A/N: Annnddddd, I'm back! Seriously though, sorry for the extremely long wait. I blame life. And broken bones, and life again. Hopefully this chapter makes up for though. I plan to update every two weeks if I can, and I'll try to not make you guys wait for almost a month. Also, this may seem irrelevant now, but recently I've been on a medieval reading frenzy, and learned a lot about the medieval myths, legends, and culture, so now I've decided to make this story more AUish and turn Faunus into Cambions, which, in medieval mythology, are half-human, half-demons that live on Earth. Seemed like the medieval equal to the Faunus, so I turned them into the Cambions and they're basically all fighting for civil rights and all that shiz just like in the real RWBYverse.

With all that out of my system…ONTO THE CHAPTER!

(Please Read and Review)

*Also, a coif is a linen hat designed to go over a woman's head.

DISCLAIMER I DO NOT OWN RWBY, NOR WILL I EVER! ALL RIGHT GO TO ROOSTERTEETH, MORE SPECIFICALLY MONTY OUM.

Chapter 4: Second Thoughts

Your hopes have become my burden; I will find my own liberation

20 Minutes Before the Attack

Two White Serfs, one with an orange mask, one with a red, stood carefully next to the catapult. They had been waiting for over an hour for Adam's signal to launch, and there wasn't much to entertain them with.

"Hey," The one with the red mask abruptly said.

"Yeah?"

"You ever wonder why we're here."

"It's one of life's great mysteries isn't it? Why are we here?" The orange masked one sighed, "I mean, are we the product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really a God watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff. I don't know, man, but it keeps me up at night."

"...What?!" He turned to the other in confusion, "I mean why are we out here, next this giant catapult, right about to attack the Arc Castle?"

"Oh. Uh...yeah," The orange masked member said sheepishly, followed by a moment of silence.

"What was all that stuff about God?"

"Uh...hm? Nothing."
"You want to talk about it?"

"No," He said flatly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously though, why are we out here? As far as I can tell, we should be attacking right now just like Adam said at the meeting last night!"

"Mm hmm," The orange masked man said, letting his friend rant on.

"The only reason that we're here is because the stupid Blake girl keeps backing out of things. The only reason were here, is because she keeps running off and Adam has to go track her down every single time!"

"Yeah, but you can't really blame her for being nervous. I mean, Ozpin is in there, isn't he? You know, the renowned sage and wizard."
"No, no. I know, everyone knows who he is. But in all logic, why do we still have her in the White Serfs? She doesn't even like attacking the royals anymore!"

"Yeah, what's up with that anyways? She can't take a little violence every now and then?" The two reminisced about how Blake wouldn't participate in the last attack on a noble's house when they were in Mistral.

Meanwhile, two Arc soldiers with blue armor in a trench watched the two masked creatures with boredom. One of them was holding a state-of-the-art glaive with a dark handle. The other was trying not to fall asleep and poking his partner in the shoulder every few seconds.

"What are they doing?" The one poking said in a bland tone.

"What?" The other one turned and said, obviously aggravated.

"I said, 'what are they doing' now."
"Goddammit, I'm so frustrated at answering that question!" The one with the glaive said loudly, but quickly lowered his voice so their position wouldn't be seen.

"You have the bloody glaive, I can't see god knows what. Don't start to mess with me because I'm not just going to crouch here and-"

"Okay, okay, look... they're just standing there and talking, okay?" The other said, trying not to hit his partner with his sword out of sheer rage, "That's all they're doing. That's all they ever do, is just stand there and talk. That's what they were doing last week, that's what they were doing when you asked me five minutes ago. So, five minutes from now, when you ask me, "What are they doing?" my answer's going to be, "They're still just talking, and they're still just standing there." He looked at his comrade with a 'do you get what I'm bloody saying, you dolt?' look.

Silence. Pure, amazing silence passed for a minute. The one with the weapon sighed with relief and continued to study the White Serfs.

"...What are they talking about?"

"I bloody hate you."

Blake leaned her head against the red tree, Gambol Shroud at her side and a book in her hand, one about the flora and fauna of Remnant. She had read about the famous red trees that occupied Vale, with legend saying the blood of the fallen warriors in the Great War was what made their unique color. Of course, they were legends, fairytales to be more correct, and the young Cambion had seen what had happened when you put too much hope in the happy stories.
Still, she enjoyed reading them. The cool night breeze went across her face and she smiled. This was the one day when they didn't attack, they didn't fight, and they didn't kill innocent lives. When no one bothered her about being literate or reading more than readying her weapons. Yes, it was rare times like those when her life actually seemed...peaceful.

Then her grin faded when she remembered what her leader was planning for later. The largest, deadliest, and most risky attack the White Serfs had ever done. Of course, it was only her section of the White Serfs that were launching the attack. The main WS Headquarters was far away, in a land Blake only heard bits and pieces about. The leader of her section, which was mainly made up of Cambions, not peasants, was a high-ranking general, and anticipating what was about to come.

The Arc Castle Siege.

Blake, unlike the others in her clan, knew everything there was to know about the Arcs. King John and Queen Alsea ruled their people with valor, courage, and charm, with the couple both having kind hearts and a loving nature.

She could only guess that their son, Prince Jaune, was as popular. He was engaged to Princess Weiss of Atlas, whom the White Serfs and regular peasants in general hated. She was known for being snobbish, prejudiced, and discriminatory against Cambions and the poor. But for reasons that Blake herself couldn't figure out, she didn't hold any anger against the northern girl. Maybe it was because the black haired Cambion knew how it felt to be pressured to be something that didn't really please them, or because Blake understood that her parents were less than loving and treated their daughter with an icy tone. It didn't matter though, at that time, as it would only be a matter of moments before her leader would come stalking into the forest and demand Blake to come back to the White Serfs stakeout and prepare to fight.

Which of course, she would. The seventeen year old girl looked up at the sharp demon horns that protruded out of his head. Would this really work? Fighting and killing and attacking over and over again? The world would still see them as monsters, not just the Cambions, but the normal peasants as well. She knew for a fact that not all royals were bad, but taking over the Arc Castle, taking over the rare royalty that wasn't evil, was pushing it too far.

Evil. If Blake had a coin for every time someone had called her that she would be richer than the King and Queen themselves. The White Serfs had their good share of evil, something that she didn't even bother to deny. She was a Cambion, or half-human. A demon. A black horned spawn of the devil. She had no idea who her parents were, only that as soon as one of them saw their freak of a daughter, they tossed her aside, not caring about the fact that she was going to die. Once you were born a demon, once you were born at all, the lady of fate already had a plan for you. And being a Cambion meant living your life in complete misery and hate.

Maybe that's why she joined the White Serfs in the first place. To let out of the rage and hurt she had felt her whole childhood. Growing up without anyone to truly care, let alone love, made her a hollow piece of space.

But that didn't mean that she was alone all her life.

A small, blood red leaf fell onto Blake's torn book. She stared at it for a few seconds before a rustling sound came from the trees in front of her.

"Adam, if you expect to properly attack a heavily guarded palace, then I suggest taking some lessons in the art of stealth," Blake said in a calm voice, "Plus, you keep forgetting that I have eyesight as well as yours in almost complete darkness."
"Damn you and your logic," A raspy voice said from the shadows, and out came a tall man. His White Serf mask was white, and shining in the moonlight, with a curvy pattern of red in the middle and sides. His black vest and shirt hung loosely from his body and Blake could see his long, sheathed sword in his hand.

On his head, two red demon horns sticking out.

"It's not my fault I'm smarter than you," Blake countered, and closed her book, "Why are you here?"

"Blake, it's time," Adam said, walking forwards, "You know what we have to do."
"I'm not coming," She said bluntly.

"And why's that?"
"You know why," She seethed, "Because none of this makes sense. This fighting and bloodshed and everything we do."

"It's the only way we'll ever get our freedom, Blake," Adam said, "Every royal we kill every time we raid or fight back or get what we want, we're showing them who we are and that we're tired of being treated like dirt."

"But what about the people like the Arcs!" Blake said, "They're the kind of people that treat everyone with respect and dignity."
"All royalty have slaves," Adam countered, "All royalty are useless pieces of scum that are better off dead." Blake didn't even flinch at his harsh tone; she was used to this side of her leader.

"I'm tired of it. Tired of killing innocent people when we should be proving to the world we aren't monsters."
"They're always going to see us that way if we don't do something. We gave them the chance to treat us right, without using violence," Adam said.

"Still…"
"And we don't' even have any use for the Arcs, remember? We only need the boy."

"I don't trust Roman, Adam," Blake said, and looked him dead in the eyes, "Why would he want a servant boy? It doesn't add up. Why would he want anyone from here, to be honest?"
"I don't know," Adam said, "But he's willing to help us and I think that getting one measly person isn't going to be that hard."
"You forgot who we're up against."
"You forgot how strong we are."
"And that's what I'm worried about! I don't want innocent lives just tossed aside because they get in the way! I don't want to continue doing this!" Blake yelled and jumped up, "I know I grew up in this group, I know that they're, that you're my brother, but I don't know how long I can take this anymore! Others may have no trouble killing but I do!" Adam saw the pain in his sister's eyes and turned away. He didn't know what to do, let alone say. The two stood still, with the only sound being Blake's heavy panting.

"If it helps convince you…I bought you this," Adam held out a black coif, perfect for hiding demon traits. Blake stared at the small hat in confusion.

"Why-?"
"I know that you're self-conscious about your horns, so I thought that this would help in the future." He put the coif in her unmoving hand and waited for her response.

"I have no future," She finally said sadly, "Even if I have this I'll always still be a demon."
"After this castle siege is done, I promise that the world will not see you like that anymore. Not while I'm in charge." A small part of Blake knew that he was lying, but at that moment, she didn't care.

"Promise…" Blake took a deep breath, "Promise you'll spare any royals you find. That you won't kill unless necessary."
"I…fine."

"Thank you," Blake said in an honest tone, and tied the coif around her head. The fabric was a smooth, yet tough material, and fit perfectly. She let herself give off a faint smile and looked up toward the starry sky.

"Blake?"

"I'm ready."

The moon was high and broken in the night sky, but that didn't bother the two Cambions running towards the White Serf base. The time was close to ten, Blake could guess, and the Arc Castle was visible by the many flames of light coming from the outer walls. Red leaves seemed to scatter everywhere as they ran past them. The wind raced through their hair and Blake had to redo her coif again to keep it from falling off, which was hard considering she was going more than fifty miles per hour. Speed and heightened sense were just perks of being a demon. After a few minutes the two finally reached the hidden White Serf area and were sweetly greeted by a few members.

"Where were you!?" One with a long scaly demon tail scowled. She cast a glare at Blake and was met with one of equal intensity, "Oh, I see."
"Lydia, not now," Adam said in a tired voice, and ordered her to get all the members gathered. The small, makeshift base the WS had set up wasn't anything fancy, with a couple tents here and there and tables and chairs scattered around so the wounded could rest. They were behind several large hills so hopefully none of the Arc soldiers had spotted them yet. Adam and Blake walked towards the side of the small mountain and stood silently. They had been camped near the castle for almost a week, preparing for their biggest mission ever. The raven-haired Cambion looked around at the crowed starting to form, as word of the meeting got around quickly.

Adam cleared his throat and raised his sword up into the night air.

"As you all know," He said, trying not to speak too loudly, "We have gathered here to launch a full scale attack on the Arc Castle." Several murmurs of excitement were heard in the audience and Blake narrowed her eyes, "You all know the plan. A few of us, including Lydia and Blake, will infiltrate the castle by getting past the guards into the walls. Afterwards they'll send a signal, letting me and a few others know when the coast is clear and when we should attack. When I give the signal, you are expected to launch the catapults and attack the castle. Any questions?"

"What about the ballroom guards and Ozpin?"

"Team three has that covered," Adam said simply, "Now remember, team four has the servant boy, the rest of you just need to make sure to distract people enough so they can get him in time. You all know what he looks like and it shouldn't be that hard to find him. If we manage to get all the royals captured, not killed," He looked at Blake, "Then we put them in the dungeon. I repeat do not kill anyone unless necessary

"This is because of her, isn't it?" A Cambion with pointy horns exclaimed, pointing his finger at Blake.

"You have a problem with that?" Blake scowled.

"It doesn't matter why we're not killing anyone," Adam intervened, not wanting an argument to form, "What matters is we just finish this job so that Roman can help pave the way to The White Serfs' victory. I don't want to hear any complaining, only the sound of fire hitting the Arc castle when the time is right. Am I clear?!"

Nobody spoke after that, signaling that they all got it. Adam unsheathed his red sword and turned around, "We are the White Serfs. A voice in the darkness that has plagued this land. Some of us may be demons, but inside who is truly the monsters that roam Remnant?" Despite the fact he wanted the meeting to be low-key, the Cambions and Peasants were starting to get riled. They waved their weapons and swung them wildly. Seeing that they were ready, Adam turned to Blake and handed her a dark blue jar. It fit on her palm without showing off any skin. She didn't question the odd gesture, as she already knew what he wanted her to do with it.

"I need to know that you can do this," Adam said softly, so no one could hear. Blake pretended to ignore him, and tied the jar to her side using one of her many black ribbons, "Once you and Lydia send the signal, I want you guys to stay put."
"What? But why?"
"Because I don't know if I this is going to end up going great, or going bloody," Adam interlocked his hand with Blake's, "And I want to spare you the pain if the second part happens."
Amber eyes flickered for only a moment as Blake took in his words. Maybe he did care. Their rare moment was interrupted, however, as Lydia stood by Adam's side and whispered something in his ear.

"Yes, I know," Adam responded softly, and turned to the White Serfs, arm raised again to show off his weapon.

"What was that about?" Blake asked.

"Nothing," Adam said a bit too quickly, but regained his composure and grinned, "Now, let's go crash us a ball."

The plan was so simple it was child's play. Sneak in the castle, signal the WS, and wait until the siege was done. Blake had heard it enough to get it engraved in her mind. From the moment Adam told her it had wrapped around her head like a snake and stayed there, just taunting her coward nature for not wanting to kill. She hated being so torn between her morals and her brothers, the people that took her in and loved her like one of their own.

But this? Despite the fact that she knew Adam meant well, that his words truly touched her heart, nobody could deny that it was insane, and deep down Blake knew that something bad was going to happen that night.

Of course, though, she didn't say this thought out loud. It would only cause more tension between her and her partners. And tension was something they couldn't afford to mess their plans up.

"Are you all ready?" Adam whispered, hand on his sword. The small group of serfs was gathered at the foot of the Arc Castle Walls. Since the gala required more guards and soldiers to keep order, there were only a few patrolling the outer defense. Blake's perfect night vision could see a towering bulk of a man walking past her up in the wall, crossbow loaded and locked.

"Yep," Lydia said softly.

"I'm ready," Eliza said from her left.

"Me too," Another Cambion named Eli declared.

"Blake?" Adam questioned. The black haired girl only nodded before taking out Gambol Shroud. The inky color seemed to disappear in the night as she moved it around.

"Okay, Lydia and Blake, you're up," Adam said.

"Got it," Lydia said eagerly. Blake just rolled her eyes and followed the monkey tailed girl as they slowly crawled forwards at the foot of the wall. Lydia gave Blake the signal to launch what Blake labeled, 'Gambol Shroud's II Usage', or basically the Dagger Launcher. The cat Faunus quickly shot the black dagger up into the air, a trailing ribbon closely behind. It pierced itself into the stone and Blake gave a slight tug.

"It's safe," She stated, and used the string to help her climb up the wall. Below her, she could hear the others holding their breaths as if they expected her to fall. When she reached the end of the ribbon, she grabbed onto the wall's ledge and hoisted herself up on the flat platform. Looking left and right, she let out a relieved sigh; no guards in sight. She peered over the ledge and threw down Gambol Shroud to Lydia, who grabbed hold the weapon. Blake pulled her up with ease and the two exchanged a quiet 'let's go' look. They quietly tiptoed down one of the wall's towers, easily taking out a few soldiers that were in the way. Once they reached the bottom floor, Blake could make out a few more guards at the castle's entrance. The distant sound of clapping and cheering echoed throughout the cold night air.

"Stupid royals," Lydia muttered, "Having a damn ball when others are starving." Blake didn't respond, only narrowed her eyes to make out the area better. The two Faunus were on the West Side of the Castle, near the entrance to the royal ball room. The castle dungeons were located about a flight of stairs underneath the palace, right below the kitchen. Not the perfect place to put prisoners, Blake thought, but then again everyone had their reasons for doing things. The dungeons consisted of aura locks; something that Blake alone knew. They required a person's aura to unlock the doors and other private areas, but couldn't be unlocked that way from the inside. Now the she had thought about it, she should've brought that up to the White Serfs back at the meeting.

"Are you done daydreaming?" Lydia hissed. Blake glared at her and tightened her grip on her weapon. They couldn't just barge in, not without causing a scene.

"I'm thinking," Blake whispered sharply. Back to what to do. They could climb the main West Tower and strike from there. That seemed like a reasonable plan. Now all they had to do was to not get caught, "Okay, here's the plan."
"I'm listening."
"We scale the West Tower, over there," Blake pointed to the large looming tower near them, "From there we enter the castle, hopefully avoid any guards, and give Adam the signal that he's clear to enter. When he gets here, he sends the signal and we all capture this place."

"Scale like in what we just did two minutes ago."
"Yes."
"Fine by me," Lydia peered over the ledge of the wall, "But unfortunately some of the guards are, well, guarding the courtyard." Blake looked down and mentally sighed. About five Arc soldiers were patrolling the cobblestone path leading to the West Tower Entrance, and despite the fact she and her partner were still and silent, she doubted they could pull off such a risky task without causing some alarm.

Which meant…

"Plan B," Blake reluctantly said, leading Lydia to pull out her long sword.

"I was hoping you would say that," The Cambion said, and Blake tightened her grip on her katana and daggers.

"Remember, no killing," Blake warned, "Or else after this I'm going to be kicked out of the White Serfs for treason." The two hovered their heads over the palace grounds, "I'll get those three," Blake pointed to three broad shouldered guards on the right, "And you get those." Lydia nodded, and bent down on one knee.

"One, two-," Blake didn't wait for her partner to finish, instead instantly jumped and landed on the hard stone. Almost immediately the guards tried to attack, their weapons brandishing as they ran towards the two demons.

"Dramatic, much?" Lydia growled, and ran to her left. Blake, making sure the ribbon was secured on her arm, unattached the dagger at her waist and held it in her hand. Without thinking, she threw the short sword at her enemy and watched it miss his head by an inch.

"Nice try," The soldier said, "But I'm afraid tha-"

THWACK! His helmet rattled at Blake pulled back her arm and knocked the dagger into his head. He stumbled backwards for a few seconds before another guard caught him by the underarms.

"Get them!" He shouted, and the other guard next to him ran at Blake. She brought out her katana and blocked the man's swing as he tried to decapitate the Cambion. Her arms seemed to fly in the wind as she quickly backed away and activated her semblance. The soldier swiped at empty space, and before he could question it Blake had already hit him from behind. He fell forwards and she cut him in the leg, blood pooling out like a hot spring.

"Behind you!" Lydia shouted, and Blake swiftly turned around to see the other two guards advancing on her position. She tossed her dagger again and spun it through the air like a rolling wheel before bringing it back and repeating the process. Her tricky maneuver caused the soldiers to hesitate going near the dangerous girl. Blake pulled the ribbon back one more time before running towards the men. She dodged a strike and jumped. Doing a mid-air flip, she looked down and turned on her semblance before hurriedly planting her feet onto the ground. She bent down and swung Gambol Shroud at her opponent's feet, making sure to jab them right below the knee.

"Argh!" One of them yelled, and Blake held in a smirk. He fell down to the ground and she pushed herself up using his body. Her legs kicked the other guard as she jumped over the fallen down man, and he stumbled backwards into the sharp blade of Lydia. The other demon held the sword at his neck, and seemed to have a glint in her eyes.

"Let him go," Blake commanded, and looked around the area. It didn't seem like they gave the guards a chance to sound the alarms, evident by the fact they weren't dead yet, so they had time, "We have to give Adam the signal." Lydia let out a fake sigh, and stabbed the man in the shoulder before tossing him downwards in a tired manner.

"You take the fun out of everything," She whined. Blake ignored her and pointed to the door leading to the inside of the castle.

"You know what to do, right?" She asked. Lydia nodded.

"I keep watch while you signal Adam that the coast is clear." Blake headed towards the door and entered the palace. The two Cambions took out their weapons again, but to their relief there weren't any Arc guards waiting to slit their throats. Blake studied the hallway they were in with wonder; she had never seen anything so amazing. In the days back at the White Fang bases where she was left with nothing else to do but read, Blake's head had soaked in all the pictures and words that described the architecture of the castles. The luminosity of the light from the torches seemed to dance on the painted walls, full of stone carvings of battles and heroes and real life events that took place during the Great War. The paintings were rich with vibrant colors and made her want to actually smile from the beauty of it all.

"Hey bookworm," Lydia interrupted her thoughts, causing Blake to glower at her. She hated that nickname all her brothers and sisters had her titled with, "I know that it's bloody great and all, but we have to hurry." The black haired girl didn't reply, only bounded for the stairs that led to the top of the West Tower. Running upwards, her ears picked up no trace of movement, so that meant the coast was clear. She quickly reached the top and gazed out of the open window into the darkness.

"You think that Adam will be able to see us?" Lydia said from behind.

"I hope so," Blake muttered, and took out the oil. Lydia grabbed a torch from the wall and held it out. Blake carefully put the jar under the flames, making sure not to burn her hand. They're plan was to hold up the burning oil as a signal to the WS below.

"UP THERE!" A shout came from the hallway they had just exited.

"Bloody hell," Lydia cursed, and moved the torch away from the black liquid before it could catch on fire. The sound of footsteps echoed through the tower walls, "They know we're here!" Blake growled, and then set the oil down on the ledge of the window. She put her head out the window, grabbed the torch out of Lydia's hand, and waved it around wildly. Not as subtle as just lighting a small jar of oil, but it would have to substitute for now. A flaming arrow suddenly pierced itself into the stone next to Blake's head, signaling that Adam got the message. She latched the jar back on her belt and turned to her partner.

"We have to go now, this place will be under siege any minute," Lydia stated, and took out her sword. A soldier suddenly appeared out of the blue and the scaly tailed demon kicked him back into the guards behind him before swiping her weapon feverishly. Blake gored another soldier in the shoulder and watched his back press into the wall as she twisted the sword in his flesh.

"Nice job," Lydia said. Blake stopped her torture immediately. She wasn't a monster, not like them anyways.

"I'm sorry," She whispered to the man, who was breathing heavily. The sound of glass breaking and people screaming caused her blood to turn cold.

"I guess this is the end of the Arcs, huh?" Lydia said casually, and sat down on the ledge of the window, "Which means another step to our freedom." More sounds of terror were heard and Blake remembered Adam's words to her.

Once you and Lydia light the signal, I want you to stay put. It slowly dawned onto her that Adam never acted like a protective figure towards his soldiers. It was either fight or die. And for Blake especially Adam wanted her skills on the battlefield.

So-

"Why would Adam just order us to sit back and watch all this?" Blake wondered aloud.
"Who cares, Blake?" Lydia twirled her sword, "However, I do enjoy killing those stupid bastards, but orders are orders."
"Yeah…" The raven-haired girl mused. She fingered the can of oil and vaguely heard the sounds of battle commencing in the ballroom. Her eyes closed and her body relaxed slightly as she went into complete focus on her surroundings. Adam often called this her "Zen Mode" or when Blake was in perfect harmony with the world. It was a rare trait that Cambions had, and allowed the user to focus completely on her environment so she could detect even the slightest thing out of place.

A tiny prickle of pain formed in her left eye, and Blake looked out the window. Blocking out Lydia's protests to keep her head back, the horned animal noticed the faint outline of a person entering the Southern Tower. The moonlight illuminated on the black shroud of a person, and she narrowed her eyes; No White Serf was ordered to enter that way, she was sure of it.

"I'm going to check out something," Blake said quickly. Lydia blocked her way out of the tower, "Relax, Lydia, I'll be back."

"What are you doing?" Lydia asked.

"There was someone going in through the Southern Tower. No one was ordered to do that."
"It's none of our concern, Blake," Her partner said coldly, but Blake's amber eyes detected the small pin-points of sweat, swallowing, and rapid blinking.

All signs of lying.

"Move out of my way," Blake pointed her katana at Lydia's chest, "What's Adam planning to do?"
"Nothing!" Lydia exclaimed, and reached for her weapon as well, "Blake, I am damn serious, this is none of your concern!"
The arc castle is a vast piece of stone built like any other castle is modeled after. With the royal family living on the South side of the land as per say a tradition that originated out of the Great War. The excerpt from a book of architecture she had once read echoed in Blake's mind.

"He's going to kill the king," Blake whispered out loud, and Lydia suddenly shot up and swung her sword her Blake's head. The Cambion barely had time to duck before another onslaught of attacks came at her. With the limited space Blake had to move and defend herself with, she knew she would have to take the battle elsewhere.

Or…

"What did Adam tell you to do!?" Blake yelled, and blocked an attack with Gambol Shroud.

"To keep you away from his plans!" Lydia replied, and positioned her legs so that Blake's strength couldn't push her down with her weapon.

"He lied me!" Blake said, though this wasn't directed towards her opponent, "How could I be so stupid?"

"Well, what did you expect? That he was going to turn into a moralistic bullshit person overnight?" Lydia said

"Damn you!" Blake said loudly, and shifted her feet so that she could get a good stance in position for what she was about to do next. The pressure that Lydia was forcing was about to make her buckle under, and she could not allow that. With one last burst of energy, Blake backed up into the wall. Lydia, seeing her chance to strike, thrust her sword where Blake's heart would have been.

Key word: Would.

With a small smile, Blake ran to the left, leaving her shadow clone behind, and watched as Lydia's sword entered thin air. The horned Cambion knocked the weapon out of her hand and kicked the girl down the stairs into the bodies of the Arc Guards. Lydia's head hit the stone wall with a loud thud and promptly passed out. Blake quickly grabbed her sword and put it onto her belt as well, a gut feeling telling her she would need it later, and ran down the stairs.

It was time to find Adam.

Arc Castle Grounds

About Two Minutes Away From Death

So this is how I die, Jaune thought, not even the slightest bit of hope left in his soul. His father was dead, his mother was now a million ashes, and now the only person that had the power to get the hell out of the castle grounds was lying on the floor with an arrow in his chest.

So, yeah, he didn't blame himself for being so pessimistic. The man named Adam walked up, a maniacal grin etched onto his face. Jaune recognized his name from somewhere, but did it really matter? He was going to die and unless fate had another plan for his life, then he was utterly doomed.

"Why do you want Ren?" Jaune managed to ask. At least he could die knowing some important subjects, "And what do you want with my family?"
"Oh, Jaune Arc," Adam said, "Let me tell you it is going to be a pleasure watching your guts spill out all over my feet." Jaune gritted his teeth, "But let me assure you nothing will ever be as good as killing a king."

Blake raced down the hallway, not even caring about the fact that her coif was dangling hallway off her head from running. All that mattered was getting to the king in time and stopping her leader from destroying the good man. It wasn't that hard tracking down the soon-to-be murderer, as a trail of cheery red blood went down from the ballroom to the south side of the castle. Now all she had to do was hope she wasn't too late.

"Adam!" She yelled, and looked down at the red path she was following. The blood suddenly turned and Blake found herself outside a fancy looking door. She tried to turn the handle but found that it had been locked from the inside, "Adam, you bloody bastard open up!" Frustration filled her veins, and Blake stabbed her weapon into the wooden door with ease. It splintered and she reached into the hole she created to grab the lock. Twisting it ever so slightly, the door opened and she went in.

Blood.

That was the first thing she noticed about the room.

So.

Much.

Blood.

On the carpet, on the walls. A never ending line of red death that told her she was too late. The bedside table that stood in the corner was flipped, the candle long extinguished. Papers and parchments were scattered everywhere, each one with flecks of scarlet embedded into the words. Blake's eyes trailed down to the shape of a body lying face down on the floor. A scream hitched in her throat.

Oh, Remnant, no. Without a moment's hesitation she ran over to the nearly dead king and flipped him right-side-up. His face was bruised and bloodied, a long cut going over his right eye and ending at his chin. Blake looked at his chest, several sword cuts cleanly made. She knew at once he wasn't going to survive, no matter how much she wanted to believe it. To believe that good would always win.

But life wasn't a fairytale, and that was what hurt her most.

"I'm…so sorry," She croaked. John's unscathed eye opened up and stared at the demon

towering above, "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"You…are…a-"

"A monster," She choked, "A demon that kills innocent people." Blake took off her coif.

"No." Blake looked at him in surprise, "You…are…different." Amber eyes widened and Blake tried to find the correct words to say.

"You…don't understand. I am a monster. A Cambion."
"Are…you…one…in..side?"
"What?" She said softly, not believing what she just heard. Was she one inside? A demon who loved to kill, to bane on others?

"I-I don't k-know," She shakily admitted. The king seemed sad at this answer and closed his eye.

"Pl…ease, protect…" His words grew still and his breathing stopped, but Blake knew what he was about to say. Protect his son. His only son. Protect the boy who was, technically, now king.

Protect the only one that could take back Vale.

But if she didn't do something soon, then he wouldn't need protecting. No, he would need a six-foot grave for his body to decompose in. Gently setting down the deceased leader, she bowed in respect and stood up. The world seemed to slow down as the sudden truth dawned onto Blake. It wasn't her, but Adam who had caused this. Adam who had killed the king with no hint of mercy in his mind. Who had killed a man who had just entrusted his prince's future in the hands of a demon.

And she was going to stop him, even if it meant costing her own life. Because that was what a Cambion did, they made people fear them. And once she was done with Adam, there was going to be something to fear about.

"I'll protect your son," Blake said in a hushed whisper, even though she knew no one could hear her, "I promise."

Arc Castle Grounds

1 Minute Before Death

Jaune's eyes drifted to the ground, his heart racing, head pounding. His dad was dead. Killed by the monster that was standing before his very eyes.

"I would like to say that it was painless," Adam continued, aimlessly waving his sword closer and closer to the prince's head, "But…it wasn't."

"You bastard," Jaune muttered, and lifted his head up to look Adam. Everything seemed so unreal, the deaths, the fact that he was now…king.

Well, not for long…maybe. Jaune looked around, eyes scanning for anyway to escape. He had a purpose, and that was to avenge his father, avenge his title. And nothing was going to stop him.

Okay…a few minor details stood in his way. But as long as he kept Adam talking, then he was alive and breathing.

"What do you want with me?" Jaune asked.

"Just a long grudge I've held," Adam said, "About royals like you that believe they can just treat others like dirt and get away with it."
"You've got the wrong person then," He replied defiantly, remembering Weiss and her family's attitude towards the lower class, "And where's Weiss?"
"The little snow princess?" Someone from the crowd said, "Oh, don't worry about her. She'll be fine as long as you do what we ask."
"But won't you kill me anyways?" Jaune asked innocently.

"We only want him," Adam pointed his katana at the unconscious servant boy at Jaune's side.

"Why?"
"I'm afraid that my colleague didn't say anything about why," Adam said truthfully, "But he did promise I had the permission to kill every royal I could lay my hands on. Jaune gulped, and fingered the hilt of his sword. If a fight would engage, then he was dead, but it would be better than being killed whilst kneeling down on the ground.

Oh, Remnant what do I do?

Prince Jaune would have likely tried to escape, Blake thought to herself, question is where. She dashed down the hallway, making sure to avoid the dead bodies, and turned a corner. Suddenly, the answer slapped her in the face; The Castle Gates. The easiest way to get out of the palace without having to climb over tall stone walls.

The place where Adam was probably about to kill the prince himself. Without wasting another second Blake started running once more and nearly crashed into a few injured guards on the way, leading to her foot slipping on a pool of blood. She grabbed onto a nearby half-ripped tapestry dangling loosely from the ceiling. A jab of pain shot up her side as she fell and the jar of oil poked her ribs. Muttering a curse, Blake used the decorated curtain to pull herself up. It was a vibrant creation, she noticed, and an idea came to mind. She knew that tapestries took years to fully design and make. They were highly flammable, but inside very tough and made of sturdy fabric.

Truly a spectacular work of art.

RIIIPPPP. Blake flinched as the sound echoed through the halls. The now more than half-ripped creation landed on the floor and she picked it up, feeling a bit guilty for ruining something so wonderful, but hopefully saving Jaune's life would make up for it. She folded up the tapestry and continued her mad run towards the Northern end of the castle. Passing a broken glass window, a voice suddenly caught the Cambion's atttention.

"I'm Adam Taurus, leader of this little escapade." Blake stopped, then looked out the hole in the wall. A group of WS members were gathering around something...

Jaune. She saw him on the cobblestone pathway with a horse next to his side along with a green clothed boy.

Blake watched the scene below her with absolute hate. Her eyes scanned the area in hopes of finding something to help her save Jaune. She knew Adam loved to mess with the people he was about to kill, but the Prince wasn't even flinching.

"At least if I'm going to die I want some answers," Jaune said. Blake looked around the hallway for the next phase in her plan,"So please, spare me this one wish." She grabbed a torch on the wall.

Blake unlatched the oil from her belt and held it over the WS below her. If they did manage to capture her after this, then she would be arrested for treason, or worse.

I already attacked Lydia, though, She remembered, so maybe it didn't matter anyways. The jar titled slightly and Blake watched the inky substance fall down to the ground. Someone would probably notice the strange liquid that just fell onto their head, so she had to work fast.

"Hey Adam!" She called out, her voice ringing in the air. Adam looked up in shock, then scowled.

"Blake-"She didn't wait for his petty excuse, only held up the torch.

"This…is for everything." Her hand went slack and the bright light fell towards the earth in near silence.

One.

Two.

"Run!" Blake yelled to Prince Jaune as some of the flames burned the feet of the White Serfs. Immediately she jumped down, the long tapestry trailing behind her, and thrust the end into the burning inferno. Catching fire almost instantly, Blake spun the curtain around to try and ignite the Cambions around her. Hot sparks of ember flew into the night air as she managed to burn a couple of her brothers. Taking out her katana, the horned animal dodged a swipe that came at her face and quickly began to engage in battle. Her semblance was put on full max as she jumped over two Cambion and hit them from above. She didn't have time to make sure that Jaune was okay, only give him the opportunity.

TWACK! Blake's vision blurred as a mace came out of nowhere and banged her in the head. She barely had time to use her blade to partially block the attack before it forced her to the ground. The burning tapestry flew out her hands and she felt her body collide with the cobblestone surface. Her left arm instinctively reached for her ribbons and she hurled the dagger into the unfortunate face of a Cambion.

"He's getting away!" Someone shouted. Blake twirled her dagger and blocked an arrow coming at her face.

"I'll get him," A gravelly voice said. Out of the corner of her eye, Blake saw her leader speed off into the distance as more White Serfs started to surround her. She quickly dropped the ribbon-dagger into her belt before replacing it with Lydia's sword. Muscles tensed, she watched as a few archers took their stance and aimed their crossbows at her.

Get to Adam, get to Adam, However, Blake knew this was easier said than done. Time seemed to slow down as five arrows came rushing at her chest. The horned Cambion activated her semblance and dashed to the left, her blades flying into the bodies of a multitude of White Serfs. The sound of slashing and cutting seemed to pierce the midnight air as she took down her ex-brothers. Grabbing onto the shoulders of one, she hoisted herself up and kicked him in the head before landing on the ground once more. No more arrows were coming after her, no more blades either.

There weren't that many more enemies left, obvious by the dozens of cries of pain filling her ears, and Blake saw that most of them had retreated. A sudden flaming arrow shot up into the sky before flickering out. A sign that the rest of the White Serfs were about to swarm the place. She bent down on one knee and amber eyes seemed to flicker a deadly black before she zoomed into the darkness of the night after Adam.

Outside the Arc Castle Grounds

Why Isn't This Guy Dead Yet?

Jaune was slightly panicking. Sure, he was alive, Ren was alive…and currently strapped to the butt of a horse, but that still didn't mean that there were delusional Serfs trying to kill his own ass. The prince shouted another command to his steed and flew through the air as he passed the Arc Castle Gates. A feeling of relief flooded over his mind, now assured that he was safe.

However, fate wasn't going to let him off easily, no matter if he had been put through hell the few hours before. A bloodied red blade came out of the trees and nearly decapitated his horse's head. Jaune quickly stopped and swung Crocea Mors at the attacker, knowing fully who it was. He jumped off the animal and blocked the sharp blade of a certain murderer.

"I admit you have your father's determination," Adam Taurus said, his face expressionless. Jaune didn't respond, only silently thanked his dad for never giving up on their sword lessons. The two figures in the moonlight slowly took their stances, pressed harder on their weapons, and prepared for a predicted short battle. Jaune took a deep breath, his mouth wanting to say something vile back to the demon that had killed his father, but nothing would come out. Not one thing. There were no words to describe the fact that everything he had was gone, and the last slowly dying away.

But there were words to tell the demon that he wasn't about to give up.

"You knew nothing about him," Jaune said, and dug his heels into the earth to keep himself steady, "You know nothing about me."
"I doubt that, Prince Jaune," Adam snarled, "But I respect the fact that your still alive to this point, though I suppose you have my old friend Blake to thank for that…"
"Make sure to tell her I said 'thanks,'" Jaune said, trying to hold the firm and confident tone in his voice. His arms bent a little and he knew that he didn't have that much time before Adam would overpower him. A trickle of sweat rolled down his face and his legs felt like stiff wooden boards, but he couldn't afford to lose focus.

Just…a little…

Crap. Adam tilted his sword and backed away quickly, the loss of weight causing Jaune to fall forwards. The demon watched as the prince coughed up dirt and tried to lift himself up. Adam raised his sword, a sweet, yet bitter taste filling his mouth.

CLANG! A shot of pain raced through his hands, blood pouring onto his face as his weapon was knocked out his grasp. He looked at his hands in shock and realized that the new attacker had cut cleanly though his middle and index fingers, only the ends of them hanging off in a grisly manner.

"YOU BASTARD!" The words caused Adam's blood to boil, and he turned around to see the amber eyed girl race at him, katana prepped and ready to kill. On instinct, he jumped back and barely dodged the edge of Blake's blade swipe. Ignoring the fact that his fingers were about to unhinge from their rightful spots, the Cambion quickly grabbed his sword before thrusting it out, unwillingly causing a large cut to appear on Blake's left arm. The horned Cambion's eyes widened as she realized she had been injured.

"Blake-"

"I TRUSTED YOU!" If looks could kill Adam would have been long dead, as Blake's face was a fury of hate. He glanced at the stunned prince, now standing, with his sword drawn. So much for killing him…

"Oh hell," Adam, using his good hand, banged his katana against Blake's as she tried to stab him again. Jaune looked left from right, trying to decide what the Remnant was going on. So far, he had figured that the raven-haired girl named Blake was on his side, or at least not wanting to murder him, so he took a step towards her.

"Run you idiot!" She screamed, and he instantly backed away. Her sword clashed against Adam's as the two interlocked in a seemingly never ending duel, "I'll hold him off." Jaune only nodded before grabbing the reigns of his panicking horse and taking off into the forest. Mentally cursing himself and Blake, Adam turned his attention back to his ex-partner.

"I bloody trusted you," She seethed, every word coated in venom, "And you go off and kill King John?"
"I'm not even going to try and act like I'm sorry," Adam leaned in closer to her face, "Because I know that what I did will only get us closer to finally being treated the way we deserve."
"We deserve to be treated right by not what we do, but by who we are!" Blake countered, "Not out of fear, but out of respect. Out of love and acceptance," She lowered her gaze to the ground, "Two things that I no longer hold for you." Adam's eyes widened under his mask in surprise.

"Blake-"
"Goodbye, Adam," She said softly. And for a few seconds, there was only silence as the two's trust in each other severed completely, their hearts torn as Blake activated her semblance and made a full 180 degree turn around Adam. Her eyes pinpointing the spot where to land a solid hit, her sword, being thrusted into his shoulder and rendering him useless.

Yes, there were no words needed to describe the fact that the close brother and sister of the White Serfs were no more. Dark vermillion liquid gushed out of Adam's wound, his body falling to the ground. He wasn't dead, Blake would rather die than kill the very one that raised her most of her life. But he was barely alive, and she knew that a White Serf would eventually find him later and heal him back to health.

Physically, that is. Blake sighed as his body lay still on the rocky soil, his breathing shallow and warning her that he was no longer a threat to her world, so long as she escaped Vale. Almost self-consciously, her horns gave off a tingling sensation and she tore the coif off. How long she stared at the piece of clothing, she had no idea. But, as the moon still hung in the sky, as its rays of white light shined down on the now lonely Cambion...

Blake threw the coif to the ground and turned around.

The Princess was almost dead when she found her. Her clothing partially destroyed, her head oozing blood onto the once green grass. Blake immediately recognized her as Weiss Schnee of Atlas, maybe even Queen depending on the fact if her parents were still alive or not. How strange it must be to suddenly become ruler of an entire nation in one night, but Blake didn't have time to ponder such childish thoughts. Weiss was dying and that was all that mattered. She had no clue where Jaune had gone off, or if he was still alive. But she had helped him escape and now her deal with the dead king was now sealed. Blake kneeled down and studied Weiss, wondering how she survived the attack and how she ended up in the middle of a field. Suddenly, the glimmer of a dark green gem caught her eye. A crown, now in two pieces and cracked beyond repair, was lying three feet away from the snow queen's head. Inside, the piece of rare dust was slightly glowing.

It had been used. Dust only glowed when after or in use. But how? People barely knew how to use dust properly. But then again, Weiss Schnee was the daughter of a dust user. Maybe her father had taught her how to use the powerful material, but that still didn't explain the fact that she was still alive. The princess suddenly groaned softly, and Blake sighed. This would put a delay in her plans, no doubt. But leaving her to die was just wrong. Tying her last ribbon over her arm to staunch her still bleeding wound, she picked up Weiss and started to walk. The white-haired girl seemed at peace, and a faint smile was on her lips, but Blake didn't question it, as she had more things to worry about.

Adam. The White Serfs. The fact that the only heir to Vale was on the run for his life. And yet, despite everything that had happened in the past few days, Blake felt…different. It was a weird feeling, one that the Cambion had never felt before. She had tried to shake it off before meeting the ice princess, but it just wouldn't go away. Not happiness, not sadness, but more like a feeling of peace, like she had done something that had freed her from the things that held her down.

Yes. Freedom. She felt free. After years of being forced to kill, to murder, she finally didn't have to ruin anymore lives.

Freedom. A simple, yet powerful world. One that would change her life forever.

But everyone knows freedom comes with a price.

A/N: And done. I, personally, love Blake, and her involvement with Adam and the WF, and I made Adam sort of a violent maniac sort of guy.

YeaaahhhHHH...anyways. Please review, as reviews are always appreciated, and see you all in (inserts time slot) Oh, and if I have time, I'm going to go back to chapter 2 and revise it all, mainly because (IMO) I made it WAY too short and I feel like I can add more to it now that I'm learning more about Medieval life and mythology.

Shadow out!