Arriving on the shores of the Eastern Kingdom, High Priestess Tyrande & the Warden Maiev soon find their forces beset by unfamiliar beasts of bone and shadow.
Arriving in Mistral, Ruby Rose and her friends soon find themselves roped into investigating strange behavior in the local Creatures of Grimm on behalf of Haven's Headmaster.
Soon, both parties will find themselves staring down unfamiliar threats and alien worlds.
The light of the evening sun shone through the windows of the small hotel room, casting the wooden chamber in a bright shade of orange. In the pair of beds, Nora and Jaune both slept, and more to the point, snored, while between the bed Ren sat, meditating.
For her part, Ruby Rose sat at the small corner desk and tapped her pen against the blank sheet of paper. A hum reverberating in her throat as she tried to think of what to say.
'Just start how you always do and figure it out,' she finally told herself.
Pressing the pen to page she began to write the next sentence like it was an old habit.
Hey sis, I hope my letters have been reaching you and Dad. Hand-written stuff's never been super reliable, but I guess it's all we've got these days.
Anyway, in case you haven't been getting them, I want to say I'm sorry for leaving the way I did. I know you told me it was a reckless idea, and you were probably right but honestly... It's not been that bad.
We've fought a few Grim, got turned away at this one town but then we saved another and finally made it to Oniyuri. They'd been hit by Bandits and then some Grimm but somehow managed to pull through! They hired us to protect their airship to Mistral to call for reinforcements and so uh... Here we are.
I won't act like it was all easy, it's scary not knowing what's going to happen next. Especially now that we're here and beginning our search for the people who attacked Beacon Academy.
Since arriving in Mistral our search hasn't had much luck. I also had a really rough time in this maze garden, but Madam Xahn helped me and I think it was good for me too, put things in perspective. Ren thinks someone is following us as well but we can't ever find them.
It's taken over a week to get an appointment with Professor Lionheart, the Headmaster of Haven Academy. Hopefully he can put us on the right track.
I know you worry but this is what we were training for, Yang, to become Huntresses, to be the ones to stand up and do something about all the bad in the world. I know you need to focus on yourself before I can expect you to come out with me. But it sure would be great to get Team RWBY back together again.
I miss you so much. I miss Weiss and Blake too. But I think you'd all be proud to know that I made it to Mistral.
I'll be sure to give you the address of where we're staying in Mistral! I'd love to hear back from you and Dad, and I can't wait to fill you in on whatever's going to happen next!
Now that we've made it across Anima, I really think things are gonna start going our way.
Between the trees and across the mist-stained grass an army was on the move.
Deadly archers, doughty bears, mighty huntresses and priestesses moved with swift and silent steps. In the air soared birds, hippogriffs, and a pair of purple-scaled chimera.
While marching at the rear, their steps both booming and yet so in tune with the earth they may has well have been silent were the ancients, small mountains of stone and vine.
They marched in packs as part of a greater convoy, unwilling to leave anything but their rear-guard behind lest they be fallen upon by the Undead Scourge.
At the head of their march were two radically distinct figures.
The first rose astride a great white tiger, both it and she were bedecked in shining silvery armor that drank in the light of the moon. With dark purple skin, long flowing hair the color of a dark moonberry whine and holding a war glaive, the High Priestess Tyrande cut an intimidating figure.
At her side and marching on her own two legs was Maiev, leader of the Wardens and bedecked in her dark grey and gold lined armor. Her helmet shaped akin to a bird of prey and obscuring her features, from her hand hung a great Chakram that thrummed with shadowy power.
Maiev Shadowsong scanned the woods, too thin trees with peeling bark only half obscured by a sickly mist bereft of the clean moisture it needed to feel pure and the forest itself was all too silent.
"These woods are too quiet," Tyrande mused, grasping her sabers reigns as if to still the beast but letting the march continue, her dark purple ears twitching.
Loathed to agree with the woman, Maiev remained professional, "Indeed, not a skittering corpse or snake track. Even the insects seem silent."
Tyrande was frowning, "There should be something, these woods are too thin to obscure a large force and our fliers would surely have noticed a large contingent by now."
So far the only thing their fliers ad spotted were overgrown fields and a distant ruined town, seemingly several days dead at best.
"If there is an ambush awaiting us, the settlement might provide enough cover," Maiev offered.
Tyrande merely sent her an imperious stare, "Thank you Warden, but I am well aquatinted with warfare." She looked back to one of her lieutenants, "Send word, have the convoy brace for battle, the town is barely eight minutes out at this rate."
Before word could even reach the end of the line a great echoing sound boomed across the sky followed by a huntresses war cry.
"Black beasts approaching!"
Instinctively dismissing her confusion, Maiev braced for combat and scanned the tree line, well used to picking out targets in the shadows she snapped her blade to the ready at a blurring black figure. Its massive frame began ripping through the trees like they were mere twigs.
'Gargantuan!' But she had killed bigger.
"They come!"
"From above, and below!"
In the sky a black dot ripped through one of the druids, his small form not enough to save him from being devoured in one mighty bite by the black and white blur. Demonic roars began to shake the very air, the beastly sound tinged with a deathly sort of scream that was foul as any demons!
As the beast made it into range, Tyrande loosed the opening volley well before it could attack, a blessed arrow wreathed in silver flew accompanied by a dozen of its lesser kin. Each one struck with lightning speed but even the touch of their goddesses' magic did not still or even pain the beast!
"Defensive formations!" Tyrande bellowed.
The monster pounced, ripping through all that stood between it and crashing to the earth. Its landing shook the ground and crushed beneath its paws two huntresses, while a mighty swing of its tail snapped the neck of a lunging Druid.
Maiev had barely blinked out of its striking range before she shot forward, dragging her blade across its side.
'Tougher than leather!' she thought, even as her blade cut deep.
A bone white tail, bursting with barbed spikes surged down towards her, forcing Maiev to vanish into the shadows again. Its striking blow formed a crater in the earth as the monster bore another wave of arrows without a care. Though several bolts of moonlight did at least scorch its frame.
'Its angry,' she realized, as its maw began to burn, rippling flames tearing from its throat in a massive ball of seething red fury.
"Brace!"
The order came in time, but the defensive barriers of the priestess didn't hold up, she, her archers and their Druid were engulfed in flames. From the sky fell a similarly scorched hippogriff and rider.
Tyrande roared, "Face Elune's wrath!" From her hands the High Priestess launched her glaive.
Sensing the danger the beast leapt, a deafening screech escaping its throat as its tail was cut.
'What is wrong with its body!?' Maiev could see naught but red inside the blackened fur and a dark miasma leaked off its body as it began to shatter.
It fell into place immediately, "They are magical constructs!"
From the crowd, she saw several bolts of what she recognized as disjunction spells flying loose, but while they struck the beast its form did not waver or fade. Instead it merely loosed another ball of fire, though this time the shield wall of the huntresses was tight and a silver barrier rose up dispersing the flames.
From the sky a chimera fell, one of the draconic beasts heads was missing and its guts were spilling across the woods.
"Enough of this," Tyrande seethed, her glaive already back in hand.
"Leave this one to me!" Maiev snapped, letting her rage and guilt bleed through the black crystal suffusing her blade she blessed the shadows with a prayer and from it came the dead. Shadowed specters of vengeance bursting from the bodies off the fallen, armed and blessed with a divine fury.
The monster's burning red eyes locked onto her, and then her creations, as if for a moment it was unsure who to attack. Finally, it lunged at her summons, each of whom swarmed it with gibbering, screaming fury, knives, arrows, and claws of shadow ripping into its skin.
Maiev saw the beast thrashing and worse, saw fire gathering in its maw and blinked below its bone white armored mane. Weaving around the sharp protrusions and with divine strength and enchanted armor she struck without reservation or restraint.
Maiev gouged a mighty wound in the monster's neck! Its flames, broken and stifled exploded in its head, sending bone fragments flying as it collapsed to the ground.
Not wasting a moment Maiev looked to the skies in time to see a star burst impact the flying beast, its body ripped to shred in a near instant by the silvery, divine light.
All forces stayed on guard, looking to the woods an across the sky for another attacker, but when none manifested a low key chatter began to emanate from the army. Healers raced forward to tend to the wounded as best they could and to prepare the dead for last rites if nothing could be done.
Glancing to where she'd felled her foe Maiev grimaced at the fading sight of black miasma, 'Nothing, no body to inspect, no knowledge to gather, worse than slaying a demon.'
Tyrande's voice rose above the din, "Call in our fliers, have each among them blessed with the mightiest shields and wards we can muster. What's more if they see another such creature, they are to focus on distracting it and not engaging the beast. Sentinels," She added with an authoritative call, "Form defensive war bands, and preference your protective spells first and foremost, finally, bring the giants to the front of the line!"
As the Sentinels hastened to obey, Maiev's own followers looked to her for permission to which she gave a simple nod. With that the two Priestesses turned to one another, Tyrande spoke first.
"Those were not any undead or demon I have ever known even if they fade from our world like the latter. Their speed was especially terrible, and did you see, they felt no pain or fear?"
Maiev nodded, "A mane of bone, horns of a Tauren, the maw of a Southern lion with the spiked tail of some great Terrorsaur and the magic to spill fire. I can say for certain I have never seen a creature quite like it in the shadows beneath the earth or a hunt."
"And worse still," Tyrande muttered, "I doubt it was only them."
Maiev grimaced and ducked her head, "Scouts perhaps, meant to assess our strength?" They had seemed to originate from the distant village.
The air quaked, as a deeper, yet more sibilant, screeching roar boomed across the skies. All eyes turned to the town as a monstrous creature nearly thrice the size of its lesser kin rose into the sky.
A body that was too long and too slender to be truly feline, bedecked in black feathered wings and a white snake head sprouting from its over-long tail roared. Its skull like face splitting open, too round, too short, and narrow to be anything familiar even as its skull evoked death. As its side rose several more flying lions and tearing out from the village came at least half a dozen of their ground bound companions.
Tyrande's voice. blessed with divine might echoed and boomed, "Sentinels, slay them all!"
In the nearby hills, a dark-skinned woman, with tiger stripes and matching ears pulled away her binoculars and called to her forces.
"White Fang, we are on the move."
Sienna Khan had been having a... trying few months.
The daughter of Kali & Chieftain Belladonna vanishing without a trace, a prime outpost in Vale obliterated, a litany of minor fires she needed to put out across Anima. All capped off with one of her highest lieutenants, Adam Taurus, unleashing a horde of Grimm on civilians across the kingdom of Vale!
Part of her still regretted not following her first instinct to execute the man when he swaggered back into Fort Castle with his wet behind the ears Valian recruits. She regretted it more when he simply began petitioning her to destroy Mistrals capital!
Madness, madness and stupidity and she had no idea of how to make him see it, maybe he never had?
But then, before it could come to ahead, she had Grimm trouble, the forest beneath her mountainous fort were swarming with disorganized mobs of the monsters. Not unusual save for the sheer excess of the beasts and the variety. Something was calling them and given the actions of Adam's human allies, the tiger Faunus could not take any chances.
Isolating Adam she'd summoned some trusted and professional soldiers, several platoons of elite scouts and a strong lieutenant. She was intent on clearing out the Grimm and above all finding the source on her own terms, it would hardly hurt to remind all who still led the White Fang.
She'd equipped her black, white-lined, combat kilt and Kevlar vest and red cape. With Cerberus's Whip wrapped around her armored black wrist bands, and adorning herself in reinforced grey leggings, laden with hidden Dust Blades, Sienna led the charge.
Those weeks ago felt like near an eternity as Sienna led her troops and their volunteers in another bloody charge against the Grimm. Her roared commands a match for any baleful cry of the Grimm.
"Gunners lay down covering fire, Skirmishers guard the gunners, Honor Guard reinforce their archers and Commander Crim!" Her gaze snapped to the sky where a Faunus with eagle wings, close cropped hair and wild eyebrows flew with three other wing mates, all bearing great spears. "Ground that Sphinx!"
"Hail High Leader!"
With that, the battle was joined.
Tyrande had turned her attention to the leader of the pack, leaving the groundlings to her subordinates and Maiev.
'To the pit with subtly,' she decided, reaching out to the sky, spectral hands and voice growing beyond her mortal shell. "Oh goddess, I beg of thee, call upon the stars to cast down our foes!"
The goddess answered as she always did and from the sky blistering balls of burning silver light burst to life and rained down. Each with enough force to incinerate an armored elf and all fell by the hundreds.
But though she could see the Starfall slowing and distracting the beasts, it was not tearing through them as hoped. Despite their great size they flew through the sky with a terrible speed and deadly elegance; the greatest among them was far too nimble and quick witted to be an simple animal. Each blow that landed on its lesser kin she could feel, the burning of black fur and seared bone, but it was not enough.
Cries in the ancient song of war rang out as spells and blessed arrows flew, the roar of the beasts, even divided as they were like a force unto itself when-
Dozens of figures raced down from the hills, most were adorned in black leggings and boots, and were in either white or more ornate red vests. They brandished scimitar, black spears with red indent that glowed with elemental power and many more carried what looked akin to Dwarven rifles! They all also appeared strangely inhuman, horns and tails jutting from their bodies as if they were master druids.
The figure at the front was a blur, practically materializing before one of the beasts and landing a kick to its head with such force the air cracked. Its open skull fractured and though it built fire up in its maw the dark skinned woman merely grabbed its horn and violently yanked downward, hurling the giant over her shoulder and cratering it into the ground before twisting its head off.
'They are on our side, everything else can come later,' she thought, shouting, "Join hands with them and drive off the beasts!"
Turning her attention back to the skies, Tyrande bit back a curse. The greater beast could spit flames as well and even with her Starfall it was landing blows on the convoy. Smoke filled the air and its roared with a sort of vicious glee.
'Die!'
But even as she tried to focus her goddesses ire on the greatest threat, her hands straining against space itself as she pulled at the cosmic tapestry she was failing to land a blow!
Just as it seemed a star was about to strike, one of the lesser lions flung itself between the star and its master, their body incinerated in an instant.
'No fear of death or pain, but they will die for each other, a dreadful combination,' she thought as the monster began to rise higher, its screeching bellows echoing.
"Don't let it escape!"
She did not understand the roar, but she could recognize its urgency. Tyrande's eagle-like eyes zeroed in on a silvery blur and she smirked as winged warriors weaved around the monsters' strike and loosed a spear that sang with ice and cold. The blow struck and in the skies the monster finally shuttered, a spasm ripped across its frame as the base of its wing froze and it began a violent surge downwards.
"I have you!"
She knew exactly where it was falling and Tyrande guided the flow of the heavens as a river led water to the sea, her firsts closing as hundreds of burning silver lights converged and crashed against the black beast.
One final roar escaped its maw and with it a burst of fire dwarfing any she'd seen that day, surging towards her.
'Oh goddess,' She intoned with reverence and slashed her arm through the air. A silvery owl's wing shone and dispersed the flames, leaving naught to wash over her but warm air.
"They are retreating!" Maiev proclaimed.
Tyrande turned to see indeed, the last few beasts surviving now fled into the woods in a chaotic sprawl. 'Cut off the head and the body will flounder,' she mused. The huntress in her pleased to see these new threats weakness. A small smirk lit up her face as a great boulder launched by an ancient struck true, crushing an injured beast.
"Tend to the wounded, Maiev, with me," She barked out, hopping off her mount, Ash'alah and rubbing the mighty sabers ears affectionately as she looked across the battlefield to see her newest focus.
Dark brown skin marked by black stripes and matching charcoal hair, the warrior had a chain wrapped around one arm and met Tyrande's silver eyes with piercing gold. 'They do not glow, but they share an intensity,' she thought, thinking to the golden-eyed elves she knew even as she forcefully shook off the comparison.
Instead, she turned her attention to the figure's head, namely the two dark tiger striped ears adorning them, though the shift in shades was subtle it was present. Unlike the golden hoop earrings that hung from all four of the warriors' ears.
'Such a strange creature, some mage's experiment perhaps?'
Just as Tyrande did with Maiev, the leader brought only one escort, the winged warrior who had landed the icy blow, spear having been reclaimed and resting comfortably in its holders. Their uniforms design was similar to the white garbed skirmishers but it hugged the body more tightly.
As those cool eyes drew across her frame Tyrande repressed an amused smirk, 'She's used to being the tallest in the room,' she realized.
Tyrande's grasp of common was functional if not elegant, "Greetings, Lordani?" Just then a familiar, divine voice whispered in her ear, 'Not born under this moon.'
The smaller, though by no means short given she towered over her companion, woman repressed a frown and answered in stilted common, "Foreign, from another place."
'Akin to the orcs then, what could his mean for the state of the world?' she wondered even as she offered the saber-ess her hands. There was a moment of contemplation before she reached out and Tyrande offered a prayer.
A cool tingling sensation ran through her skin and into the other figures making her almost jerk but back on instinct, but she held firm.
Then, Tyrande spoke.
"I am High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, leader of the Kal'dorei, and my ally, chief of the Wardens, Maiev Shadowsong."
There was a moment of surprise, but the woman rallied admirably, "I am Sienna Khan, High Leader of the White Fang, those who defend the Faunus, and this is my lieutenant, Sky Commander Krim."
"An honor to be sure, you have my forces gratitude for aiding us against those beasts," Tyrande's eyes locked onto Sienna, "They hail from the same 'place' as your people I take it?"
To her credit, Sienna showed no shock, merely nodding, "The Creatures of Grimm, they have tormented the world of Remnant since time immemorial. We know not their source or means of survival, merely that they seek to destroy all thinking beings and their works." She motioned to where the greater beast had fallen, "The elders among them can commander their lesser kin, but without such guidance they are usually a rabble."
'Even the lone ones were dangerous,' Tyrande mused.
The Faunus arched a sharp eyebrow and said, "Might I ask what brings your people to this land? None amongst the natives we have met seem to know you from spirits in the trees."
"How fitting given it is within the trees we dwell," Tyrande mused.
Maiev stepped closer, "We could ask your people the same question, High Leader. We travelled here in ships to hunt a demon, but what of you and your, White Fang?"
Tyrande loathed the reminder of their purpose and welcomed Sienna's explanation as a distraction.
"Something has been disrupting the behavior of Grimm in my territories. I went to investigate and found the beasts streaming through a dark rift in the world."
"You followed it?" Tyrande damn near scoffed.
Sienna's frown was bitter, "There is a known bandit with a similar... Power who operates outside my territory, I thought it her doing, that she was unleashing Grimm on settlements." Shaking her head the Faunus turned back to her soldiers, "We pursued and found ourselves under an alien sky. A man in shadowy robes with a golden four-point helm seemed shocked to see us but was spooked and fled before we could speak."
"And now you're stranded here," Tyrande said mournfully, to be away from Ashenvale was already a pain, to be a world away... She shook her head, "I assume you seek the man who summoned you?"
Sienna nodded, "Indeed, we must return soon, if nothing else, it is my duty to get my soldiers home." She rolled her shoulders and motioned to the motley gathering of people behind her, many of whom looked to be native, be they human, elf or even Gnoll! "Though as you can see we have picked up some stragglers, survivors from settlements fallen to this 'Scourge' and the Grimm."
Maiev's stern tone rose again, "Of course it would be a mage, but why summon these accursed Grimm? They hardly seem tamable."
The winged warrior scoffed, "Trust us madam, they cannot be."
Sienna merely cast a glance over her shoulder, "Grimm seek to kill all thinking beings, but they are drawn to those who are experiencing rage, or grief or terror."
The pieces fell into place with startling clarity, "This sorcerer, he summons the Grimm to fight the Scourge?"
"All we have seen and heard has it ring true," Sienna said, "But he does not understand the Grimm. Several Alpha have come through his rifts and unlike their lesser kin, they know how to wait in ambush, to strategize, even lying in wait for years. They will not simply be a weapon, though," She scoffed, "I can hardly fault his idea."
"It's madness, he endangers the world," Maiev seethed, "Not just from these Grim, but the very magic itself!"
"I'm no sorcerer, but I don't doubt this would affect my home as well, what is he doing to our planets?"
Tyrande quickly took over, "To use magic like this, that reaches beyond the skein of the material realm, to reach across such vast distances, the sorcerer does damage to the very fabric of the universe. If it is not stopped soon enough, or the rifts begin to compound, they may grow permanent, or allow other... Unseemly forces access, and I confess, that is a far cry from the worst case scenario where they destabilize and devour the world."
There was a moment of horrified staring as Tyrande had expected, but Sienna rallied quickly, folding her arms, "Then we need to find him and put a stop to this before it grows further out of hand!"
"Tyrande! We cannot merely ignore Illidan, with the Eye of Sargeras he could do a thousand-fold damage this petty sorcerer does in a fraction of the time!" Maiev exclaimed with a scowl.
She was right and yet... "Sienna Khan, it seems we will likely engage these Grimm again and your people are clearly experienced in fighting them. Would you care to form an accord?"
The Faunus smirked, flashing shining white fangs that would do even a Druid proud, "You want our aid in hunting this demon of yours and in return you help us return home?"
Tyrande crossed a hand over her heart, "I swear on my honor as High Priestess, we shall return your people home and save both our worlds from this sorcerer."
Sienna sucked in a low breath but nodded, "Very well, I will need time to rally my followers. My own soldiers can move easily enough and these 'Alliance' soldiers and Gnoll Warriors we found can do so well enough. But we have civilians from the lost village of Deadhollow with us." She motioned Southward, "We've been camping in Gaval Moch, a decrepit castle by the river."
"We were already expecting to march South," Tyrande mused, "Though with these Grimm lurking about, I'll want someone sent to escort Malfurion. He is powerful, but they are still unknown to him."
Krim flared their wings, "One of my Wing Mates could play the role, if you have someone show them the way."
Tyrande nodded, "Very well, let us make ready and begin marching South with haste."
Even as she said it, Tyrande could not escape the sensation she was running against an hour glass already half empty.
Haven Academy was not as expansive as its counterpart in Beacon but it was certainly more regal. Lush gardens bloomed through the white stone courtyard, while dozens of tall buildings rose around them marking by pure white stucco and dark, ridged tiles, with gold ornamentation everywhere.
Team 'RNJR' strode through the empty courtyard, taking in the sight as a chill wind washed over them.
Ruby self-consciously checked her beloved Crescent Rose, the high impact dual action sniper-rifle Scythe was fastened safely to her back, but just feeling its weight made her feel more confident.
"So," she said slowly, glancing at Ren, "Get any more bad vibes?"
The Mistrali-born martial artist frowned,
"Not since yesterday, though something... Something still feels wrong to me, I just can't place it."
"Maybe it's how creepy empty places are," Nora groused, rms swinging out wide as she howled, "Where is everyone!?"
"Uuh Nora," Jaune murmured, coughing into his armored hand, "Its term break."
Ruby frowned, "There should still be some people, Beacon was never this empty..." Her words trailed off as everyone's tone dipped at the mention of their former home. Forcing cheer into her voice, Ruby said, "Well that's just another thing to ask the headmaster when we speak to him, come on guys, race you to his office!"
She took off running, Nora following loudly if not quickly behind while Jaune and Ren pulled up the rear. With that little distraction in play, they reached his hall in mere moments and Ruby knocked loudly on the ornate oaken doors.
"Please, come in," Echoed a tired, but grandfatherly voice.
Pushing open the doors Ruby was greeted to the sight of a large, ovular office, book shelves and comfortable looking lounge running along the edges. Sunlight spilling out across the room from the back wall and a somewhat haphazardly organized desk. Sitting behind it was a grey haired man with lightly tanned skin, a well-trimmed beard and lion tail.
He smiled fondly, "You four must be the student team who wished to speak with me, a Miss Rose, Arc, Ren and Valkyrie correct?"
"Yes sir, that's us, thank you for seeing us," Ruby said politely.
Resting his hands on his desk, the man nodded, "No trouble at all, now then, what can I do for you all today?"
Swallowing Ruby began her pre-prepared speech, "Well sir, we were hoping you had any information on Cinder Fall, Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai," That last one still stung especially hard.
Even before she'd finished speaking she could see the man's facing falling.
"I had hoped it would not be about them," he flicked some of the paper on his desk. "I can imagine why you're asking of course and if you made it here on foot, you're certainly skilled. But these are dangerous people and in truth, there's not much I can even tell you."
Jaune stepped forward fire on his tongue, "But they came to Beacon as Haven students!"
Lionheart bore it with calm, "And their papers, their names, their backgrounds were all forgeries. Incredibly well-made forgeries too, no one even noticed until we started plucking at threads we couldn't even see." He rummaged around in his desk and reveal a handful of papers, "This is all we have on them I'm sorry to say."
It was barely three pages and it looked double spaced.
Jaune snatched it up quickly, frantically reading as Nora & Ren crowded around it, Ruby caught a snippet, "His dad was an assassin?" But turned her attention to the headmaster.
"Thank you for that, if it's OK, we'd like to offer our help with the search, well, I mean we're already doing it on our own but maybe we can help in a more official way?"
Lionheart eyed her before smiling, "You're Ruby Rose aren't you? The Huntress who led the team that held the line during the Breach?" At her nod her chuckled fondly, "Well, I can see why Ozpin would trust you with that mission if you made it out here."
"Well it wasn't just me, my team was there, and JNPR, and Doctor Oobleck and so many others helped too!"
"Nevertheless, it's clear you've seen your fair share of hardships. As for the investigation, well I'm sad to say its stalled," He gestured around his office, "You might have noticed that we are not exactly fully staffed right now."
Nora huffed, "Yeah we saw that, is it really just you here alone?"
Lionheart shrugged, "There's some custodial staff? But otherwise, yes." He tapped his desk and a holo map was project showing the continent of Anima and dozens of alerts.
"Of all the four kingdoms, Mistral has by far the largest territorial claims and the largest population. Ever since the Fall of Beacon we've been getting a constant string of emergency alerts, so much so I even had to send out the professors. It's a never-ending battle just to keep the kingdoms head above water and things are only going to get worse."
"Are you expecting an attack sir?" Ruby asked, already priming herself for combat.
"Not... Quite," Lionheart said, glancing away from them, "You see, three days ago word got out that the leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan is dead. Allegedly murdered by a Mistrali Huntsmen."
Jaune scoffed, "And?"
"While I obviously do not approve of the White Fang's methods what you need to understand is the public perception of them among most Faunus and especially in the South is that Beacon was a radical splinter faction. "
"But why would they think that?" Ren intoned.
"Simple really," the headmaster sighed, "The White Fang did not become popular solely by bombing trains and raiding the SDC. They also provided protection for many Faunus businesses from Mistral's various criminals elements. They have escorted caravans of merchants through the wilderness and protected Faunus settlements."
"But," Jaune muttered, "What about Hunters?"
Lionheart simply shrugged, "Some do their duty, others do so at higher rates, some drag their feet and, well you get the idea. The council certainly has little interest in helping either, I can barely get them to speak to me on a good day. Put simply, many people are in mourning and many more are gleeful and intent on making their misery worse. Just another problem upon an ever-mounting pile I'm afraid."
Ruby bit her tongue but stepped up, "Sir, how can we help?" Then she stopped and rubbed the back of her head, "I mean, I know we aren't official or anything but..."
Nora cut in, "It sounds like you could use all the help you could get."
Lionheart's expression turned wane as he began to tap a pen on the desk, "I do have something, it may well be tied to what you came here for as well." At that Jaune perked up. "Tell me in your travels have you noticed any odd Grimm behavior?"
Ren spoke up, "Yes, in the town of Oniyuri. They were struck by bandits and then Grimm, but apparently the number of Grim was minuscule compared to what they thought they should have faced."
Tapping her chin, Ruby added, "Also, when I was scouting a few weeks back, I remember seeing like, a huge pack of Grimm just come to a screeching halt while running and just sort of...wander off?"
Lionheart nodded with enthusiasm, "Exactly the sort of thing we've been getting reports of for several weeks now. We can't explain it, no disasters luring them in, no ancient Grimm, barely even any settlements caught up in the stamped. I had a team investigating the phenomena and we narrowed the source down to somewhere in the South-East, deep in the Hinoki forest."
Jaune gulped, "Did the team not come back?"
Lionheart waved him off, "They did, but the council felt their skills could be better used elsewhere because, well..." He stammered as if looking for a diplomatic way to phrase the next part.
Nora beat him to it, "They figured if it was someone else's problem it didn't matter, right?"
Lionheart sunk into his chair and sighed, "Indeed, but as you yourselves have seen, people can utilize Grimm, and there are...items in this world that hold terrible power. I likely should not be telling you this, but the pedigree of the Rose family is above reproach and you've all shown valor by coming here."
Ruby felt a little stunned as her friends' eyes turned to her, she knew at least in part what the headmaster was referring to. Her silver eyes, her mother's ties to some secret duties Ozpin and her uncle Qrow were involved in but to know it stretched this far felt... Heavy.
Standing up straighter she said, "Sir, we'd be happy to help, what do you need us to do?"
Lionheart smiled, "You're very kind and as to the mission," He motioned to the map and draw a wide line around an eastern section of the Southern forest. "I want you all to travel down to this region and investigate the area, look for anything strange be it flashes of light, odd structures, unfamiliar technology or suspicious characters. Keep your distance from the Grimm as best you can and simply try to find the source of all this."
He lowered the screen and stared at them grimly, "When you do, investigate only so far as you feel is safe and then return. Once we have proof of potential danger, I can have a larger team assigned to the mission." Easing down into his chair he smiled, "I can also give you all a line of credit for mission gear, including hotels and anything else you might deem 'necessary'."
Ruby wasn't sure she liked the way Nora was smirking at that 'necessary', but then she could already see a multitude of Dust cartridges flowing through her mind so who was she to judge.
Offering a respectful bow, Ruby smiles, "We'll get right on that, thank you for trusting us headmaster Lionheart!"
She didn't see his eyes dim as they left, his words trailing after her "No, thank you miss Rose," They sounded pained.
Leo sank into his chair with an exhausted sigh, only to shoot right back out of it at the sound of several foot falls.
"My, my, a wonder what a bit of preparation can do for a performance, don't you think, Tyrian?" Dr watts strode into the office, his sharp brown and yellow suit ruffled but it only added to the mans overconfident swagger.
At his side was a man in form fitting khaki combat clothes and a brown coat, long brown hair in a braid and a subtly manic look in his eyes as he eyed the door. "Oh, definitely doctor, it seems a true thespian sits before us."
But it's what was between them that truly made his heart quake.
Like a bastardized Jellyfish the Seer floated before him, blood red tendrils tipped with white bone dangling down from its small, black spherical body that shimmered like a smoky crystal ball. The sharp, bone-like plates and spikes only added to the menace, but in truth it was the visage within that chilled his soul.
My queen," He stammered, rising and offering a clumsy bow to the pale-faced, red-eyed mistress of the Grimm, her elegant yet cruel face framed by ornately decorated bone white hair.
"Leo," She said, voice like cracking ice.
He was grateful, so grateful when Watts spoke, tapping the Grimm with a fearless sort of arrogance, "Such a fascinating creation, I would love to know how it works."
Tyrian scowled at the doctor before bowing to Salem, "Your grace, what would you have me do now that the children are on the hunt?"
"For now, leave them to their investigation, follow them with a Seer at a distance and observe their findings and report back to me. If it seems we might lose the Rose girl take her, but otherwise we can remove them from the board at our leisure."
Her expression turned subtly more dower, "Right now, my interest lies in who is disrupting the Grimm. This is not our primary concern however, that remains the Relic of Knowledge beneath your feet, but it would be remiss for us to ignore something like this."
Tyrian bowed grandly and theatrically, "I shall make ready at once, my goddess."
Salem nodded before turning her attention to the doctor, "Arthur, for now you will remain here and support Tyrian and Leo's efforts from afar, but be ready to act should something of note be discovered."
Watts rested a hand over his chest and smiled, "That shouldn't be too difficult ma'am."
"And Leo..."
"Ye- Yes ma'am!"
A tendrils lashed out and trailed its bladed tip along his neck.
"Keep up the fine work."
And with that, the Seer drifted away, Watts only lingering long enough to enjoy the sight of Leo crumpling back into his seat.
Notes:
Thanks to @Iscariotpaladin for editing and offering feedback, your assistance is a huge part of what made this story!
This is an idea I've been toying with in one form or another for ages, and when I finally hit on a mechanic I just had to start writing, 73 thousand words later and here we are, I hope you enjoy this story!
Missing word. Should probably be 'under'. Only passingly familiar with World of Warcraft, but this one seems like it could be interesting. Do continue?
Missing word. Should probably be 'under'. Only passingly familiar with World of Warcraft, but this one seems like it could be interesting. Do continue?
I am heartened you think so, and if it helps I have written this with the intent of someone from either fandom unaware of the other being able to read it.
Don't worry I plan to post another chapter next week and hopefully every week schedule permitting, the fic is essentially done, I just need to tidy i up in places before publishing
Geez, feel bad about missing such an obvious error .
Still, good to see this up and running, been fun fun watching this go from concept to rough draft to finally published story. Really like it after the opening it throw you into the thick of things without feel rushed.
Geez, feel bad about missing such an obvious error .
Still, good to see this up and running, been fun fun watching this go from concept to rough draft to finally published story. Really like it after the opening it throw you into the thick of things without feel rushed.
Hey you did amazingly catching so many flubs on my part and offered great advice that helped me keep the voices of the characters true to themselves, you're great
I'm so glad you're enjoying it even on this many levels of read through and yeah, it does definitely toss one into the deep end a bit XD
Interesting premise, it will be fun to see how things evolve from this.
From reading it seems that TFT campaigns have been derailed, as the night elves do not meet the blood elves.
And of course Gilneas, as it will be dealing with a very different sort of threat than the worgen. Might even cause the wall to collapse and the kingdom's isolation to end very early.
Interesting premise, it will be fun to see how things evolve from this.
From reading it seems that TFT campaigns have been derailed, as the night elves do not meet the blood elves.
And of course Gilneas, as it will be dealing with a very different sort of threat than the worgen. Might even cause the wall to collapse and the kingdom's isolation to end very early.
Thanks, so glad you think so, I hope the ensuing updates live up to the promise
Excellent insights there and yes exactly, the town the NE approached was the one they met Kael'Thas in, but here as it was occupied by Grim that obviously can't happen.
Interesting idea there, Gilneas is certainly gonna have a role to play going forward.
So, one thing I was thinking of including was a sort of 'travel map' in as they relate to recent chapters and their developments. In this regard, I will be sharing a map of Silverpine Forest that shows the Night Elves landing zone, where the White Fang and Alliance survivors have been hold up, the Grimm nests and where they all converged.
I am using World of Warcraft maps as they are larger and more detailed than the WC3 maps, though I am playing fast and loose with some details by mixing and matching info from the RPG (Such as Gaval Moch's location) or the including of Warcraft 3's River that swept Tyrande away. The maps hail from Reddit user Searrard: Link
Ruby's scroll hummed and the redhead frantically waved her hand in front of the camera, muttering, "Is this thing on, oh beans it's already recording, OK."
Coughing into her hand, Ruby propped her Scroll up on a well-positioned rock beneath the sun obscuring trees and began her speech.
"This is Trainee Huntress, Ruby Rose reporting!"
The crimson-cloaked huntress adopted an 'official' stance, with one hand behind her back and the other raised up to point, just like she'd seen Weiss do when gearing up to lecture someone.
"For two weeks and three days my team and I have been investigating the Grimm migrations in Hinoki Forest."
She flicked a button on her scroll and recordings of Grimm began to play over her speech.
"Thanks to Ren's Semblance we've gotten by without too much trouble, but the Grimm in the area are really varied, much more so than they should be given what we read."
She flicked the scroll again and a small slide show began to play showing the dark towering woods flooded with masses of shadowy Grimm filling the fo9rest like floodwater.
"Still no signs of what's causing the weird behavior, we haven't found like, any ruins, weird Atlas tech or even people."
Ruby sagged a little as the recording came back to her, "Honestly it's getting to us I think, Jaune's really frustrated, Nora's bored, Ren's always tired and I feel like we're screwing up." She looked at her hands, slowly clenching her calloused fingers as she mumbled, "I feel like I should know what to do but I don't."
Stopping herself, Ruby shot forward and erased the last segment of the recording and capped it off with a new ending.
"We will continue our investigation, and report back our findings!" With that she sealed the scroll and marched back to camp.
Qrow drifted through the air on dark wings, surfing along the updraft and gliding over a slowly establishing camp that felt all too familiar. Ratty patch work tents, slowly decaying carts and one massive, ornate, mobile tent, adorned with spikes and draped in blood red cloth.
He didn't descend though, merely catching the eye of the dark-maned, red clad samurai barking out orders. The moment she turned to leave he began flapping his wing, rocketing towards a nearby clearing by the coast and welcoming it as his body twisted and snapped back into its true form.
Qrow Branwen landed with practiced ease on the rocky coastline, the waves crashing against the jagged stones below. Only turning when a rippling, writhing, reverberating noise echoed out, accompanied by a blood red light, as Raven Branwen stepped through her Semblance portal.
"Someone clip your wings?" He joked, as his sister doffed off her layered bone white Grimm mask.
"Funny, I'd ask if you came up with it, but we both know you don't do your own thinking," Raven countered, her rough voice extra gravelly, like she'd been drinking. Qrow would know.
"Well you know me, not one to sweat the small stuff," He popped out his flask open and took a sip as Raven merely glared him down.
'So we're doing this the hard way,' he thought with a sigh. "So, wanna tell me why you came all the way down to the ass end of Anima? Wasn't exactly quick and easy to track you down ya know."
"Felt like a change of scenery," Raven shrugged.
"Right," Qrow drawled, "One minute you're raiding wealthy towns like Oniyuri and the next you what, wanna come bait some mermaids, bully a few farmhands?"
"If you have nothing but inane questions for me Qrow, I'm leaving, some of us attend to our responsibilities."
"Responsibilities are exactly what I'm here to discuss," he snapped, taking his first step towards her. Seeing her hand come to rest on the hilt of her sword he stopped but added, "Last I heard there were some reports of freak weather phenomena near a stampeding pack of Grimm. Do you want to guess who I found out was in the area when it was happening?"
Raven rolled her shoulders and muttered, "We used a lot of Dust."
"Or, you used magic," Qrow said bluntly, "Where is the Spring Maiden, Raven?"
"Who knows?"
"Don't screw with me, Raven, we need her back now!"
Raven turned her scathing red eyes on him and snorted, "You haven't changed, but you won't find an obedient pawn here, little brother!" With a swipe of her sword, another rift opened and Raven was gone.
'So it's going to be like that, is it?' Qrow felt his chest tightening, like his ribs were pressing in on his heart before he let out a breath and just shook his head. 'Raven made her choice and it was the wrong one, now all that's left to do is play it out to the end.' But for that he was going to need some back up, and it was a long flight to Mistral.
With that thought, Qrow transformed and launched himself into the sky.
Hinoki forest was an ancient and gargantuan place. Taking up nearly a tenth of Anima's landmass, the dark woods and eastern mountains dividing it from the badlands had only ever been sparsely settled.
Nomads once roamed it freely and a smattering of city states and forts had risen and fallen, but never had the forest truly vanished. Thus, it was a thick and overgrown place where vines and strange plants competed for light beneath the canopy.
Ruby sat on the branch of an ancient elm larger than some apartment buildings. She gazed through her sniper-scythes lens with well-practiced ease, her black and crimson garments obscured by the layers of branches and leaves that made up her sniper's perch.
Silver eyes scanned the thick forests and the snarling masses of Grimm skittering about, lupine Beowolves rubbed fur with feline Manticors and Sabyr while heavy set Ursa trundled along between them. While raven like Nevermore and the harpy-ish Razorwings darkened the sky, their dark plumage contrasting sharply with the white insectoid lancers, their eerie buzzing, like a drill, in the back of her mind. Ruby could barely even guess at the horrors likely lurking just below the surface but the sights of tunnels and upturned earth on the ground floor told her Creeps and Centinels were on the list.
'And those are just the normal Grimm, all fangs and claws and sometimes fire. If Geistsand Nightmaresare running around we'll struggle to even see them!'
Ruby saw a Nervemore drifting by, the birds bone adorned head head turning to her hiding spot, all four of those blazing red eyes hovering over her hiding spot.
Sucking in a breath, Ruby forced the feelings back and down; with practiced ease she brought a piece of chocolate up to her lips and bit into it. Making sure to drink in and relish the taste and the thought of the friendly Faunus woman she bought it off.
The Nevermore's attention snapped away to one of it's larger kin and Ruby felt her heart swell with relief as she returned to her scouting.
The faint scent of Ren's cooking tickled her nose and a low sigh escaped her lips, 'He's back on a healthy eating kick.' Suddenly Ruby didn't feel so guilty she splurged not just on bullets and Dust but also on a pack of her favorite snacks hidden safely in her satchel.
Her Scroll buzzed to life with Jaune's voice, "Hey Ruby? Anything yet?"
"No, still just lotsa Grimm, but we're bound to see something soon, how's dinner coming along?"
Jaune took a moment to answer, "It's...uh...it's green," he finally settled on with a subtle groan, Ren's voice reverberating in the background:
"It's healthy!"
"Whatever it is," Nora cut in with an aggrieved tone, "It'll be ready in a few minutes, want Ren to run some up?"
"Yeah, I think we're real close to a breakthrough, so I can't stop now," Ruby said with some humor, she was saying it so often she'd have to be right eventually right?
Jaune's tone was much less chipper, "Yeah... Right..."
Any response Ruby might have had was engulfed by a chorus of guttural, demonic cries, the roars, and screeches of beasts bled together as the forest floor began to shake.
"It's here, it's here!" She cried, frantically scanning the skies, and locking on a Nevermore with a missing leg. "Follow me!" She cried, not taking her eyes off the black bird as she began to leap and bound across the trees. Nora rocketing after her on her warhammer Magnhild with Jaune clinging to her for dear life and Ren racing through the trees on foot, only a few steps behind her.
Ruby could feel the energy thrumming in her veins, rose petals flickered and burst even as she forced her Semblance back. 'Can't leave the team behind, gotta be responsible,' she told herself. 'Even if finding out the source of these Grimm is an even bigger responsibility and if you mess it up more people are going to die and-'
Ruby forced herself to stop that line of thinking as she surged through the trees, Grimm of all kinds swarming below and overhead, some stampeding right over their fellows and shredding entre stretches of less sturdy forest as they went.
Their charge to the source came to a jerking stop as Ruby rebounded off a tree just in time to avoid a Nevermore and unleashed Crescent Rose. But no fight was coming, the gargantuan bird simply sat on the branch and more and more Grimm gathered, filling the forest with snarling, primeval shadows.
"Ruby!" She heard the others hissing, further back and cloaked by Ren's Semblance they might as well have been invisible to the Grimm and yet... 'They can't see me, no they don't care.'
Ruby sent the others a grin and waved them forward, leaping and rebounding off trees until she got a clear view to the heart of the swarm and she embedded Crescent Rose into the tree.
Nora buried the handle of her massive hammer into the tree and Jaune his over long sword, letting them both stand as Ruby did, while Ren dangled from a single blade of his Stormflower pistols.
"What in the world?" Jaune gasped.
Ruby couldn't blame him, the mass of Grimm had devastated a whole forest clearing and now sat in rapt attention, snarling and hissing, as if calling out to what should have been empty space.
But instead in the heart of the clearing was a shimmering, rippling mass of shadow, it stretched and strained and contorted, looking like something sickly and bubbling bursting from the skin of empty space as it tore itself wider and wider, becoming a gaping maw.
Ren's entire body convulsed, and he nearly lost his grip. "Something" he gasped, "Something terrible is on the other side of that!"
As if in answer to his words the Grimm's chorus grew into a maddened ovation, rising onto their haunches and dragging their claws through the air as if chanting and screaming at the rift.
"Guys, Alpha!" Nora hissed, and indeed there were.
On the ground stalked a grizzled Alpha-Ursa, it's spiked back scratched and burnt, as it reared back, black ichor dripping from its frame and roared like a general rallying their soldiers.
From the ground more insectoid Grimm burrowed up, sickening tendrils and carapaces wedging between fur and scales as they hissed and brayed. While swirling around them was a sight to make Ruby shudder, ghostly Geists and writhing Nightmares drifted among the horde, barely visible but very much there.
At the front of the amassing line of flying Grimm was a Queen Lancer; at its back were hundreds of soldiers and drones. Their white bone, segmented bodies and spindly spiked legs vibrating as the rift finally grew so large that it could have swallowed a multi-story house.
Then, as if some terrible leash had been cut the Grimm started surging through, the Alphas waiting as the first wave of Grimm began to swarm through in a black and white tide of violence. Soon though their patience broke and they tore into the crowds, anything too weak to stop them battered aside or crushed as they vanished into the vortex.
Jaune was shaking, Nora and Ren were deathly silent, barely able to even move.
But Ruby could.
The sight of Grimm had never scared her, not even a little. Maybe it was her training, or her eyes, or something even more innate, but she did not fear what might happen if the Grimm turned on her. She feared what they'd do to the people on the other side of the rift.
"I need to go," she said simply.
That forced her friends out of their shock, "Ruby no!" Jaune screamed.
Nora was practically reaching for her "That's nuts!"
"We completed our mission; we need to go!" Ren argued.
Ruby just dropped down to grab Crescent Rose, "We need to know what's on the other side and I'm the only one fast enough." They had no idea how long it would be open for, she needed to move! "I'll be back!" She cheered, glancing back at Ren and Nora who tried to reach for her hopelessly while Jaune just averted his gaze.
Then her entire world was rose petals, a swirling mass of crimson red color and sensation. She could see everywhere and nowhere and that was before she slipped through the portal.
Everything folded and twisted in on itself, all that surrounded her was blackness. For a moment it was like she and the Grimm were one, like Ruby Rose did not exist even as she somehow stared out at an endless array of white lighting and shadow in a celestial dance.
Then it passed, and she was once again a blurring mass of red petals and crashing her way into trees. Materializing with a pained groan, "Bad landing strategy!" Ruby launched herself up and into the nearest mountains crevasse for cover. "Ow... OK, where am I?"
She groaned, forcing herself to stand and assess how far she'd gone, 'Gotta hurry, gotta hurry!' She told herself.
Casting her gaze around and finding nothing familiar, a misty lake rose in the distance despite the late hour in the day, thin, withered trees struggled for life and vast patches of ground looked sick and dead.
Pulling up her scope Ruby grimaced, 'I flew so far,' she wasn't exhausted, but her body felt fragmented, drained and altogether to lose. Still, the portal was open, and she wouldn't need long if she got lucky and so Ruby turned her focus to the Grimm.
The Grimm were still streaming out of the rift, racing over a grey, forbidding landscape like a broken dam released water. Shattering withered trees and dispersing through the mist, Ruby watched as the Lancers and other fliers soared across a tepid lake, while the other Grimm began racing what she guessed was East
'What in the world?'
She finally spied the source, a broad figure in black robes, a four-pointed crown with gold lining, their face completely obscured by a mask that screamed 'bad guy' when combined with the Grimm.
Bracing to launch she froze at the sound of screaming, spinning around she saw an Ursa attacking someone, looming over and obscuring their would be victim. Ruby could barely catch glimpses of them behind the blurring of a wooden stave and a glowing barrier.
Instincts took over and she launched herself into the fray. In a burst of petals, she was standing before the Grimm Crescent reared back and the moment it snarls in her direction Ruby pulled the trigger.
An explosion of force rocketed her forward and she caught the blade in its open mouth and with a smirk cut through the top of its head. The thick, leathery flesh cut cleanly and the Grimm collapsing backwards with a thud before it began to fade.
Ruby saw the defensive barrier fading and looked at the person... she...saved...
'That is not a person,' some stupid part of her brain supplied, too stunned to really process anything else as the figure rose to its feet.
It was tall, obscenely so, standing nearly nine feet, with green skin, no... Yes, it was green skin, but with a layer of nearly matching fuzz. Covered in a loose colorful top of brown and greens, they wore a heavy looking battle kilt and wrapped around their belt were several strange idols. Finally, Ruby looked to its face, the creatures' features were sharp and lean like their entire body, with a long pointed nose, pointed ears and a mouth full of tusks and fangs.
Finally it spoke, a voice surprisingly high and sibilant, "Eeh Chuta?"
"She's taking too long; we have to go after her!" Nora screamed.
Ren looked and sounded as frantic as Jaune had ever seen him, "I can hide us, I can," he stressed.
They looked to Jaune who stared at the rift, again a Huntress gone, again he was left behind, again he'd failed.
"Jaune!" Nora pulled him to his feet and whispered, "Ruby's alive, she needs us, we have to move!"
Swallowing back his grief Jaune took a shaky step forward and another, nodding resolutely, "We need to move before- Its closing!"
Without thinking they started racing towards it, the Grimm horde still surging through the hole in reality alongside them uncaring as to their presence.
But someone else was.
A strangled, screeching "NO!" as terrible as any Grimm rang out from behind them and the survivors or JNPR were cast aside by a man in a brown coat. He leapt over the horde and into the rift, a strange Grimm drifting after him at an oddly sedate pace.
It had only been a moment, it shouldn't have been enough, but the moment Jaune forced himself to his feet he screamed at the sight before him, "RUBY!" As the wound in world surged and spiraled like a whirlpool and then slammed shut.
The darkness was gone and Jaune could barely even hear Nora's cry of horror and outrage.
The world only came back to them when Ren grabbed both their wrists as the the burning gazes of the Grimm turned on them and Jaune found his grief swallowed into nothing. A terribly blank absence of feeling as Ren's Aura washed over them and he frantically dragged them into the trees and away from the Grimm, away from another, fallen Huntress.
Tyrian's heart was ready to burst from his chest, vines of shame coiled in his lungs, Choking the life from him as the Rose girl vanished. His desperate cry of denial at his heresy, at failing, was swallowed by the cries of the Grimm even as he pursued.
His world became stretched and discordant a million screaming voices flooded his senses but none louder than the voice of his own chastisement.
'Failure, sinner, Incompetent!'
The darkness faded to reveal unfamiliar lands, touched with rot-cracked earth and tall, rocky hills from which the Grimm were disgorged like toxic water.
Tyrian case his gaze around, braid snapping like a whip as he searched for any sign of red, of flashing silver and gun fire but found nothing!
'Not a tree branch or a foot print, not yet, but I'll find you, I will, I must!'
His gaze snapped to the source of his troubles as it vanished from sight and standing before him was a nervous looking man in dark robes.
Tyrian was on him in an instant, vanishing into a blur, rebounding off the rocky hill and sliding his wrist mounted blades along the robed man's neck oh so gently.
"Who are you to touch the goddesses gifts?"
Just as his tail unfurled to sting, a burst of light launched him back, 'Like a grenade!'
The tingling pain vanished before it even had time to settle and Tyrian watched in surprise as the man's form shone, spilling out several copies. Tyrian smiled, moving faster than normal eyes could follow, he weaved through the clones' attacks, bolts of shadow and ice soaring passed him. With a slash of his blades, he began tearing one, two, three!
Tyrian turned to the summoners; the man's hands raised high as alien energies surged around him!
Only to fall to his knees, shaking, his haunted, harrowed eyes fell to his calf where Tyrian's scorpion tail had embedded its stinger before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the dirt.
Pulling his stinger away, Tyrian began to swift scout the surrounding, but barring a single indent in a tree and some disturbed grass he could not find his quarry.
'I can track her I must, I…' Tyrian looked to the sky and felt his heart lodge in his throat at the sight of it all. Not the divinely destroyed orb of broken fragments of Remnant but two, perfectly untouched moons shone down upon the land as the sun ducked beneath the horizon.
Tyrian simply fell to his knees, a baleful wail tearing its way from his lungs with a choked sob.
He had failed her, failed his goddess!
"Tyrian..." Her voice called, faint, oh so terribly miraculously faint.
His head lurched up and he saw the Seer hovering before him, its sigils coming to brim with crimson light as he answered, "I am here, I am here my queen, I beg-"
"You are... Far from... Me... Tell me... What you... See..."
Perking up Tyrian took in everything with perfect clarity.
"I see a world unlike our own my mistress, I see a foreign sky, grey hills steeped in rot and forests of silver mist. I see someone who has brought your creations here, a man in dark robes who lies before you thanks to my poison. I do not see the Grimm, they surged towards some far of place though I know not where."
"Follow... Them... Carry Him..."
"Of course your grace," he picked up his captive and started running, the Seer trailing after him, "But, my queen, the crimson rose?"
"She is... Not leaving..." Salem's voice intoned with dark amusement that only made Tyrian want to cackle.
NOTES:
Hi all, thanks again to @Iscariotpaladin for editing and offering feedback, your assistance is a huge part of what made this story!
Sorry this chapter is a day later than promised I lost track of the dates due to some visitors, but I hope you all enjoyed it; this is very much the last of what I'd call "set up" as things after this point will be progress faster as more factions meet and play off each other now that all the pieces are in play.
I tried to take some advise and give a bit more detail about the look of Grimm for the unfamiliar, though I was still wary of bogging the story down, so I hope this helped. Also for anyone curious, yes Tyrian is actually just like that, one of the reasons I enjoy him is his shift from "Cackling killer" to over dramatic, purple prose spouting weirdo.
I have more maps, one in WOW showing the progress of the Sentinls and their allies, as well as Ruby's landing spot and the Grimm's movements and another showing where Ruby came from.
The maps hail from Reddit user Searrard: Link and from Twitter user KeithMontalbo: Link.
Sibilant and unfamiliar words rang loud in Ruby's ears.
"Eeh Chuta... Ruk MogOth..."
With each word the speakers tone got more stilted.
"Anaria shola.. Guzak narak?"
Ruby heard the creature's...the person's words but she couldn't make heads or tails of them. Holding her hand up in what she hoped was a universal 'stop' signal she spoke.
"I uh, I don't..." She pointed to herself and offered a stiff bow, "Ruby Rose."
The creature looked at her quizzically, seemingly giving up cycling through whatever languages it was trying and mimicked her, "Doth'Ra."
Waving awkwardly, Ruby glanced back to where she'd come from and her shoulders fell, even at this distance she should have been able to see some signs of Grimm or the rift but the forest was deathly silent.
She was jolted out her worry when a giant finger tapped her shoulder.
"Hi! Yes!?" She looked around frantically before her gaze zeroed in on the giant who squatted down and started drawing in the dirt with one of three giant digits. Peeking at the drawings Ruby quickly see a masked visage and fangs, two vertical slashes then the creatures flashed its fingers at her several times before rolling its shoulder looking unsure.
Ruby bit her lip and brow furrowed almost painfully as she glared at the drawing before things clicked into place. 'If I'm right, then its numerical right? Math is math!'
Dropping down she quickly mimicked the persons art piece but put two horizontal slashes and wrote one hundred, which was frankly charitable. Then she flashed ten fingers slowly, before doing so faster and fast until she hit one hundred.
The creature nodded, an unhappy grimace on their already rather harsh features. They did another quick sketch this one showing tents and people and then Grimm masks surrounding.
'A village, they must be worried the Grimm will attack their...' Ruby jumped to her feet and nodded frantically, "Grimm. Attack. Yes!" Nodding emphatically, then she brought up Crescent Rose and dragged the tip of the blade through the Grimm masks, "Help?"
She practically started dancing from one foot to the next as the creature looked her over warily, before the pained look in its eye was turned to the sloping, mist drenched mountain and finally it nodded, motioning for her to follow.
They broke into a run, racing up the thin mountain paths. The creature was fast by any civilian metric; giant legs and powerful muscles, as well as familiarity with the terrain letting them lead Ruby well enough. Still, she could go faster, so much faster it almost pained her to think people were in danger because they couldn't just give her directions!
But as they slid into the misty peaks, even Ruby needed to slow her steps to keep from losing her giant guide as they moved deeper into the mountain.
The journey felt longer than it really was, but every moment felt like an eternity when people were counting on you.
Ruby's guide led them through winding paths, often pausing to chant something under their breath before revealing a new path Ruby hadn't even noticed.
She would have felt useless if she hadn't at least been able to just grab the giant and Petal Burst them over the wildly flowing rivers and tributaries that snaked through the mountain.
But the deeper they went the calmer and larger the waters became, the more Ruby saw signs of habitation. From deep caves too well carved to be natural, tents and even scattered wooden huts.
All were empty save one, the mangled body of a dead being inside stilling her guide before he bowed his head in prayer and redoubled his efforts.
'At least its only one isn't exactly very comforting...' A part of her thought bitterly, even if that did likely mean the other villagers escaped... Or just got chased down.
Finally, she could see they were approaching some place major, the flickering of Grimm through the sky all too familiar. At the sound of shouting, Ruby glanced to her guide and pointed, they nodded, and she was gone in a burst of red.
Materializing in the heart of a massive, winding mountain valley, obscured by stone and ancient looming trees; ignoring the chaos with well practiced ease she took in the people, all of them some shade of green and gigantic, bedecked in hearty dark leathers and dull armor.
Axes and spears soared through the air as war cries echoed out and bursts of light and crackling lightning filled the air. Ruby gasped as she saw one green beings bodies swell monstrously, shining crimson red as they snatched a bat like Ravager from the air and shredded it.
'It's just some young fliers, we got this!'
Folding Crescent Rose into its heavy duty sniping form, Ruby locked onto a swooping Nevermore aiming for a being in ornate robes and blew the human-sized bird out of the air, black feathers and bone shrapnel splattering across the sky before its body turned to shadow.
The ringing of the gun shot drew not just the creature's attention but also the Grimm's. Maybe some sort of ancestral memory?
Ruby didn't slow for even a second, frantic sharp shots ringing out and bullets bursting across the sky, shattering Grimm masks and blitzing the bodies of the beasts.
Her arrival was apparently all it took to turn the tide as the Grimm's loose cohesion shattered and the locals began falling upon any isolated or confused Grimm with vengeance. Shredding them with glinting steel and bursts of powerful energy flying from staffs that she guessed had Dust in them.
Pushing deeper into the town, city, she wasn't really sure, Ruby continued her work, blurring between the roof tops of huts and great trees, shredding the larger Grimm and scattering the weaker ones to be picked off by the locals.
The numbers of fighters seemed to be swelling as more and more Grimm began to die or flee when an echoing shriek rang out.
Ruby exploded in a burst of red over the charging locals and arrived to see a fully grown Nevermore falling to the ground. There were several injured fighters around, but standing above all was a creature in dark armor lined with gold. His dark green mohawk was similarly touched by shining yellow dye and he stood atop a gargantuan turtle with a spiked shell, the beast spewing a gout of water at the already deceased and fading Grimm with enough force to shatter its leg.
'That's in hand,' she thought as what she guessed were medics started pulling away the injured. Instead her focus turned to the largest dam she'd yet seen and the mass of creatures on it with their turtles holding weapons but not striking.
'They were assaulting the dam!? Grimm this weak aren't that smart.'
A screech rang out making some of the giants cringe in agony, their massive ears making them even more vulnerable to the harpy like Razorwing swooping down on the Dams defenders.
Ruby grimaced unfurled Crescent Rose.
In a blur of red she exploded from the branch she was on and materialized behind it, hooking her blade around its neck and firing. The force dragging it from the sky and into the ground with a blast of force, cratering the monstrous creature.
It thrashed and slashed with its bone white talons but Ruby ducked around its painful strikes and cries, driving the sharp tip of Crescent Rose right into its skull the moment it tried to get away from her. Piercing right through it and letting her blade cleave the monster in half.
Not wasting a moment she hopped out of the crater and soon saw she was near the center of attention for the locals. Glancing around the sea of giants, Ruby leapt several stories into the air, looking about frantically for more Grimm but seeing nothing she let out a whoop of joy as she dropped back to the ground.
No one else was cheering however.
'Oh OK so that's the tone we're going for?' It made sense, these people probably weren't used to being assaulted by monsters.
The crowd hastily parted revealing the troll who she guessed was the villages strongest warrior from earlier. He stared her down, looking even more gargantuan from the back of his turtle before chuckling in a harsh, snake-like tongue.
"Zfuli, Jang-e!" He dropped down and with one giant hand clapped her on the shoulder, startling a little when she didn't budge before smiling with all fangs.
"Thank you?" She said, offering a quick bow to enhance the point.
The creatures arched those long, strange eyebrows and muttered something in another tongue, as chatter and some cheers began to fill the air.
Then a slightly familiar voice rang out, her guide pushing through the crowd and grinning at her widely. He threw back a sip of a drink in an ornate looking goblet with crystal blue glass and a thin neck before offering it to her.
'Yang said to never take food from strangers, but if it's the custom...' She took it and took a sturdy sip.
The assault on her senses nearly made Ruby spew it all back over him, tingling and hot on her tongue, it tasted like nails!
Swallowing it she offered a shaky thumbs up and a pained grin, "...Thanks..."
"Medicinal aids do not taste good, warrior," The creature answered with an amused huff.
Ruby lurched back, hugging Crescent Rose and sending the glass bottle flying into the air where it was snatched out of out by the warrior who took his own sip as she shrieked.
"I can understand you now! Did you change my tongue, or my ears or, no wait that makes no sense! What!?"
"It is a potion," he said simply, "It forges a bond to communicate our emotions when we speak. It is not always clear, but it will do."
"That... OK, yeah OK, sure, strange new world, I guess anything's possible. Say, did I hit my head?"
"I think we would have seen that little witch," The warrior rumbled.
Ruby turned to him and squared her shoulders, "My name is Ruby Rose, I'm a Huntress."
Her arched his brown and nodded, "Huntress then, I am Krag'Jin, leader to the Shadowglenn Trolls of Tal'Vass." He motioned vaguely as the crowd watching dispersed to reveal their settlement.
Ruby took in the sight of elaborate wooden houses, colorful yurts, and the signs of deeper habitation in what she could only guess were winding caves. There were small pig farms and well-tended to herb gardens as well as many ornate looking totems. Furthermore, she noticed poles and other art pieces. All seemed to have a nearly faint glow to them.
Her guide perked up, "Normally outsiders are not permitted here, this is our safe haven, but given the beasts..." He trailed off.
"You did the right thing, Shaman Doth'Ra," Krag'Jin said firmly, not really speaking to her so much as addressing their wary watchers. "This one is not the only outsider to visit us, the Witches of the Harvest do as well, and these days any friend is welcome." He turned to her, a grim look to his fierce features, "If, or when you leave, do not tell others of us, we have survived so well here only because none know of us."
Ruby saluted smartly, "My lips are sealed sir, and honestly I don't think anyone I could tell would do much damage anyway cause you see I'm not really uh, from here?" She looked up through the broken tree branches to see two moons rising in the distance and shuddered. "That probably doesn't make sense."
"More than you think," The troll intoned, "Our world has had other... Visitors, and I take it these beasts are native to yours?"
"They're the Creatures of Grimm," Zeroing in on the one thing that made sense to her in all this. "They exist to hunt and kill...well any thinking person I guess and destroy all they build." She shook her head, the idea of explaining Grimm felt like madness but they needed the crucial pieces now. "They don't sleep or get hungry; they just hunt and kill." She clicked her finger, "And they're drawn to negative motions too, so uh, try not to get freaked out?"
There was a very long moment where the two trolls stared at her and Ruby wondered if the potion had worn off before Krag'Jin clapped Doth'Za on the shoulder and said, "You were right to investigate your dreams Shaman, well done." He motioned for them to follow, patting his massive turtles side as they marched towards the dam.
"You say they destroy our creations too, yes?" He snorted as they came to a stop at the carefully constructed mass of stones and vines that looked almost natural. "That explains their attack on our dams, they have good eyes."
Ruby frowned, "Those were just juvenile Grimm, they shouldn't be smart enough to recognize a dam this carefully hidden." She missed the trolls looking to one another in alarm at her words and continued, "If they did see it then they probably have an elder Grimm guiding them."
She brought up Crescent Rose and started scanning the winding mountain slopes, looking through the trees and down to the lands below the hills.
Doth'Ra muttered, "Eyes of a Hawk," before clapping her on the back, "An elder is?" the Shaman intoned gravely.
"A Grimm that's survived lots of fights, getting larger, stronger and much smarter. They can order younger Grimm around so if they were attacking like this then..."
"They were assessing us," Krag'Jin intoned gravely.
Ruby bristled as she saw trees beginning to fall and distant shaking echoing on the hillside.
"I see it, two clicks!"
Ruby was already on it and grimaced at the sight. A hulking monstrosity of scarred and burned bone, a bulky, almost rotund frame that surged with muscle. The squared off maw of an Ursa that dripped black miasma from its frame.
"An Ancient Ursa Major," She whispered, glancing over the skittering masses of Grimm cavorting around their elder.
Ruby's finger flickered along the trigger and shots echoed across the mountains, the first bullet splitting open a Beowolf's head, more bullets flying as she thought. 'You trained for this, you had classes on this,' Ruby told herself through gritted teeth.
"It's out of fliers," She mused, weird but lucky. "Krag'Jin, lesser Grimm are afraid of fire, if you want to kill Grimm surround them and only go for the throat, they won't be whittled down, only go for lethal attacks and always keep moving."
"Get the bottled fire!" The chief roared.
As bolts of lightning started raining down from the dam Ruby pulled Crescent Rose back and grimaced, "I'll handle the Ursa," And then she leapt off the dam, her body a swirling mass of red.
Releasing her Semblance Ruby drifted in the air and slammed a new ammo cartridge into Crescent Rose, the metal made a heavy thud as she unleashed the first shot, the gravity dust sending her surging upwards.
The bullet cracked against the Grimm's skull to no effect, even as shot after shot was unleashed all she was doing was scuffing it!
'It's heading right for the dam!'
she could see fires were spilling out across the slops, as turtle and bear riding trolls swarmed around the lesser Grimm. Strange lights suffusing the as lightning and bolts of fired rained down on the Ursa.
Dragging her blade back behind her Ruby fired, surging through the air, once, twice, three times, the wind howling as rose petals flooded the skies as she flicked Crescent Rose into her spear mode.
Ruby pulled on her Aura, her very soul, dragging the energy to the surface, her body humming with power, red light buzzing around her skin, muscles contorting and swelling as her senses surged and she locked onto her target.
Ruby's world exploded into spinning crimson light, the air behind her howling as the explosion of speed radiating from her twisting form snapped the winds to her whims and dragged them from the skies into a blurring maelstrom.
Ruby released her Semblance with a crack, intent on colliding with the Ursa, but at the last second the beast flung itself back!
Ruby impacted with the ground like a comet, the earth sundering, shattering and spread around her in a wide trench, the howling winds kicking up a storm that hurled lesser Grimm into the air with shrieks and howls.
Ruby tried to ready Crescent Rose but could barely dodge the massive tree trunk the Ursa had snatched up to use as a weapon. Spinning in the air she slashed it only for the Ursa to thrust it at her like a fencer's blade sending her flying into the dam with a crack.
"Ah!"
Even still, Ruby landed and braced herself for another charge as the sickening mass of bone and black miasma reared up for a charge.
"Huntress! Can you do that again!?" Krag'Jin called desperately from very far away.
The Ursa was closing in and Ruby screamed, "Only once!" She exploded into Petal Burst and roughly hooked Crescent Rose around the Ursa's head and with a ringing shot managed to redirect its charge. Only for the beast to slide out of it and release roar that felt like a punch to the face.
"Once is all we need!" The troll cried out.
Gritting her teeth Ruby sent a shot into the ground as the Ursa pounced barely avoid its follow up slash as she surged into the skies on a trail of red petals and began to spiral.
Then she felt it, saw it, lightning arcing through the skies touched by shimmering colors that sang like a chorus in her head. The power, the magic suffused the tempest that she was, Ruby felt like her eyes were about to burst out of her head from the raw power of it all and without another thought, she descended.
A spiraling tornado of red, crimson lightning crackling all around and the cry of a mighty beasts filled the sky.
The Ursa was no fool and tried to break its foes path with a massive boulder.
It was ripped through in an instant and Ruby crashed against the monster, her blade piercing right through its spiked back and tearing her through its hulking frame and into the ground. All around her she felt the winds and lightning scream, and in a blast of red and silver light the Ursa exploded.
A moment passed in which all Ruby could hear was her own breathing before she forced herself to clamber out of the hole, intent on continuing the fight even as her legs shook and Crescent Rose felt distant and numb in her hands.
Then she heard cheering, cheering so loud it shook the mountains and through blurry eyes she could see the younger Grimm retreating.
'That's weird,' some part of her supplied even as the trolls hooted and hollered.
Still, Ruby etched a grin onto her face and delivered a resounding thumbs up to Krag'Jin.
And then she passed out. NOTES:
Thanks for reading and to @Iscariotpaladin for editing!
For the unfamiliar the Shadowglenn Trolls of Tal'Vass are actually canon, they controlled a network of dams in a Warcraft 3 mission map and Illidan killed them to move through waterways slightly faster. I added the Tol'Vass name and expanded the scale of their settlements to try and make them feel less like just a small gaggle of people hanging around on some waterways and to make them into a proper group in their own right.
I enjoyed writing this chapter for a lot of reasons, but one of them was definitely the trolls, another being Ruby, but another was doing the "How do we converse?" thing that I feel should come up more in crossovers like this. Its fun trying to see people from very different worlds and perspectives try to communicate through a language and cultural barrier.
As to what happened at the end, I hope it was clear, but long story short, Ruby got juiced up by the Priests and so her attack was way more powerful than before. Her canon one was already strong enough to create a powerful tempest so add god magic and now you're in business; but that kind of power is a lot to deal with so she's gonna take a little nap. One thing I really wanted to sell here was that the trolls are competent, but the Grim are also powerful and unfamiliar. Its hard to strike that balance but I think I got it.
Anyway, thanks for reading, feedback is always welcome, net chapter, we go back to Tyrande and Maiev!
No huge changes, but I wanted to outline where the Shadowglenn live in this story (In New Dominion they lived on the West Coast, long story) I put them here because in the games they were controlling rivers near Dalaran that could hasten the Naga's journey.
With that in mind, given what you need for a sustainable population, construction materials and the kind of labor pool to do that and the fact they were by all signs local, they needed somewhere to live that could sustain them and protect them from outsiders.
Thus, the outlines area basically signifies the areas under their direct influence, warded by magic, traps and camouflage, while the areas just outside it are loosely theirs. Ambermill is realistically way smaller than is presented on the map and doesn't represent much territorial influence.
Maiev carried herself through the Silverpine woods with tension running along her frame. The trees were too far apart to be natural, the paths made of cut stone buried in death earth and they were all together too quiet.
Worse still, everywhere she and her scouts looked they found no signs of their quarry.
It put her ill at ease.
'Our loss of focus does not help,' she thought darkly, paying closer attention to the conversation between Tyrande and Sienna of which she was nominally apart.
"So you are in essence banished from your Kuo Kuna was it?" Tyrande said with a touch of softness to her usually steely tones.
Sienna nodded, "In a sense. It would be impolitic for me to appear there as an enemy to so many powerful humans, but my soldiers may still reside there so long as they do not wear their allegiance openly."
Tyrande hummed, "A painful fate for warriors, your people's political situation certainly seems complicated."
Sienna chuckled without humor. "From what you have told me Priestess your own people are dealing with some rather drastic complications as well."
"Complications, perhaps, I think rapid evolutions would be more apt; so much is changing so quickly and so little of it feels to be in our hands."
Maiev couldn't stop herself from cutting in, "There are many things that have slipped through our hands, it seems to be the way of things in this day and age."
Tyrande's silver eyes shimmered with offence, "If you have something to say, Priestess of Shadow, speak openly, even for one such as yourself veiled words are ill suited I would think."
Pushing passed the insult, Maiev answered, "I dislike our slow progress, Tyrande, we have yet to even see tracks of Illidan or his Naga."
"But," Tyrande said imperiously, "We have already determined his target. The fallen city of Dalaran is the only place with the confluence of Ley Lines necessary to make real use of the Eye of Sargeras."
"Assuming Illidan's intentions strikes me as unwise, Priestess," Maiev cut back and a dark part of her relished the flash of pain on Tyrande's face. 'Good, you killed my Watchers to unleash that monster.'
Sienna, surprisingly, slipped back into the conversation with practiced ease, "You followed his wind path did you not? Then this Illidan and his followers will be somewhere on this coast. If they did not pass through the Northern river, all evidence suggests they will be need to use this, River Arevass to make headways in land."
"Again we assume, he may well be camping on some wretched island or be travelling along the coastlines," Maieve retorted.
All three turned to see a man in duller gold and red armor drifting back to join then, the dark haired elven man saluted gamely before speaking.
"Fret not, noble allies, if this Illidan courts the coast he will have near certainly passed by Pyrewood or crashed headlong into Gilneas, and both such landings would be sure to leave a trail." The elf glanced out to the woods and shuddered, "And if he seeks to use this artifact then Dalaran is the natural choice. Though, perhaps Ambermill... Whatever the case his trail will be clear."
Maiev's gaze shot to the elf, "What of this Ambermill you mentioned? I heard no tell of this!"
Selin Fireheart, a royal guard captain of his now distant prince cringed before answering. "This should not have left my mouth, but it may be integral. Ambermill is a lumber town that sits atop a powerful Ley Line node. My Prince and the survivors of Dalaran hoped to weaponize it but lacked the resources; if this Illidan cannot make headway in Dalaran it is the next best stop.
"And either way," Tyrande said gamely, "We shall see as we pass through the South."
"Indeed so, Honored Priestess."
Maiev caught Sienna looking into the woods, "If nothing else, trekking through the woods means he will run afoul of the Grimm before we do."
"May they end each other," Maiev muttered.
A voice called from up ahead, "Pyrewood Village is in sight!"
An almost audible sigh of relief rang out from among the humans in their convoy, they'd already struggled to keep pace, but even their own soldiers looked relieved. In contrast, the smattering of Gnolls and Ogres looked far more tense, beady eyes wary.
"It will be good to get a chance to stock up on provisions, if we can," Sienna muttered, ears twitching and her White Fang soldiers slowly converging together, Gnolls and Ogres following them cautiously.
Tyrande was nodding, "Indeed, we're already pushing these weary forests and our ancients hard to keep us all fed."
Selin nodded, "I shall ride ahead with the village elders and inform the town of our presence, I'll also need a volunteer to go to the lord of the Keep." There was a low groan at that from the soldiers and the civilians.
"He is not popular, I take it?" Tyrande said bluntly.
Selin's ears twitched, a smirk playing on his lips. "It would be improper for me to say as such." He said before Selin motioned to Blood Elf with short, white hair in rough, silver armor. "Jaroth Lightguard, you're a holy man, go and spread the good word to his lordship, yes?"
The Paladin looked to his commander and sighed. "The Light may be full of mercy but you are not, milord," before breaking off.
'Hopefully this will be quick,' Maiev thought, eyes glancing across Sienna as the tigress watched the nearby mountains warily.
Tyrande had not seen much of human living, her brief accord with the Alliance Expedition and a single diplomatic visit to the still unfinished port city of Theramore hardly provided a wealth of experience
'Still, there are recurring patterns,' she mused, intentionally ignoring the horrid amounts of lifeless, rotting wood used for the homes and instead musing on how insular it all felt. 'Small families in small homes with small windows and doors, it must be so isolating, must it not?'
Even still the people seemed friendly enough, welcoming their Northern kindred with open arms, and even their expedition with more awed curiosity than wariness; though the likes of the Gnolls and Ogres were to keep to the woods a deal that seemed to suit both sides. Several pots brewed a hearty stew and Tyrande found herself bemusedly watching a local farm hand try to impress one of her bulkier huntresses with his feats of strength.
Yet her ears twitched at familiar foot falls and she glanced to the approaching archer, "Sentinel?"
The green-haired bow woman bowed. "Forgive this crude interruption, mistress, but the other... Commanders wished to confer with you at the council hall."
Repressing a sigh, Tyrande waved for her mount to stay put and marched off to the large wooden hall near the heart of the village. Awaiting her were Maiev, Sienna and Selin, all looking some shade of grim and serious, 'Though when do they not?' She mused, with a touch of irony in her heart at that thought.
"I sense we have a problem?" She said by way of introduction.
Maiev was swift to speak, "We have word from one of their outriders that Naga were seen in the River Arevass."
Tyrande grimaced, "Meaning they will likely be making for the Lodemare Lake and with it, Dalaran."
Maiev's hands squeezed her Chakram, "Allegedly the Scourge has fallen back to Dalaran, which may buy us time, but not much. Still with these woods, I'd be cautious to send even trackers after him."
'Meaning we either need to move every exhausted soul or wait, neither are appealing options,' even if part of her very much wanted to wait even as her duty demanded she march.
"There is more," Selin intone, casting a wary glance at the looming keep above them. "It seems we are less welcome than I had expected."
That left Tyrande befuddled, "I thought these people were part of your Alliance?"
Selin shook his head, "Like my own people Gilneas, of which Silveprine is apart, left the Alliance. But unlike my fair home they did not suffer over much for their hubris." He cast a bitter scowl to the distant mountains in the South. "The Gilnean heartland rests behind Greymane Wall and until recently he showed no care for the people beyond it. But apparently with the Scourge in retreat he has seen fit to reinforce his territories and the lord of these lands would like to see us gone once we've spent our coin."
Tyrande arched her brow, arms folding, "I see few soldiers here."
Sienna just scoffed, "Apparently the good lord Silverlaine decided his new soldiers would be better suited as tax collectors than guardians."
"I take it then that our theory that Gilneas is behind these rifts holds firm?"
"It seems more and more likely," Selin mused, "But that is not my only concern. My Paladin has yet to return from the keep, Silverlain was never a sociable sort but there are whispers he has fallen ill. That has given us time to recoup, but for all we know it could be an ambush. I cannot count the number of times we have found survivors or a hold out only for it to be a seedbed of the Cult of the Damned."
Tyrande hummed in thought, "The council told you all of this?"
"Obliquely, but yes Priestess."
"Then we may yet have allies here, but we must be cautious."
Sienna nodded, "A mixed watch would be best, ready to raise alarm at a moment's notice."
"Agreed, I can rearrange our camp outside the village so that we are prepared in case battle is joined."
Tyrande was surprised to hear Maiev speak up, "I can have some of my Watchers scout in the shadows and alleyways for anything suspect, be it demons, the dead or these dread beasts. But should nothing happen we leave on evenings rise."
"Agreed," Tyrande intoned, "We have a plan."
Maiev's entire body shuddered as she was forced awake, the sound of surging water and drowned screams, of blood drenched halls and a set of silver eyes so familiar they may as well have been her own haunting her sleep.
The Warden pushed herself to her feet, hand resting against the tree she'd been leaning against to steady herself as the sickly, too grey forest and crowded Sentinel camp righted themselves.
Taking in a breath she was almost immediately assailed by her lieutenant, Anyndra, the stout Watcher in sturdy armor saluted and offered Maiev a water skin she took with a grateful hum. At the Watcher's side was her perpetual hanger on, the bulky Druid, Sarius who somehow looked akin to a bear even without magic.
Swallowing the dull tasting water Maiev muttered, "Did I keep you waiting?"
"No Warden," Ayndra bowed, "You needed your rest, I am sorry I did not ply you to do so sooner."
"That was always..." Maiev swallowed Naisha's name like it was somehow the sweetest spice and most despicable medicine. Her watchers, thankfully, said nothing, merely casting their eyes to the moon in respect for their fallen comrade. Finally, Maiev spoke, "Has anything of note been found yet?"
The Watcher tilted her head to the side, sharp hawk-like helmet rattling slightly, "We have found no signs of the Scourge, demons or these Grimm, though we have more hearsay on the beasts."
"What is that thing the Saber-ess said? No news is good news," Maiev answered, pulling some dried meat from a pouch on her hip and tearing into it with her fangs.
"Indeed Warden, though," Anyndra cast a glance to the looming keep, "The High Priestess has apparently decided to inspect the local lord's malady."
Maiev just snorted, "Let her, it's not our business."
It said a great deal that neither Elf looked even remotely offended at the prospect, instead Sarius spoke up. "I do have some heartening news mistress, if not, ahem, critical to the mission..." He trailed off, welcoming a pat on the shoulder from Anyndra with flushing cheeks.
"Well, speak up man," Maiev offered with something akin to lightness in her tone. Brightening the Druid said:
"I have been conversing with several of what the local people call Harvest Witches. It seems Gilneas, for its many faults, served as something of a rallying point for the last practitioners of this land's Druidic arts among the humans."
Maiev let the surprise show on her face, eyebrows brushing the lining of her helmet as she answered: "Unexpected given what we have seen so far."
Sarius looked to the South and huffed, "I confess I care little for how their skills have been put to use, but their zeal is commendable. I also heard from Seraphine of the Winter that they will ritually hold court with some local trolls on hallowed eves. These trolls reside right alongside the very river we march for."
"Interesting... They may prove useful, good work, both of you."
Maiev looked to the sky and saw the sun beginning to set, 'Soon, soon we march, provided Tyrande does not drag us to a damned halt.'
Sienna marched at Tyrande's side and took in the stone keep with some interest. A mass of grey and white brocks and wooden beams, stretching out and along the great mountain flat. Circular towers and squared off walls gave way to an expansive courtyard littered with soldiers and winding paths from one sector of the keep to the next.
'It was designed to isolate invaders, turning each sector into a choke point, clever,' she mused.
Despite the view, Sienna did turn her attention back to the task at hand; namely accompanying Tyrande and one of her archers to 'inspect the health of one of the good Lord's servants.'
It was a crock of course, but it gave her the chance to investigate further and there was some novelty to accompanying someone deemed stranger than herself among humans. Though that hadn't stopped more than a few wary glances and mutterings not kept quiet enough.
They came to a stop outside a sealed room as the grey armored Paladin, Commander Springvale held up his hand. "Only the healer is permitted passed this point."
Sienna looked to the towering elf who glanced back, and they both snorted.
"You expect a lone healer to step inside a fortified chamber?" Sienna chuckled, "Good Paladin, I think you know very little about hospitality."
"Indeed," Tyrande intoned more gravely, "You do know that if I do not return within half an hour my Sentinels will tear this keep down brick by brick searching for me, yes?"
Springvale swallowed, blue eyes drifting to the Archer who eagerly flashed her fang like teeth. The Commander hastily pulled open the door, "If you would give me a moment... Ladies..."
His steps rang out as he marched down into the basement and moments later two sets of footsteps rang out and they were greeted to the sight of the aging elf paladin, Jaroth Lightguard.
He saluted smartly, but failed to hide his exhaustion when he began to yawn, "My apologies honored ladies, I've been having a devil of a time trying to purge this sickness from the staff."
"Is that so," Sienna hummed, glancing to the great circular chamber looming by the Western walls surrounded by guards, "The Lord himself would not see you?"
Springvale scowled but Jaroth merely nodded, "He was the first to fall ill, if I cannot push back the sickness from the lesser infected what good would I do there?" His tone said he felt otherwise.
Commander Springvale coughed into his hand, "You can see that we have nothing to hide, the other healers from priests to Harvest Witches are also residing here until a cure is found."
Tyrande locked eyes with the elf, her eyes shining brightly and reminding Sienna of tale about Silver-Eyed Warriors before she nodded resolutely and marched through the door. Sienna merely tilted her ears and listened intently for the familiar sound of scraping steel and angry heartbeats should the humans turn on them.
Tyrande was perplexed, an all too common occurrence in recent days by her reckoning and another reminder of how much her people had weakened themselves with their isolation.
'Yet for all the unexpected things they were recognizable, comprehensible, this is not...' She thought, looking over the ailing servants of Silverlain.
There were three in total, a soldier, a server and a cook, no familial connection, no close friendship, not even the same date of sickness, but all shared the same illness of their lord.
'A deep sleep from which there is no rousing them and thorny vines cross their skin as though it were inked.'
On its surface that is all it was, but to one attuned to the souls of her people, of ghosts and the afterlife, Tyrande could feel something amiss. A shallow emptiness where a vessel should be filled, empty bones that should be solid, nothingness where there should be light.
'It is not all gone, but it is distant, cloistered and drowning itself,' she thought a glowing hand resting on the servant woman's bare chest. Whatever she was pursuing it was quicker still than the Plague of Undeath. Almost instinctive, defensive, even... Animalistic...
Tyrande shot to her feet, "Call Sienna Khan here at once, now!" She snapped at the nervous guards, only to hear the flutter of battle gear as the dark-skinned woman materialized beside her and lurched back almost as quick.
Claws and fangs bared she snarled, "Nightmares, of course it would be Nightmares!" Snatching up her weapon and ignoring the gathering soldiers.
"Stand down creature!" Springvale snapped and was completely ignored.
"Sienna, what are these, Nightmares?"
"The Nightmares are a Creature of Grimm, they infest a host body and rest inside it until they grow vulnerable." Sienna's golden eyes practically shone as she took a steadying breath and watched the air around her warily as she spoke. "Striking deep into the mind they lock the victim in a nightmare that will compel them to give themselves over to it, and all the while it devours their Aura, their very soul to make them a seedbed for new Grimm!"
"Can they be exorcised?"
The Faunus shook her head, "If there are no Nightmare Hunters present, the afflicted needs to either fight their own way out...or be killed before they can spawn new Grimm."
Even as Springvale protested and threatened at the prospect of striking down his lord on the words of 'some Mage's pet' Tyrande felt her heart thud against her ribs.
'These beasts were dangerous enough when in small number, if they can reproduce here, this world might never be rid of them, we could be forced to huddle into the corners of the world as the Remnantians do!'
"You will not strike my lord, you will cure him or-"
"I will cure him," Tyrande intoned firmly, separating Sienna from the increasingly frantic humans and looming over Springvale even more than the tigress did. "Your lord has been infected the longest, take me to him, if he can be cured it must happen now before the Grimm hatch."
"You need to prove-" He stepped back as her goddess filled her being with a shimmering silver light, her muscles sang and her voice reverberated with divine power.
"Take me to your lord, now, or damn him as well as us."
Whatever courage Springvale still had fled and he bowed his head, turning and marching out of the basement muttering, "If you fail, you will answer to King Greymane," without any real heat.
Tyrande huffed at that as she followed him, sensitive ears keying into Sienna's words as the woman trailed behind her casting furtive glances back at the basement.
"You might do it," Sienna whispered, "There's stories in our world, of the power imbued into silver light."
"Maybe Elune has touched Remnant as well, even in her state there," Tyrande offered as they strode up the steps to Lord Silverlain's residents.
"I pray to the ancestors that you are right," Sienna answered, looking again to the mountains that loomed above the great keep.
Lord Silverlain looked from his castles balcony across his vast domain, a dark crown clutched tightly in his hand as he watched a burning light grow in the distance.
"My liege," Lord Springvale bowed at his side, "The enemy approaches, if we are to win you must summon your forces."
The silver light shone brighter and he hissed, holding his thorny crown of black metal closer to this eyes and drinking in the crimson red gem that studded the center. The power it radiated near palpable.
"My liege," Springvale insisted, "Only you can command this host, only you can lead your armies to glorious conquest, only if you give yourself the crown."
Squinting at the growing light, Silverlain murmured, "Yes... I need this... I deserve this..." He placed the crown upon his head and cheered as shadowy soldiers sprung to life, all racing towards the distant light.
He was blind to the sight of thorned vines encircling him, and deaf to the sound of a monster maw opening around his head, even as it engulfed him, there was not enough of him left to care.
Sienna had been milling around the crowded courtyard with Tyrande's escort at her side, the elven woman watching the tower intently, while Sienna watched for any betrayal. But both of them heard the shout from the tower at the same time.
Gaze snapping to the rounded stone edifice Sienna's ears pinned against her head as silver lights blew out the windows in a shower of screaming glass.
Sienna braced to leap ahead and drag the elven huntress with her when the tower exploded in a sea of black fur and white bone.
Tyrande's vicious war cry echoing on the winds as she was dragged from the ruin and into the air by a newly born Razorwing. The shrieking harpy was followed by several car sized Nevermores, a Griffon and a dozen more Ravagers.
"Mistress!"
'Dammit all!' Sienna yanked the elf out of the way of a pouncing Beowolf and caved in its skull with her fist, shouting, "Rally soldiers, strike for the neck at every angle and cow them with fire!"
But the soldiers didn't listen, many already fleeing and others charging at an Ursa shaking the broken body of Springvale in its jaw.
'Tax collectors,' She thought scathingly, as the Elven women loosed an arrow at an approaching Saber, making it snarl as its eye was torn asunder.
Dragging several of her Dust daggers into hand and readying her whip Sienna torn into the surging mass of Grimm, as more continued to rip their way from the writhing seedbed of black ichor to flood the keep.
Then, a scream hit her ears, high pitched and rough as gravel it ripped through the air like an assault on her senses, louder than any cannon or bomb she could name.
'Oh no,' She knew that cry, everyone on Anima knew it, 'The Black Rider.'
A twisted malformed imp larger than most grown warriors was violently conjoined with a bone adorned mare large enough to loom atop houses. The beasts charged down the hillside, exposed rib cages twitching and thrashing as clawed arms launched themself through the air to rip through the walls.
"What in Elune's name is that!?"
Sienna would have answered, would have turned to strike it, but the Grimm were zeroing in on her now, forcing Sienna to rip and tear her way through a surging mass of fangs and fur, shouting.
"Kill the infected, before it gets to them!"
The archer took off Running, Sienna trailing behind, loosing explosive daggers into the horde and letting her clawed hands tear out the throats of the swarming mass. Even still she was held down, helpless as the walls of the keep shattered and the Nuckelavee's scream echoed through the halls.
Sienna heard the archer's howling war cry cut short and loosed an Aura enchanted roar, the sound reverberating in her throat and landing like a blow at the approaching Ursa, tripping up its allies.
A frantic glance into the open basement sent a chill down Sienna's spine.
The dead archer dangling from ichor dripping fingers, the Grimm sported a new arrow wound through the eye but it was not nearly deep enough. The Nuckelavee used its free, violently spasming hand to encircle one of the ill, black ichor spilling from its frame and being drunk up by the infected skin.
"High Leader!" Crim cried, swooping down and launching their spear and creating a wall of ice between her and the massing Horde.
Sienna loosed her chain-whip and every Burn Dagger she had into the chamber below, the Grimm surging into the blasts with an agonized cry of rage even as it refused to die and flames began to flood the chamber.
"We need to fall back and prepare for a horde!" She snapped, leaping into the air and snatching the other Faunus's hand as they dragged her into the sky and towards Pyrewood.
Tyrande had seen the light of Elune rejected before, but never so violently, so explosively, the shock had for but a moment, left her unable to respond.
A moment had been all the Creature of Grimm needed to work its terrible magics. Engulfing Sivlerlain's body in thorns that were now terribly real the man had convulsed and exploded into a sea of black ichor from which a host of beasts had torn themselves free.
'Disgusting!' Tyrande hissed, grappling with the Harpy-like monstrosity that momentarily had her in its grip. A protective barrier encompassed her skin, repelling even this beasts' powerful blows and letting Tyrande rip a hand from its grasp. Pulling her glaive from her back it sung with Elune's fury and cut through the monsters wing in a single slice!
The devilish shriek stung her ears even as she dragged herself atop the thrashing monster, slicing but not destroying its other wing and sending them both careening into the Pyrewood town square.
The humans shrieked and cried as they crashed into the fountain, Tyrande slicing the monsters head off before turning to see dozens of flying Grimm swarming the town. Her soldiers and the few residents who could fight were already in motion and she could see Crim careening to the keep to aid their mistress.
Fangs gnashing, she raised both hands above her head, silver light rippling in violent, throbbing fashion like a star ready to burst. The evening skies above shimmered as stars sparked to life and began their descent in glorious fashion. Hundreds of burning beams of light surging down and into the Grimm, too young and inexperienced to maneuver as their elder kin, letting her begin to shred the beasts in mass to the cheers of her Sentinels and the people.
As their numbers finally abated Tyrande lowered her hands and repressed a sight, 'That took more from me than I expected, they are durable beasts,' she thought.
Several figures converged on her quickly, from Maiev, to Selin and several Pyrewood Elders, before they could even speak, Tyrande raised her voice.
"People, heed me! The Creatures of Grimm infested the lord of the keep, turning his very soul into a seedbed for their wicked selves and burst free. We must converge on the Keep and eliminate these beasts now!"
She saw Sienna and Crim landing nearby, the woman already rallying her soldiers, before casting a glance to her and crowing.
"It's not just the juveniles we need to fight, The Ghost that Eats has come to rally the young Grimm, the beast is even trying to expedite the Nightmares Growth to bolster its numbers faster!"
"Then we have no time to waste,"Maiev snapped, "Watchers, make ready!"
Ash'alah raced up to Tyrande's side and she flung herself atop the Frostsabre, unleashing a war cry as she led to the charge out of Pyrewood and towards the keep.
But there would be no further battle this night.
Their armies charge to the keep was hasty but well-practiced, all involved well familiar with needing to race across woods, hills and paths into battle. Sienna's White Fang served as the vanguard while the ancients and giants lingered behind to protect Pyrewood and everyone else brought up the middle in tightly packed platoons bearing long arms and healers.
But while they tore through a handful of isolated Grimm on their march up the hill, most had been moving East and more confusing still was the seeming retreat being led into the mountains by an abominable creature she overheard a White Fang skirmisher call 'Ruler of the Dead'.
"They are retreating!" Maiev announced, sounding very pleased.
Sienna snarled, "The Nuckelavee saw it had lost air superiority and our numbers. It is falling back to a more defensible position, nothing more. If we show weakness, they will surge down the mountains without a second thought."
Tyrande grimaced, "I am coming to greatly disdain these creatures base cunning as much as their savagery."
Crim chuckled, "Then if you ever see Remnant you shall fit right in Priestess!"
There was a chorus of low chuckles but all humor died as their slowing procession came upon the ruins of Silverlain's Keep. It was obvious the very heart of the building had been shredded, the Western corner had fallen, the Eastern walls ripped asunder, the courtyard was a bloody ruin. Human and a single Elven corpse lay mangled, mauled and several were impaled in brutal displays fit more for demons and Naga than animals.
Sucking in a breath Tyrande scowled and snapped, "Tend to the dead, we cannot chase these Grimm into unfamiliar mountains too hastily, but we can at least give these fallen souls their due."
The Sentinels and Alliances soldiers raced to work, while Sienna's White Fang and some Huntresses secured their Northern Flank against return attacks. Tyrande meanwhile took the other leaders aside to strategize.
"I know we have a mission here, but we cannot leave these people undefended," She opened with.
Selin smiled wanly, "You are very kind Madam Priestess."
Maiev looked less than impressed, "They may want to strike again, but that does not mean we can ignore the danger Illidan poses. What if he plans to use the eye to fuel another invasion by the demons?"
Tyrande scowled down at the woman, "We do not know his intentions, these Grimm however are malignant tumors on the world and must be erased. What's more we cannot ignore our obligations to those defenseless souls below us."
Maiev let out a sound that strained somewhere between a sob and a shrieking of laughter, "So say you now 'Priestess', yet it was you who slaughtered my Watchers to release Illidan. You care not for these people, only protecting your demon loving whore!"
"Still your tongue!" A nearby Sentinel snarled before the words could escape Tyrande's lips.
But the woman was near instantly accosted by a Dryad, snapping, "Does the truth sting sharper than any bow!?"
Several more shouts of anger rose up, Watchers and Sentinels snarling among themselves, as Tyrande and even Maiev tried to call for order, while Selin watched in growing terror.
They all fell silent when a painfully loud roar ripped through the air, Sienna's body near vibrating from the force of it. She began to growl between the soldiers, "All of you need to calm yourselves, this level of negativity will only lure the Grimm to us, and divided as you are, they will have an easy time of it!"
Repressing a sigh, Tyrande nodded, "Thank you High Leader Khan," Tyrande's gaze drifted across the mutinous looking Watchers, and she pressed on. "I maintain we cannot ignore these Grimm, but nor can we allow Illidan to roam free. If nothing else, some forces must stay behind to guard Pyrewood and secure this area in case we need to fall back."
Maiev, perhaps offering an olive branch or merely wary of causing another feud concurred. "The Ancients and the Giants are mighty but not so swift, they are also fair matches for these creatures and immune to the ills of the Scourge."
Tyrande was surprised to see Sienna raise her hand, "Some of my forces should remain behind as well. Not only do we know how to battle the Grimm best, but after this... Debacle, the Gilnean government may want to investigate. If they send their summoner here, that could secure our way home and put an end to the source of Grimm, from Remnant at least."
Crim was quick to raise their hand, "I volunteer High Leader, I can keep an eye out for approaching Grimm safely enough and have experience in command of not just soldiers, but militia."
The Saber-woman chuckled, "I would not have recommended anyone else, I shall give you four Crimson Guard, two gunners and two skirmishers to command."
Selin was next to speak up, "While I do seek to return to my prince's side, many of the soldiers among us are humans or volunteers. They may prefer to remain here, and given how Greymane has handled Silverpine thus far... I do somewhat doubt how quickly aid will be sent."
Tyrande nodded even as she bit the inside of her cheek, "This will deplete out forces somewhat."
Maieve however let out an amused huff, "If we can secure a Harvest Witch, I may have a solution to that problem, and if nothing else it may well grant us safe and swifter passage through the River Arevass."
'And right to Dalaran,' Tyrande thought, looking to the mountains and wishing she could be out hunting monsters, rather than her old friend. 'But it is necessary.'
Focusing herself, the Priestess raised her war glaive, "Then let us return to Pyrewood and then make ready to march!"
'Goddess willing, we shall settle this before it grows out of our power to control.'
Tyrian Callows was a blessed man, a holy man by his own reckoning, one buoyed and led by faith in his goddess and the divine destruction she wrought. Ever since the Queen of Grimm had rescued him from imprisonment and execution, he had followed her devoutly, faithfully performing ever task given to him.
So imagine his terror when the Rose he'd been sent to pluck flung herself into a horde of ravenous death and vanish? The terror of that moment and those that followed as he found himself under a strange sky would stay with Tyrian forever.
'But where there is chaos and surprise there is opportunity,' Brown coat and braid swinging hypnotically he danced and leapt his way through a fallen metropolis of stone and crystal. Trees decayed and the streets were strewn with dried blood, a sickening scent of endless rot assaulting the sense.
Tyrian flickered through another long-shattered window, vaulted across the churning street in a blur and silently decapitated the skeletal archer before its decayed senses even noticed his presence. 'So much death,' he mused respectfully, 'but what is the point in a death that never ends?'
Sliding into the ruined red brick hallway, Tyrian was pleased to see a stunned looking man, alive if pale and bedecked in bloody bones and tattered robes. His eyes glowed, a staff with a goat's head raised as he tried to shout!
Then he fell to the floor with a thud and Tyrian withdrew his Scorpion tail, coiling it back around his waist and well out of sight beneath his coat.
"Dear fellow, I do hope your constitution is made of Sterner stuff than the last of your friends I brought to her graces embrace," he murmured.
Hoisting the man over his shoulder and making for the next window, Tyrian engulfed not just himself but his unwitting passenger in his golden aura, he burst into action. Turning into a mere blur across the rooftops, soaring over corpse choked streets and weaving between ghosts and large stone bats.
Reaching the edge of the city and seeing the great lake, Tyrian dropped to the street just long enough to launch himself into the air, the force of his jump leaving a crater behind. A black blur emerged from the clouds and Tyrian landed atop the Griffon with practiced ease, chuckling as the clumsy corpses and their masters tried to array themselves only to vanish before the first arrow was loosed.
Notes:
Hello again,
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always thanks to @Iscariotpaladin for editing!
We finally get back to the Night Elves side now that Ruby has been properly contextualized and oh, oh boy, this is a chapter I have been looking forward to writing and publishing for ages. The politics, the mixed species, the Nightmare Grimm I foreshadowed in chapter 2! So yeah, lots of stuff I like with this chapter.
Quick aside to the WOW fans, when Tyrande mentioned Elune's state on Remnant, she was referring to the moon having been shattered. Also for anyone wondering, the Nuckelavee's did indeed go through the rift, the nicknames come from the RWBY/DC crossover. One fun thing in this chapter was Maiev's "Demon loving whore" line regarding Illidan, mostly cos it was tied to me musing on how Night Elven society might frame someone like Illidan given its matriarchal. Also writing Tyrian is always fun, I love his theatrical, purple prose.
Anyway I hope you had a good time, feedback is always welcome!
Tyrande's silver eyes shimmered with offence, "If you have something to say, Priestess of Shadow, speak openly, even for one such as yourself veiled words are ill suited I would think."
Selin's ears twitched, a smirk playing on his lips. "It would be improper for me to say as such." he said before Selin motioned to Blood Elf with short, white hair in rough, silver armor. "Jaroth Lightguard, you're a holy man, go and spread the good word to his lordship, yes?"
The green-haired bow woman bowed. "Forgive this crude interruption, mistress, but the other... Commanders wished to confer with you at the council hall."
"That was always..." Maiev swallowed Naisha's name like it was somehow the sweetest spice and most despicable medicine. Her watchers, thankfully, said nothing, merely casting their eyes to the moon in respect for their fallen comrade. Finally, Maiev spoke, "Has anything of note been found yet?"
It said a great deal that neither Elf looked even remotely offended at the prospect, instead Sarius spoke up. "I do have some heartening news mistress, if not, ahem, critical to the mission..." He trailed off, welcoming a pat on the shoulder from Anyndra with flushing cheeks.
I would think is sort of the NE's equivalent "I am thinking/This one thinks" seen among the trolls I write, its an extraneous statement added to the end of statements rather than "I think" at the start, to show a sort of shared lingual history but it does read a touch awkwardly.
Another day another map update, we're back to tracking the Sentinels and White Fang's path through Silverpine and marking out the locations of Grimm based on their locations at the start of this chapter, naturally the Grimm at Shadowfang have since left.
The maps hail from Reddit user Searrard: Link
