Chapter 15, The Beast Beyond Appearance
The full moon glistened brightly over the forest clearing below. Over the old abandoned house, standing tattered and in ruins on the far edge of the Town. An eerie, thick grey cloud of mist swept through the clearing, through the tall grass and piles of debris, and accompanied by the howling winds and the crackling and creaking of rustling leafless forest of trees. Pyrrha and Qrow stared ahead into the clearing at the old shack overhead.
It didn't look like anyone had been here for some time now—how long only the Gods themselves would know.
Qrow shook his head.
"I got a bad feeling about this, Red," He said.
Pyrrha kneeled along the forest's edge, peering ahead at the old abandoned house. She narrowed her glance at what appeared to be the Beast's footsteps. No doubt this was where the Beast must be hiding.
"It's here," She said.
Pyrrha turned back to look up at Qrow.
"The tracks go off toward the house. It must be inside," She insisted.
Pyrrha stood up. Only to have Qrow's hand atop her shoulder, stopping her from taking a step forward.
"Red, wait. We can't just go walking up," Qrow insisted.
"That thing could be watching nearby. We have to be smart about this."
Pyrrha cocked her head to look back into the clearing. She knew Qrow was right. It was way too risky for them to wander into the clearing. Especially with whatever that Beast was, they were probably hiding somewhere in the clearing, waiting for the right moment to strike. They needed to be smart about this.
She turned back to him, nodding her head.
"Right," She said.
She used her semblance to draw Milo and Akouo into her hands. She glanced back at Qrow with a sly smirk.
"That's my Girl," Qrow said.
"So what's the plan?" Pyrrha asked.
Qrow walked forward as he drew the harbinger from behind. He scanned the clearing for a moment before saying something.
"Alright, stay close. We can use the debris as cover," Qrow proclaimed.
"Stay close, stay tight, and stay quiet."
"Right," Pyrrha said, nodding.
With that, the two crept stealthily into the open clearing. Pyrrha followed behind Qrow, turning back to face the cover of the forest edge they had left behind. She changed Milo into it's rifle form, aiming as she cocked her head from side to side. She scanned the thick grey fog, looking out for any sign of the creature that may be lurking nearby. The Harbinger turned into its shotgun form as Qrow pointed it forward, glancing around the clearing as he scanned the thick grey fog.
"See anything?" Pyrrha whispered.
Qrow shook his head.
"Nothing, stay sharp. It could be anywhere," He said.
He suddenly felt his foot kicked against something. He stopped and shifted down his glance to see the body of a Grimm soldier lying lifeless and mauled beyond recognition over the ground. Judging by the smell of rotting flesh, it's been here for quite some time now. Qrow squinted his eyes, shaking his head.
"Goddamnit," he said, further adding to the bad feeling he had over this whole thing.
There was a sudden growling sound coming from the house. Pyrrha and Qrow quickly took cover behind some of the nearby debris, staring ahead at the house. What followed was the sound of things being thrown around and smashed from within the abandoned shack, along with further aggravating howls from the Beast.
"What the hell is going on in there?" Qrow said.
Pyrrha shifted to her left and glanced down at some of the beast's tracks next to her. It was there; she saw what looked to be some reddish-purple liquid stain next to it. Pyrrha narrowed down as she peered at the trail of liquid—no doubt left by the beast itself.
"I think it might be wounded," Pyrrha insisted.
Qrow looked back at her, seeing her gesturing down at the trail of purple liquid. Qrow came up to her, examining the blood trail over the ground. He squinted his eyes inquisitively.
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked.
"I'm not sure. This looks like Grimm blood," Qrow insisted.
"But it's... different."
"Different?" she said.
Qrow's gazed back toward the house with a stern yet confused glance. None of this made sense. If this was the Beast's blood, then it was apparent that it was Grimm. Yet, if so, why was it so hostile toward its own? Grimm had been known to be competitive with each other and had often killed each other, but never to the extent. They were usually quite loyal to their commanders.
What is this thing?
"Something is not right, Red. Whatever we're up against, it's part Grimm," He said.
"Grimm?" Pyrrha asked.
"I think so. But it's more sporadic than any of the Grimm I've usually encountered," He insisted to her.
"It could be a new breed they might be trying to develop."
Pyrrha turned back toward the house. Regardless of this fact, it was part of Grimm, and Akara saw there was something about this Beast. Something she needed to see for herself. Whatever this thing was, it didn't matter to her.
Pyrrha crept forward through the mist toward the house, much to Qrow's dismay. He was quick to chase up after her as the two came up to the steps to the doorway. Pyrrha paused and narrowed down next to a square-shaped pillar next to the steps. She glanced at the pillar and saw a golden plack with a name at the center.
Dr. Sorren Paulivic.
No doubt it was the one who used to own this place. A place that, by the title of doctor, must have once been a place of medicine to treat those sick or Injured. Now harboring the supposed beast they were searching for. Pyrrha turned back to look at the entrance above, the doorway gaping open, having noticed the house had gone silent. Qrow came up next to her, looking at the doorway, wearingly.
"You hear that?" Qrow asked.
Pyrrha shook her head.
"I don't hear anything," Pyrrha said, shaking her head.
"Exactly, it's too quiet," Qrow insisted.
"Do you think it knows we are here?" Pyrrha asked.
Qrow crept up the steps, coming up before the narrowly open doorway. Pyrrha quickly followed suit, coming up behind him. He peered inside, only to be met with concealing darkness. Only a tiny slither of light from the doorway revealed some objects lying on the floor. But not much else.
"Do you see it?" Pyrrha asked.
Qrow shook his head.
"No, it's too dark in there. It looks like we're going to have to get a closer look," he said, cocked his head back at her.
Pyrrha smirked, nodding his head.
"I'm ready," she insisted.
"That's what worries me," Qrow remarked.
The two glanced at the narrow doorway, unsettled about what they would encounter. Pyrrha took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Despite her determination to complete this task that Akara had given her, she shared Qrow's fears about what they would find inside. She could only hope that she was right about this.
"Here we go," Qrow said.
With that, Qrow pushed open the doorway before stepping inside.
The Light from Qrow's scroll revealed all the darkness within the room. However, it was a sight that proved their fears were genuine. Several objects were scattered over the floor, including beakers, books, pages, and bottles. Over the walls were the markings of the beast's sharp claws. Pyrrha and Qrow stepped inside with their weapons ready, scanning the room.
Pyrrha kneeled as she picked up a small white bottle from the floor. Turning it over, she saw the small label with the word Levoparin—a standard medicine used to treat illnesses like the common cold.
"Look at this. Levoparin," Pyrrha said.
"I was right. This was a place of medicine."
Qrow squinted his eyes. He glanced back to where he had pointed his light over the claw marks embedded in the walls.
"Yeah... was," He added.
Pyrrha continued inspecting the things lying on the floor, finding scattered notes and more medicine bottles. When she came across what looked to be a picture frame, she picked it up and turned it over to see the picture inside. In the photo, she saw what looked to be a dark-skinned man wearing a white lab coat over top of a sweater and grey pants standing before the house itself. Next to the pillar which bore the plack, she saw outside. He also had a pair of wolf ears atop his head and a tail.
Pyrrha squinted her eyes, inching his head forward for a closer look. This could only mean that this was Dr. Sorren Paulivic.
And he was a Faunus, no less.
They suddenly heard something from the other room. There cocked her head over to the entrance to the other room, where they saw the moonlight beaming from within the room. She glanced over at Qrow, who gestured toward the room. The two slowly crept toward the entrance, standing on opposite sides. Qrow slowly peered around the corner and saw a small lab inside.
Like the rest of the house, it was in complete ruins. Much of the equipment was destroyed, and the floor was covered with more tools, pages, and such. Debris from the opening in the ceiling above also remained. But there was no sign of the Beast anywhere. No doubt it was still hiding somewhere inside.
Pyrrha peered around the corner. She glanced over at Qrow, who gestured his head forward. She and Qrow slowly crept inside, their weapons ready. Pyrrha shifted and the opening above. There is no doubt where the creature gets inside, considering the doorway is intact. Now, where was it hiding?
The sounds of the glass beakers against her foot caused her to pause. Glancing down at them as they rolled over the floor, she paused. Qrow paused as well, glancing over to her. They stood momentarily, listening for even the slightest sound to indicate the Beast was around. Only to hear nothing but the silence of the Night, which caused Pyrrha to give a slight sigh of relief.
However, those hopes would come to be dashed.
The growls of the Beast suddenly broke the silence. Pyrrha uttered a small gasp before cocking her head off to her right, where its looming emerged from around the corner. Pyrrha suddenly felt Qrow's hand atop her shoulder, where he quickly pulled her to the side. The two promptly hid behind a fallen bookshelf arching atop one of the destroyed machines lying over the floor.
They heard its thudding footsteps and constant snarls and growls as they hid. It was getting closer. Pyrrha slowly came to peer through the narrow opening underneath the fallen bookshelf.
And was met with the sight of the Beast itself.
No longer was it concealed by the Darkness of the Night. Nor the shadows of the Town. It was now standing in the full moon's light, descending into the room through the opening above. But what the moonlight revealed was beyond the comprehension of imagination itself.
The Beast stood at the lab's center atop his two hind legs, which resembled wolves and were shrouded in thick black hair that engulfed its entire body. Its form was large and bulking, hunching over with two long, muscular arms reaching past its legs. Its two hands, with claw-protruding fingers, were close to touching the floor. Through its black fur, she noticed what looked to be purple veins and its spine protruding through its skin.
The Beats panted hard with a deep, low growl. It reached around one of its long arms, looking as though it was cupping its stomach. The Beast then turned over to reveal how it appeared from the front—a sight somehow more frightening for the eyes to bear: a terrifying, deformed plait between the heads of both man and wolf, with fangs protruding from each corner of its jaw. The Beast drew breath in a faint whaling as if it was desperate to have such life-giving air.
Pyrrha cupped her hands over her mouth, staring wide-eyed and in horror. Qrow squinted his eyes in utter contempt.
"God damn. What the hell is that thing?" he whispered.
The poor bastard was just so unbearable to look at. He had seen all the types of Grimm within the ranks of Salem's Empire, and yet none could compare to whatever this creature was. It wasn't Grimm, but at the same time, it was. It looked like some animal, but at the same time, it looked like a man.
It was as if it was all those things but none simultaneously.
The Beast suddenly uttered a low growl as if in pain. It reached out its hand, placing it atop the Colbert off to its left. Its breath came more frequently. The Beast leaned over and coughed more of that supposed purple blood over the floor. The Beast suddenly collapsed over the ground, placing one hand over its burning heart as it panted heavily and growled in pain.
Pyrrha squinted her eyes curiously from behind the bookshelf.
"Somethings wrong. I think it's in pain," she insisted.
Qrow only gestures a shake of his head, caring not whether this thing was in pain. His concerns were more about the fact they were exposed even behind this bookshelf. Regardless of whether they were behind cover, the Beast would undoubtedly have a wolf's tight sense of smell. One whiff of their scent and that thing would be on top of them. Even if this was one of Pyrrha's trials from Akara, it was far too dangerous to be here.
Especially if this thing was in pain, any creature or animal suffering from it was even more dangerous.
He reached out his hand and placed it atop her shoulder.
"Why, well, we need to get out of here before it sees us," He said.
Qrow took but a step atop one of the floorboards, which gave a creaking sound from underfoot. Qrow and Pyrrha suddenly paused, glancing back through the opening at the beast. The ears atop its head stood erect atop his head, twitching at the sudden sound. It raised its head, glancing around the laboratory as it slowly stood over its hind leg. Leaning back his head, the Beast sniffed the air and caught a whiff of a strange scent.
Slowly, they shifted his glance toward the fallen bookshelf, sensing the pheromones coming from there. Pyrrha gasped, narrowing down behind cover.
"What is it?" Qrow said.
Pyrrha turned to him.
"I think it knows," she said.
The Bookshelf was suddenly lifted and pushed to the side. Pyrrha and Qrow turned to see the Beast now standing over them. The Beast pushed aside the shelf, which toppled over the floor. The Beast growled as it came to bear its fangs down at the two intruders. Qrow stood up, holding the Harbinger in his hands.
"Red, Run!" Qrow exclaimed.
Pyrrha shook her head, reaching up her hand to her.
"Qrow, wait!" She said.
The Beast raised its arms and swiped at Qrow, who was knocked back into one of the machines. Pyrrha quickly rolled out of the way of the Beast's strike, turning back to see the Beast, who approached Qrow as he fell to his knees.
"Qrow, watch out!" Pyrrha exclaimed.
Qrow looked up, where he saw the Beast lunge toward him. He then leaped into the air, passive over the Beast, who crashed into the shattered machinery. It cocked its head back at him. With a load bellow, he hurried at Qrow, who turned back to him. Raising its paw, the Beast attempted to swipe at Qrow. Only for Pyrrha to spring into action, she leaping in front of Qrow with her shield firmly before her. The claws of the beast scratched against its surface.
And then again.
Pyrrha continued to hold her shield firmly in the face of the Beast. Yet found the Beast's strength was proving to be too much. She felt herself dropping down to her knees with each blow it dealt. Qrow suddenly leaped over Pyrrha, where he proceeded to dealt the beast several swipes of his giant sword, swinging it from side to as side. The Beast sauntered backward as he was struck by his sword, bellowing with irritation and pain from the strikes. Qrow then lunged up and attempted to swing down his sword.
Only for the Beast to grab the blade in its hand. The Beast then threw Qrow to the side, where he crashed up against the wall and fell to the ground.
"Qrow!" Pyrrha exclaimed
The Beast's looming shadow came over Qrow, grabbing him by the back of his neck and lifting him off the ground. Only to suddenly feel several shots off his back. It then cocked its head back at Pyrrha. The young prodigy stared hesitantly at the Beast, holding her battle rifle. Like a predator hunting for its prey, The Beast attempted to pounce at Pyrrha, who quickly leaped back as the Beast came crashing down from where she once stood. The Beast rushed at Pyrrha, ripping away much of the debris and other medical equipment that stood in its way.
Pyrrha quickly leaped forward as it swept its paw from underfoot. She rolled over onto her feet before turning back to the beast. She didn't wish to fight them or bring them any such harm. She could already sense that there was something off about this creature. She needed to convince him that she was not a threat to him.
She turned back to face the Beast, who slowly strode toward her. She sheathed her weapons with her semblance, placing her hands forward to the Beast as she attempted to make contact.
"Please, we don't mean you any harm," Pyrrha told them.
Pyrrha's words were only met by the Beast's glare, which was stern and deep growled. As if in reply, she heard Akara's voice call to her.
"Heed what you learned, Pyrrha. Remember the Pack," She said.
The Pack. Pyrrha remembered when she and her team encountered that pack of Sabreines in the valley. The pack was hostile when they showed them the same upon entering their territory. Only when they submitted to them did the Sabreines become docile, allowing them safe passage. Perhaps the Beast may respond the same if she showed him she was not a threat.
From behind, Qrow learned from off the floor before glancing back across at the Beast. There, he saw Pyrrha taking a knee before the Beast stood over her.
"Red," He eclaimed.
Instintfully, he got back up quickly, grabbing his sword as he attempted to rush to her aid. Pyrrha cocked her head to him, reaching out her hand to him.
"Qrow, no!" She called.
Yet her warning had come too late. The Harbinder changed form into its scythe form as Qrow leaped up in the air. He swung his scythe at the Beast, which caused him to saunter back, bellowing loudly in pain, placing its hand over the significant gash mark across its chest. The beast crashed against the pillar behind them, which caused more of the roof above to cave in and fall. The debrie came down over the Beast, and a thick cloud of dust covered the Lab.
As the dust cleared, Pyrrha and Qrow returned to find the Beast trapped beneath the debris. Despite Pyrrha's pleas to stop, Qrow came at them again. Though as he swung his scythe, Qrow found that something was holding back his weapon. He turned back to see it was Pyrrha, using her semblance to hold back his large scythe from striking them.
"Red, what are you doing?" Qrow asked.
The Beast then uttered something to them.
"HHHHHHEEEEEEE!"
Pyrrha and Qrow glanced back at the Beast as he reached out his hand to them.
"HHHHEEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPP!"
"Did that thing just speak?" Qrow asked, turning to Pyrrha
Hearing the beast utter the word, pleading for it no less, shocked the two. Pyrrha turned to them in awe at the Beast's ability to utter words, but she was also relieved to see that her instincts about this Beast were true. Slowly, she stepped forward and came up before the Beast, continuing to reach for her.
Qrow attempted to reach out his hand to her. Only for Pyrrha to raise her to him.
"Qrow, please. Trust me," she said.
Qrow was hesitant. He could see that this was how risky it was to go near that thing, regardless of whatever she may think. Yet, despite his assistance, Pyrrha continued to approach them.
"Do you... understand me?" Pyrrha asked.
The Beast raised his head to her, where they attempted to utter a word to her.
"Y-y-y-yesssss."
Pyrrha gasped and glanced up at the fallen debris atop them. She rushed over and cleared away the wreckage, much to Qrow's dismay.
"Red, what are you doing?" he asked.
"Help me, Qrow," Pyrrha said.
Qrow uttered an annoyed scowl before rushing over to help. The two continued to clear the wreckage until the Beast finally came to stand again, struggling off all the remaining debris. Pyrrha and Qrow sauntered back from them as he came in front of her. He reached back his hand to the handle of his sword, standing ready for when the Beast would attack.
But it did not.
The Beast stood with one hand covering the wound Qrow had inflicted upon him. He glanced at the two with his stern, panting stare. His gaze was mainly directed at Pyrrha, where he then gave a nod to her.
"T-th-tha-Thank You," He growled.
Pyrrha came from behind Qrow, where she smiled and nodded her head.
"You're welcome."
