RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC96: Belly of the Beast (Cinder & Co.)-1

The pirates lowered the ship somewhere in the Whistling Woods.

Hypnosia took a blindfold out of a compartment on their ship.

"No one is allowed to see the entrance but us," she told Cinder, in a harsh tone, so as not to blow cover.

Cinder liked this even less, but what could she do about it?

The ship doors opened.

"Good luck," Sikes leered and shoved Cinder out of the door hard so that she fell on her face.

Mino yanked her back up roughly enough, and the pirates waited for Hypnosia to pay them.

"Someone will drop off the payment," she said. "You know the rules."

"We want it now," Teach growled in a scary way.

Cinder heard Hypnosia move her hand to where she'd hidden a dagger earlier.

"Well, you can't get it now," she said thinly. "We don't carry that much lien on us."

"Teach," Anne spoke, "Leave her be. Do you want to get a penalty deduction? They've always paid up before."

Teach huffed, but let it drop.

Mino pushed Cinder forward.

They moved into the trees.

"The scouts will see us long before we see them," Hypnosia said. "And so will the Grimm. I suggest you don't do anything suspicious. From here, I can't help you except by playing along."

"Are you sure that Mala will not just kill me right away?" Cinder asked.

"No," Hypnosia said. "All I know is that she wanted you alive...but I hope not. They can't find us without you, can they?"

"You're both mad," Mino said. "But she's more mad. At least if they suspect nothing, we'll live."

"Maybe," Hypnosia said. 

"You're the one who's mad to think that would be better," Cinder retorted coolly.

Mino went sullenly silent.

"I can't promise they won't do anything to you as it is," Hypnosia added. "I hope you were mentally prepared for that...but cheerful thought: Mala will not care if you kill any of her grunts as long as they aren't a favorite. She likes the people who have a bit more of a dark edge to them... They're easier to corrupt."

This was not as comforting as she seemed to think it was.

But Cinder took her meaning to be that, if necessary, she should defend herself. Or it bothered Mala that she did, why capture someone alive at all?

However, it made her wonder what happened to the other hostages, if this was a known fact?

The air grew cold as they got deeper into the trees.

Nothing was very clear for a while, because of the blindfold, but finally Cinder heard Grimm shuffling.

They didn't attack.

"We're nearly there now," Mino remarked.

There was more rustling. Maybe the scouts, maybe not.

The grass below changed to dirt and pebbles more than grass, and there was the sound of running water.

"Pick your feet up," Hypnosia instructed.

They seemed to be going up some rocky pathway.

The water got louder... It must be a waterfall, actually.