While Cossette and Fiona were resting, and Naomi was heading to her room, a Nemesis suddenly appeared. It had been a long time since Fiona last saw a Nemesis the last time was still in Dukewood. But Weimar is one of the kingdoms with the most rifts.
Naomi: "What is that?"
Fiona: "Stay still… that's a Nemesis… a Nemesis… a high ranking one, too…"
Nemesis: "Ahhhh…"
It had blue skin, an open mouth, and its eyes were made of dark holes.
Fiona: "A Weeper!"
Weepers are a specific type of Nemesis… they're strong… According to their title, Weeper once got that name because of its screams… and its eyes, which shed dark tears… A Weeper is very smart for a Nemesis. It's not an object Nemesis or an animal Nemesis. Weepers are beings that feed on the emotion of grief.
Weeper: "Hrrrr…"
Its mouth opened even wider. Dark tears flowed from its eyes… and from those tears, small object Nemesis were born. Object Nemesis are objects they are spirits of thrown objects or dead objects, usually objects that are also spirit like beings, just cursed spirits.
Object Nemesis: "Clack… clack!"
Weeper: "Arghhhh… hhhhh…"
It jumped at Naomi.
Naomi: "Help!"
Fiona: "Naomi!"
Fiona quickly grabbed her staff and struck it.
Weeper: "Roar…?"
Fiona: "Ugh!"
It knocked her away.
Crash
Cossette: "Oh no, Fiona!"
Fiona: "Urk… this is the first time I've seen a Weeper Nemesis in years… I forgot how strong they are…"
Her inner bones were broken… but Helle's blood regenerated her.
Fiona: "Ghhhh…"
Mr. Herold: "Fiona… I noticed something…"
Fiona: "What?"
Mr. Herold: "I found an item from Wonderland…"
Fiona: "An item?"
Mr. Herold: "Two weapon gloves. They give three weapons: first a dagger, second a pistol or rather guns, and third an instrument, a flute…"
Fiona: "Okay…"
The card came out of the hat. On it was written: Gloves.
Fiona: "Okay… let's try it…"
She took the card, and the gloves appeared. She put them on immediately.
Fiona: "Good… how do I take the weapons out…"
She tried to stand up and held a chair. The chair suddenly changed its shape.
Fiona: "Huh!!"
Into a rifle.
Fiona: "Ah, I get it…"
Naomi: "Help!"
Fiona: "Ugh!"
She rushed over.
Naomi: "Fiona…"
Fiona: "Huh!"
It held Naomi with both hands and opened its mouth.
Fiona: "Forget it."
Bang
She hit it.
Weeper: "Ughhh…"
Its hand fell to the floor.
Splash
Weeper: "Roarrrrrrr!"
It regenerated immediately, but dropped Naomi.
Naomi: "Urk…"
Fiona: "Now what do you say to that…"
Weeper: "Roarrr…"
The object Nemesis appeared it was clocks and bottles, and from them came hands, lilac colored hands…
Fiona: "Get lost…"
She shot at them.
Bang Bang
Cossette: "Ugh… I have to help…"
Fiona: "Cossette, take Naomi away from here…"
Cossette ran to Naomi and grabbed her hand.
Cossette: "Naomi, come with me…"
Naomi: "Ugh…"
She pulled her along.
Fiona: "Good… hey… Bobby? Are you here?"
Bob appeared.
Bob: "Hhhhhh…"
Fiona: "Good… you're here…"
His real name is Benedik Offenberg.
Fiona: "Ugh…"
The rift spread wider.
Fiona: "Wait, something's not right…"
A hand came out.
Fiona: "Ugh…"
Gulp
It was a Nemesis unknown to Fiona.
Fiona: "Ugh…"
It had wide teeth and a body made of skin and metal, blue skin, and an eye in the middle of its stomach…
Fiona: "Ugh… what kind of Nemesis is that…"
Swish
Weeper: "Roaar!"
Splash
The Weeper suddenly died.
Kafka: "Sorry I'm late…"
Fiona: "Kafka… what are you doing here?"
Kafka: "I actually live nearby…"
Fiona: "What is that Nemesis!"
Kafka: "That one? That's a strong Nemesis called Niro… a dangerous Nemesis…"
The Nemesis looked at him… then jumped out the window.
Fiona: "It's gone."
Kafka: "Of course… even if it's strong, it can still have trouble with me…"
Fiona: "What… okay… wait… what about Cossette and Naomi…"
Kafka: "They're fine…"
The door opened again.
Cossette: "Fiona!"
Naomi: "Ghh…"
Fiona: "Cossette… Naomi… are you okay?"
Cossette: "I'm fine, but Naomi has some wounds…"
Naomi: "Ugh…"
Kafka: "I'll take care of the wounds…"
Fiona: "Kafka… are the rifts here in Weimar really that bad?"
Kafka: "Mhm… in the last two years it's gotten even worse…"
Fiona: "Hmm… what about the forest… the Black Forest?"
Kafka: "Hmm… it's the same as always. Impossible to enter…"
Fiona: "When I was here three years ago it wasn't that bad. Half the forest couldn't be visited. Is it completely blocked now?"
Kafka: "Mhm… more deaths. The Nemesis caused unrest, and not to mention other monsters that have nothing to do with rifts spreading even more: werewolves, wendigos, sirens…"
Fiona: "Hmm…"
The Black Forest is in Weimar, more precisely near Eichenwald and Heidelberger. It's a forest almost as large as Roselande and Dehl combined. For centuries there have been many cases of supernatural beings, Nemesis, and ghosts in that forest. For more than three hundred years, only a certain area was allowed to be visited, but over time that area kept shrinking until entry was completely forbidden. In the past, werewolves were known for attacks there, and later there were other cases like sightings of ghosts, sirens, and Nemesis.
Kafka: "Good that I came…"
Fiona: "Mhm… thanks for your help…"
Kafka: "I'll take care of Naomi's wounds…"
He went to Naomi and examined her injuries.
Naomi: "Mmm…"
Kafka: "Wounds on the shoulder… stomach…"
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Naomi: "Mm…"
Kafka: "I understand. I can heal it a little, but only so it's not life threatening and doesn't hurt as much…"
He touched her. Dark smoke came out.
Kafka: "Alright… I'll use my ability…"
Fiona: "Wait… what kind of ability is that…"
Kafka: "A curse…"
Fiona: "A curse?"
Kafka: "Yes, curses… so to speak, the Kafka family was once cursed, back in the days of Franz Kafka the First… since then we use this ability. It's called Corrupted Smoke, or Crow Smoke…"
Naomi: "Mm…"
Kafka: "Done…"
Naomi looked at her shoulder.
Naomi: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "Oh, that's cool… the wound is gone…"
Kafka: "Mhm… it might still hurt a little… but nothing dangerous… Cossette, are you hurt?"
Cossette: "No…"
Kafka: "Good. Then I'll be on my way…"
Fiona: "Okay…"
They watched him leave the house.
Fiona: "Hmm…"
Cossette: "Naomi… are you okay…"
Naomi: "Yes… it's just the first time I've seen a Nemesis. In Roselande there were hardly any…"
Fiona: "Get used to it… Weimar has suffered from Nemesis attacks for over three hundred years, and from monster attacks for over five hundred years… as peaceful as it looks, Weimar is dangerous…"
She looked around, staring at the spot where the rift had appeared.
Fiona: "But what… was that other Nemesis that appeared right before Kafka showed up…"
Cossette: "Hmm…"
Naomi: "Excuse me… I want to rest for a moment…"
Fiona: "Yeah, no problem… I'll rest too. Cossette… stay with Naomi…"
Cossette: "What?"
Naomi: "Huh?"
Fiona: "Naomi, you're trembling…"
Naomi: "Ugh…"
Fiona: "Cossette should stay with you… she's warm and cute…"
Cossette: "Ugh…"
Fiona left the room.
Fiona: "Then I'll sleep alone for once… sweats…"
She lay down.
Thirty minutes later
Naomi: "Heehehe… you're warm, Cossette…"
Cossette: "Hehehe… you too, Naomi… you smell so nice…"
Naomi: "Oh… you're really the best little girl I've ever met…"
For Fiona, sleep was not going so well.
Fiona: "Sweats… I'm used to Cossette sleeping next to me by now… hey… Finrow…"
She took her hat.
Fiona: "Finrow…"
Finrow: "Yes?"
Fiona: "Come out for a moment…"
He came out.
Finrow: "What?"
Fiona: "Good…"
She held him tight and lay down, with him on her stomach.
Fiona: "Stay there… otherwise I can't sleep…"
Finrow: "Sweats… okay…"
Fiona: "And stop hitting my face with your rabbit ears, it tickles…"
Finrow: "Sorry…"
Fiona: "Hmm… how Remy is doing now…"
Meanwhile in Roselande
Remy: "Snore… snore…"
Casper: "Remy… oh my goodness… why are you sleeping so loud?"
Remy: "Snore…"
Back to Fiona
Fiona: "Hahh… zzz…"
A few hours later
Patch Patch
Kafka: "Zzz…"
Gerta: "Kafka…"
Gerta was in his house, watching him sleep. She pulled out a knife.
Gerta: "Ghhhh… hahh…"
She put the knife away.
Gerta: "I can't…"
Memory
Kafka: "Gerta… Gerta…"
Gerta: "What do you want?"
Kafka: "Why are you crying?"
Gerta: "None of your business. Leave me alone…"
Kafka: "Do you miss your parents…"
Gerta: "Mmm… I said leave me alone…"
Kafka: "Mmm…"
Gerta: "My parents died because of Weimar and its soldiers…"
Kafka: "Hmm…"
Gerta: "Mmm…"
She sat on the floor with her arms and legs crossed, hiding her head.
Gerta: "Mmm… I will never forgive the adults for that… for taking my parents away… and those children laughing with their parents… the parents who took mine away…"
Kafka: "My parents were killed by the Slavic kingdom…"
Gerta: "Huh?"
Kafka: "But I don't hold a grudge… I understand that you're angry…"
Gerta: "Hmph… one day I'll make sure those kids experience exactly what I experienced… let's see if they still laugh then… I got beaten again today just because I'm from Slavia…"
Kafka: "Wait… show me…"
Gerta: "Hey, what are you doing…"
He took her hand, pulled her hands away, and looked at her face.
Kafka: "Ugh…"
Gerta: "Satisfied…"
Bruises and wounds all over her face.
Gerta: "Are you happy now?"
Kafka: "Who did that…"
Gerta: "Why do you care… it was some assholes…"
Kafka: "Tell me who it was… I may be a dwarf, but I'm a Kafka… they'll regret hurting you…"
Gerta: "Hahh… it was Hans and Friedrich…"
Kafka: "Okay… stay here…"
Kafka walked off. Gerta followed him.
Friedrich: "What do you want, dwarf…"
Kafka: "Did you do that to Gerta!"
Hans: "So what, she's a Slavic whore…"
Kafka: "Are you confusing her with your mother?"
Hans: "What did you say, you dwarf…"
He grabbed Kafka's suit.
Hans: "Watch what you say…"
Kafka: "Hands off… or did you forget what my ability is?"
Hans: "Huh!"
Dark smoke swallowed Hans's hand.
Hans: "Aaaaaaargh… arghhhh…"
Kafka: "If you use your hands to hit women, then I have no choice but to make sure they never get used again…"
Hans: "Ughhh…"
Kafka: "What, hmm… hurts, doesn't it?"
Friedrich: "Stop…"
Kafka: "Who hit Gerta on the head and beat her face up like that?"
Hans: "It wasn't me… I mean it… it was Friedrich…"
Friedrich: "Ugh…"
Kafka: "So it was you…"
Friedrich ran at him but tripped.
Friedrich: "Urk…"
Kafka: "Hmm…"
He grabbed his face and let the dark smoke take him.
Friedrich: "Ahhhh… damn… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
Kafka: "Touch her again… and I'll make sure your face is nothing but wounds and stitches…"
Friedrich: "Please… ugh… I'm sorry…"
Gerta: "Kafka… that's enough…"
Kafka: "Gerta?!"
He let go. Friedrich clutched his head, Hans his arm.
Gerta: "What is this supposed to be?"
Kafka: "They hurt you…"
Gerta: "Still, it's my problem, not yours…"
Kafka: "Hmm…"
Gerta: "You can't use your hands to hurt others…"
She held his hand.
Kafka: "No… don't touch them…"
Gerta: "It's okay… Kafka… I mean Wolf… you don't need to use your hands to hurt people…"
Kafka: "Gerta… I just wanted to help…"
Gerta: "Ugh… you're so cute, you know that? You're not like them… you're kind and sweet… come on, let's go…"
Kafka: "Sorry…"
Gerta: "Hmm…"
She kissed his forehead.
Kafka: "Ugh…"
Gerta: "Thanks, Kafka… smiles…"
End of memory
Gerta: "I just can't…"
She stroked his cheek.
Gerta: "My little Kafka…"
She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Gerta: "I'm really sorry, Kafka… I won't let anything happen to you… once I manage to wake Mother up, I'll find a way to free you from your curse too… then you can live normally… find a nice woman… have a family… I don't deserve you… that's why I avoid you… take care of yourself, my little Kafka… no… my little Wolfi… Wolf… I don't know if we'll see each other again… that's why I wanted to say goodbye… I'm sadly heavily cursed… and I don't have long to live…"
She stepped back and turned around one more time.
Gerta: "I love you…"
Kafka woke up and quickly got up.
Kafka: "Ugh…"
He looked toward the window. It was open, and wind was coming in.
Kafka: "Hmm…"
He stood up.
Kafka: "Strange… I'm sure I closed it…"
He closed it. Behind the window, Gerta was hiding.
Gerta: "Hehehe… smiles… forgive me… Wolf…"
Meanwhile
Fiona: "Hahh…"
Fiona slept peacefully.
Meanwhile
Naomi: "Hahh…"
Cossette: "Mmm…"
They were being watched.
Gerrard: "Hmm… there was a strong Nemesis presence here… but it seems it's been handled…"
Patch
Gerta: "Meow…"
Gerrard: "Gerta…"
Gerta: "Meow…"
Gerrard: "I see. You have to take cat form again… are you tired…"
Gerta: "M… eow…"
Gerrard: "Alright… we can go… by the way, a strong Nemesis was here… I haven't felt such a presence in a long time. I think it was a Nemesis Knight… anyway, let's go…"
Gerta: "Meow…"
Gerrard: "Hmm…"
He carried her in his hand.
Gerrard: "You look really tired… the curse is spreading more…"
Gerta: "Meow…"
Gerrard: "I understand… we may need to find a solution for your curse first… you're important to us…"
Gerta fell asleep.
Gerrard: "Hmm… good. I'll fly now while holding her…"
He flew on.
Gerrard: "Hmm… what the hell…"
He stopped.
Gerta: "Mmm?"
Gerrard: "Ugh… what… the hell… is that…"
Gerta: "Ugh!"
In the direction of the Black Forest… there was a gigantic hole…
Gerrard: "Ugh… that's not good… such a huge rift… it's almost as big as the one forty years ago… we have to leave fast and tell Zoe…"
Meanwhile in the Black Forest
A gigantic rift opened in the Black Forest, about as big as a house.
Whoosh
Crash
Nemesis: "Rrrrrrr…"
They were dark beings with white skulls and one eye in the middle.
Nemesis: "Humans!"
Gulp
A mouth opened it was the belly of the creature.
Nemesis: "Humans…"
Patch Patch
Masked Nemesis: "Hahh… finally we're here…"
Nemesis usually can barely speak… however, there are certain Nemesis who can speak. They are smart, look a bit more human, can think, speak, and even speak fluently. They are called Phantom Nemesis… and they're far more dangerous than normal Nemesis.
Masked Nemesis: "Hehehe… I can already smell the flesh of humans from here…"
She opened her mouth and her tongue came out.
Splash
Masked Nemesis: "Hehehehe… someone can't control their hunger…"
Jingle
She held a strange wooden staff with bells.
Masked Nemesis: "Hehehe…"
Phantom Nemesis: "Jorinde… don't you think there are plenty of animals here…"
Jorinde: "Oh, Joringel… I'm only interested in human flesh… a pregnant woman, or just humans, would be delicious… for us Nemesis, humans are simply tasty. They have lots of blood and organs, and every human tastes different… hmm?"
Phantom Nemesis: "Did you hear that?"
Masked Nemesis: "Yes… I did… something moved… must have been an animal…"
A few hours later
Crash
Gerrard: "Miss Zoe…"
Zoe: "Hmm?"
Gerrard: "Emergency… there's a huge rift in the Black Forest… I've rarely seen something that big… it's almost as big as the one forty years ago."
Zoe: "Hmm…?"
Five members plus Gerta and Gerrard, so seven in total.
Zoe: "Dante… Estades?"
Dante: "Hmm."
Dante, member of the Dark Arrow, age 24, known as Metal Fist.
Dante: "I don't know… what do you think, Zhen…"
Zhen: "Hmm?"
Zhen Mou Lein, member of the Dark Arrow, 30 years old, known for her long hair.
Zhen: "I'm not sure what to think about it…"
Zoe: "What do you think, Herteran?"
Herteran: "Tch…"
Herteran Bertram, member of the Dark Arrow, known for poison.
Herteran: "I think we should go and see for ourselves…"
Zoe: "And what do you think, Namelia?"
Namelia Betrachen: "I agree with Herteran…"
Namelia Betrachen, member of the Dark Arrow, known for chainsaws.
Zoe: "Good… who's in favor of us going to check it ourselves?"
Gerrard: "I am…"
Namelia: "Mhm…"
Herteran: "Mhm…"
Zhen: "Mhm…"
Dante: "I agree…"
Zoe: "Good… then I propose we also hear Gerta's opinion."
Gerta: "Meow…"
Gerrard: "She's exhausted… that's why I wanted to ask if we maybe shouldn't first look for a solution to her curse…"
Zoe: "Hmm… there is a small solution… the flesh of a Nemesis…"
Gerrard: "Wait, miss… isn't that dangerous…"
Zoe: "Bring it here…"
Splash
They placed the flesh of a Nemesis. It looked blue and sticky.
Zoe: "It's not a long term solution… but it weakens the curse…"
Gerta: "Meow…"
Gerta transformed back.
Gerta: "Hahhhh… okay…"
She held the flesh.
Gerta: "What does it taste like?"
Gerrard: "Hmm…"
Zoe: "Well… the ones who survived didn't tell us…"
Gerta: "Great…"
She ate it.
Smack
Gerta: "Mmm… smack… mmmm… ghh…"
She grabbed her throat.
Gerta: "Mmmmm… bbbbbbbb…"
Pomf Pomf Pomf
Gerta: "Gaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
She fell to the floor.
Gerrard: "Ugh…"
Zoe: "Leave her…"
Gerta: "Hahhhh… hahhh… hahhh…"
Inside Gerta's body
Her veins sped up. Her heart pumped twice as fast as a running human. The veins darkened…
Gerta: "Ghhhh…"
Pump
Gerta: "Ghhhhhhhhhh…"
Gerta stopped moving.
Gerrard: "Gerta…?"
Her hands twitched. Then she tried to get up.
Gerta: "Hahhhh… boah… tastes awful…"
Gerrard: "You survived?"
Gerta: "No… but thanks to my nine cat lives, I survived… I still have seven…"
Gerrard: "I see…"
Gerta: "As for the suggestion that we go into the Black Forest… I'm in."
Zoe: "Very good…"
Meanwhile with Eisenhauer
Eisenhauer: "Hmm… a rift in the Black Forest… I don't like that at all…"
He stood up and started thinking.
Click click
Blob blobb
His fish looked at him.
Click click
The clock ticked and ticked… it was too quiet… so quiet that he could hear his own sweat running down his cheeks…
Splop
Splash
Eisenhauer: "Ah whatever… I'm going to sleep… I don't care what happens. If I'm tired, I can't think anyway…"
Rosalia: "Then lie down and shut up…"
Eisenhauer: "Huh… did I wake you… sorry…"
Rosalia lay on the bed with the blanket over her, wearing an undershirt.
Rosalia: "Come now…"
Eisenhauer: "Alright, alright… I'm coming…"
Rosalia: "Hahh…"
Tick tick tick
Blobbb
Meanwhile
Patch
Jorinde: "Hahh… I'm so tired… animal meat tastes good, but it doesn't have enough blood…"
Joringel: "That's enough for now…"
Jorinde: "I can't wait to taste the humans here… who will be my first victim… a woman… a boy… a child…"
Joringel: "Mhm…"
Patch patch
Joringel: "Later you can think about that."
She took off her mask.
Jorinde: "Hahhhhh… the moon… it's beautiful…"
Gulp
She had four eyes, two on the left and two on the right, a small nose, but long arms and long claws. Her stomach was bare and you could see half of her back…
Jorinde: "What do you think, Joringel?"
Joringel: "I don't care… I want us to rest first, then explore that forest… it seems huge."
Jorinde: "Nooo… spoil sport… be nicer to your wife… did you forget I'll have children soon? I'm exhausted and of course hungry…"
Joringel: "You just ate ten rabbits and a deer…"
Jorinde: "But still I'm hungry… I have two children on the way…"
Joringel: "Hmm…"
Jorinde: "Hansel and Gretel… hehehe… I can't wait until you're finally here… then you can finally play…"
Joringel: "Hmm…"
Back to Naomi's house
While Naomi and Cossette slept and Fiona snored, Fiona woke up because she noticed Finrow was acting strangely.
Fiona: "Hmm?"
Finrow: "Mmm… mmm…"
Fiona: "What is it, Finrow?"
Finrow: "Look outside, toward the forest."
Fiona: "Hmm?"
She got up and looked out the window.
Fiona: "Hmm… ugh… but… what… is going on now…"
The rift over the Black Forest. It wasn't good that it was that big, and Fiona noticed it too. And since Finrow was worried, it sounded like he sensed something bad.
Fiona: "I might have to go there… wait, I can't do this without help. Is Kafka there… no. Alone it's not a good idea, whether Kafka wants it or not, whether I want it or not… I have to go to him and ask… the Dark Arrow matter can wait for now… I don't know why… but a rift almost as big as a house appearing in the Black Forest… how is that possible? A few hours ago it wasn't even there… rifts can appear suddenly, yes, but something that big should take time… I have to go to Kafka… I have to see what's going on…"
She put on her jacket and her off shoulder Victorian outfit with a jabot, then wore the jacket and went downstairs. Just as she opened the door, Kafka appeared.
Kafka: "Oh…"
Fiona: "Ugh… Kafka…"
Kafka: "I guess you finally saw it. We have to check it. First we have to go to Eisenhauer…"
Fiona: "Mhm… okay… then we'd better hurry…"
Kafka: "Mhm… we'll use my car. It's faster, and we have to get there quickly…"
The Black Forest, a forest full of danger.