The Knights of Grimm - Act 1 - An Eye For An Eye

Chapter 17 - Fallen Idols

Salem

The Dark Queen lifts up her hand, her red eyes glowing faintly as she stares at the markings across her arm, red electricity crackling across the veins in her forearm. The pale skin, cold as ever, just as the ice in the poles of Atlas. Her long white hair splayed out into the spider like style that she has become known for with black diamonds dangling down from each leg of hair that is held outwards.

Her presence seems to have such a dark and negative aura around her, staring out at the landscape as she waits for Mercury and Emerald to get prepared for their visit to Beacon Academy. The Seer floats beside her, faintly snarling as it floats there, and she turns when she hears it beginning to link to another in Mistral. The red energy within the creature swirls round and reveals the face of Professor Leonardo Lionheart as he looks at her with a scared expression on his face. "Hello, Leonardo. Is everything prepared as we agreed?" Salem asks him curiously.

The door opens behind Salem where Mercury and Emerald both enter the room to see her stood there. They are all armed a ready for combat scenario if they must; Emerald holds her scythe revolvers in her grasp, locked and loaded. Mercury's boots are both loaded up with dust rounds as well, they may be going with Salem to Beacon, but they do not know what to expect when they get there.

Lionheart's face through the round dome of the Seer looks ashamed and saddened as he lowers his head, closing his eyes with a sigh. "Yes, ma'am..." He sighs as he looks away from her, and Salem smiles softly at him.

"Speak, Lionheart. Confess to me your concerns." Salem requests, and he looks at her, and he does as she requests.

"Everything I have helped build here...and I am the one that is letting it be destroyed around me." He sighs. "My students...I have already sacrificed so many to die when the Grimm came for us when Beacon fell." He says to her, and the smaller minions of Salem's look truly surprised by this revelation. Of all the people to bring about the fall of Mistral they never expected it to come from him.

"I understand, Leo...and I am truly sorry for what you have had to sacrifice. But I can promise you it is for the greater good – not many people can turn against the lies of Ozpin the way you have. You should be proud of yourself." Salem states, half like she is lying yet there is a hint of honesty and truth in her words. The question is – obviously – which are the lies and which are not?

Leo sighs as he looks at her. "That's easy for someone to claim – when they are not the one watching their home fall...and they are the reason for it." Leonardo states, sounding quite cold about it as well.

The feed of his face fades away from her view and Salem has a rather stern look in her eyes, and she turns round to look at Emerald and Mercury. "Ah, I see you are finally ready. Come; let us begin our business at Beacon." Salem says, but Emerald stops her.

"Ma'am?" She asks, and Salem stops, turning with a curious pair of eyes. It will never stop surprising Mercury how curious the Dark Queen really is. She could be ice cold and not accept any opinions from her underlings, yet there she is, listening to whatever it is that is on her mind.

"Yes, Emerald?" Salem asks her, and she stands behind her with caution as she speaks.

"I don't know if the plan will work, Ma'am." She says, and Mercury stares at Emerald with scared eyes. But he clearly has not caught onto the fact that she can speak her mind to Salem and the Dark Queen will not object against her.

"How so, my dear?" Salem curiously inquires, tilting her head at her.

"Ruby Rose and her friends...they have beaten the impossible before. Sure they didn't stop Beacon falling but they will be on alert this time. It's entirely possible that they already suspect Lionheart." Emerald explains to her, stammering as she speaks, but she would know better than any of them.