The Knights of Grimm - Act 4 - Whispers of Arkhonex

Chapter 49 - Wreckage

Ruby

The smell of burning fuel filled her senses where she laid, and she groaned, her side was in great pain. Some large black and blue bruises were imprinted upon her body as she sat upright. She winced, and grabbed her side, before her head started to throb. Most likely a minor concussion, but in the grand scheme of things she was likely that a headache was all she suffered from. Her head was pounding heavily and as she looked around, she saw the destroyed remnants of their Prowler imbedded into one of the ancient Arkhoni Towers. She desperately looked around, and she wanted to call their names.

Oscar! Penny! Blake! Jaune! Qrow!

So many names, but she caught her words before she could even say them, when she heard alien voices. More Mercenaries, they were waiting for them and had sent in a retrieval force. She heard the heavy footfalls of a mechanical suit of armour, and it made the ground shake. She crawled behind the rubble as she felt her aura still broken around her body. She touched the open wound on her forehead where the hot sticky blood was leaking from. "Find them, they definitely survived that crash. And look for the MK V, we spotted her fall from the ship as it broke apart." One of the Mercenaries ordered as he walked around the area, and they all kept their eyes peeled.

Ruby was completely defenceless, she could not find Crescent Rose anywhere, and she was split up from the others in the crash. As soon as they collided into one of the ancient towers the Prowler tore itself apart, the fire melted the steel and the engine exploded. They all survived, but she was too far away to help them. So Ruby narrowed her Silver Eye and she pulled her red hood over her head and she stayed low, and drew the only weapon she had on her. Her trusty knife sheathed onto the sheath that was clipped to her boot. She held the blade tight, the glow from the fire gleamed off the steel as she slowly leaned round the remnants of the wing.

It hurt to see the Prowler in this condition, she was actually starting to like the huge aircraft, she wanted to hold onto it for longer. But it was a matter of time before the Acolytes of Lien upgraded their scanners to detect their signature, so then they could shoot them down. If that was what happened after all, she was out of the loop just like the rest of them. The sky was dark from a thick layer of grey clouds and she could hear the thunder that clapped after the lightning that crackled across the sky. The rain fell suddenly and all around them, the soldiers were searching every nook and cranny.

Ruby looked at the mud she was treading in, and she had an idea, the mud could be her best ally. So she set her knife down and she rolled around in the mud, despite how disgusting it was, it would prove to be her best ally in this situation. It stuck to her fast, it made her feel so heavy as well as she rolled across the floor. It got stuck in her hair, but she tied it back into a ponytail after she pulled her hood over her head again to keep her face and mud hidden. Her hood was darkened thanks to the mud too.

She picked up the knife and she held it in her hands, as she snuck round and hid amongst the muddy bushes. She waited as one of the soldiers walked towards her position, a heavily armed assault rifle in his hands. "Clear." The soldier said.

Think again.

Ruby suddenly emerged behind him and she dug her blade into the soldier's throat, right where the armour plating was open. She sawed away into his throat, his red claret sprayed out and he choked in agony, as she pulled him back into the shadows. She ripped the blade from his throat and she set him down onto the mud, and she looked round the corner. The armoured suit was not a Juggernaut like she expected – it was an Acolyte of Lien Paladin. It walked slowly around the area, massive guns loaded as it stomped across the remnants of this ancient Civilisation. Ruby did not even have the time to admire the city, the Acolytes were crawling every inch of the street that she crashed into.