The Envoys of Salem
The Envoys of Salem
Juturna reclined on the sofa, her booted feet kicking over the armrest, gently tapping as she hummed "Brand New Day" to herself as she played a browser game on her scroll. It was called Warring Tribes, and the aim was to build up a city and an army and, basically, beat up all the other players. A bit like real life, but less complicated.
A world where you could make things happen by willing it so... provided that your brother gave you a generous allowance on your credit card which you could use to pay to win, anyway.
So very much like real life, but without all of the messy things that made life awkward.
These kind of games were only her second favourite genre, but she wasn’t particularly feeling in the mood for a dating sim right now, unless somebody had come up with one where the heroine was a poor albino faunus trying to romance a rich Mistralian prince; she could use some pointers to pass on to Camilla.
She heard the footsteps approaching, but she didn’t look up until Lionheart coughed to get her attention.
Even then, she didn’t look at him right away. She set Warring Tribes to run on autopilot without her direction, closed up her scroll, stuck it in her pocket, grabbed – without looking – a chocolate-coated raisin from the bowl sitting on the table next to her, and only then, while she was chewing on it, did she look at Lionheart.
“Lionheart!” she cried, as if she was surprised to see him. “Great to see you.”
Leonardo Lionheart bowed awkwardly to her. “You…wished to see me, my lady?”
“Sit down.” Juturna gestured to the well-stuffed armchair just behind where he stood. When he sat, she smiled because he looked like he was about to jump out of his skin, poor guy. “Relax, Lionheart, you’re not in any trouble. I asked you here to thank you.”
Lionheart blinked in surprise. “To…thank me?”
“You have done my brother excellent service these past months,” Juturna told him. “The plan that he came up with has turned out to be…a little flawed,” she admitted, as she sat up straight. “But no one fair-minded can deny that you played your part to the best of your abilities.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Lionheart said quietly, his voice a mixture of surprise and uncertainty blended together like milk and coffee.
“The Council meeting is over?”
“It is, my lady,” Lionheart replied. “I should not be here, otherwise.”
“Right, of course you wouldn’t,” Juturna agreed. “And everything went through? Including the bandits?”
“Yes, although that was the only item on the Council’s agenda with a dissenting vote,” Lionheart admitted.
“Let me guess,” Juturna sighed. “Cicero Ward the Elder.”
“Even so,” Lionheart said. “But the motion passed nonetheless.”
“So it’s all good,” Juturna declared. “Big Brother will have his army in no time.” She smiled again, her painted lips twitching. “Turnus might not remember to thank you. After all,” her voice slipped into an impression of her brother’s deeper voice, “’when I worked at the SDC in Atlas, nobody ever got thanked for doing their duty.’ Did you know that Turnus spent some time in Atlas?”
Lionheart hesitated for a moment, before appearing to decide that it was alright for him to show a little amusement in his voice. “I believe I’ve heard it mentioned.”
Juturna chuckled. “Sometimes he acts the Atlesian officer, other times the Mistralian aristocrat, and it means that he misses bits of both, I think. He leaves some of the important stuff out,” she reached into her back pocket, and fished out a little blue box, “like the fact that a good lord rewards his faithful servants.” She remembered that her father had always been sure to reward good officers for work done well, in addition to the monetary compensation the state was paying them. It was how he kept his people loyal to him. She tossed the box, and Lionheart caught it with both hands. “For you. Obviously. With our gratitude.”
Lionheart opened the box, and Juturna watched as he lifted out the ring that was within. It was gold, with a large, black onyx sat atop the gleaming band.
“I…thank you, my lady,” Lionheart said, as he put the ring upon his finger. “You are very generous.”
“I can be, to those who help me get what I want,” Juturna said. “Continue to help me, and you will have greater rewards to follow, I guarantee it.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
Juturna leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. “Lionheart, have you ever been in love?”
“Uh, lady?”
“It’s a simple question: have you ever been in love?”
“It might be a simple question, but it’s also rather a personal one,” Lionheart protested.
“Humour me,” Juturna said. “I mean we’re all friends here, right?”
Lionheart hesitated, but it must have been clear to him – as it was Juturna’s intent that it should be clear – that she wasn’t about to let this go, and so he nodded his head glumly – even more glumly than usual, which was saying a lot. “Yes, lady,” he admitted. “I was in love, once.”
Juturna smiled. “Was she beautiful?”
“Oh, exquisitely so,” Lionheart declared, seeming to warm to his theme a little. “A cold beauty to look upon, which belied the warmth of the heart within once you got to know her. Beautiful in any circumstances, but especially upon the dance floor…and even more so in battle. To see her fight was to see that which has driven poets mad.”
“So what happened?” Juturna asked. “Did she-“
“No,” Lionheart replied. “She still lives, in Atlas, or at least, I believe she does, I’ve heard nothing to the contrary.”
“In Atlas,” Juturna repeated. “Then it was distance that parted you?”
“I wish it were that simple,” Lionheart moaned. “She…she preferred another man, an Atlesian like herself, an officer in the military. I…being a much younger and much more foolish man, challenged him to a duel for her. He, although an Atlesian, accepted…and he defeated me.”
“Ouch,” Juturna winced. “So…they are together, in Atlas.”
“No,” Lionheart said. “She was not very happy with either of us; she reminded us both that she was not a prize to be won…but it was duty that parted them, in the end. Some small consolation for me, I suppose.”
“You don’t have to pretend, Lionheart; I know that isn’t how this works,” Juturna told him. “I’m sorry for your troubles.”
“Thank you, lady.”
“Did you ever duel again?”
Lionheart shook his head. “I was never again such a rash fool.”
“Don’t say it like that,” Juturna cried. “Don’t say it like you regret it. You were in love! And because you were in love, you were willing to risk it all in the name of love! That’s not something to be ashamed of; that’s something to celebrate.” She got up, and started to pace up and down in front of the sofa. “I…I’ve never been in love, that way,” she confessed to him. There had been boys, of course, and girls too, but none of them had scratched the itch for her. They’d been fun, but she’d never felt as though she was having anything more than fun. Jupiter Vasilias had come closest, but then he’d died, so that was that. “But I love my brother, and I love Camilla; I love them both with all of my heart.” Perhaps that was why she couldn’t love anyone else; there was no room left in her heart for them. “And because I love them both so much, like you, there is nothing that I won’t do, nothing that I won’t dare, no line that I won’t cross for their sake and for their happiness.” She sat down again, and once more looked straight into Lionheart’s eyes. “So, while they are at the palace and we can talk without being overheard, tell me about Pyrrha.”
"P-Pyrrha," Lionheart stammered. "Pyrrha Nikos?"
"No, Pyrrha, my hair-stylist’s cousin- of coursePyrrha Nikos!" Juturna snapped.
"What do you want to know?" Lionheart asked.
Juturna's eyes narrowed. "You're either very dense today, or there are things you don't want to tell me, and I'm not sure which one I like less," she said. She took a deep breath. "Pyrrha doesn't like you. Pyrrha knows about Salem, and she doesn't like her either. I want to know how Pyrrha knows about Salem, what she knows that I don't, and I want to know why it upsets her so."
Lionheart hesitated. "I…how much do you really know, about Salem?"
Juturna shrugged. "She is old, ancient even, and since ancient times, people have gone to her seeking power, as I did."
"Power, yes," Lionheart muttered. "And other things, besides. Sometimes…sometimes, she is the one who seeks you out, and not the other way around."
Which is what happened to you, I guess, Juturna thought. "Pyrrha," she repeated.
Lionheart shook his head. "It does not begin with Pyrrha," he said. "There have always been those who opposed Salem."
"Why?" Juturna asked.
"That is what I began to ask myself," Lionheart replied. "I was one of those opponents. I was recruited, even as Pyrrha herself was, by Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy. But to what end? What was the point of all the sacrifices that Ozpin demanded of those who served him? I…I couldn't find an answer to that question, and so, I sought the protection of one who protects and…and rewards her faithful servants." He turned the onyx ring over on his finger. "Even as one of your Mistralian lords."
"But she isn't protecting you," Juturna reminded him. "I am, and my brother."
"Yes, of course," Lionheart said, "but if Salem-”
“If Salem were to send word to me telling me to throw you away, I would not."
Lionheart's eyes widened. "No?"
"No!" Juturna cried. "I am Juturna Rutulus, whose ancestors stood at the left hand of the Emperors of Mistral, and you are a servant of our house, which was not made to suit but to command. I will not cast you out upon the word of Salem or Pyrrha Nikos or any other in this city. Unless you betray me and put my family in danger, and you wouldn't do that to me, would you?"
Lionheart stared at her, his dark eyes wide. "My lady, I fear I cannot comprehend your heart, yet I am in awe of it. But at the same time, I fear that you underestimate Salem greatly if you think that she will brook such defiance."
"The first Red Queen told her to go take a flying leap off the mountainside, and she did," Juturna pointed out. "How bad can she be?"
"The Red Queen's dominion was soon restricted to the lands within sight of Mistral's walls by roaming bands of grimm which kept the city under virtual siege until her death," Lionheart replied. "Bands of grimm the queen herself dared not go out and face. Yes, she survived earning the enmity of the Dark Mother, but she did not prosper."
Juturna's eyebrows rose. "Are you…you're telling me that Salem controls grimm?"
"She has some connection to them, although she rarely exercises any great control over them," Lionheart admitted. "That is why it is so easy for Ozpin to brand her evil and to convince brave girls like Pyrrha that she must be opposed and all her servants too. Foolish, futile; one might as well oppose the tide as fight against the power of Salem."
Juturna flopped back onto the sofa, her arms falling down to her sides. A connection to the grimm. To the grimm? Gods and my ancestors, what shadow have I invited into this house? "Lionheart," she said, her voice so much softer now than it had been. "Tell me the truth now: will she keep faith with me?"
"Yes," Lionheart replied. "I have never known her to betray any of her servants. If you are faithful to her, then she will keep faith with you in turn."
Juturna nodded. "Good," she murmured. "That…that's good. So long as she holds up her end, then…then it will all be worthwhile." She smiled at Lionheart. "It's all for them, you see. I have people who are depending on me, even if they don't exactly know it yet, so I can't let them down just because I'm a little scared of what I've gotten myself into."
Lionheart looked as if he could not quite believe it. "They are fortunate to have a sister and a friend like you, my lady."
"Aww, you're very sweet, even if you are flattering me," Juturna replied. "In any case, they're totally worth it. They…they are the sun and moon of my life, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for them; nobody that I wouldn't do it to, and…nobody that I wouldn't deal with, as I've just proven." She chuckled. "One last question, Lionheart, and then I'll let you escape: what does Salem want?
"I…" Lionheart hesitated. "I am not sure that she would like me to say."
Juturna turned her head a little, so that she was looking at him out of the side of her eyes. "But you know, don't you?"
"Yes," Lionheart admitted, "but-"
He was interrupted by the front door of the house opening with such a crash that it could be heard all the way in the drawing room, one flight of stairs up and several doors down.
Juturna got to her feet. "Well, it sounds like somebody had a bad day at the palace."
Lionheart, too, rose from his seat. "Should I depart?"
"It depends on whether you want to meet my brother on the way," Juturna said. "He probably won't come up here-"
"Juturna!" Turnus shouted, and heavy, rapid footsteps made their way closer and closer.
"Okay, he's coming in here," Juturna said. She looked around the room, there wasn't much cover except for a few potted houseplants. "Uh, hide behind the aspidistra."
Too late. The door slammed open, striking the wall with a rather sickening thud. Turnus strode in, wearing the armour that he had worn to the palace. Camilla, likewise dressed for battle, followed him in and – a lot more quietly – shut the door behind them both. It was the wary expression on Camilla's face that worried Juturna, just a little bit. She could handle Turnus in a bad mood, but if Camilla was concerned as well, then this was about more than just someone saying the wrong thing or him coming face to face with Pyrrha's fiancé and feeling sour about the fact.
She wondered if Pyrrha had told him something more about Salem. If he'd learned any of the things that Lionheart had just told her.
If he knew about the grimm, he might not take that very well, and neither would Camilla.
What did you say, Pyrrha?
"Hey, Big Brother," Juturna said, plastering a grin on her face. "So, how did it go?"
"It was mildly humiliating," Turnus muttered.
"Well, at least it wasn't exceedingly humiliating," offered Juturna by way of consolation.
Turnus growled wordlessly at her through clenched teeth and a closed mouth.
"Oh, okay, I'm gonna shut up now," Juturna murmured.
Lionheart ventured. "Uh, I should probably-"
"No, you will stay right where you are," Turnus snapped, pointing at Lionheart without turning away from Juturna. "This concerns you as well."
"In fact, we both hope it concerns you more than Juturna," Camilla said, and the mildness of her tone could not wholly conceal the steeliness of it, nor the fact that with one hand, she was reaching for the dust gladius she wore at her hip.
"Me?" Lionheart said. "I…I don't understand. Have I displeased you in some way?"
"One of you has," Turnus said. He kept his eyes fixed upon his sister. "I am going to ask you this question only once, Little Sister, because I expect you to be honest with me when you answer. Who is Cinder Fall?"
Juturna didn't need to act puzzled or ignorant. It was all entirely genuine upon her face as she said, "Who? I don't know that name."
Turnus, bless him, did not ask a second time. He didn't hesitate to round upon Lionheart, placing his body protectively between the headmaster and Juturna; at the same time, Camilla drew her sword and began to sidestep around to get behind Lionheart.
"So you lied to my sister," Turnus said, his words heavy with anger that dripped off them like water dripping from an oversoaked sponge. "Explain. Everything. Now."
"Turnus," Juturna said. "There's no need for you to get all-"
"Juturna," Camilla interrupted her. "Please, trust us."
Lionheart trembled. "M-my lord…what is it you think that I have-"
"I have just heard some very disturbing things about you," Turnus declared, "and while I am very glad that my sister knew not of them, that does not alter the fact that you knew. Now, tell me about Cinder Fall, and upon your answer hangs the difference between my handing you over to the Myrmidons or simply cutting you down here and now. Quickly!"
Lionheart yelped in fright. "Cinder Fall…yes…Cinder Fall. She…she was a servant of Salem; she wished to infiltrate Beacon Academy last year, and so, I enrolled her and her subordinates at Haven and made all the arrangements for them to travel to Vale as part of the Vytal Festival. While there…she was caught attempting to sabotage the CCT and forced to flee the school."
Turnus was silent for a moment. "And?"
Lionheart blinked. "And, my lord?"
"You forgot to mention how Cinder Fall also allied with the White Fang, orchestrated a series of terrorist attacks on Vale, and murdered Phoebe Kommenos," Camilla said.
"I didn't know that she was going to do that!" Lionheart protested.
"You arranged for her entry into Beacon Academy with no idea what she was going to do when she got there?" Camilla asked. "Do you think us foolish enough to believe that?"
"Cinder kept her plans to herself," Lionheart explained, or sought to. "She didn't trust me with the details of her operation in Vale, and I wasn't inclined to ask. I didn't want to know what she was planning. I didn't…want to think about how many of my other students might perish as a result of her plots and her actions."
"Turnus," Juturna said. "It's okay. There's no need for you to be like this."
"How can you say that?" Turnus demanded, not turning his back on Lionheart to look at her. "The White Fang? A breach of Vale's defences, the destruction of the tower, is that what you want for our city?"
"Of course not!" Juturna cried, sliding around Turnus to stand in front of him, looking up. "You know what I want. I want what you want."
"I want to be King of Mistral, not lord of its ashes," Turnus replied.
"I'm not working with the White Fang," Juturna said. "Neither is Lionheart."
Turnus looked at her, and then his gaze flickered to Lionheart. "Pyrrha knows about your connection to Cinder Fall, and you are hiding here because you fear her vengeance. Have I said anything untrue?"
"Only that, for all her martial prowess, it is not Pyrrha that worries me," Lionheart replied. "She has associates far more thuggish and less honourable."
"Hmm. And you decided to shelter him here because-"
"Because Salem asked me to," Juturna replied. "In exchange for her assistance for me…for all of us."
"And who is Salem?" Camilla asked. "We want to trust you, Juturna, but with what we know…have we not a right to know the rest?"
I wish that I could tell you, Juturna said. "Salem…Salem…Salem is the head of a cabal, dedicated to the overthrow of the established world order and the transformation of Remnant. She's completely insane, in other words, but she has power-"
"What kind of power?" Turnus asked.
"The power to bring down Vale, apparently," Juturna replied. "Power that she has agreed to lend to me, to us, and all I have to do is keep Lionheart safe from his enemies."
"From Pyrrha," Camilla clarified.
"Pyrrha is part of a secret society dedicated to fighting Salem, yes," Juturna admitted.
"This sounds ridiculous," Turnus declared. "Atlesian comic book stuff."
"It is absolutely true," Juturna said. "I swear to you."
"Then why should she help us?" Turnus demanded. "Why is Lionheart of such great value to her that she will help us gain the keys to the kingdom just for his safekeeping? What does Salem want?"
"I was just about to ask that before you burst in here and started yelling," Juturna said, with just a touch of asperity creeping into her voice.
Turnus snorted. "I will not apologise for being concerned," he said. "Well, Lionheart? It seems you have my sister’s question to answer."
Lionheart sighed. "There…there is a weapon, an ancient weapon, held in a chamber underneath Haven Academy. Salem…desires it."
Nothing, but a certain trinket in the possession of the Empress, which was rudely stolen from me in days long ago, Juturna thought, remembering the story of the Dark Mother.
"What kind of weapon?" Camilla asked.
"I don't know."
"It is underneath your school, and you don't know what it is?" Camilla asked incredulously.
"It's locked away; I've never seen it," Lionheart said.
"There is, I presume, some reason why this weapon cannot be retrieved this very night?" Turnus said.
"It requires a key," Lionheart replied. "A special key, a key that…the key is a girl."
"'A girl'?" Turnus repeated. "Madness upon madness."
"It is true," Lionheart said. "It's all perfectly true; the door can only be unlocked by a girl whom no one in Mistral has seen these several years past. No doubt Salem is searching for her even as we speak."
"All the more reason for us to find her first," Juturna said.
All three of them looked at her.
"What?" Juturna replied. "I know that you're not happy about this situation," she said to Turnus. "But think about it! An ancient weapon! What if it's the long lost sword Kusanagi down there? You'd have more right to the throne than Pyrrha with that blade in your hand, and even if it isn't that, if it's wanted so badly, it must be pretty powerful. Powerful enough-"
"To make me king, perhaps," Turnus murmured.
"It would be better than relying upon…what sound like some unsavoury allies," Camilla murmured. "You would never work with the White Fang, but to work with those who would…who would bring down whole kingdoms for their ambitions…nothing is worth that. If this is our course, then…then better to steer it ourselves." She did not put her sword away.
"Lionheart, how do we find this girl, this living key?" Turnus demanded.
"I…I'm not sure," Lionheart said. "She fled such a long time ago, she could be anywhere by now, and-"
Turnus’ scroll went off, making a low buzzing sound.
"That's just someone at the gate," he said dismissively. "They will go away eventually. Lionheart, continue."
But whoever was at the gate did not go away, nor did they stop trying to gain admittance to the house. The scroll continued to buzz incessantly, and the nagging sound was such that Turnus eventually had to pull out his scroll and answer it with an irate, "Yes?"
"Have I the honour of addressing Lord Turnus Rutulus?" asked the rich, full voice that emerged from out of the scroll.
"It is I," Turnus replied. "And who are you, sir?"
"Of course, my name is Doctor Arthur Watts, and this is my associate, Chrysalis. We were hoping to speak with Lady Juturna and with Professor Lionheart."
Turnus looked at Juturna. She shook her head; she had never heard of a Doctor Watts before, or Chrysalis for that matter.
"Salem," Camilla mouthed silently.
Lionheart nodded, without saying a word.
"We will be with you directly," Turnus said, shutting the scroll before Doctor Watts could reply.
"What are you going to do?" Juturna asked.
"Give them no cause to suspect you of any disloyalty that might lead them to retaliate against you," Turnus said. "Not until we have this weapon and can use its power to get out from under their thumb."
"I'm not under her thumb," Juturna protested. "If I was, I wouldn't be so quick to suggest that we might not need her, would I?"
"Nevertheless, I will not take the risk," Turnus declared. His gaze became a little disapproving. "You should not have gotten involved with such people."
"I wanted to help you," Juturna said.
"I know," Turnus replied, his voice soft and gentle, "but I would not trade a single hair on your head for crown and throne and the whole city of Mistral at my feet. And you ought to have remembered that."
"Um…my lord," Lionheart murmured. "May I ask…what is to become of-"
"Nothing, yet," Turnus told him. "I am not happy that you lied to my sister, but it appears that she can find it in herself to forgive you, and besides…you may be of use to us yet." He stepped forward and smacked Lionheart across the face hard enough to send him staggering. "But deceive Juturna again, and I will not be so generous, do you understand?"
Lionheart clutched his face. "Yes, my lord. You make yourself perfectly clear."
"Then come," Turnus commanded. "Let us see what these envoys of Salem would have of us."
“Wait, no!” Juturna cried, because things were starting to get a little out of hand at this point. “No, you can’t go with me. I have to greet them alone.”
“Why?” demanded Turnus.
“Because if you come with me, then they’ll know you know,” Juturna explained. “And then…I didn’t want to get either of you involved in this.”
“If you are involved,” Camilla said, softly but firmly nonetheless, “then we are involved.”
“No,” Juturna said. “You’re not.”
“You expect me to let my little sister-”
“I’m your little sister, not your baby sister.”
“You could be my older sister, and I would not let you consort with cutthroats and terrorists alone!” Turnus snapped.
“I’ve been doing it already,” Juturna pointed out.
“That doesn’t make me any more disposed to let it continue,” Turnus muttered.
“Listen to me,” Juturna pleaded. She really, really didn’t want either of them to get any deeper into this than they were already. She hadn’t meant to get them involved at all – they already knew too much; why did Pyrrha have to say anything? – but dragging them yet deeper into the mire of Salem’s machinations was far too much. “If you two stay out of this, it will be easier for you to work upon our plans from the outside if we need them. Then you can ride to the rescue if I get into too much trouble with these guys, okay?”
Turnus scowled. “You are not to let them drag you away,” he instructed her. “No matter the cause, you are not to leave the city in their company. Ideally, you will not even leave the house. You may go to Manjushage, but they will not go with you, and other than that-”
“House arrest,” Juturna said, making it sound more agreeable than it maybe should have been. She gave her brother a faux-Atlesian salute. “You got it, Bro.”
Turnus rolled his eyes. “I don’t know whether it’s good that you’ve recovered your usual flippancy or not.”
Juturna grinned at him. “I won’t be long,” she said. “Probably. Come on, Lionheart, let’s greet our visitors.” She began to stride towards the door, not waiting for Lionheart but rather leaving him to follow along behind her.
Before she had quite reached the door, Camilla caught her by the arm. “Be careful,” she urged, “and if…don’t hesitate to come to me. I can’t say that I like what you have done, but…I will always protect you.”
“I know,” Juturna whispered. She sniggered. “Although, if something were to happen to me, you’d be in a great position to-“
“Don’t!” Camilla hissed. “Don’t even joke about something like that. You know that if we…” she shook her head. “Just go,” she said, with exasperated resignation in her voice.
Juturna chuckled as she led Lionheart down the stairs and out of the house. The courtyard was not completely empty; there were a couple of squads doing drill on the right hand side, while on the left a little closer to the gate two of her brother’s huntsmen were sparring with one another, darting and weaving their way amongst the statues as their weapons clashed. They didn’t stop to acknowledge Juturna or Lionheart as the two of them made their way towards the gate.
“Do you know either of these two?” Juturna asked.
“No,” Lionheart said. “This will be my first time meeting either. I wasn’t even aware that Chrysalis was...involved in all of this.”
“A bit unfortunate,” Juturna admitted, as she clapped her hands to signal the gate to open. The metallic barrier slid sideways, behind the wall, rumbling a little as the motors worked.
On the other side of the gate stood two figures, accompanied by a squad of androids, their bodies concealed beneath long grey cloaks, with some kind of spears held in their claw-like metallic hands, flanking the two visitors on either side like some kind of honour guard. Juturna wondered why they had bothered bringing the robots; it wasn’t as if they had not strength enough within these walls, and if they did not, then a few androids would not make much difference.
One of the two who now stood at her gate was a man, presumably Doctor Watts; he was middle-aged, his hair turned to grey at the tips, his mouth concealed behind a walrus moustache. He was tall and thin and too much of either for Juturna’s liking. Nobody should be that slender; it wasn’t right.
His companion was a faunus woman, a bug of some kind, judging by the gossamer wings on her back, brown-skinned, with long, lank hair of a sickly blue-green colour, while her eyes were as green as emeralds. A pair of fangs, small but sharp, jutted out of her mouth over her bottom lip. Her neck was bare, exposing the green choker that she wore around it, but the rest of her was wholly concealed beneath a suit of black, chitinous armour, with bulky shoulder-pads and long and vicious-looking spikes jutting out of the equally large vambraces. She wore a sword – or at least it looked like a sword now – thrust into the green sash that she wore around her waist.
The slender man bowed to her. “Lady Juturna, I presume.”
“Indeed. Doctor Watts?”
“Quite,” Doctor Watts agreed. “And this is my associate, Chrysalis. Lionheart, it’s good to finally meet you.”
“Likewise, Doctor,” Lionheart murmured. “Ma’am.”
Chrysalis chuckled, though at being called "ma’am" or at something else altogether, Juturna couldn’t have said.
“I presume you know,” Doctor Watts said, “why we are here.”
“Or at least whom we are here on behalf of,” Chrysalis amended.
Juturna nodded. “I have to say, when she promised me power, I was expecting…maybe something a little different.”
Chrysalis laughed once more. “I, too, had my expectations…confounded. But I have learnt that the offer of power can be more the opportunity to take power for oneself.”
Juturna snorted. “If I wanted to take power for myself, I wouldn’t need the help.”
“Rest assured, my lady, you will find us very capable associates,” Doctor Watts declared. “If we may-“
“Of course, come in,” Juturna said. “Come in, come in. I presume you’ll be staying a while.”
“Until our business is concluded,” Doctor Watts confirmed, as he and Chrysalis walked through the gate. “Now, as we could do with a little filling-in on the state of affairs in this city, perhaps you wouldn’t mind leading us somewhere we can talk.”
"Two of them?" Pyrrha repeated.
"Yes," Aska replied. "Doctor Arthur Watts and Chrysalis of the White Fang."
"You recognised both of them?" Jaune asked.
"From their photographs, yes," Aska confirmed. "I thought that Chrysalis was in prison, but she must have escaped since I left Atlas."
"With help from Salem, perhaps," Pyrrha muttered. She sat at her dressing table with her back to the vanity mirror. Aska had caught them both as she and Jaune returned from lunch, and they had gone into Pyrrha's bedroom to talk privately. "And they were met at the gate by Lionheart and Juturna?"
"They were," Aska informed her. She stood before Pyrrha like an Atlesian soldier, feet spread apart and hands clasped behind her back. "They went inside, and the gate closed behind. I am afraid I could see no more."
"You've seen enough," Jaune told her. He stood at Pyrrha's side, one hand resting gently upon her shoulder.
Aska acknowledged that with a stiff nod. "Shall I resume my watch at the house?"
"Yes," Pyrrha said. "But if either Watts or Chrysalis – or Lionheart or Juturna for that matter – leave the compound, then follow them; it will be no good to know that they're there if we don't know what they're doing."
"'Follow'?" Aska echoed softly. "Or would you like me to intercept them on the way? It would be wise to make an end of them as swiftly as we may, if the opportunity presents itself."
"It would be wise," Jaune acknowledged, "but would it be safe?"
Aska bristled just a little at the affront. "You think me incapable?"
"No one is saying that, nor will they," Pyrrha assured her, “but we know how deadly and dangerous the servants of Salem can be; she does not employ weak agents to do her bidding. You may not be a match for them, and they would show you no mercy once the battle was joined."
"Much must be risked in war," Aska reminded them.
"But not to no good purpose," Pyrrha argued. "You said that you knew Chrysalis's image; do you know her reputation also?"
"I do," Aska said. "She is as ruthless as you say, and cunning. It is no surprise to me that Salem has sought her out."
"And is she strong?" asked Jaune.
Aska was silent for a moment. "I am not weak in my own account," she declared proudly.
"No," Pyrrha agreed. "But if you were to perish in a futile battle that you could not win…to what end would you throw away your life so rashly?" She smiled. "I do not wish, nor do I intend, to tell your father that you died for nothing."
It seemed that there was a little water in Aska's eyes. Her mouth twisted in distaste. "I am sure he would not care; as I told you, he has other daughters, and better suited to his needs."
"Yet I am sure that he must love you still, if he is not a cruel man," Pyrrha replied, "and I would not wish to think of Professor Ozpin enlisting so cruel a man into his service. But leaving that aside, will you not simply take care upon your own account?"
"By my sacrifice shall the city prosper and our enemies fail," Aska murmured, reciting the Atlesian catechism.
"Sacrifice, I understand," Pyrrha assured her. "I, too, would sacrifice my life to preserve this kingdom, without hesitation, but I would not waste the life of a single Myrmidon in a battle that would yield nothing but their death. Do not provoke a confrontation that you cannot win. You are more use to us as our eyes upon the house of the Rutulians than you are as an honoured memory."
“And besides,” Jaune added, “the resources of Salem are vast, we don't know how many agents she has at her command on top of the grimm. We stopped Cinder, and she just used Amber instead; Amber died, and now, we have Chrysalis. Even if you killed her, then she’d just be replaced next week, but we only have one another, and you in particular, you’re the only ninja we have, the only person who can do what you’re doing right now. That’s not a trade we can afford to make. It’s not even a trade we can afford to risk.”
Aska’s lips twitched in a smile that was almost a smirk. “For a moment, you sounded almost like my father,” she said, her tone becoming more businesslike. “Very well, I shall observe their coming and going, but no more." She bowed, fist into palm, and made her exit from the bedroom.
The door closed behind her with a click.
"So," Pyrrha said, "Salem has sent her agents to Mistral."
"It looks like it," Jaune agreed.
"She's making her move," Pyrrha declared.
"Starting to," Jaune clarified.
"Yes, of course," Pyrrha murmured. "It begins now, and I have just signed away our freedom to act against her plots."
"We're free to act so long as we don't get caught," Jaune argued.
Pyrrha could not help but chuckle. "Yes, I suppose that's one way to look at it." She twisted around, glancing at her reflection in the mirror: a girl dressed for the beau monde, not the battlefield. "It appears that we won't be going to the ballet tonight," she said wistfully.
Jaune's eyebrows rose. "Why not?"
Pyrrha stared at him in astonishment. "Surely, you're not suggesting-"
"What are we actually going to do?" Jaune asked reasonably. "Sit around here worrying all night about things we can't change? We know that there are more agents of Salem in the Rutulian house than there were before, but we can't get at them there, and we don't know what they're planning either. It's not as though we can move against them this very night."
"Of course not," Pyrrha said. "Especially not now that we have both pledged our services to the Council under Terri-Belle's command. Juturna may bring civil strife to the streets of Mistral by her involvement with Salem and her followers, but I will not inaugurate it. The Myrmidons will not draw first blood within the city walls."
"Then what are you going to do?" Jaune demanded. "Brood on it?"
Pyrrha understood the point that he was trying to make, but that didn't mean that she could wholeheartedly agree with it. "Aska isn't getting the night off," she pointed out. "It feels wrong to go out and enjoy myself with you while she maintains her watch."
"We've done that already," Jaune reminded her.
"I know," Pyrrha said, with just a little self-reproach entering her voice, "but it may not have been right then, and it feels more wrong now that she has more reason to keep a keen lookout."
Jaune knelt down before her and reached out to take her hands. "I don't know what Watts and Chrysalis are here to do," he said. "Beyond our general guesses, I mean. I don't know exactly what they're planning or how exactly we can stop them, but I know that we will stop them. Just like I know that there will be hard fighting up ahead and days and nights when we'll regret the fact that we didn't go to the ballet when we had the chance. Let me take you out," he urged, "before I have to send you into battle again."
Pyrrha smiled. "You know just what to say to a girl, don't you?"
"That's because the girl knows that what I'm saying is right," Jaune replied. "And besides, we're as likely to have an idea on our way as we are staring at the walls. And with a little luck…well, they only just got here. If we're fortunate, they won't even have their plan figured out yet."
The wardrobe door was ever so slightly ajar in Juturna's room, a shadowy crevice leading into the recesses of the oversized closet itself. She hadn't bothered to close the door, as it wasn't bothering anybody being open the way it was, and neither Doctor Watts nor Chrysalis seemed to care, if they even noticed.
Juturna sat on the bed, her legs crossed, her stuffed animals clustered all around her as the pastel pink quilt cover crumpled beneath her. Doctor Watts had taken the spindly white wooden chair that normally rested beneath the writing desk in the far left corner of the room, Lionheart looked rather awkward sitting on the padded stool in front of the lavender dressing table, while Chrysalis leaned against the wall near the door. The latter had a rather mocking look upon her face, or at least that was how it seemed to Juturna herself. She didn't like it. She might have to teach this woman her place if she kept on smirking like that.
"The kingdom has been plagued by repeated grimm attacks ever since the CCT went down," Juturna explained. "Is that your doing?"
Doctor Watts looked at Lionheart. "Exactly how much have you told her, Leo?"
"Only as much as she needs to know, I assure you," Lionheart replied.
"You and I have a slightly different definition of 'need to know,'" Doctor Watts muttered.
"I need to know everything," Juturna said.
"Do you?" Chrysalis asked, in a tone as mocking as the look on her face. "And why is that?"
"Because you two are here to help me out," Juturna declared. "To serve me and to work towards my goals. I have kept my end of the bargain that I made with Salem; it's time that she held up hers."
"And it will be upheld, I assure you," Doctor Watts said, with a trace of amusement in his voice, "but I fear, my lady, that you misunderstand. Sheltering Professor Lionheart in your home was not the end of your obligations under your agreement with our mistress, merely the beginning of them."
"'The beginning'?" Juturna repeated. "What else is there?"
"I'm not sure, yet," Doctor Watts admitted. "That depends on how things stand here, for one thing. We will help you to achieve your ambitions, but we will expect you to reciprocate when it comes to ours."
Juturna smiled. "Of course," she said. "So long as my brother is king by the time we're through, then you won't hear me complain about the price."
Doctor Watts flashed a smile from underneath his walrus moustache. "That's the spirit. Resolve…worthy of an Atlesian, one might say."
Juturna laughed. "My brother is the one who would be flattered by that comparison, Doctor, not me."
"Indeed? In any case, the answer to your original question is no, the spate of grimm attacks are not the result of any intent of ours," Doctor Watts explained. "Rather, the result of the creatures' own nature. Doubtless, the panic engendered by the attacks is creating a vicious cycle, in which grimm are attracted to the fear caused by earlier attacks, in turn creating more fear which then draws in even more grimm."
"The bandit attacks probably don't help either," Juturna said.
Doctor Watts chuckled. "No, my lady. Probably not."
"We did not see much sign of havoc on our journey into the city," Chrysalis remarked.
"Are you calling me a liar?" Juturna demanded.
"I'm saying that it didn't look like a countryside that was being ravaged by grimm and bandits alike."
"My lady," Juturna growled.
"Hmm?" came the reply from Chrysalis.
"I am Juturna Rutulus," she declared. "My father was commissioner of police, my grandfather won the Vytal Festival for Haven Academy, my great-great grandfather commanded the army that stormed the Stallion Pass during the Great War, so don't talk to me like I'm some little girl." She was not as proud as Turnus, as a rule; but she could be, in a pinch, and she wasn't about to take this lying down. "I'm the reason you're here."
"Yes, you are, aren't you?" Chrysalis murmured. "My lady," she added, bowing her head.
Juturna's eyes narrowed. "The reason things don't look too bad out there," she explained, "is that Pyrrha Nikos has raised a company and leads them in defence of the settlements around Mistral. They’re mostly Haven students, a few tournament fighters, I think. They call themselves the Myrmidons."
"How gallant of her," Doctor Watts observed. "Are any other of her Beacon teammates here in Mistral with her?"
"The boy," Juturna said. "The one she brought home from Vale. He's going to marry her."
"Jaune Arc," Doctor Watts murmured. "What of Sunset Shimmer and Ruby Rose?"
"Who?"
"They are probably still in Vale," Doctor Watts said to himself. "Even so, two Sapphires here in Mistral."
"They will have to be dealt with, I presume?" Chrysalis asked.
"Is that necessary?" demanded Juturna. "I…is it necessary?"
"How much do Pyrrha and Jaune know about us?" Doctor Watts inquired in turn.
"More than I'd like," Juturna admitted. "Pyrrha called unexpectedly and saw Lionheart here."
"Then it is almost certain to come to a confrontation at some point," Doctor Watts said. "Is that a problem, my lady?"
"No," Juturna replied at once, "it's not a problem, it's just…unfortunate." I warned you not to get in my way, Pyrrha.
"And what has the Council been doing while Pyrrha Nikos takes on the first duty of the state?" asked Doctor Watts.
"Fretted about how popular and powerful she's getting," Juturna said with a grin. "In all seriousness, I think that's like fifty percent of what they've been doing, and the other fifty percent is having a lot of votes that all failed, thanks, in part, to Lionheart."
"It's good to see that you're continuing to put your talents for bureaucratic mischief to good use, Lionheart," Doctor Watts observed. "Between obstructing votes in Council to botching team selections to watering down the Haven curriculum, it's clear that your talents lie in management; you would have been wasted as an ordinary huntsman."
"I…thank you, Doctor," Lionheart replied, in a tone that suggested he wasn't entirely sure it was a compliment.
"That changed today, though," Juturna said. "After an attack in which the entire able-bodied population of a town was abducted before the Myrmidons could arrive. Was-"
"No, my lady, that wasn't us either," Doctor Watts declared preemptively. "You were saying that things have changed as a result?"
Juturna nodded. "As of today, the Myrmidons, my brother's own Rutulian Security, and a company raised by Councillor Lady Ming have joined together to form a kind of army, under the command of the Steward’s' eldest daughter, Terri-Belle, the Warden of the Mistral Tower. From now on, they'll work with the Imperial Guard to defend the interior settlements."
"And what of the farther regions?" Doctor Watts pressed.
"Bandit clans who wish to be pardoned for their crimes will be given license to administer and tax the outlying sectors in exchange for protecting them from the grimm," Juturna said. "I came up with that idea," she added, not without a touch of pride.
"What did you hope to gain by it, my lady?" Chrysalis asked.
"An army, in the end," Juturna replied. "My brother will need one for his plans."
Doctor Watts stared at her for a moment, before the smile flashed like a knife once more from underneath his moustache. "So the Council is united now?"
"Mostly, but only about that," Juturna said. "Pyrrha has been telling people about Lionheart's connection to Cinder Fall. They may try and use it to remove him."
"That would be less than ideal," Doctor Watts agreed. "Forgive me, but it has been some time since I was last in Mistral. Who are the Councillors now? Lord Diomedes is still Steward, yes?"
"Yeah," Juturna said. "He mostly wants to keep things the way they were and not give up his power, I think. Lady Ming's wealth comes from inside the city walls and all the homes and businesses she owns and rents out; so she isn't very concerned with defending the territories, one way or another. She wants to provoke a confrontation with Atlas to distract people from the problems of the kingdom, which is stupid."
"Because you'd lose," Chrysalis observed.
"Exactly," Juturna agreed. "Councillor Timur owns extensive lands outside the city; since they provide his income, he supported Pyrrha and her actions in defending his lands, but he also wants to pick a fight with Atlas because he thinks we underestimate ourselves and we'll turn out to be much stronger than we think once we actually take the step. Councillor Ward used to be a lawyer; one of those crusading types who are always going up against the system. He's mellowed out since he got elected but he tends to vote the way Pyrrha would like him to. And then there's Lionheart, obviously."
Doctor Watts nodded. "So Lady Ming and Councillor Timur are the swing votes?"
"I suppose you could put it like that," Juturna replied.
Doctor Watts stroked his chin with one hand. "A war between Atlas and Mistral is not in the least desirable," he said. "A conflict of that sort would strengthen Ironwood's position as people look to a proven, seasoned commander, while Jacques' lack of political experience would count against him in such circumstances. No, that won't do at all."
“Jacques?” Juturna asked. “Someone I should know?”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Doctor Watts said, before an incredulous Chrysalis could open her mouth. “Suffice to say that Salem has plans in operation far afield from Mistral.”
"Right. Anyway, Turnus agrees that we don’t need a war with Atlas," Juturna said. "In fact, he thinks that we need to grow closer to Atlas, not become hostile to it."
"Then your brother is a wise man," Doctor Watts said.
"Fortunately," Chrysalis said, "I think that I have the perfect set of skills to move this city in the right direction."
"'Skills'?" Juturna asked. "What skills?"
Chrysalis did not answer. She just smiled, a predatory, almost bestial smile that showed off more teeth than the two fangs most prominent in her mouth.
And her laughter was chilling.
They left without giving Juturna much more clue about their exact and immediate intentions, and Juturna was left alone.
Until she heard the wardrobe door – the door that had been ajar when she came in – creak open.
“Do you still believe that you hold the leash on them?” Camilla asked as she climbed out of the closet.
Juturna stared at her. “Did you…? Were you in there the entire time?”
Camilla nodded. “I thought that you might bring them here,” she explained. “So I made sure to get into place before you did.”
“You hid a lot better than you did from Turnus,” Juturna remarked.
A slight flush rose to Camilla’s cheeks. “It wasn’t a serious matter, hiding from Turnus.”
“Your happiness is very serious to me.”
“Now you’re just trying to change the subject,” Camilla said. She walked quickly across the room and climbed onto the bed next to Juturna. “You shouldn’t have taken that tone with her.”
“What tone?”
“You know very well what tone,” Camilla replied. “‘I am Juturna, daughter of the House of Rutulus.’”
“I am a daughter of the House of Rutulus!”
“You rarely act like it,” Camilla pointed out, “and you were unwise to do so in front of that woman.”
“So I should have let her talk to me that way?”
“She will not forget that you humiliated her, and in front of others,” Camilla murmured. “I fear that she will not forgive it either.”
“And you divined her nature from listening to her from the inside of my closet?”
“I could have divined that from falling asleep and waking only to hear her laugh,” Camilla declared. She reached out and clasped Juturna’s shoulders. “I was not born in this palatial house; I have seen a little more of the world than you, and of the villains who inhabit it. Trust me when I say that woman is dangerous. I can smell malice on her like perfume.”
“You’re exaggerating!”
“And you are too blithe in this by far!” Camilla snapped. “Far too blithe for what you have taken on. Consorting with murderers and terrorists, with the White Fang and who knows what else?”
With the grimm. “You’re saying you don’t think I’m taking this seriously enough?”
“Do you think that you’re taking this seriously enough?”
“They’re only here because I invited them,” Juturna said. “What have I to fear? What have any of us to fear?”
“I fear for you,” Camilla whispered. She pulled Juturna into an embrace. “Why?” she asked. “Answer me that? Why, when you have so much? When you have been born to wealth and beauty and all the luxuries that a person could wish for, when you are so very blessed in all the treasures of mankind, why, Juturna, why would you step thus into the shadows?”
“Because you weren’t happy, and neither was he,” Juturna said, as she rested her head upon Camilla’s shoulder.
“I never asked you to do this,” Camilla said. “My happiness…this brings me no joy.”
“No,” Juturna agreed, “but it will bring Turnus peace, I hope. I…I genuinely and truly believe that he has the vision this country needs. He will make us a second Atlas if he is given the opportunity, and with all that Mistral has that Atlas has not, combining our abundant resources with Atlesian virtues…he will see the glory of Mistral renewed in ways that the Council and the Steward and Pyrrha could never imagine. Anything less than that would dishonour this country and bring it to shame.”
Camilla chuckled. “So you’re a Mistralian patriot now?”
“No,” Juturna replied. “I just love my brother.”
Camilla was quiet for a moment. “Do you remember when we were much younger, when I first came to live with you, and I used to sleep at your door?”
It was Juturna’s turn to chuckle at the memory. “You thought that you had to prove to Dad that you were worth keeping. You know that was never true, right?”
“I know,” Camilla agreed. “But now…would you mind if I went back to that, just while our guests are here?”
Juturna frowned. “You want to…sleep on the floor?”
“For a little while,” Camilla murmured. “So long as the monsters are here.”
Autumn Blaze stood in the hallway, cradling a golden statue of not insubstantial size, a statue of a kirin if Pyrrha’s eyes did not mistake her.
“Pyrrha, I know that this is sudden,” Autumn said, “but I need to go home and get this statue back to my village as quickly as possible so I’m going to need a little bit of time off.”
“Of course,” Pyrrha said, even though she didn’t really understand what was going on. “But...your village?”
“This is our guardian,” Autumn Blaze said, holding the statue aloft a little bit. “Once I get him back home, then we won’t need a vow of silence to keep the grimm away, and people will be able to talk again!” She gasped. “Sunflare will be able to laugh again, and Rain Shine will be able to sing her beautiful harmonies, and oh, Pyrrha, before I forget, could I maybe borrow a couple of your friends to help escort me home? I’m worried there might be some angry gangsters looking to get their stolen statue back.”
Pyrrha leaned sideways just a little, so that she could see behind Autumn to where Nora, Swift Foot, Ditzy, and Neptune stood attempting to appear nonchalant.
Pyrrha asked, “Would someone mind explaining to me just what has been going on while I’ve been out?”
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Wow she is an ambitious IDIOT!!!
Good to see that Juturna has finally gotten a proper taste of reality of what she has gotten herself, her family, and all of Mistral into. But I'm afraid it's too late now to have second thoughts.
Now Dr. Watts and Chrysalis have arrived. Salem's plans for Mistral will soon be in motion. We have a genius schemer and a shapeshifter... what a formidable combination in Mistral. And thanks to Salem's new crown, they are already suspicious of Juturna's commitment. On a similar note, now that we're drawing elements from GI Joe, I wonder if Watts will do something like this to Turnus to keep Juturna in line?
Guardian Statue? Vow of Silence? Pyrrha is as confused as I am!
Juturna is an ambitious fool playing games she doesn't understand. She went in there with good intentions... but that doesn't excuse what she has done.
At least those closest to her are not idiots!
Starting to get Cobra Commander vibes from Turnus between the authoritarianism, personal army thing, and the Iron Grenadiers already being akin to Destro.
I really hope there is some kinda cobra commander in this series. Specifically one like this version,
10324249
Please! an ambitious Idiot is far Smarter than Juturna
10324417
They might not be, but the might of the Pyrrha Obsessed Atlas fanboy and his kitty sidekick might not be enough to save her...
10324344
10324541
The G. I. Joe vibes were on since the existence of MARS and the Iron Grenadiers was revealed...
10324683
An ambitious “certified, Grade-A S-Tier, Brain-Dead, Moron?” She that?
10324691
I'd go more with "a-too-stupid-to-let-alive "pasable" substitute of a human"
10324683
As well as the mention of Turnus' house having an ancestor named McCullen who was a powerful arms dealer and was encased in an iron mask. Which is one of the reasons I get the vibe of the disgraced Atlesian scientist inflicting a similar fate on his descendent to keep them in line, all through the technology of the kingdom Turnus sought to make an impression of. Just like James McCullen.
10324705
that bit escaped me, so I expect the current Destro is out there... maybe there'll be a stupid snake on his circle of fiendships...
10324703
Dare you to combine the two!
10324716
"A certified, Grade-A S-Tier, Brain-Dead, too stupid to let alive "passable" substitute of a Human moron?"
10324683
Very true... I can't see things ending well for that family. Juturna is probably going to have redemption=death moment. Or someone will die for her!
I can't believe how stupid Juane and Phyrra are being!
I get that they are used to operating alone, but in what world does it make sense to not tell anyone that an Altesian criminal and a White Fang terrorist are being hosted in the city!?
All it would take to tumble this entire setup is for Phyrra to send a quick text to a council member: "Oh, by the way, one of my people saw Chrysalis being greeter by Turnus's sister"
10327190
Maybe it's because with the CCT down, they don't know about Watts being considered a criminal in Atlas (in SAPR, it's hinted he went into self-imposed exile I think) and Ironwood had what Chrysalis is truly capable off kept hidden to prevent an even bigger public fallout at Atlas?
And lets not forget the tense tensions now between Atlas and Mistral to further add to the CCT system being down and Mistral suffering internal chaos due to the Grimm, increased bandit raids and the Mistralian Council's internal bickering and power politics. So the true extent of the problem with Watts and Chrysalis can't be shared with Jaune and Phyrra from Atlas.
10327190
Well, they don't really have any proof that they are here (your own people as eyewitness is not really valid and that is some mayor accusations), Mistral cares very little about criminals of other kingdoms, the council has given ample proof that they care very little about Pyrrha opinion and doing any kind of noise would tell team Salem that they know that they are here.
Just add it to the pile of issues that having no-one in a real position of power aware and against Salem is giving them.
She's a selfish one, isn't she? Her ways of making her close ones happy are paved with innocent life. And has she ever asked what would make them happy or she just assumed she knows best?
Could press further here. Blood shall be spilled soon.
I think about it now but what was the point of keeping Chrysalis (a terrorist) alive if it was to keep her perpetually in the equivalent of a mouse cage where she was taken out just to feed her?
10848937
Because Atlas doesn't have the death penalty.
10324249
Idiot is to nice a word...maybe dumb suicidal maniac would work better?