Wraith's Voice actor to Kevin Michael Richardson.
Here is the next chapter of the Grimm Riders.
An air horn sounds loudly through the air as the ship made it safely to the shores of Menagerie. It made its way to the dock before lowering the gangplank, allowing the passengers to disembark. Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong came down after. Menagerie is a beautiful island. The town has many small buildings and homes set among dunes and palm trees. The town bell that has been ringing is shown in its belfry. Blake proceeds walking without pause while Sun stops to look at the town in awe.
There were several Faunus in summer wear meandering casually at the dock, some waiting for friends or family among the new arrivals. The dock is also a commercial area, with mobile kiosks selling food and other wares. It is a relaxed atmosphere on a sunny day. Sun is looking around while he and Blake disembark and walk through the market area together.
"I've never seen so many Faunus in one place!" Sun said in awe, seeing many Faunus walking by.
"This is the one place everyone can feel safe, no matter who or what they are." Blake answered, continuing their walk through the town.
Sun was about to speak, but he dodges an incoming Faunus that was carrying items, "Wow, sure is, uh, crowded, huh?" Sun said, avoiding a Faunus that he almost collided.
Blake responded with a sigh, "Yes. Yes, it is."
The two continue walking as Sun quickly dodges a Faunus carrying a box, "Is it always so...cramped?"
"Well, when you try and take an entire species and put them on an island that's two-thirds desert, yeah, it tends to be cramped." Blake informs Sun with a frown.
"What!" Sun came in front of Blake with a shock expression, "You guys have that much more space? Why waste it? A little desert never hurt anyone!"
Blake gave an annoyed look, "It's not like the desert in Vacuo, Sun. The wildlife here is more dangerous than most other regions." Blake said, remembering the danger in the island.
When Blake was young and was still living in Menagerie, some Faunus tried to expand the borders, but sadly, the Grimm in the desert prevented them. Thus, the expansion was cancelled, fearing the safety of their people, they only did what they could do to live peacefully.
"So...why can't you just ask Voltaria to help out?" Sun asked Blake, "I mean...She could talk the Grimm to back off, so you guys can expand."
"I'm not going to make Voltaria to do that. She has enough trouble on her plate right now." Blake said, recalling a wanted poster of Voltaria posted around Remnant.
Sun raises his hands in surrender, feeling that he struck a nerve, "Sorry!" He quickly apologizes and decides to change the subject. "So, they give us a terrible island, in the corner of Remnant, to try and shut us up."
Blake sighs but nods her head, "That's a pretty good summary, yeah."
With that, Blake walks past him, while Sun places both his hands as he thinks of the people who just gave their kind a small island, "Huh...Jerks."
The two continued their walk to their destination, passing and avoiding bumping into other Faunus.
"We try to make the best of things." Blake said to Sun, walking up to a small hillside.
The two Faunus pause in their walk to look at the view of the town the road affords. The road they are on goes downhill and to the side, bordered by palm trees and homes that have either canvas or wood roofs. The vista of palm trees spreads out to the edge of mountainous dunes in the distance. Right in the middle of all this is a large house with an open courtyard that the road appears to lead directly to it. The house is at least three stories and is the only building in the whole area with a sophisticated roof.
Sun was in awe, "Whoa..."
Blake made a sad smile, "This is Kuo Kuana."
"It's...beautiful." Sun complimented in awe, feeling great beauty on the town, before grinning at Blake. "I take it all back. This place looks great! Why would anyone ever want to leave?"
Blake sighs in frustration, "That's not the point, Sun!" She almost exclaimed, surprising Sun. "We asked to be equal, to be treated just like everyone else! Instead, we were given an island and told to make do." Blake looks at their surroundings with a sad look.
Many Faunus are crowded on the small island. Doing their daily needs and chattering with others.
"So we did the best we could. We came together and we made a home where any Faunus could feel welcome. But this island, this town, will always be a reminder that we're still not equal." Blake lowers her head sadly, "That we're still second-class citizens."
Hearing her words, Sun regretted his words, knowing very well that Blake wanted Faunus kind to be equals. Her friends are out there in some parts of Remnant, and Blake is here...trying to piece things together with her family. Sun may have grown up differently, but he knows if something was wrong, he has to help.
Sun puts his hand on her shoulder in assurance, "Well, hey, this guy's feeling pretty at home."
Blake slightly smiles and sighs, "Alright, time to go home."
Sun became excited, wanting to know where Blake's home is. "Oh yeah?" He moves his hand to her other shoulder and pulls her in, "Which one's yours? Can you see it from here?" Sun uses his free hand like a visor to help him peer at the houses.
Blake was slightly embarrassed. "Kind of..."
"Is it that one?" Sun asked, pointing to a random house, "What about that tiny one down there?" He asked, pointing across Blake. "I like the paint job."
Blake responded to his question by taking Sun's intruding arm by the wrist and directing it toward the large house. "It's...that one."
Upon laying his eyes on the big house, Sun stares for a second before pointing his finger at her with a questioning expression. Blake responded with a nod of her head and Sun looks at her for a bit before taking his arm off her and stepping back. He covers the sides of his head and crouches a bit, staring wide-eyed at the house and making a comical, amazed noise, as his mouth hangs opened widely.
After calming down from his flabbergasted state, both Sun and Blake went down the hill and to the big house, where they walked up on the stone steps to the front door of the house. But when they reach the door, Blake hesitates when she moves to use the knocker. It has been a long time since she saw her parents.
"What is it?" Sun asked, noticing Blake's hesitation.
Blake lowers her hand a bit, "I um...it's just been a long time since I've seen my parents."
Sun gives her an encouraging smile, "Well, you came all this way."
Blake agrees and takes a quick breath for courage and bangs the door's knocker. It makes a loud, heavy, resonating sound on the large door, which echoes inside the house. Sun stares up, stepping back while Blake politely backs away from the door a few paces. There was a moment of silence until Sun pointed up at the door.
"Okay, if we're being honest, that's kind of intimidating." Sun confessed.
He then became silent when someone opened the door. There was a short, female cat Faunus behind the door, looking around at the visitors. She looks a lot like Blake but with shorter hair. It didn't take long for Sun to realize that this woman is Blake's mom, Kali Belladonna. When Kali's eyes landed on Blake, her ears perk and she moves the door out of the way so she can step forward when she recognizes her daughter.
Kali was almost in disbelief, as she whispers her daughter's name. "Blake?"
Blake awkwardly lifted her arm in greeting, "Hi, mom."
Without a second thought, Kali steps forward and hugs her daughter happily. Her mind filled with great relief. The sight of her daughter being alive was the greatest joy that a mother could have.
"My baby girl." Kali whispers happily.
Blake hesitates, uncertain for a moment, before her face becomes gentle and forms into a smile, and she hugs her mother back. As they stand in front of the open doorway, heavy footsteps come from inside the house, and a shadow falls onto the carpeted entryway.
"Kali? Who is it?" A booming voice of a male said from the inside of the house.
Kali lets go of Blake and turns behind her. Sun and Blake followed her gaze and saw her husband and Blake's dad, Ghira Belladonna walking over, and stood at the door with his hands on his hips, awaiting to greet the visitor. His quizzical expression soon changes to wide-eyed surprise, before his hands, shoulders, and face all fall in a clear, emotional reaction to the sight of his daughter coming home safely and unharmed. Sun sees this and grins, pleased at Blake's welcome as he turns to look at how she's taking it. Blake has her hands clasped in front of her, awaiting her father's reaction. Kali has not let go, with her hands supportively on Blake's shoulder and arm. Ghira says nothing, but smiles, clearly happy. Blake smiles back, relieved. She and Sun exchange sideways glances.
Later, both Sun and Blake enter the house, and Kali prepares tea for them. She, Ghira, Sun and Blake all sit on the floor at a square table while Kali explains to Blake how they were horrified when they heard the news of the Kingdom of Vale being attacked, and that there is a psycho person wanting to destroy Remnant and the people. They were relieved when they heard that the threat in the city was over, thanks to the students and the infamous Grimm Girl, Voltaria Eclipse.
"We were both so worried." Kali said to her daughter, smiling at her in relief.
Ghira gently snorted, "Please, I knew she'd be fine!"
Kali scoffs at him lightly, "That isn't the slightest bit true." She looks at her daughter with a playful demeanor, "You should have seen him pacing. He was so worried about your safety after we saw that video of that...psycho stabbing that girl."
Sun almost spits out his drink when she mentioned Voltaria. Blake was quiet. She knew that people saw how Cinder tried to kill Voltaria, but she failed, and Voltaria thwarted Cinder's plan. Blake owes Voltaria so much for saving lives; especially when she revealed the truth of what was really happening. Thanks to Voltaria, some of the Faunus were leaving the White Fang, learning that they were being used as pawns for a psychopath who wishes to destroy the world.
"She wasn't really hurt, mom." Blake said in assurance, "It was decoy to fool the assailant."
Ghira and Kali looked at Blake with great concern, wondering what had happened to Vale during her time there. Blake can't tell them the whole truth, not yet. Voltaria told her that they will learn eventually, but for now, she has to keep a low profile.
Soon, there was a loud knock, surprising everyone. Ghira excuses himself and gets up to answer the door. Blake asked who it was, and Kali said it was probably the farmers again. They wanted to boost up security since some kind of infestation is happening in the crops. Apparently, something has been eating the cabbages, spinach, and wheat. It didn't take many, only enough to fill itself, so the rest of the islanders have enough food to eat. They set up some watchers, but when they did, it didn't show up. Instead, the field that was full of weeds became cleared, and rocks that were covering the other fields were moved and everything plowed, ready for harvest. It was weird yet strangely helpful. It gave the farmers time to plant new crops with ease, and yet, they wondered who was doing this.
Blake finds it strange, but she knew that was the work of a dinosaur. Voltaria informed her through the Dream Realm. She informs Blake that she foresaw an herbivore dinosaur, mending the fields. Indicating that it was familiar with farming. Blake finds it strange, but intriguing after she discovers that there are prehistoric Faunus living in a hidden area called Pellucidar. They learned from a Spinosaurus named Levistus saying that the Faunus in Pellucidar trained dinosaurs, helping them through hunting, fishing, and farming. Blake guessed that this particular species was tamed into a farming life, which is amazing that Pellucidar Faunus can tame dinosaurs. She wonders if her kind can do that too.
After Ghira returns, he informs Kali that they need to keep watch on the new fields since their crops were beginning to sprout, they didn't want any chances for the crops to be eaten by any pest. Blake knew too well that this dinosaur was probably keeping itself hidden, knowing that it was in an unfamiliar land and the Faunus were different compared to Pellucidar. Evening rolled by, and so far, Blake didn't encounter any White Fang members. From what Voltaria learned, they were slowly dispatched since they found out that Adam Taurus was using them to help a psycho to destroy the world. Blake wishes she could find a way to repay Voltaria's prediction. Her gift of foresight was a major help on their mission. It was also a big step in restoring the White Fang to its original glory.
Just then, Blake's Scroll rang, causing Blake to snap out of it. She was standing at the balcony to look at the moon when her train of thoughts was interrupted when her Scroll rang. She picks it up and realizes that it was Yang calling her. Smiling, Blake answered her Scroll.
"Hey, Yang."
-Blake! Good to hear you're okay!- Yang said through the scroll. –V wanted to inform you about the White Fang. She wanted to tell you through the Dream Realm but it's must faster if I called you. They're still in hiding but there might be some in Menagerie, so watch you back.-
"Of course." Blake nodded and asked. "But what about Atlas Military? They could be listening to our conversation." Blake warns her friend in worry.
-Don't worry, Regina is blocking our communication from Atlas, we're talking through a private channel.- Yang assures Blake.
Blake sighs in relief, "That's good to hear. So, is there anything else that Voltaria's to tell me?"
-Yeah, she said that the dino you're going to face is a friendly herbivore, and easy to tame. She also said that Regina sent someone from Infraworld. She's a good friend to her and the others, she'll help you with the dino in Menagerie.-
"Is she friendly?"
-Oh, yeah! Totally friendly! Regina said that she's a Star Wisp named Calista, she's kinda like a fairy, but she's a guide. She'll see you in your dreams soon. She'll help you on your mission.-
Blake smiles, feeling great relief. "Thanks, Yang. I needed help."
-No, prob! Oh! Almost forgot, Weiss will be coming to Mistral soon with Marionette and Chariot. They're gonna help stopping an invasion.-
"That's good to hear."
-Yeah! Can't wait to have the gang back together. By the way, how's Menagerie treating you?-
Blake chuckles lightly, "Everything is fine here, Yang. Don't worry. Although...Sun may have tagged along..."
-Tag-along, you mean, he followed you and snuck a bored.-
Blake scoffs playfully and smiles, "He did, but he can be helpful on this mission."
-If you say so, but if he does anything stupid, don't hesitate to slap him.-
Blake giggles, "I already did." She said, sharing a laugh with Yang through the scroll.
Unbeknownst to them, there was an unknown female White Fang member, hidden within the shadow, watching Blake talking through her scroll.
Team JNPR, WAVE, Ruby, Yang, Qrow, Oscar, and their prehistoric friends continued their destination to Mistral. The gang got on their prehistoric friends while Qrow decided to walk. He ain't riding any of them. The drunken huntsman isn't a fan on riding big creatures that he isn't sure that they are tamed. Although, the downside, Blue walks beside him, making chattering sounds whenever they walk, much to Qrow's annoyance. Regina informs them that they will reach to Shion Village soon in a matter of few days since the path they taken was off mapped, and will have to make a detour.
The journey will be tiring but they have to take it. For the fate of Remnant is at stake, and they need to be ready for anything.
They went further beyond the rote because they later discovered that the road that leads to Shion Village was washed away by the storm. They took a different road that leads them to an abandoned village. Ren and Nora recognize the village. It was Kuroyuri. The village was once bustling with people, but bandits invaded it, which led Grimm to it. Wade suggested that they should move, but Ren interjects, saying that they should rest. He can't let his emotions take control.
They gather some wood for the fire. The predators decided to go on hunting. Oscar was going since he was worried about Ultima getting into trouble. Voltaria tags along, knowing very well that Ultima and Ripper would end up fighting to the death with either Ripper or Blue, mostly Ripper. It was also a chance for Voltaria to learn more about Oscar and what he is up to.
"Sooo...what's it like talking with the Grimm?" Oscar asked, following Voltaria through the undergrowth.
Oscar was trying to make small talk while following the predators. They were making sure that Ripper and Ultima won't try and kill each other when they are hunting for their meal. They were lucky that Levistus the Spinosaurus prevented the two rebellious predators from going into fights.
Voltaria didn't want to talk, but he was blessed by a goddess that Regina used to serve when she was a human. Closing her eyes under her mask, Voltaria takes a deep breath and sigh, before facing Oscar.
"When I talk to Grimm, people only can hear their growls and roars, but to me...it feels like I'm talking to a person that obeys my command."
"They can talk?" Oscar asked her in confusion.
Voltaria shook her head, "Not really, it's more like I could feel what they are saying without any words. Kinda like we're speaking a language that I can understand."
"Like your own Grimm Language?"
Voltaria shrugs her shoulders, "Something like that. I always felt I could understand Grimm, even when I was young...I could understand them like a book."
"Wow...must be kinda cool to have that power." Oscar said, moving some branches out of his way.
Voltaria looks down, stopping her tracks. Oscar stops as well when he notices her sudden halt. Oscar wonders if he offended her. Until Voltaria turns to face him.
"My power...can be 'cool' but sometimes...bad." She answered, using the right words as well as keeping her cool. Oscar listened and waited patiently for her to continue her story. "When I was able to control Grimm in a young age, Remnant's elites sent a bounty on my head, they believed that with my ability I could make the Grimm to build buildings and free protection without any Huntsmen. They could have made a fortune because of me...but I wasn't going to be a slave to them. So, I used Grimm to eliminate those bounty hunters, and send a piece to those elites, warning them to leave me alone."
Oscar gulps nervously, sensing her sudden rage was going to erupt, but she stopped and releases a small sigh, "It was rough life, but I manage, and now...I have people that understand me...knowing my gift was meant for good."
Oscar knew she was talking about her friends. They were the only ones that could understand her. She was no longer alone to face her burdens.
"Have you...have you met others like yourself? You know, sharing the same gift." Oscar asked her.
Voltaria responded by shaking her head, "No. I have never encountered anyone with similar abilities like me...I tried many times on my journey to find others like me, but no one has the same ability like mine." Voltaria looks at the ground, "I always believe that I am destined to be cursed to be the only one that could speak to Grimm."
Silence filled the air. Oscar looked at Voltaria with great sympathy, feeling bad that she had to endure such hardship in her life. She was very fortunate to find friends that accepted her for who she was.
"At least...you have a family now." Oscar said with a small assurance in his tone, mentioning about her friends.
"Yeah...I do." Voltaria said quietly.
Their conversation came to a halt when they heard Mari calling over to Oscar, zipping around in a panic.
"Oscar! Oscar! Oscar! Oscar!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Easy Mari! What's wrong?" Oscar asked worriedly, holding up his hands.
Mari landed on his hands and pointed frantically in a certain direction. "Thorn and the others found something!"
Voltaria and Oscar looked at each other briefly before following Mari through the forest, and towards a huge cave. There, the carnivores stood at the entrance, growling at something. Oscar went towards the Ultimasaurus, gently patting his leg to calm his growls.
"Levistus, what's wrong?" Voltaria questions Levistus, who responds with a growl.
"What did he say?" Oscar asked Voltaria.
"He said that they smelled something wrong inside..."
"What did they smell?" Oscar asked, looking at the cave nervously.
Voltaria responded by summoning Blood Moon, pointing towards the entrance and whispering in a dark tone, "Death."
Oscar gulps and quickly summons his staff, following Voltaria's lead as they enter the cave. Mari hid inside Oscar's shirt pocket, sensing many deaths in this cavern. The predators sniffed around, growling or sneezing at the tainted scent. Clearly, it has a pungent odor that they dislike. Soon, they arrived in a spacious area, and what they saw nearly caused their weapons to fall, mostly Oscar.
In this cavern, weapons speckle every place you can look. Swords, axes and staff are all either propped up or on the ground. There were even signs of black tar substance mixed with dried blood. Mari shakes in Oscar's pocket while the predators growl inside the cavern. Voltaria walks forward, kneeling down and picks up an arrow. She studies it with narrowed eyes, slowly figuring out what causes this. Then they heard Ripper's roar, calling out to them. Dropping the arrow, Voltaria and Oscar followed Ripper, who was looking at something on the ground. When they followed his gaze, they saw what was on the ground. It was a huge hoofprint. It is pointed toward another opening on the opposite end of the cave.
"That is one big horse." Oscar whispers, looking at the hoofprint fearfully.
"It's not a horse." Voltaria responded.
Oscar looks at her in confusion. "What?"
"It's not a horse, Oscar." Voltaria repeated, glaring on the floor, "It belongs to a Grimm."
Oscar looks at her in shock, "Really? How can you tell?"
"I recognize the hoofprint."
"Have you encountered it?"
"Not personally, but I do know that it is dangerous. Not even an army of huntsmen can kill it."
"So it's un killable?" Oscar asked fearfully. "Can you...I don't know...tame it?"
"I can't, it's an untamable type Grimm, but it can be killed, if you have the right time to strike." Voltaria turns towards the entrance, "I have to warn the others."
"What Grimm is it?" Oscar finally asked, wanting to know what they were dealing with.
Before Voltaria could reply, someone had already beaten her to it.
"Nuckelavee."
Voltaria, Oscar, and the predators whips their head to the source of the voice. The predators growled while Voltaria pointed Blood Moon in the direction. Standing on the other side of the cavern are four hooded figures. Voltaria senses two males and two males. This group was strong, Voltaria could tell, and they were emitting the same energy that does, but different compared to hers.
"Who are you?!" Voltaria demanded; her eyes transforming as she activated her Semblance.
The predators were ready to attack them. However, the group showed no sign of attacking. Instead, they just stood there, staring at them, mostly towards Voltaria. They don't show any signs of aggression, nor fear. As if they weren't afraid of these creatures.
"I asked again, who are you?!" Voltaria demanded.
The leader, wearing a mask like her, steps forward, "We have no ill-intention, we wish speak to you."
Voltaria narrows her eyes, clearly not believing him, "What's there to talk about?"
"Believe me, there's a lot that we need to discuss, young tamer." The man said calmly.
"Young tamer?" Voltaria thought bitterly, "Who does he think he is?"
"It seems that you do not wish to listen." The leader said to her, his voice remains calm and gentle, as if he doesn't want to stir any trouble.
However, Voltaria wasn't convinced. Ever since she and friends traveled to Mistral, she sensed a strange presence, hidden in a distance, watching, following them on their journey. They're up to something, and she will find out.
"Why were you following me and my friends? Are you here to kidnap me and sell me off?" Voltaria tightens her hold on Blood Moon.
A tall woman, who happens to be a wolf Faunus, wearing a wolf mask, steps forward, "We can assure you, we are not like those hunters, we come in peace."
"Then why follow us?" Voltaria demanded.
The other male, who wears a demonic mask, said to Voltaria, "We only wish to speak to you, for we have a message."
"Message from who? Salem?" Voltaria spat the name of the one who was bringing pain to Remnant.
"We can assure you we have no affiliation with the false goddess." Said a petite woman, holding a staff.
"False Goddess?" Oscar mutters out. He heard this before from Mari. She serves a goddess named Lunaria and always refers to Salem as the False Goddess. "Are you...are you worshipers of the Goddess Lunaria?"
Hearing the name of their goddess, they brought their hands onto their chest while forming a bird or butterfly shape with their hands, and bowed. This confuses them, until Regina comes. She and the other entities were patrolling the area to find some meat for the carnivores. They quickly come back when they sense Voltaria's aura being distressed. Once they did, Regina recognized what these people were doing.
I know that salute. Regina said through their minds.
"What?" Oscar whispers out in confusion.
"What do you mean, Regina?" Voltaria questions her wise entity.
Back when I was an advisor, I remember a temple that worships the Goddess, Lunaria. Regina explains to Voltaria and Oscar through their minds. That salute shows their love and devotion to the goddess, but no one has done that for hundreds of years.
"Until now." Voltaria thought, eyeing at the group suspiciously, "They're hiding something, I just know it."
"Try to ask nicely this time." Oscar whispers to Voltaria, who frowns at him, causing Oscar to raise his arms in surrender. He was only trying to help.
Sighing in frustration, Voltaria turns to the unknown group, who stood in silence. "Why do you want to speak with me? What is your reason?" She asked in a 'nicer' tone.
The leader steps forward, looking at her under his mask. "The reason why we are here is to take you home."
Silence filled the air. Voltaria couldn't believe what she was hearing. They wanted to take her...home...HA! What a joke. Her only home was Mineral Town and she had to self-exile herself in order to protect them from her enemies. The only ones who knew her home were her friends. Clearly, these people are lying.
"If this is a joke. It's not funny." Voltaria said coldly, glaring at them under her mask, "I don't have a home."
"You are wrong, young tamer." The leader said calmly, looking under his mask, "Your home is not on this continent, nor has it ever been."
"What are you talking about?!" Voltaria yells, her anger slowly rising. "You don't know ANYTHING about me!"
The leader and his group calmly looked at her, "Oh, we do, we know a lot more than you think...Virgo."
Voltaria nearly gasped at his words.
He...he knows her name? Her real name? But...but that's not possible! The only ones who knew her name were her friends and...and...how? How in the world did he know her name?!
"What?" Voltaria whispers out. Her voice filled with shock and confusion.
"Your name is Virgo Twilight, daughter of the late Pandora Marianne Twilight." The leader answered to Voltaria, shocking the young girl and the entities even further. No one, besides her entities, know about her mother's full name.
"That's impossible..." Voltaria spoke, her voice shaken in surprise.
"Like I said, we know a lot more than you think," The leader said to her.
"How? How can you know my mother's full name?" Voltaria demanded. Her mind was filled with confusion, anger, and shock. How can somebody possibly know who she is?! She made sure only her friends know who she is!
"It's simple really," the leader said to her calmly, "Because we know your mother."
This brought a sharp stabbing feeling in Voltaria's chest. Her thoughts were in complete denial. They cannot know her mother. It is simply impossible. No one knows about her mother except her friends and the people of Mineral Town.
"No, there's no way..."
"Believe us, young tamer, we know your mother." The woman with the staff said.
"How? How can you of all people know about my mother?!"
"Because she...is like us." The leader said.
Before Voltaria could ask, the red gems on their accessories started to glow, and out of nowhere. The creatures of Grimm appeared before them. A Teryx, a Geist, a Beowolf, and a Lancer. Oscar's jaw almost dropped at the sight of this. Voltaria, on the other hand, felt her mind go blank. All her life, Voltaria thought that she was the only one that could communicate with the creatures of Grimm, summoning them, obeying her command...but...But how? How can this be possible?
"How can this be?" Voltaria whispers, lowering her weapon.
"You thought you were the only one? No, dear young tamer, you are not." The leader explained to her, stepping forward, "You are not the only one. You and your mother are one of us."
Voltaria looks at him in the eye, glaring at him under his mask. "One of what?"
"A Grimm Rider."
Voltaria was taken aback by this, "A what?"
"A Grimm Rider," The leader repeated, lowering himself, so Voltaria could get a better look of him. Even with his mask on, she could sense no hostility. "We are people that are blessed by the Goddess of the Night, who asked the God of Darkness to lend some of his powers to us."
Can they do that? Wraith asked telepathically towards Regina.
I believe so. Regina responded. I heard stories that the God of Darkness lent some of his powers to a group of mortals, but I never knew the stories were true.
Then truly...these people are Voltaria's kind. Tabitha said; her voice filled with shock.
"But...I thought Voltaria was the only one." Oscar thought loudly, hoping the entities could hear him, which they did.
We always assumed that Voltaria was the only one, guess we were wrong. Regina said to Oscar, eyeing towards the leader as she and the others were hidden in the shadows.
"Why..." Voltaria whispers, ignoring her entities and Oscar, "Why are you looking for me now? Who even sent you to look for me?!"
The group looked at each other briefly before nodding their heads in response. The leader turned back to Voltaria and gave her the answer that almost knocked her off her feet.
"Your grandmother sent us."
Hearing this, Voltaria's mind came crashing to a halt. She felt her body being electrocuted by the sudden information.
Her...Grandmother? But...but that's impossible. She doesn't have a grandmother. Her mother...she never mentioned...what is going on?
"Your mother never told you about your grandmother, didn't she?" The leader questions Voltaria softly.
Voltaria heard his voice, even though her jumbled mind made it sound like a muffle, but she heard him. "She...she never told me...I...I thought she was..."
"An orphan? No, she is not. She kept it a secret until you came of age, that's when she would tell you the truth." The leader explains to her.
"Truth..." Voltaria whispers out, her mind was racing at this sudden information, "The truth of who I am? My life...my family?" She questions the leader, who nodded in response. Voltaria always wanted to know who her family was, but her questions was soon replaced by rage as she clenches her fists, "If you were sent my grandmother, why hasn't she bothered to find me in the first place when I was alone and being hunted like some kind of mindless animal!?"
"She thought you had perished in the village where you and your mother were living." The petite woman said, stopping Voltaria's rage. "However, she then discovered that you somehow activated your Grimm Rider ability. That's when she knew that you were alive. She sent search parties after search parties, but you couldn't be found because you were hiding your tracks. Giving us no lead on your whereabouts."
"Until now." The wolf Faunus woman said. "Your grandmother loved you, young tamer. She felt great guilt when she learned of your mother's death. She wanted to give you anything, hoping that you can forgive her for not finding you sooner. All she wants...is to just see you safe."
Voltaria didn't respond. Her mind was processing everything that they had just said.
Her...Grandmother...her grandmother was looking for her. For all these years, she searches for her. Where she was or where she has been. She always thought that her mother never had parents or relatives. She only knows about her father's, but her mother's...this was a new experience, even for her.
For the first time in her life, Voltaria was speechless. Never could she imagine that she has a family out there, looking and waiting for her to return home...home...it was a strange word for Voltaria. The only homes she accepted were Mineral Town and the Island of Patch, for she felt at peace there. However, when these people, referring to themselves as the Grimm Riders, say that her home is where Grandmother was waiting for her. She could hear Wraith warning her that this could be a trap and they should leave as soon as possible. Yet, hearing their words shows great truth and not a single hint of a lie. She wanted to go to them; a little voice was urging her to go, to meet her grandmother and her people. Nevertheless, another voice was telling her why. Telling her to focus on the task, to stop the invasion on Mistral, stop Salem, and her friends. She knew what must be done.
"I...can't go." Voltaria spoke, surprising the group. "As much as I want to...I can't...I have a mission that must be complete, and I can't go. Not just yet."
"But-" The female wolf Faunus wanted to protest, but the leader held up a hand and shook his head, signaling her to stop.
She obeys as the leader turns Voltaria, "We understand." He said softly yet with a hint of disappointment. He then took out a pure white gemstone from his pocket, and gave it to Voltaria, "If you are ready or you need assistance, just contact us through here."
Voltaria, without any hesitation, takes the gemstone, and observes it. She could sense strange energy that was unknown to all. She then looks at the stranger, "When I'm ready..." She whispers to him.
The man bows and returns back to his group, but before he leaves, he turns back to Voltaria, and informs her this. "Be warned, the Nuckelavee is heading towards the abandoned village of Kuroyuri. We don't know why it is going there, but I believe it senses new prey."
"My friends." Voltaria whispers out, knowing that they are in danger. "Did you send the Nuckelavee there?"
"No, the Nuckelavee has been there for many years after some bandits were able to lure it to the village." The leader explained, "You must go and save your friends before it is too late."
Voltaria nodded, ready to run to her friends. She was going to thank him until another question came to mind, "My grandmother...what is her name?"
The leader heard this and turned towards her, eyes softened under his mask. He answered her question as he said the name of her grandmother with great respect.
"Her name...is Avalon."
"Avalon..." Voltaria whispers her grandmother's name. It feels...pleasant to say. "Thank you..."
The leader bowed before he, his group, and the Grimm, vanished by a mist shadows, leaving Voltaria and the others behind. Oscar and the predators stared at the scene with dumbfounded expressions. They were processing what just happened.
"Voltaria...what..."
Voltaria cuts him off and starts walking out of the cavern, "No time, we have to warn the others."
Oscar snapped out of this and nodded his head, "R-Right."
They quickly left the cavern, going back to Kuroyuri. While they headed to the abandoned village, her friends and Qrow had to deal with the Nuckelavee. The Grimm was massive. It was a horse-like creature with an equine main body and a skinless humanoid creature fused with it. Its forelegs were shaped like claws and it had hooved hind legs. The humanoid body had long curved horns on its head, a mouth that looked almost sewn shut, and two long elastic arms each with two clawed fingers. On the back of the human torso were boney spikes along its spine and a variety of weapons from previous battles stuck in it.
It looks like a nightmare made from Hell.
The group was almost outmatched by its size, strength, and speed. They attacked with all their might, shooting at it without getting hit by the powerful legs. Ren, on the other hand, attacked it with blinding rage, for this Grimm that was responsible for the destruction of his village; and the one that killed his family. However, due to his rage, it only strengthened the Nuckelavee, as it easily kicked Ren away. Jaune and Ruby call out to him to stop, but Ren continues to fight recklessly, his mind filled with vengeance and anger.
Nuckelavee bested Ren and pinned him to a building by its extended arm. The Nuckelavee would've killed him if it wasn't for Nora. Ruby uses Crescent Rose to launch Nora in between Ren and the Nuckelavee would-be fatal strike with its other hand. Magnhild is pinned to the building above Ren, with Nora dangling from it. Saving Ren in the process.
However, the Nuckelavee flings Nora around until she is knocked to the ground with her Aura depleted. Ren uses StormFlower to give himself leverage to pull the Nuckelavee hand off of him. He repeatedly goes after the creature, exhibiting reckless behavior, his eyes wild. But he too was knocked down, next to Nora and his weapon was tossed away. Just before the Nuckelavee could attack, Ripper came out of nowhere and head-butts the Grimm away from the group, sending it flying to a nearby building.
"Ripper!" Ruby cheers happily at the Nuckelavee while Nora takes Ren to safety while snapping him back to reality.
Ripper lets out a fierce roar at the Nuckelavee, who get up and roar back at him, the rest of the predators, Voltaria, and Oscar come into battle, ready to help their friends. The predators fought the Nuckelavee, distracting it, allowing their human and Faunus friends to catch their breath.
"Took you long enough!" Qrow yells, holding up his Harbinger.
"Where have you two been?" Pyrrha asked, holding her Miló and Akoúo̱ ready.
"Sorry, we just discovered the lair of Nuckelavee." Voltaria said, not mentioning the Grimm Riders. "It sensed your whereabouts and made its way here."
"No wonder." Wade mutters, reloading his weapon. "Any plan to kill this thin'?"
"Yes, you have to disable it." Voltaria said, knowing a way to kill the Nuckelavee. "You have to trap its arms, break its equine form, then cut its arms, and then...then you behead it."
"What do you want us to do?" Ren asked, coming out from hiding with Nora, after she snaps him back to his senses.
Voltaria nodded and glared at the Nuckelavee, swatting Blue away, causing her to crash into a building. "We need it to get its attention. Wade, Yang, AJ, Pyrrha, we're going to keep it distracted with our shots. When it extends its arms, Ruby, Qrow, Oscar, and Jaune will pin it down. Evo, Nora, you two will have to break the horse part, and Ren...you have to finish it off but cutting its head."
Ren nodded as he readied his father's blade.
They put the plan on motion. Hannibal gives them a boost of energy while the predators back off, allowing the group to advance. Voltaria, Wade, Yang, AJ, and Pyrrha fired multiple rounds at the Nuckelavee. Forcing it to twist itself. The Grimm roared at them and used its claws to grab at Yang. Luckily, Voltaria grabbed her and used her shadow powers to teleport her to safety while the Nuckelavee's claw was stuck to the ground. Ruby and Qrow quickly jumped in and pinned the claw down, followed by Blue, and Ripper, helping to hold it in place. The Nuckelavee was going to use its other claw, but Ren's knife is flung and embeds itself into the body of the Grimm, distracting it while Levistus uses his water cannon move to send Jaune and Oscar flying to it, pinning its other arm down to the ground. Amaryllis quickly went and helped pin the arm down, so the two boys won't be flung off if it breaks free.
The Nuckelavee lets out an ear-piercing roar, and is about to use its equine form, until Ultima uses his aura to create a stream of lightning, giving Evo and Nora a boost of electrical power. The two jumped high into the air and slammed their weapons on it. Nora crippled the behind while Evo uses his axe mode to cut off the horse head, rendering the Nuckelavee immobile.
"We did it!" AJ cheered happily.
"Celebrate later, just kill this thing!" Qrow ordered, struggling to keep the arm in place.
Voltaria looks at Ren, who was eyeing towards the Nuckelavee, before looking at her with a calm look. The young Grimm Girl nodded her head and whispered to him, "Do what you have to do."
Ren nodded and made his way towards the struggling Nuckelavee, before retrieving his knife from the Grimm's side, making it roar, and walks before the trapped Grimm. When he faced it, the Nuckelavee releases a powerful at Ren's face, but he wasn't fazed by this. He then posted his body, spinning the blade, and then thought to himself.
"For my mother."
Ren cuts off the Grimm's left arm, making it roar, as the arm-like tendril whips around before landing a few feet from Jaune and Oscar, who eyed it in shock. While the Nuckelavee roars and shakes around, Ren grabs one of its horns, twisting it in the process.
"For my father."
Ren cuts off the Grimm's right arm, making it roar, shaking its body around. The Nuckelavee faced Ren yet again with another roar, but again, Ren wasn't fazed.
"For all those that you've slain."
Ren strikes a gash into the flailing torso, causing the Nuckelavee to roar loudly and shake around, roaring at Ren yet again.
Ren closes his eyes. Feeling all of his emotion from his past slowly flow away
"For myself." He spoke loudly.
Ren opened his eyes and gave a mighty swing with the knife at the Grimm, beheading the Nuckelavee. Its body slumped on the equine part, and died as a pillar of black smoke erupts from its body. Everyone stared with wide eyes, except for Voltaria, Levistus, and Ultima. This Grimm has been wandering around for many years, destroying and killing many lives in its path. But now...it is no longer a threat, anymore.
Soon, Ren drops the knife and breathes out a sigh of relief, feeling all the pain and the suffering he endured as a child slowly fading. Yet, he did not have time to relish in the moment as a giggling, triumphant Nora tackled him to the ground. Ren smiles, and hugs her back and gives a single laugh. The rest of the group, minus Voltaria, laughed and cheered loudly at their victory. Knowing they just did the unthinkable. Voltaria made her way to Ren and Nora, offering a hand to help Ren up from the ground. Ren accepted it with a smile as she brought him back to his feet.
"How are you feeling?" Voltaria asked her friend.
Ren gave her an assuring smile, "Feeling great." He said softly.
Voltaria sighs in relief and hugs him, which she returns and Nora joins in. Everything was going to be just fine.
"We did it!" Ruby cheered, hugging a cheering Yang.
Qrow smirks, patting Ruby's head, "Good job, kiddo. Guess I don't have to worry about saving you all the time."
The group chuckled before the predators lifted their heads when they heard something.
"Rippy, Ama, what's wrong?" Ruby asked the two predators.
They sense something coming from the sky. Regina answered through their minds.
"Are they Grimm?" Yang readied her Ember Celica.
"No, it's not Grimm." Voltaria steps forwards, looking up to the sky. "It's airships."
"How is that possible?" Pyrrha asked in surprise, "We're nowhere near any village."
They must be patrolling the area. Wraith suggested.
"If so, we have to hide the dinosaurs now." Voltaria turns to the predators, "Okay, guys, time to hide."
The predators nodded and Voltaria uses her shadow ability to make them sink into the shadows, becoming one with it. Then Voltaria's entities swirl around Voltaria, changing her attire into a different appearance. They changed her hair in a dirty blonde color; her attire is a red dress with white, yellowish, and white like armor. Qrow's mouth dropped by this, thinking that no wonder Ironwood nor any huntsmen could find her; she is a master of disguise.
"Wow, nice disguise." Yang complimented with a thumbs up.
"Thanks, I need to stay in a low profile." Voltaria said.
They watched as two wood and metal airships landed on the courtyard. Nora waves at them with a grin while Wade does a salute. The group got on their airships while the predators remained hidden in the shadows of Voltaria's. Flare and Mari stayed hidden in Ruby and Oscar's pocket, hiding from the prying eyes of the pilots. Once everyone was on board, the airships took off. Jaune, Pyrrha, Voltaria, Qrow, Ruby, and Yang were in the first airship while Nora, Ren, Oscar, Wade, AJ, and Evo were on the second airship. The group were in great relief that they made it out of the forest, and were now heading towards their destination.
"How did you find us out here?" Jaune asked one of the pilots.
A man dressed in a brown flight suit with an air tank on his back turned to him and answered, "We were on patrol and saw the smoke. Nobody's been out here for years, thought something might be wrong."
"So...how long till we reach Mistral?" Yang asked loudly through the window, holding on to the rails of the ship.
Voltaria looks up and slightly smiles, "Not long."
She pointed up ahead, and everyone followed her gaze. Right in front of them was a flourishing city before them. Built on two mountains within the Kingdom of Mistral, there are various buildings and stone stairways covering the mountains from the summits to the foothills.
And at the top of the city spanning across the peaks of both mountains was Haven Academy, their destination.
Ruby smiles widely at the sight before them. They did. They reach Mistral. Now they can put their plan in motion.
Ruby turns to Voltaria, who looks at her, as her silver eyes are brimming with tears. "We made it, Volty."
Voltaria smiles softly and looks ahead, "Yeah...we did." She whispers out.
At the other airship, Wade and AJ were hugging each other while Evo and Oscar did a high five. Nora and Ren are both sitting on the edge of the open rescue airship, their legs dangling. Nora is looking out at the city, feeling happy. Ren is watching her, begins smiling and puts his hand on hers. She gives a slight start but turns her hand over to hold his. She looks at him and gives him a smile, and he smiles back. Nora scoots closer and rests her head on his shoulder. The airships fly into the city.
Even though it was supposed to be a happy moment, Voltaria still can't shake the feeling about the Grimm Riders. They knew about her, her mother, and what she really is. She isn't the only one with the same ability. She wanted to tell the others...but she can't, not just yet. Her mind is still processing everything just now. She told Oscar to keep quiet until she was ready to tell them. The gemstone they gave her was tucked in her pocket. She has yet to decide whether or not to contact them.
Letting sigh, Voltaria looks back at the City of Mistral as the sun shines, showing a sign of a new hope.
Hope you guys like it. I didn't want any bad relationship when Voltaria meets with her fellow Grimm Riders. I will be posting soon, and the next chapter is about Blake in Menagerie and some dinosaurs.
The Grimm Rider Salute is based on the Wakanda Salute from Marvel's the Black Panther.
Also, I'm adding a new villain since I killed off Cinder and Adam. Someone sent an idea of a mercenary named Ivan Makarov, please explain about this particular character, so I can put him in the story. Thank you.
Review or Favorite.