Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. RWBY belongs to RoosterTeeth and Monty Oum.

Chapter 21: An Old Man

"Water?"

"I have it."

"Knife?"

"On my belt."

"Robes?"

"Yes," Edwin answered.

"Zahrati," Osman chuckled, "I think you've checked enough times."

"Just making sure," she responded. They were finally ready to depart, having checked their equipment for three weeks travel, both on foot and camel-back. Despite Al Ma'In being the easternmost city of the kingdom, there was still much uncharted and wild lands between the deserts of Vacuo and the forests of Vale. All three were garbed in white desert robes, with Edwin looking the oddest out of the three.

"And what about you?" Zahrati interrogated. "Have you forgotten anything?"

"I may be old," Osman fired back, "but I have more years of desert experience than you have been alive."

"Really? How about I come over and check?"

"If it will ease your mind, then by all means, help yourself."

Everything was accounted for, as the old man promised, but as Zahrati checked, her thoughts couldn't help but wander back to a single concern.

"Are you sure about this, Alssalf?" she voiced her concern."As much as you like to joke about it,I'm am worried that you won't be able to handle the stress of traveling."

"I will be fine." Osman patted her on the shoulder. "It has been far too long since I have been on an expedition, especially when it comes to bringing Edwin home. I'm sure his family will miss him dearly."

Zahrati nodded, and Osman clapped his hands together. He had reserved two camels for the three of them. Osman would ride on one, which Zahrati and Edwin rode on the other. Zahrati didn't have much experience riding one, as she and Nusar's mercenaries never really used them. It would have been far too expensive to let every one of them ride a camel, and the walking kept them in shape. Regardless, she chose not to question how much Osman had spent on these two.

"Come! Let us be off."

"You never talked about that necklace."

"You never asked."

"We didn't want to scare you at the time. After all, I did just bring you across Vacuo from those slavers."

Edwin shrugged.

"My mom gave it to me a long time ago."

They had settled and made camp for the night. Dinner had consisted of some dried jerky and a few bites of grain-rich bread, washed down with water. Not the most sumptuous of feasts, but it kept the stomach quiet.

As the stars twinkled in the night sky and the wind flowed northwards, Zahrati finally decided to broach the topic of how Edwin ended up in Vacuo. She had never really asked about it, given that her immediate concerns at the time had been making sure that he was physically and mentally sound. She had been worried that mentioning it would conjure unpleasant memories. And for that matter, it wasn't much of Osman's concern either, seeing as she was the one who chose to be Edwin's caretaker.

Now that they were on an expedition to leave for Vale, however, she thought that it might be safe to ask now. Osman, on the other hand, had pulled out his pipe and began to smoke, eyes closed in relaxation. Although it didn't look like it, Zahrati knew that Osman was keenly listening to the conversation.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Not much. I was just at the town gates looking at the traders. After that, something hit me in the back of my head, and I woke up in the desert."

To think they would kidnap people as far away from Vale. Zahrati and Osman shared a look.

"They must be worried."

"Yeah."

"One thing I am interested in," Osman interjected, blowing out a small stream of smoke. No doubt he was probably trying to change the topic of the conversation, "you don't seem at all affected knowing that Zahrati is a faunus."

"Not really. My parents are faunus." Edwin answered. That made them pause. Normal ears? Check. Normal skin? Check. Absence of protrusions on the body? Check.

"Really now? I don't see any, er, distinct characteristics of one." Osman pointed out.

"I'm adopted."

More silence.

"Ah."

"What do they do for a living?"

"They make wooden crafts and try to sell them to other faunus, but business has been slow."

Zahrati coughed nervously and Osman sheepishly went back to smoking his pipe. His attempt to change the topic away from Edwin's parents seemed to only bring it further into focus. That being said, there was no indication that Edwin minded, as he had gone back to looking at the necklace.

So much for a conversation.

"Well then" Osman stated, "it is getting late, and we must be up early if we are to reach Al Ma'In tomorrow."

As Edwin and Zahrati fell asleep, Osman threw some sand onto the fire and extinguished it, letting the night embrace them.

The city was as she remembered it. They had managed to make good time, and had arrived earlier than scheduled, just before the sun crested in the sky.

"Go and find a place for us to get some rest, Zahrati." Osman ordered, slowly getting off his camel and stretching, with Edwin doing likewise. The camels would be taken into the stables by the western gate, where they would rest after this leg of the journey. Afterwards, the three would go to the stables by the eastern gate, where they would be able to acquire two fresh camels.

The city was active as usual, and traffic and business was abound. From haggling merchants to bleating sheep, it was somewhat akin to Nazef in commercial activity.

Bumping into a few men as she turned a street corner, Zahrati quickly apologized under their glares as she made her way further down the street. They looked rough around the edges, but it wasn't an uncommon sight in this city. She thought no more of them when she reached a smaller tavern in a quieter corner away from the main streets. There were a few people inside, and Zahrati decided that it would be good for them to have some peace and quiet, away from the busier areas.

"Anything catch your eye?" Osman asked when she returned.

"I found a smaller place. Let's go."

As they made their way to the tavern, she saw the same group of men. It seemed they were in a hurry to get somewhere, whereas before they were walking at a casual pace.

"Something the matter?" Osman asked her.

"Nothing." Zahrati responded. "Just observing the people."

When they entered the tavern, no one paid them any attention, so they took their seats at a table.

"A nice and quiet place you've found." Osman noted dryly. The walls were adorned lightly with some ornamental carpets. Aside from that, there were only tables and chairs, with only a few occupied.

"How can I help you today?" A server came up and asked them.

"I will have some arak, please, and water for the boy." Osman gave his order.

"I'll have karkadeh." Zahrati said.

The server nodded, and went to go get their drinks.

"So assuming the maps are accurate," Osman began, "we should expect to reach to Vale proper within a week and a half, and Castinis another four to five days after that."

"But won't there be Grimm along the way?" Zahrati asked.

"Not to worry. I have plenty of experience navigating around Grimm. They're not exactly the most subtle of beings, after all. And if worst comes to worst, we'll just have to rely on you to defend us." Osman assuaged.

Their conversation quieted when they heard voices in the back of the tavern, where their server was getting their drinks. The voices were muffled, but from what Zahrati could tell, it was beginning to turn into a heated argument. However, the voices died down soon afterwards, and Osman and Zarati continued their conversation.

"So that's around four weeks. Two there, and two back." Zahrati added.

"That's about right."

"Do we have enough supplies? If I recall, we only have enough for another four days"

"We'll go and pick some things up later." Osman waved a hand in dismissal. "Nusar has some places that he recommended where we can get supplies for cheap."

"How cheap are we talking about?"

"Here you are." The server came back with their drinks. For Osman, the arak was milky white, and a bit on the strong side in terms of alcohol content, and Zahrati's karkadeh was dark red

They all took a drink. The karkadeh was sweet and tart, the fresh hibiscus almost tasting cranberry-like.

"To think that you would be drinking alcohol at your age, Alssalf." Zahrati smirked.

"And to think that you enjoy a children's drink," Osman retorted.

Edwin simply sipped his water as the two continued to discuss other things, notably what supplies were needed. He didn't really care much about what they were discussing, nor did he feel the need to contribute to the discussion.

After a while, his head hit the table with a thud.

"Edwin?" Zahrati turned her head. Edwin did not respond.

She blinked, then noted how the tavern became blurry around her, and she heard Osman falling forward as well. As the world continued to spin around her, she found herself blacking out.

Zahrati awoke with a gasp as cold water doused her face. Her vision was still blurry, and she could only make out vague figures. With her vision clearing, Zahrati could now clearly see the men standing in front of her. They were the men that she had bumped into earlier. Over to the side, she saw that Osman and Edwin were bound by the arms and ankles on the floor, and that they had come to.

They were in a dark, windowless building, lit with some candles. By the looks of it, it was similar to the storeroom that Nusar and the mercenaries used in Nazef, if somewhat darker.

Were we drugged by mercenaries?

She herself was bound in a different position. Her hands were tied above her head to a scaffolding, which held various boxes and crates.

"She's awake." A voice said gruffly.

"Is she now?" Another answered. Confident. Arrogant. Terrifying. "Good."

That voice. It can't be…

"Did you miss me?"

Zahrati froze as pure fear ran through her body. Behind the men, walking towards her, was a face she thought she would never see again. A sharp jawline and chiseled face. Some would have considered him roguish and handsome once, but to Zahrati, it was a nightmarish visage. She looked down his left arm, and was greeted with an empty sleeve.

"Sutekh."

"Yes, my dear, it's me." he said, raising the arm in question. Zahrati could only stare as the sleeve fell down to his elbow, revealing a stump halfway up the forearm. From there, there was a simple prosthetic, two parallel hooks that clicked together.

"Interesting, isn't it?" he mused. "To think that the knife you stabbed me with was a filthy meat knife. The doctors did what they could, but the infection had already set in. In the end, they decided amputation was the best course of action."

He rotated the prosthetic a bit more then let the drop, and the sleeve covered it once more. He took another step towards Zahrati until their faces were inches away. His gaze bore into hers. Once cruel and arrogant, his eyes were now cold and lifeless, yet terrifyingly penetrating.

"And to think that you would come back to me. Do know how overjoyed I was when I heard that you had come to Al Ma'In? Not once, but twice?"

"How did you know?" Zahrati asked, dropping her gaze. Old instincts screamed at her to cower before this man, and she hesitantly complied.

"The first time I heard about it was from two of my men, who had an altercation with you." Sutekh explained. He took a step back and looked away from her. "Could you imagine my surprise when they described you? It could have been any random woman, but they told me about your eyes. Slits for irises, they told me." he nodded, "I thought it to be impossible."

Sutekh regarded the unconscious Edwin on the floor, then turned back to Zahrati.

"I asked them where you were, and they told me you had beaten them and run off with a slave-to-be. Imagine my disbelief and anger, then, when you had left. But it's alright, Zahrati, they won't be a problem for you anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"They can't cause problems if they're not alive to do so. Failure isn't tolerated, so I slit their throats."

He walked to her side, where he pulled rotated her right forearm slightly. He ran a finger lightly over her wasumm, examining it with keen interest.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday, when you were branded. I knew you were going to blossom into a beauty. I wanted you, and I still do, and this mark is testament to that. I suppose that's all I can thank my father for."

"But ever since you took my arm, he treated me differently. Any expectations he had of me disappeared, and it was as if I no longer existed to him. Of course, he kept his slaves. To him, they were more valuable than I was. " He told Zahrati, pacing around her. "So I killed him, and I killed his slaves after."

A disturbing smile was plastered on his face as he said this, but it quickly deformed into a scowl as Osman began coughing.

"To think that you would abandon me for this old man. Who is he to you? No matter, I will find out myself."

Sutekh turned to Osman, squatting to get a better look at Osman.

"Tell me, old man, what are you to Zahrati?"

"Please leave us be, there is nothing we can offer you." Osman implored from his less that desirable position.

"Pick him up and sit him down," Sutekh stood up and ordered to his men. Two of them lifted Osman from the ground and placed him on a crate. "Do you want to say that again, you senile fool?" he asked afterwards.

"We have done nothing, please let us go."

"Ah, but you see, there is something you have to offer me," Sutekh laughed, "or should I say... someone."

With a sneer, he sent a fist crashing across the side of Osman's face, the blow collapsing him back to the floor. Zahrati screamed out in horror, and she began thrashing in her bindings.

"I've waited years for this. She will be mine." he concluded, turning back to Zahrati. Osman did not move.

"What should we do with him?" one of the bandits asked, pointing at Osman.

"Worthless. Dispose of him."

"No!" Zahrati yelled futilely, struggling even more against her bindings.

"Hold her still, would you?" Sutekh ordered lazily to one of the bandits "It would be such a bother if she were to-"

Osman chuckled, and lifted his head to look at Sutekh. There was no indication that he had been hit at all. In fact, there was a faint glowing in the area where his fist had struck, so faint that only Zahrati could see it. The glow then appeared in his eyes, a sharp, electrifying cobalt blue.

A mighty gust of wind blew open the door and into into the building, strong enough to extinguish the candles and send billowing clouds of dust. The darkness disoriented except for Zahrati.

In the darkness, she could see Osman quickly jogging towards her. How he had broken out of his bindings, she did not know, but it mattered not as he cut her free from her bindings.

"Get some light in here!" Sutekh roared, flailing about blindly in the dark. Zahrati would not give them the opportunity as she began disabling his men. She made sure to strike incapacitating blows, her faunus vision allowing her to see perfectly clear. Bandits or not, however, she had no doubt that she would have to answer to the authorities of Al Ma'In if she killed within the city gates. For now, she had to take out Sutekh and his men, then escape with Edwin and Osman.

To call it a brawl was an overstatement. Dodging a wild fist, she planted a solid kick between the man's legs, who went down with a squeal. There weren't many left conscious, so Zahrati made a beeline for Sutekh, who had his knife out. His vision still hadn't adjusted, and Zahrati took advantage of this by taking his outstretched arm and throwing him bodily into the scaffolding that had previously held her. The scaffolding broke, and before he could recover, the crates and boxes that were once supported fell on him, knocking him out.

"We need to leave!" she heard Osman yell.

Zahrati took this as her opportunity to pick up Edwin, as well as their stolen equipment. She located Osman as well and led them quickly out of the building. Once out the door, the heard shouts in the distance, drawing both Zahrati and Osman's attention.

"The city guards, no doubt. You must hurry."

Zahrati slung the unconscious Edwin over her shoulder in response. It was not until she had taken a few steps before realizing that Osman was not following her.

"Alssalf?" Zahrati asked, her steps coming to a stop.

"Go, before the guards arrive."

"But-"

"We do not have time, Zahrati!" he urged, trying to shoo her away. "Just think, if the guards see all three of us leave this area at once, they will think that we were involved.

"But what will you do?" Zahrati asked frantically, understanding Osman's logic, yet not wanting to leave him behind. This wasn't something that she was prepared for.

"I will throw them off. During that time, get Edwin awake and leave Al Ma'In as soon as you both can." Osman explained. "I will be fine, trust me. After all, what could an old man possibly do to these bandits?" He chuckled as he brought her head forward and kissed her on the forehead.

"Kunn Baman, Zahrati." he whispered with a small smile. Stay safe. "I will await your return in Nazef. Now go."

Zahrati nodded grimly, and jogged out of the alleyway. Despite the maze-like formation of narrow streets having many twists and turns, Zahrati was able to avoid the guards as she listened to their distant shouts. She felt Edwin stirring on her shoulder, and increased her pace. Shortly after, she found a secluded area, far from Sutekh's complex, and began lightly slapping Edwin's face.

"Where are we?" Edwin question blearily, no doubt still recovering from unconsciousness.

"Far away from the bandits. Come on, we need to get ready to leave." Zahrati explained quickly.

"What about Osman? Where is he?"

"He is going to deal with the guards. We attracted a lot of them, and they will arrive soon."

Edwin didn't respond, and Zahrati took that as the cue for them to leave. They once again found themselves in one of the crowded streets of the city. Off in the distance, she could see the eastern gate of Al Ma'In, and they headed towards it. Along the way, they went to the stable that Osman had told them about. Words and money were exchanged, and soon she held the reins of two camels. The original plan had been for her and Edwin to ride one of the camels, and for Osman to ride the other.

At this point, one of them will have to be a pack camel.

"I didn't say goodbye to him." Edwin said forlornly after they had left the stable.

Zahrati looked down at him, then sighed in understanding. Kneeling, she brushed a lock of hair from Edwin's face and looked him in the eye.

"He's doing what's best for us, so try not to worry about it too much. He also told me to tell you that once this is all over, maybe you can come to Vacuo again sometime with your family. Alssalf and I will gladly wait for you."

Edwin nodded mutely, and Zahrati now had to divert her attention to the gates looming ahead of them. Standing up, she counted fifteen guards, five on each side of the gate and another five randomly inspecting the people who entered. None of the guards regarded them, yet Zahrati held her breath as they began to cross the gate.

No commotion.

No shouting.

No one called them out.

Zahrati released a quiet sigh of relief as they fully crossed the gates. They were clear of Al Ma'In.

"So it is you," Osman said as he stood over the unconscious figure of Sutekh, covered in mounds of fire dust that had fallen atop of him. His quiet groans as he came to were increasingly drowned out by the approaching guards. Osman estimated that he had three minutes at best, so he had to act fast.

Ironic, that time would be against me.

"I should have dealt with you a long time ago, when she was but a little girl. It pained me to watch her suffer through those nightmares. She didn't deserve any of it." Osman said, his face softening. Zahrati had been so helpless then when he took her in, and yet she had grown into a capable woman that he was truly proud of.

A granddaughter that I could never have. He thought, looking at his worn hand. Ever since I inherited this power.

"I would not have you suffer this burden anymore" Osman whispered. Zahrati still had so much to live for. There was no need to her to needlessly dirty her hands.

A small wisp of blue flame appeared and danced upon his finger, providing faint illumination. Unrefined dust was highly volatile and would react violently if mishandled. The crates that hand landed on Sutekh were filled with it, covering him in it That it had not exploded immediately when Zahrati broke the scaffolding was nothing short of a miracle.

Miracles. Bah, I stopped believing in them a long time ago.

He brought his finger ever closer to the dust. When it made contact, however, the fire stopped moving. It was still there, but it had stopped flickering and had stopped emanating heat. Such was his power. Separating his finger from the fire, Osman then walked out of the building, distancing himself from where Sutekh and the unconscious bandits were. Unrefined fire dust was fearsome indeed, and with the building having no windows...

When he was a safe distance away, he took a seat and settled himself, knowing full well that the guards would not associate the explosion with him. He was an old man, after all. The guards rushed by him, paying him no attention, towards the building. With a sigh, he released his concentration on the fire. After all, it was just a matter of controlling time.

Within the building, the tiny flame flickered once more before it reacted with the dust.

Osman paid no heed to the explosion or now surprised shouts of the guards. The entire interior of the building was on fire, and the high temperatures turned it into a live oven. No one inside would survive.

Good.

Of course, it would be written off as an accident by the authorities. There were more than enough cases of improper dust management, whether it be in mining, transporting, or refining They were few and far in between, but there would be no doubt of the volatility of unrefined fire dust. The guards attracted to the scene by witnesses who saw men dragging three people into said building would never realize the connection between the fire and Osman.

After all, he was an old man.

A/N: Old man. Time control. Who knew?

So in less than 24 hours of me posting this chapter, I will be in the Pacific Ocean, trapped with two thousand other people in a ship that is far too large and headed for Mexico. Seven nights and 6 days without wi-fi, a good chunk of time for me to be alone with my thoughts. It also a very good amount of time to work on the beginning of the end for this arc, which will pretty much signal the earliest signs of the Great War beginning. Context matters and such, etc, etc.

Assuming I have extra time, I've also been considering starting another fic. However, this would be a side project, so chapter updates most likely not follow a set schedule. It's an interesting concept, and I know that RoosterTeeth definitely won't release a World of Remnant segment that sends a wrecking ball through it. Nope. Not at all. That being said, Volume 5 of RWBY might throw a figurative wrench into the cogs if they introduce some specific characters.

As always, reviews, questions, and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Edit: Some edits.

-The Bard