A Grimm Huntsman

Chapter 25

-Death-

She could feel them coming long before they arrived. They pulsed with power as they forced their way into her realm. One shining like the sun and the other dark as the void. "Barging in without even bothering to knock or ask permission?" Death raised an eyebrow at the Brothers of Light and Dark, "How rude."

"Who are you?" the antler adorned god of light demands, his blank face somehow conveying the feeling of narrowed eyes. The god of darkness did not speak and felt more curious than indignant.

"The woman who owns this little realm you've broken into." Death replied coldly, rising from her throne to glare down at the pair of intruders, "And I don't take kindly to people breaking into my home just to demand things of me. Especially when I'm busy working with my duties in regard to Remnant."

"You have no right to this world!" the god of light shines angrily, "We decreed that they would live without the aid of gods!"

"Luckily then that I'm a goddess." Death snorted, "Now fuck off and get out of my home."

"You will obey me whelp!" The god of light goes from his human form to his draconic one, glowing brighter and brighter as he issues his ultimatum, "I am a god! I made this world! My word is supr-" his monologue was cut off by a scream of pain as black flames enveloped him, causing the being to stagger back, steaming wounds covering the attacked areas. The god of darkness on the other hand just looks intrigued as he scoops up the black flames in his palm, showing no signs of discomfort as he pokes at the flames like they're a fascinating new toy.

With a boom, Harry landed beside her in his dragon form, having been hidden high up in the sky of her realm and out of sight. She had sensed them coming long before they arrived which gave her plenty of time to call in a bit of help. "Thank you 'father'." Death quipped playfully with the human who had helped grant her sentience. As she rose, her form shifted as she too took the form of a dragon. Bones grew from her spine in a dangerous arc and turned her tail into a wicked weapon. Her claws and fangs were ready to pierce stone and while she lacked much in the way of scales, her form having more hide and feathers, she was incredibly fast and flexible. "Leave," Death hissed, steam rising from her lips as she snarled, "now!"

"This isn't over!" the god of light declared before flashing away in a burst of light, leaving only sparkling motes behind which soon faded away. His brother was still standing in humanoid form and poking at the flames.

"You too." Death sighed, more exasperated with this brother than angry as he didn't seem all that interested in anything.

"Can I have some more of these first?" he asked, still poking at Harry's Grimm flames. In response, the world hopping wizard hit the god of darkness with more black flames till the being was covered with flame. "Thank you." And with a poof, he was gone.

"That was…disturbingly easy." Harry frowned, leaving his dragon form and taking his human form once again.

"Don't think too much on it," Death snorted, doing the same as her creator, "we were in my realm, here my power is absolute, so I was able to enhance your abilities and weaken theirs. If we tried this in neutral ground you likely wouldn't stand a chance against them as you are now and if you went to their realms then I can guarantee they would kill you in an instant."

"Noted." Harry grimaced, "Will they try coming again?"

"They'll likely attempt it, but I can set up defenses now. I hadn't expected them to come after me, so I wasn't prepared this time. It was only the fact that they were too arrogant to hide their presence that let me feel them from so far away and bring you here in time."

"Will I have to worry about them showing up on Remnant?" Harry asked seriously.

"No, they literally cannot go to Remnant themselves unless all four relics are collected to one location to summon them." Death shook her head only to see Harry's confused expression.

"Ask Ozpin and his inner circle, they'll be able to tell you what is going on." Death chuckled before waving her hand and sending Harry away from her realm. "Well, now that that's taken care of I think I deserve to treat myself for removing those nuisances." With that, Death happily went to go sample more mortal foods that she hadn't tried yet.

-Salem-

Reclining back in her throne, Salem watched as Tyrian and Watts both bowed low before her. "My lady, we have returned as promised." Watts looked inordinately smug with himself which meant he had likely found at least one promising candidate, "I've brought back with me a pair of very promising candidates for your council." The man looked practically giddy, so Salem knew he was scheming something and wanted to see the result.

"And I have brought five new Faunus!" Tyrian giggles, clapping excitedly, "I told them of the history of the great goddess Salem and about how Adam Taurus was working for your ends in Vale."

"Very good, both of you." Salem gave them each a nod before her eyes narrowed to show she expected an answer she liked, "And what did you promise them to make them come?"

"Well the first of my recruits is just eager for the chances to experiment and study more." Watts buffed his nails on his shirt, "The man is a scientist whose primary fixation is the Grimm themselves. My other recruit is tied in with Tyrian's." seeing her scorpion give happy nods at that, Salem gave a wave to have their recruits brought in. From one room walked out two older men in standard Atlas White, both easily recognizable with one being the presumed dead Doctor Merlot and the other being the infamous Jacques Schnee. From the other, five Faunus that looked and moved like they were a trained black operation unit.

Jacques sneered in disgust at both Tyrian and her assassin's recruits who seemed far too calm at the man's open distaste for there to not be something planned. "So, what was promised to get them to come?" Salem asked again.

"I was promised-" Jacques began only to be cut off by Watts squeezing his shoulder hard.

"Actually old bean, you aren't here to join the Lady Salem's council." The man's smirk was damn near predatory.

"What?!" Jacques looked incredibly affronted "This is preposterous."

"We were promised the head of Jacques Schnee." One of the Faunus Tyrian brought, one with the wings of a bat, said with a cold glare but managing to remain respectful towards Salem herself.

"Which is why you're here old sport." Watts shoved the Dust Tycoon towards the Faunus group who grab the man tightly and restrain him, wicked grins adorning their faces even as the now terrified man struggled.

"I thought you said there were two recruits." Salem frowned at Watts, her tone making clear the message that if he had lied there just for a dramatic reveal he would be in trouble.

"And I do." Watts snapped his fingers as a third door opened to reveal a young man who looked a great deal like Jacques. "My lady, meet young Whitley Schnee. He wished for his father to removed from the head of the Schnee Dust Company and to let him take that place instead. I conferred with Tyrian about this as he mentioned his group's request, so I already had him file the papers to name Whitley his successor."

Jacques was looking more and more horrified with each word spoken while Whitley bowed low to her, raising his head to give a grin that instantly told Salem something about the young man. Whatever Jacques had done when raising him showed he knew something of diplomacy like Watts did, had some restrained bloodthirst like Tyrian, and showed cruelty that could likely match Cinder's. All of this without one shred of remorse as he looked over at his father who would soon be killed by a group the young man was raised to view as animals.

"I am most impressed." Salem gave a pleased nod before looking at Tyrian's group, "I will collect your names later. For now you may take your promised payment. Once that is done though I intend to send you to Vale, I wish for you to speak with one Adam Taurus."

"Brother Adam?" the one with the bat wings asked in surprise, "Why?...My lady!" the last was added hastily and a hint of panic, the Faunus likely not used to treating many with deference so it was less a deliberate slight and more a matter of disuse, something she could let slide for now.

"Adam Taurus was…recruited by a member of this council but her actions are leaving much to be desired." She told the man, "He was not recruited by her through promises of cooperation but by threats that she would slaughter him if he refused. Adam Taurus is one of several promising and powerful individuals whom this member of my council has done this too. If she continues to fail then she will be…removed. For now though, I wish for you to bring him to the fold fully and make it clear that dear Cinder's threats are not my will." With a final wave she allowed the group to drag Jacques kicking and screaming from the room.

"Should I take young Whitley back to Atlas so he can begin taking charge of the SDC?" Watts asked her and, once she nodded, took the young man away while also escorting out Dr. Merlot.

"And what of me mistress?" Tyrian looked close to begging for another task to earn her favor.

"I have sensed a flow of magic in this world that confuses me. I will need to do a ritual to look into this and so I need for you to go and collect these reagents for me." Salem handed over a paper scroll to Tyrian who bolted away the moment it touched his hand. Left alone, Salem opened the latest report form Hazel who had gone above and beyond her orders and even recruited the foremost gang of Vale which doubled as an information Broker, something that would come in quite handy for finding the other maidens. Hazel's suggestions of replacing Cinder as the Fall maiden were also becoming more and more of a real possibility.