Chapter 1

A/N: Ahhh, it's good to be back. Hello everyone, and welcome to the sequel of Hidden Blades and Dust. While it hasn't been that long since I've finished it, I've been planning this with a partner of mine for awhile now. I wouldn't have gotten it that well if it wasn't for him.

Well, the good ol' couple of Desmond and Glynda has went by well. This follows their children as they progress through their training as Assassins and Hunters at Beacon.

Heads up, this is twenty years after Aeronwen was born, the daughter of Desmond and Glynda. Her brother was born three years after she was. So she is twenty while he is seventeen. The admittance into Beacon is seventeen, but I think you can hold back a bit if you want to before joining.

This is also very OC centered. There are other characters showing in from the series and games, but it's around OC's.

And that ending to Volume 2... GAAAAAAH! TOO MUCH!

*AHEM*

Anyways, I hope you'll like this one. Rate, review and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Assassin's Creed.

"Gaaaaaaah!"

A person in his late teenage years shot up from bed with his eyes snapping wide open. The early morning sun was shining through his window with the thin layer of sweat that accumulated in his sleep glistening in the light. Dark green eyes darted about from the floor and ceiling of the room. His breathing was deep and quick as he was begging for fresh air to enter his lungs. Placing a hand in his short, downy, wavy dirty blond hair, he closed his eyes as he did his best to slow down his breathing.

"Another one... How I love them," He sarcastically to himself. His breathing slowed down to a normal rate with his recently rapidly beating heart back to a slow beat. He looked around his room and sighed heavily at the dark blue painted room. Running a hand through his hair again, he allowed a small smile to form on his lips and kicked the covers off him. He wasn't wearing anything on his torso but was wearing a pair of black boxers with silver accents on them. He kicked himself off his bed and landed on the floor a few feet away from his bed.

"Bard! Don't be soo noisy!" A girl voice shouted from across the hallway from his bedroom. It was hinted that the sound behind it told that she was drowsy and didn't have as much sleep from the previous night.

"I hear ya, sis!" Bard shouted back as he stretched his back to relive the tensed muscles that built up from his stressful dream. Cracking a few bones from his back to his neck, he let out a satisfied sigh and clapped his hands together. Bending down, he picked up a white shirt from the ground and put it on as he walked out of his room.

Upon exiting out of his room, he gulped slightly when he saw his older sister standing at her doorway, staring right at him. Her doughy brown eyes stared right into his as they were serious and frustrated. Her brown hair, which was usually tied in a ponytail, just past her shoulders all moussed up with a part of it sticking to the side. "Bard, keep your voice down if you don't want to be teleported to Signal like that," She threatened while yawning.

"Hey, says the one who's up all night drinking," Bard shot back. He was then caught in his sister's arms as she hugged him tight. He was gasping for air while she simply grinned at him.

"You're still no match for your older sister, Bard," She replied to him and laughed as he struggled.

"Aeronwen! Let your brother go! It's his last day at Signal today and I don't want him to be late!" Their mother shouted from downstairs.

"And just when I was having my fun," Aeron pouted. "Alright, baby bro, you're off the hook for now. Now chop chop. Mom wants ya to eat breakfast before leaving." Aeron let Bard go who just collapsed on the ground gasping for air. "And for Dust's sake, don't bother me before you leave," She ordered before entering her room and closed the door on him.

The younger rolled his eyes at his sister and straightened himself out. "Love you too, sis," Bard mumbled sarcastically. Walking down stairs, Bard bent backwards and outstretched his arms behind him while making his way to the kitchen. Smelling the familiar scent of eggs and butter, he couldn't help but grin for breakfast. Bard stepped into the kitchen and saw his mother standing at the stove cooking the morning meal for him. "Morn, Mom," He greeted to her before plopping himself down at the kitchen counter.

The woman turned around and smiled her son when she saw him. Her bright emerald eyes reflected the morning sunlight they reflected into her eyes as well. Her blond hair was tied in a bun with some of the locks intertwining, creating a twirl on the right side of her head. "Good morning, Bard," She replied to him before placing a light brown pancake onto a plate. She set it in front of Bard who then smiled at the sight. There was three pancakes on top of each other with scrambled eggs and breakfast sausages on the side. "You need this for your last day at Signal today."

Bard grabbed a fork and stabbed it into one of the sausages and proceeded to take a bite off of it. "I got it, I got it. I go to Signal, finish up there and then get back here and wait for a week or so to join Beacon," Bard replied back at his mother.

"Your father wants you and Aeronwen to go to Beacon to sharpen up on your teamwork skills," She told him before sitting down across from him. She had a mug of coffee in hand and took a small sip from it.

He swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth and looked at his mother with a blank expression. "Mom, aren't the Assassins, you know, supposed to work alone to achieve a mission success?" He answered to her.

"But the best Assassins are stronger together rather than going at it alone, Bard." Said teen turned around to see his father standing right behind him. His hair was a short brown with the same colour accommodating to his eyes. He had a fair stubble spanning across his face with the same small grin on his face fifteen years ago. "The Assassins are stronger together when you stand united."

"I prefer to work alone, Dad," Bard replied back with a bored expression.

"Bardhyl, don't act like your father is some stranger!" His mother scolded him while pointing her index finger at him.

Her husband just chuckled at her. "Glynda, it's alright. I'm sure he didn't mean it to say it like that."

"Desmond, I'm just-" She was cut off when the Assassin just placed a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Oh lighten up, honey," Desmond told her before kissing her passionately. Glynda widened her eyes from the kiss but melted in as fast as she was shocked to the familiar lips.

"And here goes Dad on Mom again," Bard thought as he stared at them. Quickly finishing his breakfast, he placed his dishes into the sink and turned off to walk back up into his room to change into his other clothing. "I'll see you later," He told him.

"Have a great day at school, sweetheart," Glynda told her son. She only sighed when he didn't even say a word to her. "I'm worried for him."

Desmond nodded as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Remember what Ozpin told you twenty years ago to now?" He asked his wife.

"Yeah..."

"He will grow out of it. But for now, him and Aeron are still kids." Desmond brushed a finger on her cheek to assure her of his words. "Just let them play their part. After all... It's not a role they'll have forever, Glyn," He told her before pecking her cheek.

A few hours after the afternoon, Signal Academy, Vale...

There was a loud bustling about as the students- no wait, graduates of Signal walked along the hallways that they'll soon say goodbye to. Bard was just sitting on the front steps of the academy looking up at the bright blue sky. He felt the warm rays of the sun hitting his face with the cool breath tickling his skin. He was wearing a dark grey hoodie with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows with the hoodie slightly unzipped. A white shirt showed from beneath the hoodie with a black eagle design on it. Black pants accompanied him that came with black runners with white accents on them. There wear a few leather straps wrapped around his left wrist with a leather bracer protecting his wrist and palm of his hand. His right wrist was also given a similar accommodation as the left as well. Light yet strong. A sheath of a katana was strapped to his left side with a small sling bag on his back. A symbol from the Orient was adorned on his back. It was the word "Conflict" in a dull red which seemed to be bleeding slightly."Finally leaving Signal after all those years. I'm surprised it's still standing after the what happened twenty years ago."

To say, Bard was going to miss Signal. He has made friends that he'll be seeing soon in Beacon. He was going to miss the hallways of the academy along with the classrooms and the sounds of clanging and banging from the workshops. The Swordsman grew himself accustomed to the daily rituals he has been going through for four years. But he had to face the fact that he needs to move on.

But on other things, easier said than done.

Bard snapped his gaze down to his pocket when he heard his Scroll chime. He reached down and pulled it out. While doing so, he pulled his skateboard from beside him to the sidewalk in front of him. Some people thought is was weird for said teen to be doing such a thing. But he never even gave the slightest thought of paying attention to them. He turned on his Scroll and saw that there was a message on his screen. "It's from Mrs. Rose. Wonder what she wants?"

"I got a contract for ya, Bard. No need for your sister to come along since she isn't the best in being subtle. This is a one man mission. Oh, and please be cautious, Weiss isn't being the best of people right now. See ya soon!"

-Ruby Rose

"Contract... Been awhile since I've gotten a contract from her... I wonder-" Bard mentally slapped himself when he remembered about Ruby and her wife, Weiss Rose. He remembers seeing the first recruits of Beacon when he first joined the Assassins. He then remembered about the White Rose couple being recently married when he did join. He doesn't recall them having any kids. That's when six months ago when Logan and Ogata came to visit the Vale Brotherhood to see how the girls of RWBY are doing since they were the first ones to recruit men for their own guilds. Sad enough, the Ranger was frozen solid in ice from the Heiress. She was having a mood swing from her pregnancy.

Yes, the Weiss Schnee, now Mrs. Rose as well, and now owner of the Schnee Dust Company, was pregnant. The Scythe Wielder wanted to have a child with Weiss, whom at first wasn't comfortable with it. But she soon broke down from the famous puppy look Ruby gave her. Thanks to the technological advances from Atlas, it was possible for them to splice their DNA together, specifically into Weiss since Ruby the more athletic out of the two. But now, the girls were soon paying for it from the mood swings Weiss throwing out there.

Giving a quick reply back to Ruby, Bard pocketed his Scroll back into his pocket and stretched his muscles. "Welp, better be careful then." Cracking his knuckles, he jumped onto his skateboard and looked back behind him. Bard saluted the academy behind him cracking a small smile on his face. "See ya later, Signal," He declared before he pushed his right foot on the ground and began to cruise down the sidewalk.

The cool air was gliding across Bard's face as he road his skateboard to the residence Team RWBY were held up in. Leaning to the the left, his weight made the skateboard move to the left since the sidewalk was cut off going to the left as well. He couldn't help but grin to himself when he was seeing them again. It has been over nine months since he has seen the leaders of the Vale Assassins. He would be meeting Ruby and Blake again, his mentors in Vale. They were like aunts of his, as well as Weiss and Yang. But he felt more closer to the red and black duo since he grew up and trained with them. The same was with the two Oriental Assassins and the Ranger. But he considered everyone family to him to those who are in the Assassins.

Five hours later, Vale, Thatch and Anne's Tavern...

Bard let out a deep sigh when he looked up to see the tavern he was tasked to get over to for the contract. The same tavern Desmond proposed to Glynda. It made Bard slightly anxious to be in the same place where his mother was proposed to. But at the same time, it made him happy that she was proposed at the location he was heading to. To him, it was reassuring. It gave him a small amount of relief to know that this would be the place for his contract.

Doing his best job to avoid the white haired Heiress, Bard managed to meet with his mentor, Ruby. He has grown a general liking for the Scythe Wielder since she has her overabundant spunk and peppiness which helped greatly in his training with her. After talking a bit, Ruby gave him his mission which she has great hopes in him for.

The contract; To earn the trust of a rather loose end of the Templars and act like one of their members. This became possible after Ruby explained to the Swordsman that Ogata and Logan interrogated a high ranking captain of the Templars. By using his information and name, this would make this certain mission easier to accomplish.

While this wasn't the greatest of areas for Bard in terms of this, he is quickly adaptable to a given situation. He'll be able to flex himself around this contract and give themselves a deeper foothold in the ranks of the Templars by using this loose end to give them information.

Cue in- Trooper and the Maid, AC4 Black Flag

Upon entering the tavern, he was quickly met by the joyous thundering of laughter and shouting. The sound of a woman singing was piercing through the thundering rambling of the tavern. Her voice was rather smooth and innocent to the ears of any of them men within the tavern. But to the women, rather the ones with boyfriends or husbands, it was venom to them. A siren's song you'd call it since the younger eyes of the men were on the young curvy figure of the singer along with the men playing their instruments and providing chorus here and there.

Removing his hood from his head, Bard let out a rather wide smile when he heard the happy upbeat of the young lady who seemed more in her late teens to the huffs and puffs of the patrons having their merry time. With that, he took in a silent breath and closed his eyes. Slowly reopening his eyes, they were a bright blue opposed to his dark emerald jewels. And his vision has changed. The singing and bantering haven been muffled to an almost silent hearing and his world has changed to a dark stormy blue with a small sky blue pulse being given off. Looking around, he smiled when he saw that the singer was emitting a blue aura. "I guess Laura is giving it her all for tonight. I wonder how she got her after graduating the same year as me? Perhaps she just wants to be here before headin' off to Beacon."

Looking around for a little tad longer, an invisible smirk came up when he saw someone giving off a golden aura. Shutting his eyes again, he opened them up again and walked over to one of the V.I.P booths his target was housed up in.

Passing by the stage his friend was singing at, Bard came in the sight of the person he was after. The man was in his mid twenties, scaly looking skin, brown military looking like haircut and deep sea green eyes that are staring into the void. ONe thing that was notable was a chessboard sprawled about on the table. Bard cleared his throat which caught the attention of the man. The man just scanned the Swordsman up and down with boredom glinting in his eyes. "Yeah?" He asked.

Without saying a word, the teen sat himself across from him and leaned into the cushioned feeling. "Can I join in?" Bard asked politely to the man.

"That depends. You got any Lien to bet?" The man growled back, clearly that he doesn't want to be disturbed right now. Bard responded back in equal measure when he pulled out a bill of a 100 Lien from his pocket before lightly tossing it to the side of the chessboard. "Now you're speaking my language, kid." He motioned a hand to Bard indicating for him to start.

Bard sighed internally when he was the white pieces. He preferred the black chess pieces because he "Strikes quick and accurately like a shadow under the moon." He placed his grasp on a black pawn and moved it up one square. "Care to say your name?" Bard asked his opponent.

Getting a knight over the wall of white pawns, the man let out a wry smile. Bard had to keep himself from snickering when he saw him placing his knight in a rather vulnerable position. "Nathan. Nathan Jericho. And what about you, lad? You got one?"

Bishop to knight. "Bardhyl Kenway," He replied back while watching Nathan's next move. Keeping his invisible smirk hidden from him, he saw him pushing a pawn out two squares to expose his queen.

Bard retaliated by moving a pawn out two spaces as well, revealing his rook that awaited his orders. "So tell me, laddie, how come you're here?"

"I hear that you know some people in high places."

White Black queen takes bishop.

"Aye, that I do. What do you want to know?"

Black White rook moves up two spaces.

"I want to know if you can help me with something."

White Black queen takes pawn.

"An errand? And what would that be?"

Black White rook takes queen.

Bard was silent for a moment as he contemplated thoughts. Yet he didn't show any restraint to the loose end in front of him. "I want revenge."

Black knight moves.

"Revenge?"

White rook takes pawn. Check.

"Revenge."

Black pawn takes rook.

"That is rather a messy errand, laddie."

White pawn moves up, exposing black queen.

"That's why I want to know if you'll do it or not."

Black pawn moves up.

"I don't know..."

Moments later...

"You don't trust Fauna?" Nathan asked.

White pawn takes bishop. Check.

"My scars run very deep. Respect me if I don't explain why," Bard explained to him.

Black king takes pawn... Check. The white queen is one a straight course for it with a white bishop one one side and a rook waiting for it. "Checkmate."

Right before Nathan could respond with a move, they heard a loud happy cheer too close to them. "Baaaaaaaaard!" A female voice called out. Said teen felt his blood running cold when he heard that voice. Slowly turning his head beside him, Aeron was standing there. In one hand, she had a bottle of rum that was already three quarters empty. Her brown eyes were hazy with her stance wobbly. Bard wouldn't say that she's drunk. His older sister is smashed.

In her other grasp was a girl. She was almost in equal measure of state like Aeron. But nonetheless, beyond drunk. "Know that lass?" Nathan asked Bard.

Bard quickly shook his head with a forced smile on his face. "I have no idea who she is."

"Baaard. Thhaaat huuurts meeeee. Saaaaying yoooouuu dooon't knnnoooww yooouur ol' sistah!" Aeron slurred at him.

"You're sure?" Nathan asked again.

"Yes. I'm very sure," Bard replied hesitantly. "She's screwing up with my mission right now. I'm gonna kill her later."

"Whoooo aaarrreee yoouu taaalking toooo?" The girl beside Aeron asked curiously.

"It's noooothing... Baaaaby." Aeron wrapped her arms around the girl and procedded to start making out with her.

Bard scrunched his face in utter disgust. Sure, he has seen his sister with her share of boyfriends and girlfriends back at home. But on a mission? She's interfering. And he wants out. Now.

"I forfit," Bard said to Nathan.

"Come on, laddie. Can't you-?"

WHAM!

Nathan was knocked out cold with the clattering sounds of the chess pieces on the table and ground. Bard had his hands on the chessboard. He had an iron grip on the board with his breathing seething through his nose. He wasn't amused at all by his sister's act.

People were looking at the Swordsman who just glared back at them. His eyes showed that he wasn't in the mood to talk, and that he was probably going to kill someone. "Drinks are on me," He announced as he reached into his pocket and threw out a bunch of Lien onto the table.

"Whoooooo! Anooother roooouunnd!" Aeron cheered.

Placing the board back down on the table, he grabbed Nathan by the collar and did the same to his smashed sister. "We're leaving," He growled at her when she was pried off of the girl.

"Buuuut I waaaaant anooother!" Aeron pouted as she was dragged away.

"Caalll meeeee!" The girl pouted as Aeron was dragged away by her fuming brother.

Beacon Academy...

Desmond was in the living room with his wife as they were watching some tv. It was something they rarely did since they were busy most of the time. But whenever they did, they enjoyed every moment they could have with each other.

"Des, it's already late. Bard hasn't came back yet and I haven't seen Aeron since the afternoon," Glynda mumbled to him.

"I'm sure they're fine, Glynda. They can look after themselves," Desmond replied to her.

The door then slammed open to show an unamused Bard with a clueless Aeron being dragged in behind him. "My eyes are spinning," She giggled in her little state.

"Aeronwen!" Glynda scolded as she sat up.

Bard let go of his sister and stomped on upstairs. "Bard," Desmond called out to his son. The answer he got back was his door slamming. The Assassin let out a long sigh and looked down at his daughter. "You. You have a lot of explaining to do when you sober up."

Bard groaned in frustration as he was typing on his personal laptop for the current report to Ruby. It was pretty late already and the Scythe Wielder was probably asleep already. She'll be seeing it in the morning or whenever she can. As for him, he wasn't happy at all. Not one bit.

He looked up from the screen to see his wall. It was littered in newspapers, past event articles and leads posted along. Red threads were being threaded around pinned on them. It was his evidence wall. He has been updating it whenever he can from rumours on the streets to personal interrogations. It was for leads on the Templars on their whereabouts or places of operations. But he also had a darker reason why he had set this up seven years ago.

A knife was stabbed into the wood of his desk, about an inch deep. Grabbing the handle, Bard wiggled it around loosening it from it's wooden pedestal. He spun it around in his fingers while leaning back into his chair. "It was going so well... Then you came along, sis."

It was very embarrassing for the younger sibling whenever his sister shows up. She usually ruins his time whenever he's trying to do something. And worse thing yet, she swings both ways... and she leans towards girls more. Bard has seen her with more girlfriends than boyfriends. But they were always short term. The longer he could recall was at least three months. Longest record she has yet.

Looking to his side, he saw his dart board hung up near the window. There were a couple other small knives stuck in the cork of the board. Flipping the knife around in his fingers where he held the tip, Bard spun to the side and threw the knife towards it. A loud thunk was heard when it stuck itself into the board. The center to be precise. It stuck itself in the eye of the bloody wolf symbol of the White Fang.

"Bullseye," Bard thought with a sadistic smirk revealing along his lips. "I will have my revenge. And they'll pay... They'll pay in blood and tears..."

That is the first chapter of Stemming the Tide. Hope you all liked it.

I thank lonewolfe13 for helping me with the plot and creation of the children. He is a great partner and I couldn't be here with this story without him.

And if you're also wondering why some of my other stories are gone, I've inspiration for them. Forgive me. I couldn't find any for them.