Remnant of Void & Flame
Volume I – Chapter VII
She let out a sigh as she closed the book in her lap. Her gaze drifted around her room, luxurious but empty. Too empty, an emptiness that seemed to swallow up any peace and contentment within it.
Casting one last look at the faded lettering on the cover of "Queen of Snow", she put it back down into the drawer, placing it beside several other similarly aged books for those nights when sleep evades her and she desperately needs some form of distraction.
The overwhelming quiet felt oppressive, pushing down upon her with a weight that was too much to bear. She needed something, anything that could distract her from this moment.
It was then that a beep from her personal scroll on the bedside table broke through, startling her out of her wistful thoughts. With a shake of her head to clear it, she picked up the device just in time for another message notification to flash across its screen.
Opening it up, she saw that this one was coming from her father, accompanied with a simple order.
"Come to my office at once."
It was short and curt as always, no explanation or reason given, just a demand expecting immediate action and obedience solely because he is her father. Despite the irritation that bubbled up in her stomach, she knew better than to dawdle when it comes to him. Taking one last deep breath she got up from the bed and made her way out of the room.
The door hadn't even closed behind her before the bodyguard standing just outside stepped forward to announce her presence. She was tall and intimidating, her frame held upright in a rigidly professional manner as she fell into step with her as they walked toward father's office. As always, not a single word was spoken between them, the only sound in the hallway being their steps echoing through the empty space.
The walk was calming, if a bit uneventful as she skimmed through various activities within their airship while they made their way towards his office. Before long they arrived at his door, the two bodyguards standing stoically like two statues placed at the entrance. Stepping forward, she waited for one of them to announce her presence.
Knocking on the door, one of them spoke up in a strong but soft voice that held just a touch of deference to show their respect.
"Excuse me Sir, Lady Weiss has arrived."
"Let her in..." A gruff yet still familiar voice said from within.
She stopped and turned towards her bodyguard in a silent gesture indicating that she would take it from here. The bodyguard accepted her request with a simple nod, standing firm like an immovable structure as she stepped into her father's office without a single word being spoken between them.
Once inside, she stopped at the sight that greeted her. Her father was seated behind his desk as expected but there was someone else with him, someone whose face and features were hidden by a full-face mask with a glowing orange visor.
Choosing to ignore the other individual for the moment, she strode forward to where he was seated and greeted him in a polite and formal tone.
"Father..." She began, her voice steady and controlled. "I have answered your summons."
"Father..." The heiress began, her voice steady and controlled. "I have answered your summons."
She felt the tension in the room thicken as Jacques leaned forward, meeting his daughter's gaze head-on.
"Weiss..." He said, his voice low and pleasant yet still packed with the implicit authority that governed every aspect of his life. "I hope that your accomodations have been satisfactory so far?"
His daughter nodded her head in agreement, although Kiana could sense a slight stiffness in her posture. Clearly, she was not entirely comfortable in the presence of her father.
Jacques calmly studied his daughter for a moment before leaning back into his seat. He glanced over at herself for a brief second before speaking again.
"I take it then that you are unfamiliar with my associate here..." He gestured towards Kiana with an outstretched arm while nodding ever-so-slightly in her direction. "This is Miss Absinthe. She will be acting as your personal bodyguard for the duration of our journey. Indigo will also be joining you later on once we reach Argus."
Oh? Seemed like Jacques wasn't willing put his entire trust in her, which was a wise decision in Kiana's mind. Despite everything, the fact remains that they barely knew each other.
"I trust..." He paused, looking back at his daughter with stern intensity. "That you will cooperate with them in their duties?"
The Heiress nodded her head slightly, her gaze shifting uneasily to Kiana. She met her gaze evenly, a hint of curiosity in her eyes while offering a small but polite nod in greeting.
Kiana could almost feel the heiress' distrust emanating from her frame and noted that Jacques must have taken notice of it too judging from the knowing look in his eyes. She watched from behind the glowing orange visor as Weiss gave a hesitant but polite nod in acknowledgement before finally looking away.
"Of course, Father..." His daughter replied curtly with clenched jaw, her tone devoid of enthusiasm.
"That is all then..." Jacques nodded, his gaze briefly sweeping over Kiana as if in silent approval before speaking again. "You may both go now."
Weiss slouched forward slightly, her eyes trained on the floor as she walked back towards her room in an irritated huff. She tried not to let it show, but she couldn't help feel a wave of resentment bubbling up inside of her chest. Putting his strange behavior aside, her father's decision to add an extra bodyguard was clearly a sign that he was still trying to control every aspect her life, just like usual.
The fact remains that she couldn't completely ignore the mysterious woman who accompanied her either. She kept sneaking a glance at the masked mercenary out of the corner of her eye, careful not to make it too obvious but equally curious at finding out more about this 'Absinthe'.
The heiress had to admit, there was something strange and captivating about the way the woman carried herself. She moved with an effortless grace, each step deliberate but demanding attention in some strange way her eyes hadn't been able to shrug off. In a way, it reminded Weiss of an exotic flower, mermerizing yet still dangerously sharp around the edges.
She paused momentarily, realising that she was now standing in front of her room. She quickly cleared away whatever thoughts she had been having before mustering what courage she had and finally turning her gaze torwards her new bodyguard.
"You..." She spoke, a single word devoid of emotions yet carrying a hint of unwavering authority in it. "You shall remain here until we reach Argus, and I expect you to make sure that nobody disturbs me."
The woman before her simply nod with a reassuring yet silent gesture, a hint of her blue eyes being visible behind the mask that she wore.
She nodded once in appreciation before reaching into her pocket to retrieve her scroll. Sliding it over the door handle, the lock clicked and hummed before the door made a satisfying hiss as it opened. Without so much as uttering another word, she stepped inside her room, feeling an invisible weight of all that just happened rolling off her shoulders.
The Heiress sighed heavily as she leaned against the door, her gaze slowly trailing around her quarter as if in search for something. She allowed herself to take a few moments of peace and comfort before finally stepping towards the couch which had been placed near the window of her room.
She slumped down onto it, her eyes settling on the floor while shaking her head slightly at whatever ran through mind.
"Who are you?" She muttered softly under her breath, an unsolved mystery with no answer in sight.
A heavy air of anticipation was thick in the room as a small group of masked individuals sat silently at a large table, their eyes glued to the screen mounted on one wall. With no sound emanating from its speakers, they watched with wide eyes and silent expressions as the news broadcasted a live footage of an extravagant airship sailing gracefully through the sky above the city streets. The crest of a snowflake glinted on the side of its hull, announcing to all that the vessel was owned by none other than the Schnee Family.
"They're here..." One of them finally spoke, his voice a harsh whisper in solemn atmosphere. "The Schnees are coming."
Adam Taurus shifted his gaze from screen to scan each face at table with intense scrutiny before nodding once and rising from his chair. He crossed over to window and looked upon streets below. His fist tightened, knuckles turning white as emotions surged through him. He thought back to the atrocities those people had committed on his race, how they'd stolen away years of their lives without remorse.
"My brothers and sisters..." He said lowly, his voice a whisper in the air. "The Schnees are here... and so is justice..."
The phantom pain from the brand on his face became almost unbearable with the intensity of the emotion he is feeling. Still, he remained standing by the window, his eyes wandering to the sky.
"It's time..." He turn back towards the table with renewed determination in his eyes, his voice rose slightly with every word as his men glanced at him with admiration and respect. "The only way for the Schnees to pay for the crimes they've committed against us is to make them suffer. We will left no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is served."
He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in before continuing.
"We will not rest until the world knows that we will not be oppressed any longer! We will not rest until the Schnees have been brought to heel. We will not rest until their blood has been spilled and their legacy lies in ruin!" He finally raised his fist before pointing it decisively towards the direction of the airship, his voice turning back into a whisper. "It's time for us to make right all these wrongs... Blood Fang, prepare yourself..."
With that, the men silently leave the room, ready to go forth and unfurl their plan.
The screams of terror and indiscriminate death will soon began echoing through Argus as the Blood Fang shattered the peace in search for retribution...
Author's Note: I'm gonna go on a trip and it will probably take around 3-4 days. Since I'm not sure if I can post a chapter during the time, I decided to just post a short one for now. Rough draft for Code Vein is done... the same goes with Fate. I think I'll pair up the Persona 3 with the Legend of Heroes series, specifically with the Trails of Cold Steel... maybe have Minato act as the Zeroth Anguis? Eh, we'll see... Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, short as it is. I appreciate any feedback! Just be gentle about it!
Arturia LeFay: Hmm, I'll settle for the HoF... for now, anyway. I don't see any sign telling me she will turn into the end even after reaching ch 32 (honkai main story). Though with all these new herrscher popping up... who knows... even 6.3 have Bronya as the Herrscher of Truth. Then again, the first idea is to have Kiana inherit a small bit of all the herrscher's power, though that might end up making her a bit too OP... We'll see... *EDIT* I just watch some of the newer video, and it looks like *spoiler ahead* she will be turning into HoTE after all. Ah damn... I'm gonna need to go revise a lot of things...
Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to miHoYo; RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth.