The Knights of Grimm - Act 4 - Whispers of Arkhonex

Chapter 83 - Executioner of the Gods

Jaune

Pyrrha never realised that simply by holding Jaune's hand, the Visionary Book would take her as well.

Everything around them set on fire, Ozpin and the hologram of Sylens Emerais completely vaporised into thin air, embers and ashes floated away in the wind. They stayed close together, clutching to each other, gazing into each other's eyes, afraid of what was happening. The Visionary Books before this one were nothing like this, even the one that Merlot uncovered in Menagerie was extremely different to this one. The Menagerie Visionary Book was ancient, a warning from a long-annihilated Universe of what Vir Nominis Umbra would do to theirs if they did not stop him, it was more like a series of flashing images. It hurt and frightened Ruby when she saw it... this one was just as frightening, but they were not flashing images... they were short moments of time.

Spliced into one Vision.

"What's going on? What is this?" Pyrrha stammered.

"The Visionary Book... where the hell are, we?" Jaune said as he looked around, with his arms around Pyrrha. Pretty quickly though... they realised where they were. Ash covered the ground, and there were hundreds of massive blackened charred trees all around them.

They looked at each other... remembering this place all too well.

"The Charred Forest." They both said in unison, wide eyed as they saw the trees part before them. Some of them crumbled and shattered into a cloud of smoke. They both stared up at the swirling crackling black sky, where the screaming voices of souls plummeted down into the dark realm. They could not identify the voices because they could not decipher their languages, they all came from every single Universe in the Infinite Roots of the Cosmos.

And stood atop a ridge, overlooking the falling spirits that were going to be preyed on by the Grimm... was something completely terrifying. The Beowulves bowed before her, a massive monster that stood with eight armoured legs. It towered above them, yet it could not see them, for this was merely a memory.

Who's memory is this?

That question was constantly on their minds, because it was not Vyrryk, it was not Ares, it was not Claudia or any of the Knights of Grimm.

This... this was someone else.

The giant Spider, it looked just like the rest of the Grimm, with a huge abdomen that screeching souls were trapped inside of, being digested inside to birth more, and more Grimm. The Spider hissed as it stood there, bright red eyes and webbing that clung to the trees.

It was her...

... Salem.

The Real Salem.

"She's... a Spider? A Giant... Grimm monster?" Pyrrha gasped with disbelief.

"No... the stone in Cynthia's head... it came from her." Jaune said, pointing at the Executioner of the Gods. A spirit fell before the giant Spider Queen, and she turned, massive legs shattered the ground as she hissed and chirped, staring down the man. He pleaded in a language that they could not understand, begging the Queen of Darkness not to harm him. But Salem?

She did not agree... and they could hear her voice.

It was nothing like the Salem they knew now, her voice was deep and dark, spoke well too. Every single word was pronounced perfectly as she spoke. "Here you plead... begging for my forgiveness... but the Gods? They have judged you guilty, my sweet... you will find no judgement here. Only Punishment." Salem threatened, and suddenly massive webs erupted from her jaws, and they wrapped around the screaming man's body. He shrieked in agony as he was dragged towards her.