Chapter 66: The Horseman
In which a rural legend comes to life.
Bronzewing had to hold Rose back by her hood to prevent her from zooming headfirst into a wall as she excitedly took in the sounds of Higanbana. This was their first glimpse of civilization since landing in Mistral several days ago, and he was determined to make the most of their time here.
"We must secure shelter for the night, replenish our supplies, obtain any ammunition you deem necessary, and have our weapons brought to the local blacksmith. I shall defer to you on the third and fourth objectives, as you are better versed in that area of expertise."
"You got it, Regulary Dovey!"
"There is no need to call me that. I merely asked that you refrain from referring to me as 'Lovey-Dovey' in such a facetious tone. Dove or Bronzewing will suffice."
"Okay." Her head tilted to the side. "Hey, I forgot. Why do you call people by their last names?"
"I…cannot remember."
"Oooh! Is that because a wizard cast a spell on your memories and locked them in the ether, or you hit your head on a rock trying to save an orphan trapped in a whirlpool, or your brain is actually a robot and–"
"None of that. I simply cannot remember because it was so long ago – all but when I began to speak. Perhaps there originally was a sensible reason when I adopted the habit, but if there ever was, I've long since forgotten it. Now, it's as unsettling to refer to people by their given names as it is to touch their bare skin."
"Well, whyever you do it, it's kinda growing on me. I think it's endearing, in an official hoity-toity sort of way. Now, let's get started on our chores!"
It was odd to hear Rose refer to chores gleefully, but Bronzewing smiled and joined her as she skipped down the dirt road. The town was small. One might describe it as quaint, though it certainly was not isolated. The finest Atlesian technology and most contemporary Mistrilian fashions could be seen on display in the windows of the local shoppes.
Bronzewing was training Rose on how to do rudimentary echolocation. It was crude and unrefined, but she was currently at the level of being able to walk slowly without crashing headfirst into a tree. However, as their setting of practice had typically been forest campsites, Bronzewing took it upon himself to hold her hand as they navigated amongst the small crowds and streetways. He verbally identified the stores they were walking past, so that she would be able to enjoy the experience of Mistrilian culture, if only vicariously.
"That one is a clothing store. They appear to specialize in upper body garments, including shirts and jackets."
"Do they have anything in red?"
"I've no idea, Rose. I'm blind."
She had the decency to look sheepish, even though she shared in his disability. "Oh. Sorry. Keep going."
"Adjacent is an antique furniture shop."
"Buh-buh-buh-boring! Next."
"The following building is a pet store with–"
"Puppies! I hear them!"
A small pet store labelled 'The Vagrant's Companions' in a block letter sign stood out for being the only peddler of living wares. Bronzewing sighed as Rose broke free of his grip, fumbled her way through the door, and entered the building. He followed to make sure she didn't trip on a lizard and die, or something. Given her luck and general coordination, it wouldn't have surprised him.
Rose pointed to a random cage. "What's in there?"
"A parakeet."
"Squawk! Heehee!" Rose moved her finger to the right. "What's in this one?"
"A turtle."
"Hiya, Mister Turtle. I'll name you Blubby. Ooh, what's in here?"
"Kitty litter. You know, we have some spare lien. We could probably afford to purchase an animal for you and pick it up on the way back."
"I've actually got an appointment lined up to visit a clinic in Atlas first thing to get my eyes checked out and maybe fixed up if they can, so…maybe you could pick them up for me?"
Bronzewing sighed and nodded. Even though their relationship was a farce, he still found himself having to act like a doting boyfriend to her every whim, if only because of her immaturity.
The shopkeep, a gray haired old man that Bronzewing was sure he'd met in Vale at least three times in three separate places, approached Rose and grunted.
"Good day, sir." She held out some lien chips. "I'll take two of your finest bitches."
The old man took the –
Wait, what?
"Rose? What kind of pet do you seek to purchase?"
"Bitches. I'd be nice to have some bitches for my doggo, Zwei. He gets lonely and could use some female companionship, if you know what I mean." She tried to elbow him but missed and rattled an empty birdcage.
Bronzewing did not, in fact, know what she meant. Before he could ask a clarifying question, the elderly man returned from the back of the store and shook his head, handing back the lien.
"Awww, no bitches? Shame. I guess we'll have to come back next time. Let's get going, Bronzewing. We've got a full day of chores ahead of us."
Ruby turned to face the sounds outside the window and smiled. She could hear the heavy rain pouring down outside, but she was all warm and cozy inside the tavern. Pretty much the entire village was in there with her, as nobody among them was fool enough to brave the downpour outside. Ruby and Bronzewing had finished their chores and their meals, and they had a room upstairs waiting for them afterwards.
Bronzewing had ordered a stein of beer. For some reason, this silly tavern didn't sell hot chocolate, so Ruby'd had to get a cup of boring tea and just pour in a trillion packets of sugar instead.
"After we leave, we must head east to Kushinashi. From there, we may need to traverse some mountain ranges, but Mistral is said to have guides in all major cities that can be hired to lead travelers safely to the capital. It may be prudent to hire the services of one of these guides."
"You think they'll let me ride their ass?"
"What?"
"You know, those mountain guide types always ride burros to get around. Do you think they'd let me have a turn?"
"Are you feeling unwell, Rose? You are acting quite raunchy."
"I'm fine. Hey, what about–"
"Rose." Bronzewing spoke over her. "Do not panic."
"Uhhh…I wasn't going to."
"Please be sure to not panic or do anything rash."
"Okay. I pinky sweat not to, but why?"
"There are Grimm outside."
Grimm! Oh, this was bad. Ruby had Crescent Rose with her, but there was no way she could use it without her eyes. She'd brought it because it made her feel safe, not because she expected to actually be fighting.
Ruby set down her cup and stood up, but Bronzewing grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"
"Imma kill 'em!"
"Shhhhh. There's no need to cause a scene. How will you fight them?"
"Silver eyes!"
"How will you aim?"
"You could help me."
"I'm perceiving 120 Grimm swarming across the town. Bear in mind, they will not stand in a line and allow you to destroy them. Do you truly believe that we can eliminate them all if they swarm us and come at us from all sides?"
"We have to try! We're–"
"Hunters. I know. Please, Rose, keep your voice down. Right now, this tavern is full of joyous folk. If you start a panic, that joy will turn straight into negativity, and the 95 Grimm outside will swarm us."
"95? You said it was 120?"
"Actually, make it 90."
"Where'd they go?"
"To their death." Ruby heard her companion slurp down the remainder of his drink. "The Grimm are being slaughtered. I've never seen anything like it."
"Huntsmen and huntresses?"
"No. Another Grimm. Quadruped. Equine. Humanoid. Both, simultaneously. I'm not entirely sure. I can barely keep track of it, it's moving so fast."
A loud slam came from their table. Ruby assumed it was someone putting down a drink, because the next sound was a chair scraping across the floor toward her.
"Aye, boy. That'd be the Nuckelavee."
Ahahahahaha!
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Huhuhuhuh!
Gwaaaaahahaha!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx
"Who?" asked Bronzewing.
"It's the Nuckelavee, men," cried the stranger, loud enough for the entire tavern to hear. "Set out the meat."
The man who'd sat at their table lowered his voice when next he spoke. Ruby was fairly certain she recognized it as the bartender's husband. "The Nuckelavee goes by many names, with just as many stories. Some claim he is a Grimm apostate, a defector from the monsters' cause. Others call him the Eldest Horseman, a Grimm so old and wise that it grew a conscience, but we at Higanbana know the truth. He is the Nuckelavee, the devourer of life and death."
"How do you know this truth, sir?"
"Hmmmmmm. Back before the dawn of time, the Brother Gods joined together to create the planet of Remnant. It was marvelous and pleasing to them both, but at the same time it was naught but an empty ball floating through the cosmos. The God of Light wished for the planet to be filled with life, so he created plants and animals to inhabit this world, with his masterpiece, mankind, standing at the top of the food chain. Jealous of his Brother's creations enjoying the fruits of their shared labor, the God of Darkness brought Grimm to this world to claim it in his name. With two apex predators roaming the same lands, conflict was all but inevitable. The Grimm Wars followed, where human and Grimm died by the millions. It's said that so much blood was spilt that the oceans themselves grew black and red. Remnant cried out in pain, and the Brothers realized this petty rivalry of their had jeopardized their beloved world. So, to ensure balance, the Brothers worked together once more, and for the last time. A beast was born, half man and half Grimm – the Nuckelavee. The man atop the Grimm sought to hunt all Grimm to the ends of Remnant, and the Grimm beneath the man vowed to consume the flesh of any living beings it came across. So mighty was this abomination that no mortal weapon nor fang of Grimm could pierce its hide. The Nuckelavee stopped the Grimm Wars, but its lust for violence could not be sated. To this day, it walks these lands. Wandering. Searching. Hunting."
"T-The Grimm are all gone," stuttered Bronzewing.
"Is that so? Now's the time, then, lads! Give 'im some meat!"
"Meat?" asked Ruby.
"The Nuckelavee's human half destroys Grimm for us, but its Grimm half seeks to devour flesh. Thus, to spare ourselves of its fury, we offer it tribute whenever it protects our village. The boys're just throwin' out some beef and chicken for 'im."
"Bronzewing?" Ruby poked some part of Bronzewing, worried. "Is it…is it still there?"
"It…It actually took the meat. It's gone. Say, sir. When was the last time a hunter came around these parts?"
"Hmmm. By my recollection, we haven't seen the face of a huntsman since…why, I can't rightly remember. Save for you two, we haven't had huntsmen nor huntresses come by in years."
"Thank you for the explanation, sir."
The chair again was dragged, this time away from their table. Ruby took a moment to ponder the tale. It sounded made up, but Bronzewing had seen the Grimm outside and described it as a horsie and a dude. Plus, it did take the food, and Grimm didn't need to eat. Half-man half-Grimm, though…
"Wow," said Ruby. "Do you think that's really real?"
"It most definitely is real. But it's not a creation of any gods."
Heeeeheeeeheeee!
Mwua hua hua hua!
Hehehehhhhhh…
Dhahahahahaha!
Ohhhhohoho.
"When Team Castle returned from their first mission, Headmaster Ozpin and my team were there to greet them. They spoke of four powerful creatures called Grimm horsemen, with the monster you fought at Forever Falls among their numbers. When the villager referred to this…Nuckelavee…as the Eldest Horseman, it raised my suspicions. No weapon may penetrate its hide? Aura would provide this power, and the Grimm horsemen seemed to wield it, if I recall properly."
"They do. It's why I couldn't use my silver eyes on it. Whew, if I'd gone out there, I might've been a real goner!"
"I don't think so. The average survival expectancy for an infant village in Vale is eight years, even with regular hunter visits. This village hasn't seen any such support for years, and yet it's still standing. Why is that?"
"The Nuckelavee?"
"When we were investigating Fall and Team Caiman, before we knew of their innocence, we came across an interesting discovery. Mistralian Dust usage has plummeted, especially in recent years. Thrush had a hunch of sorts, and we discovered that it began when Leonardo Lionheart was declared headmaster. I know not if there is some connection, but…it is difficult to ignore."
"Bronzewing, are you suggesting that Lionheart made a…a deal with the Grimm?"
"I am not sure what I am suggestion. But we must both be careful when we met at him."
"Definitely," Ruby said with a nod. "Hey, what about all the cocks? And that huge load of bull."
"What?"
"They villagers fed the Nuckelavee all that chicken and beef meat. Why does it eat so much cock and bull?"
"I do not knowed. We've shall has to let these mystery lay."
"I guess it's unfair to expect you to have all the answers. You're just as much in the dark as I am. Maybe we could trail it? At a distance, of course. We'd use your semblance and–"
"This not is be important. There aren't time for we to find out."
"Bronzewing?"
"Rosie, I am…don't…felt…good."
THUD!
"Bronzewing? Bronzewing?" Ruby reached for his shoulders. When she eventually found the, she shook him, but he didn't respond. "Wake up!"
"Don't worry. He will survive. Heh."
Crescent Rose unfurled and aimed at where the new voice had been, but when he spoke next, the sound came from behind her.
"It was not a lethal dose, but a debilitating one. Hahahhhhhhhh, he shall not be chasing us." There was a sucking sound, like the person was inhaling deeply and tasting the air.
This guy is fast. Not as fast as me, but faster than anyone else I've ever seen.
"You…You poisoned his drink!"
"Well, technically my stinger produces venom, not poison, though I doubt it makes much of a difference to the little bird. Heeheehee…"
"Help!" Ruby wasn't so foolish to thing that she could fight while blind. Besides, someone needed to administer the antidote to Bronzewing, if they could get one. "Someone help me! I need help!"
"Oi! Let the lass go!" shouted the voice of the villager from earlier. "Get awa–"
A new voice interrupted him, and Ruby recognized the unmistakable sound of a sword being removed from a scabbard. "This does not concern you, human."
Ruby heard a whoosh of air, then felt a tiny prick on her right thigh. Her head began to feel light, and she slammed the hilt of Crescent Rose into the ground to lean on.
"What…was…?"
"Worry not, little flower. I'm here to bring you to a goddess. Rejoice, for you shall soon bask in her splendor. Mwhahahahaha!"
"And then you shall die, human."
"…Brother Adam is right. There shall be no lack of death at the end of our quest. Hmmmhmhmmmm!"
Her hand slipped, and she fell to the floor. It felt like her throat was on fire, and her lungs were full of ash. Ruby coughed violently and threw up the contents of her stomach onto the floor.
I have to get out of here. I'm sorry, Bronzewing. I'll come back to you, I swear!
Ruby transformed into a bird. She was still woozy, but she recalled that there had been a window that was cracked just the slightest bit open on the right wall. If she could make it there, they would lose her in the rain. It was all but impossible to track a single black bird in such a downpour.
Before she could even begin to flap, something coiled itself around her.
"Oh no no no, child. You shan't run away. It would be downright dreadful if you were to miss the golden opportunity you have before you."
Ruby pecked at the thing that was holding her down, but she couldn't break free. The best feeling that could describe it was an insect's exoskeleton, kind of like the chitinous shell of the pharaoh beetles that crawled around Patch.
A Faunus? The White Fang?
The more time that passed since she'd been stung, the more disoriented she'd become, but she had made sure to remember where Bronzewing and the window were. She'd have one chance, and it was a huge risk, but her companion would probably die if she did nothing.
Switching back into human form briefly broke her free from the Faunus' tail. Ruby ran with her semblance to Bronzewing's unconscious body, grabbed him by both shoulders, and flung him through the window with all her might. The sound of glass breaking confirmed that she'd hit her target.
Bronzewing. Freedom. Hope. A chance.
Silver eyes opened, and Ruby screamed as loud as she could. Hopefully, if it was helping people like Bronzewing had theorized, it would hear.
A roar rang out.
"Heheheh," cackled Tyrian. "Clever girl."
"What was that?" demanded Adam.
"That, brother, was Thrace."
Adam shook his head. This damned scorpion could really get on his nerves sometimes. "And what, pray tell, is a Thrace?"
"One of the original four, his powers untransferred. The oldest by far of our goddess' guardians, the horseman of destruction, brought to life back when they actually were horse-men, or so it is said. His mind has grown feeble over the years, not to mention a tad belligerent. He may not recognize us as allies."
You accuse another of being feeble-minded? How hypocritical.
"Hey!"
Adam turned to see the cowardly human, now armed with a firepoker. He seemed to have rallied some of the other townsfolk behind him.
"Unhand her!"
Adam knocked the human aside with Wilt. He raised it to finish off the impudent fool, but Tyrian grabbed him.
"We must move. Thrace is coming, and that is a battle we cannot win. Should we fall here, who will return the red rose to our Goddess?"
"I don't–"
"Or perhaps the question is, who shall avenge your Belladonna?"
Adam growled. This damnable thing was unfit to even say her name, but he was right. If this monster was coming, they would have to leave with haste. Adam could kill any Grimm that stood in his way, but even he knew that the horsemen were not to be trifled with. He'd seen Kraken, the horseman of creation, outside Salem's castle in the Grimm wastelands, back when he'd made his deal with the witch. If the beast of creation was that monstrous, he hesitated to face off against destruction. Another roar broke his contemplative silence as if to remind him that they needed to leave.
Adam scooped up the silver eyed girl and made for the front door, but Tyrian stopped him and ushered him up the stairs. For the first time, the scorpion Faunus actually seemed scared.
"He must travel on the rooftops. The streets below are no longer safe."
Adam pushed aside a frightened human waitress and made his way to the highest floor of the tavern. Handing the girl to Tyrian, he pulled himself up to the wooden rooftop out a window. Callows handed him the girl back and then crawled atop the building with a grace surprising for a lunatic.
"Let us fly."
The two Faunus jumped across the buildings and made their way to the outskirts of the city. As they leapt down from the buildings and approached the edge of the forest, Adam turned back in time to catch a glimpse of the horseman approaching the tavern.
It was a hideous beast. The body was a fanged horse that breathed heavy puffs of blackened smoke from its two bony nostrils. Its legs were cracked at unnatural angles, and there was an emptiness where a normal horse's stomach would have been. Ribcages stuck out of its sides to guard its misshapen belly. Atop it was some sort of fused humanoid Grimm, equally horrifying and equally ugly. Arrows, spears, swords, and all manner of weapons protruded from its back, pulsing continuously against a blindingly white aura. It too had external ribs, but the most terrifying feature of both bodies was their heads, specifically the eyes. Molten black liquid flowed freely down both pairs of cheeks.
"nnnnnnnnneed mmmmmmmeat"
Adam shuddered as its long, dangling arms scoop up the human boy that Tyrian had poisoned. Suddenly, its neck cracked, and the head peeled upwards to meet eyes with him. Adam turned away and ran as fast as he could into the woods as its roar faded away into the distance.
Omake
Rose: What's in this cage?
Bronzewing: That appears to be Professor Branwen.
Rose: Uncle Qrow? How'd you get in here?
Professor Branwen: Save me, Ruby! Nora pinnochio'ed me!
Omake 2
Rose: They villagers fed the Nuckelavee all that chicken and beef meat. Why does it eat so much cock? And that huge load of bull?
Bronzewing: Please…Please stop. I beg of you.
Rose: Oh, that's not even the worst. Just wait 'till I see a cat.
Next Chapter: Here There Be Monsters – In which a bloodthirsty monster reveals itself to Jaune and Mercury on the high seas.
Author's Notes
Sorry for the long walls of dialogue with next to no description mixed in. Because Ruby is blind, she can't see, so everything is what she hears or interprets from sounds.
The question arises: why did Ruby throw Dove out the window into the arms of a Grimm? Well, she thought she'd been captured by the White Fang who would likely execute them both (and she was half right), and she figured that if the horse-being outside was even possibly a friendly, it was better than certain death at Adam's hands. Since it killed other Grimm and protected the townsfolk in exchange for payment in the form of meat, it essentially checked all the boxes for it to be a Grimm-huntsman. I didn't want to write out a wall of text to explain her motives and ruin the flow, so I'm explaining it here.
Unfortunately, thus breaks Team Road. Will they reconvene? Perhaps. Is Ruby screwed? Perhaps. Is Dove screwed? Royally…
Happy rats, and don't do crime!