Darkbloom

Chapter 16

Cinder and the black-haired man met in a clash of blades, sparks flying between the two of them as Cinder's obsidian met with his steel. Jaune hesitated a moment before drawing his own sword and taking a step forward, only for Blake to suddenly hold out a hand and stop him.

"Wait," she urged.

"What do you mean, wait?!" Jaune asked. "Cinder's out there-"

"If you rush in and get between them, you'll just get yourself hurt or killed."

"But-"

"Jaune," Blake insisted, quieting him. "Cinder has this under control. Believe in her."

Dismayed, Jaune could only nod and continue watching the fight as both combatants pulled their weapons loose from each other, then leaped backwards.

"I must say, you have me at a loss," Cinder admitted. "You seem to know who I am, and yet I have no idea who you are."

"You don't need to know who I am," the man growled. "Look, if we keep doing this, it's only going to end one way."

"Is it, now? You seem truly confident about that."

"It's easy to be confident when you're several days sober."

"Is that supposed to have some kind of significance?"

"For me it does."

He leaped at her once more, his sword singing as it sliced through the air. Cinder parried the incoming blow, then lunged forward with a stab of her own, but the dark-haired man twisted just as the blade was about to make impact, and it bit into nothing but the air. The two of them disengaged, both circling each other as they looked for an opening.

"Tell me where she is and I promise I'll make it quick and painless," he growled.

"You must have me confused with someone else," Cinder offered. "Because I have no idea who you are talking about."

"Don't play dumb. I know you have her."

"Do you mean the Silver-Eyed girl? The one who is missing?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "So you do know."

Cinder scoffed. "Why would I take her, and when would I have had the opportunity? You have been following us since we were in the forest. Tell me, how long ago did she go missing?"

"About a week."

"And you have been following us for that long, yes? Then, pray tell, when do you believe we would have been able to take her? Last I checked, we were still in Solaris, recovering from the White Fang attack."

He seemed unperturbed at this information. "You're the most likely one to have taken her. You're the only one with the motive to have done so."

"Motive?" Cinder echoed. She shook her head. "You are truly a foolish man. What motive could I possibly have had for taking her?"

"That's just the nature of your kind, isn't it, demon?"

Cinder froze at his words, her eyes widening slightly. The dark-haired man grinned as he hefted his sword up and rested the blade on his shoulder.

"Thought I didn't know about that, did you?" he asked. "Believe me, I have my sources-"

"The old man," Cinder surmised. "You are one of his allies, yes?"

"Depends on which old man you're thinking of."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do not play word games with me. Did he put you up to this under false pretenses? Perhaps even promise you that I would know where to find your missing girl?" Cinder shook her head. "I know nothing of the sort, hence why the three of us were raiding the White Fang for information."

"And yet, you aren't denying it," he pointed out. "That part about being a demon."

"A demon…?" Blake asked from the sidelines. "Jaune, what's he talking about?"

Jaune hesitated. For a moment, he considered lying to her, but from the way the man was speaking, it was clear that Blake probably wouldn't buy what he had to say – he was speaking with too much conviction in his tone for his words to be those of a mere madman, and she would know that.

"...I'll explain everything later," Jaune offered. "With Cinder's permission, of course."

Blake eyed him with curiosity for a moment, her ears perking up, but she didn't press the issue, and instead turned back towards the two combatants, who were circling each other once more, each looking for an opening in the other's defenses.

"What is there to deny?" Cinder challenged. "You know the truth already – he saw to that. And yet, I know already that he left plenty of it out."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Whatever truths he professed to have told to you, they were incomplete at best and outright fabrications at worst."

"I still don't hear a denial. That means that much, at least, is completely true."

"I will not insult your intelligence by arguing to the contrary."

"How graceful of you," he growled. "Far more than expected of someone of your stature, so to speak."

He suddenly hit a button on his weapon, and it began to shift, morphing into a large, wicked-looking scythe. Cinder stared at it, but showed no emotion even as the blade glinted in the moonlight.

"Tell me something, demon," the man ventured. "When I kill you, will you stay dead?"

"Do not ask questions you already know the answers to," Cinder retorted.

"That's all you have to say? No snarky comeback about how you'll kill me first?"

"I do not wish to kill you. You are… not quite innocent, but haunted by the actions of your past. Genuine remorse is a rare commodity these days; I will not deprive the world of a righteous man set on his path to atonement. Not when there is still genuine judgment to be passed against the wicked."

The scythe-wielding man froze, staring at her with surprise. "...The fuck? You know about-"

"Yes," Cinder interrupted. "I do. And that is why I am not going to kill you."

He continued to stare at her before his eyes narrowed once more. "How generous. You'll understand if I don't extend the same mercy to you, however."

"I would be disappointed, but not surprised."

Both of them tensed, about to launch themselves towards each other once more. Jaune had seen enough, however; just as they were about to lock blades again, he rushed forwards, shield in hand, and got between the two of them.

"That's enough," he said sternly.

The dark-haired man glared at him. "Out of the way, kid. Fight's not with you."

"I'm not a kid, and your fight isn't with anyone here, either. Whatever the old man's told you about Cinder, I can promise you that we didn't have anything to do with the girl's disappearance."

The man's red eyes narrowed. "And how can I be so sure of that? I have no reason to trust her."

"Then trust me," Jaune pleaded. "I'm human, just like you. And I'm also looking for the girl just like you, too. We all have the same goal here, and that's to bring her home safe."

"Forgive me if I find that hard to believe."

"Look, at least just hear us out for a bit," Jaune implored. "You have nothing to lose by doing so. And if nothing else, it'll let you cross some more suspects off your list."

The man hesitated. After a moment, he let out a huff. "...Much as I hate to admit it, there's some sense to what you're saying, kid. Doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

To Jaune's relief, he stood up straighter, then collapsed his weapon and stowed it. Across from him, Cinder turned her swords upwards, and they disintegrated into ash. Off in the distance, Jaune heard sirens begin to blare through the night, and turned back to the dark-haired man.

"If you don't mind, I think we should go somewhere else for this little talk," he said. "Unless you wanted to do it in front of a crowd?"

The man shook his head. "You three lead the way. I want to keep you all in my sights as we go. Don't want you pulling any kind of funny business."

Jaune didn't even try to argue. Instead, he motioned for Blake and Cinder to follow after him, and they took off running through the night.

A few minutes later, and the four of them found themselves perched atop a rooftop in downtown Vale, their backs to the moon. The three of them stood on one side of the building, and the sword-and-scythe-wielding man stood across from them, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Alright," he said. "Talk."

Jaune looked to Cinder for guidance, but she just shook her head. "This was your idea," she reminded him.

Jaune hesitated, then looked back to the man. "...I suppose introductions are in order. I'm Jaune-"

"I don't care," he interrupted. "Call me Qrow, if it matters. Do you have information for me or not?"

Jaune blinked, taken aback by Qrow's sudden change in demeanor. "…Like I said, there's no way we could've taken her," he said. "We were still posted up in Solaris until very recently. We had no opportunity to take her. You can check with the people in that town to see if I'm telling the truth, they'll tell you the same thing."

"Hm…" He shook his head. "Much as I'd like to do that, I don't have time for it."

"If I may?" Blake asked, taking a step forward. "What makes you think we had something to do with her disappearance?"

"Let's just say a credible source warned me about her." Qrow motioned to Cinder. "That may not have any significance to you, but it does to me. When Ruby went missing, I figured she was the most likely suspect."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Sorry, but that's ridiculous. Whatever danger Cinder poses, it makes no difference to the fact that we simply didn't have the means to kidnap her in the first place. I apologize if that's not the answer you wanted to hear, but it's true."

Qrow fell silent at that. He looked up at the moon, then sighed.

"...Damn it," he muttered. "Here I was, thinking I'd finally found a lead…" He shook his head. "And you three don't have any information for me?"

"Just confirmation that the White Fang aren't involved, as far as we can tell," Jaune offered. "I know that's not worth much, but-"

"It saves me some leg work, at least," Qrow grunted. "Shit… what am I gonna tell her mother when I report back…?" Again, he shook his head. He then turned back to Cinder, leveling a harsh glare in her direction. "And you… I don't know what to think of you just yet, but believe me when I say that I'll be watching you very closely, and if you put even a single toe out of line, I won't hesitate to cut you down. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Cinder all but purred. She grinned softly. "I quite enjoyed our fight, by the way – it is rare that I encounter someone as righteous as yourself in the heat of combat."

Qrow's expression darkened. "Then you'd better hope the next time we meet, it isn't on the battlefield."

Then, as Jaune watched, Qrow stepped off the roof. A few seconds later, a black bird took flight from down below, rising high into the night. Jaune watched it go, then turned back to Cinder.

Before he could even make eye contact with her, though, he came face-to-face with Blake. She stood in front of him, a harsh expression on her face and her arms crossed.

"You owe me an explanation," she demanded. "What was all that about? What did Qrow mean when he called Cinder a Demon, and what is the significance of this missing girl?"

Jaune blinked, then looked past her to Cinder; Cinder stared back at him before rolling her eyes.

"You are capable of making your own decisions," she said. "Do you wish to tell her or not?"

Jaune blinked, surprised at the sudden level of autonomy she was giving him, but it only lasted for a moment before rationality came back to him.

Blake was no fool; she'd already started filling in some of the blanks himself, and she was only going to grow more enlightened as time went on, especially if she was going to keep traveling with the two of them. With that in mind, it didn't make much sense to keep her in the dark.

And so, Jaune turned back towards Blake, then began to speak.

Jaune gave her the very basics in order to keep things as light as he could. He told her what he knew about Cinder, and let Cinder herself fill in whatever blanks she wanted to.

And by the end of it all, Blake was staring at her with wide eyes, in complete disbelief.

"So… you're the demon queen of hell?" Blake ventured.

"As has been previously established," Cinder replied, sounding bored. "Jaune summoned me in order to save his sister's life. In return, he agreed to be my servant for all eternity – in this life and the next."

"And… where do I fit in with all of this?"

"You do not," Cinder said bluntly. "That is, unless you would like to make a contract with me. I could use some more capable servants."

Blake took an involuntary step back, then turned towards Jaune. "...This is insane," she declared. "I just… this has to be a bad dream, or a nightmare, or something. You're seriously telling me that she's the ruler of hell?"

"I am, because she is," Jaune insisted.

"And if I were to ask for proof-"

"Don't," he warned. "Because she just might give it to you, and trust me, you don't want that."

"Jaune is correct," Cinder said with a nod. "You should listen to him, Blake. He is smarter than he initially lets on."

Blake swallowed nervously. "I just… I don't know what to think… I mean, why do you keep me around?"

"Because you have proven yourself to be quite a capable ally," Cinder specified. "Do I need another ulterior motive aside from that? I value what you have to add to this group, no more and no less. I have ever since your performance at Solaris, along with Weiss. Had she been able to tag along, I would have welcomed her in as an ally, too."

"What Cinder is trying to say," Jaune said, stepping in. "Is that you've proven yourself to be very trustworthy and reliable, even without forming a contract with her. And believe me, it's very rare to find someone Cinder thinks is trustworthy and reliable."

"I don't even know if I should be flattered by that or insulted…" Blake muttered. "Look, this is… a lot to take in."

"I can imagine," Jaune told her. "Believe me, the only reason I wasn't freaking out after I summoned her was because she told me she could save my sister. If it wasn't for that, I would've lost it. You're taking it rather well, all things considered."

"Still, this is… an adjustment. I mean, I was one of those people who didn't believe in hell, or an afterlife, or the Brothers. Now you're telling me that all of that is real?"

"Hell is very real, as are the Brothers and the afterlife," Cinder confirmed with a nod. "But if it makes you feel better, you are not currently destined for hell… though that is certainly subject to change, depending on how you live your life in the future."

"Cinder," Jaune said. He turned back to Blake. "Look, why don't you take the rest of the night to think on all of this? I know it's probably overwhelming. You need some time to yourself – that doesn't bother us. Right, Cinder?"

"You have proven yourself deserving of at least that much."

"Thanks, I guess?" Blake offered. She shook her head. "I'm just… going to head back to the hotel. But before I go, there's something that's bothering me."

"What is it?" Jaune asked.

"Why are we spending so much time and effort looking for this missing girl? Knowing what I know now, it can't be because of purely altruistic reasons."

"You would be correct," Cinder replied. "But you have been faced with enough uncomfortable truths for the night. We shall save that one for another day."

"Can you at least promise me that you don't want to hurt her?"

"Believe me, bringing her harm is the farthest thing from my mind," Cinder swore. "I wish to get her home safely, same as the rest of you. On that, you have my word."

Blake hesitated, but then nodded. "...Okay. I'll be back at the hotel, trying to sleep all this off. Call if you need me."

With that, she jumped off the building. Jaune heard her hit the ground, and then take off running through the night. He let out a sigh, then slumped against the side of the building. It only lasted for a moment before he looked back over towards Cinder.

"Why do you want to find this girl so badly?" he asked. "Can you tell me at least that much?"

"Certainly," Cinder replied, sidling up alongside him. "It involves the old man's wife, Salem – you remember her? The witch who discovered the secret to immortality?"

"I do," Jaune ventured. "This has something to do with her?"

"This has everything to do with her, I believe," Cinder specified. "The girl has Silver Eyes, yes? The Silver Eyes are magical in nature, similar to my own abilities – they are a gift from the God of Light himself, bequeathed unto the world so that they may be used to better combat the Grimm. The Silver Eyes have the power to disintegrate entire hordes of Grimm with just a glance, provided their wielder is properly trained in how to use them."

"What does that have to do with Salem?" Jaune couldn't help but ask.

"It is possible for a third party to harness the power of the Silver Eyes themselves," she explained. "When extracted in the proper manner, they offer access to a raw source of magic. Properly harnessed, that could be used for any number of things, including potentially unsealing Salem herself."

A chill went down Jaune's spine at that. "And what makes you think this is her doing, rather than something else?"

"Not her doing specifically, but her followers," Cinder told him. "I had thought they would have been banished and any knowledge of them wiped from the history books many years ago, but apparently, they are still around, much like a cockroach that refuses to die. It does not surprise me in the slightest, I must admit – it was, perhaps, optimistic of me to believe such a group would allow themselves to be exterminated like that."

"You mean you've had contact with these people before?"

"Oh, yes." Cinder nodded. "Bunch of vile little creatures, they are. None of them realize what Salem truly is. Were she to be released, the consequences would be disastrous for the entire world."

A chill went down Jaune's spine. "And… how do we stop them?"

"Simple," Cinder answered. "First, we find the girl and bring her home safe."

"And after that?"

Cinder's mouth split into a grin wide enough to show her teeth.

"After that, we kill every last Salem cultist," she answered.

Back at it again with another chapter for this thing. Hooray.

Anyway, I'll try to keep this relatively brief - for those of you who don't follow my other stories, I'm taking a pseudo-break from fan fiction for the month of October. I'll still be posting the stockpiled chapters I have for everything, but I won't be writing any new stuff. Reason for this is that I'm pretty fucking burned out on fanfic, to the point where I might just call it quits entirely in favor of originals, but I'm not sure yet. Need to take some time to think it over before deciding anything for certain.

I will say that if I have more days at work like I did today, then my decision will be a lot easier. Work was a bitch today, is what I'm saying, and if getting my stories published can help kickstart a writing career to take over my bullshit office job, then hell yes, I'll be doing that. In a heartbeat, even. I suppose that means I've got my finger on the scale already, but it's only the second day of the month, and therefore still too early to tell.

Anyway, I guess that's where I'll leave it for now. Thanks for reading, apologies for the solid month of no updates, and hopefully this isn't the end of my tenure with fan fiction but don't be surprised if I abruptly duck out at the end of the month. Hope you all have a good night, and I'll see you next time.

Enjoy my work and want to help me out a bit? You can support me, as well as read more of my writing, over on Amazon. My second original story is available for purchase now, you can find it by going on Amazon and searching for 'Dead World' by John Haruspex. The story is available now for three bucks in ebook format (or free with Kindle Unlimited) or twelve bucks in paperback format, if you prefer physical media. (Remove the spaces)

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My first original story is also still available at the following link as well:

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