Chapter 86: Salem's Castle

In which Ruby is surrounded by magic, Raven meets the in-laws, and Cinder puts together a team.

Ruby saw everything. This place, this castle, it was built of magic. Similar power to that which coursed through her veins kept the structure standing. The glass, the stone, the wood – all of it was held together by this mysterious energy that nobody fully understood. Normally, she could 'see' objects about as well as she could feel them with her hands. Here, it was like wearing smudged sunglasses. Her vision was practically restored.

This enhancement of her sight came not a moment too soon. Ruby took one look the place that the dragon had dropped them off at and 'saw' that it was some kind of landing bay. Nearby, Ruby sensed the presence of nonmagical metal and flowing electricity. It had to be an airship, a.k.a. their ticket out of here.

Unfortunately, the two of them couldn't leave until they found Jaune and took care of the dragon horseman. In a land apparently swarming with hundreds of Grimm, that would be no easy task. Still, they were making progress, as small as it was.

"Do not resist the Seers. They will not harm you as long as you allow them to guide you."

"What are Seers?" asked Ruby.

"Grimm," answered Bronzewing, his semblance picking them up as they came down. "And Arc may not have been completely forthright on the magnitude of their legions."

"How many?"

"Seers? About fifteen, assuming they are the monsters approaching us. Grimm? Those I count number among the hundreds of thousands, possibly over a million."

Ruby felt her knees grow weak. Fighting that many was impossible, even with all the new powers she'd been accumulating. Escape had to be their top priority.

"Worry not. The Queen has ordered them to do you and yours no harm. You are to be her guests for you stay in her castle."

"Well, what if we don't wanna be her guests?"

"I suppose you forfeited any choice in this matter when you claimed the power of not one but two maidens AND a relic."

The Seers were disgusting, little more than lumps of juice bound together by a thin membrane with wriggling tentacle arms. Those arms snaked their way onto Ruby as soon as the dragon set her down coiled around her wrists, dragging her through the passageway of the landing bay into the vast interior of the fortress. The doors shut, and Kraken disappeared from sight.

He was still close enough to listen to them, though. Ruby may have had her maiden powers since that life-altering night in Beacon, but she'd only truly unlocked control of them at the vault. Every passing second improved her control of them, and she hadn't spent the daylong flight to this castle twiddling her thumbs. Magic was in the horsemen; they were to maidens as Grimm were to humans (albeit far weaker than their empowered sister-order). All it took was a little understanding of what to look for, and she could sense them a mile away.

Well, she could sense him a mile away. With the Nuckalevee Swiss-cheesed, the raccoon boy Ashley torn in two, and the snake one a pile of ashes, only one true horseman remained. Perhaps this Salem figure would make more in the future, but if they were anything like the maiden powers that had transferred from Blake to Ruby, it would take time for the new ones to become serious threat.

The castle itself looked like something out of a storybook. It wasn't a villain's castle, per se, but a fairytale hero wouldn't be caught dead ruling out of a place like this. There were no tapestries to see or stained glass windows to peer out of or banquet halls for a merry king's feasts. Dark purple Dust crystals were unpleasant eyesores, sticking out of the ground all around the castle. The stony battlements and rigid turrets made this place feel like it was built for war, though Ruby doubted that this place was worth fighting over to anyone, given its location on questionable real estate. You know, what with the Grimm army outside and nothing else in sight for a bajillion miles.

Speaking of Grimm, Ruby was pretty sure she'd devised a way to detect the Grimm. They were neither elemental nor magical, so she couldn't feel them like other stuff, but that meant she could simply feel the absence of air where they stood. She reached out with her maiden magic in front of her, where she knew a Seer should be given its tentacle pulling her that way.

There it was! Rather, there it had to be, because nothing else was.

Ruby looked around for the other empty areas, curious to test out this strategy. Outside were…

For the first time, she became aware of just how many Grimm one million was. And she definitely didn't nearly pee her combat skirt. Not at all, no siree.

The weird part was, they seemed to be still. Not entirely still – Nevermore still cawed, Beowolves clawed at the ground, Ursai still lumbered all menacingly, and so on – but they weren't mobilizing for war like she would've expected such a huge army to be doing.

She and Bronzewing could still do this. He could find Jaune in a crowd of a million Grimm using his semblance, and her maiden powers would be enough to break the dragon's aura…she hoped. It would push both of their powers further than either one of them ever had before, but she had faith in her friends. Jaune was still alive. Of that, she was sure. They could all still get out of here alive. They would.

So why hadn't she made her move? These Seers were barely holding onto her. A single pull with her aura enhanced strength, and she could easily rip free of their tentacles. Dust, she could just turn into a bird, slip free, turn right back, and make her getaway. What was stopping her from blowing a hole in the wall and running Bronzewing out of this Brothers-forsaken place?

She knew what.

It wasn't fear.

It was curiosity.

A lump of magic so titanic that she could feel it transmitting from here. Bigger than the horsemen, bigger than the maidens, bigger than Jaune…it had to be Salem. Invisible but detectable tendrils of dark energy snaked through the air and the floor, piercing matter as though it meant nothing to them, connecting to the enchanted castle, the docile Grimm, Kraken, and Ruby herself. Salem was easily the single most magical being on Remnant, and just as intriguing. The draw Ruby felt was indescribable. She felt as though the mere act of laying her eyes upon Salem would reveal the truths of the world, of the entire universe, once and for all.

Her maiden powers were telling her not to go just yet. The Seers weren't even necessary at this point; she would keep walking in the same direction if they let go. Bronzewing must've assumed she was unable to break free or waiting for things to play out before making her move, but the truth was that her next and only move was to meet Salem, Queen of the Grimm.

"Where was the dragon headed, Leo?"

"Please, I beg of you, I don't know!"

"Where was it headed?"

"I'm telling you, Summer, I donauauaaGGGRGRRHHH!"

"And I'm telling you, my name isn't Summer. So don't call me that again, and we won't have a problem."

"Y-You won't hurt me if I don't?"

Raven chuckled and shook her head. "Nah, but I can promise to kill you at the end."

"If so, then I mu– wait, you promise you will kill me?"

"Trust me. When we're done, you'll be begging for death. How about a little break, just for now? I'm going to go get a drink. You want anything?"

The Faunus pondered it for a second, creasing his bruised forehead. "Well, I am quite famisheeeeeooooOOWOWWAAAAAAH!"

Raven left the knife embedded into Lionheart's leg. It was a classic interrogation trick, leaving someone to stew while ensuring they had an open wound to prevent their aura from regenerating. She wasn't really thirsty, but Leo was actually acting brave for once. Breaking him was going to take time, and she had things to attend to in the meantime.

Lionheart is a coward through and through. What could Salem possibly have threatened him with that's worse than this? He doesn't have family, and I highly doubt that she could torture him better than I can.

Or, he may actually not know. That was always a possibility. Still, when Rook's life was on the line, it never hurt to be sure. He was going to die either way, so a little torture didn't hurt.

Ghira Belladonna, a man who apparently nearly became in-laws with Raven, was waiting outside when she exited the classroom-cum-torture chamber. His face bore a disapproving look, and his arms were crossed. Raven passed by him without letting the man's disappointment bother him. His kid had supposedly been something of a real fuck-up, so he probably didn't understand that a true parent would do anything for a child they loved.

"That isn't necessary."

Raven shrugged. "I recall swiping a newspaper once that said you and your Fang buddies did worse."

"The White Fang that I led would never stoop to such lows. Don't compare yourself to me. It's Adam Taurus that you take after. He was a monster, and you're just as bad as him."

"Adam who? Oh, right, that guy who was boning your daughter until the day she bought the farm."

That garnered just the kind of reaction she was hoping it would, and Raven couldn't help but smirk at her ally's discomfort. "Grrrr…"

"I suppose that means I'm also just as bad as Bake."

"Curb your tongue. Or I shall curb it for you. Do not speak of my daughter in that manner."

Raven turned around and stepped so close to him that she could practically feel his chest fur brushing up against her nose.

"Your daughter, who tried to kill my kids? I'll speak of her however I damn well please. She got what she deserved…by the Grimm, she may have even deserved more."

Her titanium stiletto was at his throat before Ghira could lay a retractable claw on her. He may have been a fairly meaty bloke, but she was a huntress, and her reaction times were better. Plus, it was kind of obvious what he had been about to try.

She tickled his chin with the blade. "Defend your murdering bitch of a daughter again and I'll be the one curbing your tongue."

"Mom?"

Raven stepped five paces away from Ghira without turning her back on him. She nodded to acknowledge her eldest. "Yang."

"A-A-Are you covered in blood?"

"Yes."

"Damn. That's metal as fuck." Yang nodded approvingly. "Hey, guess what? I've got a lead on where Ruby's headed."

Raven sheathed her dagger and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank fuck! Also, mind your language. Don't say fuck. Or damn."

"Moooooom!"

Raven tore her eyes off of the chieftain of Menagerie and looked upon her daughter. It was then that she noticed Yang wasn't alone.

"Gee, girl, you and monkey boy got busy! I'm not sure I'm ready to be a grandma, though."

"Yeah, the information wasn't exactly free. We've got to look after these four kids in exchange for some…let's call them fair-weather friends finding an airship that has the coordinates where Ruby is." Yang rubbed the heads of one of the babies she apparently hadn't just birthed.

Raven looked over the four spogs, all of them trying to hide behind her daughter's legs.

"wwwwwwwho?"

"ffffffffriend?"

"hhhhhhhhhhungry."

"Ech. Why the freewheeling fuck do they talk like that?" asked Raven, retreating back a pace at the bullshit straight out of a ghost story. "It's creeping me the frick out."

"I dunno. But, hey, you've got more mothering experience than I do. Maybe you could keep an eye on them while I…um…shoot, I didn't prepare an excuse. Okay, the truth is, they creep me out too, and I don't wanna look at 'em."

"She isn't alone on that one," added the monkey Faunus, keeping his distance from the possessed demon orphans.

Welp, she'd raised Yang and Rook for most of their early childhood, and the kids were in the same age range. This shouldn't be too hard.

Raven got down on one knee and extended a hand to the closest child. "Hey, little boy. How's about Mommy Raven takes you over to the cafeteria, and we bake some cookies? My little ones used to love them when they were your age."

The boy stepped out and took Raven's hand. Suddenly, he pulled back and let loose an ear-piercing screech.

"Argh, make it stop!" said Yang, covering her ears. "What did you do?"

Raven looked down at her blood covered hand and wiped it on her red wrap top, where the color blended in perfectly. She loved that about her outfit. Having to cosplay as Summer in that white hood for those five years had been a real drag.

"Children. Come with me," bellowed Ghira. "I shall provide you with food and shelter to keep you safe from harm."

To Raven's great surprise, the kids flocked to him without hesitation, all crowding around him like they were about to pull out knives and mug him. She looked at the panther Faunus curiously for an explanation, which he provided.

"I recognize the look in their eyes. Many abused Faunus children from the work camps had it as well," he explained. "They were as mature as you or me, and they required stability and security more than they needed to be babied. If none of you object, I will look after the children."

Everyone else nodded. Looking back at the kids, Ghira said, "The beaches of Kuo Kuana will be a nice place for these youngsters. Safe, packed with food, and isolated from the threats of the world. And my Kali will be pleased to have more little ones under her care when she returns home."

"You planning on going back?" asked Yang.

"Truth be told, I feel that it is time I take my leave of this country and return home to Menagerie. The Albains may keep the White Fang here and seek further glory for their cause, but the immediate threat is dealt with, and the civilian aspects of our forces are no longer needed here. It is time I returned home."

"We can take it from here, big man," said Raven. She may have hated him and his skank of a daughter's guts, but she knew that one held their tongue when talking battle plans.

"A word of advice before I leave," said Ghira. "Watch yourselves and watch what you become. This mixed armada of yours is going down a dark path. Take care, or you will lose yourselves as my people once did."

"Jeez," Yang said when he and the kids was gone. "What was he going on about?"

"He took offense to me torturing Lionheart," Raven said nonchalantly.

The monkey boy looked at the blood on Raven's shirt, realized whose it was, and grew pale. "Uhhhh, I know he's a bad dude, but that guy was my headmaster for years. Is it really necessary?"

"For my children, I'd flay the flesh from his bones. Fortunately, that won't be necessary, if your new friends actually pull through."

"I'm not sure I'd call those bitches my friends," spat out Yang.

"Language, daughter. Don't say bitch."

"Aren't you supposed to be some hard-ass bandit queen who rules with an iron fist?"

"Yes, but I'm also the same woman who left all that behind to change diapers, bake cookies, and read stories to you and Rook, and then went right back to it. I'm simultaneously both a bad-ass huntress and a fucking amazing mom. Never underestimate the duality of woman, bitch. Also, don't say ass, Yang."

"C-Cinder? What's going on?"

"Go back to your dorms, Kelvin."

The trembling teen nodded, but his leader pushed past him and strode right up to Cinder. It was the same old thing; he was going to protest, and she was going to have to beat him down. So many people had already tried it that she could now recognize the tells.

"Let us through, you stupid cun–"

Midnight sang the most beautiful melody you'd ever heard.

"Kelvin, take Rankine and go back to your dorms. Haven has experienced a terrorist threat. The school's been locked down for your safety. Headmaster Lionheart's orders."

The younger student no doubt was full of questions, but he refrained from asking them out of either respect for Cinder's air of authority or fear for his life. Both were acceptable.

"Hey!"

Cinder sighed. They never learned.

"All students are…Emerald?"

The dark skinned girl ran up and embraced Cinder, then quickly detached from her. "Cinder, what is going on?"

"Em, you're not going to believe this. Lionheart's…working for the Grimm."

"N-No way…"

"Yeah. And apparently, they have a leader named Salem. She's been scheming and plotting to destroy the world for years. Heh, some huntresses we are. The big bad was out there for so long, and we didn't even know she existed. I can't believe I was so clueless."

"You're not clueless, Cinder. You don't– I mean, it's…y-you're not."

Poor Emerald. The shock of it all had to be so great that she was stunned to the point of stuttering and stammering out her words. Cinder pulled her in for another hug and gave Emerald a kiss on the cheek. Raven, Yang, and the others were nice enough, but it felt good to have someone who was on her side and her side alone.

"W-What's going on?"

"The school was attacked last night. Grimm and the Mistral Spiders Organization swung by for a bit, before me, some other kids, and the White Fang beat 'em back."

"The White Fang? T-They fought Salem?"

"I know they're supposed to be terrorists, but trust me on this one. They're on our side, at least for now."

"M-Maybe we should leave, i-if so many enemies are converging on the school at once. I even heard rumors of a giant Grimm flying overhead…"

Cinder shook her head. "Em, we're huntresses. I know you're scared, but we have a duty to protect the populace. We do not just destroy evil; we seek it out. This burden is ours, for none are as strong as us."

Cinder had been training her entire life to get stronger, and this was why. No threat could best her. When those who threatened the innocent came knocking, they would inevitably be weaker than her, because all beings on Remnant were weaker.

As long as Cinder's heart had a beat, there would be no more villages lost to the Grimm or bandits. No more struggling orphans so desperate for a chance at life that they must sell their very souls. No more children crying out for a hero to save them, only for the call to go unanswered.

No one else was going to save the world. Remnant was not full of hero huntsmen; it was full of weaklings and cowards. When her stepmother had placed a collar around her neck, it had taken years for a single person to lift a finger in her aid, and he was the exception, not the rule. Nobody cared about those who were less fortunate.

She could've cursed the world, but what good would that do to the next little girl? So instead, she became the change that the world needed.

Cinder would protect them. She would protect them all.

She'd already failed Ruby Rose, but no more. No more losses, no more failures, no more casualties – none.

Her girlfriend looked queasy. "Are you sure?"

"We're not leaving, Emerald. I'm the leader of Team CE, and that is my final word."

A nod confirmed that her commands were received and would be followed to the bitter end, if need be. "Yes, ma'am."

Emerald looked up at Cinder with a mixture of fear, love, and lust in her eyes. Cinder knew how much being useful meant to Emerald, but she also knew that her partner had never backed down before. If she wanted to run now, then that dragon must have really done a number on her nerves.

"What are you orders, Cinder?"

"We're going to need every capable fighter we can get if we're to emerge victorious in this oncoming battle. Neo and Mercury were both talented and compliant. Reach out to them and see if they can be brought back."

"That might be…difficult."

"You found them before. I have complete faith that you can find them again. I don't care what you have to promise – claim the authority of the office of headmaster if need be."

Emerald furrowed her brow. "I've never known you to lie."

"At this point, I don't believe there are any in Mistral more fit for the title of acting headmistress of Haven Academy then me. I fought for this school, I am stronger than any challengers, and I am Haven's most decorated huntress in ten generations."

Cinder wasn't opposed to claiming the title for herself. The notion of going from student to headmistress right away was almost an absurd one, but nothing about this situation made sense. Besides, who else was going to step up and lead? Looking back, Cinder realized that all of the bookish noncombatants and intellectuals that Lionheart had hired as teachers were likely placed in their positions to weaken the school and leave it defenseless for Salem's attack. None of those ninnies had the skills necessary to organize Haven. And there may have been plenty of qualified Mistrilian hunters who had the experience, but none of the students would respond to them.

Cinder was well known. As the most recent Vytal Tournament winner, her word would mean something to her peers, regardless of whether or not they liked her as a person. Only she could control Haven.

"You'll be an amazing headmuuuuuhuhuhuh…headm-m-m–" Emerald's cheeks began to redden as she tried to form the word on her lips. "Head…Misst…Misstr…"

Cinder laid a hand on her shoulder. "Deep breaths, girl. In and out. There we go."

The Seers led Ruby to a humungous pair of wooden doors. Though they were closed, Ruby could feel who was behind them.

Finally, her soul cried out in relief.

The light at the end of the tunnel was within reach. Salem herself was beyond that portal, mere meters ahead. And she was holding…a sword? Why would someone so powerful need a…a…

No…no, she was…no! She was holding a relic!

Panic overcame Ruby. She could still feel Salem's alluring magic calling to her, but she struggled and struggled until she managed to push it away. Ruby still wanted to go through the doors and see Salem more than anything else in the world, but the second relic changed things. The lamp was already so powerful, but Salem's was literally in the shape of a weapon. Ruby highly doubted that it was meant for magically cutting weeds or opening letters. That didn't bode well for her and Team Adventure. She'd planned to meet Salem, then break away using her maiden powers and escape, but if Salem had an invincible, combat-themed relic, escape might be impossible.

"Bronzewing. We need to go – now!"

Ruby grabbed onto the Seers' tentacles and swung them into one another. The disoriented blobs gently sank to the ground, their weird, barbed limbs still flopping about.

"Find Jaune!" she screamed as more Seers floated from the hallway towards them. Ruby closed her eyes.

Jaune. Bronzewing. Me. Not dying.

Silver eyes opened, and the stone Seers sank like…well, like stones.

"Arc is outside, but he's surrounded by Grimm. They aren't attacking him, though."

"Alright. Where's the drago–"

The doors behind Ruby creaked open.

Next Chapter: Final Boss – In which Ruby fights for her life.

Omake

Raven: Yang, don't curse.

Ruby: I, for one, never swear.

Raven: Atta bitch! I'm so fuckin' proud!

Author's Notes

The orphans and Ghira finally make their departure, and Lionheart finally gets his face punched. Ah, what a chapter.

NGL, Raven is my favorite character in this fic. I loved writing her like this

I love how the people at the castle are Ruby (the bird magic silver-eyed double maiden who holds the relic of knowledge), Jaune (the current incarnation of Salem's greatest foe and the most powerful magic wielder other than Salem herself), and Dove, just (un)happy to be included.

Time for an exciting showdown next chapter. Get ready to throw down!

I suppose I should specify – even though we're only three chapters into the fifth and final volume of The Empty Seat and it seems more like the beginning than the ending, it's pretty much going to be chaos, combat, and plot in every chapter forward. There will be no more calm sailing on the ocean, no more interloping filler shorts, no more nothing. It's all action from here on out. Call it a sprint to the finish line rather than a marathon.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!