Heya guys.
Been busy going around looking for jobs. And yeah, some Shadowkeep in the mix as well.
Mostly though, I got pretty sick during last week, which is why I didn't post at least Sunday or even Monday for that matter.
But, I'm healthy again and already working on the next chapter with a very very special surprise. I hope you'll like it.
Aside from that, I've got nothing else, so let's begin.
Chapter 60: The Lost Fable
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"What the hell is this..?" Dante asked.
"A spatial construct cut off from Reality, most likely. Though… I'd imagine it separates us in different 'rooms' of sorts given only you and I are present."
"Our own personal movie theater… Fantastic…"
As Dante crossed his arms to listen, Eclypse leaned on him, the two watching the memory unfold.
"Locked away by her cruel father, Salem was a girl who desired but one thing: freedom." Jinn explained.
Salem walked away with sadness in her eyes, moving directly past the devil and his sword.
"She lived in a time when kings and their kingdoms were plentiful, when men and women were capable of greatness, and magic was a gift from the gods that all could wield."
Magic was accessible to everyone before Dust… How interesting...
Salem sat down and leaned against the vanity, holding up her left hand to use her magic. Four magical spheres with a magic circle in six basic colors appeared in her hand.
"And yet, with all that power, there she sat within her tower, day after day."
As Salem looked down, blue smoke reappeared and enveloped Salem, transitioning the memory to the next scene. Now, they were outside the castle, watching someone approach."
"However, one day, a legendary hero came to brave the challenges within the tower's walls."
A young man in armor and a cape wielding a scepter appeared, standing proudly in front of the tower.
"The people of the lands knew him as Ozma."
Ozma… Ozpin..?!
"Unlike those who had come before, this warrior was not driven by the prize of the young maiden's hand. He fought only for righteousness, and his pure heart and courageous soul prevailed."
Ozma walked up to the tower, warriors falling around him as he approached. Blue smoke changed the scene once more, this time showing Ozma using his scepter to strike down a dark-armored figure. He then opened up a door leading to Salem's room, where she stands up and offers a grateful smile to him. Shortly after, the smoke reformed to show another scene of them battling side by side with their magic.
"They escaped the wretched fortress, and yet something bound them together."
Smoke yet again changed the scene, showing Ozma and Salem running away from the tower holding hands together. Once at a safe distance, the two stopped to catch their breath before looking to each other.
"Ozma had been ready to give his life for justice countless times, but now saw a woman worth saving it for. And Salem, to her surprise, found her freedom not in the outside world she had yearned for, but in the eyes of the man that had saved her."
They were in love..?
"So, where should we go now?" Salem asked.
"Wherever you'd like." Ozma answered.
"The two fell deeply in love, planned adventures around the world, and lived happily ever after." Jinn continued as smoke enveloped the scene once more, "Or at least that's what should have been."
Dante and Eclypse's eyes narrowed at the sudden change in tone, watching the scene rearrange itself. It showed Salem kneeling at an unconscious Ozma's bedside, sobbing all the while.
"Ozma, the infallible hero of legend, fell ill. And where all the beasts and blades of the world had fallen short, a single sickness prevailed."
Ozma disappeared in smoke as Salem continued sobbing, holding his scepter in her hands.
"How could the gods let this happen..?"
"How is he still alive after being dead?" Eclypse questioned.
"It's likely they brought him back." Dante answered as they watched the scene progress, "I feel kinda bad for her though… Huh?"
As the two watched, they looked up to notice two spheres; one bright yellow and the other a dark purple circling above the woman's head.
"The gods, brothers of Light and Darkness, Creation and Destruction. Salem prayed they would see the injustice that had befallen her love and make things right."
A bright light and blue smoke changed the scene, this time showing a brightly lit place with a stairway leading up the mountain.
"The Domain of Light was a sacred place." Jinn explained as Salem approached the stairway, offering flowers as she held Ozma's scepter in her hand, "It was here the elder brother dwelled beside his fountain of Life and Creation. It was here... where mankind would fall to ruin."
Dante and Eclypse watched Salem walk up the stairs as the smoke transitioned the scene again, Salem now at the top of the mountain as she looked upon the Domain of Light, a valley filled with flowers, with a pool of water and a tree at the center. Leaves blew from the tree and encircled the water's surface. From it, the God of Light rose from the pool, walking forward to Salem.
"Please..! Please, bring him back to me!" She pleaded.
"I understand your pain, but you demand of me that which I cannot make so. Life and Death are part of a delicate balance."
"So... you won't do it then?"
"To disrupt the cycle-"
"But it isn't fair!" Salem interrupted, her voice echoing as she clutched Ozma's scepter tightly.
"Let. Him. Rest." The God spoke sternly spoke.
The wind picked up, causing the leaves to blow around Salem, where she suddenly found herself back at the bottom of the stairway leading to the Domain of Light. She looked to Ozma's scepter in her hands before looking up at the sky angrily with a look of determination.
Blue smoke filtered in to change the stage, this time showing a dark, foreboding environment with a stairway leading up the mountain, similarly mirroring that of the Domain of Light's. Only now, it was dark and decrepit.
And yet, Salem approached, seeing some skeletal remains at the bottom of the stairs
"None dared to enter The God of Darknesses home, as men knew what monstrosities emerged from his blackened pools of annihilation."
Wait, are those..?!
Dante and Eclypse watched Salem proceed forward, straightening themselves out as she approached a blackened pool of tar-like liquid, where Creatures of Grimm spawned from.
"And so you must understand the Dark Lord's surprise when he found a lone woman kneeling before him."
From the blackened pool, the God of Darkness emerged, his body twisted and contorted. The duo watched in awe as The God of Darkness crawled toward Salem in an unnatural manner, like one of those thin and spindly creatures from a horror that rapidly approached with their disfigured bodies. Grimm inched closer to her all the while, yet all she did was keep herself bowed to ground.
"Salem understood it well. She told him of her loss and professed that she knew only he could answer her prayers, all while careful to make no mention of his elder."
"Rise, child, and let your faith in me be rewarded." The God spoke.
And Salem did so, The God of Darkness conjuring a purple sphere, and from it, the body of Ozma appeared. Salem approached him hurriedly, while the seemingly resurrected Ozma gasped, eyes wide open.
"Where am I? What is this?! WHERE AM I?!"
"It's okay!" Salem spoke, trying to calm her beloved, "Everything's going to be okay!"
As if Fate meant to spite her, the God of Light appeared with a sound of thunder at the top of the stairs leading into the God of Darkness' domain.
"What have you done?" The God spoke, his tone harsh and livid.
"I have done what I please, brother. You may bask in the powers of Creation, but you do not own them." The Dark God spoke, his voice smug and prideful.
"This is not creation."
"Do not lecture me!"
The Grimm slowly approached the God of Light in response to their master's anger, making even Dante and Eclypse take a few steps back.
"I will do what I must to maintain order."
The God of Light put out his hand, an orange Aura surrounding Ozma's body before he disintegrated in Salem's arms.
"He killed him…" Eclypse spoke out.
"Is that so surprising?" Dante asked in return.
"No! No! What did you do?! BRING HIM BACK!" Salem shouted.
"You dare enter my domain and show such disrespect?!" The Dark God angrily spoke.
The God of Darkness made Ozma's body appear again with a snap of his fingers.
"I am abiding by the rules we agreed upon!" The God of Light replied.
"Rules that I now see are ever in your favor! And yet the day a mortal comes to pray at my feet before your own, so do you arrive to lay your judgment upon me!"
The God of Darknesses body changed into that of a nightmarish skeletal dragon that snarled at the God of Light. The Grimm at his command proceeded forward and attempted to attack him, but a bright light emanated from the elder god, destroying all the Grimm in the area.
He too had taken the shape of a dragon, only he was bright and beautiful, resembling a type of Chinese dragon that Dante recognized from his home world when he lived in the east for a time.
"I know we have our differences, but I have not come here with the aim to control you. The same, however, cannot be said for her." The God spoke as it looked in Salem's direction, "This woman came to you only after I denied her pleas. Pleas that would have disrupted the balance that you and I created. Together."
The younger brother paused, pondering this revelation.
"Then it seems I owe you an apology." The younger god spoke, bowing his draconic head briefly, "Allow me to correct my mistake."
In spite of Salem's protest, The God of Darkness fired a purple beam from his dragon form's mouth, disintegrating Ozma once again. All the woman could do was watch as Ozma's ashes blew away into the wind out of her hands.
"You… You monsters! Give him back to me! GIVE HIM BACK!"
Salem made to activate her magic, but was suddenly charged by the God of Light, who had rushed forward and devoured her.
"So she tried to play both Gods into bringing back Ozma and nearly had them fight each other." Eclypse commented as the scene continued to shift, "Can't say I blame her really."
Some part of Dante agreed with his sword's statement. But at the same time, something else troubled him, if not terrified him to some extent.
And it was how he and Salem shared some commonality between each other.
As the stage changed again, Salem was seen waking up, falling from the sky all the while until she crashed in the God of Light's pool, drowning as an Aura-like shimmer covered her body. She soon found herself on the surface of the water, catching her breath as she stood on the surface. Looking up, the woman could see both of the God Brothers standing side by side.
0When you first came to me, I did pity you. But it is clear now that your selfishness and arrogance have led you astray." The elder spoke.
"What did you do to me..?" Salem asked as she stood up, staring at her hands briefly before she stared back at them.
"I have made you immortal."
"He what?!" Dante shouted angrily, taking a few steps forward as Eclypse stood there in shock.
"She was turned into an immortal being..?"
"You cannot die. You cannot be with your beloved." The Dark God spoke in unison with his brother, "So long as this world turns, you shall walk its face."
She was in utter in disbelief. Even from the distance he stood watching this tragedy unfold, he could see the rage swelling up in the woman as she clenched her fists tightly, so much so that her hands started to bleed.
"You must learn the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest."
Speaking his final words, the God of Light snapped his fingers before Salem could fully reach out, where the woman now found herself in a vast open field, all alone.
"Salem was a prisoner once again." Jinn narrated, "Her fruitless attempts to reunite with Ozma eventually became nothing more than acts of spite and defiance against the gods."
It was here that Dante and Eclypse watched on repeat many of Salem's suicide attempts. Despite their own checkered history of blood and destruction, seeing this woman injure herself so grievously time and time again made even their stomachs drop a little.
"Perhaps the gods were not as powerful as they seemed… She had lied to them, turned them against one another, if only briefly. They… were fallible."
She didn't…
Dante's arms dropped to his sides as he watched the stage change once more, expectant of the foolishness he was about to witness.
"If she were to turn humanity against light and darkness, she could rid herself of their curse, or at the very least… she could make them suffer. And so Salem traveled from one kingdom to another, telling tales of how she stole immortality from the gods, welcoming any swordsman to cut her down in order to demonstrate her powers."
Salem was shown speaking to various leaders of kingdoms, counseling them likely to take action.
"With the kings and queens in awe, she pulled them deeper into her scheme. She painted them pictures of a time when they would no longer have to watch their loved ones wither and die, when they could claim the powers of their creators for themselves, and in turn, perfect their own design."
As Salem finished her story to the warrior king, she kneels before him. The warrior draws his weapon and lets out a proud battle cry, with his people cheering along with him. All except one. A purple haired woman scoffed at them all, and walked away, leaving them to their designs.
With the combined forces of the kingdoms at her beck and call, the scene changed to show Salem and her forces launching an all out assault on the Domain of Light.
As the warriors ran in one after another, the God of Light emerged from his pool in his dragon form.
"The gods had hoped that Salem would learn from her eternal curse. And she did. She learned that the hearts of men are easily swayed."
The leaders of the kingdoms Salem had spoken to stood in front of their people, all approaching the God of Light with steady hands and hearts. The God of Darkness, also in his dragon form, had then descended from on high, standing alongside his elder brother.
"Who has led you down this path?" The God of Light asked.
Salem walked through the crowds of warriors as she made her way to the front of them, glaring defiantly at the Gods.
"You..!" The Dark God roared.
In response, Salem used her magic to attack, the warriors and kings following suit. A barrage of attacks are launched at the God of Darkness, but he simply extended his large hand, catching every attack spell in his palm, absorbing them into a purple sphere of energy.
Everyone looked on in shock. All their bluster, all their bravery… had been crushed within a single moment.
"My own gifts to them... Used against me."
The God of Light looked away in disappointment as the God of Darkness squeezed the sphere within his hand, creating a massive shockwave that envelops the world. Within a matter of seconds, the World of Remnant had been eradicated of humanity, leaving Salem alone once more.
"Those bastards… wiped out the whole planet..!" Dante spoke out angrily clenching his fists in response to the massacre he had just witnessed.
Eclypse only stood in silent fury, grasping her gauntleted arms tightly.
"You thought there was no greater punishment we could bestow upon you?" The Dark God taunted Salem
"I'll come back! I'll tell the rest of the world of this massacre! Build a new army!"
"You seem to not understand something. There is no one left." The younger god explained, making Salem gasp in shock, "You are now all that remains of humanity."
"This planet was a beautiful experiment left in our charge, but it is merely a remnant of what it once was. We will learn from this failure. I hope that you will learn from yours."
"The God of Light disappeared in a burst of bright, golden dust, the younger god looking to the skies before looking down on the approaching immortal.
"No! You can't leave! You can't leave! COME BACK!"
"Still demanding things of your creators…"
The Dark God scoffed at the defeated woman, his body transforming into a beam of purple light that shot up into the sky and out. In the process of his departure, the God's beam-form pierced through the moon, shattered more than half of it as some fragments rained down like meteors back onto the planet's surface.
Dante and Eclypse could see Salem was screaming in despair, but they could not hear her over the meteors that had made impact all around them.
"Once again, Salem was alone…"
The scene change yet again, showing Salem walking through the desolate world on her own.
"She cursed the gods. She cursed the universe. She cursed everything, everything but herself. She wandered the face of the planet, awaiting a death that would never come…" Jinn narrated.
Dante and Eclypse's eyes went wide again as the scene shifted, showing them the realm of the Dark God, and Salem standing over the pool that was once his.
"Fate led her back to the Land of Darkness. This was it. This had to be it, the brother's Grimm, the pools of black that continued to give rise to horrific nightmares. If the fountain of life granted her immortality, then surely, the pools of Grimm could finally take it away."
Without hesitation, Salem fell forward and was submerged into the blackened pool.
"She was wrong. This force of pure destruction could not destroy a being of infinite life. Instead... it created a being of infinite life with a desire for pure destruction."
The woman with infinite life crawled out of the pool, this time, her skin deathly white as well as her hair. She opened her eyes, irises red with black sclerae.
"And in time, she would find her adversary…"
Once more, blue smoke filled the duo's view as they found themselves in a white space, watching curiously as Ozma walked about in confusion.
"Ozma."
The duo and Ozma spun around, seeing the God of Light in his dragon form before he shifted back to his more humanoid shape.
"Where am I?"
"We are between realms. I'm afraid a tragedy has befallen your home at the hands of my brother. We have chosen to depart this world, but in our absence, I would like to offer you the chance to return to it."
Tragedy my ass..! You damn Gods..!
"I... don't understand."
"Mankind is no more, yet your world remains. And in time, your kind will grow to walk its face once again. However, without our presence, they will be but a fraction of what they once were."
Suddenly, the God of Light conjured four objects around him; a staff, a sword, a crown, and a lamp.
"Creation, destruction, choice, and knowledge were the ideals upon which humanity was made. Now I leave them behind with the hope that you will learn to remake yourselves." The god spoke, all four objects conjoining together into a yellow sphere of energy. "If brought together, these four Relics will summon my brother and I back to your world, and humanity will be judged. If your kind has learned to live in harmony with one another and set aside their differences, then we shall once again live among you, and humanity will be made whole again. But if your kind is unchanged, if you demand our blessings while still fighting amongst yourselves, then man will be found irredeemable and your world will be wiped from existence. Until your task is complete, you will reincarnate, but in a manner that ensures you are never alone."
Ozma fell to his knees, eyes going wide as he suddenly came to terms with this ultimatum.
"I'm sorry, but... that world just isn't as dear to me without her. If I may, I'd rather return to the afterlife to see Salem."
"You will not find her there." The God answered.
"You mean she isn't gone?" Ozma spoke up, a glimmer of hope in him as he stood on his feet.
"Salem lives, but the woman you hold dear in your memories is gone. Heed my warning... Where you seek comfort, you will only find pain. So, will you-"
"I'll do it."
The God of Light bounced back a little, head tilting in curiosity at Ozma's immediate answer.
"Very well. Our creation rests within your hands."
The God of Light then disappeared in another shine of light, Ozma opening his eyes once more to see that… he wasn't quite himself. He was now a man with a tanned complexion and pale blonde hair, who had just stabbed a Beowolf with a pitchfork, causing it to disintegrate. Ozma took a few moments to come to terms with his new body and surroundings, then looking up to see people screaming and running into the forest he is in away from a burning village in the distance.
"Where am I?"
Ozma heard a man scream, and looked over to see him flailing a sword at a Beowolf, which swipes at him to the ground, disarming him. Ozma's ran forward without hesitation, grabbing the man's sword and slaying the Beowolf easily.
"Thank you. Please, tell me your name. Who are you?" The man asked him.
The scene changed once more, showing Ozma walking down a street, eyes glancing at the now present Faunus race locked up in cages, and a pile of Dust crystals on top of a table.
"Ozma had found himself in a world completely unfamiliar to him. Cities looked different. Creatures known as the Faunus bore fangs and claws and were locked away in cages. And without the blessing of the gods, no one could perform magic like mankind was once capable of, no one but himself and a woman known as... The Witch."
The environment around Ozma changed from a city to a forest as he came upon a lonely, dilapidated cottage in the woods.
"During his years of travel, he heard the same frightened whispers that spoke of a terrifying sorceress who commanded dark powers in the wilds among the beasts and monsters. Ozma was convinced that this witch was Salem, and decided he needed to see what she had become."
Ozma stood at a distance from the cottage, the front door suddenly opening. From the darkness beyond, Salem emerged, wearing black robes this as she gave an angry glare at the apparent stranger while exiting the cottage. Suddenly, her expression softened, realizing who it was that stood before her as Ozma smiled back at her.
Ozma and Salem walked hurriedly towards each other, the two holding each other's hands and interlocking their fingers affectionately.
"What do we do now?" the man asked.
"Whatever we like."
Time passed like a blur for the spectating devil and his sword, the two now seeing a scene of the cottage in a much better condition, following with Salem and Ozma conversing with one another at a table on the front porch.
"As Salem and Ozma recounted the events which had brought them back together, each withheld parts of their story. Salem, fearing Ozma would reject her, blamed the end of the world on the gods. Ozma, still unsure of where the truth lay, kept his task and the Relics a secret. Though time passed and all seemed well, Ozma's conversation with the God of Light still lingered in his mind. He had found happiness, but humanity seemed more divided than ever before."
Salem and Ozma head back inside the cottage together, continuing their conversation
"Are you surprised? This world is quite literally godless. These humans have no one to guide them. Perhaps that's all they need." the woman shrugged.
"What are you saying?" Ozma questioned.
"We could become the gods of this world. Our powers surpass all others. Our souls transcend death. We can mold these lands into whatever we want. What you want. We can create the paradise that the old gods could not."
He seemed troubled at first, but readily smiled in agreement with Salem. The two of them looked each other in the eyes as Salem placed an affectionate hand on Ozma's shoulder.
"The hearts of men... are easily swayed." Jinn's voice filtered around Dante and Eclypse, the scene changing again.
A village is shown under attack by a Nevermore, when suddenly a purple energy surrounded the creature, causing it to bend and contort into unnatural positions before being crushed entirely. Villagers watched as Ozma approached, once again wielding his scepter and wearing regal robes, with Salem at his side as she levitated near him. They all bowed down to the couple in reverence, Dante and Salem soon seeing the scene add statues of the "godly" couple.
"The two amassed a following." Jinn continued with her story, "A following that grew into a prosperous kingdom. And at the head of that kingdom blossomed a family."
The duo were now inside a castle, turning to see a portrait of Salem and Ozma with…
…
With four little girls.
Dante and Eclypse's eyes soon focused on Ozma and Salem, who watched their four daughters playing together. It was then, Dante saw something else that startled him.
The little girls all wore colors on their dresses similar to that of the Four Maidens.
One of their daughters came up to their parents, playfully tugging on Salem's robe. The two parents smiled at her before smiling at each other.
Blue smoke transitioned the scene, showing a massive conflict between people that is being observed inside a crystal ball by a smirking Salem. Ozma stood a short distance away from her looking outside the window.
"Are we sure this is right?" the man asked, clearly troubled by what he was witnessing.
"You said we needed to bring humanity together. In order to do that, we have to spread our word, and destroy those who will deny it."
Ozma looked at his wife in shock, turning to see his reflection on the window, which suddenly spoke to him.
"What are we doing?" it asked.
Ozma reeled back in horror upon seeing his reflection ask him that question, briefly becoming his original incarnation, before looking over to Salem.
"This isn't what he asked of me…"
"What did you say?" Salem asked, eyes cautiously focusing on her husband.
The two then heard a door open, and their eldest daughter entered the room excitedly.
"Mother, father, look!" she proudly exclaimed.
Their daughter then conjured multicolored wisps that fly in circles in front of her, Salem with a proud expression on her face, while Ozma looked on in surprise, soon looking down with his troubled expression again.
"It was a miracle that their children could perform magic." Jinn spoke, "But what should have been a joyous occasion was short-lived."
Smoke shifted the scene, this time showing Ozma telling what he knew to Salem in his study.
"Ozma told Salem everything. The true reason the God of Light had brought him back, the Relics that they scattered around the world, and the day of judgement he had been told to prepare for."
"Don't you see? None of that matters anymore." Salem explained, "Why spend our lives trying to redeem these humans when we can replace them with what they could never be?
Salem offered her hand, but Ozma hesitated to take it, backing away in disgust. Time had passed again, and showed Ozma quietly escorting his daughters through the deathly silent halls. The youngest daughter looked down the hallway, noticing something.
Salem stood at the end of the hall menacingly, making Ozma protectively stand in front of his daughters. The woman, realizing what he was doing, angrily conjured a red beam from her hand.
Ozma used his scepter to counter Salem's attack, launching a green beam of his own. Both their attacks clashed, engulfing the area into a bright white flash.
Dante watched with a conflicted look in his eye, seeing the couple that once loved each other to the ends of the earth now fighting to kill one another.
Their battle utterly destroyed the castle, and what Dante saw next shook him to his core.
A charred plush toy remained among the ruins, and with no one in sight, the once immortal trembled in frustration.
As he never truly experienced a childhood of his own, he could only feel anger at the sight he saw.
Eclypse's hand reached out to touch her man's shoulder, her head nodding in a direction as the duo watched Ozma weakly crawl on the ground, blood painting the ground behind his trail. Salem then reappeared behind him undamaged thanks to her immortality, and angrily walked over to Ozma. She kicked him over onto his back and stepped on him with her foot.
"We finally had freedom…" she whispered, almost sorrowful as she looked down on her lover.
Before Ozma had the chance to speak, a blast of fire emerged from Salem that engulfed Ozma, killing him.
"Thus began a long and painful cycle of death and rebirth for Ozma." Jinn spoke out.
Dante and Eclypse soon watched a montage of Ozma's various reincarnations, including a frail man weakly walking by many gravestones, followed by a despondent man walking in the rain, who would rather drink his problems away.
"Some lives were spent in mourning, many were spent attempting to forget it all. But no matter what, his mind would eventually turn back to the task he had been burdened with.
Ozma's newest reincarnation was shown serving a meal to his wife and two children, both of whom Dante saw a surprising trait they had.
Silver Eyes.
"And as the centuries went on, Ozma began to learn the importance of living with the souls with which he had been paired. But no matter where or how he lived, her presence was always felt."
Screaming was heard outside, and Ozma looked back to his wife, who nodded in understanding before the man went out with a mechanized cane into battle. The very same cane he had been using till now.
"If humanity were ever to stand a chance at being united, one thing was clear…"
"He had to kill the one he loved most in this world…" Eclypse faintly spoke, eyes narrowed in silent sorrow.
Smoke then transitioned the scene again, showing Ozma's reincarnation many years older now, tinkering with his cane in his workshop.
"Knowing he could never rid the world of her through any mortal means, Ozma sought out the power of the Relics. Armed with my knowledge, he believed he could fulfill his promise to the God of Light."
Ozma was next shown to be holding the Relic of Knowledge, summoning Jinn for the first time.
"He asked me his questions. And though I gave him my answers...not all of them were to his liking." Jinn narrated.
The duo watched as Ozpin, or rather Ozma, asked an all too heavy question, one that instinctively made Eclypse interlock her fingers with Dante.
"How do I kill Salem?"
A brief pause, and the man of many lifetimes waited in anticipation.
Only to despair at the answer.
"You can't."
Upon hearing this, Ozma fell to his knees as Jinn disappeared.
And as the entity of the Relic of Knowledge disappeared, so to did the space around them, Dante now seeing a variety of shocked and despairing faces amongst his friends and allies.
"She can't be killed..!" Yang exclaimed, still in disbelief, "You all heard her too, right?!"
Dante, hand having grabbed Oscar and Eclypse pointed to his head, looked over to Inuba, shaking his head very briefly before they looked back at everyone else, all of them angry and confused.
"I-!"
"There was so much you hadn't told us!" Yang angrily shouted, interrupting Ozpin, "How could you think that was okay?!"
He didn't say anything, only hanging his head back down in shame.
"Professor…" Ruby called out, making him lift up his head, "What is your plan to defeat Salem?"
"I... don't have one…"
Immediately as he said this, he took a wicked punch to his face from Qrow, making him fly out of Dante's hands as he kept them raised up, watching the body hit a nearby tree trunk.
"No one wanted me... I was cursed…" Qrow said, clenching his fist, "I gave my life to you because you gave me a place in this world... I thought I was finally doing some good…"
"But, you are!" Ozpin spoke out, tearing up as he did.
"Meeting you... was the worst luck of my life…" The veteran Huntsman spoke, turning his back on Ozpin.
Oz stares back in disbelief upon hearing Qrow say that, quickly snapping his attention to Dante. The once immortal however wasn't going to come to his defense, and so he too turned his back on the man, waving him off as he did.
With that, Ozpin bowed his head a final time as his eyes glowed once more, control transferred back to Oscar as he held his pained cheek from Qrow's punch.
"What happened?" Ruby asked.
"He's... gone…"
"That bastard! Tell him we're not done yet!" Yang pointed, taking a step forward.
"No, this is different..! He's gone..! It… It's like he's locked himself deep inside my head. Our head?" Oscar groaned in pain as he clutched his head, "I hate this! I want it to stop!"
"He… just left us?" Weiss asked, almost in disbelief.
"What are we gonna do now?" Blake asked.
"For starters, we need to get a move on." the small woman Maria stated, "It'll be dark before we know it, and just about every one of you is spewing negativity! There's a trail over there. Trails usually lead somewhere."
"Lady, I don't know who you think you are but-"
"No buts!" the old woman spoke, slamming her cane in a sheet of metal, "I understand that you're upset. Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity's second time around. But, if we don't move, we die. And I'll be damned if I've lived this long just to die out here in the cold!"
"She's got a point, kids." Athyra shrugged, "Get your shit and lets get going."
Everyone stood still for a moment before they silently went about grabbing their belongings and whatever Dust they could carry with them. Maria meanwhile hopped a sat on Bumblebee as Yang walked her bike.
Dante let out a sigh as he knelt down, grabbing the retracted cane handle before he too helped out Oscar, handing his weapon to him.
"Were…"
The devil stopped in his tracks, looking at the farm boy.
"Were you really going to shoot me..?" He asked.
"Yeah, I was." The teen immediately replied, resting a hand on his hip.
Oscar felt his heart sink a little as he took a step away from the once immortal, Ruby approaching them.
"Don't misunderstand. I wasn't going to shoot you because I don't like you or anything. I was going to shoot you to prove a point."
"W-What point might've that been?!" the boy asked, terror and anger present in his voice.
"To show Ozpin, or rather Ozma… Whatever the hell his name is, that he can't hide behind you and use you as a shield if we get pissed with him, or he turns out to be more of treacherous douchebag than we thought." Dante pointed out, "Would you have been hurt? Sure. Could you have died? Maybe... But we have the best healer to ever exist right here with us, so the chances of you dying is astronomical with her around." Dante nodded towards Inuba, "Would Ozpin think twice about hiding behind you if things get rough? Absolutely."
…
As much as he hated hearing it, it all made sense to Oscar. He knew and understood the devil's point, but that didn't mean he liked it, much less would thank him for it.
"I'm… I'm just going to be another one of his lives, aren't I?"
"Of course not!" Ruby exclaimed to reassure him, "You're your own person!"
"Don't lie to him, Ruby." Qrow called out from up ahead, drinking from his flask, "We're better than that…"
They all went silent as Oscar slowly followed behind, leaving Dante, Inuba, Ruby, and Noland behind.
"Good freaking grief…" Dante sighed, "What a damn mess…"
"I think I'm beginning to understand now."
"Huh?"
Dante looked over to Noland, who walked beside him. Ruby, Inuba and Oscar's eyes also trailed towards the newcomer, keeping up their walking pace.
"Understand what?" Dante asked.
"My purpose. Why I was sent to find you." Noland answered.
"Because my uncle asked you to be my ally?" Dante replied.
"There is that. But I'm beginning to think it was to serve another purpose altogether."
The once immortal shook his head once, guessing he was going to hear something he wasn't going to like.
"What exactly have you heard of us, mr. Noland?" Inuba asked.
"Nothing that was impossible to believe, considering he showed me." The young man answered, "He told me he was a demon of sorts, the ruler of all demons in fact. And… that you, his nephew, had once done the impossible."
There it is…
"Considering we have just discovered that the Gods of this world destroyed humanity once before, I reckon their mood would be quite foul if they were to return and see the state of their Creation."
"You think they'd want to wipe out all life on Remnant again?" Ruby asked, afraid to do so.
"That's a likely possibility. From what I gather, this Salem is also seeking the Relics." Noland theorized, "Would it be so far fetched to think she would call them back out of arrogance to try and destroy them once more?"
"She's gotten stronger over the millennia, and has had enough time to test and grow her powers in their absence." Dante spoke up, "Maybe she is still holding a grudge and wants to take them down. Only, if bringing them back is her goal…"
"We'll…" Oscar stopped short, his eyes trailing the ground, "There won't be a thing we can do if that happens…"
"I wouldn't be so sure…" Noland said, focusing his sight directly at Dante.
Oscar looked to the devil in confusion, Inuba and Ruby both unsure of what to say.
"And what exactly are you trying to imply Noland?" Dante asked out loud, drawing the entire group's attention as they continued walking.
"Only that… should the Gods return one day and decide to eliminate all life on Remnant once again, perhaps Dante the GodSlayer could eliminate them instead."
…
"That-"
"Oh come on!" Yang shouted, "We all know he's badass incarnate, but killing a God?"
"Yang-"
"How much of my stories did you all believe?" Dante asked as he cut off Ruby, everyone stopping to look back at the teen, "It's a simple enough question."
Yang looked between Blake and Weiss, the two unsure of what to say.
"I was a Pure Immortal up until two weeks ago. Is it that hard to believe I did half the things I spoke about? Killed many unnatural and otherworldly beings, Divine or otherwise?"
"Not that all those stories aren't hard to believe, but…"
"Some of those stories seem a little out there, even for me." Blake added to Weiss' statement.
"Do you expect us to believe he actually killed a God?"
"You'll hold your tongue, and mind your insolence." Noland spoke darkly, stepping forward and glaring at Yang, "This man has achieved greater things than you'll ever manage to achieve in your meager lifetime. He deserves your utmost respect and nothing else. Therefore, you will not dare call this man a liar."
"Who the hell even are you?" Yang angrily questioned, coming face to face with the young man.
"No one important, but someone to not take lightly either." He said, resting both hands on his cane and smirking deviously at Yang, "It might be the worst mistake you make. Other than losing that arm." Noland pointed out.
"Enough, damn it!" Dante spoke, getting in between the two, "I appreciate it, but don't piss her off." The devil said before looking to Yang, "You might find it hard to believe, but all those stories I spoke about are true. I never lied once about any of that."
"So what then tough guy?" Yang asked, "You're saying if those Gods come back, you can stop them?"
"Not as he is now." Noland pointed out, "But in the future? Who knows what might happen."
"That's like saying he could win the lottery tomorrow!"
"That possibility isn't too far off either."
"Alright smart ass-!"
Dante stepped in between them again, raising up his hands defensively to prevent the two from breaking out into a brawl. Rather, it was to spare Noland from getting a broken jaw.
"I don't know what I'll be able to do if such a time comes. But if they do come back one day and want to destroy my…" He wanted to say new, but that wasn't exactly true by now, "my home… I won't let them do it. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them. Even if it means having to kill them."
Yang scoffed as she waved the teen off, returning back to her bike to drag it forward through the snow.
"She's certainly hotheaded."
"Antagonizing her doesn't help." Dante sternly spoke, "Don't pick fights with anyone. Even if they do piss you off a little."
"I apologize. My retorts are… reflexive in response to such ill tempered behavior."
"You and me both…" The devil sighed, chuckling as he gave a strong pat to Noland's back, "I appreciate the help. But seriously though, don't piss her off. You've got your Grimm and your magic, but when she's flared up, she's like me in that there's almost no stopping her."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"What could we do, even if they came back?" Ruby spoke up, making Dante turn to face her.
"I… I can't make any promises. I can't tell you definitively that I can do something about it if they come back and try to kill us all." The devil spoke, interlocking his fingers with hers, "But I can promise you… that I'll do everything in my power to stop that from happening. This World is my home now, and I'll do everything I can to defend it from anyone or anything."
"Thanks… I actually feel a bit better knowing that."
"We'll be doing everything we can." Inuba interjected, interlocking her fingers with Dante and Ruby, "Together."
The devil and little reaper chuckled together, only to be interrupted by something crashing into Dante from behind. Of course, who else could it be besides Eclypse, who latched on tightly to him from behind so that he would be carrying her essentially.
He could hear her pouting too.
"Popular indeed." Noland commented, keeping half his face hidden to show he wasn't smiling.
"Shut it…" Dante growled, as he tried to slowly walk away.
Ruby and Inuba giggled to themselves as they followed behind them, Noland keeping pace with his ally.
"Do you really think he sent you with me for that? To kill those Gods if they come back and try to kill us?" The once immortal asked as he walked, Eclypse still hanging onto him.
"This book…" He began as he held up the white Grimoire, "And this cane were once the tools of the most powerful Dark Entity to exist currently. A King in both name and power. These were used by the very same King to bring down and punish Gods and Deities, either to give them death or imprison them in their own personal Hell. If anything… that is the only other reason I can think of for him sending me in your direction."
"I don't want to sound mean, but…"
"No need to feel conflicted when speaking the truth. I am nowhere near as strong as you are. My only blessing in this unfortunate life of mine is having powerful and vast amounts of Aura. Even then, utilizing it is quite a task."
"Power doesn't mean anything without this." Noland looked over, seeing Dante point to his heart, "If you don't have this, then what's something like power good for? Nothing, I can tell you that much."
"Hmph… You seem wiser than I originally thought." The young man spoke.
"I've just made one too many mistakes in my life is all. And I learned from them all while trying to avoid making more mistakes. I'm not infallible. If anything, I'm one of the most flawed beings to ever exist. Most people think that I'm this perfect and amazing person, but they have no idea how hard I've had to work to get to where I am."
"Then we are more similar than I thought. Both of our identities misconceived by those claiming to be above us."
"Heh… You know, I'd ask where exactly you came from and what your deal is, but…"
"In due time." Noland spoke, opening his coat to fit his Grimoire into a special holster inside.
He's still hiding something from us.
Dante looked towards Eclypse, her eyes focused on the teen before she darted them in Noland's direction briefly.
I'm not gonna press him right now any further. I'm gonna give him time to open up on his own, but if he starts saying fishy shit…
We'll stab him and make him talk.
No, we're not gonna stab him unless he attacks us. I'm just gonna force his hand.
Eclypse's thoughts were silent as she hugged Dante tighter, resting her chin on his shoulder.
I just don't like not knowing who I'm working with is all… He could be dangerous for all we know.
We need a little dangerous. He's got some power with the spells, cane, and his Grimm. But… he isn't reckless. I watched him carefully. Noland seems to clearly understand the power he was entrusted with, so he's using it responsibly. That being said, you could be right about him acting the part to get on our good side. I don't know what he wants, if he even wants anything at all.
Which is why you want to know more about him before making any sort of decision regarding the future… That's fair I guess. Just know I'll kill him if he tries to kill you.
You always want to kill anything threatening.
Threatening to you.
I appreciate the concern, but we can't just cut down anyone and everyone that looks threatening.
We can. It'll just be frowned upon is all.
"Frowned upon…" Dante scoffed silently as he shook his head.
"Doesn't look like this storm is gonna let up." Qrow commented to the group as he kept walking.
"I thought trails led somewhere." Yang scoffed as she looked to the little woman sitting on her bike.
"Do you have nothing better to do than to harass a defenseless old lady?" Maria asked.
"Everyone, quiet. Do you hear that?" Ruby said.
The group halted in their tracks, listening closely to the sound of squeaking metal in the distance. When they got closer, they could see something of a gate, creaking loudly as it moved back and forth with the wind. The rest of the land looked like an abandoned farm, all of it under-maintenaned and blanketed in snow.
"Well, at least one good thing happened today." Blake noted.
"It looks abandoned." Weiss realized, eyes glancing around carefully.
"It's still better than nothing, Weiss." Dante patted her shoulder, stepping forward to keep the gate open for everyone.
One by one they passed through, Noland being the last as Dante closed the gate behind them, looking upon the farm.
"It really is abandoned…" the teen commented.
"Perhaps." Eclypse said as she let go of Dante, allowing her gauntleted feet to touch the snowy ground, "Can you feel it?"
The devil's eyes lit up as he knelt towards the ground, touching a hand to it. He let his Aura Sensing take over in order to spread out across the land, and could indeed feel a power that veined throughout the area beneath them. Though…
It felt foreign.
"Not Grimm, at least not anything we can detect…" Dante spoke.
"We've yet to figure out how to detect them with Aura Sensing." Eclypse noted, "We'll have to have Inuba assist us."
"I can feel that power you were talking about, but I can't pinpoint it entirely. I've got a significantly better detection range that's been sharpened out, but it's not pinpoint."
"No worries. That's why you have Inuba and myself."
"How good is your tracking?" Dante asked.
"Not as superb like the lewd fox's, but I'm able to accurately pinpoint power surges over large distances."
Eclypse raised her head, looking past the farmhouse everyone headed inside of and stood up, brushing the snow off of her black metal gauntlets.
"Should we go investigate?" The platinum haired girl asked.
"Later. We need a break."
"You mean they need a break."
"Yes, they do. And so do we. Afterall…" Dante's combat attire washed away from him in a burst of platinum Aura, allowing him to roll down the right long sleeve of his black shirt.
Eclypse took his arm, the teen shivering slightly from the cold touch of her metal gauntlets. Noticing this, her head jolted up quickly, her gauntlets turning into black Aura and revealing her smooth, pale hands instead.
"W-What is it? Why are you standing there? H-Hurry up and let me see your arm already…"
"R-Right…"
It was always so surprising to see Eclypse of all people bashful or shy. She was usually stoic with all forms of her emotions or expressions, save for her brief outbursts of sadism or extreme lewdness at times.
Even then, as a woman who was very aggressive, she was still ludicrously attractive.
"I-I can hear your thoughts you know…"
"I keep forgetting…"
"Well, like I tell you in the bedroom all the time, don't stop." She smirked, making the teen look away in embarrassment.
She hummed happily as her eyes drifted back onto Dante's forearm. She brushed her slender and smooth fingers across the white, hollowed out, diamond shaped mark that stretched across his entire forearm.
"At the moment, I can only make two assumptions. Given our experience and knowledge, I would say it's a curse mark. But seeing as your health isn't deteriorating at all, I would rule that out."
"A seal then... But a seal for what?"
Eclypse's fingers bled with black Aura, blanketing Dante's flesh and forming armor, only for it to crumble away. Even so, the black Aura continuously attempted to stretch out over Dante's skin, only to continuously shrink away until the sword ceased her attempts.
"As I feared… The seal was meant to suppress your Shadow Skin…" The girl noted.
"Why?"
"It is your greatest skill. Your trump card, so to speak. It allows you to transcend your limitations and continuously grow stronger as the battle progresses. It is your ultimate tool."
"Then it'd make sense that they'd want to seal my ability to use it. But now? Just out of the blue? Someone would have to have knowledge about what my Shadow Skin actually is." Dante commented, "Not only that, but they'd need to have specific knowledge of the Arcane Arts concerning Dark Entities."
Eclypse's eyes narrowed angrily upon Noland, seeing him as the last to enter before Ruby.
"Come on you two!" The little reaper called out.
"We'll be right there!" Dante shouted back, "I don't think it's him Eclypse. Remember? He was with us the whole time, and the attacker was… different. I think it was a woman, given the figure."
"That doesn't rule out the possibility-"
"He's not strong enough to suppress me Eclypse. Didn't you notice it yourself? There's so much of him that's broken and misaligned. He can't even channel all of his Aura properly, despite how much of it he has and how powerful it is. Him sealing my Shadow Skin is impossible."
"Then… I dread to think the enemy that sealed your ability is Dark Entity themself."
"Them crossing over isn't impossible. Raum came here, so did Lucifer. Two of them even found their way into another Reality."
"Xera Stark's Reality, where he is the would be hero of Remnant." Eclypse stated as her gauntlets reformed, allowing her to cross her arms, "But who could be powerful enough to cross over? When you left Primordial, there was no Dark Entity that bore a grudge against you. Well, none alive anyway."
"Maybe someone that's heard of me and wants to try their luck?"
"That is a possibility. Dark Entities are generally focused on strength and testing their own power against forces as great or greater than them. So that thought isn't entirely far fetched. There could also be a chance of it being someone's successor, who did bear a grudge against you."
"If that's the case it could be anyone then!" Dante threw up his hands in frustration, "You know how many bastards I killed that were powerful Dark Entities?"
"One too many. Do you remember anyone that had sealing capabilities?"
"Not that I can recall, no. Then again, there was a bunch of those idiots with different kinds of powers."
Eclypse sighed as she dropped her arms, placing one of them on her hip.
"Do we tell them?" She asked.
"Of course we do. Afterwards, we'll take it easy for a little while. Then… we go hunting."
"So that mark is stopping you from transforming?" Ruby asked.
"It's nothing I recognize, composition wise." Inuba stated, looking over Dante's arm, "But the magic seems like it is that of a Dark Entity."
"I can confirm that as well." Dawn stated as she glanced it over, "I don't recognize the origin either, so I can only assume this seal is ancient magic."
"How do you figure?" Dante asked.
"I've studied the Arcane Arts of Primordial for nearly a decade now, Dante. While I may not know everything there is to offer, I still know quite a lot." Dawn stated, "And I know when I don't recognize magic. Even if I thought I studied the oldest arts available."
"And you're certain the attacker was female?" Inuba asked.
"I'm not totally certain, but I'm decently sure it was."
"I saw the attacker as well." Noland pointed out, gently tapping the bottom of his cane on the hardwood floor, "Their build was far too slender and shapelier than the average male's form. The attacker also wore a mask, so discerning their identity in the moment was rather impossible."
"A mask? One that looked like it was porcelain?"
"That's the one. Why?" Dante asked.
"Then I'm afraid it wasn't just you who was marked…"
"Ciel and Leonard were marked as well?!" Inuba asked in shock.
"They reported it just before their Scrolls cut out from the separation." Dawn answered.
"She mark you too?" Dante asked.
"N-No… I'm afraid not." The sister admitted to her embarrassment, "I have no Shadow Skin. Nor an Angelic Form. I'm… not as strong as you three, so…"
"You kidding me? What happened to all that strength you had when you were handing my ass to me weeks ago?" Dante asked.
"That was within my own Territory, brother. Whenever I establish a 'Territory', all who enter it are subject to my rules and laws inside. If I deem myself to be as strong as you, my Territory will allow me to be as strong as my enemy." Dawn explained, "If I wish to have strength greater than my enemy to defeat them, then it will happen according to my rule in the zones I establish."
"Your point?"
"My point is that regardless of the fake strength it gives me, I can't easily establish something so powerful upon reality at the snap of my fingers. I have to create these Territories that I place down over time by pouring vast amounts of my Aura into these."
As she spoke, Dawn's hand shined with a bright light briefly, revealing a small, white and black cube in her palm, no bigger than a golf ball.
"As it stands, I have two of them ready for emergency use. This one is my third, but it still isn't ready yet." The sister explained, making the cube disappear, "We have more important things to worry about in the meantime. Like that mark."
"It isn't suppressing his Aura, or his Semblance." Eclypse stated, "I did a deep dive check just to make sure. The only thing being restricted is his ability to use Shadow Skin."
"Can it be removed? Or you know, drawn over or something?" Ruby asked.
"It isn't so simple, Ms. Rose." Noland spoke up, ceasing the tapping of his cane, "Magic seals with great complexity to them, such as the one Dante and his two other siblings bear, can't simply be undone by another's hand. Perhaps if a Deity were present, surely they could remove the mark with minimal effort."
"And we're fresh out." Dante spoke up.
"Then that means we must defeat the one who placed that mark on you. Even so…"
Inuba became quiet all of a sudden, unsure of what to say.
"What?" Dante asked.
"Well…"
"What is it?"
"They're too nice to say it, so I will." Eclypse spoke up, pointing to Dante, "Master, I think you've become too reliant on your Shadow Skin to solve most of your fights."
Dante narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing those words. It stung a little, but…
It was more or less true. He was too reliant on that ability to get him out of tough spots where skill, knowledge and strength failed him. Afterall…
What could possibly win against overwhelming power?
"Even if that mark presents an unfortunate drawback, this still provides us with an excellent opportunity." The sword spoke, "We can now at the very least expand our skill set even further. Try things we haven't tried before, and the like. Your training with the Son of Sparda Vergil was meant to teach you how to fight as he does, and in the process, you learned new abilities while studying his style of combat. I think it's time to place more focus on further developing your Semblance and pushing past our current borders. That, and exploring what else I can do as a weapon."
"Then we'll do that." Dante spoke, readily agreeing with Eclypse to everyone's surprise, "If we're gonna make it out here, we need to learn new things that can help us. And yeah, I guess I need to polish up my Semblance and figure out some new tricks too."
"Ha! That's an understatement!"
All eyes shifted to Athyra, who had entered the room and leaned against the door frame.
"You really need to work on it, my idiot son. You've got like four fancy tricks at best. Weapon projection, teleporting to embedded weapon projections, making decent enough shields, and that giant slash attack of yours that blows everything up."
"I get it you old hag, so quit bugging me!" Dante answered in return.
"Huh? Can't you see how young and gorgeous I am?" His mother said, striking a few poses.
"Yeah, for someone who's like a million years old."
"Uh, for your information I'm like close to a hundred thousand."
"Your point?"
"Mentally, I'm that old. Physically, I'm as young as thirty!"
"You're still old."
Athyra slapped the back of Dante's head forcefully, making him guffaw in surprise as his head and body were quickly forced down by the power of the slap.
"And apparently some kind of ogre with that strength! Not useful my ass! You just wanted an excuse to kick back!" The teen argued.
"I did my time so I get my fair share of time for relaxation you little punk!" She said, slapping the back of his head again, "Just work on your shit so it doesn't get floppy out there!"
"Right back at you, you old witch!"
"D-Do they always fight like this?" Ruby asked Dawn as she leaned over.
"Would you be surprised if you knew that this is how they get along?"
"What?!" Inuba asked, almost shocked.
The three looked back to Athyra, who had quickly walked back over to her son and was trying to stretch his face to its limits with her brutish strength.
"I think you can see for yourselves where he gets his combative nature from…" Dawn explained, sighing as she watched her brother and mother trying to kill each other.
"T-This is how they get along?" Ruby asked.
"If they were actually fighting, the destruction would be much more devastating, I assure you."
They all suddenly looked back, seeing Athyra twirling her son around in the air like he was a ball connected to some string. She then slammed him down onto one of the cabinets closest to her, cracking its frame a great deal as she dusted off her hands and walked out of the room.
Dante weakly rolled himself off the cabinet and onto the floor, steadily picking himself up as he groaned.
"Damn witch…"
"That's why you should never argue with mother." Dawn spoke out, smiling as she did.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." The teen said, dusting himself before he looked to Inuba, "I've been meaning to ask this for some time, but I've never gotten to it. Do you still have it?"
"Have it?" Inuba questioned, glancing to the floor briefly to think before her eyes went wide, reading what he was asking, "I do, but… Do we have need of it?"
"No, not yet I think. Just thought I should ask is all."
"Very well. But should we need it…"
"Then I'll ask. In the meantime…" Dante looked over to Noland nodding at him, "You ready to go?"
"If you are, then I am."
"Perfect."
"Wait, where are you two going?" Ruby asked, jumping out of her seat.
"Well, considering we don't have all too much to eat at the moment, I figured it'd be best for us to go hunting and bring back some food. Maybe there's another establishment nearby." Dante shrugged, "Or we get lucky and bring back some fresh game."
"Either way, it's still a good idea to search the premises." Noland added, "We've only taken up shelter. The other houses might have things of use to us. Food for instance. However, it'd be wise to broaden our search further just in case."
"Then we'll leave it to you." Dawn nodded.
"Excellent." The devil clapped his hands together, rubbing them briefly, "Oh, um… I don't think I have to really say this, but… Keep everyone on their toes please? I don't think they're doing too hot after that stage play we all saw. And frankly… I don't have an all too nice feeling about this place."
"No need to worry. We'll keep watch while you're away." Inuba agreed.
"Thanks." Dante nodded, "Then let's get this show on the road."
"Tch… It's actually a little cold out here…" Dante noted, rubbing his hands together.
As soon as the teen spoke, his platinum colored coat appeared on his body without the black gauntlets, and was replaced with black leather gloves. Black fur lined the cuffs of his sleeves and the hem of his hood, making his coat look more like Eclypse's coat when wearing her causal clothes. His black long sleeved shirt even extended itself to cover his neck and keep it warm.
I'm just the best, aren't I?
"Thank you." Dante chuckled
"That sword of yours seems very useful." Noland remarked, "Fascinating that she can even adjust the clothes on your person however she chooses…"
"That's not all I can do, scrawny man."
The young man chuckled in amusement, indifferent to the sword's sarcasm.
The blizzard around them kept up, but thanks to Noland's Nevermore, the snow around was being swept out of the way. The Beowolf on the other hand had sunken into the snow, reaping a path through the snow with its now sharpened body as the duo moved forward unhindered.
"Your Grimm are pretty useful too. So the bird uses magic while your Beowolf shape shifts for a more hands-on approach? How'd you even get these guys?"
"Simply put, I defeated them using the magic I have on hand, then turned them into my familiars, so to speak."
"So..?"
"Using magic, I changed their physiology and wrested control from their original maker. But that's not the only variable at play either." Noland stated, exhaling as his breath became visible, "How long do you suppose the average Grimm lasts?"
"That's honestly tough to answer since there's all sorts of variables at hand."
"Precisely. But tell me… would you believe me if I were to say some Grimm live for decades? Centuries? Milenia?"
"Hard to imagine… I don't usually see any signs of aging really in battle. On occasion, for some of the bigger ones, I do see scars and signs of damage, but… Hundreds of years? If not more?"
"It is difficult to imagine. I was no different until recently."
"Let me guess." Dante pointed to the Grimm, "Those two are Grimm that have lived for more than a decade?"
"By now, the Beowolf has lived for nearly three hundred years, while the Nevermore has so far lasted for approximately sixty years."
"So they've got a lot of time to them… And their powers?"
"Unique manifestations after I employed them. When I freed them of their maker's subcontrol, it allowed inner personas to be established deep within them. They became their own people, so to speak, and gained further power. Much to my benefit in the end."
"And they don't try to betray you or anything?"
"Not at all. If you were being kept as nothing but tools of destruction meant to die for someone else's agenda, would you bite the hand of your liberator? No, they perfectly understand who it was they essentially gave them their freedom." Noland explained, "Therefore, through mutual agreement we are partnered together."
"What about the big guy you said you had? He agree too?"
"For the most part. He doesn't have as much personality as those two do, but he knows who holds his life in their hands. Should I die, either by his hand or another's, he dies as well. Linking us so closely together was the only way to salvage him."
"Good to know…" Dante sighed, looking up past the large pine trees to see the Nevermore was out of sight, "Where'd birdbrain go?"
"A bit further ahead to scout. And apparently with news given how quickly he's flying back to us."
The duo stopped in their tracks, looking up to see the Nevermore flying back towards them.
"So, what do you got for us KFC?"
"Oh haha, very clever Prince Charming. The name's Tâz by the way. Best remember it." The bird sharply spoke before looking back to Noland, "So, there's something like a town uphead, but I'm note sure it's actually a town. Not to mention, the place is a mess. Fresh from the looks of it."
Dante narrowed his eyes, only now seeing the few columns of smoke past the blizzard.
"No survivors?" Noland bluntly asked.
"That's the thing Shakespeare… I don't think anyone was livin' in that place for a long time. Looks run down as is, but there weren't any bodies or nothing. Not even some old blood. Just a few dying fires."
"Interesting… A hub resembling a town without any inhabitants for what seems like decades... Centuries perhaps. A temple?"
"For what? I doubt the farmers built it to 'pray' to those dumbass gods." Dante spoke.
"We've traveled for miles on foot as is." Noland pointed out, looking to the sky to see the sun set as the duo continued walking, "I don't think the farmers even knew a hub this far out existed. Afterall, given their environment and the Grimm to be dealt with, I doubt any would have ventured so far out without reason. Especially considering no trail leads this way."
"If there's nothing there, then-"
"We shouldn't be so quick to turnaround." The young man noted, stopping as they now looked over the large hub, "Perhaps we may find something yet. Aren't you curious as to the purpose of this place?"
"Not really…" Dante grumbled, "If it's got nothing useful, I'd be more than a bit pissed."
"Then shall we?"
The once immortal shrugged with a sigh as he began walking through the snow, heading down the snowy hill. Noland's Beowolf continued to clear the way, reaping the ice to make a nice and smooth pathway.
A few more minutes of walking, and the duo found themselves at the entrance of the pseudo-town. Although, from the looks of it all, Noland was right to call it as some sort of temple. Though…
It looked more like a run down cathedral-town. There were a few locales that looked like domiciles and storehouses, but what stood out the most was the huge, gothic themed tower deeper within.
Did people really form some sort of religious site here?
"What do you think of this place?" Noland asked as he and the devil walked through the ruined town, "Any thoughts as to why it's here?"
"Not really. Though, I'm not sure of this being some religious site for worship or whatever." The teen explained, "For starters, regardless of the shape the architecture is in, its way too… I don't know, flashy, I guess. Sure, people of some religions will build sophisticated structures that look nice enough, but not this nice. Or at least, as nice as it used to look. If anything, this looks more like-"
"A castle… Interesting…" Noland spoke, raising a hand to his chin, "Now what would something like this be doing out here?
"Well, it's too small to be a castle, so I guess it might be some sort of private domicile. Maybe a winter home for someone ridiculously wealthy."
"Perhaps…"
The two stopped in front of the broken down entrance of the giant cathedral, Dante pushing the doors down as snow and dust brushed past them. The cobblestone floors near the entrance were caked in snow, but further ahead was nothing but broken tables, chairs, candlesticks and cobwebs sprawled across the entire area.
"Your flying chicken was right… This place has been dead for ages…"
"Agreed… There seems to be an area further back." Noland pointed out with his cane.
Like he said, there was indeed a doorway leading further in, but completely darkened. Tapping his cane twice on the stone floor, the handle of the young man's cane shone brightly like a light bulb, lighting up the whole area as his Beowolf slowly crept inside first, scanning the area with its glowing purple eyes.
"Tâz, keep watch of the perimeter outside for us. If there's anyone or anything closing in on us, fly in and warn us."
"Roger that, Shakespeare."
The Nevermore flew out of the building and back out into the blizzard, leaving Dante, Noland, and the Beowolf to continue onwards into the dark. It seemed like there was a hearth in the room, and a dusty, large library. Some of the books were sprawled out on the floor, large assortments of them piled up and littering the dusty wooden tables, and the few remaining properly shelved away on the dust covered shelves.
Oddly enough, there was a single bed at the back of the room.
"A small bed… One person lived in the cathedral here?" Dante noted, "Seemed like they lived in seclusion. The other domiciles were likely homes for the grounds staff when they used to live here."
"Your theory on it being someone wealthy might be spot on then." Noland added, "But that still begs a question. What is the purpose of this place?"
"A winter holiday home, I don't know." The devil shrugged.
"Doesn't that seem a bit far fetched? Why build one here when they could have based closer to the farm?"
"Maybe the farm didn't exist around the time this place did." Dante postulated.
"Or perhaps there's something to hide here." Noland smiled, showing an eagerness to Dante the devil never saw before now.
It was actually pretty strange.
"Think about it. A place secluded far from the farm. Not only that, but it's completely isolated and far out to the point where no one would usually think to look."
"You really think there's something to hide here?
The idea didn't seem too far off… But it was still a bit hard to imagine. There wasn't anything to go off of, much less prove that something was here. Even so, parts of it made some sense. It was a bit suspicious for a fancy establishment to be this far out and secluded.
If Dante's past experiences in Primordial were anything to go off of, and his more recent experiences, namely the Friede incident, a place so far out and secluded meant one thing.
There was something to hide. But what?
"I don't think there is anything to hide. I know something is being hidden here."
He's got good instincts, I'll give him that.
You've been oddly quiet this whole time.
I was focusing, and subtly influencing your movement in this direction. Afterall… We are right on top of the vein I was talking about earlier.
Don't you think you should've mentioned that before?
I was waiting to see what he'd say. Maybe that he recognized this place, or something along those lines. He could just be tight lipped about his secrets.
I don't know. His thinking is close to mine. Only he's a bit more…
Imaginative, whereas you're more along the lines of pure, logical thought.
I could do with being a bit more imaginative. But where would we start looking?
Beneath us. The center of that vein is deep underground.
Underground..?
"Hey Noland, keep quiet for a second."
The young man nodded as Dante stretched out his hand, summoning Eclypse to his hand as he strongly tapped the tip of his sword into the ground. Halting his own breathing, he closed his eyes and focused his hearing, listening to the tapping noises as they traveled underground.
And quickly echoed.
"That pet of yours can cushion a fall?"
"I believe so."
"Then hang on tight."
The once immortal forcefully plunged Eclypse deep into the stone, placing a hand on the guard as platinum Aura shot out from the blade. The energy surged out across the ground, cracking it apart in a mere moment as the duo were now in freefall. Noland's Beowolf formed itself into a thick sheet underneath Noland's feet, the same sheet extending over his head to protect him from any ruble.
Dante simply kept his feet planted onto a huge chunk of rubble, keeping a hold on Eclypse considering she was rooted in the stone. By the devil's count, they spent at least two minutes falling until they finally hit some bedrock, the dust kicking up from the impact.
The devil swiped his sword outwards, making her vanish as he dusted his winter coat off. Noland did the same thing, more or less, his Beowolf slinking away from underneath his feet to reform its original shape. It sniffed the young man a few times before nudging its head into him, as if asking if he were okay.
"I'm alright, my friend." He said, rubbing the top of its head as it gave a pleased growl.
"You know, I'm still not used to seeing you being friendly with Grimm…" Dante stated.
"Râzla is a bit more… sympathetic compared to Tâz or the other one. He had his own pack once upon a time. That was until they were hunted down and killed by humans a few decades ago. He's unique in that he's a survivor, and a powerful one at that." Noland explained, "But most importantly, he knows what it means to be in a pack. He understands what it means to operate at optimal levels as a unit. Aside from his superb instincts as a Grimm, survival ability, and the power he gained under my wing, he's become quite an exceptional being."
"And damn useful too…"
The Beowolf snarled at him in agreeance, making Dante chuckle nervously as he narrowed his eyes, the whites of his eyes turning black and his irises a glowing white.
"Even with my eyes I can barely see here…" the devil spoke, "I can make out some odd shapes, but it's too far away."
"Then perhaps we should spare some light."
Noland tapped his cane twice, white light shining brightly before it shot out into the darkened abyss before them. Dante's eyes reverted to normal, but he kept them narrowed still. That was only until both he and Noland's eyes went wide after seeing what they did, completely breath taken.
A ruined kingdom that showed itself under the pale light streaking across the underground.
So yeah, taking Shadowkeep into account, I can get these chapters out by Sunday at best, maybe Monday if I'm late.
That's all I've got for now, so with that...
I highly recommend you all go check out the freaking amazing story Rogue Huntsman written by Xera Stark. The story overall is absolutely fantastic and is a must read, so I suggest you seriously read it. You won't want to miss out on this story. Plus, I'm working on it with him as a co-author, and my characters are in it too. So if you want to see a sort of alternate story and such with my characters in it, go on over and give Rogue Huntsman a read.
And hey! Go check out HydraFLow's story Lost in Binary! It's equally as awesome and entertaining, and tells Rogue Huntsman's story from his characters' perspective, like how Knights of White and Black (my alternate story) tells the tale from my character's perspectives.
Questions? Ask them anytime. I will try to answer without spoiling.
Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story! Remember that your support is what helps make this story grow even larger and what helps improve it. With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!
Bye-bye now!