Authors Note: A friend of mine, who also happens to be one of my editors, had an idea for… well I don't wanna give too much away, I liked the idea and decided to roll it into a fic.
This is intended to be a one off or at the very most a small series, nowhere near as big as my planned fic. This is mostly just to get the creative juices flowing and put some nice, finished, content on my profile.
I hope you enjoy.
Sincerely Cas
Qrow looked back over his shoulder as the town shrunk into the distance. In truth calling it a town was being a little generous, it was more a village with some shabby walls and an old hunter or two to pull guard duty. Most frontier settlements were that way, too large and you attract too many Grimm, too small and it can't sustain itself. It's a very delicate balance.
Qrow usually avoided taking contracts from the smaller settlements. Not because he didn't want to help or the reward wasn't good enough, he wasn't like his sister, he just usually didn't have the time. Ozpin kept him pretty busy and that had only gotten worse of late.
The only reason Qrow had taken the job was because Ozpin had asked him to look into it. He didn't see why the prestigious Headmaster of Beacon academy, one of the most influential men in Vale, maybe even the world, and secret Immortal Wizard, would waste a talented huntsman on something as small as a simple search and destroy job, but Qrow knew when to listen.
Ozpin had a knack for withholding information until he deemed it absolutely necessary to enlighten the common folk with the nature of his secrets. It often got on Qrow's nerves, but it was never done out of malice or with evil intent. Ozpin understood the power that information held and, more importantly, the use of keeping secrets. When a person lived for centuries or perhaps even millennia (Or so the man always said) it's apparently a skill you pick up.
Qrow sighed as he looked through the details of the job on his scroll. It seemed perfectly mundane, average, boring, and far below his skill level, and yet here he was. He sighed once more.
The villagers had said that Grimm numbers had dropped in the area in recent months and yet the kill count and those that had gone missing continued to rise, things usually attributed to Grimm but without Grimm in the area, or at least sightings of Grimm, then the rise in cases made little to no sense. Hence the hiring of an outside huntsman to investigate. If one of the village's own died investigating they had a serious problem. But if an outsider died…
The report said that the bulk of the incidents had been reported around the mountain range to their south, and so south is the direction Qrow went. He wasn't sure what he expected really, if it was able to stay hidden then it had to either be small or manoeuvrable. The worrying part was the fact no one had seen the monster which pointed to only one thing; intelligence.
True it was possible that a Grimm had just gotten lucky and snuck by the village idiots when they went on patrol, but it was far more likely that he was dealing with an intelligent Grimm. The most dangerous kind of Grimm, regardless of the species. The worst part was that you could rarely tell if the Grimm you were fighting was smarter than the average mindless murdering beast until it was too late.
Sometimes if you were lucky, which Qrow never was, the Grimm would show signs of their assorted past. Sometimes they'd have a spear or two lodged in them, a nasty scar across their face, something to signify they had survived previous encounters with hunters, which was always a red flag. The signs were subtle, but there if you knew to look, and any hunter worth his dust knew to look. At least the ones that lived for any amount of time worth mentioning did.
"Can probably rule out any Goliaths, they aren't exactly subtle." Qrow spoke to keep himself company. "The whole stealth thing doesn't fit the M.O. of a Deathstalker, even the intelligent ones are a little more aggressive than subtle. From what the villagers said the mountains have a lot of small caves, could be a Beowulf... maybe an especially smart Ursa."
The road was abandoned, leaving him to talk to himself uninterrupted. Qrow wasn't very surprised by the fact, not very many people traveled outside the safety of the cities or larger settlements, what did surprise him was the lack of any sign of wildlife.
With the lack of Grimm in the area it should have been filled with animals. Grimm themselves don't hunt animals, except for humans that is, but animals tended to keep a sizable distance from the Grimm which meant this place should have been a haven for them.
The humans in the area could have been reason enough to scare them off, but there should have been something. Qrow stopped for a moment and listened. The forest was silent. Unnaturally so.
Qrow sighed once more. "Guess this is why you sent me here. Damn it Oz. Why can't I get nice mission for once?"
The walk down the road wasn't quite the same after that. Every time Qrow stopped moving or talking the forest was silent. Even the wind seemed to try and keep its volume low.
As he approached the mountains the dense forest gave way to sparse trees mixed with jagged rock that had fallen from the mountain side. The road itself lead through a mountain pass to the other side, connecting the small village to the rest of the world. He didn't follow this path however. Instead he left the road and followed the side of the mountain where the few trees that remained gave way to a sheer cliff side.
Qrow wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for, but he knew he'd know it when he saw it. He passed a number of cave entrances, a few of which he thought about checking out, he decided against it due to their small entrance size and jagged edges, though he did make a mental note to check them later.
Instead he continued looking for something with a little more potential. He was about to turn back and check in the other direction when he found something of interest. Hidden behind a part of the cliff that jutted out from the rest on one side and a thick patch of trees on the other was a cave entrance, one that was considerably larger than any he had yet found.
Qrow thought about whether it was a good idea to go in or not, the day was already mostly over leaving him with only a few hours of daylight left for the return trip. He decided to do a quick check since he had come so far from the main road.
The entranceway to the the cave had a number of toppled trees laying near it with a fair share of broken branches and trunks.
Something has been walking in and out, though from the lack of tracks it would appear it has been awhile… might as well check.
The cave was dark past the few feet that made up the entrance and Qrow had to use his Scroll as a flashlight. Though as he got further in, he noticed some kind of light source from deeper within the cave. As he approached it became clear that it was a dust vain, albeit a rather volatile one.
He stashed away his scroll and followed the dust into a smaller section of the cave. As he went farther into the cave however, he noticed a foul smell in the air and he soon found himself standing next to a decaying body, thankfully belonging to an animal.
Qrow mumbled to himself. "Well, looks like this cave is infested with less fun kind." He shrugged his shoulder and stood back up. He turned to leave and had already taken a number of steps when he saw something on the ground.
Qrow leaned down to take a look and found a shattered scroll on the cave floor.
Guess I know what's been happening with the villagers. Seriously, how can they not even handle normal wildlife? It's probably a bear or something, hardly a threat to humanity… I can't just leave it I guess, no telling how many more might die.
He sighed and turned back around, walking farther into the cave. The dust in the walls kept the room moderately lit, at least enough to see where he was walking. As he went in deeper to the cave he found a few more bodies, again only animals, but little else.
As he kept walking he found it strange that a creature would retreat so far into the cave, though he guessed there was another entrance somewhere that let you out on the other side of the mountain.
The tunnel kept its size roughly the same, though it did seem to grow wider in certain places before shrinking back down slightly, still more than large enough for a large bear to make it through, maybe even an average sized Ursa if it was careful, though why one would want to be so secluded Qrow couldn't tell.
The tunnel gave way to a large room partially lit by the dust in the walls, though that appeared to be where the vein ended, leaving half the room in darkness.
From the edge of the light Qrow could just make out what appeared to be a body, one sadly belonging to a human this time. He sighed and eyed the rest of the room, looking for any sign of the beast. The cave appeared to be abandoned.
Qrow took a step in the direction of the body before a loud crash broke the fragile peace of the room. He jumped back from the direction of the sound, withdrawing his weapon in the process. The sound of Harbinger extending into its sword form were all that filled the room as he waited for something to lunge out of the dark side of the cave, but nothing came.
Qrow kept staring in the direction the sound had come from, waiting for something that never came. When he finally relaxed he kept Harbinger drawn and in its sword form. While the cave was far from small it wouldn't be a good idea to use a scythe.
"Does it have a name?" A voice echoed out from the darkness practically forcing Qrow into a combat stance before his mind realized it wasn't an attack but a question.
It took him a moment more to realize he was the one being asked.
"Does what have a name?" Qrow relaxed slightly, the initial shock having worn off as it became clear the sound wasn't a beast waiting to lunge at him from the darkness.
"Your weapon. It is common for people to name them." The voice spoke once more, but no figure stepped from the shadows to claim the question.
"Harbinger." Qrow let the mentioned weapon rest on his shoulders, reluctant to put it away while the figure still hid himself.
The voice seemed to chuckle from behind the wall of darkness, a low scratchy sound mixed with a spiteful hiss. The voice itself was deep and loud, it possessed an all consuming nature, a command of dominance over the room that would drive most to silence. Thankfully Qrow had nothing more he wished to say.
"How poetic. And why would its owner be visiting the dark places of the world?" The voice seemed to move around on the other side of the shadows, though whether that was merely echo or actual movement was hard to say.
Qrow turned his side to the voice, being certain to keep a cautious eye for movement from beyond the veil.
"Got a report of strange Grimm activity in the area, I was called in to check it out." Qrow waited patiently for the voice to respond and when it did it seemed to have moved again.
"That explains what you're doing, but not why you are here. Why are you in a cave such as this?" The voice had a depth to it Qrow couldn't place. It possessed an intelligence to it, but there was something more, something deeper.
"Looked like a good place to find Grimm, they do sometimes hideout in caves." Qrow took a step back making certain that he had cave wall behind him as well as above.
"And yet the entrance of this place is difficult to find, animals are found dead throughout it, these are not the actions of a Grimm. Do not lie to me Human. Why are you in my cave?" The voice grew agitated towards the end, whoever was speaking seemingly growing impatient and expected another answer.
"Didn't see any bodies at first, though you'd be right I wouldn't expect a Grimm to hide out in a cave filled with dead animals. I did find something interesting though." Qrow paused for dramatic effect hoping to draw the voice's owner out of the shadows.
"Hmm? And what would that be?" No one appeared but the voice did seem less violent, more restrained.
"Found what's left of someone's scroll. A village near here has been looking for some people recently, thought something besides a Grimm might have gotten them. Decided to take a look myself."
"You don't think it beneath you?" The voice seemed puzzled by the thought. "Are you not a huntsman?"
"I am, but I don't see the difference. I kill a Grimm that killed a few people or I kill a bear that killed a few people. What's it matter? Less people die in the end."
"Most people would view a Grimm as being below a beast, less than that of an animal. Do you not believe the same?" Qrow was able to pinpoint roughly where the voice had been coming from, though he only saw black when he looked.
"I don't see the point, does it matter if it's less than or equal to something else if they both kill humans anyways? Why demonize it if it's already against you?"
The voice didn't respond for a moment leaving Qrow to wonder if its owner had left, until it spoke up once more.
"Would you not attack a Grimm on sight?" The voice stayed in the same location seemingly getting closer, though it still didn't step into the light.
"If it were attacking someone, sure. I wouldn't go out of my way though." Qrow glanced towards the tunnel he had come down, checking to see if it had been blocked by anything.
When the voice spoke up it had moved once more, this time placing itself closer to the exit. "And yet here you are, so far from a settlement, out in the middle of the wilds, hunting a Grimm."
"A Grimm that has killed people, that's just assuming it actually is a Grimm though. No one has seen anything with their own eyes so it might just be an animal." Qrow shrugged his shoulder but didn't look away from where the voice had been.
The cave fell silent once more as the voice kept silent. "What do you know of Grimm?"
"You'll have to be a little more specific." Qrow had to resist the urge to grab his flask and drink.
"What do you know about the minds of Grimm?" The voice had once more moved to the center of the darkness, seemingly sitting opposite Qrow in the room.
"Hmm, well there's the typical knowledge, that Grimm are mindless beasts that act on pure instinct. No real brains to them. You can be as open and obvious as you want and you'll always be right about how they'll respond. Makes them easy to hunt, predictable." The voice growled from the darkness. "Course that only applies to most Grimm."
"And the others?" The voice lost the edge it's growl had carried. Instead it reverted back to the curious tone it had used before.
"The longer a Grimm survives the more dangerous they become, the smarter they get. They learn, adapt, evolve in a way."
"Are the Grimm alive?" The question seemed odd, out of place, but once again it held a curious tone as the voice hinged on Qrow's response.
Qrow was hesitant to respond. "Not in the typical sense, no."
"How can something that's not alive evolve? Can a rock evolve?" The voice seemed to disperse throughout the darkness, who ever was speaking moving farther back from the light, hiding in the shadows.
"A rock doesn't hunt, it doesn't kill. Grimm do." Qrow had finally had enough. "Are you going to show yourself?"
"Hmm?" The darkness seemed to be caught off guard, unprepared for the question. "Would you like that?"
"I prefer to see the people I'm talking with, less of the hiding in shadows." Qrow tightened his grip on Harbinger.
"Your name." Once again the voice seemed to emanate from all the darkness at once.
"Yeah? What about it?" Qrow moved his back as close to the wall as he could.
"I prefer to speak to those I know the name of, to give a voice not just form, but a title before revealing myself." The voice confirmed its awareness of the shadows, confirmed that it had been trying to keep itself hidden in the dark.
The huntsman thought carefully on the question. It wasn't an unfair request, at least not without reason, but a name had power. He was hesitant at first but decided on his action swiftly. "How about this, I'll tell ya my name if you step out of that black abyss and tell me yours, deal?"
The voice didn't speak but Qrow could feel eyes staring at him.
"My name is Qrow." He left out his last name, the Branwen tribe had a reputation he would rather avoid.
A laugh broke through the darkness and drew closer until it was on the very edge of the light once more. "You do not lie. Good." Red eyes filled with hate beamed through the darkness. "I was given the name Fenrir by the last man foolish enough to approach me."
A figure began to emerge from the darkness, as the red eyes focused on Qrow. At first it appeared to simply be a much larger version of a Beowulf, but further inspection proved otherwise. Unlike its brethren it moved exclusively on four legs, though Qrow doubted the beast could stand up entirely in the confined space of the cave, even though the ceiling was easily twelve feet high.
The white bones around its face also served to distinguish it from its fellow Grimm. The armour didn't stop at just its face but completely encompassed its head and began to follow the muscles along his neck, only leaving openings large enough to allow the beast to open his mouth and move his head with relative ease.
The bone plating continued down to cover a larger section of it's chest than the standard Beowulf while wrapping around its sides to also cover its back, something the normal Beowulves lacked; though that seemed to be where the plating ended entirely, leaving its arms and legs less covered than that of its normal Grimm counterpart. The end result was what Qrow would have pictured had the Grimm worn knights armour, albeit a little more jagged and rough.
If the Grimm's size and look weren't intimidating enough already, it had arrows, broken off spears, and bullet holes in and on its arms and legs. Scars from previous battles, clearly won by the Grimm.
Qrow stepped back and raised Harbinger as the creature took one more step from the darkness and stopped.
Qrow doubted it was the same being as the one from the darkness. How could it be? The voice beyond the light had spoken and Grimm couldn't speak, and yet here he was. He watched with his own eyes as it struggled to form the words.
The same voice from but a moment ago left the jaws of the beast in front of him. "Do I frighten you Little Bird?" The words left the Grimm's snout with perfect pronunciation but the beast's mouth did not match the language it spoke, and as it did so was forced to move with strange and jittery motions. It seemed to struggle with every word it tried to say and yet the voice did not waver.
"I can't say I'm not surprised." Qrow moved farther back, readying his weapon for a fight.
"If I wished you dead you would be. Put that weapon away. I am beyond you, Little Bird." The Grimm gritt its teeth together and spoke the name with a growl.
"I don't exactly expect a peaceful outcome here, I'll keep my weapon." Qrow moved a little closer to the exit, though the monster seemed to notice and snickered slightly.
"Run if you wish but should I pursue you it won't matter what you do. You would die." His snout separated as he bared his teeth in what might have been a smile had it not been for the nature of the creature doing it. "But keep it if you must, it matters not."
The cave was silent except for the sound of the beast's breaths as Qrow kept analyzing the creature, he did not seem threatened by Qrow in the slightest. Sure the muscles were taught and coiled, ready to strike in an instant, but the beast didn't seem to be intimidated by the seasoned hunter.
"What now?" Qrow knew it wasn't the most eloquent way to continue but he had no plans to deal with the large Grimm standing in front of him.
"That entirely depends on you, Little Bird." The beast looked to the exit once more. "You could leave, I would not try to stop you, but you would not learn anything." It took a second to let Qrow contemplate the meaning before continuing. "I have learned many things in my long life, some things you may wish to hear." The cracked smile, if one could call it that, fell from the beast's face. "Or you could attack me and die. It is up to you, Little Bird."
Qrow groaned at the moniker that seemed to be staying, though he was careful to keep it quiet to avoid aggravating the beast. "And what do you gain from this?"
"Nothing." The jagged smile returned to its face. "At least nothing from you."
Qrow took a moment to decide whether he should take the beast's offer to leave, even though he doubted he would get out without incident. In the end his curiosity won out.
"What do you know?"
"Oh, a great many things, some ancient, some recent, and some that have yet to pass." Fenrir said. "You may ask… eight questions, and then leave." Fenrir pulled back slightly, widening the gap between the two.
"What if I ask more than eight?" It seemed to Qrow as an odd number, a strangely specific number.
"Then you die." The smile did not return nor did the hatred in his red eyes, he seemed bored with the idea. "Seven left, Little Bird."
Qrow sighed at the wasted question, though to be fair he didn't know how good the answers would be. "Why Fenrir?" He decided to ask a harmless question, if he lied Qrow would be unaffected.
"It was given to me." Fenrir's eyes seemed to lighten slightly at the innocent question, appearing almost not evil. Almost. "You are not the first to stand before me. Nor are you the only huntsman to stand before me, Tyr was the last to have your luck." Qrow pitied the man already. He had figured that he hadn't been the first to meet Fenrir, although he did hope to be the last. "He gave me the name only four hundred years ago." Qrow wasn't ready for the way he said that though. He made it sound like no time at all. "Six."
Fenrir's answer had raised a number of questions by itself, Qrow was careful to choose his next question. "What kind of Grimm are you?"
"I am what you humans call a Beowulf." He dismissed the question quickly "Five."
"You aren't a normal Beowulf." Qrow was careful to make it clear it wasn't a question, he didn't want to wast more than one question on a singular answer.
"Tyr called me an "ancient apex", do with that what you will. Five."
Qrow hadn't gotten the answer he was looking for and in so he had wasted a question.
"What are your origins?" Qrow was hoping the vague nature of the question would serve him better than his last question.
"I was created to win my mother's war against your species. I was among the first and am the oldest survivor from the early days of history, of the forgotten ages." That raised a plethora of question a historian would have begged to have answered, but Qrow was running out of questions, he had to be careful.
"And yet you are hiding in a cave." Qrow grit his teeth and hoped his gamble paid off.
"My mother cared not for our safety, she lead us to slaughter. When I proved to be stronger than my brethren she created more like me and tried to have me killed! I am where the Beowulf originated, I am the template."
Mother? Fenrir kept using that word, yet Grimm had no mothers or fathers. The closest thing Qrow could think of would be Salem, and wouldn't that be an interesting topic to get insight into?
"What is your mother's plan?" The Grimms eyes flashed a deep red for a second and Qrow prepared for a fight before Fenrir's eyes went back to their lighter color.
"I do not know." Fenrir seemed as annoyed with it as Qrow did.
"You said you would answer my questions." Qrow moved closer to the door, prepared to flee in an instant.
"I cannot answer a question that I do not have an answer to. I only hear whispers from my brethren." Fenrir kept his eyes locked on Qrows.
"Then tell me what they say."
"There were only two whispers, two orders, that they received from my mother in the last twenty years. The first was an order to help the fallen ash claim the season. The second was to find the flower."
Qrow had hoped for insight, for some big overarching plan that he could ruin simply by showing up, instead he got cryptic messages and hidden meanings.
"What the is the fallen ash? And drop the philosophical crap please."
Fenrir didn't look pleased with the demand. "A servant of my mother seeks the power of the Maiden. The Fall Maiden, if I heard correctly."
Qrow didn't know how to respond, he knew Ozpin wouldn't be pleased.
"And she is close."
Qrow hadn't believed him when he said he knew things, it had sounded like a cheap lie meant to lower his guard, but the Maidens had been a closely guarded secret not just something easy to find. If Amber was in danger he had to find her, but to do so he needed more information.
"What was that about the flower?" Fenrir had seen fit to include it so it should have been related somehow.
"That is the older of the two, it has also been resolved. Another ancient took care of the summer rose, the silver-eyed warrior."
Qrow froze this time, Fenrir rose and moved closer than he had before. The broken and jagged smile spread across his face. Qrow didn't move as the Grimm moved past him, circeling him in a swift motion.
Fenrir spoke into Qrows ear, a foul odor leaving his mouth as he did so."The whispers said to pluck the rose before she could grow and that is exactly what he did. Exactly as he was ordered. One left, Little Bird."
Qrow stayed where he stood, unable to move.
Summer. He's talking about Summer, they had her killed? He knows who did it?!
Qrow turned around to face the Grimm, now standing between him and his exit. He had intended to ask who, or what, had killed Summer, he had a chance for revenge. Then the beast's last word dawned on him
One, this is my last question… I either ask about Summer or Amber.
Qrow clenched his hand into a fist, his nails digging deep forcing his aura to stop his hand from bleeding. His semblance had really done its job this time. He either protected Amber or kill the thing that killed his friend, the woman he… He had a choice to make.
"Which will it be, Little Bird?" Fenrir mocked him, moving from ear to ear as he spoke. "Who is in your heart?" That question was easy to answer, but she was dead now.
Why not ask both? I can take him. I'll ask both and then kill him. I'll save Amber and get revenge for Summer, for Tai, for Yang, for Ruby… for myself.
He wanted to, he truly did, he knew he was good, maybe even one of the best, but while he had been locked up Fenrir had closed the distance, had placed himself between Qrow and the Exit. If he asked both questions he would die before he had a chance to move out of range.
Is that so bad, to die? For Summer?
Qrow could imagine Summer's face in an instance, she would have been horrified. She never would have wanted him to die for something like revenge, not even over her death. Besides, he had to watch over the rest. It was up to him to protect Ruby and Yang now, she'd never forgive him if he failed.
Qrow took a deep breath. "Amber. How do I save her?" Fenrir pulled back, moving in the direction of the entrance.
"Leave now, go East. Travel fast and you might be able to save her." Fenrir waited for something more.
"Pretty convenient that it's happening right now."
"You are indeed lucky." Fenrir's smile grew cruler. "Though only time will tell what kind of luck that is."
Qrow moved to leave and but the beast did not move.
"Do you not want to know about the end of Summer?" Qrow was finally able to place the look in the Grimm's eyes, it was cold, heartless, cunning, torment. The beast knew what it was doing, Qrow didn't know how but he did.
"I am out of questions, so now I'll leave." Qrow once again began to push his way towards the exit, to his astonishment Fenrir moved out of his way.
"Very good, Little Bird. You are the only one to walk away. You should feel proud. You chose the living over the dead, a common fault most humans fall prey to, but not you. Feel proud." The monster moved back behind Qrow.
I may have just given up my only chance to find out what happened to Summer. Qrow sighed.
"'Tis the last rose of summer, Left blooming alone; All her lovely companions, Are faded and gone." The monster once again fell into the darkness, leaving only the voice."Take pleasure Little Bird, for it was not I who plucked your Rose. Muninn is who you seek."
Qrow left the cave as fast as his legs would carry him. The second he was out of the cave he took flight, and began to travel east, hoping he would make it in time. He had to save Amber. He would need her help to find and kill an Apex after all.
Authors note: Alright there it is.
All in all I think it came out pretty well, though my editors may say otherwise.
I don't have any plans to continue this, though I certainly could, it was meant to serve as an explanation for how Qrow got to Amber just in time, though you could argue he was late I suppose. If people really want a continuation I could do it but it would be pretty short.
This chapter was intended to be about 3.5 maybe 4k but ended up being closer to 5.5… whoops. That's an entire Remnant Solution chapter… eh, whatever.
Towards the ed there I used a section of the poem The last Rose of Summer by Thomas Moore.
I hope you enjoyed and as always don't forget to review, I really do love the good criticisms.
Big thanks to my editors.
Sincerely Cas