Cinder was absolutely furious, no scratch that, she was livid! She has been spending the past three days in her safe house trying to get a hold of Mercury but he isn't responding and any calls she tries to make go straight to voicemail.
Cinder: Respond to me, you insolent cripple!
Suddenly the shadows in the room grow as the air grows colder. Cinder's anxiety increases as she feels a familiar presence in the back of the room. She turns around and sees her master, Salem. Cinder immediately gets on her knees, arms and bows with her face toward the ground. Salem was not amused.
Salem: Cinder. Quit your groveling.
Cinder: Yes my queen.
Cinder gets up off the floor and looks towards Salem. The Queen of the Grimm despite not requiring sleep looks like she hasn't slept in a week. There were slight bags under her eyes, a few stray strands of her deathly white hair and the subtle moving of her eyes as if she was looking for something that was following her. Cinder noticed this and chose to ask about her Queen's wellbeing.
Cinder: My Queen is everything alright?
Salem: Hmm? Oh yes, all well.
Cinder: Not to question you about your own health but you don't seem...
Salem: I'M ALRIGHT!!!
Salem sighs and presses two fingers on the bridge of her nose before gaining her composure and looks to Cinder.
Salem: How goes our plans?
Cinder: W...well you s...see...
Salem: Spit it out child.
Cinder flinches back before responding with her head lowered
Cinder: They have been ruined.
Salem turns around with a smirk
Salem: Ahh, that's good to- WAIT did you say RUINED
She spins around, grabs Cinder by the neck and lifts her off the ground slightly. Any previous signs of fatigue from earlier were now gone as her face was now one of fury
Salem: WHAT DO YOU MEAN RUINED?! THIS PLAN WAS PERFECT AND NOW IT'S RUINED YOU SAY?! HOW? HOW?! ANSWER ME!!!
Cinder gasping for air: Agh... the o...others *gasps* the...they just dis...disappeared!!! I...it was n...nothing I c...caused *coughs*!!
Salem releases Cinder from her grip. She gives the girl time to fill her lungs with air before asking another question
Salem: You say they disappeared, am I correct?
Cinder: Yes.
Salem: Who was it? Who made the foolish decision to run away like cowards?
Cinder: All of them! All except for Adam Taurus!
Salem: And how did they "disappear" you say? Did they run away? Were they planning this all along or did they really "disappear"?
Cinder: I don't know! They just stopped showing up, all communications are silent and even with Watts's access to the CCT network no trace of them can be found not even Roman's bounty is still up!
Salem: And how do you plan on rectifying this?
Cinder: I have an idea.
Before Salem can even ask Cinder what her plan was, the room suddenly felt warmer. It was if there was something melting away the cold air that seemed to follow Salem.
Salem feels this and immediately she stiffens, her eyes rapidly darting around the shadow-consumed room. This concerns Cinder as she knows nothing scares the Grimm Queen.
Cinder: What's happening?
Salem: Keeping. Still.
Cinder: Why?
Salem just whispers back "It's here"
Just as Cinder was about to ask what she sees a flaming figure in the side of her vision and also stiffens following her queen's command.
The flaming figure was similar to the one Salem saw the first time but this one lumbered around the room like a corpse come to life. Its face charred and bubbling, eyes black, charred orbs, its mouth open as if in a perpetual, silent scream. It lumbers around the room as it seeks out its "prey".
Meanwhile the Salem and Cinder are trying to keep as stiff as they possibly can. Cinder in mild shock at the grotesque "thing" infront of her. Salem meanwhile was trying not to break down sobbing as this figure has been plaguing her dreams every time she tried to sleep. It would constantly mock with its words "your greatest failure" "judgment comes for all" and "you brought this upon yourself".
As the figure looked like it was about to leave, Cinder sneezed. It twists it's head and runs to the two at impossible speed before it bursts into embers a few centimeters from their faces.
Silence. The room was silent, the figure was gone. Slowly the soft sounds of sobbing could be heard. Salem was curled up in a ball, slowly rocking rocking back and forth, sobbing. The figure won't leave her be. Cinder just stands in a state of shock from what she had seen.
Salem: It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.
???: Oh, but I am.
Both freeze and slowly turn to one of the corners in the room and see none other than the figure himself sitting on a chair, although now he looked more human... well apart from him being made of flame and.
Salem snaps and launches a barrage of magic blasts towards him, surrounding the corner in dust. She looks at the cloud of dust and seeing no lights or flames she smiles like a maniac.
Salem: Ha. Haha. HEHAHAAA!!! I've destroyed it!!! I've gotten rid of that insufferable matchstick!!!
Cinder: He was no match for your power.
Salem: Oh how correct you are Cinder.
???: Rather excessive don't you think? Attacking a spirit and a holy one at that.
The warmth in the room vanishes leaving behind the cold that Salem brings with her presence. The two look at each other deciding on whether or not to move forward with their next move.
At Beacon
Joshua is busy walking through a courtyard beneath one of the trees when suddenly his hand shoots up and he grabs a raven. The bird struggles but he just opens up one of the larger pockets of his vest and stuffs it in there, leaving its head exposed. He looks to it before speaking.
Joshua: We will talk in my office.
The bird caws at him, as if to say it will play along, but reluctantly. Joshua gives it some seeds which it gladly takes.
Now in his office he closes the door, locks it and closes the blinds. He takes the bird out of his vest and tosses it on the therapy couch. The bird transforms and in its place was none other than Raven Branwen herself eating a bunch of seeds.
Joshua: Hello Raven, long time no see.
Chapter End
A/N: Huzzah! I was to finish this chapter after some time of me being able to write and not with work! Also Cliffhanger!
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The Burned Arc
FanfictionA month before his younger sister Jeane goes to Beacon Joshua Graham or Jaune Arc is approached by Ozpin to join as a Councilor as he knows how to deal with trauma and as a teaching aide for Goodwitch. Oz doesn't know that Joshua was a servant of Sa...
