of the dead island? Would any information show here?"

Again, disappointment. Setante frowns and shakes his head. "You mean DURING the fall? I cannot say." Sensing her ire, her elaborates. "The Chief of Cadavera that is more known passed almost six months before the fall. Chief Tito Hurana. Not many relations went down between that and the fall, and the Chief that died that day was lost in name as well."

An excuse for everything, huh? Not that she has the position to question him further without revealing her snooping in his memory. But, if she cannot get anything further on that front...

"Wait, what do you mean, save for some core aspects? Do positions in your tribes still allow a rite of challenge?" Blair grasps, hungry for the information.

"Why... my position of course." He grins at that. "Much as it may be archaic, to become the Cu de Culann, one must defeat the prior holder of the title in single combat. If the Cu should die without a proper ceremony, a tournament is held between the islands' eight champion combatants."

"That's... rather morbid, but efficient. You referred to yourself as a... guard dog, to use your depreciating pun." Blair grimaces with the phrasing. However, it earns a laugh from the man.

"The purpose of my position is such for emergencies that threaten our very existence. Not just ways of life or culture, though protecting that is also my job." He looks to the temple around him with a fond, soft gaze. "Yet, the primary purpose is such that when a threat comes, it is I who will face it for all our sake."

"And that would include allowing the enemy to strike you first?" Blair muses. "That is an odd method of self preservation."

Setante chuckles. "From a certain view, certainly." He smirks. "I can see the question on your tongue."

The two meet gazes. Blair's critical eye cuts at his amusement. He knows she wants to know his semblance, and he seems... happy about this. Still, if she wants to know, she'll have to offer something about her own. A trade she isn't too happy about considering.

It's something to consider, though.

Suddenly, her memory clicks. "I would know that, being a Delwin tribesman myself." He said. Setante said so himself. Perhaps that?

"Maybe if we look into the scrolls for the living tribes, we can find something that might relate to our target." She raises a brow. "Which tribes come from your home? Being a dog faunus, I would assume you hail from Isla Vallis."

Setante stiffens ever slightly, but maintains a bright smile. "Of course." He looks to another section of scrolls in the cut outs. "Living families begin here, and are categorized by island, then size." He raises a brow at the woman. "The man you're looking for, is he human or faunus?"

Amusing. He has to know the answer already, so he's trying to steer her towards the human tribes of Candidus. However, now the investigation is on the faunus. Blair frowns. "Unfortunately, we have not determined if he is one or the other. Due to his affluence while operating within Atlas, we could assume human, but we've already ascertained that he's worked closely in selling of human slaves to the White Fang. He's likely a faunus sympathizer at least. Him being a faunus could be very likely."

Setante grimaces. "Well, that doesn't nail anything down. Perhaps we could-"

"Please start with the tribes of Isla Vallis." Blair presses. The dog faunus blinks, confused. "While Roman is on Cadavera, More of our team is stationed there currently. If we find something here, I can inform them to check things out personally."

"Ah... I see. Very well." Setante nods along with her thought process.

One thing focuses Blair. Finding the Delwin tribe scroll now to continue pressing Setante.

. . .

The scrapes of low grade stencil to parchment echoes off the walls. The white dust is running low. Roman and Ciara sit back as he sighs. "Ha! Done!" He groans with a glare Ciara's way. As Roman worked on deciphering the remaining message, Ciara recorded their findings on her scroll. To allow them to leave as soon as they finish.

The blonde looks to the white dust vial, frowning. "We should head out now that it's done." She holds up her scroll, smirking. "This will go a long way with the island chiefs."

Roman grimaces. "Yeah? I was too busy figuring each word to actually bother reading yet." He gets up, popping his back. "Maybe you can read it to me on the road out of here?"

She snorts as the two quickly grab their jackets and head wear. Then, their weapons. "Maybe. It's quite a tale. Come on! I want a clean shower tonight!"

The white dust gives out on their way up from the underground lair of sorts. Upon reaching the ground floor, they exit the door into the Chief's house. Roman looks to the woman. "You want this sealed up, or nah?"

Ciara shivers. "Ugh...Yeah. I'll give the code to the tribes in case we ever retake this island and want to use it." She shuts the doors as Roman rolls the dials for the door to lock it back. "Alright, come on."

. . .

The translations were easy. Being living tribes, Blair found that moving through them was rather simple. Setante's descriptions of them began to take form of off the cuff remarks rather than sternly reciting the symbol histories left. This gave an air of familiarity.

It also let her know he could be covering or lying about something.

So, Blair began asking about the people's current lives for extra details. These are the dog faunus, and like their animal relation, show some clear form of... dare she say, hormonal loyalty. The man speaks with passion about the fisherman of Vallis.

"... and the schools they care for in the reefs also make for an excellent export of exotic fish to Atlas nobles. They're one of the more lucrative ventures of our people's modernization." Setante finishes.

Blair smirks at this, amused even in the presence of someone that may be... an obstacle. She flips through some more scrolls. "I see. Tell me. Which of these is your tribe? I had expected to come across yours rather quickly."

She notices another small hesitation, but the man smiles and pulls what seems like a specific scroll from the remaining few. He opens it and smiles. "The tribe of Delwin trackers! Once upon a time, they were the greatest group of hunter gatherers of the islands, but these days the greatest rescue response and investigative branch."

"I see." She raises a brow. She peers at the scroll. Nothing he's said appears to contradict the scroll. The woman has been marking down on her cellular scroll a scribe for translating specific language symbols. She's ready to continue, but a noise pulls their attention.

Voices carrying from the temple entrance.

Setante smiles broadly. "I must see to the visitors."

"You knew they were coming." Blair points out. He wasn't off to meet them defensively like he did with herself and Roman, so... "You recognized them."

The man turns off. "Just emissaries bringing news from the islands. Will only take a few moments." He marches off, leaving Blair alone...

That confirm something, leaving her with his family histories and the like. He doesn't see leaving her alone with this information as a viable threat. He has to be aware she's interested in him as well. He's almost blatantly telling her that she won't find what she's looking for if she can be left alone now.

That is assuming she cannot translate scrolls herself at this point. She quickly delves into the scrolls from Isla Portus. In her vision, Setante was a raven haired bird faunus son to the chief of the port island. She just needs to find two things. A, that the scrolls do note chief families. And B, the name of the Portus chief family.

Perhaps she can find a way to interrogate him based on that memory...

The memory that doesn't correspond with reality...

"Is Aura the manifestation of the mortal soul?"

The question comes unbidden. Blair grimaces and pauses. A man with memories from over half a century out of date. Yet he cannot be older than 40 himself.

She pauses her actions and sighs. Even if she finds the scroll, this is only a side track. Blair cannot afford to waste anymore time... She stands and stretches before grabbing Fluorescent Finish. Using her sensory abilities, she quickly determines the location of the visitors... Setante is still invisible to her, likely for using his own semblance's sensory aspect.

As she approaches the outdoor sanctum, she spots three tribesmen. One is a human, one a bird faunus, and one a dog faunus. One for each of the islands. The three pound their chests and lightly bow in farewell before taking their leave. Setante is left alone, pondering over reports before him. He strokes his bearded chin.

"Is something the matter?" He speaks before turning to her, showing his awareness.

"I want another spar." Blair states clearly, taking the man off guard.

He blinks before breaking into a smirk. "Is that so?" He turns fully before continuing. "Not that I am against it, but is this for fun or business?"

Blair cuts a glare at him as she draws her blade. "Another question. No answers held back. Same as before." She focuses her aura shield enough for a visible flicker. "First to inject our semblance into the other achieves victory."

Setante chuckles before bellowing out a hearty laugh. "I admire your spirit." He holds the parchment reports off and places them under his shirt, tucked at the exposed portion of his chest. "But I dislike the same thing over and over... How about a twist this time, eh?"

He reaches back and draws out a small glass vial of sky blue. Blair eyes the substance. It could be ice dust, but it could be one of the many colors of wind dust. Her answer comes as Setante pops the vial open and channels his aura into it.

A gust blows, whipping air about as her blonde bang flies up, parallel with her pony tail. Suddenly, the air begins pulling, her hair obscuring her vision of Setante. So, she turns and peers out from the mountain with her amber eyes. The peak is above many clouds, but the wind begins to pull the fluffy white bodies up against the rock.

The cloud begins to shift, becoming less thick as it becomes a mist. Blair turns back to the faunus as the mist shifts to a thick fog. "You're using all that dust at once like that."

He grins as the haze of fog begins to obscure him. "It's for exactly this purpose." His green eyes meet her own. "A twist on the challenge. The spar will begin in a deep fog. Since we both know the contest ends upon whichever activates their power successfully first, this will add a unique challenge." He playfully eyes her. "Finding the other in the fog."

Blair freezes... She still cannot sense his presence when his semblance is active! He has the complete advantage in this case!

"Ha!" Setante barks a laugh as the fog thickens more and more. The man begins to disappear. "Do not worry. I will go put these documents in my chambers."

He completely wipes away from her sight. Her senses activate with her semblance... Nothing.

His voice echoes. "So, you will have a moment to prepare while I put these away. We begin... Now!"

Silence. Blair finds herself alone in a deep fog barely capable of seeing the rock at her feet. She cannot sense him, and she has to think of a way to counter him.

Well, she needs the information. She failed the first time, but this is a whole other level. Her grip on Fluorescent tightens. Not one for needing self confidence, she almost curses herself when she needs to inspire her own motivation. "I will not fail..." The hushed tone comes as she steps out into the fog.

Hide and seek has begun.

. . .

Roman and Ciara crouch near a bush, peering through the growth back to the ruined city. Roman eyes a group of Ursa as they huff around a smashed hut. Behind them, he sees a black substance shifting between hunks of rubble... Slithering. A Taijitu.

"I don't think we're sneaking through the city at this rate." Roman whispers to Ciara. "Doubt we can happen upon barren tunnels again, so we'll need to go another way."

The blonde grimaces, quickly looking about. "Give me a moment... to... ah ha!" She smirks and points to small scrapings in the dirt. His attention grabbed, she adds. "Animal tracks. Small animals of course. They still skitter about despite the Grimm. The monsters can't quite nail them down."

"Until the wrong Grimm show up." Roman adds morbidly. He eyes the tracks, tiny little indents. "What? We're gonna follow rats?"

Ciara crouches over to scrutinize. "Rabbits, I think. But, yes." She glowers his way. "They've adapted to moving around the Grimm to some extent, so following them might help up with a path. Come on."

Staying low, she uses all fours to maneuver herself around debris and rock while remaining in cover. Roman mimics her easily enough, the two making their way into a more barren area of hills and sparse growth. A lot of rock and dirty allowed for breaking up movement while tree growth was nigh impossible.

The two step into a thin break between large rocks, needing to walk sideways through the gap. Ciara frowns. "This route is taking us north west. It's gonna detour us around the black barrens we followed into town."

Roman snorts. "So long as we stay out of dodge. Was able to dodge Vale PD for years, so I'm no stranger to Hide and Seek."

. . .

Speaking of which...

Blair slams back flush into a stone pillar, surrounded by the cold gray. Her heart rate was beginning to raise. Her sword raised in a defense. Against what... well, she could find out at any second.

She can't sense him. It's only a matter of time before she gets attacked by him first. She can't search for him like this. She can use dust to clear the fog, but that would forfeit the challenge...

Should she? She knows he has something to do with Zandril. She can go ahead and fight him to rip the information out herself. Just like with Jayce. However, a grip in her chest keeps her from performing the option. A feeling she doesn't appreciate.

Fear.

Blair felt it the moment she realized his semblance was so much like hers. Except even stronger from her experience thus far. She cannot land a solid hit against his aura shield, or he'll infect her and win. If his semblance truly is a more powerful version of her own, then the two's semblances fighting inside herself will fail... In the event that she forces a full fight.

Therein lies the source. A fear of someone who can not only beat her at her own game, but has a vast experience gap between them.

Crack

Blair whips her head to the side. The crackle of a pebble was far off. She cannot see its source at all. Her heart picks up pace as she whips her head around awaiting an attack...

It's immediate.

From the fog, Setante's spear soars through like a javelin! Blair brings rising cuts, striking the spear up and away. The end of the spear is attached to a chain, which pulls the weapon back into the fog.

In a panic, Blair quickly cycles her aura, a dark haze flickering around her as she checks for foreign powers. None... thankfully. She darts her gaze around and listens closely. Silence. It doesn't matter. He's found her, and he's hunting her like prey now.

Because she can't hide from him! The undercurrent of fear begins to bubble into frustration.

She needs an alternative source of radar. He can detect her, so she needs to even that disadvantage. She jams a dust can into Fluorescent, the blade shifting from golden yellow to dark brown. She impales the blade into the ground in a loud crack!

"Careful now. If you start making noise, then I know you're not even playing along." Setante's voice trails from the fog, almost changing direction as he speaks.

Blair ignores the speech. If he's speaking, it's from a position where it costs nothing. She begins casting the earth dust in her blade in small, ever tiny bursts.

Vibrations. She cups her hands at the pommel of the hilt, her ear beside it. The vibrations rumble out with her aura, come into contact with objects, and vibrate back. She listens closely, eyes closing.

The rumble goes out...

And returns from behind-

Blair snaps her eyes open, rolling to the side and taking her weapon from the ground. Setante's spear clips her blonde hair, passing before the chain jerks it back!

She rolls to her feet just in time to see Setante's outline in the fog charging her! She backs up, deflecting two blows from the spear! "HAH!" She roars back in a counter slash! Setante stops moving, leaving himself open to the slash-

A gasp comes from her in the split second, halting her attack before she triggered his aura to enter her like before.

Now she's open, so Setante smiles through the gray haze and twirls his spear to deflect the held blade aside. In the twirl, he twists and side kicks out! Blair barely manages to cross her off hand over her chest to block, but the strike sends her speeding back, feet skidding on the ground!

Just as she halts herself, she looks up to see nothing but gray. Fog. He has to still be in front of her somewhere... She rapidly pops her earth dust out from Fluorescent and jams violet lightning dust inside. The blade lights violet and crackles with electricity. Igniting the dust in a cast, she slashes forward, sending a cone of lightning out into the fog in a wide catching area of effect!

Soon as the attack lashes into the fog, Blair cuts and runs right, sliding around pillars and down a staircase into a section of the temple she hadn't traveled into before. She slides around a corner and takes a breath, calming herself.

Mock replacements for her sense won't be able to match him. No, attempting to regain her advantage in sensory abilities is folly at this point she realizes. Blair grimaces in thought. If she cannot obtain her advantage again... then how about...

"Taking away his..." The words leave her lips as a breathy whisper.

In her mind, she visualizes Setante smiling brilliantly... How does he hide himself from her.

. . .

In her head, Setante takes the visage of the proud smiling man. Red aura pulses out as his image inflates... sucking in other matter and saturating the air. Humorously, the mental image of the man consumes the entire island, maintaining his smile as the tiny chibi ants of people attempt to look around for the man on the land mass.

He's too huge for them to locate... Everything is hazed in red except for the living people, each taking the color of their own auras.

. . .

He spreads his influence over the entire area. A scramble signal so his own aura is over such a wide area, its origin point cannot be found. Blair's own aura performs its radar in a similar way, but the woman must be conservative with her aura, unable to passively emit such a radiant amount to mask herself in mass.

This man's aura reserves are monstrous to maintain such a field... Wait.

Blair sucks in a breath...

. . .

Once again, in her mind, the visualization occurs.

The cartoonishly coated island remains shrouded in red as none of the people can find Setante, who appears and snickers at the oblivious people. As he looks around at a group blindly waving their arms for him, one person, a chibi Blair, stops her search, dramatically stopping in though with a frown.

Chibi Blair snaps her fingers and grabs a group of paint supplies. She proceeds to coat herself in a shade of red perfectly matching the red haze of Setante's aura!

The result makes her disappear from view entirely!

Chibi Setante leaps over the corner, making a triumphant shout to attack, but stops confused. He looks around, not seeing the coated Chibi Blair. As he begins looking about confused, he moves an object, catching the camouflaged chibi Blair's attention... and she attacks!

. . .

Blair smirks.

Admittedly, she's never attempted something like this. Never needed to. However, her control over aura remains impeccable if she would say so. Having spent hours dissecting Setante's aura, she should be able to shift her own wavelength to match...

She just needs to manage it before he attacks again... So, she blitzes into the fog. If she is successful, remaining in the same spot won't help her hide... But IF she succeeds, she can lay her own trap.

Her hand reaches for a blood capsule. It's labeled with an 'N'.

. . .

Roman and Ciara stop in a crack between two rock faces. Above the rocks, visible through the crack to the sky, black skin slithers over. A Taijitu slicks off, leaving the two to continue trailing after the rabbit tracks.

The silent travel goes on until the two crawl out to a growth of bushes. With only slight rustling, they exit out from the green, crouched low. Roman breathes in relief. "Well, we're in familiar territory now."

Ciara comes up beside him to eye the land. Scorched and glassed black. The ash mixed land that used to be a mountain. She examines the lay of the land. "We're almost directly across the black from where we first followed it." She eyes a moving mass of black in the distance. "No way we make it across without cluing the Grimm off."

Roman flippantly flicks his hand out. "Then let's make a show of it." He looks at her. "We make it to the other side, and I'll torch the forest for cover and lose them."

Ciara sighs. "I really don't like the idea of letting a chase happen." She mulls the idea before frowning further. "But at any slower rate, it'll be night fall before we get to the boat otherwise, and that's a nightmare scenario here."

"On your mark." Roman rolls his shoulders and crouches to stretch his leg. Ciara grimaces, shifting and bouncing on her feet to get ready. "MARK!" The both of them charge on into a full sprint, kicking off a crack of rock from their spots moving with force. As much as their auras allow them.

. . .

Setante rounds a bend to find an empty wall. He raises a brow. That's strange... He sensed her around here, but her aura suddenly began to fluctuate in an odd pattern. "Has she..?"He halts, focus snapping dead ahead. His body tenses, furry hair bristling in a rustle. Before him he feels out the woman. She's directly ahead, seemingly searching for him. A frown comes on. "Come on... I thought you could catch on by now."

His mutterings carries a slight growl before resigning himself. "Perhaps I'm expecting too much..."

He widens his stance, spear directed forward as he shifts his grip down. With pinpoint precision, he launches the weapon like a missile towards the blonde woman.

Blair turns at the last moment, her blade showing crimson. Perhaps another of those dust applications like earlier? It does matter now. The woman stands in sight of the weapon, gasping as the spear strikes true-

Shatter!

Neo's blood spent on the weapon charge, the image of Blair falls away as the spear pins into the stone floor. Setante's eyes widen. He's... He's absolutely positive he felt her aura presence there! Unless.

Unless she figured it out. A mixture of pleased surprise enters the shock, adrenaline spiking. With a drip of sweat, he twists around, seeing the figure approach!

It matters not. He simply needs to allow the strike to land like before-

As Blair's sheath, needle prongs out, jabs into his exposed chest, injecting her aura into his body at the exact moment his own aura attempts to enter hers.

"I WIN!" Blair declares in a shout. Flourishing, she withdraws herself, ejecting the newly filled blood capsule from her weapon sheath and pocketing it.

Indeed, Setante feels her aura clench his own inside of him. With a grimace at the discomfort, he focuses his aura in, familiarizing himself with it. A chuckle escapes. "Heh. It really does feel almost exactly like mine. Just hostile." His gaze falls upon her while breathing in and out. "Very precise control, too."

Blair glares back. "I have my question then."

"Aye." He nods. "I'm a man sworn to his word." He steels himself, ready for the coming question.

She stares back, truly debating. Which question should she ask while he's honor bound to answer her?

Who is Aline Zandril? Direct. Too direct. He might provide a subpar answer. Tell everything about Aline Zandril? That could work. Describe your relationship with Aline Zandril in full?

That brings a thought... Much as she would like to directly ask about Zandril, she already has a thought on how to obtain that information. No... Her thoughts trail selfishly to another question entirely.

"Is Aura the manifestation of the mortal soul?"

Blair grimaces. "Why do you have memories of life living as a bird faunus 60 years ago?"

The faunus sucks in a breath, freezing wide eyed at her. Like a deer under light. The man's form is rigid with a parted mouth. It dawns on him after seconds of dead silence. "You... can connect to the subconscious remotely... You delved into my mind through a microcosm of aura?"

The blonde's face falls darkly. "... Remotely?"

The two's eyes hold hard on each other as the veil of camaraderie fades. A chill comes up with woman's spine... Something tells her she isn't going to like the answer to this.

. . .

Blood pumping. Roman takes a lead over Ciara in long strides over the black rock. The shriek of another Grimm confirms their pursuers. At least a dozen of the black creatures whose shrieks were calling the next two dozen, who in turn were calling the next four.

Still, so long as they pooled behind them, and not ahead, they could lose them. Roman shouts out. "Watch the sides! Use your whips to kite them behind us!"

Ciara huffs and wheezes for air in a full sprint only a few strides behind him. Behind her, a Beowolf snaps its jaws within feet of her. "I- Ha... Sincerely hope- Ha. You pull your own god damned weight!" She pants with her full speed.

"You know the area, right?!" Roman shouts. "Tell me where to turn for a narrow place with lots to burn!"

He catches sight of an Ursa major charging over a mound of dark rock from the side. Without hesitation, Roman raises Velvet and fires a single chambered round at the major. The fire dust shot bursts on the ground, making the Ursa stutter its advance.

In that stutter, Roman rounds the beast, clearing it and leaving it behind him. Ciara rounds the other way as its eyes remain on the ginger, allowing the beast to join the several dozen building chasers behind them. Ciara sees a Beowolf attempting to round to cut them off.

With a quick swipe of her whips, she manages to hook both whip sword blades into its back. It shrieks as she jerks herself forward to land on its back. It drags back in pain as she stomps it down face first before breaking back into a sprint, weapons pulling out. "There's dried up creeks about two hundred yards into the forest! West by South West! They- Ha... Used to be run off for rain down the old mountain that used to be here."

Roman nods, taking to moving more to the right. Dried up is good. Dried up means easily burnable.

The wood line shows ahead, so he doubles his efforts, legs begging for a break. Ciara's breathing obviously shows her struggle to keep up. "When... were you a track star?! What the hell?"

Her can't help his own panting, but maintains a cocky smile. "Oh! Fleeing the scene is great cardio in city crimes! Don't always have a ship to boat away!"

"Oh har har!" Ciara groans behind him, not amused at the clear shot at her preferred method of leaving a scene. "Up ahead!"

Roman remains in the lead as they finally pass into the forest. The uneven ground and trees slow the two's strides, but luckily do so for the Grimm as well. The ground suddenly slants down, so Roman hops down the slope, sliding down a mud spot before it dries out too much. Ciara mimics the act.

"Some creeks have drops. They were deep! Watch your step!"

"Got it!" Roman calls, seeing several eroded paths in the ground with drier and drier dirt and rock as they keep running. He sees a drop ahead with overhanging trees. "Ahead. Swing off the branches!"

Taking the lead, he leaps up over the drop. A drop over a dried out creek river. He uses Velvet's curve pick handle to hook a branch, swinging and launching himself forward. Behind him, Ciara uses her whip to lasso a branch and swing after him herself as well.

Catching up to him, the blonde huffs. "Alright! Where's the light?"

The ginger pulls out his drum magazine and smirks despite the huffing. "Right here." He cranes his neck around to see the drier plant life of the area. "Alright. Be ready to quadruple time it!"

"How about half time? Why can't we quarter time?" Ciara groans back. "I'll settle for single time, even."

"Or no time it." Roman quips back. "It'll buy me some more time while they munch you!" Despite his egging on, he twists mid stride and tosses the drum magazine up to the tree canopy above. "Coming up!" He slows his pace to turn fully and flicking his arm, fingers snapping.

His semblance lights like a wick, igniting the container-

BOOM!

The eruption of flames blows out the center of the Grimm crowd behind them. All the beasts halt, momentarily veering away from the blast for safety! The inferno blazes as Roman and Ciara continue full tilt. As the man passes tree after tree, he continues to snap his finger at each other branch. His semblance continues to singe and ember at the stray dry leaves.

Anything to spark more of the land aflame. Anything to obscure their retreat further and further.

As the fire burns, the two begin to notice less and less attention from the Grimm. Sliding and tucking under some growth and keeping further and further west, Roman and Ciara eventually slow their pace a bit.

The two finally slow their pacing, finding themselves slowing to a halt and keeling over against trees a mile out from the growing wild fire in the distance. Shrieks and echoes of the monsters can still be heard as they each heave for air. "See? Look how much ground we covered with that! I think we cut two hours."

Ciara glowers back at the man. "You're buying me dinner at the most expensive restaurant on Candidus for this bull crap." She glares around them, getting a gauge on their positive. "Hmm... We've actually cut probably three hours with that."

Roman's only response is a devilish smirk for her, but he lets it slide. "I'm sure Barbie will happily supply you food for your time." He sighs, adrenaline calming down. "It'll be the most exciting thing to draw her away from her research."

. . .

The fog begins to lift, fading way to daylight once more.

Blair and Setante stand apart, a tense distance as Blair expected. The man chuckles under his breath. "To explain my answer to you... My memory... I would need to divulge how our semblances can work."

"Your semblance." Blair focuses back. Fluorescent isn't raised, but she does keep it in her forward hand just in case.

He seems to challenge her with a smirk on that. "Well, how about we discuss just how much it's only MY semblance. You're the one that surprised me with what you did." He nods to her. "You can command your aura within another?"

Irritated with his fixation on their semblances, Blair scoffs. "MY semblance allows me to supplant my aura into another living being and affect their own. I can connect to their subconscious, induce or reduce pain, hinder their aura shield, or pry into storage of memories." She huffs, beginning to side step. "My sensory abilities rely on a mock sonar, sending my aura out where it repels off other auras back to me."

Setante's brow raises as he matches her side stepping, the two beginning to lightly circle one another. "Is THAT how you do so?" He eyes her weapon sheath in her off hand. "I... see. So, engineering was your method of getting by that problem." At her irritable glower, he smirks. "It is a compliment to your intellect, I swear. I had to find MY method through trial and error."

"Allowing others to hit you?" Blair speaks back incredulously.

"Well, unconventional as it may seem, it follows the same principle you just displayed." He smiles in praise.

Confusion comes over her. What's he mean? She had to circumvent his own senses by... mimicking his... aura. Her eyes widen. "The first strike allows-"

"Yes." Setante cuts her off, smooth in his attitude. "Upon contact, my aura and my attackers match. My aura splashes upon their aura shield. Due to the match, their aura shield allows my aura to pass on through to them." He chuckles. "Their aura shield cannot tell my aura from their own. It goes right on through."

Blair sinks at that realization. The idea that any strike would allow him to infect an enemy? She would give an arm for an advantage like that. She needed time and heavy focus just to mimic his aura wavelength...

"I see such an adjustment is one of your difficulties." Setante picks out from her expression. "For one thing, my aura can only weigh a person's movements down once inside them. I cannot remotely control it to perform any of the extrasensory abilities you just claimed. My focus only remains within myself."

She perks at that, confusion remaining. "Then how does this relate to your memories?" She shakes her head and raises her weapon. "Why do you have memories from sixty years ago?! You cannot be older than forty at the most!"

He cocks his head with a smirk. "Me? Oh, my age varies." His smile grows, expression yearning for her interest.

A chill runs up her as the implications blank. What the absolute hell is he trying to say?

"Is Aura the manifestation of the mortal soul?"

No... Absolutely not. Blair takes a step back. "You've... That's... Impossible!"

His response is only a smirk.

"Tell me the truth!" Blair raises Fluorescent Finish up, her nerves raising at the man's insane ramblings. "You've stolen memories from others using our-... I mean, your semblance! You're lying if you say otherwise!"

He blinks, dropping his expression. "For someone to have a power so close to my own... I'd hoped you would understand it fully. The full capability of our semblance-"

"STOP SAYING 'OUR'!" Blair snarls. Dropping the sheath, she grips her off hand on the golden blade held up. She winces in pain as it bites into her flesh, allowing the yellow to soak and shift crimson. Bathed in her power.

Setante raises a brow. "I see. So, that illusion was not of your own making." He twirls his spear. "You intend to fight me for real and interrogate me?" He smirks at the challenge.

"I don't interrogate. Interrogating implies you could withhold something from me." Blair speaks coldly. "These days, I rip what I want out, and you've..." She focuses on her aura, still inside him. "You've yet to expel my power!"

She activates her trigger, focusing her semblance through her blade as well as putting all her will into her influence on the aura inside the man! Just like with Jayce, she doubles her semblance's power as a sharp violet haze pulses around the faunus!

Setante gasps in shock as pain fires through him. "AH!"

Blair snarls. "Now, show me the truth! Show me EVERYTHING! Your power, Aline Zandril, and AZRL! Shoe me what you're hiding!"

The faunus hisses in pain, but manages a smirk.

"... You only needed to ask..."

As both their minds touch. Their visage and worlds collapsing in on themselves before showing them another world.

A past.

. . .

Years ago

A body hits the dirt in a heap. The area around is a stone carved temple adorned in bone wind chimes. The body is sprawled in a circular area found at the base of an ascending stair case. The temple is built into a great large mountain face.

Another person stands triumphant upon the temple steps. Raven hair flicking into feathers, signaling himself as a faunus. The raven faunus Setante stands with black pants and a red one shoulder tunic. He twirls a featureless spear as he steps down the steps.

The sprawled man comes to, looking up in pain as the spear tip comes to rest by his neck. He panics. "Ah! Please, spare me!"

The bird faunus raises a brow. "You attempt to steal from us and expect mercy?" He scoffs, looking up to two approaching tribesmen. Humans. He nods to them. "This one was snooping around the tombs with some totems."

Rough hands scoop the thief from the ground, dragging him away. As they depart, Setante sighs.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The slow rings pull his attention up the stair case. The younger teen boy, Aline. His hair is pulled back in a knot, his platinum blonde hair almost reflects the sunlight, save for the three black streaks in his hair. The boy's rounded face brightens. "Like a true raven, you really know how to spot curiosities. How did you find this one?"

Setante shrugs. "This one wasn't special. I actually just happened upon him on patrol." He ties a sling on the spear around his shoulder to hang. "Next main lander trying to steal from our vault I'll-"

Aline giggles. "Oh, take some pleasure in your good work. It's to be expected when islands not affiliated with the kingdoms hoard their items of interest. The cats come for their curiosity."

Setante's face falls. "In this analogy, is our mercy supposed to be the cat's nine lives getting used up?"

"Ha! A nice addition to it." Aline nods to him. "Take some time off to enjoy yourself. You've earned it."

The faunus shakes his head, turning to the younger male. "I'm sworn to you. Taking a break off on my own would break that." He solemnly states. It had been months since the two's lives intertwined for his promise.

Aline frowns in thought before brightening up. "Then I will accompany you on your break then." He walks with a straight posture and polite smile, eyes showing amusement. Setante falls in line behind him. "Tell me. How often do you visit the Den?"

Setante raises a brow. "Uh... Not a lot. Aren't you a little young to know about that?" He scratches his neck nervously.

Confusion shows. Violet eyes blink. "What do you mean? The other men talk about it and I hear it. I don't really get the fuss. Men and women are separated just to bath, but everyone is obsessed about private holes or something."

The faunus shivers at that, blushing lightly. "Ugh... Yeah. That's uh... You really don't know what those are for?"

"I assumed peeping. Am I wrong?" Aline raises a brow at that. "But it defeats the purpose since the women know of it."

Setante face palms as he leans over to pat the boy on the shoulder. "Allow me to explain a thing called glory..." He cups his hand and begins whispering in the boy's ear.

Each muffled word widens the boy's eyes before he tints a very tomato shade of red. As the faunus leans off, the boy remains painted red. "I... see..." He coughs. "So..."

"Wanna decide on something else then?" Setante offers, cracking a grin.

"I... will settle on enjoying the wholesome part of the bath house. You can have your fun." The boy tenses as he walks, only to jolt when the man hooks his arm around his shoulders.

"Aw, don't be like that. You gotta know about the dirtier parts of the world, or it'll sneak up on you. Like those thieves. Who knows, young man with a bright future as you, ya might hook a lady in these places."

Aline maintains a smile, but his eyes are dead. "I wouldn't call such a companion a 'lady'... Wench seems dignified in such a situation."

One month later

A dark room brightens in torch light. It's wide, a small fire in the center over burning coals. A round table decorates the room with many seats about. Five main seats show in the room. An older bird faunus with graying black hair shows, Setante's father, Chief of Isla Portus. Hanging from his neck is a talon shaded black and tipped in red.

The next seat presents a man of brown hair and tan skin. He's dressed in a more silken robe with no sleeves, tribal tattoos showing on his arms. The chief of Isla Candidus, he is. A shell etched with symbols hangs from him.

In the next seat sits a larger man, bursting with muscle. He's bald, a scar over his nose and two handed saber hung on his back. His chest displays a silhouette of a head with an open eye in the center of the forehead. This man is the current Cu de Culann, defender of the isle.

Next is a dog faunus with drooped ears, though one is clipped. A woman with long brunette hair that the drooped ears blend into. The woman wears tight leather and red fabrics. The chief of Isla Vallis. Her earrings barely show as curved fish symbols.

At the final seat is a shorter man with his hair fully split half black and half platinum blonde. Coal eyes stare out like a hawk, hands laced in front of his mouth. Aline's father, the chief of Isla Cadavera. A cloak is pulled over his shoulders clasped by a clip. The clip is fashioned into a skull with no jaw.

Each of the chiefs has arrived with their own escorts who populate the outer reaches of the room. At the side, far enough to listen in and also whisper among themselves, are Aline and Setante.

"The black ship left our port yesterday. We traded them the supplies as planned, but they left us with an... interesting proposition." The chief of Candidus speaks slowly. "I'm told you all received similar offers."

The chiefs all grimace. Setante's father glares at the flame between them. "It's nothing new. The same offer as always, I'm sure. Just wanting us to be their lackeys in exchange for riches."

"It's more than that." The female dog faunus cuts in. "Last we met the outsiders, they spent much of their time testing our stances on neutrality." The woman looks to the men. "They still think we can be bought."

Once again, the avian faunus denies. "I still think the situation is overblown. We've been contacted by wealthy foreign men believing they can create something from nothing before. This woman the travelers speak of is no different." He leans back. "We should ride it out and see what more we can make from the fools."

"Atlas won't take kindly to us throwing in with some outside force. We're not trying to become another Menagerie, here!" The Candidus chief objects. "No foreign control, but also not being cut off from the world. We can't take sides in some unknown conflict."

The woman grumbles. "Atlas HAS been a problem. Although, cutting any trade with them might teach them a lesson about how their representatives treat half our peoples." She looks to the bird faunus. "Maybe Konnor has a point in taking advantage of it."

Between Setante's father, Konnor, and the dog faunus, the human chief of Candidus sends a pleading look to Aline's father. "Az... If there is one person here that could understand the threat I fear..."

'Az', Aline's father, parts his hands, letting them fall. "Kingdoms and ambition." He grimaces and focuses in thought. "For decades, we've seen all manner of greedy man attempt to grasp power. This is no surprise to any person with eyes, ears, or a mind."

Konnor and the woman both nod with the start.

"But we aren't dealing with some foolish would be ruler attempting to build a kingdom of their own pride." The chief of Cadavera stares hard at each of the four. "They're not even looking to create a kingdom." His eye finds Aline in the corner before he returns his focus to the chiefs. "These are a people who truly believe they have the capability to alter the world to their ambitions."

He continues. "If they truly can, we must ask ourselves... 'Would we trust them?' If they cannot, even with our help, then entangling with them will only lead to our demise." Aline's father looks to the warrior at the table, the bald human. "We should refuse them, coldly, and at the earliest opportunity."

The cold, calculated hardness to his voice silences the room, the four chiefs and their defender all shifting in the quiet. Konnor sinks back and sighs. "Very well. I agree. Where are these foreigners next approaching?"

"Cadavera." Aline's father answers. "I will issue the demand. They will leave us alone."

The dog faunus scowls. "Their supplies were useful... but, I agree with Az."

Finally, the bald man, the Cu, looks to Az. "I shall be on standby for you. We do not know if they will be hostile." The chief nods back. So, the bald man rises. "Adjourned!"

. . .

Present

Roman and Ciara break from the trees, finally meeting sands. Breath regained, the two look around the shore to get their bearings. Ciara narrows her gaze around before sighing in relief. "There it is." She begins to approach a mass in the wood line down the shore from them. Her scuttle boat appears untouched. "Come on! Help me get this to water."

Roman pauses, eyeing the sea and checking his scroll for time. Time of day... He quickly rushes over to her. "Double time it. Atlas patrols just went by a short while ago, but that wild fire might change their routine."

The two rush out, getting into the water with the small vessel until climbing into it. Pushing off, they happily take their leave of Isla Cadavera. Ciara ignites a spark to start the engine, allowing the motor to propel them forward. "We're going against the wind, so keep the sail down. We're gonna be slow moving."

Roman grimaces as he pulls the sail down using the string setup. He finally settles into the single seat under the mast. "Well, fun. Just something to make this take longer."

Minutes pass, Roman maintaining a watch for boats. Any indication of Atlas catching wind of the situation. "I think we're safe."

"Good. I'm over this." Ciara groans. "This was supposed to be my vacation, remember."

He smirks at that. "Oh, chin up. You're getting paid for it, and not a coin has to be split five ways." He leans back, pulling his scroll out. He settles into place, waiting for a lull of peace in the trip.

"So that story?" Ciara speaks up. She frowns. "Don't keep me in suspense. What's it say?"

Roman nods, taking a moment to bring up the recording of the message. A long story. "... 'This tale is no warning, but a description of your reality.'"

. . .

"A truth that what one considers free will brings consequences. For in this world governed by our twin creators, one must realize one thing. One does not offer peace while the other death. No. For they both offer wrath... You must be willing to choose whose wrath you wish to suffer."

Years Ago

"The ship is approaching." Setante voices, eyes snapping open from a meditative trance. He rises and looks to Aline, who tenses at his desk with open parchments. "I sense them..." He grimaces. "And something... wrong."

Aline looks away. A moment of worry before he shakes it. "My father knows how to handle things." He wraps the paper he's reading from, surrounded by notes of trade with Atlas. A translation guide between symbol language and the main land's basic. "That being said, precaution is the precursor to longevity."

He rises from the desk, moving out from their carved temple home. Setante and Aline move with haste down the mountain to the main town. A mix of pseudo modern construction favoring stone than concrete with wood constructions rather than brick. The bone aesthetic matches throughout.

Upon arriving at the docks, Aline nearly collapses, out of breath. Setante is beside him, smirking. "So, about joining my cardio workouts..."

Aline glares up at him, huffing for air. "Silence... you... Ugh!" He calms down and smirks. "Besides, you couldn't celebrate your ability if I were to embarrass you myself."

The bird faunus laughs aloud. "A funny thought. Speak of challenging me when you can run a mile, okay?" The humor is friendly. Much as his circumstances putting him here being ill... he adores the little kid. Like the brother he never got. "Want me to lead, just in case?"

The boy shakes his head, smiling. "No... No, how can I expect others to follow me if I can't bother leading?" He huffs, breath fully caught. "Alright. Let's go."

"Under your delusion of stability vs disarray, order vs chaos, you chose to spurn our offers. You honestly believed yourselves to be aside. An observer and not a pawn... Oh, but you are all pawns. That's what you failed to realize."

Aline and Setante arrive to the docks, finding a line of tribal warriors formed in unison behind Aline's father, Az. Az is face to face with the captain of the black ship hooked at port. The captain is a faunus man, twin ram horns sweeping up and back, his blonde hair swept back with it. The ram faunus wears a red high class uniform carrying symbols of Vacuo. His charcoal skin and hazel eyes meet Az's coal.

"Excuse me? I thought we understood one another." The captain speaks, taken aback. "You can't simply turn us away after building up the faith we have!"

Aline's father glares back. "You're right. We do understand you." He holds the stare to let the statement set in. "And that is precisely why we will no longer do business with the likes of you OR your mystery mistress."

The captain narrows his gaze, tensing in irritation. "Do you not grasp the tiniest inkling of what you could be?" He looks around to the other tribal members of the island. "We came for prosperity, but you want to cling to some superstitious feeling yearning for complacency?!" He takes a breath, in and out to calm. "Perhaps you simply need to meet her. Trust me that whatever ails you with me or mine will go away if you merely knew her."

"Poor excuses seeing as your mistress has yet to once respect us enough to make a case herself." Az asserts firmly. "Now, leave. Never return to our islands, or risk creating even more enemies."

The captain flinches back at the threat, his tongue held. Fists clenching, the man stews until a voice sounds... Almost distorted.

"Disrespect was never my intention..." The captain jolts again as he and all the tribesmen look back to the ship itself. "I cannot fully appear, but perhaps this will do."

Setante's senses spiral as he shutters. His shambling posture is unnoticed by the boy next to him. Aline's violet eyes soak in the image, confusion mixed with fear. "Is that..?" His off hand reaches and pats Setante's side. "Is that... can you sense it? It cannot be a Grimm."

A... floating jelly fish? No. A glowing red orb with crust like gray cracks along the bottom connecting to long black tentacles. It floats aloft towards Aline's father and the foreign captain.

Setante bristles. His semblance radiates to sense out. Grimm do not have aura, thus give no feedback. Which... does describe his feeling. The limbs of the beast give nothing. Furthermore, the red orb itself seems to warp his detection aura inward, erasing it.

To do so... he feels something. It isn't aura. It's almost feeding off his aura. Grimm feed off aura, but this energy warping is... off.

"It's a Grimm." He surmises. "But it's much more than that."

Aline cuts his eyes at the animal. "I've never heard of a Grimm that can speak or hold messages."

Ahead on the dock, Aline's father remains wary before the black and red object hovering before him. His gaze hardens on the orb. "You appear quite composed. Many are put off by my messengers."

Az doesn't miss a beat. "Our entire tribe deals in the morbid, the archiving of the occult. Something inexplicable is a welcome... in most circumstances."

The voice hums a chuckle, though the trill sends a shiver up many of the men's spines. "One of many qualities that drew my interest to your people... Hello, Chief Azrael Zandril. You are more admirable than I had hoped."

Az narrows his gaze. "And your messengers are quite astonishing. Unnaturally so." He maintains unblinking eye contact on the red orb, finding something to focus on. Something not quite apparent.

"There are many things to discover in the world. Things the arrogant or affluent would agree as... unnatural." The voice pauses lightly. "Things that can be shared... Must be shared, in my... personal opinion." Another pause fills the air, almost thick as the onlookers breath. "Shall I show you?"

The red orb on the Grimm shifts in coloration to a violet hue before deepening. Dulling to a sharp purple, a glow begins to emit fro the orb...

Daylight dims as colors lose their saturation, the ocean blues shifting gray. A pressure in the air shifts down. The very air almost took on a texture in Setante's throat as he breathes. One thing screams out to him. It screams the same meaning in every way.

Unnatural. Sacrilegious.

Demonic.

A dark purple haze washes out as Setante's eyes are almost forced down. His eyes take in the wood of the dock alongside most every tribesman. Even Aline jolts in fear, eyes down. The bird faunus closes his orbs, daring to sense with his semblance. Before him, he feels an unholy maelstrom warping chaotically at the edge of his mind.

Unbeknownst to all the onlookers, one man didn't look away.

Chief Azrael Zandril, blonde and black hair whipping back in a gust of power from the display, stares with wide orbs. The display... whatever mystery it may hold, shows itself in its entirety to this man. A display no mortal could fully explain. Open shock as he remains rooted.

Looking at...

zzz... zzz-ck!

The memory shifts. Cracks. Like static on a television screen, recollection of the sight seems to fail entirely. All that can made out through the static flickers of the next moments is a silhouette of a being with a draping dress.

Crack.

The light fades. The world around them returns to full colors, and the tribesmen remain frozen for moments before looking up. Aline and Setante glance up in confusion.

The jelly fish like Grimm floats there, same as before. Nothing is different. Save for Azrael Zandril staring with a stone rigid face and wide, wide eyes. His black eyes remain on the beast before it.

"I can show you the world if you wish." The female void of a voice says airily. "All that is required is the will to grasp."

A dreadful silence hangs in the air, expectation falling upon the chief. Chief Azrael still stares wide eyed, skin paled. A pregnant pause stretches over as his gaze slowly closes. When his view opens once more, the man's dark eyes cut at the beast, harder than any eye given.

"No. It requires a will to deny." He speaks calmly. "I see through your deception, Witch." He gulps down the lump in his throat, maintaining a fierce glower. "Leave these islands. Never send your ilk again. That is our answer."

"..." The captain of the ship sneers as he walks near. He almost reaches into his coat, but the ethereal voice cuts him off.

"Very well." The female voice starts. The Grimm beast begins to float back, but slows. "It shall be done your way." As the captain looks between the tribe and his ship, the voice emits again. "Come, Javier." The captain sneers, turning and leaving with the beast.

Aline and Setante eye the departure. However, as the Grimm disappears on the ship, the voice calls once more.

"Til we meet again."

The departure is quick, but the entire way, Setante looks to Aline, the boy incapable of removing his eyes from the departing ship.

"Clinging to this illusion only ensures an end. The wrath promised by both the white king and black queen, the brothers, or any other stand in for these forces. The wrath will come. You've only chosen to experience it from both side... But wrath can be off set by love. Love given through loyalty. If only that was your choice..."

Weeks had passed...

Within the temple home, away from the main chief's estate, Aline lays asleep on a cot. Against the wall, Setante sits in a lotus position with his head tilted down in slumber. His arms are crossed with his spear crossed between them and mildly having its haft act as a pillow for his chin.

A soft snore comes from the bird faunus before choking out. His eyes snap open. On his feet in a second, the faunus bursts from small carved out home. He stops in the open, eyes alert and gazing out. This feeling... His semblance reaches out, feeling for something.

And there it is. Like a rip in his sense, a mass of... something is approaching by sea.

Aline shuffles out from the temple, wearing only modest black pants and a loose white shirt. "Setante?" He rubs the sleep from his eyes and looks up. "What's wrong with the sky? It was clear when we retired to bed."

Indeed. Setante grimaces. It was crystal clear, a sky that shined with the broken moon and thousands of stars in the night. A brush of wind blows against his feathers. Except... it's blowing towards the ocean. He blinks. "The wind... it's blowing the wrong way." He looks to the sky, but it's only black. Jet black.

The only reason he can make out Aline is the short candle light from a hand held lantern. The boy is holding it. "I know I'm not keen as you... but I feel something wrong." The blonde looks with a worried brow to the faunus. "Can you tell something?"

Setante takes too long to respond. After giving up on words, he simply nods.

Aline grimaces, looking to town with a focus. Sleep be damned. "Let's find my father!"

Soon as they have their shoe wear, the two break for town. Following Setante, they reach civilization. The faunus blinks at the... black hole of sensation from his semblance. He deviates from the path to Aline's father's chief home.

Aline perks at that, curving after him. The two arrive at the docks once more. "Setante! What's the mat-" He sucks on a breath as Setante glares ahead. The waters have withdrawn to a low tide. Lower than low tide. Looking out to the black distance, the roar of winds and waters. Aline looks to the nearest other tribesman. "ALERT EVERYONE! STORM PROTOCOL!" He throws an arm gesture towards the mountain. "GET TO HIGH GROUND!"

Shouts abound, but Setante can't hear it as the winds whip louder. Sucking outward from the island, he stumbles one step forward, but catches himself. He looks down. The tide as drawn out, completely leaving the underside of the dock barren of water.

A rumble in the sky... Wait. No. That rumble came from directly ahead. Not from the air.

Setante shrieks out. "WARRIORS TO THE SHORE! IT'S GRIMM!"

Soon as the attention is out, the winds pick up, beginning to whip hair and debris out before the torch light of the town gives way to a massive wave of water. Within the tsunami scattered are thousands of red eyes...

The wave hits, bringing a wave of monsters into the isle...

"The first step of the cycle, Choice... Acting in face of adversity."

Minutes later, warriors are fighting their hearts out in ankle deep waters throughout the streets. They're falling back, using shields to hold back smaller insectoid Grimm. Little beasts with black pin and stinger legs and tails, a white bone tone carapace resembling skulls with horns and tentacles sticking from the skull sockets. Each Grimm has one large red eye in the center of the carapace... Each one only a foot long and tall.

Sulfur Fish... Harmless alone or in small number, but have a tenacious tendency when swarming.

Like now. The beasts latch onto civilians, stinging into them with heated appendages causing internal burns. They latch multiples at a time, while whole mobs group and latch onto each other to move as larger 'limbs'.

Tribesmen block the large Grimm constructs with wood and metal shields, using swords and spears to jab and strike them back.

Setante strikes three leaping Sulfur Fish away before they can latch on him. Behind him, Setante moves a blown over hunk of wood, freeing the leg of a woman. Setante's eyes dart about. Behind him, Aline shouts haggard. The two are drenched in sea water. "To the mountain! Family first. Setante, where's Father?!"

Setante huffs a breath. He checks his surroundings before closing his eyes in focus. They snap open just a second later. "He's near his estate. Many warriors are around. They're hunkering down."

A spew of a white flare blazes into the sky in the direction of the chief estate. Aline and Setante look to it. Aline wheezes out. "That's Naru's semblance. He's getting the Grimm's attention!" He looks aside in thought. "Father's organizing the warriors to distract the Grimm at a false front! Civilians, continue up the mountain to safety!"

"Choice leads to Creation... The altering of circumstances. Or in this case, consequences of your actions..."

Minutes pass again. Up the mountain path, dozens of women, children, and odd non fighting men rush their way up the dirt path. Torches are held to light the way. One woman yelps as a Sulfur Fish comes from a nearby bush, but a man swings a torch to bash it down. He presses the torch onto it, letting it squeal in pain.

At the tail end of the path, another woman trips and falls. Aline assists her up as a construct of six Sulfur Fish lurches like a long centipede at them!

Setante lands and bashes it back, smashing the six Grimm apart. Before they can recover, he's slashed and skewered four of the six. The remaining two scamper off, powerless. The faunus looks about. "Clear for now!" He calls.

Whmmmm...

A rumble of the ocean water loud enough to hear from the mountain. Aline and Setante share a look. Nodding, Setante closes his eyes again to sense out. "Everything is still fine with your father..." He opens his eyes. "Maybe-"

CRACK!

A massive lightning strike lights the sky up like day time from the storm clouds above. Even with very sparse precipitation... Heat lightning. However, worse yet was the view of the city... A massive body of bone white with black connection of plates... eight long tentacles stand the creature up connected to the squid like center.

Kraken... Two of them.

Aline shivers. "S-Setante?"

"Get with the others." The faunus commands. Another lightning flash shows one getting closer. "One is going for the warriors in town. The other is coming right here." He looks back. "Any fighters with bolt bows, get your asses up here, NOW!"

"Creation garners Knowledge. Power... Which of course only leads to one conclusion..."

Minutes gone again. The survivors have horded at the mountain temple just below the peak's opening. The volcanic mouth at the top. The people have moved into a sanctum inside the carved temple. Aline is waving people through.

Rumble...

He shakes with a shaking of the ground. He turns.

The Kraken is upon the spare warriors. Its tentacles jab down as Setante dodges to and fro. The faunus uses his spear to deflect a massive tentacle. Suddenly, one of the legs is punctured through by a massive spike. A rope ties the spike to its shooter. A dozen men have large cross bow style weapons with massive spike projectiles tied to rope lines.

One by one as Setante dodges the Grimm, the men fire these spikes to puncture the tentacles of the Kraken. Upon each puncture, the men at that bow pull hard. Their combined aura enhanced strength lets them limit the massive beast's movements.

Finally, the last tentacle is punctured and pulled taut, the Kraken fully subdued. Its beak underneath its head shrieks in fury, small pulls shifting the pulling men. Setante doesn't have much time.

He leaps up, landing on a tentacle just beside one of its side eyes! With a charge, the faunus dives, spear forward, and rips right through the massive eye. With full lunge, he splatters through the head and rips out the opposite side, through its other eye.

He lands on the plate tentacle in a stop, posed for the end of a spear lunge. He shakes off the black Grimm blood before leaping off. The man lands as all the warriors cheer! They set about freeing the bolts from the tentacles for re-use.

Setante heaves for breath, leaning on his spear. He looks to Aline, the boy looking shook up. So, he grins. "Hey, kid. Don't tell me I look that bad in black."

The quip pulls Aline's attention, violet eyes shifting to confusion before calming ever slightly. A welcome distraction. "Heh... Not that... Um, you look dead tired though."

The faunus shrugs, despite his exhaustion. "Oh, please. I can do this all day." He winks. "See, this is why I urge you to exercise."

Aline puffs up, fully distracted from the current situation. "Can you not?"

Rumble... The same feeling from before. Same intensity... That wasn't the Kraken.

Another lightning flash. The survivors all twist towards the town- "AH!" Screams from many of the people shout out!

Above them. Massively above them, is a gigantic lizard like being. An absolutely gigantic beast with a black mass, bone plating to its long snout head. Rippling with muscle and bipedal. The beast looms against the mountain side, casting a great shadow upon them from the lightning!

Setante cannot help the shiver. He shouts out. "LEVIATHAN!" He throws his arms out to the warriors. "Get inside!" The people scramble, but Aline remains in the open, staring mute at the massive monster in the dark looming over. "ALINE!"

Grabbing the boy, he finds the blonde to be rooted in position. He shakes him, but the boy continues staring up. "It's... not after us..."

Stopping, the faunus looks up. More spurts of heat lightning high above shine a silhouette. The Leviathan is moving further up the mountain to its peak. Setante furrows his brow. "What is it..?"

The boy sucks in a breath. He jolts from Setante's grasp, panic stricken as he screams to the temple opening. "EVERYONE OUT! NOW!"

Setante shakes the boy. "What is it?!"

"Volcano!" Aline shouts in the faunus' face. "It's going to-"

CRACK!

The ground quakes as the ear piercing sound explodes down from the mountain peak.

Followed by the burning red glow of a massive spout of lava and ash... The Leviathan has smashed its arms into the peak, ripping open the mouth of the volcano, ripping into it top down. Both its arms are half submerged into the spouting lava as the sides of the mountain crack, spread, and rumble.

The Leviathan begins violently breaking itself INTO the volcano as it begins shattering and exposing the intentional eruption... The island quakes from another force entirely as the eruption intensifies into the brightest hot red of the night...

"And Knowledge leads to Destruction... A wiping slate to start the cycle anew, leaving only those making the Choice to keep going... Such is the cycle of man. Of... pawns. The only break in the cycle can come from one who wishes to bring such an end... Something that can be accomplished together... Yet, you chose to protect a status quo, religiously followed..."

The eruption was fast. Only a few minutes again, and Setante is sprinting through the woods with Aline piggy backed on him. One hand keeps his spear handy. It's no longer dark... For a streak of burning red and wild fires scars the island in the scenery.

Screams of people die out, the lava flow having gone directly to the town! Fires spread around them, but Setante outruns the spread, clearing them into a darker toned area. Cutting into a short cut. "There has to be a boat. One of the boats HAD to survive the harbor wave." He looks left, sucking in a breath!

A Sulfur Fish leaps out at him from a bush, but he spears it through the gut. A flick of his wrist, the beast flies off, whimpering to a death.

Aline's face is drained, bags under his eyes. Even getting carried, he's gasping for air. "We... have to find Father."

Setante grimaces. "I barely have any aura to sense. Need to conserve." He maintains his pace. "But, we know where he is. Just stay strong, Aline!"

The faunus manages to get them back into part of the city. The water has drained back out into the ocean fully now, leaving mud covered streets and buildings. The main portion of the city is alight with burning structures, melting streets, and burning lava carrying into the ocean.

BOOM!

Setante turns around at the sound, eyes wide... The mountain is now a bright orange pyre, but it blows out. Now not even half its original height. A blast of bright white and orange... followed by a rapid shroud of black... He sucks in a breath. The shroud flows down the mountain.

Like an avalanche... of hot molten ash-

Pyroclastic flows! Higher than fifty miles per hour speeds!

Setante breaks right and sprints. His lungs scream at him to stop, but he knows his can't. Even a full minute sprint nearly makes him drop. The flow of ash hits into the town, completely cutting off the two's view of the burning blaze engulfing the rest of town.

The faunus falls over, breathing roughly for air. Aline shuffles off, looking to the faunus. The boy clasps Setante by the hand. "Come on. We can't stop moving! We're almost there."

The warrior allows the boy to help him up. His arm is slung over Aline's shoulders as the two continue a jog. Wheezing for breath, they get through a small smoke cloud from the other nearby fires to finally come to the street before the Chief estate...

Both halt, staring wide eyed... Dead Grimm everywhere, even the other Kraken that had arrived with the one before...

And dead tribesmen. Strewn about the mock battlefield are hundreds of mixed corpses of humans and Grimm...

Yet, far too few Grimm to justify...

"There should be at least twice this many dead Grimm... These men aren't pushovers." Setante wheezes out.

"Father..?" Aline gasps and the two continue forward.

From the bodies, two more Sulfur Fish wriggle up, taking notice of the two new prey. Both leap at the two, but Setante pushes off and slashes them down with his spear. The two stumble onward from the blood, black blood, and water soaked streets to find the chief estate, still in perfect condition.

Its front door begins to creek open.

"Father-" Aline gasps. Not his father.

Setante's entire being spasms as a full wave assaults his senses. His aura detection shatters his mind at the simultaneous rip in the sense and blaring beacon of a sun stands before him. He drops to his knee, losing all breath unable to speak, shivering.

A female figure steps out. Draped in a black dress lightly brushing the ground by her ankles. Her shoulders are exposed, revealing gray skin, bereft of liveliness. Her eyes-

The memory flickers like static.

Setante's gaze is found down. Aline stands frozen before the woman. Nothing is spoken between them. Just a single gaze. Aline quivers and quakes. Yet, he remains standing.

That's when he sees something he hadn't noticed among the corpses... A bald male body ripped open at the chest. The Cu de Culann... He too perished.

The mysterious woman hums and begins to step from the estate. One step. Two step. Three. Her direction arcs as she slowly walks right around the teen boy. Aline remains in place, gaze locked on the now empty door way.

She stops directly by him. He faces the building. She faces the devastation of the island. Her neutral smile twists ever slightly to a smirk. "You didn't look away... I like that. That's two impressive men on this island."

Aline shudders. A pit in his core hollowing out at her voice. The exact voice of the distorted Grimm...

"I merely came to show my respect." She hums and continues walking. She passes Setante as well, not sparing any gesture for him.

"F-Father?" Aline asks out loud in a broken panic. Setante looks up. The boy rushes forward into the estate.

"Aline!" Setante rushes after him into the estate. Mid stride, he grabs the wooden spear beside the fallen Cu. They look around, but nothing looks amiss. Finding the side room, Aline already has the hidden dials open. Both of them stop upon looking at the skull door.

The burned symbol of the eye compass.

Quickly, Aline rolls the dials. 42-42-564. The door clicks open as Aline and Setante descend into the depths. "Aline, wait!"

The boy has already reached the underground room, paused in shock. His father is knelt in the ceremonial pit opposite of him. Turned around with dripping blood pooling underneath.

"F-Father?" Aline steps closer. "Are you-"

Azrael flinches, turning in place...

Black is affixed to his chest and neck. The Geist mask is merged into the side of his head, half covering his wide eyed glossed gaze. The man is long dead, body taken by the beast.

"Ah!" Aline jolts back, tripping into the wall, back flush. Fear fills the boy as his father's corpse moves for him-

"Hyah!" Setante lunges into the room, using the broken spear from the battlefield to impale the puppet corpse! Throwing forward, the Geist is throw back and pinned to the opposite wall. A splatter of gore comes from the corpse's gut, trailing into the center of the ritual stage.

Setante grabs Aline, the boy hyperventilating, so he hooks an arm around and pulls him in a full sprint up the stairs. As fast as he can, he finally reaches the top. Hastily, he slams the skull door shut and shifts the dials to lock it once more.

The two exit the estate, Setante and Aline barely able to feel their legs, covered in mud and ash, as they look forward.

The scorched sky, plums of ash and glowing flames light all that they can see. Far ahead of them, they see the shore line... The mystery woman standing in place. Setante can make out white hair pinned up in an ornate hair style. The woman turns.

Static flickers all. The image warps.

Her visage is distorted, but her soft, amused smile can be seen. The voice rings. "Til we meet again."

Lightning cracks through the sky and strikes around her...

In the flash, the woman is gone. Replaced with the floating jellyfish like Grimm. Before the two's eyes, it floats and sinks into the ocean. Gone.

Setante and Aline hunker against each other as the swarm of Sulfur Fish begins to surge around them. Aline collapses to a knee, Setante stepping in front of him.

A whistle sounds through the air. Louder. Closer.

BOOM!

A blast blows the swarm to scatter, kicking dirt and debris up around the two. Shots sound as massive cannon fire rains upon the island, explosions blowing Grimm away. From the sea, ships can be seen closing in, teams of individuals leaping from the boats with flashing auras and constructed weaponry...

Behind them, massive naval battleships begin to form a line around the island...

Atlas military... Beacon Huntsmen.

Help has arrived.

The memory shifts on...

"The question remains. Whose wrath will you incur? That is the only free will that exists, so remember well... The black queen loves her pawns... But her wrath will remind you... that you are ALL pawns."

The next day passed...

Setante is against a wall, bandages around his head, arms, and barely cleaned. He's paler than before. The man's spear is dulled, the metal blade cracked as the weapon sits against the wall beside him. His eyes are hollow, shell shock still set in.

He's against a building. The two are on the main land, transported by one of the Atlas rescue boats for medics to tend to them. Far as they are away, they are the only two, but they've yet to truly ask. Barely a word was spoken...

"Aline... We can head back to Portus." His voice is hoarse, creaking. "My father will no doubt shelter you. We can regroup with the island chiefs...We can..."

"We can move on, you mean?" The boy's hollow voice responds.

Aline is sitting on a rock, his left arm in a sling, bandages on him, and his violet eyes set on the sun in the horizon. The setting sun giving way to night. The end of the two's lives, set perfect like a story book. The boy's eyes shimmer. A glint of... something.

"You may go back. Your debt to me has been paid." Aline states to Setante's shock. "I am not returning... I can't."

Silence fills the air, Setante staring at the back of the boy's head. He seems suddenly... older. As if a life of strife concentrated into a single night's experience. Still... it isn't someone who has given up. Setante frowns, but steps forward.

"My debt still stands. You've yet to find yourself a new guard." He forces a smile, but kneels down. "My debt still stands."

Another silence. The moment drags as Setante begins to feel like nothing will come. However, before he can speak again, a sound cuts in. A chuckle. He looks up, blank confusion.

"He... hehe!... Hahaha!" Aline's shoulders quake with each failed attempt to contain the chuckle. A trickle of liquid falls from the boy, tears held back no longer. The boy begins to rumble with a chipper laugh before the noise slowly calms. A sigh comes off, but Setante hears it.

Frustration. Anger. Swelling up and out of control.

A feeling he matches. Setante sneers. "So... what will you do? I'm with you."

The boy lowers his hand from his face. His smile is broad... His eyes dilated on the horizon. His voice is chipper as he says with absolute confidence...

"I'm going to make that witch burn..."

To be continued...

Continued the adventures of Roman and Blair. As a joke, was musing to myself about what their ship name would be. Cooking medium Rair gets a giggle out of me. Bloman is also childishly amusing. But, RWBY ships always like their extended names rather than the simple combination names, so... Wicked Wick? Hmm.

All jokes aside, we got more into Setante and Zandril in this, revealing Salem's involvement. The reveal that AZRL was formed for the sole purpose of Zandril wanting to wipe out the Cult of Salem.

Hope the island destruction was well handled.

As with the Soul Servo, Blair's plot line with Setante, engaging in the semblances, and discussion of the soul relating to aura all relate to future potential plot points.

Reviews:

Crimson_Mist (AO3) – Thanks for letting me know of the error. It's been corrected. All the translating I had to do foe this chapter and I mess up the explanation in the prior like a dumb ass. At least it's funny. Hope you're still enjoying!

We return to Carmine and Neo next time in chapter sixty nine... nice (ha): The Raven Came to Land.