Arthur Watts was, perhaps, for lack of better words, daunted by the events of these last few days.
Now considering the location of his most recent 'employers' base of operations, and the twisted abominations under her command that spent their days tirelessly patrolling its halls and the dark nightmarish land beyond the castle walls, you could be forgiven for thinking possessing some level of unease or fear towards the land they now called home, would only be natural.
However, notwithstanding his initial reaction following his recruitment by Salem, he'd grown accustomed to the near-constant presence of the creatures of Grimm though as of late their numbers around the castle grounds seemed to have grown at an alarming rate.
While Salem had promised him he had nothing to fear of the beasts while under her employ, rare as they might have been he had seen first-hand -as well as being forced to deal with the aftermath- the Grimm lashing out at the fellow members of their cabal, after being exposed to a sudden spike in emotion or sign of weakness, the last time he recalled it happening being in the aftermath of one of Cinders training exercises with Tyrian.
The lunatics' antics following the end of the bout had resulted in yet another spiel of egotistic nonsense from the insufferable child as she attempted to justify her continued place among them, the argument that followed inciting a nearby Beowolf to take the chance and lunge at Cinder while her back had been turned, the incident would have likely cost the girl her life, had their mistress not eviscerated the rouge Grimm on the spot, before calmly reminding them that while under her control the Grimm were still beholden to their natural instincts and to mind themselves better in the future.
Perhaps for Cinder, but he on the other hand had spent the better part of his life contending with both the scientific community and those in the upper echelons of Atlesian Society. It was in part because of that experience that he'd come to appreciate how up-front the Grimm could be regarding their intentions towards you, having to constantly navigate that tiresome mess of unchecked egotism, veiled hostility and narrow-minded stupidity was one of the few things he didn't miss from his life back in Atlas.
Pausing at the end of the hallway he stepped toward the jagged stone wall taking a cautious peek around the corner, seeing the way ahead clear he stepped out into the open. A low growl echoed down the hallway behind him, Arthur's head snapped back towards its source, slipping his hand into his suit jacket his fingers curling around the grip of his personal sidearm, a sense of foreboding falling over him as he stared down into the dimly lit hallway, waiting for any further sign of the Grimm growing closer.
He was a scientist, not a soldier, and while he had taken precautions to ensure his own survival in this inhospitable landscape, the most prominent being ensuring his own weapon possessed enough stopping power to deal with the most obvious threats, he knew his limits and would prefer to avoid open conflict in such a confined state, that provided little in terms of escape, should his foe prove to be too much for him.
After a tense moment of silence and with no Grimm coming into view, Arthur released a frustrated huff, taking a moment to compose himself and after adjusting the set of files under his arm continued on his way down the hall. Though as he moved further into the castle, the deep soul-crushing aura that had fallen over the Grimm lands practically overnight began to weigh on him more and more by the second.
His baser instincts urged him to flee, to turn around, return to his lab and wait out this malevolent storm until a more opportune moment arises, unfortunately, such a luxury was beyond his grasp at the moment. He knew if he did flee, especially considering what he had discovered might very well shed some light on their newest adversaries' movements. Once the truth, that he'd withheld such information from her, regardless of the reason why became known, their queen would ensure his punishment would be far worse than what he would have faced for a simple... interruption.
The violet candles lining the halls had grown darker, their light swallowed by the pitch-black miasma that slinked along the walls and across the floor rising up just past his ankles, it was as cold as the grave and just as likely to send him there should he linger in its wake any longer than need be.
Quickening his pace he pushed past the mounting feeling of dread slowly building inside of him, it wasn't long before he found himself facing the twin ebony black doors to the conference hall, its great bulk being the only thing standing between him and the source of this dreadful aura that was drawing in the legions of Grimm amassing around the castle.
Approaching the ebony black doors, Watts hesitated for a moment glancing out the corner of his eye towards the seam in the door, more importantly, the jet-black mist seeping through the opening and out into the surrounding hallway. Steadying himself he reached out pulling the door open the grinding of stone echoed through the darkened hallway behind him, followed almost immediately by another chorus of howls, spurred by the sounds of approaching Grimm he stepped through the narrow opening and slammed the door shut behind him.
Though any feeling of relief towards not being torn limb from limb was dwarfed by the sudden soul-crushing weight that settled upon his shoulders "...Arthur." The oh-so-usually calm and composed voice of their queen sent a slight shiver up his spine, clearing his throat Arthur slowly turned to face his patron, much like the hallway outside the light of candles illuminating the conference room had dimmed exponentially, though it did little to hide fluorescent blazing red eyes that gazed across the room towards him.
Her eyes narrowed then after shaking her head lightly in disinterest, they flicked back down to the seer Grimm hovering beside her, the Mother of Grimms gaze locked back onto the image within. "Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but I seem to recall instructing you that I was not to be disturbed?" Through the dark cloud of miasma within the Grimm, she saw through the eyes of her nevermore, from its perch atop the remains of a crumbling pillar she peered over the entrance hall leading into the crumbling remains of the Temple, resting at the foot of the cliffs beneath Beacon academy.
It was here that she'd watched the Nightingale enter before a sudden surge of energy passed through the forest, the link between her and her nevermore allowing her to feel it wash over her. It was magic, of that there could be no denying, yet there was something odd about it, something different... something foreign even, that distinguished it from the power that flowed through her own body since birth, she didn't quite know how to describe it.
Had she more than the few scant seconds that the energy had lingered in the air around the temple, she might have come to a more solid conclusion, for now, however, she could only ascertain that this was yet another show of power from their newest adversary, one she was quickly regretting not nipping in the bud ever since witnessing the massacre of her Grimm in the Emerald Forest during the student's initiation.
Moments later the Nightingale had emerged from the temple and then just as quickly vanished into a pitch-black void, through which she had felt the same overwhelming presence that had occupied Beacons' rooftops all those months ago, Nocturnal.
Almost immediately she'd pulled her Nevermore back to ensure they were not detected by this otherworldly being, then after allowing a few moments for things to settle, she'd ordered the Grimm nesting in the central tower to investigate the site, and what she'd found there was something that should have been impossible.
"I am going to trust you have a sufficient reason, for choosing to disregard my instructions." She stressed while silently ordering one of her Grimm in the temple to attempt to cross the entrance hall, the result was almost instantaneous and identical to the initial incident only the day before. Her nails grated across the armrest of her thrown as the air rippled and her Grimm was sent hurtling back across the hall its body burned away into motes of ethereal light.
"Apologies ma'am" Arthur bowed his head "It was not my intention to displease you however I felt my finding could not wait." Arthur supplies choosing each word carefully so as to not worsen her current mood and become that which she vented her newfound frustrations upon him. In truth, he had found something of noteworthiness, having utilized one of his few remaining contacts within Atlas to gain access to a deactivated administration account in the Valean CCT Network, and with a few minor additions to the code on his end he'd been able to circumvent Beacons firewalls and gain access to their systems.
Barring a select few they may need to keep an eye on in the future, as he'd initially expected there was little that stood out in the student records and he as such shifted his attention to the records from members of the upper administration, downloading as much as he could in what little time he had left, before withdrawing his presence from the system.
The last month had been spent sifting through almost several hundred documents ranging from financial reports to student test scores, had he the freedom he would have abandoned what was almost certainly becoming a pointless task diverting resources away from their main objective, however, his lady demanded results no matter how minuscule they might have seemed at the time, and she would not tolerate failure.
This shall we say... reminder, could be attributed to what eventually led him to his discovery and what he believed to be the reason behind this Nightingales' interest in the Academy, a video file, that had been stored on the deputy headmistress's scroll, the contents of which he felt was something far outside of his level of expertise. "Admittedly the findings are... bizarre, however, I believe they are the reason behind his presence at the academy."
The mother of Grimm's gaze snapped up from the seer, her focus now entirely on the fallen Atlesian scientist more importantly the files he was carrying. "You believe?" The mother of Grimm inquired the corners of her mouth twitching down in a faint but clearly displeased frown. "I did not ask for speculation from you Arthur, do you or do you not have information that can be of use to us?"
"I would not waste your time if I wasn't certain of that, however... what exactly I found may lean more towards your level of expertise than my own." The former Atlesion scientist replied earning a curious look from the Mother of Grimm, drawing his own custom black scroll from his vest pocket, and extending it into its pad variant, he typed away at the screen pulling up the video file he'd uncovered, before holding it out towards their Queen. "This footage was captured ruffly two weeks prior, and quite frankly I don't know what to make of it?"
Accepting the device the mother of Grimm turned her gaze down to the screen and was presented with a view over Beacons Courtyard, she tapped the play Icon and watched, her eyes narrowed at the flash of light over the courtyard that quickly formed into a dark pulsing vortex of light, it was unlike the void she had witnessed the nightingale disappeared into the day prior though that could easily be associated with the quality of the footage.
Its formation was followed swiftly by the cloaked archer emerging from within, a child clutched protectively to his chest as they crashed down onto the hard ground below. She stopped the footage there and turned her gaze back to Watts "How have Ozpin and his followers reacted to this?" She imagined he'd taken his tried and tested approach towards the no doubt sudden and shocking scene unfolding on his very doorstep.
"From what I've been able to gather, there has been no public activity that could allude to an increase in Beacons security, from the outside everything seems to be business as usual." He reached down swiping the screen of his scroll to the right revealing a list of text messages and scroll call transcripts between the headmaster and his deputy. "However, from what I've been able to uncover, this ...event for lack of better words, has led to some unrest within Beacons ranks, primarily between the members of the upper administration." Arthur added gesturing to a transcript of one of their conversations. "Although there appears to be no evidence suggesting the Nightingale was taken into custody by Beacons authorities or has been removed from the academy, despite their clear displeasure."
The Mother of Grimm hummed in agreement her eyes flicking over the record of their conversation "Yes, It would seem his deputy has been rather vehement in directing blame onto the man." Her interest growing she continued to read through the various transcripts.
While the majority of conversations between them appeared to have remained cordial, there were several that followed in the days after the initial events, which included reports on the Nightingale's activities and movements around the academy. She even spotted her own name sprinkled among them here and there, labelling her as a possible culprit or as his true benefactor, the more she read the more she could feel the woman's frustration towards the situation growing, with her Ozma's attempts to push not for the man's capture but to monitor him and the situation further, only feeding her ire.
Not that she would disagree with the course of action her former love had chosen, she had no hand in this 'disturbance' as they had dubbed it, and had she the ability to open pathways to and from one place, to another, she would have used them already to lay waste to each of the Kingdom's capitals and her dear Ozma's Academies, simultaneously.
Which in turn meant that there was something else at work here, something they weren't seeing.
Cupping her chin in thought her mind turned back towards the footage from moments before, the location of the portal was too random, too spur of the moment for it to have been intended, not to mention the position he'd arrived in and the unceremonious landing that followed.
'A retreat then.' No... that felt too simple, the Nightingale had chosen to remain hidden all this time, why reveal himself now and in such a reckless display, why take the risk of bringing the entire Academy's wrath down upon him? Swiping back towards the footage she stared down at the still image, more importantly, the child in his arms, a student from the academy most likely. "…The child he was with, what do we know of her?" she inquired
"Ruby Rose, fifteen years of age and up until ruffly four months ago a second-year student of Signal academy." Arthur supplied setting the student file in front of her alongside a full transcript of the data recovered from Beacons systems and the files on her teammates laid out above it for his Queen to inspect at her pleasure. "The order for her transfer was signed off by Ozpin himself, another attempt at bolstering their numbers no doubt, more so given her parentage."
The Mother of Grimm took the file in hand studying it with a keen eye, and indeed the child's name was a familiar one, as well as the face of the young girl that stared back at her, had she not met the woman in question herself she might have assumed they were one and the same, with matching pools of silver and dark brown hair that faded into red tips "You may recall our encounter with her apparent Mother some years ago, though at the time there were no records of her having a child."
Ozma's doing no doubt, a final safety net he'd put in place to ensure this branch of that dreaded bloodline could not be wiped from history like so many before them. "I remember her." More importantly, she remembered the fool of a huntress carving her way through her lands in a desperate attempt at putting an end to her, even now she couldn't help but look back on that day as little more than a waste of time and effort on both their parts.
The outcome of their battle had been as expected, while the huntress's power had bought her a precious few moments to strike out at her, such blows meant little to one who had been banished from death's embrace. A fact the poor fool had quickly come to realize, as shortly thereafter she found herself lying bloodied and broken at the edge of their clifftop battleground overlooking the dark pools that dotted this hellscape she had come to call her own, however, if the silver-eyed warrior thought the outcome of their battle would mean her death, she could not have been more mistaken.
No, the child's unexpected arrival had presented the opportunity for her to resume a personal project she'd been forced to abandon for some years. Yet those plans had almost immediately been dashed, as in some last-ditched effort the huntress had mustered what little strength she had left to call upon her eyes one final time, she had been blinded and immobilized for a few scant seconds, but upon emerging from her bonds, she found her quarry nowhere in sight, though the crimson trail leading over the edge towards pools of destruction below left little to the imagination of her fate.
Perhaps in those final moments of life, the child had realized she had no intention of finishing her and in some desperate attempt to escape, or more likely to deny her captors the chance to interrogate her for the secrets and prolong her suffering, had decided to put an end to it all before they were given a chance.
And now her own daughter, be it by fate or more likely the meddling of those who considered themselves higher beings, had found herself at the center of quite the grand display, though judging by her state of dress and lack of arms, the girl had no business being anywhere near such an event. Unless of course, she'd been given no say in the matter, as seemed to be the case.
'The aftermath of a failed kidnapping then.' She shouldn't be surprised that the silver eyes had drawn the attention of outside forces, they were the few blessed or perhaps a better term would be cursed to carry the God of Lights Power within them, and yet despite these warriors being antithetical to her own Grimm, even she had found some rather… Interesting uses for them over the years.
The pieces were starting to click into place, the incident with the portal, the unrest among Ozma's brotherhood, and now the barrier that had been erected around the Academy. With the Maiden bound to him, the Relic had always been within his grasp, and yet he'd stayed his hand, not because he had been instructed to, but because the relic was not his true objective, from what she had seen so far that honor belonged to the silver eyed girl.
This left her in a rather frustrating position, the smart thing to do would be to bide her time and wait for the two entities to finish their little spat before continuing with their operations towards the Academy, drawing their ire would not benefit them in any regards, and on a more personal note, the idea she may be forced to interact with such beings once more was a sickening one.
However, their operations were on a rather strict time table and should she choose to wait and allow events to drag on they would miss their window of opportunity, a minor inconvenience to one such as herself, she had the time to wait for a more appropriate moment to strike, though her followers did not share in that blessing. Admittedly, those currently under her command were some of the better subordinates she'd had in decades, and having to sacrifice them just for the sake of convenience could be considered nothing short of a waste.
The mother of Grimm turned her gaze to the ornate stained-glass windows staring out into the darkened skies above, taking a moment to take in the situation and consider how they might move forward. Given the boldness of this action, it would be safe to assume they were little more than an afterthought to Nocturnal and her adversary, unworthy of their time or even acknowledgement, and the more she looked back on the events that had transitioned over the last year, the more evident it became.
The Nightingales' intervention in Cinder's ambush could be perceived as little more than a means to secure a path to Beacon where his charge would soon reside, with the Nightingale claiming the Maidens heart and loyalties being an unexpected bonus.
Then there was the shipyard battle where Cinder's own pawn had been confronted by members of the girl's team, forcing the man to step in, in order to protect the silver-eyed girl.
And now the barrier that he'd erected around the academy, no doubt to ward off any further attempts on the child following the most recent incident, with its power over her Grimm being an unintended side effect.
As for her Ozma, if this had been a joint effort she doubted they would be seeing such discourse among their ranks, further reinforcing the notion that the Nightingale was completely unaware of their existence beyond Cinder and her followers, not that she was surprised, her Ozma guarded such information with a passion, only granting it to those he deemed worthy or in reality, that he could easily control.
They might yet be able to use that to their advantage, with Ozma and his follower's attention focused towards combating this being's advances, she could see much of the attention drawn to Cinder and her follower's operations in Vale shifting to combat this new threat.
Though that was not to say their youngest member would not need to exert a level of caution moving forward, the fact Ozma and his followers would already be preparing for an attack put them at a distinct disadvantage. All it would take was a single misstep and her agents may verry well have the wrath of Beacon if not the entire kingdom itself brought down on them should they be discovered.
The mother of Grimm leaned back in her throne a thoughtful look passing over her, Cinder would need to be informed and their timetable altered to account for the heightened awareness of their adversary.
As for the barrier… that may be something she'd need to contend with herself when the time came.
Though the magic may verry well be foreign in nature, of all of them, only she possessed the means and understanding in the mystic arts to comprehend and safely disable the source without catastrophic results. However, even she would admit to feeling somewhat curious as to how such a thing came to be, even if the Grimm were only a mere fragment of the God of Darkness essence left behind in the wake of their exodus, the ability to challenge even a fragment of a gods power was not something to be ignored.
"You've done well Arthur." The mother of Grimm nodded setting the file down beside the others "I may need some time to go over your findings in greater detail before making any decisions, so for now you may return to your duties." she dismissed him, there was much for her to attend too.
"Thank you, your grace." Arthur bowed his head lightly, before turning to take his leave.
The mother of Grimm hummed in response turning her attention to the transcript, their timeframe may need to be altered slightly as she'd be adding some additional objectives for Cinder and her followers once they'd infiltrated Beacon. As she turned to the first page a low sigh left her, she had thought herself rid of the endless bickering and grand schemes of the gods long ago, but now here she was forced to deal with two new entities that seemed set on turning remnant into their battleground.
Things were so much easier ten thousand years ago.
/
Mikael's eyes blinked open, greeted by the sight of the same pale ceiling he had come to know during his time at Beacon, yet as he peered around his surroundings his senses slowly returned to him he quickly began to realize the room he found himself in, was not his own. "Mmhhp~" Suddenly every iota of his now very attentive mind was focused on the warm body curled into his side.
Tilting his head down Mikael was greeted by the sight of soft brown tresses and the smell of oak and copper tips, Amber hummed lowly her head shifting lightly against his shoulder, a peaceful, loving smile gracing her features, her arms trailing up from beneath the blankets around her waist and coming to rest across his chest, after a moment his own moved to rest on her hips his fingers splaying out across her smooth dusky skin, the memories from earlier that morning flooding back to him.
He lay back against the pillow listening to the gentle sound of her breathing, allowing his mind to wander. Of all the things he'd expected to come from that encounter, this had been the farthest from his mind, however, he could hardly say he regretted it. Brushing a few stray locks of hair out of Amber's face, he stared at her peaceful visage lost in thought.
In the moments after the door closed behind them, she hadn't wasted time making her feelings towards him known, feelings he himself had felt growing inside of him over the long months since his arrival, throughout which Amber had chosen to remain by his side, a trusted friend and at times confidant that he had shared a great many of his secrets and troubles with, barring Serana he doubted there was anyone else in Vale whom he might have trusted to such a degree.
And despite his own fears on the matter, when the time came he had found himself unable to deny her, - the feeling of her lips upon his own was still fresh in his mind- and soon enough their hands had started to wander across one another bodies, the temperature in the room rising steadily and not long after they had moved their 'examination' of one another towards the bed, their clothing being lost somewhere along the way.
It wasn't the first time he'd lain with a woman, the days following Alduin's defeat had been a time of celebration and indulgence for much of Skyrim. Reya had been her name, a Bosmer battle Mage, and a member of one of Tullius's legions though he didn't quite remember which one, she'd been on leave in Whiterun at the time after their most recent string of counter offences against the Stormcloak's, and had found herself caught up in the festivities, they'd sang, drank and danced for much of that day before eventually retiring to a free room in the Bannered Mare for the evening and parting ways the following morning.
Though he could hardly say their time together compared to this, this... this felt more real, there was something about the sheer intimacy behind it all, to be loved beyond what any friendship or familial bond might offer, it served to enhance the experience far past anything he could remember of that night. Turning his head towards the nightstand beside them he reached out with his free arm, careful not to shift too much and risk waking the slumbering Maiden and plucked his scroll off its surface.
Glancing at the time he noticed it was around half-three, almost five hours since he and Serana last spoke before she left to meet with Ozpin and a half hour before Ironwood and his delegation from Atlas were set to arrive. He swiped into his contacts and moved to Serena's contact information, however his finger paused over the message icon, recalling Serana's assurance she had everything in hand while he took some time for himself.
Though he doubted this was what she meant by "winding down", by the nine he was already dreading the amount of teasing he would have to endure once she found out about this, her long life had afforded Serana the time to develop a great many skills, one of the best and at times most troublesome being her nose for gossip.
Shaking his head lightly in mirth, he glanced back down towards Amber's sleeping form once more, he smiled softly stroking his hand softly over her waist, a part of him wanted to toss the device aside, get comfortable and spend the rest of the day like this.
Sadly, as much as he might have wished otherwise that wasn't an option, General Ironwood and the rest of the Atlesian delegation would be arriving soon enough. Given the General's...disposition towards him, the last time they met, he could already imagine the news of recent events hadn't been taken well, he just hoped even if the man wasn't willing to listen to them he would at least adhere to Ozpin's wishes.
However, should their continued stay at Beacon become too much of a risk for themselves and the occupants ... there was always the option of abandoning Beacon. He and Serana would be more than capable of making a clean escape so long as they could avoid the Huntsmen, but that idea in itself created its own list of problems, primarily the fate of the Elder scroll that was now hidden away inside the academy and Miss Rose once the defenses they'd already installed failed.
Leaving the former behind could very well sign the death warrant for both the hapless fool that might stumble across it and this world as a whole should they decide to read what was inside. As for the latter, what they'd done so far had secured time, precious little of it but time nonetheless, even if they were ousted from the academy today the barrier would still be able to sustain itself for another week before the rune would need charging.
Paranoid, as they might be Ozpin and his little brotherhood, weren't fools, they knew of the threat now and should he and Serana be forced to depart from Beacon they would continue to prepare as best they could for a possible incursion... though should all else fail they may just decide to hand her over and avoid conflict altogether.
Given the choice between possible annihilation at the hands of the Daedra and ensuring the survival of the Academy and the City and all at the price of one life. From that standpoint, it would be the most tactically sound choice for them to make, what was the life of one child against the hundreds of others already attending this academy, the hundreds of thousands more down in the city below and those still set to arrive for the festival later that year.
For a military man and headmaster like Ironwood whose career had been built around the protection and strengthening of his kingdom, it would be the last in a long line of alternatives, but an option nonetheless and one that would grow more appealing as time went on and pressures began to mount. He knew it, Ozpin knew it, and he was more than certain Ruby knew of it as well, he just hoped she'd be able to endure the trials ahead for a little while longer.
Sighing to himself he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, turning his attention back to the matter at hand, tapping on the message icon he began typing away 'How did the headmaster react to the rune circle, do we have permission to begin forging and enchanting?'
Pressing send he waited, then a few moments his Scroll gave off a low buzz, a fresh line of text popping up in the chat window.
'He approved the design and said we're clear to begin once the foundry closes later tonight.' Came her immediate reply, followed swiftly by another message added to their chat. 'You better have taken my advice and got some rest between now and then, I know how you get, if someone doesn't remind you to do it, you won't.'
'I did, and you were right I definitely needed the rest.' Mikael sent back, and while it may not have been rest in the most traditional sense, he certainly felt refreshed if nothing else 'James and the delegation from Atlas will be arriving soon, have you heard anything from the headmaster'
'Nothing at the moment, though he might be doing that on purpose, if I were in his shoes I would have already briefed the General on everything to get the worst of it out of the way, it'd give me time to answer questions and try and quell tempers before anyone made any rash decisions.' Came his sister's reply, Mikael nodding along with her line of thinking as he read on. 'Speaking of which we should probably keep our distance from landing zones and Beacon tower once they do arrive, we don't want to look like we're trying to provoke anyone.'
'Agreed' Mikael texted back, they couldn't be certain how stable the situation was at the moment and their presence may end up being the straw that broke the camel's back. 'Though if we need to move about we should keep to our campuses, they are one of the few places in Beacon our presence won't be questioned or considered suspicious.' Mikael added.
'And what about Amber, the headmaster and the others weren't exactly thrilled about her involving herself with us the first time around, it might be best if we keep our distance for a while, I don't like the idea of her getting caught up in it all if something does happen.' His sister lamented much to Mikael's agreement, though thankfully he had already taken steps in those regards.
'I've already made some arrangements with her' Mikael paused for a moment considering how best to explain things. 'She's agreed to keep her distance from us for the time being, at least until we can be sure things with the General have gone smoothly.' He felt Amber shift against him her soft breath blowing across his neck as he waited for his sister's reply, after a moment of silence several dots appeared in the chat menu followed by a low buzz as a new line of text appeared below.
'I take it she didn't take it all too well?' Serana inquired.
Considering their current position 'No'
From what he'd gathered the Nomadic life she'd lived up until their meeting had been one of isolation, likely brought upon by the burden of the maiden powers and the risk that came with possessing them. He could dare say he might have been the first real friend she'd had in years, he'd seen a significant shift in her personality from the quiet and reserved young woman he'd encountered in that cave, to the determined and headstrong one currently lying beside him.
He wasn't arrogant enough to believe he'd been the one to inspire this change, it had likely been within Amber all her life, yet never having had a chance to show itself until recently, trapped behind the mental and emotional walls she'd erected to protect herself or rather others from growing too close to her.
He'd had similar fears in his younger years, which had led to him dismissing several of his companions during many of their adventures after learning of the magnitude of the threat they were facing, he couldn't help but think back to his and Mjoll's delve into the crypt beneath Solitude in pursuit of the Wolf Queen and their ensuing battle with the undead that followed, his expression twisted into a small frown, it had been a close call...had he been a few second slower, that Draugers mace probably would have split her head wide open, the spike traps he'd found soon after had only helped to reinforce that decision.
So, he imagined finding herself travelling with someone of similar power had likely abated those initial fear, allowing her to relax and lower those walls and let this hidden side of herself roam free.
'I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're not all too fond of it either.' Mikael paused cocking a brow at his sister's message, though before he could think to type back his response, his scroll buzzed once more 'And before you ask I know you too well not to notice you've been carrying a flame for her, and that pushing her away like that isn't sitting well with you.'
Mikael glanced off to the side, he wouldn't deny it, how could he after everything that had happened, even before all this the idea of pushing her away hadn't sat right with him, he knew it was necessary both to ensure Ambers safety and help them maintain their stance on co-operation, but that hardly helped the weight that had settled over him at the time. He let out a small breath 'No' Mikael began typing 'Had there been another choice at the time I would have taken it, but this is the safest option we have at the moment, I won't say it's ideal, but Amber is risking more than either of us on this and should things go awry I won't have her losing everything because she chose to trust me.'
'I won't argue with you on that.' Came Serana's reply 'The level of Paranoia between those three, they remind me of how Delphine and Esbern were acting before you severed ties with them.' The more Mikael read the more he could feel his sister's worry with each word. 'They seem more worried about something other than just Hermaeus Mora, like their expecting something else to happen in the meantime.'
'The White Fang has been making themselves known more and more over the last few weeks.' Mikael offered back 'Their alliance with Torchwick means each of the Dust robberies over the last year can be traced back to them, not to mention the attack on the docks proves they're growing bolder, they could be worried about an attack on the city.' Then there was always the group that attacked Amber back on the roadside, it had been months since then, but that attack could have easily been a sign that an old enemy or rival faction was rearing its head once more; after all, they wouldn't have taken the risk of going after that power if they didn't plan to use it in some way.
'And with Mora here as well, their attention has been split between dealing with this and tackling them at the same time.' Serana seemed to surmise, he knew for himself how a union between criminal organizations could cause a great deal of concern for those in power, after all, his own work back in Tamriel's criminal underground had caused quite a stir among the provinces ruling governments. 'It certainly seems like the most obvious cause, but something about it just doesn't sit right with me, they're keeping something from us, something big.'
'Either way, Ozpins secrets are going to have to take a back seat, for the time being, we have enough to deal with as is without involving ourselves in Vales affairs any more than we already have.' Mikael typed back, he knew from their first meeting the old man had been keeping things from him, just as he was still keeping things from them even now regarding himself and Serana, for the moment however Mora was the greater threat and so long as that continued to be the case, he could hardly spare a thought towards the possibility of their being other factions and their apparent rivalry with Ozpin, so long as they didn't directly interfere he had no quarrel with them.
'Still, it might be a good idea for one of us to keep an ear to the ground on this, even if it's just with the White Fang, having a rogue element like that running around right now doesn't sit all too well with me, the last thing either of us needs is for them to do something stupid that could put everything we've done so far in jeopardy.' Mikael nodded along with her line of thinking, the amount of dust that had been taken thus far was concerning, at this point, the White Fang would be sitting on quite a stockpile of armaments, their intent for which was all too clear, but their target, however, remained a mystery.
The Vytal festival seemed like the most obvious, but also the farthest outside the realm of possibility, given the significance of the festival to the four kingdoms and the number of representatives and participants that would be in attendance, the backlash they would receive both in the media and by the hands of the kingdoms themselves would dwarf whatever result they might have hoped to garner.
Then again... from what he'd seen so far, the White Fang had come to mirror some of the more fanatical 'groups' he had encountered over his travels, and like them, it's possible they may see such wanted destruction as the more 'Righteous and Heroic' path to make their so-called goal of Equality a reality, no matter how self-destructive it may be.
'You may have a point there, once we've delivered the enchanted items to miss Rose and her team-' Mikael passed in his typing considering his next move carefully, he doubted miss Belladonna would appreciate him revealing her checkered past to his sister, and even then she and her team already had enough to deal with given recent events, fortunately, she was not the only former White Fang member he had come in contact with during his time on Remnant.
If Serana really intended to take a deeper look into the White Fangs activity in Vale, Alana could prove to be an untapped source of crucial information especially given her stance on the White Fang after recent events.'-I have a contact of sorts in Vale, she's familiar with the White Fang dealings and how they operate." He typed back before quickly adding "She has since left the organization behind in pursuit of a better life, but if you're really set on looking into this further, her insight into the White Fang's inner workings and hierarchy could be useful, just don't involve her anymore then you have to, she's built herself a new life in Vale and I'd rather not be the one that caused her to lose it all.
'That goes without saying, though we might want to give Ozpin some forewarning if we decide to take any direct action, don't want another 'Misunderstanding' once we get this mess between you and him sorted out.' Serana typed back 'Anyway I have to get going, I still have one more class scheduled for this afternoon with Miranda so I need to get going, I'll see you again at the forge later tonight, stay safe.' Mikael sighed dropping his arm down onto the sheets beside him.
"...Is something wrong?" A soft voice asked, looking down he found Amber peering up at him worriedly.
"Nothing." Mikael replied "I'm sorry if I woke you."
"You're fine." Amber said as she shifted onto her side, an action made all the more difficult by the fact her legs were feeling a little numb right now, a feeling that was contrasted by the pleasant burning between her thighs, diverting some of her Aura to deal with the former of the two she smiled softly, laying her head against his chest she breathed "And you didn't answer my question?"
"It's nothing you'd need to worry about anyway." Mikael replied honestly, reaching down to cup her cheek as he leaned in, tilting her head to the side slightly Amber leaned in returning his kiss in full, their moment lasting only a few seconds before they separated once more "I was just checking in with Serana."
The Fall Maiden hummed contently, trailing her fingers along one of the more defined scars across his abdomen, while scars weren't an uncommon sight for huntsmen she'd been shocked by the sheer number and variety of them the first time she'd seen him shirtless, but now she couldn't help but feel curious towards their origins, each one was a story of the battles he'd fought and the various foes he'd triumphed over.
"They're rather unsightly, aren't they?" Mikael added suddenly feeling a little self-conscious from the attention those old wounds were receiving.
"I don't mind if anything... I like them." Amber whispered her rebuttal, she certainly had enough time to study them during their last session, and she couldn't help but compare the experience to those romance novels she'd read that described the act of sex, the passion between two lovers, the electricity that arced down your spine as the protagonist and their lover joined together as only a man and woman could; yet none of it held a candle to the real thing, they'd taken things slowly at first more for her benefit than his, her lack of experience leaving her lost when it came to the bedroom, though Mikael had hardly seemed to mind taking the lead and guiding her through her first time.
She smiled as the memory came to the forefront of her mind, the sound of her heart hammering in her chest as his body encompassed her own, the feeling of being filled so completely, the almost bestial sounds that left them as they gave in to their most primal urges, and the love that had burned in his eyes as they lay together in the aftermath of their climax.
Speaking of which it was probably a good idea to make a trip down to the campus pharmacy later and grab some pills, she knew her cycle pretty well and could say she was clear of any danger, but it was better to be safe than sorry, in the meantime however...
Feeling the strength in her lower body returning she glanced up towards her love and smirked playfully, before he had time to react she pushed herself up and crawled over his legs settling down just above his waist. "Each one tells a story." She added brushing her hands across Mikael's broad chest, she smirked, feeling his heart beating just a bit faster under her ministration.
"Amber..." Mikael trailed off somehow managing to maintain an even expression, moving as fast as they did he hadn't had the time to truly take in her appearance, she had always been quite the beauty in his eyes, but looking at her now... Gods.
He allowed his eyes to wander, drinking in every inch of her form, from her supple yet strong thighs to her wide hips and toned stomach, up past the swell of her dusky breast tipped with dark brown nipples, until finally their eyes met once more and Mikael could see the desire burning inside them, the light peaking in from between the curtains casting an almost angelic glow upon her, it was an image that would be forever burned into his mind.
For a moment he lost himself, one hand reaching out to grasp her hips softly while the other slid past her waist and up along her ribs cupping her right breast and squeezing softly, while his thumb drew soft circles around her nipple, drawing a pleased hum from the Fall maiden. Amber leaned forward resting her forearms on either side of his head, their faces hovering mere inches apart, those smouldering brown eyes of hers daring him to go further, causing a certain part of him to rise to meet her challenge, Amber smirked in response and began rolling her hips back and forth, his erection slipping between the crack of her ass and quickly finding itself trapped between her supple cheeks as she ground against him.
He hissed lightly shifting his grip with his free hand down past her hips and clamping his hand over that luscious rear, fingers sinking into ample flesh, groaning his own hips began to thrust up against her, their breath coming out in soft pants. It would have been so easy, he'd just need to roll them over or for her to raise her hips up a little more and they could continue on from where they'd left off earlier...
Mikael gritted his teeth forcing himself to stop "Amber~" he hissed out once more tightening his hold on her rear, putting an end to her own ministrations, the Fall Maiden gasped slightly the desire he'd seen in her eyes quickly being replaced by a mix of worry and confusion.
"W-what's wrong?" She stuttered brushing a few loose locks of hair out of her face, for a moment she thought she'd done something wrong, that maybe she'd gone a little too far earlier talking about his scars like that, and made him uncomfortable. "Is... is it about the scars?" She asked her face flushing in embarrassment as she looked away, she'd been trying to sound sexy for him, not creepy or inconsiderate of them. "I didn't mean to make you self-conscious or anything... they just give you this rugged, dangerous look and I- Hugh!" Amber gasped as their positions were suddenly inverted, her back bounced off of the bed, her hands sized by the wrist and pinned above her head.
"Believe me I didn't mind." Mikael assured her, Amber met his gaze before tilting her head off to the side her face growing a few shades darker from their current position.
"That was a dirty trick." She whispered out in frustration, if he really just wanted to switch things up he could have just asked her. "I thought for a second I'd done something wron-" Mikael leaned in and claimed her lips once more, silencing her fears, Amber pushed back against him eagerly, releasing his grip on her wrists Mikael pulled back breaking the kiss and leaving a surprised and somewhat disappointed Fall Maiden behind, he reached down to cup her cheek Amber leaning into his touch affectionately. "Tease" she whispered; Mikael smiled softly.
"Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of the day in this bed with you." he smiled softly stroking his free hand down her thigh softly, Amber pushed herself up on her elbows their face hovering only a few inches apart, he turned his face away slightly when it looked like she'd try for another kiss. If he didn't stop now he wouldn't have the strength to try again. "But I don't think we're going to have the time right now for it to be anything meaningful." Mikael added tilting his head towards the digital clock resting on the nightstand.
Amber followed his gaze and frowned as she finally realized the time a frustrated growl emanated from the back of her throat, recalling their prior agreement her anger swiftly turned towards the source of this ultimatum 'James... you fucking Ken-doll' she huffed, turning back to Mikael who at least had the decency to look ashamed for leaving her high and dry, not that she could blame him it was either this or risk them getting caught, and from how they'd acted just from the two of them interacting together, she doubted the others would take the news they'd not only entered a relationship but that it had progressed this far all too well.
Amber's head lolled back, and Mikael winced at the long, almost agonizing sigh that left her. "Fine" She breathed out her expression twisting into a disappointed pout the Fall Maiden's now piercing gaze turned towards the last Dragonborn, "But" She added prodding a finger into Mikael's chest "I will be expecting some compensation coming my way afterwards, got it buster." Back rubs, Foot massages, the works, she wouldn't allow herself to be left unsatisfied the next time around.
Mikael chuckled taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles as a knight may do to a Queen "As my lady commands me" He offered back with a knowing smile, Amber's lips twitched up into a smirk, laying back across the bed as she stretched her arms and legs out feeling the satisfying pop of her joints while Mikael stood from the bed and went about gathering his things before disappearing into her bathroom, the gentle heat that perforated the room removing the need for her comforter.
Shutting her eyes she lay there in silence, focusing her attention on the sound of running water coming from the bathroom, the more she listened the more her mind began to drift and she became lost in the white noise, it felt like an eternity but as time ticked by so did the burning heat inside her subside. Sighing to herself as the last embers faded she got up off the bed and moved to her own discarded pile of clothes.
Slipping back into her underwear she reached for her bra but paused upon noticing both the shoulder straps had been snapped and the clip was broken, she'd have to remind Mikael to be a little more careful with her clothes in the future, not that she'd been complaining at the time, but... having to go out and buy a new set of lingerie after each of their session wouldn't be something she was looking forward to in the long run.
She scooped up the destroyed garment and tossed it back on her bed to be dealt with later, moving towards her dresser she paused, a low thrum perforating the air, the source of which coming from the window, narrowing her eyes as she crossover the room, scooping up her blouse as she passed by the bed, Amber threw the garment over her shoulders and hastily fastened the first three buttons, she didn't want to give a passing student who might have looked up at the wrong moment a free show after all.
Drawing the curtains back she tilted the blinds open the light of the afternoon sun causing her to squint, yet there in the distance, she could see them, a dozen perhaps more Atlesian air-ships beginning their descent through the clouds down towards Beacon. 'Great' she thought bitterly turning back to call out to Mikael, she nearly choked on her words after finding him already standing behind her fully dressed, the only sign he'd been in the shower being his damp hair.
Taking a step back, clutching at her chest she asked . "C-can you not sneak up on me like that, please."
Mikael leaned back chuckling at her reaction sheepishly "I'm sorry, I honestly don't realize I'm doing it sometimes" He apologized before turning his gaze back towards the sky outside, his smile falling slightly he added "... I should get going before they start to land." he turned back to her, smiling sadly he reached out brushing a few stray locks of hair behind her ear "Just a few days." he said, enough time for he and Serana to do what needed to be done and to prove any doubts the brotherhood had towards Amber were frivolous.
"A few days..." She recited frowning lightly at his tone, he didn't want to leave nor did she want him to go, but they both knew they were on thin ice after the fiasco when Ozpin and the others learned about Mora, so as he turned to leave she reached out gripping him by the cloak, he paused turning his head back towards her; their eyes met for what could very well be the last time and Amber took her chance, leaning forward the Fall Maiden stole one final kiss from this mighty Dragon.
It was a purely selfish act, one final act of passion in which she desperately wished to indulge and for a moment she was reminded of their night back at the Inn, how she'd lost herself to the fatigue, to the stress, and fear and how closely it seemed to mirror this moment. Only this time she was not alone in her desire, his arms snaked around her waist pulling her flush against him, one hand slipping down across her lower back while the other trailed up to cup her cheek, her own quickly locking around his neck pulling them even closer, she didn't know how long they stayed that way though it felt like an eternity.
Eventually, the need for air forced them to separate from one another, Amber's head coming to rest against his chest her face flushed, her heart pounding, much like his own "Please...Be careful when you're around James" She whispered. "He's not like Ozpin if he thinks you're a threat for even a second he won't waste time trying to prove it first, he'll act."
Mikael leaned down whispering "I will." Before slowly relating the Fall Maiden, stepping back out of her embrace he offered one final reassuring smile, before once more donning his hood and cowl "Be safe" he added before turning to take his leave, stepping out into the hallway. A heavy sigh left the nightingale as he glanced back at the door to her room, did it feel unfair to still ask her to hold herself to their agreement even after all they'd done together over these last few hours, certainly, but at the same time, he now had more of a reason to follow through on the agreement, if not only for her then the chance the both of them might be together without fear of those around them.
Yet no matter how sure of this course of action he might have been, nor how short the time apart may be, the guilt still remained. 'It's for the best.' He reminded himself shaking his head as he turned his attention back towards the empty hallway.
There was still much to be done.
A/N: Nothing really to say about the time between this chapter and the last one, shortly after the last update I entered my final year of University, so most of the time I would have liked to spend working on this over the last few months has been spent, attending classes, researching for said classes, working on assignments along with my part-time job, and I've still got another semester ahead of me.
So, it is with some displeasure I have to say you shouldn't expect any more chapters until around summertime this year. Once more I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a review below, I like reading your comments and the criticisms you give help to improve the story, until next time.