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Official Supporters:

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If you want your name on the lists of my stories and videos, head over to P a t. R e . o n and search for the Temple Walkers. Just let us know you're from Fanfiction, alright? There's a thousand of you, so a dollar a piece would really add up and help me a lot! Once I reach five hundred Supporters of any value over a dollar, I will make a concerted effort to put out a chapter of something once every three days at the very slowest.

As of now, The channel and I are struggling financially. So please, if you're able, become a Supporter. We'll be uploading art and concepts soonish on a project of my own making too, and you'll get to be a part of it~! And I'll get dinner as a side benefit~!

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Two days passed, while they healed and rested, and Salem watched and waited. She knew Jaune well enough by now, and she'd known her Grimm for centuries, she had to wait until the blasted fort was ready or they'd be over-run in minutes and slaughtered to the last man and woman. And Jaune would never forgive that transgression, which would make things… complicated for her goals.

She sighed as she walked through her new castle, the orb behind her connected directly to its other half, on Jaune's ship. It slinked along behind her, silently and under her thrall, exactly as she had designed it to. It thrummed as she moved towards her quarters, intended on getting a meal into her stomach, and she turned with a small smile. Barely an upturn at the edges of her mouth, her eyes sparking excitedly.

She made her way to her room quickly, walking as fast as she could without breaking into a run entirely, and found a seat to rest in as soon as she stepped into her admittedly rather bare room, almost empty save for the comfortable chair she was relaxing into and her admittedly huge bed. A new addition, in preparation for when she finally got what she wanted.

Given Jaune's… Circle of friends and their relationships to him, she felt she'd have need of a larger bed soon enough. And luckily, she'd had a perfect excuse to get a new bed, after Jaune's last… 'Visit.'

The creature thrummed and she sighed, "Alright, alright, fine." She spread her arms wide, eyes closing, "Go ahead."

Without a sound, the Grimm circled in front of her, climbing on top of her on the chair and pressing the smooth bottom of its orb against her stomach, just below the swell of her bust. Its tendrils spread across her body, wrapping around her limbs and stretching. The proximity let her meld her mind with the creature's, let her feel what it felt. The swell of her hips, the lean muscle of her legs, the contours of her palms, she could feel the creature touching her in an almost dizzying manner, almost pleasurable as she drove it to explore her and sync further with her own mind and body. A way that she and only she could use these creatures.

This creature and the other, distant as it was, shared their senses as well. It was how she had engineered them, so she could speak through them over such great distances, even if this particular ability was hers alone. Aside from Jaune, when he eventually joined her, who would be able to learn to use her Grimm as naturally as she did.

Maybe he'd even create a few new Grimm of his own with her. The thought excited her, but perhaps that was the Grimm's attentions as they finished joining together.

"...to me. We can't keep waiting, eventually James is going to come down here himself." She smiled when she finally heard Jaune's voice, like hearing through her own ears, and blinked her eyes open. She took a moment to stretch the tendrils languidly on the pillows and blankets she'd acquired for her Grimm, and Jaune spoke, "Salem? You there?"

"Yes, Jaune, I am here. You can calm yourself now, unless you enjoy fussing over nothing." She sighed, watching him pace back and forth in a new set of armor. She found it quite nice, if she were honest, like knights of old with a modern edge to it that appealed to her in an odd way. "What is it you require from me now, Jaune Arc?"

"We can't just sit around, Salem, Ironwood is going to try something soon. And we're not ready for a lot of options he has to have on hand." Jaune explained to her quickly, clearly worried about it more than he was willing to let on. He wasn't that good an actor though, and she was learning his tells after so long watching him. The way his jaw stiffened and his eyes avoided looking at her Grimm, the anxious pacing, the balled fists.

He was anxious and worried and didn't want her to know, and she sighed good naturedly at him for it, "They are upgrading their defences, Jaune. Their soldiers are fatigued, their defences are weakened and their attentions diverted." She chuckled, dry and lilting gently, "Very, very sloppy. A rushed job, without even the smallest of doubts. I attack now, and they won't be able to hold back my Grimm. They will all die. I hold back for you, Jaune, out of respect for your desires. Otherwise, I would slaughter them, and guarantee your safety."

After a moment's silence, and knowing he doubted her, she added, "I am a selfish woman, Jaune. I would not risk losing what I want. If you would prefer the base annihilated, then-"

"No!" He barked, Salem smiling to herself when he reacted so honestly and quickly, grimacing a second after he heard her near purr of amusement. "Don't play with me, Salem. I don't like it. And you know that, you're a smart woman."

"Oh Jaune, the only playing I want to do with you is a far more… involved kind." She teased, the blonde flushing only slightly and grimacing at the tease. Sighing, she continued in a more serious tone, "I was merely offering to alleviate your concerns, and naught else. I promise. Had you asked it of me, I would have swept the Atlesians aside immediately. If you wished it, I would bring the Kingdoms to their knees and hand them to you on a platter of silver."

"You know I'll never ask that."

"So you say."

"So I know, Salem." He snapped at her, a hand drifting to his new sword's handle comfortably. She'd noticed he did that often, which amused her. "I'd rather die than do that. The amount of people who would die…" His face softened and fell, and Salem frowned when she realized she'd pushed too far, "I already had to kill too many people, just to get here. I can't..."

"It sits unwell with you?" She asked honestly, watching him carefully. His head snapped to her and he blinked, as though realizing where he was after a moment, and he straightened, his jaw setting in a hard line. "I'm sorry if their loss hurts you, Jaune, but-"

"It's your fault!" He roared suddenly, slashing his arm between them and slamming a foot down against the steel beneath him as his eyes bore down on her and his chest heaved. "You forced me to fight them, to kill for you! And what, because you're lonely? You could have said something! But you didn't. No, you sent me off to kill and fight, and you knew what it would do to me. You know, I can't sleep, not without Neo. I remember it, being stabbed, bleeding out, dying..."

"I do too." She offered quietly, the blonde flinching back at the soft words. "From when I was less… Grimm than woman, I suppose. I remember fighting and killing." She took a breath, sighing, "Eventually, it goes away. Their echoes die out as surely as time passes."

"No, they don't." He said quietly, looking at her with bright, cold blue eyes that softened only a fraction as he relented and stepped back, closer to the door. "I felt it, when I came close to your castle. I felt their pain, everything you'd done… It all tore into me, straight from you."

"Those were my-"

"No, the Grimm don't cause that." He dismissed surely, taking a deep breath and letting it out to calm himself, "They confuse me. The way they operate is… Odd, I guess, I don't know. But they don't hurt me, not like that. Which is why I am in a forest with hundreds massing nearby to fight Atlas, and I don't need my helmet. You've just… turned off the empathy that comes with the power we both share."

"Empathy is not always a strength, Jaune." She argued quietly, the blonde giving her a mocking look, his eyebrows raised and lips quirking in an equally mocking smirk. "You need others to still your dreams and thoughts, and I do not. That is proof enough to me."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night, Salem. If I had to give up my empathy just to feel like I was a decent person..." He shrugged, and she saw her opportunity vanish and fall away as he crossed his arms, and she frowned but knew better than to hang on to the scraps of what was left. "You can see the Atlesians, so how long until you think you'll be able to stage your distraction?"

"You mean my attack. Yes?" She goaded lightly, and he grunted agitatedly, "Oh, very well. This evening, most likely. It is early yet, but the work crews are cleaning up and installing defences, at least from what I can tell. So in all likelihood, I can stage it this evening with minimal casualties. There will, however, be casualties. You understand this, I hope?"

"I do." He nodded, grimacing, "Their soldiers. They knew they could end up dying when they enlisted, and… I have to do this before Ironwood sends more people after me. If he attacked Ansel…"

"Then you would have my Grimm at your aid, Jaune." She assured him gently, Jaune giving her a suspicious look. "You have proven yourself ruthless enough already, I don't feel the need to leave you alone to fight more Atlesians. You killed enough of them, and I don't wish undue harm on what is mine."

"That's why you helped me against Winter?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. You've proven yourself strong enough already, and you have the ability I need you to in order for your to be able to give me what I need." She shrugged, the tendrils moving in a facsimile of the gesture. "Forcing you to show more of the same would be pointless entirely, risking you for no reason to show the same results. You have show strength, fighting enemies superior to you and winning, and ruthlessness in seizing control of Cinder's mind and betraying me."

'And now you want to see me be smart enough to get out of this mess, right?" He sighed when she simply hummed in amusement, shaking his head, "I don't need to be a mind reader to see that, Salem, it's the obvious answer."

"Yes. I wish for someone at my side who is strong, clever, and ruthless enough to satisfy. While you lack the… particular kind of ruthlessness I would have preferred, you have proven that and your own strength." She confessed, sighing lightly, "I will not tolerate a dullard though, Jaune. You have to prove yourself there as well, though I would note you have done much to show that already."

"Remind me to try and fail a few of them then." He growled, Salem's brow raising at the jab, the young blonde turning for the door, "I'll make sure everything's ready to go then. Let us know when to leave, got it?"

"I understand, Jaune." She said as politely as she could, bristling and excited in equally astounding measures at how daring he was to think he could give her commands. None had dared do that in nearly a thousand years. "I will let you know ahead of time, you have my word."

"Thank you." He said stiffly, stepping through the door. Salem waited until it clocked shut, and a minute longer as well, to see if he would return with more to say.

Once she'd disentangled from the Grimm, she stretched languidly on her chair and closed her eyes, focusing on returning her senses to her semi-human form. The transition was always interesting, her limbs tingling pleasantly as her mind returned to registering her own biology rather than the tendrils of the Grimm. She purred as she thought over the conversation she'd just had, more than satisfied with the progress she was making.

She'd called him ruthless, and he hadn't even blinked at the idea. "Oh, Jaune… You are turning out to be more than I could have hoped for from someone like you."

Hopefully, he would continue to impress.

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"So?" Neo said as soon as he reached the bridge, sitting in a small swivel chair she'd gotten from somewhere and spinning, slapping the back of Roman's leg where he stood at the control panel of the ship to let him know Jaune had come back, "What's miss small, dark and slithery have to say?"

"Salem will be attacking either this evening or early tomorrow, she doesn't know for sure just yet." Jaune said as Roman turned, leaning against the console with a tired sigh. Jaune sympathised, the week had been spent readying the ship to leave, repairing the damage Winter had done as well as they could, and all without their robotic assistance. "She has to wait until the base is done with its construction so she doesn't end up killing everyone." Noticing their absence, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where's Cinder and Pyrrha?"

"Off trainin' in the woods, boss man." "Figures we have to wait because of some damn moral compass…" Roman sighed when Jaune raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. But he didn't bother trying to argue against what he'd said, he didn't care enough to even bother. "Said they were gonna train up a bit, Maiden stuff apparently."

"Roman tried to warn them about the Grimm, and they both just laughed." Neo thought and signed, so Roman would understand her barbs without Jaune having to explain it for her. He kicked at her weakly, no real heat behind it as shown by the small smile he wore, and she stuck her tongue out at him in response. "I think it was just a habit though, mostly. Really weird, not having to really worry about the Grimm."

"We do have to worry, Neo." Jaune corrected her gently, leaning against the wall beside the door and crossing his armored arms with a tired sigh and an apologetic grimace. "Especially with us being, you know… Together, we have to worry. You think Salem wouldn't take you and Pyrrha both out of the picture, just to narrow down the competition she thinks she's part of?"

"You think she'd kill Neo?" Roman asked, wearing when Jaune nodded, the older criminal groaning quietly and rubbing his forehead anxiously, "Dust damn it, I thought the whole point was that she was friendly!" He held up a hand when Jaune started to speak, "Don't get me wrong, I get it, she wants to get rid of Neo so she doesn't have to share. Makes sense, just annoys me." "Nothing is ever easy. Ever. I could tie my shoelaces and something would probably go wrong…"

"We need to make sure we're ready to get out of here, as soon as Salem's attack begins." Jaune cut in, dragging both of them back to the topic at hand. The two sets of eyes, one mismatched and bored and the other amused, snapped to him and he sighed, "We miss out on this chance, and Ironwood will send everything he has at me."

"Kinda hard to argue with it." Roman shrugged, "Can't really say we aren't a threat after you send an army of Grimm at 'em." "Even if you are trying not to kill everyone."

"And then he can prove you're a risk." Neo added, in thought and sign again so they could all understand her, "Atlas itself could come down on you. What would Salem do if that happened?"

"She'd probably attack Atlas itself, if she thought it was the best way to deal with it." Jaune grimaced and sighed, shaking his head and scratching at the stubble on his chin and making a face. "I need a shave… Anyways, we can't let that happen. The loss of life there would be… I don't want to think about it."

"Then let's not fuck up." Roman shrugged, crossing his arms. "Frankly, I don't give a damn about a bunch of pansy ass Atlesians getting into shit they shouldn't. Not my problem, you know? But if you do, I guess I do too." "Even if it is almost as annoying as Red was, morality kicking in at inconvenient times."

"A man's full measure is in his morality when turning aside from it would bring him benefit." He quoted, Roman raising an eyebrow at him curiously. "My, uh, my grandfather used to say that all the time."

"And what happened to him?" Roman asked, smirking knowingly when Jaune grimaced.

"He got a medal from Vale and a statue in Beacon." Jaune offered weakly, the older man chuckling until Neo kicked him in the shin. He made a 'what?' gesture with his arms, and Jaune sighed. "I'm not asking you to die for me, just… Cooperate?"

"Already doin' it, kid." Roman nodded, smiling again. Warmer and more genuine this time, his eyes crinkling slightly with the gesture. "You got Neo's back, and you get her on her back, so I got yours. But you ask me to put you on yours, and- Ow!"

"Dick." Neo signed, kicking at him again for good measure. He dodged out of the way, hiking hs leg up to safety, and she looked at Jaune, "Your gramps sounds kind of cool. In a very 'heroic' kind of way, but still. Kind of cool."

"You know you like the heroic type, Neo." He teased, the small woman rolling her eyes when he puffed his chest out and smiled at her. "Especially of the short, dorky and scraggly variety."

"Hey, as long as you'll choke me, drill me into the mattress and slap my ass you can be as scraggly as you want. I'll be too busy to mind." She winked and he laughed, Roman spluttering beside her and turning to work at the control panel. She rolled her eyes at him and hopped up, stretching languidly, "Well, speaking of drilling me into a mattress, if we have time to kill…"

He watched her slip by, smirking at him as she did and rocking her hips to draw his attention down to the curve of her rear, and looked at Roman's back. "Uh, Roman, do you need anything to get us going in time or-"

"Go have fun, kid, you deserve it." "At least you treat her right, you friggin' rabbits…" He chuckled, shaking his head, "I'll get what little bit is left up and ready. Just make sure you're both dressed, showered for the love of the gods, and not too drained in case something happens."

Jaune couldn't promise the last one, Neo could be quite… draining, when she wanted to be. But he didn't voice that and turned to jog after the smaller woman.

Sighing, Roman got to work running the ship's automated start systems, grumbling all the while. "When the hell am I gonna get a good girl? Been too damn long… I deserve to get laid too, you know."

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Pyrrha reached deep into herself, feeling her Aura shifting and churning around the foreign power of the Maiden, molding it into her hands and legs, feeling the strength swell there. Cinder saw it and felt it, smiling and cooing from where she sat behind the champion, "Good, you have the power separated from your Aura. You can feel it, pulling at you now, trying to bring you to it, right?"

"Y-Yes." She panted, sitting cross-legged in the middle of a small clearing about fifteen feet across in the forest, sweat beading on her forehead as she focused on the differences between her own Aura and the power of the Maidens. "I… It's like it's slippery, I feel as though I am wrestling with an oiled serpent twice my size."

"You've never had to determine two Auras apart inside yourself. Few ever have. It is… A difficult thing to do." Cinder offered, a way of trying to not bruise Pyrrha's ego. A concern Cinder always had about people she had to care about, and a large one of her own even now, after her rather involuntary change of mind. "It was difficult for me as well, at least at first. To grasp the concept itself is… an experience. And not one that is easy to get through, I understand that much as well."

"It's… Unintuitive." Pyrrha sighed, finally fully pulling the Maiden power away from her own Aura and blinking her eyes open in the faint sunlight dappling through the leaves overhead. "I have it, what do I do?"

"Keep it there." Cinder said, stepping around her and kneeling on the grassy ground in front of her so their eyes met, amber and green boring into each other with excitement etched into their faces. "Focus on it, and it alone, and listen to my voice. Nothing else matters, truly. Then think of something, a gesture or an item you own, and picture it in your mind. It needs to be something you have, as I instructed. What is the item?"

"M-Milo and Akuo, my weapon and shield." She stammered, eyes unfocused as she poured her concentration into the task Cinder had assigned.

"Good choices." Cinder hummed an acknowledgement and took them from where they lay beside her, laying them in her lap. She blinked down at them and Cinder smiled and stepped up and away. "Now, pick them up, and draw the Maiden's power out of your own will. Not circumstance and adrenaline, but a wish to use it."

Nodding, Pyrrha grasped the weapons, her rifle shifting into a spear as she rose, breathing heavily as she felt her heart race and the familiar energy build up along her limbs. Cinder watched, smiling faintly, until the Mistralian champion slammed the bottom of the spear's haft into the dirt in a gust of wind that threw loose dirt, leaves and small rocks away from her, a small flame bursting to life over one of her eyes. Sparks danced along the spear and Pyrrha turned with a loud and vicious snarl, pointing at a small rock about ten feet away nestled under a tree.

A bolt of lightning cracked out from it and smote into the rock, cracking it with a snapping sound loud enough that Cinder practically felt it. The attack was small and weak, and it only lasted a second before the champion sank to her hands and knees with a weak groan, tired from the effort that came with using the Maiden powers alone.

"Are you alright?" She asked after a second of the younger woman catching her breath, kneeling next to her and laying a hand on her back. Pyrrha simply nodded, and she continued, "At first, and so far, you have been mixing the Maiden powers and the energy you have for it with your own Aura. This lets you use more attacks, but they are far weaker."

"They were… strong enough." She panted, gasping between breaths and trembling from the exertion. "Why do I need… Need to change it? It works already."

"Because sometimes, you will need a powerful strike to use." Cinder explained, rubbing small circles on her back and smiling comfortingly as she could. An odd expression on Cinder's face, caught between genuine and fake, and with a cold edge to it she couldn't help. "Against Beowolves or Atlesian drones, weaker strikes will do fine. But Amber couldn't use the strongest strikes available to us, and she fell to me for that reason."

"So you're… Preparing me for what you did?" Pyrrha barbed, Cinder frowning and standing. Sighing, Pyrrha rolled over and lay on the ground, groaning and rubbing her stiff leg as pain lanced up her thigh.

"In… A manner of speaking." Cinder murmured weakly, sighing as the air turned tense. "I merely... I want to protect you, for Master's sake if nothing else, from a weakness I know of. That's all."

"No, it's…" Pyrrha sighed, propping herself up on her elbows and looking at Cinder's back, chewing her lip for a moment in thought. "I just… I remember, what you did. It's not very detailed, and I bear you now ill will, but…"

"But the memory sometimes colors your impression of me." She half-asked and half-stated, sighing weakly and forcing her stiff shoulders to relax. She looked over her shoulder at the Mistralian woman on the ground, and added, "Am I always to be colored by the actions of my past self?"

Pyrrha didn't answer for a long time, and then sighed and forced herself to her feet, gingerly stepping past Cinder with as warm a smile as she could manage, "Perhaps, perhaps not. I will try, as I have been. But… I can't promise more, so let's just agree to strive for Jaune's sake, and I will… Try to think better of you. Yes?"

"I…" Cinder sighed, nodding with a sad smile, "That is all I wish for, Pyrrha. A chance. Thank you."

She nodded and the two made their way back to the ship as the sun climbed to its greatest height.

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"Are you sure you're done?" Neo asked quietly, even in her head, snuggling back against him and grinding her bare rear against his hips with a need surging through her. Numbed, even as it was, Neo always had that need echoing in her mind.

"No, not really, but we can't wear ourselves out." He answered, kissing the back of her neck tenderly and drawing a pleased hum from her in response, resting a hand on the curve of her backside and giving it a possessive squeeze before sliding it around her stomach and holding her. "Believe me, babe, I want to, but…"

"But you want to be ready in case something happens?" She cooed, pressing her back against his chest and enjoying the warmth there, and the feel of muscles as he shifted and moved behind her, along with a few more lewd things moving when she wiggled her hips, pulling a blanket up to cover them. "I just… I'm finally all healed up, and I need a day to just cut loose. You know?"

"I know, Neo." He sighed, letting her move his hand from her stomach to her breasts under the blanket, eager for the sensation for the stimulation as much as the simple affection. She groaned when he squeezed it gently, turning and tucking her chin against his elbow, and he frowned, "I want to too, but we have to get things taken care of first. You know?"

"It sucks." She sighed, grinding gently back against him and smirking when he groaned and started to stiffen. "But c'mon, don't tell me you don't at least want me to get under these covers and put you down my throat?"

"Wouldn't be very fair to you." He argued, the girl smirking in satisfaction. "And wow, you're in a very dirty mood today. Even for you, this a lot."

"I have fingers, and you know I like it. And I can't help if I'm a bit excited, now that I can do it again without worrying about dying." She said back, Jaune sighing and squeezing her breast again to draw out another long groan. A groan he returned when she ground back against him harder, "Just say the word~!"

"If you insist." He sighed, smiling when she wiggled around and pushed him onto his back, trailing kisses along his muscled chest and stomach as she clambered down him. He settled a hand into her hair just as the door slid open, the tentacled Grimm hovering through, "What the hell!?"

He pulled Neo off of him with a bit of disappointment, wrapping an arm around her and glaring when Salem chuckled, "Apologies, Jaune, I wasn't aware you were making use of your woman."

"Making love, you mean." He argued, pulling her against his chest with a sigh and tucking the blanket around them both while Neo pouted. "What do you want, Salem?"

"To let you know I am beginning my attack, as you asked." She answered back satisfaction at interrupting them and drawing out his fire again so easily. "If you like, I can hold off for a time, though the Atlesians have taken note of my Grimm closing in. They won't sit around forever."

"No, don't wait." He said, sighing and ignoring Neo's pout. "We'll get dressed and head to the bridge and be under way in a few minutes, Salem." She stayed there, hovering, and he grimaced, "You can… leave now. I need to get dressed."

"Oh, Jaune, don't let me stop you." She teased, turning regardless and hovering for the door. "I wish you luck in tracking Ozpin down and convincing him to rein in his mad dog, Jaune."

"She's nosy…" Neo complained, reaching down to run a finger along his length with a smirk up at the blonde. Jaune groaned and gave her a look, shaking his head gently, and she pouted, "Come on, Roman can fly the ship on his own."

"I know, but I want to be there anyways. I want to see the damage when we fly by." He needed to, to know the consequences of his choice was bit more important than getting off to him. Even if Neo didn't quite share that sentiment, she sighed and let him go, sliding across his lap and ghosting a kiss across his lips as she went, and he smiled as he watched her literally bounce around the room to get dressed, trying to bait him back to bed. "Behave, Neo, and we'll stay up tonight working out all that extra energy."

"Promise?" She asked, sliding on her leotard with her back to him, wiggling her hips more to show off for him. He nodded and she smiled, "Okay, I'll behave, but you better hold up your end of the deal!"

"I always do." He said, standing and moving behind her to hug her and kiss at her neck. She groaned and melted into the touch, and he felt some regret when he reached past her for his undersuit where he'd tossed it. "Now let's go."

They had a hell of a lot of work to do before he could get back to taking care of Neo.

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Winter sighed, rubbing her slowly throbbing head as she pored over more and more stories, records and hints. She was missing something, she just knew it. A million stories of Grim leaders, from engineered overlords to emergent intelligences, all malignant save a few minor examples of local myths. From the kind of early peoples who thought sacrifices appeased the Grimm, and that… called their opinions into question.

Aside from one, from several nearly-ancient tribes in Vacuo.

According to the legend, there existed a Grimm Queen of some sort. Her description varied with translation, apparently, because she'd been described with varying heights, builds and features. But what didn't change in that region's stories was the very basis of it, the beginning and what she wanted.

Every story told that she had been human once, and was twisted by her Semblance and a foreigner in a dark outfit of varying type. And that when she returned from wherever he had taken her, she had been warped physically into a grotesque creature. Pale skin, dark veins of ichor running through her body, and worse were described. And she demanded sacrifices, of men and women equally who had their Auras.

They would be sent to her, and never returned, once every thirty years for five centuries until she mysteriously vanished. It had always been assumed they were killed, but the timing was… Off.

Is this the thing she'd met when she went after Jaune? If so, what did she want?

Jaune she guessed. But why?

And why was General Ironwood avoiding talking about it?

Her head jerked up as alarms sounded around the base, and it only took a moment for her to recognize what they were and spring to her feet with a hand on her rapier, turning to a droid in the small room she'd occupied for a while now, "Droid, report."

"Proximity alarms, ranging from the furthest patrol pattern zones and inwards." The drone reported mechanically, Winter grimacing at it. "Confirmation of Grimm Incursion received. Specialist, your presence is requested. Garrison forces are under general muster status to defend this location."

"Send a damn acknowledgement." She snapped as she pushed by it and through the door, jogging through the halls and outside among dozens of other soldiers and droids, all headed in the same way.

She stepped outside and swore, drawing her rapier and glaring up at Gryphons circling high overhead. This had to have something to do with Jaune, but… She sighed, spinning up a glyph and using it to summon forth shards of ice to hurl into the sky alongside the anti-air batteries hurling explosive shells into the air, smiting Grimm out of the sky with thunderous applause.

And whatever Jaune had asked of Salem, it was because of her. Because Winter had attacked Jaune, and he had felt pressured into this.

No…

No, this wasn't her fault. It was because of General Ironwood. Jaune couldn't, and reasonably so, believe that there wasn't another attack of some sort on its way. She wouldn't have risked waiting either, he'd already given them the benefit of the doubt once and he could have died for it. Would have, in all likelihood, and Winter would have held little concern over it if General Ironwood ordered it.

Soldiers on the wall cried out a warning, their rifles barking forth rounds into the doubtlessly large swathes of Grimm on the other side of the wall. One was ripped over the edge when he peeked over, and every last one of them knew the soldier's fate.

All of this… Because the General had ordered her to attack someone he had to have known was innocent. Her rapier trembled in her hand, and she snarled as she stalked towards the wall to join the fighting.

Thank the Gods she had something to stab right now, she felt she needed it.

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CJ Hoax :

I mean, I am. And I am the writer. Sooooo~

Smokey Panda :

Sorry, it's of my own design. Basically, it's light chainmail and plate meets fantasy armor. But I don't have any references. I sort of combined actual chain hauberk designs Vikingr warriors wore, Jaune's original armor, and a few other minor things, Lando's shoulder cape from Battlefront 2 included. Apologies for not having better, all I have are a few things you have to piecemeal.

Zenith Tempest :

Dark silver chainmail, white plating highlighted in dark red, and a black undersuit.

The Impossible Muffin :

See? And everyone thought I was going to brutally murder his whole family so soon in the story.

Chuggapyro :

Someone draws it, it'll be the cover photo, bro. Won't need a link~