Illithid behind the Curtain: The Shepard and the Mother (Patreon)

There was a deep, profound silence as I took in the threat made against me and my comrades. Credit where it was due, you had to be a particularly ballsy bastard to make that threat in the face of an adult dragon. And for a moment, I felt more like C'Gorath than I'd ever been before, as if I was looking down at a particularly mouthy germ from a petri dish throw a glove into my face.

Then memory from my old life waved a mental file, dusty and ancient and I remembered who he was. General Lagune, notable for being a single line in an episode, regarding a siege he had failed because he didn't account for the night vision of the Faunus. But in this life, there was so much more to it wasn't there? Military family of course, a soldier through and through who was responsible for the absolute worst state of affairs the aftermath could have brought.

Someone who had thought long and hard on it, Grimmification resulting in madness and an abiding desire to return. I knew that much with my intelligence and from the thoughts I was gleaning from him. In that moment, I thought about how this would normally go in a campaign.

Somewhere he'd have Nicholas Schnee, prompting us to play it safe. With bluff checks and groveling, we'd lure him under false pretenses and gain all the information at once, everyone of us working together in our respective strengths. Perhaps Summer would send out Koschei, or Fang would pretend to be a mere beast? All as we played to Lagune's ego and made him believe we were on his side, until the moment we were not.

Cue climactic fight, the next plot hook and all would be well. Fun times for everyone.

But this wasn't a game.

And suddenly, I thought I recognized one of those people on the spikes.

I turned around immediately, ignoring Lagune's threats and words as I went for the doors and moved my hand in an arcane gesture. The stone seemed to melt, a construct of a serpent appearing as it swirled to bite its own tail, the Arcane Lock sealing the doors.

Fang, who knew me better than most grinned a dragon's grin as he stepped amiably back and moved to relax as he watched the show.

I strode back. Along the way, suddenly my staff appeared and I twisted the head, sunlight illuminating the room as Summer gasped and even Lagune seemed to go silent at the sight. One by one, as I walked towards him I slashed the spikes and kept walking for the man, my tranquil expression not fooling the humanoid grimm as some primal instinct in Lagune's brain began screaming to escape.

"Wait! I have much to offer! I know things, I have followers, whatever-"

"Everything you have to say, I already know. I have seen your mind, Lagune." My eyes flashed violet as I added.

"And it disgusts me."

He died as most kings do. On his throne, secure in his power. So much for that plot hook.

It was temporary of course. The afterlife was still broken and well.. You can't really die twice, can you? But for now, he was out of the running and then Fang remarked, a little confused.

"That wasn't as bad as you could had done."

I turned, tired suddenly and weary as Fang stared at me, calculating before he finally remarked.

"... You changed and I'm not sure if I like it." I sighed out, looking back at the body dissolving.

"Me neither." I said, unsure if I meant what I just did, the situation in general or everything all at once. This was premeditated murder, unlike with the elves and there was no Elminster to come and stop me this time. From the moment I saw his mind and heard his words, I knew he was going to die. I had ripped all I had wanted from him, he had no more purpose and he was by all accounts, evil. Like the Grimm on Remnant.

Like myself.

And then there was a deep groan, Summer moving to help those impaled as I did so likewise, rushing over to one in particular. Even for a Grimm, his eyes were gentle-his hair tied back in a particular, familiar style and bearing a beard and sideburns as his Asian inspired accent pierced the noise around.

"Who are you?"

I smiled, sadly as I took out a kit I hadn't used since I was Rincewind.

"My name is Esmerelda. It's a pleasure to meet you, Li Ren."


I did my best to patch up their wounds. A waste of time perhaps, but one that Fang sensed I needed as he absently, nudged my side before he strode out, doing the rest of the work. Between him and Summer Rose, the rest of the city would be free and I need not worry about being involved. Instead, I focused on the here and now. I washed my hands, I patched up wounds and when those were done, I began treating others.

A poultice here, a bandage there. Rinse, repeat. Working on autopilot and working more, until finally I found myself being shaken by Summer.

It was late, or I think it was. Time had little meaning in this place and without sun, moon or stars it was difficult to tell which was what. I blinked and Summer scowled, speaking up again.

"When was the last time you slept?! Or rested?"

I blinked and Summer, with all the fury of a mother pointed to a bed. I opened my mouth to protest.

Her eyes flashed literally and dangerously and I wisely, decided to avoid the argument as I nodded and laid down, ignoring how she fussed. Only for a few seconds. I would close my eyes and rest for a few seconds, and then get back to work. There was so much work left to... To....

She fell asleep the moment her head hit the crude pillow. Summer nodded, pointing to Koschei as she spoke.

"Please watch over her." The nevermore croaked, flapping to perch on the end of the bed, an eye placed on the window and door as Summer turned and headed for the courtyard. It was the only place big enough to hold Fang and along with Li Ren, there was another. A massive, Arma Gigas with a blue, misty aura that seemed to exude from its personage as the glowing eyes peered to Summer and a voice, jovial but worried spoke.

"And how is the lady then? Li here was telling me quite a tale about how Lagune threatened you all before she locked the door and freed him and his people! When he comes back, it won't be to his liking." For a moment, the Grimm side flashed through as the knights eyes turned briefly red before reverting to blue.

"Well, enough of that then! So what brings you to me, eh Summer? Last I saw, you were doing research in that tower!"

Summer paused, thought about the reason and then spoke. "We're here because a god told us to come and seek you out."

"Can't imagine why." Nicholas mused, his gauntlet moving to scratch Fang behind the ear as the white dragon glared and then shrugged, enjoying the praise due to him. Summer rallied as she continued.

"He said to ask you about the Winter Seal."

Nicholas froze. A few moments later, he sighed heavily and spoke. "Very ancient history. Even when I was alive, it was a story that was passed down along my line. Lost now I believe, which after experiencing this life makes me think it was for the best." He got comfortable as possible, Li Ren kneeling besides him as the old knight contemplated.

"The Winter Seal is the bond between the natural world and the Schnee family. When mountains walked, when fire rained from the skies and the world seemed consigned to darkness, it was the Schnee who stood among the survivors, all of whom we know by their titles alone today. The old Hero, the Prince of Beasts, the Chosen Warrior of Light and the Queen of Witches! The last, being my ancestor. Grumpy old Yanca who might devour you alive as much as help you, hahahaha." He shook his head before becoming more somber.

"When the world was about to end, these four heroes banded together and stopped it by shattering the worlds cradle that kept it together. From this breaking, they renewed the world in their image with four instruments of power, each one fading away into legend and myth. Few know the story, fewer still think to retain it."

He paused for breath, acutely aware of Fang and the others watching and listening closely as he added on.

"The Winter Seal is said to be the pact of my great ancestor in this undertaking. But I did not think it real, till I saw you Summer. When you brought me the knowledge of the tower, I knew in my bones it to be true... And if it is true, then I ask... Why this?"

He gestured out to the world beyond, his voice full of grief. "Is this the result of my ancestor's action? Did their attempt to renew the world, consign us all to this endless hell? Perhaps this is punishment for us, for attempting to take upon us the role of gods when we are merely mortal. I... I do not see much hope anymore in this."

Summer stared on, quietly considering and pitting it against her own knowledge before she finally remarked. "We do the job before us." She looked up, staring as Nicholas, Li, Fang and another stared at her as she drew strength and spoke.

"In life, we became hunters and huntresses because it was the right thing to do. And because there was no one else better suited. We gave our all in life, so that our children and their children would have it better than us. And they do." She smiled, sadly as she remarked.

"I have seen my children and I know they're doing far better. So are yours... Your grand daughter is part of my daughters team."

The Arma Gigas stiffened as Summer turned to Li Ren. "And your son... He's also part of my daughters' team."

"Little Weiss?"

"Ren." Li Ren's voice broke, his gaze indicating that he was somewhere very far away, as his fist clenched and the Arma Gigas breathed out. Fang let out a chuckle, flashing teeth as in the firelight, Cuthbert smiled on.

Summer continued on. "Things are hard for them. More so now, but when they die and meet us, if there are no more gods? If there's no paradise for them, if there's no sanctuary that they may rest?"

She had risen to her feet at some point. As did the rest of them, Fang letting out a roar for the sheer joy as the Arma Gigas whose soul had once forged a dynasty in life steamed, as Li Ren who had used his two hands to help craft a village in the heart of Grimm territory remembered vividly his wife holding his child, as Summer Rose who had fought as a Huntress till death clenched her rose emblem holding her cape together. When her hand fell away, there was something new.

There the Rose emblem remained, but different. Edged in silver, the lines along the petals leading inward, to the Ruby with the fleck of Gold in its center.

Cuthberts newest paladin stabbed her weapon into the ground, a promise made then and there.

"If there is no paradise for them here, then we will MAKE it from the ground up, ready for them. Gods or no."

Silver eyes flashed and did no harm to those present, as a lookout atop a tower cried a warning.

"INVADERS! THE DEMONS ARE COMING!" Li Ren, stumbling out of his daydream turned to head to the tower to wake up Esmerelda.

Summer stopped him and shook her head. "We can't rely on her forever." She then turned to Fang, smiling as the dragon bowed his head, eager for battle as he crouched and Summer strode to him. Slinging herself on his back, she added.

"Lets show her what we can do."

And the battle commenced.

The demons were numerous, surging in great numbers as grimm descended from the mountains in a tidal wave of force, the crashing impact from the two worthy of any epic found across the planes. From the gates of the city, an Arma Gigas charged out, sword held aloft in two hands as leading a pack of humanoid grimm, they launched into the fight in turn. Weapons and claws pierced the other, abyssal energies meeting the destructive forces of the God of Darkness left behind, his hatred and fury channeled by human and faunus spite and rage.

From the skies, Fang descended and blasted a stream of ice, forming impromptu walls and protective areas in which their forces could take a breather as Summer took to the field. Gunfire echoed from her weapon as she shot, ignoring the fact she needed to save ammo as it impacted like pebbles against the tide.

When she ran out, she jumped and drew upon her innate power, a feeling she didn't dare use since coming here with the body she had now.

And the battlefield turned bright, blinding white.

Silver Eyes pierced the foe, somehow avoiding the Grimm on their side as they cheered, seeing a silver-eyed warrior among them and the fighting renewed. Burst of divine light, absent for so long from this plane cascaded from her strikes as she cleaved and moved, a blur of white and red as Fang in the air suddenly sniffed and looked excited.

With a roar, he cried out. "MOTHER, BLESSES OUR BATTLEFIELD!"

Cuthbert had played his hand.

In response, Tiamat sent her own. Four dragons, powerful and angry dove from the skies from portals, led by a bull red dragon. On either side, scales of blue, black and green gleamed as they split apart and began to unleash their own fury upon demonkind.

Poison clouds descended, spraying as the demons choked and bled from the inside out as the green dragon howled and venom dripped from their jaws. Acid rained in the wake of the black dragon, his wingbeat like the thunder from a storm as he hissed and flew to the edges, the better to herd them in.

Fang moved to work with his brethren, doing the same as impassable ice barriers blocked the exit, forcing them to fight or die as lightning cracked and shattered the earth, the blue dragon's roar a terrifying thing as he actually landed, smashing foes with its bulk before snapping a demon in half with its jaws, ignoring the smaller pinpricks as fear began to play across the field.

And then the great red landed.

Demons who had withstood Hellfire found themselves stymied, weapons and flesh melting in the presence of this beast as the red dragon roared, his voice echoing over the field.

"THESE LANDS ARE OURS! CLAIMED IN THE MOTHERS NAME!"

His back spines began to glow ominously, an orange-red light flashing as he inhaled and unleashed flames unseen by those here.

And then as the stream of fire continued, the great red focused as the flames narrowed in intensity, turning blue as they sliced through the demonic horde, flash-frying and cutting foes.

There was no escape for any of them. Herded by the dragons, set upon by the Grimm, facing the paladin with the silver eyes. Death was everywhere and all around them and the horde would be reduced in short order.

And among the destruction, as five dragons surrounded by Grimm watched, the great red roared aloud-echoed by the other four as Fang joined in.

A line in the sand, drawn by the unlikely alliance of Good and Evil.

By the tower window, Esmerelda with the poofiest bed hair blinked in utter confusion as she cried out.

"How long was I asleep?!"