"... Why did you run?" he finally asked
"What?" she said confused by his sudden calmness and caring in his voice.
"I asked you a question, why did you run?" he asked, "Raven?"
She was dumbfounded by how this man named Dredgen Yor found out her real name. When he extracted the dark whispers from her head did he link to her mind as she did to his? So many questions rolled through her mind of this man. This monster.
"... h-how, do you k-know my name?" she weakly said while still drained from attempting to escape from his camp and fighting off the pack of Beowolves.
"Heh, I saw your person as I siphoned the corruption from you, and saw your past. As you did mine," said Dredgen Yor
He saw my past! Does he know? Does he know about Tai? Does he know about Yang? Does he … know everything? She thought to herself
The moment was silent, the two just stared at each other waiting for one to make a move whether it was to be beneficial or hostile. That was to be determined. Dredgen Yor then looked down to her torso prompting Raven to move her arms to cover her assets and making her scowl at the monster of a man's filthy actions. Dredgen Yor was confused at first by her actions but then realized her doings. He sneered under his mask and gave out a low chuckle.
"Ah ha, you do not have to worry about me seeing you as a relic of pleasure Raven, I do not have feelings for you, but for your wounds, that does concern me," said Dredgen Yor
Raven's expression changed from one of disgust to one of anguish. She moved her hands to her bandaged bruises, the agony resonating from them now got to her mind as her adrenaline wore off. She clenched her teeth to hold in a scream. Even with the effects of Dredgen Yor's cannon gone, the pain still stung feverishly.
Dredgen Yor stretched his arms out to aid the bandit queen in getting back on her feet. She saw this and swiped away his arms. "Stay back, AHH!" She screamed as pain convulsed through her body. Her eyes clenched shut in response to the pain, her frail body trembled and her mind swimming in a sea of anguish. As the pain slightly subsided, she opened her eyes to see Dredgen Yor still there waiting patiently. She knew that she couldn't carry herself back to camp, and the others would see her as a weak Grimm that is too young and bloodthirsty to think straight to properly go in for the kill. She needed this monster ... for now, but when she is once again at full health she will end his corrupted life.
"Fine, help me up," she scowled
Dredgen Yor tilted his head to an acute angle looking like a perplexed dog. He then nodded and approached her side and wrapped his muscular right arm under her shoulder. With minimal effort, he raised her to her feet and looked to her waiting for a response to allow him to know if she is ready. She nodded her head signaling him that she is ready.
They trekked through the forest of Anima to his craft. When they arrived Raven went to direct herself to her temporary bed but was held back by Dredgen Yor. He first started off into the thick of the forest before turning his head back to Raven.
"What are you doing? We're here, now lay me down to rest," she commanded him before feeling a sharp pain under her right shoulder causing her to grit her teeth suppressing a sound of pain.
"I will say, that you hold yourself with high authority Raven Branwen, but know that I am not one of your feeble bandits or assassins," growled Dredgen Yor tightening his grip on her injured person increasing her pain, "Before I lay you down I will say these words and you will follow them as if they were your own, or I will finish what I started,"
The darkness and venom that came out of the monster's mouth it made her feel small, weak like she was prey. His deathly green eyes burned into her crimson eyes. "You will not attempt to escape again, or I will end you before you take your first step. Next, you will not touch my tainted rose again, or you will become another victim to its long list. Finally, whatever I say you will do without hesitation or question, you are easy prey and are in no position to wield a weapon properly. Am I clear," said the monster
Raven knew that this man was not joking, and he would hold true to his promise of ending her life. She swallowed her pride and nodded her head agreeing to his rules. Dredgen Yor seemed to smile at her agreement, even if you couldn't see it underneath the mask that covered his face the satisfaction radiated off of him.
He then approached the bed and with great care laid the bandit queen to rest. Her eyelids grew heavy as her head sunk into the sack. The last thing that she saw before drifting off into sleep was the figure of Dredgen Yor walking away from her bedside.
Later…
Raven was still lying in bed, sleeping in blissful contempt. Meanwhile, sitting close to her was Dredgen Yor, roasting the deer's carcass over the open fire. His gaze soon wandered over to the sleeping Branwen, studying her figure trying to establish a concrete portfolio on her and why she ran.
He now knew her better than she knew herself. He knew of her childhood, she and her brother's scheme to get into Beacon and train to be this world's Dredgens. He knew of her team, her missions, her former lover, and her daughter. The moment he saw the newborn blond, he could feel her mind doing everything in its weakened power to shield that memory from his mental gaze. What he truly wondered was if she was trying to shield that memory from him intentionally or was it instinct?
He knew that this woman had fear in her, but why did she have that much fear in her to leave her newborn daughter and husband to themselves. He indeed saw the memory of the man whose name was Ozpin telling her brother and teammates about the dark witch of these creatures of Grimm, Salem, but her fear was misplaced. From what he felt from the creatures of Grimm when he briefly encountered them, they were nothing. The Hive was much stronger than them, even their worms. This Salem was a poor excuse of an entity of Darkness. But the fear that she instilled in this woman, Raven Branwen. It transformed her into a strong figure, one that rules her tribe with an iron fist. These two were more alike than they realized.
Dredgen Yor then looked down to his weapon of sorrow, his Thorn. He sneered at the thought of this witch, Salem being powerful. "Heh, what an excuse, I've seen Thralls more potent than you Salem. Wherever you are, you stand no chance against me," snickered Dredgen Yor
Moments after he said that Raven started to stir. She shifted her head's position looking up at the night sky filled with stars. This sight brought back memories of when she and Tai were a couple. She knew that those days were long past her but yet she wished they weren't.
"Hm, you're awake, good," said the voice of Dredgen Yor
She turned her head to her left and caught sight of him, her attacker/savior. He approached her with heavy footsteps, each one leaving a mark in the earth. As he stood next to her bedside he gently pulled back the covers and pulled back the bandage on her left arm much to her discomforting anguish. He analyzed the wound and brought out a bundle of Nymphs weed and poured a flask of glowing water over it causing the premature blossoms of the weed to bloom. As they entered the final stage of blossom he crushed the weed in his hand, grounding it in his palm.
When he opened his palm revealing the glowing green and aqua blue mush of herbs. He then gently inserted the ground herbs into the wound prompting Raven to inhale sharply as the helpful bacteria of the medical herb to eat away at the Mark of the Devourer. The dark veins slowly receded back to the origin of the infection, the pigment of the skin around the wound returned to its pale peach color, the cracks healing rapidly with fresh skin.
Raven looked at the wound in awestruck amazement. This monster made herbal medicine with just Nymphs weed and glowing water. Atlas medicine is the most advanced antibiotics in all of Remnant. There is more to this monster than meets the eye. She slowly moved her free arm to examine the moderated healed wound. She caressed her middle finger around the wound feeling the skin was healed to its former glory with no signs of inflicted harm or injury aside from the remains of the wound which was rapidly closing due to the glowing liquid replenishing her aura. Words could not describe what she was feeling this instant.
"Ho-how did yo-" she stammered
"Light," he said
"Pardon?" she asked
"The liquid that is used with the herb was Light. A celestial power from my planet," said Dredgen Yor with venom dripping in his tone.
Light. That's the stuff he was talking to that little light about in his memories, or his past? Raven thought to herself.
He looked over her other wounds pouring small portions of this Light over them, healing them instantly. The same thought kept on running through her brain, from my planet. That's when she realized that this monster was not from Remnant. His clothing and armor were not like anything that a Huntsman would wear, what did the little light call him … a Guardian.
As Dredgen Yor retreated back to the fire Raven finally asked, "You're not a Huntsman, are you?"
He stopped in his stride and slightly turned his head to her unbeknownst to her due to the cover of his clock. There was a long silence in the air before he answered her question, "No, I am Other," he answered
"Other? In your memory, that little light called you a Guardian," she said
"I am no Guardian. Guardians use the Traveler's gift as a crutch and nothing more. I surpass them in every way, so do not call me a Guardian, or Risen ever again woman," said Dredgen Yor
He then lifted the skewered deer carcass off of the rack and placed it on a tarp on the ground. He unsheathed a knife from his thigh and severed off a slab of it and allowed it to cool in the forest breeze. Once the steam stopped freely flowing from the meat, he gave it to Raven. She was shocked to say the less. From her excursion into his past life and all of the appalling things that he has done, she views as an absolute monstrosity that can rival Salem's evil. So why was it right now he is acting so … innocent? So, kind?
"Here, you'll need your strength if you wish to resume your ordinace over your tribe," said Dredgen Yor
She looked at the venison with unease. She did not trust the monster with his acts towards her, no matter how innocent they seem (if you can call them that). Her mind refused to take the sustenance from the monster, suspicious of what he had done to it while preparing it. Then her stomach then let out an audible growl that resembled an Ursa's growl. She was abashed by her body's plead for food while amusing the monster.
"Heh, I suggest that you take it before further chagrin," chuckled Dredgen Yor
With reluctance, Raven snatched the venison from Dredgen Yor's hand and ripped a sliver of it off and nibbled away at the meat. It was no well-prepared meal made by her cook, but it will do for now.
He then walked away from her bedside to the figure of his hybrid craft that was bathing in the shadows of the night. He looked at the scraps of metal that still held firm to the craft and the ones that were barely holding on to its hull. He rested his hand on the craft and whispered under his breath the same way that he spoke in his past.
"You have served me well old girl …" he spoke before ripping off the remains of its previous shell from the hull surprising Raven. As soon as the metal was torn from the craft, the rock and bone that covered the rest of the craft instantaneously covered the rest of the craft, molding it into a more slender, darker, deadlier craft.
Raven was flabbergasted by what she just saw. It was like the craft was alive, no, like what it was concealed in was alive. Then the whispers returned, but this time they felt like a mere itch than intense unbearable pain like when she first held that cannon.
"What is your weapon?" she exclaimed
Dredgen Yor turned his attention to her, confused by her momentary persistence on his past and him. Like she was trying to uncover a mystery that hasn't been solved in many years.
"Why do you persist?" he growled
"Pardon?" she said
"I know you are trying to uncover what I am, but you have seen what I am, what I have been enlightened to be. So why?" he asked
"What you call enlightenment, is not what you should see it as. It is corruption," she said
"Heh, a matter of perspective. You know, you remind me of an old friend of mine. One that tried so very hard to bring me to see the error of my ways," he said
"That little light?" she said
"Heh, the hated nickname. No, a ghost, an old companion of mine. He actually is much similar to your brother. The one that persists on bringing you back to your family," said Dredgen Yor
Raven's blood froze, she had a feeling that this monster knew about her past but to compare her brother with this companion, a ghost, with him? When she was about to retort his statement, the thought of what he said actually made sense. Qrow often talked to her in hopes of convincing her to return to her family and not let the fear of Salem and her creations conquer her life. This ghost, this old friend of Dredgen Yor was much the same to Qrow, trying to bring the monster back to the Light.
"Ah, realization, a wonderful yet terrible thing to see. Yet in my case, it is quite amusing," he said
"Leave my family out of this Yor," then she had an Idea to get under his skin as he was doing to her, "Or should I call you Rezyl Azzir?"
His eyes changed from lazy seriousness to controlled rage. He then stormed over to her, the vegetation under his foot dying with each step. Raven was anxious at his rage-fueled approach, she tried backing away from him but to her dismay, her mobility was limited at the moment. He closed the distance between them and ripped the venison from her hands. He pointed the tipped end of the skewer at her neck and growled.
"Don't. Ever. Say that name. Ever. AGAIN!"
He then handed the venison back to her and headed over to the SDC crates and opened one of them. He took out one of the Dust crystals and examined it closely. He then raised his cannon up close to it and see that the crystal slightly paled at the close contact of the weapon of sorrow. His curiosity was peaked by this discovery.
"And to answer your question about my Rose, it is my prize and my curse," he said
"I'd say. What is it called and what is its function?" asked Raven
"Its name is Thron. And it is a Weapon of Sorrow, the first of its kind, and its main function is to feed off of the weak masses, of wasteful Guardians," said Dredgen Yor
"What are Guar-"
"What is this?" asked Dredgen Yor holding up the Dust crystal
"Um … Dust," she said
"What is the properties of this 'Dust' I know that it holds some magical properties, so what is it?" he asks
She honestly didn't know how to explain what or how Dust works/is. It is common sense to everyone on Remnant to know what Dust is. But this monster isn't from Remnant, he's from another world, a world that does not have Dust, but something much stronger, Light.
"Dust is Remnant's main source of power and fuel. That Dust crystal you are holding is Fire Dust, there is different kinds of Dust: fire, ice, water, lightning, wind, energy, lava, earth, gravity, steam, and the unknown," explained Raven
Dredgen Yor lowered the crystal and placed his hand on his chin, contemplating this information. What if he could combine certain Dust with another and make a reliable fuel source to refuel his craft and to properly explore this new world of bloody evolution.
"Can this 'Dust' fuel vehicles that are built for interstellar travel?" asked Dredgen Yor
"Yes, but Dust only works in the confounds of Remnant's atmosphere. If it were to leave it would be rendered useless," said Raven
This new information complicated things for Dredgen Yor and his plans to explore this world, or to leave it once he is finished here. He then had an idea, one that could possibly work in his favor. This Raven Branwen is the leader of a tribe of bandits, they pillage and kill, very similar to the bandits from his world, the ones that he loves to kill and to feed off of their fears. From her memories that he traversed through, he knew how her tribe worked, her knowledge, and her power.
She went to this school called Beacon. It taught her to become stronger and how to use a Huntsmans' knowledge against them. But the question was how to earn her trust? He had access to her entire life which he could tell she wasn't so content with that fact. Then he realized that the Mark of the Devourer will still last for a while even with the aid of the Nymphs weed and the Light, it will stay with her forever. And she will still need time to recuperate from the rest of her injuries. What could he do to become apart of her tribe? Then suddenly thought, no a memory surfaced from the depths of his mind but it was different, it wasn't his own. It belonged to Raven Branwen. As soon as the memory surfaced it was gone, but he saw it with clarity like any of his own memories.
"Now listen, Raven and Qrow. You two are the future of our tribe," said a middle-aged man
He had disheveled salt and pepper colored hair with subtle covering his jawline, he wore tattered clothing that looked too big for his size, he had pale crimson eyes and hollowed cheekbones and sunken skin. This must have been Raven and Qrow's father.
"Why father? We don't want to go! We want to stay with you!" shouted a younger Raven
"Yeah what she said," said Qrow nonchalantly
"I will not take your complaints children! You will go to Beacon without a question. This is for the benefit of our tribe. For our family. The Huntsmen have ruined our raids far too much and we need something to repel them, and you two are the right age to attend Beacon. So you two must go," said their father
"Father, if we go … then who will take care of you?" said Raven with tears brimming her eyes
"I am old Raven, I will soon no longer hold any value to the tribe and I will be expelled or disposed of, and I cannot let you two see me go, so you two must go," said their father
"Dad," said Qrow now having his emotions catching up to him
"But you can't be disposed of! You're the king!" screamed Raven receiving a swift slap across the cheek.
She looked like she was in a pained strain like she was mentally cursing herself for saying those last words, knowing that they would have brought that punishment upon her. She grits her teeth and looked back to her father with a hateful glare.
"I am so sorry my daughter, but no matter my position, my value will come to an end anyway, no matter the power I hold. But when you and your brother return, you two will take my place as the king and queen of the Branwen tribe," said their father
"King," said Dredgen Yor as the memory ended
Yes, it was perfect. Only Raven returned to her tribe and her brother left to live the life of a Huntsman, leaving her alone as queen. With the position of the tribe's king open. He smirked evilly under his mask and looked back at Raven.
"Your tribe, what would happen if you are gone for so long leaving them leaderless?" asked Dredgen Yor
Horror was then splashed across Raven's face. She forgot about her absence from the tribe has been over exceeded and rulership would be challenged for in a fight for the throne. She needed to get back and stop this before she is disposed of like her father was. She could not end up like him.
"There would be a tournament for the throne. The strongest fighters of the tribe would fight to the death for the throne until one remains. Damn, I need to return!" she exclaimed trying to get out of bed.
"Don't bother. You will not be able to fight for a while. Your only chance of retaining your leadership is for me to fight for you," said Dredgen Yor hoping that she would take the bait
"Why would I let you fight for me? You're the one who crippled me you bastard! If I was at my full health-"
"If you were at your full health I would beat you again and end your life. Even with your skill set and combat prowess in your current state against your tribe members, you would stand no chance against them, much less of regaining your position. But if I fight for you, I WILL regain your position as queen for you. In exchange I would like to join your tribe," said Dredgen Yor feeling satisfied with his explanation
"Haha! Genius plan Wukong Holmes but your plan is flawed!" said Raven amused by his bravado
"... And what is this "flaw" in my plan that is crippling?" question Dredgen Yor
"If you win you can't just hand the position of leader back to me. You would be the new leader, the king! The only way for you to give me back my position back is for us to marry," she smirked
This definitely put a dent in Dredgen Yor's plan. He started to sweat hard, he would have to experience love to give this position back to Raven Branwen. "Marry," he growled and choked out the word entertaining Raven even more and giving her more ammo to shake the Dredgen.
"Yes, unless you feel some sort of 'love at first sight' revelation right now, then your plan is screwed!" she laughed
"Well it wouldn't have to be love, we do share many things that we have in common," said Dredgen Yor
"I beg your pardon?" questioned Raven
"Think about it. We both left our old lives behind for a life of power, for a new birthright. We both have been enlightened by the truth of nightmares, all it would take to act like we know each other like we were friends since childhood. Which will not be so hard for us to do because we have seen each other's past. Thus the plan is still intact," said Dredgen Yor
As the salvaged plan left Dredgen Yor's mouth Raven turned paler at the explanation. What was going on in this monster's mind? He shot her and threatened her when she used his original name, and now he's talking about possibly marrying her to help her retain her position as her tribe's leader, it's like the man that was consumed by the Darkness so long ago is trying to resurface. Dredgen Yor then took a small military grade crate dragging it over to her bedside with ease. He set it down beside the bed and sat down and looked at her in anticipation.
"So … what shall we discuss?" he asked
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" she deadpanned
Thank you all so much, and thank you all for the great reviews even if it is very little, it's like the flood gates opened up and brought me happiness again!
Reviews:
Rain: WUT?
AK74FU2: same here man, when I hear "anti-hero" I instantly think of Deadpool. I know that some people that are crazy lore fans in Destiny "ME" might hate me for making Dredgen Yor the scum that he is into a hero, but it just came to me (no him but Darren, look at the summery if you can't remember). I will try my best to keep up the writing with the end of school coming soon and college.
Subject ZerOne: same here man, it used to be the SIVA project but when I caught wind of the Tale of the Two Gunslingers I was like "BITCH! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN ALL OF MY DAMN LIFE!" you have my fullest support in your idea and hope to see it someday. And for how Salem will react to the Mark of the Devourer, Dredgen Yor killed a multitude of Guardians and Risen with the Thorn draining them o the Light so Salem would lose her immortality but retain her control over the Grimm, but the Thorn will still hurt like a Bitch, seriously having a bullet the size of your hand tearing into you is not something you would want.
Guest: I will try my best to continue this, and to answer your question about Shin, yes, for the deliverance of justice unto that asshole and to train the future blood of Yor.
Until next time peps.
T1m3fr3ak OUT!