Illithid behind the Curtain: Gods favorite Princess (Patreon)

Pyrrha Nikos stared at the stream of smoke and gave a sharp whistle. Just like they trained, Icarus took flight as he flew on ahead, letting out a little screech behind him. Ruby as they kept running let out a little tsk of mild frustration as she spoke aloud. "I'll make a camera for him next time. We can fit it around his neck and monitor what he sees through our scrolls."

"That would come in handy." Lie Ren agreed as he kept an eye to the outside of their formation before he asked. "So, what is that thing? You seemed to know more than the rest of us." 

"Only because of Aunty Em." Ruby replied as she grimaced and added. "She told me when I was young if I ever saw one of them, to be careful. They're very dangerous, apparently."

"Who, exactly?" Jaune asked, nerves making his tone a little warier than usual as he added. "Because I fail to see the reason why we're going in that direction if that's the case. Shouldn't we be heading the opposite direction? You still hadn't told us who it belongs to!" 

Ruby as they ran would glance at her companions, each one of them faithful and patient before she breathed deeply and spoke. "They're called Illithids. Or in the common tongue 'Mind Flayers.' They're a hive mind of powerful psionics, from beyond the stars who seek to create a new empire. They're cruel and devious, with a habit of devouring brains from people." Ruby was very much aware of the pale looks she was getting right now as she took another breath and spoke.

"Aunty Em is one of them."

"Wait, that squid form thing?!" Nora said, shocked as she grabbed her hair and cried out. "IS THE SIGNAL FIRE HEADMISTRESS, A BRAIN-EATING ALIEN?! RENNY, I TOLD YOU ALIENS WERE REAL!"

Ren opened his mouth, paused and sighed the sigh of the damned as he spoke. "I hate that I can't actually refute that. But Ruby-obviously, Miss Esme doesn't do that."

"That's because she's magic. Or well, knows magic." Ruby continued as she spoke on. "Illithids tend to kill any of their kind who display arcane power. She didn't share much beyond that, but basically she told me the best way to stop them. Draw them out into the open, keep a sniper about two hundred feet minimum at most. Prepare for any mind-controlled minions they may have and always keep moving and striking." The wreck was closer now, as Ruby came to a slower walk, much more cautious now as she continued.

"They can sense your mind from a range of a hundred and twenty feet away and they constantly read your thoughts. It's how they communicate." 

Jaune paused to consider before paling. "Wait... So, every time we had breakfast as a group together, she could... Everything?" 

Ruby shrugged. "Umm... Maybe? She said once that unless she focuses nowadays, its mostly just white noise to her. She's been starving herself, eating animal brains mostly and from what I understand it's not the healthiest for her."

"So again, why exactly are we heading to the ship likely full of these creatures who'd like tasty, tasty brains? Jauney has a point there." Said Nora as they all paused to look at Ruby who only frowned as she spoke.

"Remember when I mentioned mind-controlled minions earlier?" 

They nodded. It was Ren who seemed to get it first, his eyes widening in shock as he clenched his fist, Nora glancing worriedly at her friend before Pyrrha, just as quick on the uptake gasped in horror as she covered her mouth. 

Ruby nodded. "Not just monsters. But people, kidnapped and enslaved either as workers or as food. Right now, there might be survivors. Prisoners, who are free for the first time. We're the only ones close who can help them for miles, because sure as anything, the Grimm are going to be attracted to their emotional state."

The rest of them glanced at each other, before Nora grinned and spoke. "Well gee Ruby. That's all you had to say."

There was a sudden screech and all of them leaped, surprised before Pyrrha lit up. "Its Icarus!" She said happily, the red dragon hatchling flying towards her before it flew about in a circle, to Pyrrha's surprise.

"Wait-you did?" The dragon screeched out, and Ren stiffened as he and Pyrrha exchanged a glance. Jaune looked back and forth, confusion growing before he spoke. "A-are you talking to him?"

"Not I. But he is to her." Ren said immediately as Nora looked impressed. "Renny, I didn't know you were a dragon whisperer!" 

"When Syxorath was teaching me and Ren, among the lessons was his own language." Pyrrha explained as she added. "He didn't say that Icarus would learn this fast though-oh!" She looked to the group as she added.

"He told me that he found someone, over two-hundred feet away from here!" 

 =====

It was dawn by the time they got to the location Icarus had indicated. There, sprawled on the moss-covered ground, lied one of the most gorgeous women that Ruby had ever seen, lying unconscious on the ground. Less gorgeous was the extent of her wounds, one of her arms bent in a way that made Ruby wince, but otherwise it wasn't so bad. A glance upward told a story all on its own, as the tree that the woman had fallen was devoid of most of its branches, shattered and broken from the impact of something-or someone, hitting it. 

There was a faint rise and fall of her chest, a reassuring sign that she still drew breath, but her skin was ashen pale, and the hunters-in-training went to work. As Ren set her arm back into place, Pyrrha glanced at Icarus as she held out her cupped hands. In response, Icarus inhaled and blew out a stream of fire, that Pyrrha seemed to grab with her aura, infusing her hands with a warm, fiery light as she placed it on the arms and with a gasp, the woman twitched as her skin began to take on a more normal tinge. 

"I didn't know you could do that." Jaune said impressed, and Pyrrha glanced away-blushing as she waved it off. "Oh, you know... Just a cure spell. I still need Icarus's help to do it, but it should help."

Nora kept an eye out for Grimm, her weapon prepared to fire at a moments notice as she suddenly hit something with a clink. Her eyes glanced down, her head cocked to the side as she found the following.

An odd, twenty-sided metal container big enough to fit in her hand as she bent and grabbed it, tossing it in hand before shrugging as she slipped it into her belt pouch. Maybe Ruby would know more about it later?

As for Ruby, her eyes would focus on the tiara she was wearing curiously, before growing wider as she saw the pointed ears.

"She's an elf!"

And then the woman's eyes flashed open as she sat up quickly and winced, before realizing the pain was gone. In the most posh accent Ruby had ever heard (and she was including Nora's partner, Weiss in that), the elf lady spoke with rank confusion.

"I'm alive! You're... Children? Did you save me?" She paused, blinked and added. "Also, I don't mean to alarm you young lady, but did you know you have a dragon on your shoulder?"

"He likes to feel tall." Pyrrha said without any apparent mockery in her voice which threw off the elf, before she shook it off and spoke. 

"Well at any rate, thank you for your help. I'm Shadowheart. Don't take this the wrong way, but aren't you lot a bit young to be adventurers?"

"Well, problem solved! We're actually huntsmen and huntresses!" Said Nora cheerfully as she bounced closer and added. "I love your tiara! Are you a princess?" 

Shadowheart gave a little smirk. "In every way that matters. If you mean by blood, I'm not entirely sure... I can't seem to remember." And then her smile fell as she began patting herself down, more desperately now as she cried out. "Oh no... Nonononono! Its gone!"

"Ummm... What is?" Jaune asked and Shadowheart scowled as she spoke. "Never you mind. Urgh! It was important to me, and I have to find it. Do you know which way a giant ship crashed-" She blinked as all five of them pointed in a direction and she nodded and swayed briefly, a little dizzy still as she spoke.

"Right then. I have to check it out."

"Not without us." Ren said calmly as he added. "You just fell. It'd be the height of negligence if we were to leave you be. Also, we're planning on heading there too. No telling how many prisoners are there."

Shadowheart winced. "I can tell you from experience, not much. The ship was under attack by the Gith and then we took a detour.... Into Avernus."

Ruby immediately winced before looking alarmed. Pyrrha, noticing the expression looked at her partner as Ruby checked her weapon, loading up silver tipped rounds as she said grimly.

"Avernus is in Hell. Remember all those devils, at the Vytal Festival?" The mood immediately changed, every member getting combat ready as Shadowheart looked intrigued at their weapons before she spoke.

"Chil-sorry, Hunters and Huntresses. I propose a temporary alliance. You seem to know a bit more than most, and I could use some information."

"Of course we can." Ruby agreed for them as they began to head for the wreck before adding. "Anyway, it won't be the weirdest thing we've seen today."

====

"I stand corrected." Ruby replied, as they all stared at the following. A portion of the wreck had crashed and shattered among the trees. One of the local grimm had taken advantage, a Geist forming a body from the wreckage, the trees and a few boulders. That wasn't anything new to them, though Shadowheart was gawping.

Less common was the boulder in question forming the right leg, as a strange portal of swirling violet energies and a dark, black maw suddenly sprouted a human arm in a purple sleeve as a voice cried out plaintively.

"A hand? Anyone?!"