RWBY 40k fanfiction – Salem, mistress of Inquisition.
Ep 2 : The Sigillite.
A few months after Salem arrival on Hongol…
In a large decorated room. Several High Lords of Hongol were gathered, some had body parts deformed by mutations, others had cybernetic arms, legs. While the rest had both at the same time.
In front of them were several women in chains, dressed summarily. They looked healthy.
One of the Lords was present on a platform.
Lawyer: "So. Here are the future maids collected by the Inspectors. Let's start with the one on the left."
He pointed to the brunette maid on the left.
All the lords began to offer ever greater prices for each maid. Until the maid returned to whoever gave the highest bidder.
For hours on end, each servant returned to each lord of Hongol.
Finally, there was one last.
Lawyer: "This is the latest and most beautiful one we have found. On the other hand, we took care to block her mutant powers. Despite her powers, isn't she magnificent?"
He pointed to the woman in question, wearing iron gloves and chained all over.
It was Salem but now with a look of despair.
Salem (thoughts): "I'm so sorry... I should not have turned humanity against you... I am so sorry..."
She started to shed tears and sniffles as an argument started between the nobles because they absolutely did not want to leave this lovely witch to someone else.
Salem stared at the ground, resigned.
Salem (thoughts): "I deserve it... I am just a monster... A monster of the worst kind..."
High Lord 1: "Since that's how it is... (turns to Salem and one takes a reassuring tone). Since none of our people can agree. You'll decide who you go with."
Salem: "!"
High Lord 2: "I will offer you protection!"
High Lord 3: "Beautiful clothes!"
High Lord 4: "Head Servant Position!"
Priest-Lord: "Abbess of my monastery!"
High Lord 5: "For me... All of this at once!"
Salem held her breath and as she went to choose the High Lord offering her protection. Another voice spoke.
?: "You can become my student."
Everyone turns around. Salem then saw a man, holding a scepter in his hand. He was dressed in long robes with a black one covering his face while his long white hair came out of the hood.
High Lord 1: "Who are you? Who left an intruder here?"
Hooded man: "You mistake me. I was invited by this man."
He pointed to the High Lord Priest.
High Lord Priest: "But I didn't invite anyone... Wait... You are the Sigillite?"
The Sigillite: "That's it. I sent you a large sum of money and some of my acquaintances to come here."
High Lord 6: "You invited a stranger?!"
High Lord Priest: "Sometimes we have to spare the stranger in exchange for peace. I remind you that I see the explosions of bombs on the horizon!"
High Lord 7: "You're lucky Majesty Narthan Dume is in the front because he would have executed you!"
The Sigillite: "Okay...are you finished?"
High Lord 1: "Do you seriously think you're going to acquire this witch for yourself? She was going to choose me!"
High Lord 2: "No me!"
High Lord 3: "Me at last! I treat my servants as it should be!"
The Sigillite: "Silence. (Turns to Salem).
I offer this to you my dear. I heard you were a powerful witch. Back home, I could teach you many things that could strengthen your power. Do not unnecessarily sacrifice your life and your time towards these lords who have other things to do than spoiling you or copulate you. What do you think?"
Salem was hesitant. On the one hand, this man's proposal was truly miraculous. But on the other, she doubted what he could do with her.
Eventually, despair overcame her again. Seeing that in any case, she can never be free then as much to offer herself to someone lenient like him.
Salem: "Yes. I will join you, Master Sigillite."
All the other High Lords were outraged.
High Lord 1: "What? After the price I offered?"
High Lord 2: "You should never have invited that stranger to Hongol!"
They all turn to the priest and start arguing with him.
High Lord 3: "I ask you for your nuns in compensation!"
High Lord 4: "2 witches for each of us!"
High Lord Priest: "Never! They belong to the God Kalak. Taking out the servants of the god is sacrilege!"
While the group was arguing. The old man and the witch approached the lawyer, the Sigillite held out a bag towards him.
Lawyer: "What is it?"
The Sigillite: "Open."
The Lawyer opened it and saw a mountain of precious stones inside.
The Sigillite: "Will that be enough?"
Lawyer: "Widely."
He gave a property paper to the Sigillite.
The Sigillite: "Come now, we leave immediately."
He carried Salem out of the hall and then out of the city at the end of the day.
Then he came to a path off the huge roads leading to the capital of the Pan-Pacific Empire.
During this walk, no one had said a word.
The Sigillite: "Here we are."
They arrived at a cavity of rocks. He reached into the cavity and pulled out a bag.
He opened them and took out clothes, large tunics and large pants.
He then untied Salem from his bonds, including his gloves.
The Sigillite: "Get dressed. Aren't you going to keep this cast-off?"
Salem looked at her outfit before taking the offered clothes. She got behind a rock before dressing in a long shirt with thick sleeves, black tights, brown boots.
She came out of the rock.
Salem: "Now what?"
The Sigillite: "Let's go now. I'm not going to chain you up like an animal."
Salem remained silent. The Sigillite took the bag with him and resumed his walk followed by Salem.
The Sigilitte: "We are going north. Towards the Hymalazia range. My temple is hidden in these snow-capped mountains."
Salem does not answer, looking away.
The Sigillite: "Let's go."
Thus, a long journey began. From which countless days passed.
The duo crossed deserts, mountains and other rocky plains.
All under a hazy sun.
When night fell, you could see stars in the sky, but also parts of the sky that were blood red, with stars black as ink.
Those places in the sky made Salem really uneasy, even after an interminable amount of time she couldn't count. She couldn't get used to those things in the sky. She was looking elsewhere as a result.
Eventually, the duo arrived towards the mountains of Hymalazia. A chain of gigantic mountains that pierced the sky filled with clouds.
They climbed the mountains with their steps soon sinking into the snow.
Salem looked at the old man, he who hadn't eaten or drunk for ages since his meeting and yet suffered no inconvenience.
Arriving towards one of the mountainsides, where the air was thin as a huge blizzard was blowing.
The Sigillite: "We're almost there! The door to my temple is before us!"
Salem: "Really? I don't see anything!"
The Sigillite: "You haven't lived in the mountains, I can see that. Don't panic, we're almost there. I've traveled the world and I know this mountain like no one else."
They continued to walk. The wind and the cold were not a problem for Salem because as his body is immortal. She couldn't feel anything but she was being pushed by the wind while the visibility was zero. She could well use her powers but she feared that an avalanche would be triggered.
Finally, on the mountain wall. She could see an entrance, a stone entrance.
The Sigillite: "Here we are!"
Salem: "But how to enter?"
The Sigillite: "Know that you are not the only one who uses powers in this world."
He stretched out his arms and a growl was heard. Salem then saw the double doors open under the slow gestures of the Sigilitte. The door finally opens completely.
The Sigillite: "Let's go in!"
They entered inside the cavity. Once inside, the Sigillite closed the doors, plunging everything into darkness and silence.
Salem: "Wait, I'll..."
The Sigillite: "It's not worth it. I'll do it myself."
A light comes on and Salem sees that Malcador has taken a torch and lit it with his hands.
The Sigillite: "Let's go."
They borrowed the long corridors which are adorned little by little with decorations.
They arrived in a large room, with a large fireplace while it had royal furniture and portraits.
Salem: "What is it?"
The Sigillite: "Relics of the past. Of a past that everyone has forgotten."
Salem: "Is this world that old?"
The Sigillite: "Yes. It's not for nothing that we are in the 28th millennium."
Salem: "28...28th millennium? I don't believe it!"
The Sigillite: "Nobody knows this person except me, high lords and acquaintances like the Master of Bloodlines."
Salem: "Master of Bloodlines?"
The Sigillite: "You will find out in due time... Come to the living room."
Salem accompanied the old man to the living room. A living room with two sofas installed in front of a large table.
The Sigillite: "Sit down."
Salem sits down opposite him.
Salem: "But why did you bring me here? Why?"
The Sigillite: "I told you. I see immense potential in you. I have been looking for a student with whom I could pass on my knowledge for a long time. In case, something bad happens to me."
Salem: "Hm... I see..."
The Sigillite: "I see something is bothering you."
Salem: "What? No, not at all."
The Sigillite: "I need to know."
He got up from the couch then put his hand on Salem's forehead.
Salem: "What are you doing?"
She suddenly felt her body go limp; she flopped down on the couch while the Sigillite kept his hand on her head. She felt bad, very bad. As if her soul was kneaded like dough.
Finally, the old man pulled his hand away and sat down.
Salem sits back and breathes heavily, still in shock.
Salem (grunts): "What have you done to me?"
The Sigillite: "I read your mind. And I understand everything now."
Salem: "What... what?"
The Sigillite: "Your memories, I have read them. What suffering and endless wandering."
Salem (frightened): "What? How? You read my memories? ALL my memories?!"
The Sigillite: "Everything. I understand why you don't want to talk to me."
Salem felt really bad. If that old man is telling the truth then... she saw what she did.
Salem: "I can't be your student. I can't!"
The Sigillite: "And why not?"
Salem (upset): "You've seen my memories haven't you? You've seen my deeds?! Why would you take me?! Why?!"
The Sigillite: "I can't let you suffer any longer. Even if you consider it a punishment."
Salem: "But... But... But by my fault, I killed millions of people!"
The Sigillite: "But at the same time, you let yourself be carried away by your grief. A heartache. That kind of feeling can make us completely stubborn decisions. We are all human."
Salem (screams): "But I've killed millions of people! Because... Because... Because I'm just a miserable pest! I thought the world was mine and there ... I have nothing because I have never had anything and I will have nothing! NOTHING!"
She shed tears of rage and self-hate.
The Sigillite: "You made a huge mistake. I understand..."
He stood up and brought his face closer to her. Salem could finally see it; it was the face of an old man whose centuries weighed on him. But his gaze was that of a fiery and determined young man.
The Sigillite: "But you make the same mistake as before. In a different way but the same mistake all the same."
Salem: "Huh?"
The Sigillite: "You sink into despair instead of thinking about what you want to do now. And as you sink into despair again, you make the same mistakes again."
The words entered the woman's head. Triggering doubt.
The Sigillite: "What matters above all. It is the will to make up for it by the acts of today. The past is impossible to redo. But the future is to be written. If you really feel guilty then catch up on something else."
Salem: "But... But... But what am I going to do? I don't know what to do. I don't know..."
The Sigillite: "In due time you will know."
Salem (desperate): "I don't know. I can't know."
The Sigillite: "I can see in your eyes that you doubt. It's okay to doubt."
Salem: "But... what am I going to do?"
The Sigillite: "Seek the answer. Seek the answer to your question. It could be anywhere. Once you find it. It will become clearer to your eyes. Your decisions will be made naturally."
He walked away.
The Sigillite: "Good. I think you and I had a good chat. I'm going to the library down the hall. One last thing, your name."
Salem: "You already know that..."
The Sigillite: "Your name."
Salem: "Salem..."
The Sigillite: "My name is Malcador."
He left the room, leaving Salem alone.
She was still trying to convince herself that she was a monster. But the doubt was spreading, taking up space in her mind.
She looked at the room and the paintings but nothing came. No answer. Nothing.
Her mind was struggling to make the connection with reality. Doubt invaded her mind more and more. She felt more and more tired.
She ends up lying on the sofa and curling up.
Finally, she closed her eyes and passed out.
Dream:
Ozma: "You killed me Salem. I hate you so much."
Remnantians: "We all hate you. Our lives are nothing."
Salem: "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."
She collapsed to the ground on all fours and feet crushed her.
Remnantians: "Die miserable."
Ozma: "I should have left you in the tower."
The voices were always aggressive and present, Salem felt melting.
Then another voice wakes her up.
Malcador: "Salem. Wake up."
She opened her eyes and saw Malcador.
Salem: "Malcador?"
Malcador: "Don't get up. You have a high fever."
She widened her eyes.
Salem: "A fever? But I'm immortal."
Malcador: "A fever of the mind. I can feel it. A part of you wants to destroy itself, destroy yourself."
Salem's eyes widened, thinking back to his nightmare.
Salem: "What will become of me?"
Malcador: "I have no idea. Often suicide is in order but since you are immortal. I don't know what you will do if your soul breaks."
Salem felt terror rise within her.
Salem: "What should I do? I do not want...I don't want to die!"
She realized her own words.
Salem: "I... I said it...Why...Why don't I want to die?"
Malcador: "You must search... Search well... But for now, get up."
She stood up and Malcador beckoned her to follow him.
He led her to the end of the corridor, in which there was a double door.
He took his key and opened the door.
Behind was a gigantic library. Manuscripts, books, scrolls and other things were present. Corridors stretching out to the horizon.
Salem: "But what is this place?"
Malcador: "The knowledge of the Sigillites. Accumulated carefully over millennia."
Salem: "What?"
Malcador: "Know that the Sigillites were an organization that made it their duty to preserve the knowledge of Old Terra. I am their last representative, the youngest and most fiery of them."
Salem: "But... what should I do?"
Malcador: "Read. These things are meant to be read and known. Not locked away and gathering dust. Start any way. The possibilities are beyond your imagination."
Salem: "And you?"
Malcador: "Don't worry. I know this library from exploring it. It's up to you to explore."
Salem hesitated, then headed down a hallway to the left. Then came to another hallway. Then yet another. She stopped at some red-covered books.
She took one out and started looking at it. But she saw that those lines made no sense. An unknown language.
She shoved it before wandering off again.
She took out a blue book, she looked, another unknown language, she returned before leaving.
A green book. Black. Yellow. Purple. Etc. Etc.
Her frustration was mounting, nothing was understandable.
Why read books if you can't understand them?
Why did Malcador bring her here? For what?
She understood nothing and only understood less and less.
Finally, she came to a gallery of gray books.
She picked up a book and tried to read it. Incomprehensible.
She groaned in frustration and threw it to the ground before leaving.
But gradually as she moved away. She felt a presence behind her, ordering her to come back.
She turned around and saw the book on the floor.
She stood there, watching him sprawled on the ground.
After a long time of waiting, she takes the book and takes it away.
She then saw a desk with a chair.
She sat down and opened the book.
The scriptures were incomprehensible. The pictures showed some kind of inventions.
She didn't understand what was going on and yet she was watching.
She saw that a locker was under the table, she opened it. Inside were leaves, a feather and an inkwell.
She took them out before putting them down. Why such objects?
As I read the book, words stood out. She decided to write them down. Then tried to translate, trying to form sentences.
Time passed, endless time. Where trials and failures follow one another. Salem became more and more absorbed in his activity. Understanding the words better and better as time continued to pass.
Finally, she knew what this book was about.
A book about a 13th millennium tractor. A tractor working with a miniature nuclear fusion reactor.
Subjugated by this knowledge. Salem looked at the other books around her. She picked up another gray book and began to read it, now understanding the language of Pre-Gothic. The shelves were emptying, Salem learning all about 3rd century algriculture from the 13th millennium.
An ever-increasing fascination.
She continued and on.
But she felt her mind being saturated. She wanted to get out of there.
She put the books back in their place before going back to the living rooms.
She then saw Malcador in front of the exit, waiting for her.
Malcador: "Well?"
Salem: "I learned things."
Malcador: "Do you want to rest?"
Salem: "Yes."
Malcador: "Follow me."
He led Salem down the hall. Before turning to a door.
He opened it and showed a room with the comfort that can be found there.
Malcador: "This is the guest room. Rest well inside."
Salem entered and Malcador left the room.
Salem closed the door before looking in the closet. She ends up taking out a lace pajama at her waist. She undressed and put on her pajamas.
She ends up going to bed.
But she is having a nightmare again.
Her own father punches her while Ozma looks at her coldly.
She ends up waking up sweating.
Salem: "Leave me alone. I cannot take it anymore..."
She gets out of bed before leaving the room.
Malcador was in the living room having a soup.
Malcador: "Hello Salem."
Salem: "Hello..."
Malcador: "Take this soup. It will do you good."
Salem: "..."
She takes a bowl of soup, takes a few ladles before starting to eat.
Malcador: "I see you have learned things from the libraries."
Salem: "Hmm...yes."
Malcador: "Keep it up. These books are worth reading."
Salem finishes drinking before heading to the library.
So for a long time. Salem was learning more and more about Terra, especially its history.
She was intrigued and horrified. Earthlings as she calls them. Terra's history was violent and unstable. Despite the absence of magic, and with the absence of Grimm. Earthlings found alternatives to magic, and their technology once allowed them to traverse the stars. This rise in the time called the Old Times or the Technological Age showed that prosperity was possible and sustainable.
But Salem was quite horrified to see how Humanity has declined since the 23rd millennium.
The revolt of the Iron Men. Machines designed to serve humanity but which ultimately turned against their creators, resulting in a terrible war. It brought back very bad memories...
Then the arrival of the Psykers who caused anarchy, using their psychic powers in a society that was not adapted to this kind of thing. But eventually the downfall came with a growing presence in the Warp. The dimension where the Psykers drew their powers and where the ships traveled.
This presence prevented these ships from arriving at their destination. Without supplies, the weaker planets sank into decline. The others meanwhile, withdrew and immobility set in.
Terra was the one who suffered the most. A once green and blue planet, a world nurtures colonies from all four corners of the Galaxy. But without any resources, the planet sank into crisis, war and in the end took the form of this smoking desert, surveyed by empires and morbid kingdoms.
When she finished the last page of Terra History, she had tears in her eyes.
She suddenly felt a presence behind her. She turned and saw Malcador.
Salem: "Malcador...?"
Malcador: "You've read those books, haven't you? What do you think?"
Salem (sniffles): "It's... it's awful... All these wars... All these dreams... All this... destroyed and forgotten..."
Malcador: "Alas... Me too, it hurts me to know that."
Salem: "I thought...everything that happened on Remnant was bad enough..."
Malcador: "The Grimms should be the last of your priorities now. Far worse threats than that lurk in the universe."
Salem: "Which ones?"
Malcador: "The Xenos. Aliens of whom we know nothing but one thing: their will to annihilate our race so that they can become masters. Mutants, horrible once-human creatures who were changed into monsters by the Warp But above all..."
Salem: "What? You are scaring me..."
Malcador: "The Chaos."
Salem: "Chaos?"
Malcador: "Follow me."
Malcador leaves in the corridors of libraries, followed by Salem.
After a while, they came to a place where small items were stored in shelves. They were square, round, or rectangular.
Salem: "What is it?"
Malcador: "Standard Template Construct. Relics from the Old Times. Archives full of vital knowledge. But that's not what we're dealing with at the moment."
They continued and arrived in a library with a very dark atmosphere. Salem saw books of different colors. Some were red and black. Others were light blue. Others were toxic green.
Salem: "What is this place...I don't like it."
Malcador: "This is the wing I would not wish to spend time on. Even though I have purified these books of their corruption. The trace of their dark authors is still present."
Salem: "What is it?"
Malcador: "The most terrible books you can find. Written in the blood of the sacrificed, in the clawed hands of the cultists. These are the books that tell the story of Chaos."
Salem: "Who is Chaos?"
Malcador: "Three gods. Infinitely more powerful than the Twins you knew."
Salem's eyes widened.
Salem: "What? What?!"
Malcador: "Khorne, god of blood and skulls. A lord of eternal war. An embodiment of the rage of destruction. His demons possess terrible strength. Tzeentch, the architect of change. The manipulator of fate. The use of pure psychic powers honors him while his demons spread his conspiracies. Nurgle, the god of disease and decline. The god of despair in the face of death. His demons happily spread his diseases to all, so that they can feel the eternal torment."
Salem: "Are you serious? Are...are they really that bad?"
Malcador: "Read these books. You will understand. Their most infamous deeds are written in them."
Salem: "But why? Why should I read them?"
Malcador: "Because we must not forget that the universe is only one dimension among others. The Warp is also inhabited."
Salem: "Okay...I'll read."
She swallowed her saliva before picking up a book.
The woman's hand was shaking just from taking the book.
She looked at the cover. She could see 8 arrows on it.
Malcador: "I leave it to you to read alone."
He left from the place of the library.
Salem sat down on a table and opened the first page.
A silence of 5 seconds fell before Salem backed away from the table towards the other wall.
What she had just seen was worse than all. An illustration that was particularly gruesome, beyond what she could imagine. A ritual celebrating the Gods of Chaos.
Salem: "No... Never...I would never read that! Why keep books like that?!"
She flees from the Chaos shelves before returning to the living area.
She saw Malcador.
Malcador: "You look scared."
Salem: "But what is this stuff you keep?! I do not want to read this stuff! Anything but that! Do not talk about this anymore you hear me?!"
Malcador: "Hm... Very Well."
Salem: "I'm going to my room... I'm tired."
She went into the bedroom and decided to go to bed.
Long weeks passed and Salem continued to have nightmares. So much so that she decided to take short naps instead of long sleeps.
She continued to read the books in the library but did not want to go near the Chaos part anymore.
However, over time, her curiosity only grew. And one night after a horrible nightmare.
She was present in the library of Chaos, her eyes surrounded by dark circles. She was on the table with the closed book she wanted to start.
She began to read the book in question. It was a book about Khorne and his demons accompanied by illustrations of the atrocities committed by them. Illustrations that often made her vomit as it was unbearable. But gradually, she got used to it.
She was plunged like a diver into the depths of the horror of the Warp. Cultists, demons, and the gods themselves.
At the end, she put away the last book and turned her gaze towards the corridors. Nobody, Malcador was not there.
She returned to her room before going to bed.
She thought back to the things she discovered about the chaos. There really were more horrible things than Remnant itself.
She fell asleep afterwards.
Later.
Malcador came out of his room and looked down the halls. Everything was silent.
With his heightened psychic senses, he heard moans and a soul in pain but it was very powerful.
He arrived in front of Salem's room and knocked on the door.
Malcador: "Salem? Is everything okay?"
Salem (groans): "Haaaaa..."
He opened the door and saw Salem in the bed, having a nightmare and sweating from his brow.
Malcador came up to her and put his hand on the woman's forehead.
Malcador: "Hm... Courage Salem. Find your answer."
Dream:
Salem was in the middle of the crowd who continued to insult her and she was on the ground.
Salem: "Leave me alone. Leave me alone!"
Ozma: "You killed us!"
Resident: "Die!"
Salem: "Sorry...I'm sorry..."
She cried for a long time before finally calming down. She looked around and saw something.
She was no longer in nothingness surrounded by shadows. It was his bedroom.
There, she then saw a little blond girl and understood who it was. It was herself.
Salem: "It's me... It's Remnant..."
The door opened and it was the maid who was there.
Maid: "Salem. Here's your meal."
Child Salem: "Will dad be there?"
Servant: "Sorry, he has other things to do."
She lowered her head.
The Salem heard all the conversation. Then the servant left, leaving the little girl alone.
Salem was looking at her life as she had lived it. Her meeting with Ozma, the past adventures with him but also his death, his request to the gods, his punishment, his rebellion, and his banishment.
She revisited her past with her current eyes.
She understood more and more what was going on with her.
Then when the memory of her arrival on Terra ended. The surroundings disappeared and she could see someone in front of a cliff overlooking a gigantic lake.
If you look closely, it was a Grimm's lake.
She turned her gaze to the person and approached it.
The latter wore a long black dress, white hair, and skin as pale as that of a corpse.
Salem: "Hello?"
Woman: "There you are at last."
Salem: "..."
The woman: "You know that whatever you do, the result will always be the same. You cannot avoid me, nor beat me."
Salem: "Who are you?"
She turned around and Salem was shocked.
It was herself but with a very horrible appearance.
It was herself with red grimm eyes. Hair and skin as white as bone. Black veins sticking out of his skin.
Salem: "You are..."
Salem Grimm: "I am you. The one you always rejected."
Salem: "What do you want from me?"
Salem Grimm: "We should take over this world and then go find Remnant. I believe there is a way to die and he must be there. Join me in this lake. We will be good."
Salem: "..."
She thought back to the words of this Salem. A very attractive proposition. But she thought back to Malcador's words.
Salem: "No. That's out of the question."
Salem Grimm: "You can't avoid me and you can't fight me, much less get me out of your mind. I told you. No one knows you better than I do."
Salem kept a cool head.
Salem: "So now you understand my intentions."
The Alter raised her eyebrow.
Salem Grimm: "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Salem: "Looking at my memories. I understood and saw that you are me. You should have understood that."
Salem Grimm: "That is to say?"
Salem: "I made a mistake that cost the lives of many millions of souls. I did it out of love because I did not want to be alone again, not to be locked up. Since this is the dream world. I'll show you what made me change."
She concentrated and then showed a vision of her and Malcador.
Malcador (vision): "Be my apprentice. I could teach you things that could increase your strength. What do you think?"
Salem (vision): "... (Hesitates)... Yes, I will join you, Master Sigillite."
She erased the vision.
Salem: "Malcador took me on as an apprentice because I embodied a beacon of hope for him."
The Alter became frustrated.
Salem Grimm: "You became his apprentice, so what? How pitiful of you! Didn't you understand that guy is mocking you?! All these people on this planet are liars and manipulators! We have been excluded because of our immortality, our powers, everything to our person! Remember!"
She showed the memories in question to Salem.
Salem Grimm: "We suffered from it. Only I know what we had to endure! Don't trust him!"
Salem: "...You know, I'm starting to have a lot of respect for him and for what he's done...But there's someone else I'm starting to believe in."
The Alter is confused.
Salem: "And that's me. I believe in the one who will fix his mistakes and in the one in whom this brave old man has placed his trust."
The Alter is confused and doesn't know what to answer. She ends up collapsing to the ground and crying.
Salem Grimm: "Why...? After all we've been through..."
Salem: "Malcador opened my eyes. He always remained straight in his boots and even if he committed questionable or even immoral acts, it was to preserve what he holds most dear: the remains of the Sigillites who gave him this mission."
The Alter looked up, tears streaming down his face.
Salem Grimm: "But me... But me, I bother you, right? What am I becoming?"
Salem: "You reminded me that there is good in me."
Salem Grimm: "What are you going to do with me?!"
She prepared a ball of magic but Salem hugged her, stopping her and shocking her.
Salem: "It's very simple... You just have to join me. Because the two of us are one."
Salem shed a few tears in turn.
Salem: "Thank you for everything. Thanks for coming with me."
The Alter released her arms. Her eyes then her whole body resumed a human appearance before dissolving in the air.
Light began to invade the place until everything turned white.
Salem woke up in bed and looked around.
She then saw Malcador on the chair, looking at her.
Malcador: "Hello."
Salem: "...Hello."
Malcador: "I see that your mind is at peace. Have you found the answer?"
Salem: "Yes."
She had tears and sniffled. She felt the pain of losing Ozma again but in a softer way.
Salem (sobs): "So this is... this... mourning?"
Malcador: "Yes."
Salem (sobs): "I... will...cry..."
Malcador: "In my arms."
Malcador sits on the bed before taking Salem in his arms.
Salem hugged Malcador and sobbed.
Later... Outside the temple.
Salem was looking at the stars, in the cold of the mountains.
Malcador arrived at his side.
Malcador: "Is it good?"
Salem: "Yeah. I got over it."
Malcador: "Well... It is time for you to finally start your training. It's going to be a long time."
Salem: "I'm ready...master."
Malcador: "I'll leave you a few more moments..."
He walked back to the cave entrance and Salem stared at the stars again.
To be continued...
Ep 3: The Sigillite Part 2.
Salem begins to learn more about Terra. With her new master, she will travel the immense desert.