[IC] TTG Chapter 5: Wrath

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki glanced at the stranger. She almost wanted to tell him that she did what she wanted, to defiantly continue to stand there (despite having no actual reason to do so,) but her ego was rather squashed after the events of late. The instinct to run and hide, to get away from anything else that could hurt her mentally or physically was flaring up. She started to turn away, but stopped, turning her head toward him slightly. "You know, then? Are you on his side?"

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Grima

 

Naturally, the man clearing his throat caught Grima's attention causing her to look at them and then nod, turning around herself and making only a few steps before hearing the Hellfire Knight's question, once again turning around to look at them. The question sounded... Wrong? That was the best way she could put it. Grima had already come to the conclusion that Wrath was not a good place for strangers like her, but the Hellfire Knight made it sound like it was more than simple distrust. It made it sound like Wrath was against them now.

 

Just what she needed with another task to take care of...

[Komodojoe]

((...Three young women? Guess that means me too... My bad. I guess I was waiting for something else to happen. Should be easy enough to catch up, though.))

 

Morgan

 

Morgan was a bit further away from the other two, lost in her own thoughts. It probably hasn't even been a minute since she stepped foot outside. She definitely took her time as she was pretty much dragging her feet the whole time as she was trying to figure things out, looking back over her shoulder as she wondered if what she did was the right thing. Once she stepped outside, she paid little attention to her surroundings as her mind ran through thought after thought and ended up stopping a ways away from the other two as she remained silent and unnoticed... or so she thought.

 

Morgan acknowledged and appreciated the man's advice, despite only giving him a nod. It already seemed like a possibility that it would happen, but now she knows for certain. She might not like it, but any chance of being welcome here was gone the moment she left Aries' throne room. It's not like she had any other plans. The shy girl only began to walk off before the Hellfire Knight asked her question. She wasn't entirely turned away from them and ended up looking directly at the other contestant as a result. The entire thing was, at least to Morgan, kinda rude considering he was just giving them a fair warning. HK's not really in a position to be wrongfully wary, though.

 

"I-is that really necessary?" She said without really thinking. "All he's doing is giving us a heads up." Her voice was pretty quiet, might even be inaudible from this distance. She immediately averted her gaze regardless. Morgan didn't feel like she was necessarily wrong, but she did feel like she was a bit rude herself. She didn't mean to come across as rude or hostile, but she feels like she does whenever she speaks her mind like that. It's one of the reasons why she's so quiet. At this point, she just wanted to get back to the train and pretend that didn't happen.

[Shamitako]

(OOC: Well, you left Aries's place, hiroki and grima were right outside, so I didn't really have anything to do for you) 

 

Arcturus

 

"It would be more accurate to say that he is on my side." The armored man answered the disguised girl. He lifted the rough sword he was leaning against and leveled it towards Hiroki. "If that is a problem, you are free to challenge me now. The arena intended for your tournament fight is still available." 

 

Arcturus wanted to give a show of force, hopefully preventing or delaying an attack by the gods. But more than that, he wanted to face his descendant in battle, to see how powerful one could become in the Tempest. 

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki was taken aback, and for more than just the man's terrifying aura. "Your side? Why are you doing this, then?" She stared back at the sword defiantly from under her cowl, not that anyone save perhaps the man holding it. "You have to have a reason for endangering us all." Part of her screamed that facing this man and continuing to question him was a horrible idea; Lord had already savaged her in combat, she clearly wasn't strong enough to take opponents on of that caliber. This man would have to be godlike or an absolute idiot to challenge her at this point, and she didn't get the impression he was the latter. The other part of her, though, told her to accept the challenge; she wasn't about to let herself be intimidated because someone was taller than her, she was supposed to be one of the top fighters in all of Tempest, damnit. 

[Shamitako]

Arcturus

 

Arcturus lowered his sword, resting on it again. His challenge had not been rescinded, but there was not need to continually reissue it, not when the Hellfire Knight still wanted to talk.

 

"The gods do not see the entire picture, this fake god does not threaten this world's stability in the way they believe." Arcturus explained, "Fighting her under false pretenses will only lead to greater destruction. Lord refuses to accept that Cardinal can still be saved, Aries is not nearly as stubborn."

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki barely avoided a frustrated sigh. She should have expected something along those lines, but all she had to go off of was the word of Blink and the other gods for this man being wrong, and his own for him being right. Hiroki wanted to do what was right, if she could. She hadn't thought much about it up until now; there'd been no need. Crush the opponent before you, think about how to avoid being crushed by the next. It's not as if she had to kill anyone or make a decision that affected anyone but herself. At least, until she would have claimed her prize. . . "Why should I trust you instead of the gods? And what about Cardinal trying to kill people?"

[IntSys]

Tai

 

Tai said nothing. Slowly, he turned to Cardinal, and put his right hand on her shoulders. "I forgive you," he then raised his index finger before her lips, "say no more."

 

He wasn't even sure that he was being honest. Yet, something about a slow death made holding a grudge difficult. Maybe, the forgiveness was just a gift to a dying person, a person who had suffered as well. Or maybe, he just wanted to rest in peace, free of any lingering hatred.

 

And then he waited. Waited, as the last person around him began to disappear. But until then, he just stared into the distorted form of a girl before him.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Grima

 

... Honestly, if Grima hadn't been informed of the entire situation earlier, she'd have been completely lost as to what the two were talking about. Hell, it was still a bit hard to process what was going on, but she was able to get it. Wrath was turning against the others, with Aries leading them, and this man helping him in that. On one hand, a part of Grima screamed at her to try and solve the problem now and get her Mech.

 

The rational part said otherwise.

 

"I think I'll just let you two continue your talk without my prying ears. Seems like competitor business" Grima stated, trying to sound distracted as she turned away from the group, "I'll meet you two at the train soon, I gotta get something done real quick" she added before walking away, giving both of the competitors a simple hand wave as she moved away.

 

As she got a good enough distance away from the three, Grima opened her HUD, opening the coordinates Queen gave her for that 'request'. If Wrath was no longer 'friendly', then this was likely the only chance she'd have to get this done.

[Shamitako]

Arcturus

 

"Cardinal foes not believe her plans will harm anyone. The gods' antagonistic disposition has convinced her that they mean no harm." Arcturus explained, "Cardinal will not be stopped, but there is yet a chance to save her. And with her, all of Tempest." The Hellfire Knight was proving more curious than Arcturus had initially thought. He regretted his challenge a bit, his own antagonism might now prove to be what kept her from coming around.

 

To answer her second question, Arcturus used his own, "What reason have you to trust the gods? What has Lord done for you? Bear? Seeker? What about the rogue one, Blink? Not even the gods she allies with trust her." Arcturus had a certain respect for the gods, but he disliked the way they had handled the Tournament and it's competitors. "I can offer you only my word that I seek justice. Though it's only been a short while we've been talking, I can still firmly say that I've never broken my word to you. Can you say the same of the gods and their tournament?" 

 

Grima

 

After keying the coordinates into s teleporter, Grima found herself inside a greenhouse. Wrath was already hot, and the glass enclosure's high humidity did not help it any. Though most of her view was disturbed by plants, she could see a single-story house nearby, as well as three other greenhouses. 

 

Cardinal

 

Tears spilled down Cardinal's distorted face. It wasn't fair, she didn't deserve forgiveness, not from someone who was going to die because of her. But she felt an endless sense of relief well up inside her.

 

Cardinal didn't have time to say any more, even if she'd wanted to. Her form distorted more violently than before, seeming to tear apart as a portal ripped itself open and pulled her through. 

 

Cardinal stumbled backwards and fell down as she was launched back into her room. "WHY?!" she screeched at the world. Apparently it wouldn't even leave her to death in Tempest, she was still trapped in this godforsaken place. Yet Tai, he would still die in that frozen waste. She tried desperately to go back and save him, but she didn't have enough power left. Even if she had, she didn't know how to save him, it would have been fruitless. Her relief turned to pain as she lay on the cold floor, somehow even more frigid than the snow of Gluttony. 

 

Tai

 

Cardinal vanished, and Tai was left alone. He was left with a sense of unease he couldn't describe. He noticed that the snow where she'd been have been disturbed by her disappearance, uncovering some of Tempest's odd grey void moss. Something about it was extremely enticing, and he could have sworn that it was glowing a little. It could have just been the cold getting to him, but the sense that he was being drawn in by it wouldn't go away. 

[IntSys]

Tai

 

"And that... was that," Tai muttered. His hand was still suspended in midair. His thoughts lingered on Cardinal's final moments, or at least that was what it seemed to him.

 

His eyes were laid on where Cardinal used to sit. Some grey moss. The kind of life he would've expected to survive in the barren snowfields of Gluttony. It seemed to be glowing a little, but it was hard to tell when he was so drowsy and surrounded by boundless, white snow.

 

Something to distract himself from the emptiness, he thought. And so, he reached for the moss, holding it in his cold hands, and looking at it up close.

 

[Chevaleresse]

"Blink hasn't ever given me a reason not to trust her." Her defensive tone still came through, somehow, though it was faint. What had the gods done for her? Given her a chance to be something other than an afterthought. Before the tournament, she was nothing. Worse, she didn't do much other than eat food and take up space in her parents' house. Now, even with the tournament having fallen apart, she was the Hellfire Knight. Even if she wasn't worthy of godhood, even if she'd been crushed like an insect by Lord, she was so much more than she had been. "And you still haven't told me why I should worry about Cardinal at all, other than the gods supposedly being wrong." 

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Grima

 

Mere seconds after she arrived at the "location", Grima had to bring up her hand to wipe off a bead of sweat. Wrath was hot, yeah, but this place was far beyond that, and was a heat that Grima was not used to (being more of a Greed and Gluttony Plane person). But, it wasn't something she was going to fall over from, not when she was busy.

 

So, Grima began walking forward again, beginning to move towards the house, and at the same time, take a look at the plants that she was walking past.

[Shamitako]

Tai

 

As Tai took a closer look at the moss, he felt his compulsion towards it go even stronger. It didn't look appetizing, but he wanted to eat some. Perhaps it was the cold getting to him. But that wasn't all, while he was holding the moss, something caught the corner of his eye. Not far away there was a stone building, or what remained of one. He hadn't noticed it before, he wasn't even sure it had been there before at all, but it was there now. 

 

Grima

 

Grima didn't find much interesting about the plants, it largely seemed like a mass of green leaves to her, though if she looked into the other greenhouses on her way to the house then she might notice some vegetables she recognized.

 

Odd for Wrath, the house seemed to be made out of wood and plaster, rather than ash bricks and stone. Whoever lived there clearly had some degree of wealth.

[IntSys]

Tai

 

"No..." Against the little of dignity he had, Tai put the moss into his mouth with his own hands and swallowed it with his eyes closed, as if he was a toddler being fed with eggplants forcibly. His brain screamed for him to spit it out, but he couldn't... he wouldn't. With one more gulp, he gave up on fighting with himself, and stood up slowly.

His legs felt numb already, but he wanted them to work for just a bit longer. Maybe his eyes were playing one last trick on him, but he saw a stone building nearby. It was somewhat disappointing of a mirage, so perhaps it could be real? Regardless, there seemed to be a little bit more to this wasteland than he had thought.

He dragged his legs through the snow, and towards the mysterious structure.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Grima

 

At the very least, Grima recognized some of the plants around her. Most of which she didn't, but she didn't study them. If there was one thing she knew, unfortunately, it was wealth, and she could give a guess that the person who lived in the house she was beginning to approach was rather well off, thanks to the material used for the house.

 

If she wasn't too busy focusing on getting her job done, Grima would've noticed her right hand twitch slightly in anticipation for what it was meant to do.

 

Taking her eyes off the flora around here, Grima walked up to the front door, giving it a few hard knocks before waiting to see if anyone answered.

[Shamitako]

Tai

 

The moss was tasteless at first, but turned sweet as Tai reluctantly ate it. As it traveled to his stomach, he felt a tingling sensation, and then a chill even stronger than the cold around him ran up his spine. The frigid feeling stung the back of his skull for a moment and then vanished, leaving only an odd numbness and a feeling of clarity.

 

The clarity soon manifested in a physical form, as the indistinct stone building that had only been at the edge of his awareness now appeared fully within his mind's reach. Though he barely stumbled towards it, it seemed to get closer at a rapid pace, and after only a few moments he was upon it. 

 

Up close it became apparent that the stone was cracked and crumbling, yet the building as a whole still stood. It was a largely square building with a rounded roof. There was an opening that seemed to be the entrance nearby, giving Tai a view inside. The structure was partially recessed into the ground and Tai could see several more doorways leading out of the entry room directly ahead. If nothing else, the inner rooms would probably protect him from the wind. 

 

Grima

 

The door was answered surprisingly quickly, cracking open half and inch to reveal the emerald green right eye of a woman. Grima couldn't see much of the inhabitant, but the woman's salt and pepper hair was so long that it partially spilled out of the door at the bottom. What Grima could see of the woman's face was soft, almost childlike, yet held a hint of the weariness of age. 

 

After looking Grima over for a second, the woman swung the door open fully. "Welcome!" she said cheerfully, waving Grima in with a genuine smile, "Please come in! It's nice to have a visitor, though I must say I'm surprised one so young even knows my address."

 

Now that the woman was fully revealed, Grima got a good look at her. Most notably, her left eye did not match her right, being a deep ocean blue. But that wasn't the only contrast. The woman's body and outfit seemed to belong to a very young woman, yet Grima's mind perceived her as being middle-aged.

 

The woman was slim and clearly very fit, with her slightly short stature giving the impression of nimbleness. She wore a purple t-shirt and black jean shorts, leaving little question about her physique, which was strong and limber like a gymnast. We're it not for the woman's fading hair and slightly weary face, Grima wouldn't think she was a day over 20.

 

The woman led Grima through the house. it's walls were decorated with a floral wallpaper and several photos of the woman, her hair still pure black, and young blonde girl that seemed oddly familiar to Grima. The house was surprisingly cool, and Grima noticed vents indicating an air conditioning system, further cementing that this woman was extremely well off. 

 

Eventually they arrived at the parlor, which had a small wooden table and three matching chairs in it. In one of the corners opposite the entrance there was a small shelf with a variety of items and flowers on it. In the center of the shelf was a picture of a blonde man and a couple candles. Another picture of the woman and girl was hung on the wall nearby, but in this one they were accompanied by the man as well. On the wall opposite the photo there was a rack holding a variety of swords, each with something engraved in the blade in a different language.

 

The woman ushered Grima to sit at the table. "It's quite ot out there, would you like me to get you some iced tea? Or maybe a glass of orange juice? I just squeezed some this morning." She offered. 

 

Arcturus

 

Arcturus was a little surprised that Blink, of all the gods, was the one that the Hellfire Knight chose to trust. He was also disappointed, Blink was by far the worst of them. Her chaotic nature reminded him of Leviathan, but without the latter's selflessness. Arcturus felt strongly that Blink's maverick behaviors would speed them all into oblivion if someone didn't rein her in.

 

Arcturus shook his head. "If that's where your faith lies, nothing I say will sway you." he said, a hint of sadness in his voice, "My challenge remains open, but it really would be best for you to leave." 

[Chevaleresse]

It felt like there was something grinding in the back of her head. She didn't care what he thought of her siding with Blink - or, at least, that's what she told herself. She had no reason to care what this stranger had to say about her. The real sticking point, though, was the challenge. She wasn't one to turn it down, normally; her entire goal here was to prove she was stronger, that she was better than her challengers. A voice in the back of her head, though, told her that there was a good chance she wasn't, and Hiroki wasn't sure she could take another grueling defeat like the one Lord had delivered to her. She didn't want to fight, but she almost had to. 

 

Hiroki shook her head almost violently, as if the motion would clear it. "I have other things to take care of. I will take you up on that challenge later." Without giving herself a chance to renege on what she said, she turned and walked away. She still needed to get back to Queen, somehow.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Grima

 

For the most part, the quick appearance of the woman was a surprise. Normally it took someone a while to get to the door if they weren't expecting visitors. But, that surprised feel only lasted for so long before the woman opened the door the rest of the way and invited her in, "Thank you, it's a long story" Grima replied quickly after, stepping into the house and almost immediately getting hit by a wave of refreshing cool air. Considering how hot it was outside, it was a far more preferable feel.

 

Soon enough though, the woman had led Grima to her parlor, sitting herself down at the table when they gestured her to it, "Iced tea would be wonderful, if it's not any trouble" she stated, folding her hands on her lap as she looked around the room. There was a lot of different things, various small items, swords with different markings on them, and a bunch of pictures. Each of them looked beautiful, even the room itself had a cozy feel to it.

 

... Grima couldn't help but wonder if she could fit any underneath her jacket...

[Shamitako]

Grima

 

The woman left the room to fetch the iced tea, returning quickly with two glasses. She set one in front of Grima and sat at another chair with the other. She didn't say anything at first, sipping her tea in silence for a solid minute.

 

When she did finally speak, her tone was no longer cheerful. "I guess you didn't seek me out just to visit, did you." She sighed, "I doubt I can actually do much for you, but go ahead and ask."

 

Nastasia

 

"We'll figure out the nitty gritty when we have a better idea of our forces." Seeker said, "Having you on board to take out Aries will be a big help. As for Lain, he will probably be helping me coordinate. So yes, he'll be there." 

 

They spent a little longer discussing, but the important part of the meeting was over and Nastasia soon left Envy with Seeker on a train to Greed. 

 

(OOC: I apologize for the upcoming jumpiness) 

 

Hiroki and Morgan (and Nastasia later) 

 

Leaving Arcturus behind, Hiroki and Morgan headed back to the train they'd arrived on. It took a little while to explain what was going on to a confused Black Idol and Diviner, but they eventually got going to head back to Greed to tell Queen what was going on.

 

Upon arrival, they were greeted by one of Queen's servants, who informed them that the gods were already aware of Aries's treachery, apologized for sending them to such a dangerous place, and ushered them to Queen's mansion of a home for more information. 

 

"Sorry you guys got caught up in this." Of all people, it was Swagalicious who had been sent to brief Hiroki and Morgan on what the gods knew. It seemed that this somehow wasn't important enough to warrant a visit from one of the big shots. His presence was still pretty overbearing, but his depressed attitude and apology made him feel a little more human and easier to be around.

 

The door to the dining hall they were in opened, and Seeker entered with Nastasia. "Sain." She greeted Swag curtly. She didn't wait for a response before turning her attention to the competitors, "This is Nastasia, she'll be traveling with you if you decide to fight Aries with us, I thought you'd best get to know her." she then turned to leave. 

"Sar-" Swag's attempt to stop Seeker was cut off by the door slamming shut. "Guess nothing changed there..." he muttered dejectedly. "Anyways, pull up a seat and have some food, Nastasia, I was just about to explain the situation to these two, since apparently Lord doesn't want any of us at the big kids' table." 

[IntSys]

Tai

 

The moss reminded Tai of mints. It was, bizarrely, actually decent. The chillness, and then, the clarity, almost refreshed his consciousness, and before he could realize it, he was just a few steps away from the battered structure. It'd do, he thought.

 

He gave the snowfield behind him one last glance. He wouldn't be able to wait out the blizzard in Gluttony; it would still be there even when it's the end of the world, patiently waiting for him to return from the run-down shelter and into its cold jaws of death. Perhaps, he thought, he'd choose to rot away from the cold winds, to spite Chronos' condemnation.

 

He then turned back to the stone building, moving his hands along its walls as he found his way into its entrance and made his way inside.

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki, in her disguise, almost got angry. Especially with Swag's phrasing. She was relegated as unimportant, too weak to be involved in any of the decision making. As it were now, though. . . She just took her seat, and slumped into it, not even bothering to attempt to cover her actual size in the attempt; her stocking-clad legs were poking out of the bottom of the cloak, and most everyone relevant had likely witnessed the match with Supernova anyway. The mech pilot stared at the food in front of her. I should have just taken the challenge. She knew she should probably eat, but she was having a hard time finding the motivation. She was just. . . lost and confused, and still having a hard time believing she belonged here at all after how easily she'd been crushed.

[Shamitako]

Tai

 

The instant Tai crossed the building's threshold, he felt a surge of warmth. It wasn't just protection from the cold winds, the building was being heated somehow.

 

The first room he entered after the entryway lead to another revelation. Something was lighting this place. The ambient light from outside couldn't have reached this far into an enclosed space. He couldn't see any light fixtures, but it seemed to somehow be coming from the walls. 

 

Other than the light and warmth, this first room was empty. It did have two further doorways, each with a surprisingly well-preserved curtain serving as the door, leading out of it. They seemed largely indistinguishable, save for the one leading towards the center of the building having a symbol he didn't recognize on it. Something about the design of the symbol told him it was cautionary, even if he had no way to discern why. 

[IntSys]

Tai

 

Fate seemed to be kind to Tai... Or could it be considered unkind, in a sense, having only revealed a shelter of this degree to him after Cardinal's apparent death?

 

He, however, was just glad. Glad that he was safe again, even for just a moment. The unnatural warmth was so welcoming to him that he could imagine himself taking a nap on the floor of the empty room right here and now.

The walls seemed to be glowing somehow, further adding to the building's mystery. And the only way to get a grasp of the mystery would be to see more of it, so he pressed forward.

 

Of the two curtained doorways, the one leading toward the center of the building felt unsafe to him. The symbol on the curtain felt like a warning sign, even though he couldn't recall to have ever seen the symbol before. Though, for what amounted to a "DANGER" sign, there seemed to be little effort made to prevent wanderers from entering.

 

Regardless, he figured that he should check out that doorway last. He wasn't exactly eager to play with fire after having just walked back from death's doorstep. Hopefully, the other doorway would lead him to somewhere that would tell him what was in there. He brushed aside the symbol-less curtain and entered the doorway behind it.

[Shamitako]

Tai

 

The second room Tai entered was larger than the first, but equally empty. It held two further exits, both on the wall to the right of the way he entered from, with the further yet again displaying the dangerous-looking symbol on its curtain.

 

Although the room was totally empty, Tai felt like he could see something in the corner of his vision. He couldn't get his eyes to focus on it, but neither would it leave. No matter where he looked, the peripheral presence remained.