Wow this is long overdue, I'm so sorry for such a long delay you guys, the writer's block on this story was something else. This may feel short, but those that follow will have more to them. Also, keep in mind this story was created on the premise of the first volume, and some of the second volume, so some characters will seem out of…well, character, but hey, it's a fanfic. And without further delay, the next chapter…

A few hours after her release, Cinder watched the carriage pass many smaller settlements, farms, and villages. The guards made a few stops, surprisingly; they were polite and asked her if she wanted to spread her legs for a bit. Though, they did keep a close eye on her. Along with the papers Cerus gave her, she was given a map of the kingdom. According to these guards, she was ordered to be transported to Cairo, an eastern province. The whole place was mostly desert, but there were many notable landmarks and locations where water and patches of vegetation could be found. To make their trip somewhat livelier the soldiers spoke to her, asking a variety of questions, all of which were ones Cerus explicitly told her to withhold. They spoke of the land her papers claimed she escaped from; Zheng. Apparently there was an ongoing conflict raging in that province and little to no refugees arrive at the border, let alone cross it. Cinder answered their questions with as limited information as she could give, and clearly she had no idea what conflict they were speaking about. As they neared the border to the Germani province, Cinder could see a few outlines moving about in the depths of the forest.

"So, what exactly did you do to get jailed in the palace prisons? Can't just be 'cause you're a refugee. Besides that, where are you from; Hun Gar, Shanyu? Or one of the southern cities?" One of the guards asked while lying against the roof of the carriage.

Cinder was unsure how to answer as she didn't exactly know the answer to that question either. Everything was happening so fast, her mind could barely comprehend the existence of the mythical Oni, let alone an entire society run by them.

"Leave er' alone, was probably a mistake. Being stuck down there wit da Shadow is punishment 'nough for anyone." The soldier driving nudged his partner to leave her be, though the mentioning of a prisoner called Shadow was a surprise. Mainly because in her time there, she believed herself to be the only one down there beside the guards.

"What's the Shadow?" She asked, hoping for an answer.

The two glanced to her with widened eyes, unable to believe she had yet to see the Shadow. The driver glanced to his partner, and then to the road. The second guard began the story.

"It's kind of hard to answer that, what we know is based on rumors spread by the other guards about...something, living in the catacombs beside the prisons. A creature known only for the manner in which it hunts and appears." Cinder felt a deadly chill run up her spine, to think she was in the same domain as this thing. The way they described it was like a story told around a campfire to scare the young. As the carriage was beginning to pass a dense forest, the soldier continued his tale.

"To be honest, it still isn't clear why it was sealed down there in the first place, but I remember overhearing the Tenko say that it devoured..."

"You speak too much." The new voice appeared from behind them. The men jumped in fear when they saw the very creature they spoke of sitting carelessly above the carriage. Laufeia was slightly glaring at the two soldiers, Cinder had a near heart attack when she heard the newcomer. Especially because she heard it before, only it was back in Vale, and it belonged to Jaune's associate.

"And don't you look lovely." Laufeia poked her head down to see Cinder with a frightened expression. "You should be grateful, you could have easily been sent to the catacombs. Oh, but we could've been such friends." Unknown to Cinder, her body was trembling every second her eyes remained in contact with the young Oni.

Laufeia sat upright and glanced to the forest.

"Ma'am, pardon me saying, but why are you here?" The first guard asked, only to later regret it when he received a small glare from the young blonde.

"That is none of your business. More importantly, who has been spreading this 'shadow' nonsense?" The carriage was about to cross the Germani border when a tracer round hit the driver; a rocket propelled grenade was launched, hitting the ground just beside the carriage, flipping it over. Part of the carriage was burned, Cinder was thrown just over a small thicket. As she rose up, she saw the second guard hit multiple times before collapsing unto the ground. Laufeia was slightly confused before a tracer hit directly between her eyes. Cinder quickly hid behind a nearby tree, once the firing stopped, the source of the gunfire appeared from their hiding spots. They walked towards the destroyed carriage and searched the wreckage. They seemed disappointed after combing through the burned wood and moving the dead bodies about. Bandits most likely, though they seemed more mission oriented than random attackers. The way they stayed to analyze the scene after realizing there wasn't any valuables to loot. As Cinder attempted to escape, she stepped on a twig. The snap caught the attention of the attackers; their rifles were now aimed at the source of the sound. Cinder panicked, she couldn't summon her semblance, and she had no weapons. As the small group began closing in, the sound of ripping flesh kept them from advancing further. Cinder glanced back to the soldiers, to her horror she saw Laufeia, completely unharmed, and beside her were shadow-like tentacles. One was holding the dismembered upper half of one of the bandits. The others quickly reacted and began shooting all of their rounds at her. Sadly, none of their efforts showed promise as the girl nearly grinned and preceded to ripping each of them piece by piece. Their deaths were loud, filled with pain, and extremely slow. What she did during the dismemberment was more gruesome to those witnessing it; she ate the body parts. By the time she reached the last bandit, the small Oni's lower jaw, arms, and chest were drenched in blood. The last bandit dropped her weapon and held her hands up. The blood of her fallen comrades stained her hands and face; she made a desperate attempt to stay alive.

"S-stop, please! I surrender, I'll tell you anything you wa-" before she could finish, her arms were violently torn off. Her screams drowned the forest as she slowly bled out on the floor. Laufeia smiled amusingly at the dying girl before her shadows viciously devoured her body.

"It's fine sweetheart, I've got all the answers I needed from your friends." She replied while licking her lips, satisfied with her feast. Per her natural abilities, the memories of all she devoured became her own, thus she knew who was behind the attack. Almost immediately her grin vanished as her shadows dashed to the nearby bushes and caught hold of Cinder. The woman was about to scream, fearing the same fate as those before, though she was silenced as it was not the shadows, but Laufeia's hand over her mouth.

"Quiet, I'm not going to kill you. Believe me, I'd like to do other things, but I'm restricted at the moment." Her grin returned, although now it was more perverted than anything. The sounds of shouting men stopped their conversation from progressing.

"There are more of them." The shadow's dropped Cinder and began cloaking Laufeia. "My uncle has sealed your powers, and i don't exactly trust you with a weapon. So run, I don't care where, but don't stop. Also, don't think you can escape me, I'll be watching you from the shadows, anywhere and everywhere." The young Oni warned before dashing to the source of the sounds. Cinder wasted no time getting up and running south. As she ran, the screams of those the Oni was devouring filled her ears. A quick glance back, she noticed the last victim Laufeia devoured still had a part of her torso and left arm intact. On it was a black tattoo of a dragon with its heart pierced by a katana. She wanted to give whatever was left of the girl a proper burial, but she feared what would happen if she disobeyed the Oni. And so, she ran, and she didn't stop for anyone or anything.

Even now, she still couldn't believe such a creature existed. To kill with so little remorse, and to devour them for fun, the beings of this kingdom were ones the woman would've never thought of encountering in her weakened state. Cinder ran for what seemed like an eternity through an endless forest, dodging and running into branches. Finally her luck paid off as she found the exit to the forest, though what followed would negate that feeling of luck. Once she reached the clearing, a shield bashed her head, causing the woman to landed on the the ground. A few shadows huddled over her, she gazed up, though with the sun in her eyes she could not determine who was looking down on her, but all the same, she was frightened. Of the all things she's seen in her lifetime, nothing could've prepared her for something along the lines of Laufeia. This girl was eating these people as if it was a sport for her enjoyment. But as of now, whoever found her would determine what became of her.

Within a large chamber, a map of the Seran Kingdom was imprinted on a stone table in the middle of the chamber. Cerus, the other six captains of the royals forces, and Jaune surrounded the map, small flags were placed on separate locations in a particular section. The blonde King glanced to the outlined province; Zheng. His captains murmured silently to themselves, possibly coming up with separate ideas of how to deal with the rumors and remaining rebels. Jaune cleared his throat, gaining the attention from his soldiers and beginning the briefing.

"So, where do we stand on Zheng?"

One captain stood forward. "Sir, as far as we know there are eight major cities still standing since the end of the civil war; Shanyu, Bagua, Liang, Hun Gar, Shaolin, Xheng, and Northern Shaolin. Hun Gar and Shanyu are the last intact cities residing in the north. Hun Gar is believed to be occupied by the Jiangshi, but there is no confirmation. Northern Shaolin is, in a literal sense, a gateway from the north to the south in the Jianmen mountain pass. And Xheng is the current capital of Zheng, population last estimates over a million civilians, again, there is no confirmation. Shanyu resides a few miles away from Northern Shaolin, and from the scattered reports we managed to pick up on, the Loyalists are in an ongoing skirmish against the residents of the city. It is unconfirmed whether they are allied with the Jiangshi or not."

Another stood forward and gestured to a flag placed between a mountain pass, presumably, Northern Shaolin. "It will be easy to take control of the north, but if we wish to move soldiers into the south, we'll need to hold Northern Shaolin."

Jaune's expression shifted, his eyes fell on the province. Most of the northern land was barren, only a few dense forests near the border were left untouched. The south wasn't any different, but there were still plenty of fields left for farming. "So then tell me, captain, how should we go about taking the city without going to war against the current factions?"

The captain, like his comrades, had no answer. All they could go on were theories and guesses, but without a voice from within the province itself they stood no chance taking it back. Worst would be if the rumors of the Loyalists were true, then the blonde would have to settle the problem either through whatever form of diplomacy available, or war.

The meeting went on for another two hours with no definite plans or agreeable actions. As much as Jaune wanted to march an army into Zheng, all he could send were troops with no moral or faith in their new king. Both the Loyalists and the Jiangshi were driven by a cause, which makes them more than willing to tread the path of death against the kingdom. To his luck, there was the Haku Temple, a traditional neutral zone for leaders wishing to resolve a conflict. But then there was the risk of an ambush, leading to further conflict. On top of that, in the event that his uncle's talk of rumors turned out to be fact, then the Loyalists were indeed war criminals, giving the blonde two rebel factions to deal with. Politics was proving to be a great challenge and annoyance for the blonde, though as the meeting came to an end and his intentions to relax for the afternoon, Cerus stood before his nephew, behind him entered Mei, Marcus, and Wadjet. They all stared at one another, nodded silently and turned to their king.

"Jaune, we've all reached a unanimous decision as you've asked; if you truly have the interest of all whom live under your rule, then do what must be done. But, we believe the records of each soldier should be shown only to their families, and those of their victims." Cerus explained. While the blonde didn't exactly believe they had made a clear decision the day after he asked them to think it through, he decided to further his plans and have the files sent straight to the courts of Florentiae. He could already feel the heated populace and his soldiers ready to commit mutiny. Many would see his actions as a leader who cared nothing for his soldiers, which was wrong; he did care for his warriors, but these criminals were not soldiers and would be tried according to the law. Loyalties and the concept of morality will put this society to the test; whether the people truly wanted a just King, or only interested in their self-interests. Hopefully, the latter would not have too much truth in it and lead the kingdom into another inner conflict.

On that same day, Jaune sat in his throne, his ears drowned by the angered citizens outside his palace's walls. Or more correctly, the families of the soldiers imprisoned for their crimes during the civil war. He knew something like this would happen, but now would be the time to wait and see if his soldiers would turn on him as well. A small gathering of praetorian guards walked into the throne room with their swords drawn, fearing the worse, the blonde prepared for treason. Though, he was shown no ill expression, they kneeled a few feet away from the blonde.

"My king, the people grow restless and might take action. Rest assured we will stand with you, our loyalty is to the crown alone." A female soldier declared. While this sudden declaration gave the blonde a sense of ease, the minds of hisd soldiers would need to have a sense of doubt, even towards him at times.

"Then you are fools." Jaune's tone was stoic, and it caught his soldiers by surprise. "Like my predecessors, I will face the problems of my homeland head-on, those who would fight with me have but two duties; to serve and protect the people. Your loyalty is admirable, but there might be a time my emotions dictate my orders, actions that, perhaps, will border the same level as those arrested today. Will you still stand with a hypocrite then?" The soldiers were unable to respond properly, mainly due to the fact that they believed they were being tested. Their king did give them permission to go against him if he threatened the lives of his people, but, what of now, of those outside the palace walls? Emerald rushed inside, stopping a few feet away from Jaune. "It's ready."

The blonde arose from his throne and gave his guards their orders. "Go to the gates and assure the speakers are on. And not a single blade or rifle drawn against the people, understood?" His glare to them was more than enough to receive a quick nod as they left to complete their orders. It wasn't a need-to-learn issue when an Oni gave an order.

Emerald led the blonde to a room with technology similar to that of Vale's, though there weren't many panels or equipment, rather more wiring than anything. "This is a broadcasting room? And it branches the entire kingdom? Kinda convenient wouldn't you agree?" He asked skeptically.

"Well, Uncle Niko says we haven't used this since the civil war, essentially, this room is used for emergency broadcasts for the entire kingdom. There are local broadcasts, but this one can overlap the local system. But to be honest, I'm not sure if it will reach the whole kingdom anymore, let alone Zheng. In all honesty, we're probably two tiers below the technological level Vale is at." Emerald commented while adjusting the broadcast to go out to all the public speakers in the provinces. It took a few more seconds before she turned on the system. Although, given the fact that the tech in this room had yet to be used since the end of the uprising, getting started proved more complicated and annoying than predicted. This little project of theirs was being done without the Tenko or Cerus's knowledge, meaning they'd have to make this quick. Otherwise their broadcast would be cut short. Earlier, Cerus made it clear that Jaune had to keep his identity a secret, but with the kingdom at its current state, it would sooner fall apart before he officially took the throne. Once all was set, the green-haired girl gave her cousin a thumb up.

Jaune was hesitant for a moment before speaking to his kingdom. "People of Sera, hear my voice and listen." The speakers, from the capital city to the islands of Sendai broadcasted, gaining a great number of ears and giving the war-torn cities with barely working speakers an excuse to cease fire. "In these dark days the outside world is plunged into yet another era of darkness, a new struggle is drowning all, whether they fight or not. But do not think of us as the exception for we too are trapped in an endless fight. Though, when it is within our power to act, whether late or small, we can mend the bonds that once kept us at peace."

The small gathering of people outside the palace walls had stopped their yelling, this was not the usual voice that would spat nonsense on normal bases, many kept their silence as they were curious as to what this known had to say.

"Today, those arrested by the Royal guards were done so because of their actions during the war, say what you will, deny what you want, the truth will always be truth. Those of you who stand outside the palace gates; would you so eagerly defend these men when you know not of their deeds? Continue protesting and chanting to your ignorant heart's content, but when you feel the curiosity to enlighten yourselves, the evidence of their atrocities will be for your viewing. I will do what is necessary to protect all who live under my rule, which includes the people living in Zheng. Justice does not apply to a single group; it applies to all in Sera. To those who listened to a young king's ranting, I thank you for your time."

And with that he gave Emerald the signal to cut the broadcast. The chanting somewhat stopped, though now the problem were people refusing to leave without seeing their new king, to assure that the throne was indeed claimed. This was the first time they heard their new king's voice, let alone realize that he had finally taken power. While Nikolai tried his best to keep the people from becoming too unrestful, the Tenko was fuming when she discovered what her grandson had done. Her plan was to deal with the unrest in Zheng first and then announce her kin to the throne. She had hoped to avoid the risk of losing him in the midst of the war. Regardless, now the entire kingdom knew that the king had risen to power, and that the Oni, with the death of the entire council, was now ruling with absolute authority. Some would protest this, mainly because the kingdom operated under a constitutional monarchy, the monarch having only absolute control of the army and little influence in social issues. Others were willing to see how this would play out, especially since progress didn't exactly make headway under the leadership of the council.

Within the throne room, Jaune sat on the throne with Emerald standing next to him, both were somewhat uneasy. When the Tenko realized what they had done, she stormed the throne room and nearly burst with anger over her grandson's actions. Though, even with her ranting, the young blonde's expression didn't change from its stoic mode. Thus, further angering the Tenko.

"Do you not understand that there are those within our own city, within our controlled territories that want your head. We Oni lost our popularity when Cerus was dethroned, but because of this land's traditional stance we have kept our place as head of the kingdom. With the ongoing conflict and the radical groups that oppose the Oni, you've put our family's fate on the line! And it will not be uncoordinated, predictable attacks, I can guarantee you that!"

Jaune arose from his seat and stared at his grandmother. "I know they will come to challenge me, but I will not turn away from the cries of my people. So, I will answer the call of whoever be it that threatens my home. If you didn't think I would be capable of fending for myself, then you shouldn't have made me king. I will mask my face until the unrest in Zheng is dealt with, but something will be done! If all you and my generals do is debate, then I shall act!" Finishing his declaration, he turned away from her and gestured to the main door. "We're done, leave." The Tenko glared at her grandson, but left nonetheless. Once she slammed the doors in her leave, Jaune sat back down and turned to Emerald.

"You know..." He started with a small chuckle. "...you're old man sugar-coated the idea of living here. He said people lived peacefully and willingly under the rule of our family...that's a bunch of bullshit." The blonde ended with a small laughter.

"Well, he has been away for a long time...but, I can smack him around for you if you want, it'd be a pleasure." Emerald offered with her own sense of humor.

"I doubt you'd need me to tell you it's ok to kill your dad."

The two teens laughed loudly, it eased the tension of what just occurred, but now Jaune would have to plan out what to do with an idea for a truce he thought of with his generals. Given the others ideas they had for a 'peaceful' compromise, this was perhaps the only one with no bloodshed...or at least, he hoped.

A small figure emerged from a shadow nearby, the two had an idea as to who it was, but were momentarily shocked when Laufeia appeared drenched in blood. She wasn't smiling, but at the same time wasn't bothered by the fluids she was soaked in.

"I'm back." She stated stoically. "Did you miss me?"

"Not necessarily." Jaune responded, somewhat curious as to how she ended up like this. Knowing her, this was bound to happen, though what led up to that circumstance was of real importance. "What happened to you?"

"The carriage carrying the recently released prisoner was assaulted. The escorts were killed, but I made sure the woman escaped. After enjoying myself with the attackers, I gave the escorts a proper burial. If the woman continued heading south, she should be crossing Zheng's borders by now." She stated while licking the blood off her hand in the same manner a cat would clean itself.

"What?!" Emerald shouted.

To which Laufeia rolled her eyes in annoyance, though, as she reexplained, she rubbed her stomach, satisfied with her meal. "The carriage was attacked, and with the escorts dead I decided to help myself to the bandits by ripping..."

"No, no, I heard that part the first time." Emerald mumbled, pressing her palm against her head. "I want to know why you let Cinder go." She mumbled, irritated that she left the woman with nothing more than two simple soldiers. What's more, when this little thing had the ability to do something, instead she chooses to let Cinder run, and end up in a war torn province.

"Did you at least learn anything from the attack?" Jaune asked, ignoring the girl's manner of cleaning herself of blood. While he was somewhat concerned about Cinder, his priority was ensuring the safety of his kingdom.

"Actually I did, and you'll be surprised to know what group those bandits belonged to." Laufeia cooed. She walked over to Jaune and whispered in his ear. The older blonde's eyes dilated for a mere second before pressing his fingers against his forehead. The manner in which he received Laufeia's report gave him a major headache.

"This proves Cerus' theory, but now the prospect of finding allies in Zheng will be harder than expected." Jaune mumbled.

"Care to fill me in?" Emerald asked.

The blonde arose from his throne. "Later, but right now is our time to act, before the war of Remnant reaches our shores, we must first be ready as one kingdom. Emerald, send word to the generals; within a month, if there is no peace in Zheng, there will be war." The minty-haired girl hesitated for a split second before quickly bowing, and rushing towards the general's quarters to deliver the blonde king's message. Once she was gone, Jaune turned to the blood-drenched Oni.

"Lulu..."

"Hmm?" She cooed, tilting her head left and awaiting Jaune's words.

"Go to Zheng..." The blonde held his tongue, no doubt Laufeia would accomplish any reconnaissance mission he gave her, but there was the risk of Cinder falls using her wits to create another troublesome group for him to deal with. Having Laufeia keep a constant eye on the woman would only be a waste, and the child would bore easily. Instead, the blonde had a different idea of how his cousin could be of use to him. "...and give them my regards." He uttered with a faint grin.

The small one's lips formed into a wolfish grin, the bloodlust in her eyes could not be any less radiant. Her shadows began to once again envelope her, though just before leaving to do her job, she exchanged words with her cousin. "And the woman?"

"If her hands draw the blood of my people, you will tell me and I will have Emerald do away with her, slowly." The blonde responded with a bitter cold tone in his voice.

Laufeia grinned wider as her body vanished with her shadows. "Take heed, my king, your words are becoming as dark as the creatures we've claimed to tame." Her last words echoed in the chamber as the girl had disappeared, leaving Jaune alone. The young Oni had a nugget of truth, but pacifism would only take a kingdom so far. If he was to return to Remnant, then he would do so with an army of humans, Faunus, and Grimm. But first, Sera needed to be united, and rebuilt. And him? The blonde remembered all the power he gained in Vale, none of it was his own, nor did he earn it. Behind the back of Cerus, Jaune asked his uncle Nikolai for a simple favor; to seal his power. Although a foolish action, for the blonde, it was an act of repentance. And a manner that allowed him to hone and perfect his own abilities before using any form of stolen or mimicked powers. Only one was still at his disposal, as it is a power he has trained in, mastered, and treasures above all else; shadows.

-Meanwhile, in Zheng-

A ray of sunshine and the rusted turning of wagon wheels awoke Cinder from her slumber. She rose up in haste, though as she did, she felt chains holding her down. Her vision was blurry for a split second before she managed to glance at her surroundings. She was chained to the floor of a carriage, with her were others dressed in ragged and dirty tunics. Ten prisoners were chained by both their wrists and ankles alongside one another in this carriage as it drove them to an unknown fate. Those with Cinder all kept their heads low, silent as the carriage neared a village not too far from view.

"Hey..." A prisoner beside her whispered. Cinder turned to the unknown next to her, a girl probably around her age, short ocean blue hair, pale skin, and violet eyes were her distinctive features. "Haven't seen your face before, what's your name?" She asked her voice hoarse and somewhat deep for her age.

"C-Cinder." She answered.

"Yoshika." The girl gave her name, a small gesture for a yet unknown purpose. "From where do you hail?" She asked as the sounds of clanking metal and companies of soldiers marched about the settlement. Cinder glanced around and noticed two other carriages carrying more prisoners. From where? That has yet to be seen.

She turned her attention back to Yoshika, and was unsure how to answer, for she didn't want to reveal her origins, nor did she know so much about this province as to best answer her question. Thinking back to the questions her escorts asked a while ago, she spouted the first word that came to mind. "Shanyu." The prisoners all glanced to her, some with scowls, others with sympathy. Yoshika showed no reaction, rather, she faintly grinned. "I see, good, remember your home, especially now."

"Why?"

The carriages stopped, the doors to opened, and soldiers began to unchain the prisoners.

"For today, we shall ascend to a new home; the realm of Oum." Yoshika responded as she and Cinder were dismounted from the carriage, lined with the others in front of a chopping block, cleaned and ready with its executioner. "Although, I would've preferred dying with my sword in hand..." She mumbled. Cinder was not as calm, however. First she was granted a new life and freedom, but now she was indeed doomed for an execution. A man armored in plated steel approached from a large tent, beside him was a woman in a crimson hooded robe. The armored man gestured his soldiers towards Yoshika, two soldiers grabbed the chained woman and brought her before their leader. Her faint grin remained, though his expression formed into disgust.

"Yoshika." His words dripped with venom. "Finally, you shall be held accountable for your crimes. Your traitorous Jiangshi rebellion has come to an end." He announced, his soldiers all shared a small moment of rejoice as their civil war had finally come to an end. Though, Yoshika chuckled lightly, annoying the leader of this faction.

"I sense irony and hypocrisy in your words." She commented. The armored men growled, though restrained himself and glanced to the hooded woman.

"Give them their last writs." He ordered, allowing the woman to approach the prisoners and holding her arms up in the same manner a priestess would.

"Forgiveness and mercy upon these souls, blessings of the trinities guide you in your trials upon your passing-"

"For the love of Oum, just shut your mouth already!" One of the prisoners shouted as he willingly approached the block. The priestess was annoyed, though did as the man wished and held her tongue as the man was bent and positioned on the block. As the executioner raised his blade, the man shut his eyes and shouted his last words. "My ancestors smile upon me today, Loyalists!" The axe came down swiftly, severing the man's head. As it rolled off, the armored man used his leg to push the body aside. He turned to the rest of the prisoners and noticed Cinder shivering. She was obviously not one of the captured soldiers, per her nearly torn red tunic, so begged the question; who is she?

"And this one?" He asked. One of his soldiers approached him with a folded letter in hand.

"Captain, she is a refugee from Shanyu, we caught her near the border with this letter. Also, the squadrons we placed there have all been reported missing, she was found near their last known location."

The captain glanced to Cinder, then to the folded envelope. "Shanyu, huh?" He mumbled. The man gave some though into it before he stuffed the letter in his armor and gestured his soldiers to bring her to the block. Initially, she refused, and put up a bit of a struggle. Eventually, Cinder was contained and positioned on the block. In a mere instance, her entire life flashed before her eyes, again. This was punishment for her actions in Remnant, she wanted to change the world and rebuild it anew. How she went about it was perhaps what led to this situation. This was not how she envisioned her end, nor did she want to die just yet. But at this moment, her powers were sealed, and she had no means of escape. This is, truly, the end of Cinder Falls.

From afar, Laufeia watched as the executioner was prepared to carry out his orders and kill Falls. While she had no orders to protector the woman, nor did she have any desire to do so, she knew Emerald would chew her out if she didn't try at least. Being an Oni had its advantages; one such was manipulating the Grimm, even the most faithful companions. As an added bonus, each province held one unique Grimm that is often untamable, and extremely difficult to defeat. With a wolfish grin, Laufeia used her influence to possess a Ryujin, a dragon-like Grimm. As the axe was ready to come down, she silently summoned the beast, it's descent from the heavens gave it a holy entrance, though upon landing on the ground, the beast engulfed the Loyalists soldiers in flames. The attack brought the entire village into mass panic, though as the soldiers attempted to retaliate, their Grimm suddenly turned on them. Within a few minutes, nearly half of the Loyalist army stationed here was wiped out. In the midst of the confusion, Cinder rose up from the block, though was still restrained. She wanted to run, but found herself in awe at the sheer willpower of the Ryujin. A hand grabbed hers and quickly unchained her. Yoshika and her rebels freed themselves and took the weapons of the fallen soldiers. The Grimm attack, oddly, was mainly aimed at the Loyalists, allowing civilians to run freely without risk of being attacked, and the rebels the chance to escape. The small group made their way to the village entrance, currently flooded with people trying to escape the carnage. As Cinder and the small group of Jiangshi left the city, the woman caught glimpse of a young blonde girl with bloody Crimson eyes, standing between the massacre and smiling. The very sight gave the former crime-boss chills.

"Scatter, regroup at Peony!" Yoshika yelled, her rebels nodded and scattered with the civilians as they all entered the forest. The Loyalists attempted to recapture the rebels, but were either fighting off the Grimm, or deterred by the stampeding civilians. Luckily, no one noticed Cinder and Yoshika depart from the main group. Their run continued for nearly an hour before Cinder's legs could go no further. The two took small moment of rest to regain their energy, and while they would not run, Yoshika insisted the two continue if they wished to reach the nearest rebel camp.

Cinder followed this woman, if only due to the fact that she was saved by her and her rebels. And there wasn't an extreme urge to return to those 'Loyalists'. The sun had set when the silence between them finally broke. Their walk was silent after agreeing to go to Yoshika's camp, though; the woman mourned the loss of her fallen brethren, presumably from a previous battle that led to her capture. Cinder had many questions to ask but not kept to herself for the time being.

"We're nearing Peony, stay close." Yoshika kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, meanwhile, Cinder was thinking of her past, all the things she did before meeting Jaune. Prior to her dealings with him, she achieved her goals on her own accord, and did so with no regrets or mercy. Yet, today, her life was in the hands of another, and if not for that sudden Grimm, her life would've ended for sure this time. The many attempts prior were mere misses, one was actually a pardon, but this last one was not out of luck. That girl, Laufeia, was keeping an eye on her. It was obvious the Oni had a plan for her; otherwise she would've been allowed to die today. What that plan is remains a mystery.

"We're here." Cinder's train of thoughts ended when Yoshika told her of their arrival. Though, as she was ready to finally relax, what her eyes laid upon next would haunt her for dreams to come. An entire open field, barren, stained with black and red, and filled with either bodies left to rot from previous battles, or new ones being picked off by the crows. The gore, the faces of the dead soldiers, the stench was the least of her worries, this entire field was filled to the brim with death.

"What is this?" Cinder managed to mutter before covering her mouth as the foul stench had entered her mouth.

With a grim expression, Yoshika gestured to her homeland. "This is a war that should've ended long ago. Perhaps I should properly introduce myself. I am Yoshika, leader of the Jiangshi rebels." The woman made a small gesture over her head. Initially, confusing Cinder, until a small battalion of soldiers emerged from the forest, dressed in leather and lightly armored tunics dyed purple. From the fields arose a few others wielding long range rifles aimed at Cinder, their grimm partners stood beside them with wary growls. One soldier approached from the woods and handed a single-edged curved blade to his leader. Yoshika removed it from its sheath and aimed the tip at Cinder's neck. "And now, you're our prisoner, Cinder of Shanyu."

What a cliffhanger, sorry it has to end so short, but at least it ends with a parody of something most rpg players can recognize and, hopefully, enjoy. If you don't know, the reference is the beginning part of Skyrim. Anyways, to those who read my stories, this notice will come with their AN too, but as of late, life has really taken its toll on me. School is tough enough, but with a recent break up, and family issues, the chapters will take slightly longer to come up, but I promise they'll be longer, and, hopefully, worth it. For now, thank you all for reading, until next time.