Son of the Branwen

Chapter 98: A Cat Most Curious

Cinder stood outside of the makeshift door made from liquid Grimm, a mixed emotion of anxiety and excitement for what she was planning. After the fall of Atlas, the three of them had taken shelter within the confines of a large Grimm hive miles away from what was once Mantle. Salem wanted her son to regain his strength before they continued to traveled, which peaked Cinder's curiosity. If Hawk Branwen had already been a force to reckon with, just how much stronger could Horus be? As well, there was this burning sensation inside Cinder, a sensation she felt a long time ago.

Horus sat inside his makeshift room, staring down the partially see through nine year old child that was glaring daggers at him. While he didn't fully comprehend the situation, he had deduced that this child wasn't lying when he called himself Hawk Branwen. Somehow, Hawk had taken the back seat to his own body; thus why Horus is now at the wheel.

Horus: "Are you going to say anything? Or just keep staring?"

Hawk's scowl didn't change as he crossed his arms, his forehead tensing as he kept his focus. Horus could feel an itch in the back of his mind, and knew what he was doing.

Horus: "You won't succeed. You don't have the willpower to force me out."

Hawk: "GRRRAAAHH!!"

Hawk threw his hands in the air as he stormed towards Horus. Pulling his fist back, Hawk threw all his weight into a single punch; that went straight through Horus. Horus shivered at the sensation, like cold water suddenly dropping on his head, but other than that the punch had no effect.

Hawk: "Give me back my body!!!"

Horus: "Haven't you been listening? I can't. Nor would I wish to. I'm finally reunited with my mother, and I don't plan on dying again. Now, cease your insufferable yelling."

Cinder: "Horus? Is everything alright?"

Horus and Hawk both looked at the doorway. As he stood up, he noticed that Hawk had vanished from his view. With a wave of his hand, the Grimm liquid split in two to create a doorway. As Cinder walked into his room, Horus was momentarily overwhelmed by emotions: hatred, bitterness, pain, and despair. He silently suspected these were what Hawk was struggling with.

Horus: "Hello Cinder, is there something you need?"

Cinder smiled and shrugged nonchalantly while resting her back against the cave wall.

Cinder: "I was going to do some training. And seeing as I was nearby, I thought I'd invite you, if your interested?"

Horus smirked as he stood up and motioned for her to lead the way. The two walked out of the room, and as Horus turned he caught a glimpse of Hawk. He was sitting on the ground, hugging his knees to his chest as tears ran down his cheeks. Horus was somewhat surprised, considering every time he dealt with Hawk, he was always sharped tongued and full of anger.

Cinder: "Something wrong, Horus?"

Horus: "No. I'm right behind you."

The two walked through the maze of tunnels, occasionally having to step to the side whenever a Centinel pushed by them during their normal patrol routes. The two walked through the maze of tunnels until they reached the training area.

The room was quite large and open, with stalagmites tall enough to nearly reach touch the cave ceiling. This was once a nesting ground for Centinels, but they had moved the nests at Salem's orders. Tunnels would lead to this large cave, with several tunnels that simply looped from one side to the other.