Hello everyone, and welcome back to another chapter. Honestly, I almost forgot to update the story today, but did remember in the end. Now, review response time! TheFelRoseOfTerror; begone Stephen King, go back to the shadow! Now, on with the show!

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Chapter 4- Forging Bonds

After the rather dramatic event that had just occurred in the main ball room of the Schnee Manor, many of the guests, particularly those that were in the ball room when Miss Schnee lost control of her abilities, had opted to leave the event much earlier then intended. Some still stayed, either curious as to what would happen next or taking advantage of the free food on offer, but the majority had left the premises, Kalec amongst them.

In truth, he felt sorry for the Schnee girl and was certainly sympathetic to her. Though as sorry as he felt for her, he couldn't deny that her outburst had provided him with an easy escape route amongst the throng of guests that were encouraged to leave by her outburst. He knew he had overstayed his welcome as soon as he met the Lady Prestor, and staying any longer in the Manor may have had dire consequences for himself.

There was something strange about the Lady Prestor, but he didn't know what. There was an aura of magic around her, an alluring charm of some form, but it was almost as if it was being used to mask something else. What he didn't know, but was determined to find out. There was no doubt in his mind that it was she that was the Twilight Spy, and a powerful one if the strength of the charm was anything to go by. Of course, his brethren would need more evidence then just a hunch, evidence that the Schnee girl would be adept at gaining.

He stopped in the street he was walking down, just outside a local hostel. It looked to be in decent condition, though seemed to be vacant of any guests. Perfect for his operation. He made his way to the door, a bell ringing as it opened, and stepped into the warmth of the reception room, wiping his snow laden boots on the welcome mat before approaching the desk, an elderly man reading a logbook rather lazily sat there, not even bothering to look up even as Kalec approached.

"I'm sorry but the hostel is closed under orders of Lady Prestor." the clerk announced rather flatly, still not bothering to look up towards Kalec. "We don't sell drinks, we don't sell chicken feed, and we don't accept guests. Please leave before the local authorities accuse you of trying to find shelter."

Kalec quickly cleared his throat, startling the clerk as he sat up, a look of shock on his weathered face.

"Sweet hearthstones! An actual guest!" the man hurriedly said, quickly brushing his shirt down and straightening his jacket as he turned to face Kalec. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone."

"Clearly," Kalec responded, looking around at the rather decrepit state of the reception. Whilst the exterior of the establishment was certainly pristine, the interior left much to be desired. Cobwebs clung to nearly every surface, and much of the furniture was broken and covered in dust. "I would like to rent a room please, if you have any available."

The man's face fell quickly, the shocked expression now replaced by a frown. "Oh I'm terribly sorry, but what I said earlier was indeed true. Lady Prestor has shut down this establishment, and many others like it. I'm afraid I cannot legally provide you with a room."

"That's fine." Kalec reassured, causing the clerk to look at him quizzically. "I would rather few knew I was staying here. I can promise to pay you for your troubles, as long as you keep this quiet."

"Why, to disobey Lady Prestor's orders..." the clerk murmured, slightly horrified before a large grin spread across his face. "Why, it would be my pleasure! Please, this way."

The clerk hurriedly stood up and rushed to Kalec's side, gesturing for him to follow. Kalec did so, moving through the dark corridors and up the stairs to the upper levels, the woodwork creaking as they did so.

"You said that Lady Prestor had this place shut down, why exactly was that?" Kalec probed, breaking the near deafening silence as he spoke. The clerk turned to face him, a look of disgust etched on his face as he heard the name of the Lady Prestor before he spoke.

"This hostel and many others like it, were often used to house the poor and homeless." the clerk replied, watching his step as they passed through a few of the more damaged corridors. "For whatever reason, Lady Prestor didn't like that idea, and she convinced the council to shut us all down, and funnel their funding into the pockets of the rich and greedy, in other words their own."

"What happened to those that used to stay here?" Kalec pressed, the clerk quickly frowning as he thought back to them.

"Many of them didn't survive the first night on the streets. They were the lucky ones." the clerk replied with a sombre sigh as he shook his head. "Those that survived are at the mercy of the elements, with some having been so desperate they've joined the Twilight's Hammer. Such a shame..."

"You are certain of this?" Kalec asked, a suspicious look in his eyes as the clerk turned around to face him.

"Well, you hear rumours, but can't say for certain." the clerk answered, before he held his hand out to the door they were stood next to. "Now, here's your room. The key is in the door, if you need anything just use the phone provided."

"Thank you for your hospitality kind sir." Kalec thanked, causing the clerk to nod his head in appreciation. "Once my work here is done, I promise to repay you for your hospitality."

"You are too kind, sir." the clerk responded, before turning to leave Kalec to his business.

Once the clerk was gone, Kalec turned the key, unlocking the door to his new accommodation. Stepping into the dark suite, he was greeted by a dark and dreary room, the furniture covered in dust and cobwebs, the only saving grace of the room being that it had a particularly nice view of the rest of the City.

'Nothing a little magic cannot solve' Kalec thought to himself as he wiped some of the dust off of the bedside table. But right now he had other important matters to attend to.

Taking a breath, he cleared his head of all thoughts and emotions, before holding his hand out in front of him. He began to channel arcane magic into the palm of his hand, his eyes lighting up with the runic energy. Streams of ethereal energy erupted from his hand and onto the floor in front of him, sending clouds of dust into the air in response. Eventually the stream dissipated, though in its place was now the ethereal image of two great Dragons; Senegos, the one who had sent Kalec to Atlas in the first place, and Arygos, the last known Scion of Malygos. He knelt humbly before the two Dragons, raising his head to look at the considerably small images of the two Dragons.

"Kalecgos, it is good to see you again." Senegos calmly said with a nod of his great head. "I trust your journey was a safe one?"

"Indeed it was, Lord Senegos." Kalec responded, before turning to face the image of Arygos, who had a notable scowl on his reptilian features. "Lord Arygos, what a pleasant surprise to see you. The Aspect is well, I take it?"

"Silence, whelp!" Arygos all but roared, a low growl rumbling in his throat as he glared at Kalec. "You will explain to me what you're doing in Human lands and why I wasn't notified of this mission until AFTER you left!"

"It was a matter of urgency Lord Arygos." Senegos replied, causing the younger Blue Dragon to turn to him instead. "We have reason to believe that the Humans are in great danger from the Twilight's Hammer and their Black Dragon Masters."

"Then let the Mortals destroy themselves. It is of no concern to us." Arygos sneered, his nostrils flaring with a derisive snort.

"I think you will find it IS our concern." Senegos corrected, a hint of annoyance in his voice, a rare sight indeed. "For as long as there are Mortals to protect, they are still our charge and always will be. You will do well too remember such things, especially if you are to become Aspect, as you so wish."

Arygos said nothing in response, turning his head away and snorting loudly. Confident that the Scion would say nothing else, Senegos turned to face Kalec, who had remained silent during the exchange.

"Kalecgos, report. What have you uncovered?"

"Not much I'm afraid, I've only just in the City." Kalec stated matter of factly, waiting for some snide comment from Arygos in response. When he heard none, he took it as his cue to continue. "That said, I believe I may have our first suspect as to the identity of the Twilight Spy. Her name is Katrana Prestor, a noblewoman who has been brushing elbows with the Schnee family as of late. I could feel powerful magic coming off of her form, an alluring charm I believe, and a powerful one at that."

"And what of the girl that the pools showed? Did you discover who she was?" Senegos asked, Arygos suddenly perking up at the mention of the pools.

"Her name is Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company...at least she was. Whether or not she will still hold that title after tonight's events remains to be seen." Kalec replied, the look of uncertainty on his face made more clear by his Human form.

"What do you mean? Explain." Arygos demanded, once again making his voice heard.

"There was an...incident during a formal gathering today. It seemed as though Miss Schnee lost control of her emotions and accidentally summoned a construct of some form." Kalec explained, scowling slightly at Arygos' smug laugh.

"Humans...when will they learn?" Arygos sneered, chuckling mirthfully to himself as he shook his head.

"Do you believe her to be a threat?" Senegos asked, choosing to ignore Arygos, much to his chagrin.

"Not to us. In truth I may owe her my life." Kalec responded, Senegos nodding his head in thought at the statement. "It is my belief that she could be invaluable to us. If Lady Prestor is indeed the agent of the Black Dragonflight, then any proof to this claim could be in the Schnee Estate, where I believe she is currently lodged. An area that Miss Schnee will undoubtedly have unlimited access too."

"IF she is still the Heiress." Arygos butted in suddenly. "If this 'incident' damages her position, she could have limited access to her own home. And that is if Lady Prestor is the spy as you so boldly claim."

"I have enough reason to believe so, Lord Arygos." Kalec confirmed, turning towards the image of the Blue Dragon in question.

The Blue Dragon grunted in amusement before shimmering out of existence, leaving only Kalec and the image of Senegos in the room.

"As much as I hate to agree with him, he has a point." Senegos finally said after what seemed like an eternity of silence. "How can you be so certain that this Lady Prestor is the spy you seek?"

"Just call it a hunch, Lord Senegos." Kalec responded matter of factly. "Give me a week to gather some more evidence. I'll get to the bottom of this, I swear."

"I do not doubt you will, Kalecgos." Senegos replied with a smile. "I must say, your servant Narygos has been awfully quiet. Is he with you right now?"

"Not in person, no." Kalec replied as he stood up from his kneeling position. "I've sent him on a… special assignment."

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"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!"

Weiss felt herself shrink away from her Father as he continued on his rant. After the 'incident', she had been herded away rather forcefully by her Father back to her quarters. For over the past hour or so he had been shouting at her, demanding an explanation as to what exactly happened. And truth be told, Weiss didn't know. She had never felt so much rage in her entire life, it was as if for that single moment, she was simply a passenger in her own body.

Oh god, was this what it felt like being Yang?!

"Do you have any idea what your stunt cost us?!" Jacques asked angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at Weiss in the process. "And don't think I'm talking about Lien here! Our reputation! Our… Our..."

All the fight seemed to leave Jacques at that moment as he sighed angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook his head.

"I want to leave."

Jacques immediately perked up at Weiss' request- no, demand- as he turned to face her, an angry expression on his face.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said I want to leave." Weiss repeated, with added emphasis on the end of the sentence. "I don't want to stay here any more. I don't want to stay in Atlas any more!"

"Young lady, I don't give a damn about what you want!" Jacques responded angrily, one of his gloved hands clenching tightly as he looked at Weiss with angry eyes. "This isn't about you. This is about the Schnee family name and your apparent insistence on dragging it through the mud!"

"Excuse me?!" Weiss asked, meeting her Fathers glare with one of her own. "I have done nothing but fight to uphold the honour of my family name, a name you married into!"

Weiss didn't even register the slap until her head was flung to the right. She didn't even register the stinging pain on her left cheek until she raised a hand to soothe the blow. She turned to face her Father, clearly startled by the act.

"This behaviour of yours is incredibly disappointing." Jacques said calmly, nursing the palm of his hand as if he had grazed it. "How do you think that dear Glacies would have thought if he had seen you tonight? Or if he saw you right now?"

Weiss felt her heart freeze as Jacques said that name, a look of both distress and anger washing over her face as she turned to face him.

"Don't you dare talk about him like you knew him!" Weiss declared defiantly, though it did little to alter her Father's gaze. "I'm doing what I feel is right, and that does not include wasting my time here, with these clueless people in Atlas. The Schnee family legacy isn't yours to leave, it's mine, and I'll do it as a Huntress!"

"No… you won't." Jacques quickly responded, stepping towards Weiss so he was practically looming over her. "You're not to leave the Manor grounds unless I specifically allow it. You are going to remain here, out of sight and out of trouble, until you and I come to an agreement on your future. It would seem that perhaps Lady Prestor was right about you."

"What are you talking about?" Weiss demanded, her voice so quiet she thought that her Father had perhaps not heard her at first.

"It has become clear that the trauma you endured at the fall of Beacon was too much for you." Jacques began, slowly making his way towards the door of Weiss' room. "Which is why with a heavy heart, you have stepped down and denounced your claim to the company, and have instead passed it on to your brother, Whitley."

Weiss froze in shock at the statement, her jaw dropping immediately as the severity of what her father had said hit her head on like a train. There was a click as her Father opened the door, quickly stepping through it and closing the door after him. For the briefest of seconds she saw Whitley on the other side, clearly having eavesdropped on the entire conversation. A sinking feeling entered Weiss' mind as a dreaded thought came to light. Quickly storming out of her room, she caught sight of her brother briskly walking down the corridor.

"Whitley?!" Weiss shouted, causing her brother to freeze in his tracks as he turned to face her, that same smile on his face.

"Yes, sister?" Whitley asked, the smile unmoving as he continued to stare at Weiss.

"Did you know about this?" Weiss demanded, crossing her arms to make herself seem more authoritative.

"About what?" Whitley innocently asked, shrugging his shoulders as he spoke.

"You never liked Winter. You never liked me." Weiss stated matter of factly, pausing as if to emphasise the point. "But you've been nothing but supportive since the moment I came back."

"If being kind to my big sister is some sort of crime, then I suppose I'm guilty." Whitley chuckled slightly.

And then it hit her. The constant support, the nice comments, the good posturing, the brushing elbows with nobles. It was all a front, to make himself look like a capable individual. A capable heir.

"You-...you wanted this to happen." Weiss realised, a look of hurt and betrayal on her face as the supportive smile on her brothers face turned into a hateful sneer.

"It's foolish not to do as Father asks." Whitley stated matter of factly, his eyes narrowed into hateful slits as he showed his true nature, a nasty laugh escaping his lips as he turned to leave Weiss in the hallway. "Don't worry, Weiss. The Schnee family name is in good hands."

Weiss couldn't believe it. Her brother, her own flesh and blood, had tricked her. No, betrayed her. She could feel the pit in her stomach even as she re-entered her room, as her emotions began to bubble over. She rushed to her bed, nearly collapsing on it as she slowly and quietly began to cry. Her life was in ruins. Everything she had worked towards, gone in seconds. She continued to cry, ignoring everything around her.

"Why do Humans always insist on crying when things go wrong?" a smooth male voice asked, causing Weiss to lift her head up in shock with a gasp. "Oh damn."

"Wh-who's there?!" Weiss sniffed, using her hands in an attempt to dry her eyes.

"...Your conscience?" the voice responded, clearly unsure itself.

Weiss looked around rapidly, trying to find the source of the noise. It was then that she at last noticed the open window, her curtains blowing rapidly. Thinking quickly, she reached for her bedside table, where she kept her blade Myrtenaster kept in its storage case. Yet before she could even reach the box, she felt something intercept her and block her off. Something big.

With tremendous force the invisible object shoved her back onto her bed, causing her to fall down with an undignified grunt. She could hear claws tapping on the marble floor in front of her, as well as the heavy footsteps that accompanied them.

"If you're here to kidnap or assassinate me then I'm afraid you're targeting the wrong person." Weiss murmured quietly, the footfalls of her assailant pausing momentarily before continuing. She was becoming aware of where the noise was coming from, giving her somewhat of an idea of where they were. And right now they were between her and her weapon.

"You Mortals always have a high opinion of yourselves." the voice chuckled. Not a cruel laugh like the one her brother had given her, one that was genuinely amused. "I'm not here to hurt you. In a matter of fact, I'm here for your help."

"If you're here for help, then why don't you show yourself?" Weiss stated matter of factly, wondering if perhaps she could be quick enough to side step the invisible individual.

"Let us just say that my appearance is...not what you're expecting, I can assure you." the voice calmly rebuked. Weiss wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a near animalistic growl at the end of the sentence.

"Then why should I help you?" Weiss responded matter of factly. There was a pause as the individual seemed to mull over the statement, made apparent by the rhythmic tapping of a claw. A Faunus with a Semblance that granted invisibility perhaps? It would certainly explain the claw and animal like noises, but not the large mass that had barged into her.

"Duly noted." the voice finally responded after what seemed like an eternity of silence. "Very well, I shall reveal myself if that is what you wish."

Weiss waited for a second until she could hear a strange thrumming noise in front of her. It was then that a large form quickly melted in front of her, a form that made Weiss freeze on the spot. They were large, certainly larger then she expected, covered head to toe in deep blue scales, with cyan runes covering their body. Pristine white teeth jutted out of their mouth, with a small horn on the end of their nose and bony spines running along their slender snake like neck. Amber eyes bored into her, with black claws clattering expectedly as the large bat like wings folded in on themselves.

"You're a...you're a..." Weiss began, very clearly lost for words as she stumbled back onto her bed.

"A Dragon, yes." the owner of the voice finished for her, holding a fore-paw to his chest in a similar manner to a Human or Faunus. "Well, technically I'm actually a Drake but I will eventually grow into a Dragon. I must say, you're taking this extremely well all things considered. After your Father practically disowned you I contemplated whether or not I should even come in today or if I should leave you to your-"

"Wait, you've been listening in on me this entire time!" Weiss suddenly said, the shock in her system quickly being replaced by anger.

"Only this past hour or so..." the Drake replied matter of factly, sitting on the floor in a similar manner to a Dog. Upon seeing the angry glare that the ex-Heiress was giving him, he cocked his head slightly to the side. "I take it this displeases you?"

Weiss wanted to scream and shout at the Dragon, or Drake, or whatever the hell it was, and tell it to leave her alone immediately and never come back. Yet she found she had no fight in her, no matter how much she wanted to will it. She let out a weary sigh as she shook her head slowly, trying her best to get a grip on her jumble of emotions.

"No, I-… I'm sorry. It's just that what I had hoped was a private moment of shame and dishonour is private no longer." Weiss explained, sniffing loudly as she did her best to wipe away the dried up tears staining her cheeks.

"You know, I thought the way you stood up to your Father, the way you stood up to everyone in the ballroom, was very brave." the Drake quietly said, leaning his saurian head closer to Weiss.

"You...think so?" Weiss asked, the Drake nodding his head in response. "How-...how do you know about the ballroom incident?"

"I'm magic, how do you think?" the Drake chuckled, the ends of his mouth curling up slightly in a small smile. "Today has not been a good day for you. You're tired, go get some rest and I will speak with you more tomorrow, how does that sound?"

"That sounds...nice." Weiss agreed, not even bothering to change into a nightgown of any sort, simply turning to her bed and pulling the quilt back, sliding into her bed with little to no effort. She was about to pull the covers over her, only to freeze in surprise when she saw the Drake gently bite down on the corner of the quilt and pull it over for her.

"I will talk with you tomorrow about why I've come to you, but for now, get some rest. You will need it in the days to come." the Drake soothingly explained, Weiss slowly nodding her head in agreement. As the Drake turned to leave, Weiss sat up suddenly, an urgent question popping into her head.

"Wait, I don't even know your name." Weiss suddenly asked, causing the Drake to turn suddenly in her direction. "I mean-if you even have a name, for all I know you don't give yourselves names and-"

"Narygos." the Drake told her. "My name is Narygos."

"Oh," Weiss said, before smiling and nodding towards the Blue Drake. "Then farewell, Narygos."

Narygos gave her one last smile before he opened his wings and leapt out of the window, his form shimmering away before he had even cleared the window fully.

"Narygos..." Weiss murmured to herself as she felt her body slowly drift off into unconsciousness, until at last she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

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And done! Sorry it was out a little later then usual, but you know how it is. Liked it? Feel free to leave a review and constructive criticism is welcomed. Any questions? Either leave in your review or PM me directly. Next update is June 2nd.

Raging Archon out.