Chapter Two: Of Corvids and Lupines
Fenrir commenced the combat, grabbing the cart he was previously sat upon. He threw it towards Raven as a wooden missile. Morrigan sliced through it's wood with the ease of a hot knife through butter. With a primal roar Fenrir leaped into the fray, intent on crushing Raven beneath his iron-shod boots. Raven skipped to the left, dodging Fenrir by a hair's breadth, before swinging Morrigan down upon her foe. Hati met Morrigan and sparks flew as the weapons clashed into each other. Raven and Fenrir stared down each other as their weapons clashed, their eyes meeting with a flicker of unquenchable hatred.
Raven broke away as she was simply testing the waters, an attempt to see how skilled Fenrir was, to gauge his abilities. Fenrir advanced on her, swinging Hati in a cruel arc, Raven ducked beneath the blow with ease. With a predator's grace Fenrir reversed the swing and caught Raven with the pommel of his axe. Raven awkwardly attempted to spin out of its path, instead it caught her by her shoulder. Raven's world spun as she was launched into a weather-beaten pillar.
Raven shook her head, clearing her mind just in time to see Fenrir charge towards her. Raven rolled just as Fenrir's knee connected with the pillar, the sheer force of his charge snapping it inwards.
Both combatants paused to look up, watching the building shake before becoming stable again. With calm ease Raven sliced at the pillar, Morrigan slicing through it with the same ease it cut through the cart. Fenrir glared daggers at Raven.
"You bitc-"
Fenrir was cut off by a ramshackled hut falling on him.
Raven retreated back to the square, giving herself space and time to formulate a plan. Though she loathed to admit Fenrir was faster then she thought, especially given his size. But it's clear his hatred for her had blinded him to any form of strategy, she had exploit that. Aim for the clear chinks in his armour: calves, arms and his midriff.
With a stratagem formed Raven prepared as she watched debris from the hut fly to pieces; Fenrir broke free with a roar and fixed his golden eyes on Raven. Grabbing a fist-sized piece of debris, Fenrir launched it at his cousin.
Contemptuously, Raven simply swiped it back. "What's wrong?" She mocked. "Too dull-witted to think of any other plans to attack? Or maybe you're afraid?"
Raven was taken back by how Fenrir quickly closed the gap between them, Hati swinging out again in deadly arcs. This time however, Raven was ready, she spun and danced over the swings of Fenrir's axe. Before Morrigan sliced out catching Fenrir's calf, drawing blood. Fenrir grunted catching Raven by the shoulder, and throwing her aside like she weighed nothing.
Raven flipped landing elegantly on her feet, staring in confusion at the fact she drew blood. Fenrir's actively turned his aura off? She thought in confusion. If so, why? Raven decided to test her theory. She charged Fenrir, and using a piece of wall as a springboard she brought Morrigan down upon Fenrir's skull. Fenrir jumped back to avoid the blow, and then proceeded to lash out with Hati. Morrigan was raised and the weapons clashed again.
This time Raven angled Morrigan so that the axe slide down the blade, lodging itself in the earth. Fenrir, surprised by his disarming, lashed out with a back hand. Raven slide beneath the blow and swung for his neck. The blow connected but this time his aura was active.
Fenrir yowled in pain and anger, Raven paid for her blow as he responded by punching Raven's gut with enough force to send the mask from her face. Raven rolled in the dirt, least I know he's willingly turning his aura on and off, she thought in pain. His semblance must be of some use if he's willing to take blows, then rather drain his aura. She looked up to see Fenrir chuckling at the discarded Nevermore mask.
"No more masks, cousin," he said, removing his own wolfish mask from his face. "Let us finish this, face to face."
With that he rushed her, and this time he revved up Hati. It's teeth snarled through the air clashing against Morrigan, tearing through the blade with ease. Raven yelled in pain as Hati grazed her, Fenrir followed up with a headbutt. Raven leapt back attempting to gain breathing space. But Fenrir bulled on, utilising his size and the natural strength that came with it.
"Did you think me easy prey?" Fenrir asked scornfully. "That I would be left frightened with indecision that my cousin had come back to avenge her teammate? Do you think so little of me!?"
Raven deflected another blow, but the more this combat dragged out the weaker the chances of a clean kill diminished. Raven was master with her blade, and fought with the precision of a Huntress born. Fenrir combated this by turning his whole body into a weapon: fists, elbows and knees. He didn't care if he took a blow, just as long as he landed one.
A third stalemate ensured. Golden eyes burn into red. Fenrir rolled his shoulders placing more strength into the clash, Raven lashed out with a leg. Fenrir stumbled and Raven pressed her advantage. Fenrir sneered as the crimson blade came close to his throat, his free hand grabbed the blade and grunting through the pain, Fenrir smiled at his cousin delighting at the shocked look upon her face.
"What a katana, Raven." Grinned Fenrir.
With that Fenrir snapped Morrigan.
Raven stumbled back and quickly re-sheathed her weapon, pulling a blue blade. Fenrir threw himself at her; one hand was his axe and the other the broken shrapnel of Morrigan. He became a savage blur, his fury unleashed, spinning and stabbing at Raven in anger. Raven parried a blow from Hati, only to catch a slash across her chest.
In his enthusiasm Fenrir went to stab, Raven dodged to the side and brought Morrigan down on his arm. Again his aura wasn't active. The shock of pain causing him to drop the shard of Morrigan.
Raven had little time to celebrate as Hati swung out knocking Morrigan from her grip, Fenrir grinned at her, he looked like something from a nightmare. A crack of lightning illuminated his murderous silhouette, a blow from Hati knocked Raven to the ground. Fenrir's hand grasped around Raven's throat and he dragged her to her face. Her legs lash out, expert kicks knocking Hati from Fenrir's grip, though apart from that they did little else. She may as well been kicking a mountain.
As Fenrir choked Raven he noticed the fountain, a leer came about his face. "Do you want to know the best way of dealing with vermin, Raven?" Fenrir sneered, at his struggling cousin as he dragged her to the fountain. "You drown them!"
Raven only had the briefest moment to catch what little breath she had as Fenrir plunged her into the fountain. He projected murderous glee as he held Raven under the water, oh how he longed for this. All the jeering and the mockery of the past, how she belittled him and his mother. Now it can finally be put to rest.
Raven struggled, her hands attempted to claw out Fenrir's eyes. He merely moved his head, before biting down on one of her fingers. "No!" He thundered. "Once I'm through with you Raven I'm going to find the Branwens, and deal with them once and for all! Now do me a favour and die!"
Raven felt her world darken. Her aura can't protect her from this, she only had one choice.
Fenrir growled in shock as suddenly his grip on his cousin disappeared, his hands clasping one and another. He watched at as a raven suddenly flew from the fountain over to Morrigan, and changed back to Raven. Fenrir stared at her in confusion and shock. He was aware she was once a spy for Ozpin, but not to this extent. To become an aberration.
"Hypocrite!" He bawled at her. "You call me a slave? And yet you have a portion of his foul magic,"
Fenrir shook his head in disgust. "One way or another: You'll have to return to the War."
"I'm staying out of this madness!" Raven responded, rubbing his throat.
"Ah yes, killing me will definitely not draw Salem's eye on you." Fenrir shot back.
"You won't be missed, besides soon as you're dead we'll just scatter," jeered Raven. "Salem is not as all-seeing as you think."
"Self-righteousness has always been the weapon you wielded most comfortably, shame you fall short with the blade," Fenrir mocked.
Fenrir marched over to grab Hati, intent on finishing this. Suddenly a thin bolt of lighting struck him, causing him to bellow with pain. Raven heard the sound of rushing footsteps, as suddenly someone drop-kicked Fenrir sending him flying into a nearby building.
Raven turned to be greeted by the sight of a seventeen year old girl. She wore a simply brown vest over a torn white shirt, with a collar that appears to spike up behind her neck. In her hand she clutched two crescent shaped blades in her hands. She was Persephone, the Spring Maiden. And she wasn't supposed to be here.
"Teacher!" She cried in panic, running to Raven's side. "I couldn't let you face the Kinslayer on your own. You've trained and protected me: time I returned the favour."
Raven pushed her away as she rose wobbling to her feet. She already revealed too much to Fenrir, if he discovered she harboured a Maiden. He couldn't be allowed to leave here alive. He wouldn't.
"What are you doing? He's one of Salem's creatures, and if she finds out you'll be hunted!" Raven said, turning on Persephone. "Leave me now and let me finish this."
Persephone chewed her lip contemplating her choices. "I'm staying and I won't let him kill you. Not if I can do something to help."
Raven grunted in annoyance and frustration. Her plan had escalated to far beyond her control, now all she could do was survive. Make sure she lived and to protect the tribe.
"Fine, stay and fight," Raven said to Persephone. "But only use your lightening powers, hide them in the storm above."
"But teacher-"
"No Persephone! If he realizes you're a Maiden, he will kill you!" Raven barked at the girl. "Do as I tell you only through that will you survive!
The girl nodded, and Raven hoped she followed her orders. If Fenrir leaves her with knowledge that she had a Maiden. They would be nowhere they could hide to escape Fenrir and Salem's wrath.
Suddenly the debris Fenrir was under exploded in a red inferno. Raven and Persephone stood ready for battle. With Raven getting a sinking feeling that things had just gotten a lot worse.
A strange red energy coalesced about Fenrir, as he crouched on all fours like a beast. His eyes were now narrowed slits and his grin was rictus. His hands dug into the earth and his armour burned with a crimson power. All previous wounds Raven had scored simply re-knitted themselves. Least the process looked painful for Fenrir. Though Raven doubted that it truly did hurt him, as when it happened he simply let out something that was a growl of both pain and pleasure.
His semblance, Raven thought in shock. It's some kind of battle enhancer, that's why he didn't want to lose aura when he could survive the blow. It's his fallback.
Fenrir left a parting glance on the incomer to the fight and Persephone flinched. The sheer burning intensity of anger and hatred making even a Maiden flinch in fear. Fenrir's eyes then turned to glared at Raven's. The anger in those eyes was of a grudge nursed; fed with bitterness and hatred over the long years. One which Fenrir intended to end this day.
"If you acknowledge the existence of the Gods," Fenrir slurred, his breathing strained. "Start praying now!"
With that he then lunged ready to tear apart Bandit Queen and Spring Maiden alike to pieces.
Author's Note: And so a Maiden joins the brawl and things are gonna get intense. Man, family reunions bring tears to my eyes. As for Persephone I made her design be effectively what Vernal wore. Mainly because I kinda thought if Raven wanted to pretend she was the Spring Maiden she wore the previous one's hand-me-downs. Hope you all enjoy this chapter, don't forget to drop a review and have a good one!
