Well, guess I must take back some of my comments about Ciel's route in the Tsukihime remake. Once Day 11 rolled around, her character dynamic with Shiki improved quite a bit – at least to me, it did, don't know about anyone else. The pacing also improved quite a bit and even though it got slow again with Day 12 so far, it's still off to a much better start. I suppose it's because I'm relatively close to the climax of the story since it is supposed to be 14 days long.
But of course, I will need to go back afterwards to get all the extra scenes that I didn't pick. Have to get that true ending, after all, ha ha. Along with all the bad endings and 'Teach me, Miss Ciel!' scenes too.
And since I'm rambling about media related stuff, any of you guys keep up with news about Punishing Gray Raven? If you do, what do you think of the new beta released in China about Ishmael? I, for one, am quite surprised and happy to see it happen since this was a character a lot of fans have been clamoring for a long time now.
Granted, there is the matter of her relatively low damage, but given that it's a beta, I'm sure Kuro will tweak her damage output before official release. Even if they don't, eh, no biggie to me. I've ways around low damage output in the game since I'm not super obsessed with meta.
Personally though, I am a smidge disappointed with her initial official sprite work. That said, my initial disappointment turned to joy with how quickly Kuro had her art updated to more closely resemble her NPC design. Now to just see when they update her in-game model to match.
Anyways, enough of my rambling.
You came here to read a story, not a review of gaming news. And I aim to deliver as best as I can.
As promised in the ending AN of the last chapter, this one will start out with a PoV of a canon character to provide some additional info and push the plot forward in their own way. I will also be unveiling the final 4 OCs of my fic, at least as far as plot-relevance goes. They will be having quite the intro scene, much like how the previous 2 did, so I hope you will be interested in seeing more of them since this is the point of the chapter before things pick up.
Now then, onto the chapter.
P.S. Please let me know if the strikethroughs are appearing in the second section - I made fairly liberal use of it, but it doesn't appear when I upload/edit my doc here on the site. Perhaps to you guys reading on a laptop or mobile will be able to see the strikethroughs.
Edit (11/15/2024): Added underlines to certain words and phrases instead of strikethroughs since the latter wasn't popping up. Hope you guys don't mind it.
Chapter 11 – Arrival
"…And's that what has been happening thus far," spoke one Arthur Watts.
Within the safe confines of his room, which had long since been modified to suit his tastes and needs, the not-so-good doctor had lounged at the chair placed near a desk as he'd made a call roughly half an hour ago.
"I… see," spoke the other person on the other end of the line, the sole other sane person in this merry bunch that Salem had gathered – Hazel Rainart.
Arthur waited patiently as the other man was clearly gathering his thoughts. He was a very private one, only ever truly speaking if addressed or otherwise felt prompted to give his opinion on the matter. Compared to Tyrian who was both insane and all too eager to do anything to please his 'goddess,' and Cinder whose ambitions heavily outweighed her actual competence, the behemoth of a man was a veritable godsend to him in this literally rotten land.
Alas, as Hazel was still out in Vacuo to cull the huntsmen population as best he could, this call was the only way Arthur had of communicating with him. A bit dull since reading one's facial expressions really helped him discern their true thoughts and intentions, but it was the way of things.
In any case, he'd spent the whole time now filling Hazel in on what's been occurring since the start of this… 'interesting' situation.
From Alisa's very first appearance setting even the Grimm on edge to what's been happening in Vale and Vacuo alike, Arthur had not left a thing out. This was all information that Salem had not deemed fit to pass along to the others, presumably having wanted to wait for their next in-person gathering, but she hadn't outright forbidden it either as far as Arthur could interpret her words. Thus, he felt safe in telling all this to Hazel, if only because the man was levelheaded enough to keep this under wraps as needed.
As for himself, he only knew of the more recent developments such as the existence of an unnamed group thanks to Salem telling him of this. That said, he was certain she hadn't told him everything she and Alisa had discussed; Salem had looked… almost shaken. And that was a bad sign.
"…Quite the interesting development, to put it mildly," the man finally drawled out in that perfect mixture of stoicism and desert dry sarcasm. "But also worrying given Vacuo's current state."
Arthur merely hummed.
Thanks to trying to keep himself apprised of all developments in the kingdoms, he'd managed to learn that Vacuo was experiencing something of a resurgence of old diseases and illnesses in recent times. It was kept relatively on the downlow as far as global news went, but it was still making the rounds within the kingdom itself and the former Atlas scientist's talents made it all too easy for him to tap into the internet there to learn of this.
It was quite relevant given Hazel was, after all, in Vacuo.
"Knowing you, this isn't just to update me," Hazel continued. "What precisely do you want? If it's to drive this Alisa girl away…"
"Ah, if only I could ask that," Arthur interrupted as Hazel came to a slight lull. "Unfortunately, our dear lady has formed an alliance with Alisa's group – Cradle, as I mentioned to you already. Rocking this new boat would only land us all in hot water with her and I certainly don't fancy our odds of avoiding punishment. But in any case, this new connection we've made could help expand our information network more."
And he truly meant that – for as much as Alisa's very presence drove him to the brink of insanity born from pure dread and fear, it did represent something very novel… and curiosity was getting the best of him.
But that didn't mean he was about to just rush headlong into potential danger, especially if the other two members of Cradle were as dangerous as Alisa, even if not in the exact same way.
On that note…
"Getting to the point," he continued. "Since Vacuo is facing quite the crisis, I can't help but feel perhaps there is more to it than just some freak accident."
"…You think either another member of Cradle or this other unnamed group may have something to do with it," Hazel accurately surmised.
Arthur smirked. This is why he liked Hazel. The man may not be as technologically gifted as him – but who else was, really? – but he was still highly intelligent, perceptive. "I do. Given that your own mission has essentially been jeopardized by this recent development, I figured it might do you some good to look into this matter and see what you could find."
"And if you are correct in your hypothesis… you want me to sanction the perpetrator?" Hazel asked.
"Only if they're a part of this other group that's been mentioned," Arthur responded, drumming his fingers along his desk in thought. "From what Salem had told me, Cradle and this unnamed group are not friendly with one another… or at least, the latter clearly holds the former in contempt, to the point of desiring to wipe them out without even a second thought. Figuring out if they are a part of Cradle or not should be quite easy in that case."
"Assuming you're right," Hazel plainly stated.
Arthur huffed in good humor. "When am I ever wrong?"
Hazel grunted in mild amusement. "And as for Tyrian? While I know why you haven't reached out to him about this, he is still capable of keeping things a secret."
That made Arthur pause. Hazel had always been the neutral member of their little faction, but this was one of the very few times he ever offered any of them anything even remotely akin to praise. It actually got him to somewhat rethink a few things.
"It isn't that I doubt his capabilities overall," he began slowly. "But there have been times in the past where his zeal can overwhelm his other thoughts. And if he were to learn of two new groups vying for dominance amongst our own war with Ozpin and his allies, well…"
Hazel was quiet for a moment on the other end of the line before letting out a sigh. "…Alright. I won't tell him about any of this. Assuming we even have reason to contact one another before our next meeting, that is. But while I do agree with your goal here, making power plays like this behind everyone else's collective back is risky."
"Oh, trust me… I know that very well." Arthur could recall even now the effect Alisa's presence had on him, that massive, uncontrollable surge of adrenaline as his fight-or-flight response went haywire just by being in her vicinity. That this was something passive on her part only made it all the more terrifying.
…It was obvious to him – and undoubtedly to Salem as well – that Cradle had something planned, something that would likely conflict with their own goals later down the line. What that plan is, not even he could truly guess at… but if he gives Cradle the idea he might be onto them or will be interfering with their own moves, then the chances of Alisa actively using that horrifying ability on him were not low.
Obviously, he'd love to avoid that by any means necessary.
Hazel grunted, acknowledging his resolve. "…Alright. If that's all, I'll be going now."
"Try not to fall ill out there," Arthur said, trying to keep his tone light. "Would be a true shame if you died."
"…Likewise." And then Hazel was gone.
The call now over, Arthur let out a heavy sigh as he tapped at the earbud he'd been using to make said call. Once officially hung up, he took the earbud out and set it down on the desk before him.
He felt… well, he wasn't quite sure how to describe the sensation in one word. To put it more broadly, however, the former Atlas scientist felt relieved at no longer being the only one with reservations about all this – he could at least tell that Hazel felt uncertain about Cradle's involvement in all this. But on the other hand, as the man himself had just pointed out, making too many moves without any oversight from Salem was a risky maneuver. Salem, while hardly the type to torture others for slights, both perceived or otherwise, she likely wasn't to like him acting on his own unless his actions had beneficial results for her.
And, of course, there was the possible response Cradle would have towards him if he's found out. With Alisa acting as their liaison with Salem, that meant he'd unfortunately be seeing the young woman around much more often unless ordered to head out. That meant one slip up could lead to discovery.
…In theory, he could avoid trouble simply by not making any mention at all of anything out of the ordinary. But Cradle was still a huge unknown factor in all this. There was no telling what resources they might have at their disposal and if they were as willing to go to extreme lengths as Eva Lambros had, then he could very well be signing his own death warrant.
But he was dwelling too much on the negatives here. He had to stop that.
Getting up from his seat, he brushed himself down and fixed the marginal wrinkles his outfit had gotten from lazing around.
All he could do in the meantime, was to keep acting like normal, go about his routine.
With that in mind, he prepared to leave his room in order to meet with Salem. Usually around this time, the immortal woman asked for any updates he might have discovered from any of the kingdoms.
And that was one part of his routine he wasn't about to risk breaking.
Putting on his best façade, Arthur left, all the while hoping that nothing crazy would happen with these damned Liminals out there.
In the lower part of the kingdom of Mistral, there was a certain tavern that was often avoided by people. Well, avoided by the more upstanding sorts of people. Those of a seedier variety with both the money and courage – or stupidity – were typically the ones to approach this tavern.
For it was the home base of none other than Lil' Miss Malachite, by far the most powerful person in all of Mistral, if one excluded Haven's headmaster.
She'd had a hell of time in her youth getting to where she was today, but now as leader of the Spiders and with decades of experience under her belt, Malachite could now confidently claim herself to be in the prime of her life even though she was already in her mid-forties.
True to her gang's name, the Lil' Miss was a spider through and through, a web of informants spanning the entire kingdom and even to some other regions beyond. Thanks to this network, she was very well-informed of just about all going-ons in Remnant and could have damn near anyone that gets fresh with her killed with but a single order.
Another way of putting it would be that nothing should be capable of surprising her…
…At least, in theory.
But now here she was being proven wrong in this long-held belief.
It'd been another day, of meetings and threats with her subordinates and informants and would-be challengers. She'd been in a somewhat rotten mood as of late, thanks to hearing of her dear little daughters being caught up in the chaos that had occurred in Vale.
She'd known they were tough – she'd raised them to be so precisely because of how much she cares for them and had even put them through their paces at Beatrix's school – but to hear of how badly they'd been hurt had left her more than a little agitated. That it was still unknown just how they'd gotten roped into Vale's recent fiasco only added to her dour mood and put the first microscopic crack in her belief that she was damn near all-knowing.
Those girls, she swears. Lil' Miss just didn't know what to do with them. She'd thought that her lovely twins could handle themselves despite how hotheaded they could be at times, but getting roped into some kind of terrorist plot like that was something she never would have thought possible.
"Boss," spoke one of her henchman, a tall and fairly well-built scruffy man sporting the gang's signature primarily purple-based clothing. "Looks like we got two randos heading here – a guy and a gal, pretty well-dressed all things considered. Not rich, I'd say, but well off enough. Don't seem like huntsmen or anything, but they look like more than just the average civvie."
At that, she quirked an eyebrow.
Lil' Miss always had a habit of monitoring anyone that seemed to be heading right for her no matter what the circumstances were. Knowing who she was dealing with and knowing they were coming well in advance meant that much more of an advantage when it came to… 'negotiations.'
But for her man here to label them as randos… while it would be easy to just write these two off as no-name crooks looking for a leg up on something or even just two people in some very dire straits, it was still a huge rarity. Normally, only those of more illustrious backgrounds, so to speak, were brave or crazy enough to approach her.
"Should we stop 'em?" asked that same man.
Lil' Miss harrumphed. "…No, let 'em through to me. Just keep a close eye on those two."
The man nodded and simply headed back to his original spot within the tavern, acting for all the world as a just another straggler enjoying a drink.
Some odd minutes go by before presumably the two arrive, opening the small doors to the tavern rather quietly.
Lil' Miss, fanning herself with just a hint of irritation lingering still, hummed quietly upon seeing the two arrivals. She could see right away why her henchman thought the new arrivals to definitely not be random civvies.
The man was fairly young, at least when compared to herself, in his mid to late-twenties. He was dressed in a dark gray long-sleeve dress shirt, albeit a bit puffier than normal and with some black and blue butterflies designed upon it. Completing the look were black khakis and matching shoes that let out a distinct clack upon the ground. There was a chain hanging from the right pocket of the khakis, adding just a smidge of that wannabe rebel flair to the man.
The man himself was admittedly quite good-looking, with sharp and conventionally attractive features, like a prince out of some corny romance novel. His gray hair, only a shade or two lighter than his shirt, was stylishly messy, swept back in some spots but not in others, which added some additional appeal to him. However, his irises were pitch black, like the night sky while his skin was almost deathly pale, somewhat ruining his looks.
As for the woman, she too was of a fairly light complexion, albeit much healthier looking than the corpse-like complexion the man sport. She was of an average height, perhaps just an inch taller than Lil' Miss' daughters at most and wore an intricate black and silver colored dress with a flared skirt and open sleeves near her wrists that did well to highlight her slender figure. The woman wore matching leggings that only expose some of her creamy thighs and trailed down to prim and proper shoes, the sort only seen among what ballerinas would probably wear.
The woman's fairly dark brown hair was of a considerable length, perfectly straight and with a hime cut at the front, seemingly ending just halfway down her back. As to how old she was, however, Lil' Miss couldn't immediately discern due to her face being covered by a black veil. Nonetheless, if she had to guess, Lil' Miss would place the woman's age at just a little younger than the man's, if only due to how she appeared to carry herself – that is, with just a hint of vigor found typically in only the young.
All in all… yes, these two weren't like any random civvie around, not even close. Appearances aside… something felt amiss here about these two.
That wasn't something Lil' Miss could ever recall claiming to feel before either.
"Why hello there," spoke the man, voice fairly light in pitch yet suave. "Nice to meet you, Miss Malachite. The two of us were hoping you'd be willing to conduct some business with us."
As the man gave that simple greeting, Lil' Miss blinked. Something felt off just now, but she couldn't put a finger on it.
However, as quickly as this sensation came, she shoved it aside. Uncertainty had no place in her life. It never did. In order to make it in life, one had to be bold and decisive, knowing when to cut off the extra unneeded fat and knowing when to horde other things. Just like with her husband all those years ago. He'd served his purpose.
"Depends on what kind of business you wanna conduct here, honey," she said with her signature smirk, continuing to fan herself. All the while, her crew idly watched on, with only the crackshot of a whippersnapper young woman serving as her sole visible guard behind her.
The man, hands lazily in his pockets, glanced to the chairs across from Lil' Miss' table. "May we take a seat first?"
Lil' Miss snapped her fan shut and motioned with it towards said chairs. If nothing else, the man had some manners. Didn't dispel the odd feeling she was getting from him still, but it was something.
"Thank you," spoke the man.
"Yes," now spoke the woman, voice quiet and light. As Lil' Miss had suspected, she was likely just a bit younger than the man. "Thank you very much."
"So," the leader of the Spiders began. "Let's just get straight to business. I'm a busy woman, you see, so let's not waste any more time than we need to. What do you sweet little things want?"
She really had nothing else going on, but that didn't mean she would make this easy. Best to test the waters and see what she was dealing with.
Was the cordial attitude so far genuine or just a façade? Time to put it to the test.
The man, to his credit, merely smirked. Either he was very patient or he too was familiar with how things were conducted. "We're here in search of something and we think you can help narrow that search down. After all, you have so many eyes everywhere."
"Depends on what this something is and where you think it may be at," Lil' Miss answered.
They have yet to offer their names, the older Malachite had immediately noted. But this was something she wouldn't hold against them… yet. In this line of work, names held a lot of value. Whether that value took the form of power or weakness depended on both the individuals in question and the circumstances.
Whether these two would be beneficial to her somehow or not has yet to be seen. Only once she's determined their value would she see if getting their names, real or otherwise, would be worth her time.
"We were curious as to how well you could find and locate something within Haven itself," the man continued to speak, gesturing in Haven Academy's general direction. "…There's something there we want and we think you can get it for us."
Oh? Within Haven Academy now, is it? Well, that's interesting indeed. Usually, it was info on some other gang or big-wig to bend things in certain directions. This was something new.
"Well now," she began with a laugh. "Ain't that something? As interesting as that is, though, you still ain't telling me what this something is or why you need it. And why would it ever be in Haven of all places?"
As much as she despised Leonardo for his weak-hearted ways, he was still headmaster of a huntsman academy for a reason and that made him by default more powerful than her within Mistral. If there was something in there of value, however, that meant this could finally give her the leg up she's long since been hoping to get and fully secure her hold over the kingdom.
Perhaps these two might actually be her ticket to that lovely little future. Assuming, that is, they weren't lying here.
"A relic," spoke the young woman suddenly, voice soft. "Something of great value. We don't know all the details, I'm afraid, but what we do know is that it is sealed away somewhere within the academy. It's something we've learned of in recent years… and we do believe it could help us out a lot."
"What my companion said," affirmed the man. "There's a very valuable relic in there and we would very much like it. Alas, we are but two and your crew is many. Surely, you could find out more precise details. And if you could facilitate a way to actually obtain the relic too… well, that would be greatly appreciated by us."
Lil' Miss quirked an eyebrow and briefly eyed everyone else in her tavern. Her crew had long since ceased pretending to mill about and now eyed the two randos with open interest and confusion. And although many of them couldn't quite see it, some of them could at least tell that this relic would be of good use to them as well beyond just whatever monetary value it might hold.
It certainly did sound like something interesting.
Alas…
"Hmm, nah, I don't think so," she answered.
…As much as she would truly love to see this relic for herself and use it to lord over Leonardo, the risks were a bit much. Her crew could fend for itself well enough, but the possibility of them directly having to face off against huntsmen trainees and fully-fledged ones alike was just too high. Even with the fiasco in Vale having cancelled the Vytal Festival and the students only barely beginning to make their way back to Haven, the number of remaining students and staff was considerable. And while she could probably make use of some contacts to hire true professionals, it would still be a long-shot.
Unless these two had some way to even the odds, Lil' Miss just couldn't see herself agreeing to this deal, especially not when a price hadn't even been discussed.
"Oh? Really?" The words should have been tinged with disappointment, yet the man appeared amused. "We would've been more than willing to pay your price for this."
"…Hmph." Lil' Miss highly doubted that. "I'm sure you are, hon, but the answer is still no. To be perfectly frank, it just ain't worth the odds that we'd be dealing with. Unless, of course, you've some way to help out other than just payin' for our services."
The man stared at her for a handful of seconds, thoughtful. Lil' Miss stared right back without issue.
But then those few seconds dragged on longer and the leader of the Spiders started to grow irritated. Her gang, sensing her mood despite her unfaltering expression, began to quietly shift about. As soon as she even twirled her fingers a certain way, they would all be on these two if need be.
Finally, the man opened his mouth to speak-.
"Sorry…"
-Only for his companion to beat him to the punch.
"But if it isn't a bother, may we have something to eat?" The woman, still quiet in tone, was lightly sheepish. "It's been quite a while since we've last had a meal."
Everyone stared at her, the tension completely annihilated by her sudden request.
The still unnamed man huffed dryly, then looked back to Lil' Miss and motioned as if to say 'what can you do about it?'
Lil' Miss' right eyebrow twitched in mirth before sighing. Damn it all, she just had to feel like being a good host. If only these two had been a bit more forceful, she would've had no problem throwing them out by their ears.
"…You don't get to complain about whatever we serve you," she grumbled, nodding towards a young woman close to the tavern's kitchen area.
Said woman didn't even get a chance to fully move before the requester spoke yet again. "My thanks. Then please pardon us…"
She reached up with her right hand towards her veil, slipping under it towards her mouth. A strange, fog-like substance immediately began to fill the room.
It was instantaneous, violently – cruelly – so.
As soon as the fog appeared, a sickening crunching sound filled everyone's ears, emanating from where the Spider member by the kitchen was at.
Her entire upper body was just gone, reduced to nothing more than bloody mist. Then another crunch occurred, and her lower body followed suit, disappearing into nothingness. It was only the small patch of red mist in the spot that had indicated her existence prior.
Lil' Miss, having been staring directly at the now deceased woman when this had happened, could only freeze. Her eyes were wide as she'd bore witness, yet her mind failed to keep up with the visual information just processed.
The same could be said of virtually everyone else in the bar.
Until a second later, a series of short crunches were heard… followed by two more members suffering the exact same fate as the first.
Pandemonium erupted, the remainder of the Spiders howling in terror and drawing their weapons, ready to shoot.
Alas, it was for naught.
The woman – hell, a girl really, in terms of age – that had been standing guard behind Lil' Miss let out a scream of pure agony as her hands were immediately removed from existence, gun and all. Others managed to get some shots off, only for the bullets to disappear as the fog thickened some more, never making contact with their intended target.
Yet no sooner than when this began, it abruptly ended.
The fog immediately disappeared without a trace. And the woman that had indisputably been the one responsible for it let out a deep and satisfied gulp as she removed her hand from under her veil.
"Thank you," she said earnestly, even bowing her head in gratitude. "It was a scrumptious meal. Please be proud – they clearly took good care of themselves."
"Ha, as always, your appetite is so voracious, Viktoriya," commented the man, leaning forward upon Lil' Miss' desk, chin supported by a hand. He now addressed Lil' Miss. "Apologies, ma'am. I didn't really want this to happen."
Lil' Miss stared at the two blankly, only vaguely aware of the girl behind her still screaming from having her hands taken – devoured by this… this thing that looked like a woman.
The rest of her crew in the tavern were likewise frozen in place now, horror welling up within them.
Just what the fuck had happened?
"Let's get back to business," the man spoke casually. "Tell me, doesn't seeing what our sweet little Viktoriya can do put you at ease? Don't you think this will give you and yours the chance to succeed in our request?"
Gone was the man's cordial attitude from moments ago. Now his voice was laced with derisive sarcasm, like he was speaking down to a fool who'd just done the thing he was warned not to do time and time again.
"…" Lil' Miss tried to say something – anything – in response, but all that came out of her throat was a short noise that could scarcely be called a proper sound.
She's seen a lot of things growing up, especially as she'd started to work her way up in the criminal underworld. She's ordered horrible things to be done and accomplished by individuals who possessed skills and abilities the average person simply didn't have.
But now? Now, she found herself faced with two beings unlike anyone else she'd ever met before.
This… this couldn't be a semblance of some kind. It just couldn't be. She may not know all the ins and outs of shit like aura and whatnot, but what the woman had just done couldn't be that at all.
Her heart was beating faster than death metal drum. Her grip on her signature fan had tightened to the point where she was threatening to snap the thing apart and hurt her own hands.
At any moment, this monster sitting before her could just gulp them all down. It wouldn't even be close to a fight or even a struggle for survival. Even the worst ass-kicking she'd ever seen had had better odds than this.
Her expression must have shifted in some way because the man's smile grew triumphant.
"…Don't worry," he began. "Once you help us with our little request, you and your crew will be well taken care of. If need be, I will personally make sure of it."
The man, still unnamed, stood and the girl – Viktoriya – did the same. "For now, just see to your people. They're all just so deathly afraid of a little spectacle, after all," he drawled. "Ah, and before I forget…"
He pulled out a scroll from his pocket, a burner one. He placed it on the table then slid it across to a still motionless Lil' Miss.
"Keep this with you. There are a few details I will need to confirm with my leader before I can properly determine the date and time you're required to move out. Please do live up to my expectations; my leader doesn't like it when others fail her… and I would hate to see you be punished for minor mistakes."
Lil' Miss glared at the burner scroll as if it were a devil. But after a few seconds, she reached out and took it into her free hand.
…It was rather impressive that she was able to do so without shaking in the slightest.
The man smirked. "The name is Gwrtheyrn, by the way. Feel free to shorten it in whatever way is easy for you to pronounce."
The now named Gwrtheyrn turned his back to Lil' Miss and gave a cheery little wave as he began to walk out of the tavern. "I look forward to seeing what'll happen next."
Viktoriya curtsied to her. "Please be well until then," she said without even a hint of falsehood. This monster genuinely meant that.
Lil' Miss watched in dead silence as the two exited her tavern. It would be several more minutes before she felt like she could finally move again, at which point her crew went to work scrambling to get this place – and themselves – cleaned up from the small bout of chaos that had erupted.
Her bodyguard was tended to and carried out of the room, the little shit having passed out by now from the blood loss. Whether or not she'll live, Lil' Miss couldn't bring herself to care right now.
Instead, all she felt was an overwhelming desire to break the scroll in her hand. Then throw away all the pieces and run as far as her legs could carry her.
This was her desire… no, more like an overwhelming impulse. But she squashed that impulse down as hard as she could.
Regaining her finer sense of control, she knew that she and her gang had just been forcibly recruited and there was no way out. Not without eliciting the ire of those two and whoever this leader of theirs was. And anyone who could have a monster like Viktoriya under their thumb was not someone even Lil' Miss felt like challenging in any way.
But even so.
Even so, she was never one to bend the knee so easily.
The very first chance she got, she'll pull one over them. Until then, well, the Spiders would have no choice but to go along with this farce.
…Lil' Miss could only hope that this leader of theirs was ultimately a reasonable sort.
It's been perhaps a few hours since the most unfortunate meeting with these two… these two freaks.
And within that period of time, the world as Shay knew it had been completely upended.
He was a member of the Branwen tribe. He was strong as were the others. And as the strong, it was their right to take from the weak whenever they wanted from wherever they wanted to go.
They weren't supposed to be the ones trampled upon.
And yet… that is exactly what had happened.
The camp that the tribe had set up, once so lively and fun, was now the exact opposite. It had been utterly torn apart, reduced to an almost silent and desolate spot in this entire shitty forest.
The traps that had been set up to impede would-be attackers had been done away with by that pretty boy fucker, the one apparently named Bliss of all things. Then Bliss and the big guy had dragged Shay's ass all the way back to camp whereupon they'd taken out the whole tribe like it was nothing.
It had been like watching a small army of newborns try to take down an adult, if the fucking adult was a monster in disguise. In other words, a complete and utter mismatch, skewed entirely in the adult's favor.
And in this case, those two freaks had been the figurative adult. Nothing the tribe threw at them had worked in the slightest. Bliss had dodged everything without issue, possessing a speed unlike anything else. As for the other guy, while he was clearly plenty fast himself, more often than not, he'd simply tanked his way through everything without any consequence.
Now the camp was littered with the dead and dying, corpses strewn about everywhere while those still alive wouldn't be for much longer.
And Shay, for better or worse, was among that latter group.
Lying prone against the side of a still intact cage that they used for hostages on occasion, he could only watch as Bliss stood perfectly still in the very center of the campgrounds while the other guy silently patrolled the area, his stride remaining unbroken the entire time.
The bandit said nothing, his usual arrogance long since gone. He couldn't even muster up the energy to insult these fuckers in any way.
Instead, he could only remain silent, cursing that of all times Raven and Vernal had be out on some recon job, it just had to be now of all times. If both of them had been here, just maybe things could have turned out differently…
…And god damn it all, would it hurt these two monsters to talk or something? Throughout the entirety of their trek back here and the massacre unleashed upon the tribe, neither one of them had even made a single sound. It was honestly even scarier than all the other shit they had done up until now.
Suddenly, Bliss turned around and bowed – not towards Shay or the other guy… but rather in the direction they had initially come from.
Bewildered, Shay could only look weakly in that same direction…
…Just in time to see someone arrive.
Not Vernal. Definitely not Raven, much to his immense frustration. Nor was it any of the few others they had taken along with them either.
But nonetheless, a woman approached.
Despite himself, Shay felt his already ragged breath hitch.
The woman now striding into the campgrounds was beautiful, no questions about that. At just a little over six feet in height and in an elaborate, strange, but nonetheless enticing black dress that also had a choker connected to it, she walked onwards without so much as looking his way. Her skin was very fair and smooth. Her hair, a combination of light blue and golden blonde, fell all the way down to just above the knees in the form of an intricate braid. She held an oddly ornate looking umbrella in her hand to shield herself from the sun as well. Her features were sharp, even from the angle he was viewing her from, and Shay could just make out the stern expression on her lower face, as if everything around her was beneath her notice until proven otherwise. It was frankly pretty sexy; he always did like women with some steel to them.
However, it wasn't her beauty that had him react so noticeably, rather it was her sheer presence.
Just by coming into view, he suddenly felt like an ant trying to exist in the presence of something greater. A being unlike any other, perhaps even a ruler of sorts. That stern yet haughty expression of hers wasn't something born of arrogance but simply the natural result of being genuinely superior to others… that was the sort of feeling this woman gave off.
"Welcome, Rya," spoke Bliss, who'd yet to move from his spot. "I hope your trip was a pleasant one."
"Thank you," the woman, Rya, replied in a steady tone. "It was about as pleasant as could be expected… but that is ultimately irrelevant."
Shay watched as the woman turned away, now looking towards the other man here. "Shen. You said they would all be here."
The now named Shen grimaced as he finally ceased walking, though he was subtly shifting his posture immediately thereafter. It was like he hated being still. "If I had to hazard a guess," he began. "Raven Branwen and her second-in-command are out scouting new areas to migrate to. Can't say how long they had been gone, however, nor when they may come back. Recon activities can always be finicky."
Rya let out a quiet huff. "I suppose so. Still, it is a pity they are not here to experience me gracing them with my presence. No matter, there was always a small chance of something like this happening… though I will not tolerate mistakes like this in the future." She fully turned towards Shen and gently twirled her umbrella. "Do not waste our time more than this. Although not on an exact deadline, I do not like to dawdle."
Shen nodded and began to walk again, his gaze sweeping the forest all around them.
Rya now focused back on Bliss. "I see you've taken care of the woman's riffraff. To be expected of you and Shen. Well done."
Bliss bowed even more deeply. "Thank you…" he whispered in reverence.
The woman hummed at his response. "I see you've left a number alive just enough for questioning. Good. Then let us begin. Perhaps this might be to our advantage, after all."
At that, Shay's chest tightened as worry filled him. He'd been momentarily stunned by Rya's arrival, but now he was snapped out of his haze.
The others left alive must have experienced something similar because now sounds of either indignation or fear filled the area.
"Fuck you…!" someone – sounded like Kilik – managed to utter. "We ain't telling you shit!"
Bliss rose from his bow and walked on over to where Kilik was at. Said bandit groaned loudly in pain as the pretty boy gripped him firmly by the mangled shoulder and effortlessly carried him over to Rya.
"As usual, such a vulgar tongue from ruffians," Rya commented. The closer Kilik was brought to her, the quicker his anger from a moment ago died. By the time he was within arm's reach of her, the older man was practically quivering despite his already bloodied state. "But worry not – I knew from the first glance alone that fools like you wouldn't talk. But others might… once they see what the outcome of resisting would be."
Rya closed her umbrella and gave Kilik a light bop on the head with it. It was as though she were playfully smacking an unruly child; it was an action with such little effort to it that there was just no way it was meant to accomplish anything more than make person take notice.
That is what the action looked like…
…Except the result was far different.
Kilik's head – no, his entire upper body – practically fucking exploded into a small shower of viscera that immediately stained the ground below, though none of it got on Rya or Bliss.
Shay along with the others still alive, having been propped up by Shen in time to witness Kilik's demise, could only gape in pure shock.
That… that had been pure strength. Shay may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's been in the thick of it enough times to know when he was being physically struck or when someone was trying to work some crazy shit over him like with a semblance.
He flinched as Kilik's lower body now flopped over, only for Bliss to pick it up and calmly walk away to a spot several feet away before dumping it.
Then Bliss made a beeline directly for him.
Although his legs were utterly ruined, Shay nonetheless found himself trying to flail them about, struggling with all he could to get the fuck up and run.
Unfortunately, it was pointless. Bliss was upon him in seconds.
Grabbed from the armpits, Shay was partly lifted, primarily dragged along the ground – along the corpses and viscera – towards Rya.
Now that he had a much closer look, he couldn't help but shudder.
He'd been so taken by Rya's clothes and hair and fair skin that it wasn't until now that he realized just how built the woman is. Though she carried herself like with the sort of grace and regality that some of those snobs from Atlas liked to try emulating, the woman clearly worked out hard because goddamn, she was broad in the shoulders and with the sort of large and defined musculature that only a warrior could get. Yet even then, she was still womanly in figure, with quite the chest and slim waistline, leading down into some flared hips.
Beauty and power had never looked so good combined into a single being.
But it was her eyes that held his attention the most right now. He hadn't been able to notice them earlier due to the angle, but now he was on the receiving end of a haughty glare.
Rya's eyes were a veritable kaleidoscope of colors, primarily blues and purples and gold…
…Although the base color of her eyes… appeared to be a pure silver.
Rya hummed, snapping him out of it and allowing trepidation to fully take hold of him. Being this close to her… he couldn't help but feel weak, unbearably so. An ant would pose more of a threat to this woman than he ever could, even if he hadn't already been roughed up.
"You certainly appear more amenable to conversation than the previous one just now," Rya said. "However, we still have several more who could easily take your place if you decide to follow the previous fool's example."
Rya gently stabbed the closed umbrella into the ground… with enough force to make a small quake. Due to his proximity, he felt the vibrations down to the very core of his being.
"What is your name?" Rya now asked.
"S-Shay…" the bandit stuttered out.
"Shay," Rya repeated tersely. "Let's get to the point then – what can you tell me about your leader and her next-in-line? And do be detailed… so long as you remain on track, that is."
Shay swallowed hard, breaking out into a nervous sweat.
And why wouldn't he? He really didn't know too much and he doubted the remaining members of the tribe knew more than him too. They were all dead men.
But even so, he didn't want to die. From the bottom of his heart, he really didn't want this to be his last day on Remnant.
So, taking the several seconds of grace that Rya was clearly granting him here, the bandit collected his few remaining wits and thoughts…
…And began to speak.
And there. We. Go!
Phew, not going to lie, writing this chapter had been simultaneously tough and enjoyable. Tough in that I wanted to really give my OCs certain vibes without leaning too hard into it since… well, to do that would actually be kind of spoiler-ish. Obviously, can't have that too early on.
But it sure was enjoyable writing out their scenes here since, compared to others OCs I'd made in previous fic, these ones (hopefully) had more 'oomph' to them.
Rya in particular hopefully had the strongest (heh) impact amongst you all. In terms of plot relevance, I can say without spoiling that she's on roughly the same level as Veratyr. Partly because she's the leader of the Liminal group that Eva was a part of… but primarily because of the history between her and Veratyr and her own goals in all of this.
On a somewhat related sidenote, if you want to know what Rya looks like, just look up Yuto_Noirm08's (also known as Yotaro) commissioned artwork of Degenbrecher. Basically picture that, but just with the hair/eye color and outfit that was described in this chapter. And speaking of the dress, I can shamelessly admit to it being borderline copied from Ishmael in Punishing Gray Raven.
From here on out, this will be when the plot fully begins. In Vacuo, there's Valentino and Hazel, with Qrow on the way there to support Theodore. Meanwhile in Mistral, there's now the remaining Liminals about to raise some hell just in time for Ozpin to arrive there.
And as for the remaining regions… well, you'll see, heh.
Once again, hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think of my OCs so that I know to adjust my writing accordingly in the future.
Until next time, everyone. Take care.