Hey there, everyone. Been quite a while. Sorry for that, got busy with RL stuff like my classes and whatnot.
Moreover… I started up another fic!
It's a crossover between DMC and Haunting Ground, aptly named The Fire Inside. Only 2 chapters long as of now since my muse was strong at the time and for now, my plan is to alternate between this fic and that one, one chapter at a time. Unless my muse is especially strong, of course.
Why did I start that fic, though? Because of the DMC Netflix show.
Speaking of said show… yeah. It's quite the messy topic in the DMC fandom to say the least, due to not just glaring plot holes, but also radical departures from the characters in terms of personality and especially the entire point of the DMC series as well. That's not even getting into odd political angle it had going on for it.
Plus, the demon designs kind of suck and that includes Dante's DT in the show too; looks too much like a sentai transformation or Issei Hyoudou's Balance Breaker.
I sort of saw this coming considering how Shankar did the Castlevania show and how different it was from the actual series, but it still blindsided me quite a bit.
All in all, quite the disappointment.
That said, I'm actually willing to rate it a 5 or 6 out of 10. While certainly a huge difference, given that the characters in the Netflix Castlevania did get prominent development by the final season, I am sort of hopeful that the same will happen here. That also being said, Netflix DMC ultimately falls into the same category as the 2013 DmC – that is, while a decent enough piece of media, it's entirely separate from the actual canon in all respects. Best just to treat it as another series entirely that just happens to have the same IP name. It's how I am able to roll with it.
Good music choices though. Episode 6 was probably the best too, just for having minimal dialogue and excellent usage of Evanescence's Afterlife song.
Anyways, enough of my ranting.
To reiterate my original point, I will be working on The Fire Inside after this chapter is up and then do the next chapter for this fic and keep at it. However, I don't anticipate my new fic to be an especially long one, so in due time I'll be back to focusing full time on Defining Purpose though I can't say when exactly that will be.
To those of you who do read this fic, hope you will bear with me in the meantime.
Now then, let's get onto the chapter!
P.S. Saw the brief sneak peek of Dante with Ebony/Ivory for Season 2. Will admit – he's absolutely rocking that longer hair and turtleneck combo.
Chapter 22 – The Next Steps
Veratyr continued to stand vigil over his little 'testing ground,' if it could even be called that. Despite nearly two whole days having gone by since he created this gouge in the land, he showed no signs of impatience or worry. This was, after all, just a brief test to see how the barrier between this world and the Ever After was.
If anything didn't happen at all, that was fine; it would just serve as a sign to keep at it, just like he'd always intended.
And if something did happen, that would be even better. Either way, he will still proceed with his original goal. This was merely a way of measuring progress.
"…Hm?"
Another hour goes by before something finally began to happen, eliciting a quirked eyebrow.
Sword planted in the ground before the gouge and him standing diligently all this time with his hands gripping the hilt, Veratyr now found himself leaning forward. He could sense a shift within the gouge.
…Something was humming within it, a magical presence.
Well, he'll be damned! It would seem his little check had bore some fruit after-.
Veratyr pulled his blade free and into a guarding stance just as something shot out at him. The impact was immense, shaking the entire area so badly that off near the mountains, the beginnings of an avalanche occurred.
As for the Liminal himself, despite a perfect block, the sudden blow knocked him right off his feet and sent him sailing back several meters. Nonetheless, he was able to land gracefully, feet planting themselves firmly into the snow covered ground while he still retained his guard stance, the flat side of his sword resting directly against his right forearm.
That said, the spot on his sword that was struck hissed fiercely. His bones ached. The force of the blow had been unreal, beyond anything he's personally experienced before save for Rya's own brute might.
However, that right there was the difference in and of itself. Rya's power was just that – raw brute strength, power made manifest that could affect anything. Meanwhile, his greeter's raw power was actually not too impressive compared to others out there, rather the 'oomph' of the strike came from a power that wasn't physical in nature.
In other words, it was the work of something more incorporeal, abstract.
Something only an Afteran would be capable of.
Veratyr smiled… albeit with just a bit of hesitation in this gesture. "This… was actually a bit unexpected."
From the gouge, the new arrival properly emerged. Saying the Afteran had a proper physical form would be something of a misnomer – Afterans, after all, were creatures of fantasy. They had no actual physical form in the same way that life on Remnant did. Instead, it would be more appropriate to say that they were ideas and concepts, so impermeable in nature that their very existence is what allows mankind in this world to have the ideas they do, create the stories and myths that they have.
In other words, and in one way or another, Afterans are responsible for why 'fiction' even exists here on Remnant. Alas, Afterans' forms could be physically interacted with to varying degrees. Hurting them may be impossible via conventional methods since one couldn't harm an idea or concept, but their existences were so strong that at the very least it is possible for a normal human to place a hand upon an Afteran and vice versa. It was only when the first Afterans that were able to come to this world long ago that proved an exception, for their existences were weak and fleeting to begin with – such had been part of their purpose and that had been what allowed them to cross over in the first place, possessing humans and eventually giving rise to Liminals.
With all that being said, the one that had just appeared was an exception even among exceptions when it came to Afterans, its very existence so great that it could almost be mistaken for a genuinely physical entity.
And now said entity lumbered forth slowly, assessing its new surroundings. More importantly, it was assessing him… and appeared quite put off.
This. Place.
What. Is. It?
What. Are. You?
Feels. Familiar. But. Different.
…Hate. Hate. It.
Veratyr took the risk of adopting a completely passive stance, lowering his blade so much that one could almost mistake him for willingly making himself into a sacrifice. Such was not his intention. He merely wished to assuage the being's obvious disgust first. Being combative wouldn't accomplish that. Though he was well-aware of the Ever After thanks to his unique abilities, this was his first time actually meeting an Afteran. Wouldn't do for the first meeting to end with him making a poor impression.
"Welcome to Remnant, my dear friend," he began, motioning slowly to the land around him. "This is the continent of Solitas, home to Atlas, one of the four kingdoms that exist in this age."
Veratyr slowly approached, arms still lowered and wide open. "This world is the one your creators came to long ago – 'reality,' I suppose you could call it. The beings here – all things here, really – are made of physical matter. The Ever After, where you originate from, is the exact opposite in this regard… and naturally, that applies to you as well."
The being stared at him. Its unusual form made it difficult to discern its exact emotional state beyond that of vague curiosity and anger. Lots and lots of anger.
The Afteran's form twitched and spasmed – and then attacked again. Despite the distance between them, its attack reached Veratyr instantly, forcing him to guard yet again.
This time he was better prepared for the 'power' behind the strike, thus as he guarded, he only skidded back along the snow a few yards. Still, it was enough to rattle his bones again.
Moreover, it felt like the existence of his nameless blade was on the verge of breaking. Another blow like that and he'll be left weaponless.
Quite the surprising thought; this blade had served him well for many years now, so the risk of being bereft of it permanently was quite a sobering thought. Be that as it may, it was ultimately a weapon. If need be, he was more than willing to fight this creature with his bare hands.
But fighting wasn't the goal here. Some measure of understanding was.
This. World. Disgusting.
But. You. More. Disgusting.
Repulsive.
Wrong.
Reminds. Me. Of. Them.
Veratyr let out a bark of laughter. "Yes, I suppose I would. And you certainly do have a right to your anger. However, I do ask you to stand down for just a moment or so longer… if only to answer a few questions of mine."
He waited a few seconds. When it didn't seem like any other attacks would be coming at him, he pressed on. "What is your purpose? To what end do you fulfill it? You're clearly far more intelligent than anyone who knows of you would've given you credit for… so what have you used that intelligence for?"
Veratyr opted to get straight to the point with his questions.
Alas, the Afteran wasn't so forthcoming. At least, not immediately.
My. Purpose. To. Destroy. To. Finish.
It paused.
Was. Made. To. Do. So.
Why. I. Do. This? I. Do. Not. Know. Just. Do.
The Afteran stood there, about as still as could barring its perpetual twitching and jerking. Its head was bowed, almost as if it was saddened over the statements it just made.
It was enough to sadden Veratyr. He'd expected as much given what he's long since learned of the Ever After. Still, to see a denizen as old as this one admit it not knowing the 'why' of its own purpose was saddening to hear. He wonders now if other Afterans felt the same way or if this one was just an exception to whatever passed as the norm over there.
Despite said sadness, however, he didn't feel disheartened. Rather, this only further affirmed his own desire in all this.
The Brother Gods… for all their good intentions, the way they carried them out truly did leave a lot to be desired. They wished to create and destroy constantly, a cycle of their own making that had eventually led to a type of wisdom being instilled in them…
…Alas, they had never evidently learned to do more than just create then sit back and watch. This Afteran suffered greatly, he could tell, and not once did its creators ever step in to guide it. Instead, they just let the great tree take care of all other Afterans while allowing this one to reap its own kind without ever knowing the wonders of ascension itself.
Really, it was quite the show of cruelty, however unintended it might have been.
"Then what can I do to help you discover your reason for fulfilling your purpose?" he asked of the Afteran. "Shall I be there for you unlike your creators were? Or would you prefer something else to be done?"
The Afteran's twitching seemed to cease for a whole minute as its scattered mind registered his words. It then stared at him queerly, as if it couldn't comprehend why he would ever show it even an ounce of care for it.
Veratyr supposed that it was quite unusual for any being to show care for it, given its role.
One minute turned into two and then into three.
Finally, the Afteran let out an almost painful hiss before saying its piece.
…
…
Veratyr packed up his makeshift campsite at a slow and steady pace. The Afteran had long since gone off into the wilderness, a desire to explore this world in spite of its hatred for all things around it.
…It was quite the risk to just let it go off on its own like that, he will admit; it was perhaps too much of a wildcard to leave it unsupervised. But he once swore to himself to do what he could to make a world where all had the freedom to find their purpose and the reason for it. And while he may certainly take a strong approach in how he does so with the likes of Ozma and his allies, it would be outright hypocritical to force himself onto another like that.
Besides, it wasn't the only wildcard out there anyway…
Thus, despite the risk involved, he could only finish up his packing before glancing off in the direction the Jabberwalker had gone off in.
With his heart weighing heavier than it ever has before, Ozpin disembarked the bullhead. And as soon as he even glanced up, Glynda was already waiting for him, her normally stern expression replaced with one of great concern.
He couldn't blame her one bit for openly showing such an expression; he felt much the same.
In the wake of the incident in Mistral, he'd stuck around to ensure Leonardo received proper treatment in addition to quietly directing cleanup efforts. He even personally went out into the field himself, slaying numerous Grimm that had tried to besiege the capital. Then, just when it seemed like things might have been improving, he'd received word of what had occurred in Vacuo at around that same time.
Dozens, if not hundreds, dying in near perfect sequence from illnesses and diseases long thought gone. Shade Academy attacked, students and staff among the deceased…
…And Qrow among one of those affected.
Thankfully, the veteran huntsman was going to live. However, he would be out for quite a while as he now had to recover from the horrific wasting disease he'd been stricken with.
Theodore, having been the one to personally inform Ozpin of this particular update, had also sent him footage captured by the cameras on academy grounds, showing the brief battle Qrow and Rumpole had waged against the Liminal.
Now it was borderline chaos everywhere.
People were rightfully scared of all these incidents happening almost back-to-back, to say nothing of the sheer scale as well. Fear and thus negativity were at all time highs and the Grimm were nearly frothing at their mouths as they gathered at each kingdom's figurative doorstep.
As proof of this, Beacon Academy was looking disturbingly empty, with many professors having cancelled classes in some cases so that they may go and aid in Vale's defenses against the creatures of darkness. The older and more experienced students, the third and fourth years, had also been called upon for aid and even the more promising of the second years had been sent out as well.
Ozpin tried to console himself with what few victories there were – the crises were averted or at least halted before completion, Leonardo and Qrow would make full recoveries in due time, the stolen Relic can be taken back before it's properly used up – but what little relief these victories brought him paled in comparison to the state Remnant was in.
And not only that…
"I've noticed how empty our skies have been looking," he said as he now approached Glynda.
As he'd secured his own trip back to Beacon, James had called him as well to inform him that the Atlas fleet would be returning to their home kingdom in stages. It went without saying that each capital of each kingdom being struck in such rapid fashion had rankled the general a great deal. After all, Atlas was the only one to not experience a crisis thus far.
But Ozpin knew it would only be a matter of time before that changed. It was really quite inevitable at this rate. And so, he couldn't begrudge his friend for wanting to return posthaste. At least James had been kind enough to leave just enough forces behind for the time being to quell the Grimm. If luck did smile upon them, the Grimm would be suppressed well enough to allow Vale's own forces to handle the rest once the Atlas fleet had fully disengaged from the kingdom.
"I've noticed as well," Glynda replied, only a hint of her usual dry humor to be found. "The council has been requesting your presence quite fervently."
Ozpin sighed. "In person? Or would I be able to manage with just a video call?"
"They didn't exactly specify. Ideally, you'd go to their meeting chambers right now… but…"
"But I am just not in the mood to deal with their nonsense," Ozpin affirmed.
A rather rude way of putting it, but not inaccurate. In light of everything, they were likely praying he'll eagerly take back the position of security that James had taken from him back when the Vytal Festival had been a concern. A position he was most grateful to have back… but not grateful enough to address the council personally.
"A video call will do," he declared firmly. As he now made for his office, he asked Glynda for an update. "What precisely have I been missing? How's…?"
"No changes in her condition," Glynda replied, referring to Amber. "And no other notable incidents have occurred since the Grimm incursion either. I've been trying to look into the origin point of this whole matter – to determine just how the White Fang had gotten into Vale and what precisely led Eva Lambros into the perfect position to make use of them… but nothing so far. Though I have been a little too busy to fully invest in this endeavor."
Ozpin let out an uncharacteristic grunt. "I imagine so. My apologies for leaving you with so many burdens. I'll do what I can to pick up the slack now. That said, we've another issue at hand."
He referred to Atlas.
Glynda, ever so in sync with him on such matters, could only shake her head. "While I would have loved to go back with James to make sure he doesn't overreact to anything back in Atlas, I just couldn't; my place is here in Vale for the time being… and the same goes for you as well."
That elicited a grimace from the ancient man. "I know," was his terse reply. "Even so, we need to provide support in whatever way we can. In these past three events, we've been completely unprepared in just about every way imaginable. Although our more recent foes possess truly esoteric abilities, we've enough knowledge now to at least attempt some kind of defense." His grip on the Long Memory tightened considerably, the recent string of failures gnawing at him. "We absolutely cannot allow them to sow dissent like this anymore."
They reached the tower where his office was at and got in the elevator. Glynda responded now. "You know I'm in full agreement on that, Ozpin, but to be frank, we just don't have that kind of time or resources to spare."
"Let me look over things first," he said. "Then we'll see if we truly can't spare James some help. With all due respect to the man… if he treats like this a frontal war, things will only get much worse."
James was a good man. Of that, there was no doubt. But he was also headstrong and hotheaded, not exactly the best traits for the leader of an entire military to have. Additionally, his preference for overwhelming military force against threats may very well worsen things.
…Not that doing things subtly had accomplished much either. They needed some kind of middle ground, but that was far easier said than done.
The elevator finally reached the top floor and he all but barreled through the doors towards his desk.
Sitting down with perhaps a bit more force than was necessary, he leaned his cane against the side of his desk and immediately booted up his computer. After doing so, he went through the motions of a video call. It was to a special line, an assembly one where he could communicate with all members of Vale's council.
It didn't take long at all for his call to go through.
"Ozpin!" called out councilman Haddock, the unofficial leader of the trio that made up said council. "Just where on Remnant have you been?!" The man normally portrayed himself as a calm but assertive politician… but now that image was nowhere to be seen.
"Indeed," now added councilman Norman. The oldest of the bunch, he now looked to have aged another decade or two in the short time it's been since the last conversation. "We find ourselves a ship without a captain, lost at sea… and only now you show up? Don't think we couldn't see through your deputy headmistress' vague words up until now."
Of the trio, only the final member, councilwoman Waller, remained relatively calm. Even then, when she spoke, it was with a level of terseness that had made many employees under her quake in their shoes. "Perhaps let's save the blame game until later," she nearly spat. "Ozpin. We need a plan and fast. General Ironwood has had to return to Atlas and while he is letting his fleet leave in stages, we could still use all the help possible in suppressing the Grimm and properly carrying out recovery efforts. My fellow council members and I can only do so much."
"In other words," Ozpin began as he leaned back in his chair. Unlike before where they had spoken from a position of power, he was now the one in such a spot. They knew it too, which would explain their anger aside from the obvious strain recent events had been placing them under. "You've now sought me out to pick up your slack."
"You-!" Haddock bristled.
Ozpin cut him off with a loud sigh. "Apologies. I've been under much strain as well. Looking into matters that relate to the source of the crisis that had occurred in Vale. You may view Glynda taking over for me temporarily as a mistake and an insult, but I assure you all, it was quite necessary." Having let out that brief spot of anger he'd been holding, he now began his piece, his words seemingly placating them for the time being.
With none of the councilmen about to speak up again for the moment, he pressed on. "To be perfectly frank, from what Glynda has informed me, it would seem our defenses against the Grimm will hold for now. Once I've time to fully review every detail, I'll either rectify or stand by this opinion, but in the meantime, the crisis is far from over."
"What do you mean? Just what have you been looking into?" Waller asked, her frazzled appearance looking even more so with every word spoken.
"A connection between the perpetrator of what happened here in our kingdom… and that of the perpetrators in the other incidents you've likely heard of by now," he answered. He wasn't about to reveal to them the existence of the Liminals, much less the identities of the ones he can confirm, but he saw no reason to hide this much from them. "A faction that is not affiliated with the White Fang nor any other extremist group out there. They've been making moves in the shadows for quite some time now and saw cracks in the kingdoms' collective armor to capitalize on. I'd managed to piece together this connection during the tail end of the conflict in Vale and that is what spurred me to go on my little trip. That is when the attack on Mistral's capital occurred and I would be damned if I simply let it go unopposed, even with headmaster Lionheart and the faculty of Haven there to address the matter."
He took a breath before continuing, careful to avoid a slip up and give too much away. Just enough to placate them and gain cooperation. "Additionally, there was word of another member of this faction trekking through Vacuo. In response, I sent one of my most trusted allies to look into that matter. Regrettably, it wasn't in time to stop what had happened, but it could have actually been worse had the perpetrator not been confronted."
Ozpin was grouping together all Liminals together for the sake of convenience, much to his own distaste. But it had to be done for the time being. "Sadly, all perpetrators have backgrounds not affiliated with any kingdom, so finding more personal information on them is impossible. Thus, reporting their backgrounds would be useless… though the identity of one had been released – the one from Vacuo, as you likely know."
He was naturally aware of Theodore having released the footage of the attack to the public, that way everyone would be on high alert for the man. After all, it was only natural to be extremely wary of the guy who could cause biohazards just by existing.
The Beacon headmaster was also leaving out Eva Lambros' exact involvement from the council. Seeing that she is dead and gone and now her allies, led by this Rya, were just operating as they pleased, reporting the connection between them would just be a waste of time.
"That's- Just what are you getting at?" Haddock asked. "Where are you going with this?"
"Given that three of the kingdoms had suffered horrific attacks, it only stands to reason Atlas will be last," he replied.
His words didn't strike the council as a surprise, but the ease with which he said that still caused them all to visibly reel.
"Then…" councilman Norman began. "You expect us to reach out to Atlas then?"
"Ideally, yes. Make contact with their council and work out some kind of aid to send them in turn. They may have general Ironwood to rely upon, but given the trend established and what facts I've uncovered, I fear not even the Atlas military will be able to deal with a possible attack so easily." Ozpin paused deliberately. "I understand I'm throwing a lot at you so suddenly but do understand this – my actions were not a waste, at least not at this point in time… but if we continue to focus solely on ourselves for the time being and ignore the near future, then it will have been a wasted investigation on my part."
He was coming on very strong, with statements that were just vague enough to keep them from figuring out just how bad things really were but spoken with such severity that dismissing the words out of hand was impossible. Using such a brute force tactic was far from his style, but his patience for politics and optics had been worn frighteningly thin.
Waller audibly gulped. "…Let's review the exact details first. Then, if it does seem like things could afford to be put on hold here, we can come up with a proper way to address this new issue you just spoke of."
"…Agreed," spoke councilman Norman. "Haddock?"
The final member of the trio practically flinched as everyone's stares bore into him. "…Very well. Let's actually get down to business then, shall we?"
"Yes," Ozpin said, just barely suppressing a light smile. He had to take his small victories when he could. "Let's get down to business indeed."
Glynda, having been hanging back this whole time in silence, allowed herself a quiet huff of amusement.
That sound made all the difference for Ozpin's decidedly bad mood.
With renewed vigor, he and the council proceeded to catch each other up on what exactly had happened until now.
Hopefully, this was a sign that things would no longer be so easy for the Liminals to take advantage of.
For the first time in a while, Cinder was in something of a good mood. It certainly had taken Ozpin long enough to return to Beacon, though given the veritable catastrophes that had occurred in the other kingdoms, it was natural he'd invest his attention in those matters.
Still, she hadn't appreciated her plan of obtaining the rest of the Fall Maiden power being forcibly pushed back with all that's occurred.
"Don't know if I'll be able to get much closer next time," Emerald continued with her report. "Even with Neo around, security at Beacon remains pretty tight whenever people are coming and going."
It was Emerald here who'd noticed the bullhead that Ozpin had ridden. From there, she and Neo had quickly tried to get as close as possible to Beacon Academy to confirm if it was him, at which point they'd had no choice but to back off since not long afterwards, students and faculty had begun to return to recuperate for the day. Even with the combination of the two young women's semblances, trying to get past all of those people would have been too great a challenge, especially with how jumpy the populace was nowadays.
"It's fine," Cinder replied quickly. Currently, they all had gathered within one of the few remaining safehouses they had in Vale. Following the hijacking of her plan by Eva and the chaos playing out in the other kingdoms, people had been terribly frightened by just about anything. It bordered on paranoia, really, with many civilians staying in their homes and refusing to leave unless absolutely necessary. Rioting also became something of an issue, but minor enough to be quelled. Nonetheless, said rioting had led to many ransacked places as the instigators had sought to raid for any supplies they thought necessary in the wake of 'the end times' as they had put it upon being arrested.
Thanks to this, some of the other spots she would have used as secret meeting points had been unknowingly compromised by these fools.
But in spite of it all, Cinder had to admit this much – the discord being sown by all this madness did work to her advantage nicely. She imagined it was especially helpful for Salem.
Neo stepped forward, a glare upon her face. But the glare wasn't necessarily aimed at Cinder.
Cinder could only sigh. "When the time presents itself, we will go after Ozpin and avenge Roman," she declared. "Besides, it works best to take him out either way. But only when the opportunity exists. He'd just returned from his little trip, so trying anything so soon would likely go poorly."
Neo gritted her teeth but backed down with a huff a moment later.
"Think he was looking into anything we should worry about?" Mercury asked from his spot nearby, leaning against the wall of the abandoned storage unit with quite the tension in him.
"You mean Eva," Cinder flatly commented. Merely mentioning her name was enough to elicit winces of pain from Mercury and Emerald. Even now, whatever effect the deceased actress had had upon them lingers. It was… irritating, to say the least. She'd hoped the time that has passed would undo it, but it would seem that wasn't the case. "Most likely. He must surely know by now that there is another faction working behind the scenes. Whether or not he's found anything of note, however… that isn't possible to determine from just confirming his return. If he has brought back any notes or files, then I do suppose it would be to our benefit to get our hands on them."
Unfortunately, she knew that was also a long shot at the moment and for the exact same reason that taking out Ozpin right now would be impossible. They'll need to continue biding their time.
"For now, just do what you can to monitor him from afar," she began from her own sitting spot. "Just note if or when he leaves Beacon grounds and try to establish a pattern. Do that and we could use it."
"What if he doesn't leave, though?" Emerald asked.
"Then at the very least try to map out where he typically goes within Beacon itself. Going back onto academy grounds will be difficult given the high security level now plus our student covers are effectively gone now, but not impossible. We simply need to chart a way in and wait for a chance to strike. Preferably before he decides to personally look into any new leads he may have."
The half-Maiden took a moment to continue thinking, trying to plot out what else can be done now that one of her targets was back in this kingdom.
But just before she could properly formulate a new train of thought, her personal scroll rang.
She grimaced; though it was a 'personal scroll,' it was more in the context that it was one provided to her by Watts himself, for exclusive use between herself and her fellow agents.
Gods above, it better not be that smarmy bastard calling…
"Leave me," she uttered sharply. "This is a very personal call. For now, just rest and prepare to move out at a moment's notice."
Mercury and Emerald, their lingering obsession with Eva aside, obeyed her without issue. Neo, however, stuck around just a few seconds longer, almost long enough to make Cinder think the diminutive criminal would be raising a complaint… but then with a silent growl, the smaller woman turned on her heel and stomped off for the time being.
Cinder waited a whole minute before finally answering the call, wanting to be sure she was alone.
And sure enough…
"Watts," she greeted in undisguised disdain.
"Cinder," he greeted over the video call, that arrogant smirk of his already in full bloom. "Lovely as always to look upon your great visage."
"I highly doubt you of all people are calling me to praise my looks." Her tone was as flat as could be. "I'm not in the mood for pointless insults and veiled comments with you. Just say your piece."
"How direct of you." He just couldn't resist. "But for once, I suppose you're right."
His expression shifted now, actually looking serious. It took her for a loop. "Right now, travel restrictions are in place to keep nonessential people from coming and going as they please. But some time next week, that is likely to change. When that happens, Tyrian will be going to Vale to aid in your insipid power play – Salem's orders."
Watts visibly relished uttering those last two words, which only caused Cinder's right eye to burn all the brighter with anger, her Maiden power flaring to life.
"For what reason? Is she that displeased with my progress?" Cinder had to ask. She had to know if her bid for power was now going to be cut short somehow.
"To the contrary, Salem appears at ease with your plans," Watts remarked, almost surprised. "However, things have changed whilst you've been out having fun. We've new allies, ones that have changed the very face of this grand shadow game our dear leader has been playing. I believe you may have an idea of what I mean."
"…Eva Lambros?" Cinder whispered.
"That's right," Watts confirmed. "Thanks to these new allies, we've obtained much in the ways of information – information that is, quite frankly, absolutely ludicrous." He now appeared to gaze somewhere offscreen, his expression troubled. It was the first time she's ever seen such a look on him. "…Personally, I'd much rather be as far away from them as possible, but Salem has established an alliance with them and while she is hardly going to cherish them like her children or anything like that, she clearly views them as possessing immense value."
He let out a heavy sigh. "…In any case, they are here to stay for the time being and new plans have already been made. One of them – Alisa – will be heading to Atlas some time in the following week or so to link up with her little group's leader… and I have been ordered to join them." His distress was palpable even through the scroll's screen. "What this means exactly for us, I cannot say, but you can certainly expect things to be further shaken up across Remnant. My advice to you? Once Tyrian arrives, make use of him as best you can and accomplish your mission as fast as you can. Our new allies are expediting things far more quickly than I would prefer and there's nothing we can do to change that."
Cinder took a deep breath. "I will keep that in mind," she responded as evenly as she could. "What is our new allies' connection with Eva anyways? Have they said anything about that?"
Watts grimaced. "I don't know... just that they are all known as Liminals. And yes, the term confounds me as much as it surely does you now. Whatever a Liminal truly is, it affords them abilities that are extremely esoteric in nature compared to semblances and aura. And whatever group Eva Lambros was a part of… is something of a rival faction to our new allies. In other words, they are new enemies we need to be wary of."
Watts and her had something of a stare-off now, the former watching as she tried to comprehend all that was being dumped on her.
The not-so-good doctor let out yet another sigh. "There are other details as well. I will forward them to you in a moment," he said tiredly. "…For all our sakes, try not to bite off more than you can chew, Cinder."
He then ended the call before she could even make another sound. Thus, she could only sit there all by herself in silence.
It was almost exactly a minute before her scroll pinged, indicating that Watts had just sent whatever notes he'd compiled.
Before bothering to open up the message, Cinder pinched the space between her eyes harshly.
Lovely. Just absolutely wonderful. More complications to consider now. As if things hadn't already been thrown off the tracks before thanks to Eva.
Taking a few seconds to double check she was still very much alone, she finally opened up the message from Watts.
As she now began to take her time perusing the notes, she quietly hoped that whatever this group Eva had been a part of will at least wait a little while longer before making their next move.
Rya quietly hummed within the confines of her temporary abode. Though far from the classiest place around, what with the room being one of the few available above Lil' Miss Malachite's tavern, it still served her basic needs well.
After all, despite her rather high class appearance, Rya had not been joking when she'd told Lil' Miss briefly that she was used to simpler accommodations.
After all, her hometown, long since destroyed, had just been that – a simple town out in the northeastern part of Sanus, well above where the capital of Vale lied on the map. It had been a town surrounded by lush forests and with stone and timber serving as the most notable building blocks of the structures that comprised said town, a chilly and often cloudy climate that had far more in common with Solitas rather than with any other part of Sanus or Anima. A far cry from the upscale hotel suites she's made use of since then, to be sure… and not a style of accommodation that she hated.
If anything, it was almost nostalgic save for the obvious weather differences. Not that it truly bothered her that much.
Currently, she'd undone her braid, allowing her long hair to flow everywhere and reveal the almost messy – bestial, even – style it truly possessed. With a brush that she'd carried on her travels ever since she'd even left her ruined hometown, she went about her haircare with a practiced grace.
…
It was only in times like this where she could feel most at peace and forget, if only briefly, her own purpose.
Minutes pass by in silence save for her humming, a tune she'd learned long ago as a little girl and before her purpose had steadily overwhelmed her.
Before…
Finally, she finished her haircare and slowly went about fashioning it back into the braid it had been in before. Once that was done, she finally put away her brush with a deliberate slowness… then let out a heavy sigh.
"What is it?" she asked, once again resuming her usual authoritative tone. Though her back was to the closed door of her room, which itself consisted of a bed just barely big enough for her, a dresser, and a desk, she could still very easily sense the silent presence just outside in the hallway.
"Pardon me," Bliss said as he now took this chance to enter. He bowed as gracefully as always. "But I wish to inform you that Viktoriya has returned as well as Shen. As per your instructions, the former has helped Lil' Miss Malachite clear out her would-be rivals while the latter has completed his most recent string of requests."
In the time that had followed her travels, she'd made do by way of hunting and living out in the wilds. Her time in her hometown, simple place that it was, had afforded her such skills and she'd made the most of it at first before she'd eventually turned to taking money from those that had been foolish enough to attack her. From then on, after encountering and bringing the others under her banner, she'd had them go out and complete all manner of odd jobs to secure funds for use in the more civilized regions of Remnant. In this case, Shen had been sent out to do what was little better than mercenary work, aiding Mistral in quelling the Grimm attacks for a fee.
It somewhat pained her to have to rely on the same method as Veratyr to earn funds, but it was the only method that could be relied on.
"Good," she complimented. "And I take it you've completed your duty as well?"
"Of course. I can share it with you all whenever you are ready." Bliss now stood at his full height and awaited her command.
He'd been ordered by her to begin looking into other points of interest. With Veratyr's words back in Mistral's capital still ringing in her ears, she knew now to look elsewhere. While she did still feel that she should have taken Ozpin as her captive, keeping him imprisoned while seeking out the rest of the Relics and Salem would have been a tall order to accomplish, unless she sought to keep him directly around her at all times.
Alas, what's done is done. What mattered now was finding the rest of the Relics then.
And in regards to that, she'd given Bliss the task of information gathering on the states of all the other kingdoms. Once that had been done, he was to then present his findings to the rest of them all so that they may deliberate on where to go next. Lil' Miss Malachite and perhaps one or two of her most trusted thugs were to be part of this meeting as well so that they may make the necessary travel arrangements now that they've done their part in securing the Spiders' supremacy in this region.
"Then let's not dawdle any longer. Gather the others downstairs. I shall be down in a few minutes," she commanded.
The younger man bowed and immediately took his leave, shutting the door behind him.
Rya took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, taking this time to now concentrate her power. Within the very core of her being, that great spiritual strength of hers ebbed and flowed at her command, before eventually growing more than it ever had before.
This simple exercise of aura manipulation was ultimately the source of her Principle's function – that is, the continual expansion of power in output. Through conventional training methods and simply focusing on said power, her own raw might can increase indefinitely. An absurdly simple power that could beat all manner of otherwise complicated ones.
She made a habit of doing this simple exercise whenever she could, knowing personally that in the process of doing so, she risked destroying herself. In her younger years, following the awakening of her Principle, she'd nearly blown herself in her haste to overcome her frail form back then. Though she'd succeeded in preventing her own death, it had still left her with shattered bones and ruptured organs.
…It was a wonder she'd ever managed to recover. Yet another sign of her own power overcoming logic.
Yet it had also been a sign of her naivety and haste. A horrible lack of self-discipline. That day she'd formed her Principle, she'd also awoken to the other gifts she'd been born with… but those too had been gifts that had required much training to properly utilize.
Discipline. It was the very core of her being despite what others may think of her.
It was through discipline that she'd been able to survive and hone her strength to such an extent and it was how she will rise to ever greater heights.
But all her power meant nothing if she never actually reigned at the top. The Brother Gods may have long since departed from this world, but so long as they existed, she'll never be able to feel truly at ease outside of moments like this.
This had to be rectified.
Steeling her resolve yet again as she ceased her exercise, Rya got up and exited the room.
It was time to make the next move.
Overall, a very dialogue/narration heavy chapter. Might seem boring, I know, but it does set up the next arc, which will be a doozy.
I've plans for Atlas and Mantle… and don't think I'm done yet with Vale either now that Cinder and her subordinates are back in the limelight. Expect them to get more time to shine as well.
Oh, and what do you guys think of the Jabberwalker and the lore I dropped in that first section? I basically took a page out of how Critters function in the What A Beautiful visual novel series. Because… well, seriously, the way the Ever After was handled in canon just felt so underutilized. Rooster Teeth could have gone all out with how such a fantasy world worked and while the way things like ascension and whatnot functioned was pretty neat, it still felt kind of lackluster to me, especially with how nothing in the Ever After was a true threat to RWBY barring the Cat and that was primarily due to him possessing Neo near the end. Sure, the rules of the place took them off guard, but once they adjusted, it was basically brushed aside in favor of other things, or so it felt to me.
Anyways, expect things to get more esoteric and outright wacky as time goes on since I do have plans to revamp the more fantastical elements introduced in canon while still remaining as faithful as possible to said canon.
Please look forward to it.
Until next time, everyone. Don't forget to check out my other fic if you're interested and take care!