I might have started a thing here. When I started writing over a year ago, I had the only RWBY/Inheritance cycle crossover. Now, two more people have joined in since December. I've only stumbled on both recently. Personally, I hope the number grows.

Ruby opened her eyes and saw the familiar red velvet canopy above her. She sat up and stretched under Cerise' wing. All things considered, she didn't sleep too badly the night before. The wood on which she and her dragon slept was surprisingly comfortable. Much better than the cold ground from their journey to Ellesméra. As she slowly woke up, Ruby picked out the sound of running water. Yang must be taking a shower. Luckily Ruby showered the night before. Yang always took all the hot water.

The Rider crawled out from under Cerise' wing, trying not to wake her dragon. She looked around the office that was big enough for all the dragons currently in Ellesméra. Most of the room was bare, save for the books on the shelves grown into the walls and the desk near the staircase. It might be fun to write with the ink and quill that were on the desk if she had time. Just be different, and a little old fashioned. I've been spending too much time around Weiss…or is it just being here?

Ruby walked down the intricate staircase into the main room. It looked like Halcyon had already flown out of the bedroom and the door to the bathroom was closed. A few things rested near the trap door into the house. There were four trays on the floor, two were empty and two held food, and a single bundle of clothes. Yang must have already had her breakfast, but why only one clothes pile?

Then Ruby saw a note pinned on top of the pile. She picked it up and read it through. Most of it was apologizing to Cerise and Halcyon for there being no meat at all and some ways to get around the elves strict no meat rule. The last couple sentences said the clothes were custom made for Ruby by someone in Islanzadí's house.

That last bit caught Ruby by surprise. Custom made? Already? With no measurements? Either those clothes would be entirely the wrong size, or the elves could give Coco a run for her money. Ruby expected the latter.

Ruby picked up the clothes and two trays of food and brought them upstairs. She laid everything on the desk and untied the cord holding the clothes in the pile. As she was laying everything out, she realized that these were not things that normal people could buy in stores. The two blouses and leggings were mainly black with red stitching. She thought they were made out of some sort of cotton, but due to the quality, it could have been something else entirely. The single hood was definitely silk though. Knowing where silk came from and the elves strict vegan attitude, it had to take ages getting all the material naturally without farming for it.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Ruby asked herself as she looked over her gifts.

You're here, Gem, Cerise said. Ruby looked over to her dragon who had finally woken up. You're my Rider. That's enough for them.

"Yeah, but…" Ruby looked back at the desk, "what if they find out about the other stuff and change their minds?"

Cerise growled and it shook the tree. They won't. If they doubt my decision to choose you, they will regret voicing it.

"Even the Queen?"

When there's a place I can bring you where she can't touch you, yes.

Ruby smiled at her dragon. "Thanks, Cerise." She rubbed her dragon's snout as she approached.

Cerise hummed and sniffed the clothes. Eat your breakfast and try these on. I want to see how you look.

"Got it. Oh." Ruby grabbed the tray with the poppy seed cakes. "I think these are for you, no meat in the city and all that."

I will have to go hunting later. Cerise' tongue darted out of her mouth twice and picked up each one in turn.

"Hopefully they don't make you take a drug test now." Ruby laughed at her own joke and focused on her own fruity breakfast. When she finished with that, she took her new clothes and found a closed corner in the room to change. It turned out her new apparel fit perfectly. The leggings even had actual pockets! Take that, Remnant fashion! The only problem is her new hood kept slipping off her shoulders. She took her rose clasp off her old hood and fit it into place in the center of her chest.

Ruby grabbed her hood from where she hung it and looked it over. They'd been through so much together. The cape had been ripped numerous times over the years, but Coco had always been able to repair the damage and restore the cape to its original form. But that wasn't why Ruby loved her hood so much. Her mom intended to give it to her as a gift when she grew into it. The last physical thing her mom gave to her. Ruby wore it pretty much all the time and hated when she had to take it off.

Then again, it wasn't like she was getting rid of it. The silk cape didn't have the same sentimental value to it, and it likely wouldn't hold up in a fight. Coco had said repeatedly she was terrible with silk. It wouldn't do to damage a gift from someone high up in the elven hierarchy. At least Ruby wouldn't be without her trademark hood for formal events now. She carefully folded up her combat hood and set it back on the desk. There was probably a dresser or closet around here that she and Yang could share.

Ruby turned to Cerise. "How do I look?"

Cerise hummed and looked her Rider over. I'm not the best one to ask. I'd say you look as beautiful as a sunrise if you chose to use staplers as clothing.

"I'm not sure how that would work, but thank you anyway." Ruby rubbed her dragon's snout. "See you downstairs." Cerise nodded and jumped out the large, raindrop window out into the air above Du Weldenvarden.

Ruby watched her dragon fly off, then walked back down the stairs. By that point the water had stopped, so Yang was either drying off or out of the shower completely. The first thing Ruby saw as she reached the bottom of the stairs was Yang in her exoskeleton and the clothes that rested just over it. The tree shook once more and Cerise poked her head out of the bedroom.

Yang turned her head back to the stairs and waved at her sister. "Morning Ruuuuuuuubes…" Her mouth hung open and her eyes widened. She looked Ruby up and down. "Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

"Her? Pft. She's out cold in a corner upstairs. Cerise likes me better anyway." Ruby walked to her sister's side. "Need help getting all this on?"

"You know I can't get my back." Yang picked up one of her pauldrons and fit it on her right shoulder. "So that's what was in that bundle, huh? You look good."

"I know. I feel weird. I could go to some of the fancier theaters in Vale in this." Ruby picked up the backplate and pushed it into place. "But one of the high up elves custom made these for me. I can't not wear them here."

"Point." Yang sighed. "Why didn't I get something like that?"

"Probably because you said you need your armor to walk. You jealous, sis?"

"I'm just not used to you turning more heads than me."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I have been for years. This isn't anything new."

Yang smirked as the other pauldron clicked into place. "Not for much longer." She used her now free hand to push back the hair over her right ear.

Ruby looked in close and fought back a huge smile. "That's not round."

"Nope!" Yang brought both her hands behind her head. "I'm going to look better than you again and all will be right with the world."

"Good luck with that…When'd you notice?"

"Literally five minutes ago while showering. I guess I haven't touched my ears much since getting here."

"I'm surprised you noticed it that soon. Do your ears even get wet through that much hair?"

Yang elbowed Ruby in the gut. "You'd be surprised." She slipped Ember Celica onto both her arms and her armor was complete. "How's my power pack?"

Ruby flipped the cover off the small battery. "Lock your armor, I need to change this."

Yang pushed a button on her right arm. Several clicking sounds came from various parts of Yang's lower body. "Locked. You're good. Batteries are in the bag."

Ruby popped out the nearly spent battery and set it on the table. "You're keeping the used ones, right?"

"Can't waste any of it. Might be able to get half of one when this is all done." Yang paused as Ruby pulled a new battery from the bag on the table. "You know what we're doing today?"

Ruby's good mood dipped causing her smile to weaken. "I guess we'll be seeing the specialists that are in town. Hopefully they'll be able to do something about your back." She fit the battery into place with a click.

Yang unlocked her armor. "Your head too." She gently rapped a knuckle against Ruby's head. "The less that happens, the better."

"I think we can all agree on that." Ruby's scroll vibrated in her pocket. She nearly jumped, not being used to feeling it after being away from Remnant for so long. The short range transmission was finally coming in handy. She took it out and looked at the text on screen. "It looks like Aaron wants us to meet him outside the city."

Yang huffed and turned away. "That worked out so well last time."

Ruby blinked at her sister. "Excuse me?"

"Didn't you say he caused you second panic attack last night?"

"He told me what could happen if I don't take care of this now. Would you rather him keep it a secret?"

"No." Yang shook her head. "But there has to be a way he could have done it without sending you off the edge. Still mad at him for what he said in the Dragonhold."

"…That one I can agree with, but last night was not that. He looked like he'd seen a ghost when I told him about the spirit in my head. Remember what you did when you found out what this thing could do to me?"

"Yeah, but he-"

"Yang, why are you suddenly like this? You weren't this way last night."

"Because I've had time." Yang's eyes flashed red for a second. "Things he said caused two of your last three attacks. His secrets caused us how much pain in the past? How many more is he keeping from us? What happens if he-"

"You're worried that he'll hurt you baby sister, aren't you?" Ruby put on a small smile. Yang's mouth hung open in the position where it stopped. "I know you were there, Yang. I know you saw what happened. I wasn't completely gone when you touched my mind.

"Yang, he swore that he won't let the spirit control me, and that he trusts one of the people that's going to help evict the spirit with Nalia's true name. I think I'm in good hands here." Ruby looked down and shifted on her feet. "If you're worried about the other thing, so am I. Like I said before, I don't want to offend him or anyone else here."

Yang stood there for a second, then sighed. "If you say so. I guess I'm just a little protective of my Rosebud."

"Roseb…When was the last time you called me that? Signal?"

"Probably." Yang shrugged. "I'll go along with this, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. And if he hurts you-"

"You'll be the first person after Cerise to get at him, if Vert and Halcyon can hold Nalia down. Now, we should get going. I have a feeling we'll be meeting the specialists where we're going." Ruby walked into the bedroom and ran a hand over Cerise' head. She climbed into the saddle just as Halcyon landed and shook the tree.

Cerise turned her head back. You're feeling well this morning.

Better to put up a strong face than to fall apart everywhere. Ruby couldn't keep her body from shivering. She grabbed her helmet and fit it over her head. At least Yang couldn't see the worry on her face, not that it would stop anyone from reading her mind.

Don't worry. You won't be one of them. Cerise walked to the raindrop shaped window and stuck her neck out. Ruby looked over the edge as well. They were hundreds of feet in the air, and she still felt the climb from last night in her legs. Still, it was one heck of a view.

Cerise jumped out of the tree into open air and snapped her wings open. She circled the tree once while waiting for Halcyon to leave as well. The dragons flew west, side by side. Where are we going? Halcyon asked after a minute of flying.

I would like to know that as well. Cerise slowed her flight and turned her head back.

Ruby took out her scroll and brought up the tracking app. "We're going the right way. If they're in a clearing, I think we'll see them soon."

"Looks like it," Yang called over the wind. She then looked behind herself. "Well, here come the other two."

Ruby looked back as well and saw Vert flying at high speed from their part of Ellesméra. It looked like Vert really opened up the throttle on his jets. He silently blew past the red and gold dragons. Oh, no you don't, Cerise thought.

"Oh boy." Ruby grabbed onto the spike in front of her just as Cerise put on a burst of speed. The red dragon slowly gained ground on her mate. It looked like Vert was toying with Cerise, swerving all over the place in the air. Cerise flew straight and eventually passed Vert. Of course, if Vert really wanted to win this impromptu race, he could win easily by turning his jets up all the way. These two wanted a challenge.

Luckily for Ruby and Velvet, Nalia came into view on the top of a cliff. The dragons dove for the ground at full speed. They hit the ground hard, but both stayed on their feet. Both dragons faced each other and started having a conversation only they could hear.

Ruby slid off her dragon's back and shook her head with a smile. Cerise was such a kid at times. Considering Ruby was like that at points, it felt good. She looked over to where Velvet had dismounted Vert. It looked like the Faunus got a similar clothing treatment to Ruby. Then a sudden change in Cerise' thoughts caused Ruby to blush. She quickly looked away from Velvet, not being able to face her when the mated dragons got like this.

If you two hatchlings are, done, Nalia growled, we are here for a reason.

Cerise huffed, but most of that feeling disappeared from her mind. Ruby gave Nalia a small and quick salute. She took off her helmet and clipped it back onto her saddle. Halcyon landed right behind her. Ruby turned back to see Yang jump off her dragon's back. The dragons lined up and their Riders stood in front of them.

Ruby looked around the top of the cliff. They were the only ones there. "Aaron, Nalia, what are we doing here?"

Aaron sighed. "Before I start, this wasn't my decision. The Queen ordered me to do this." He bit his lip. "Before you find out why we're here, each of you will need to swear that you won't share what you're about to see with anyone outside Ellesméra, not without permission of the Queen or another elf in power."

Ruby shifted on her feet. This was the first time Aaron ever asked any of his teammates to do this. "What's this about?"

"I can't say anymore. I've taken the oath myself."

"Does the Queen not trust us?" Yang asked, sounding more than a little miffed.

"I don't think trust isn't an issue. It's a security thing. I know none of you will willingly reveal this secret to anyone. We all know we can trust Weiss, Blake, and JNPR, but they can't defend their minds like we can."

Yang narrowed her eyes. "This isn't that one thing from before, is it?" Halcyon shifted on his feet.

Ruby stared at her sister. Thing before? What's she talking about?

Aaron shook his head. "No, this is completely different."

Silence reigned among the Remmartians. To Ruby, this felt like something where they go along with what was said, or there could be consequences. Before she could open her mouth though, Velvet gave the oath herself, immediately followed by Vert. Ruby and Cerise followed suit, then Halcyon, and Yang hesitantly brought up the rear.

Nalia's shoulders relaxed and looked out over the forest. She stood like that for a few seconds and turned back to the Remmartians. Now we wait.

"Wait?" Yang asked. "Who are we waiting for?"

"A couple of old friends," Aaron said cryptically. He looked out over the forest and crossed his arms.

Ruby stared at him for a few seconds, then turned to Velvet. "How was Nora this morning?"

"She was herself." Velvet shrugged. "She wasn't doing her normal workout, but she might as well have been bouncing off the walls compared to the last few days."

"That's good to hear." Ruby looked Velvet up and down. "You look amazing, by the way. Someone in Islanzadí's house make those for you?"

"Yeah." Velvet looked down at her clothes. "I think Coco's going to want to meet who made this."

"You think? She's going to want to come here right away as soon as she sees these things."

The two Riders shared a laugh. "You're probably right." Velvet looked out over the forest. "What's that?"

Ruby followed her friend's gaze. Some golden bird had risen out of the trees. Wait…golden bird? Ruby took a few more steps to the cliff edge. Her bionic eye magnified the target. It didn't need to do much before Ruby saw what it was.

A golden dragon was flying toward them, and it couldn't be Halcyon.

"Contact!" Ruby yelled. She ran back to Cerise saddle and pulled the remains of Crescent Rose off the saddle. "Silia is here!"

"What?" Yang whipped her head to the enemy dragon. "Son of a…" The three dragons growled at their opponent.

"Velvet, get Vert's guns spinning."

"Already on it." Velvet jumped onto Vert's back and flicked a few switches on the saddle. "Need my AA-Paladin for this?"

"Save it for when there's more than one of them." Ruby brought her weapon up and honed in on her target. She focused in on Silia…or who should have been Silia. The person on the dragon's back wasn't who he should have been. A male elf with silver hair sat on the dragon's saddle. "Aaron, how often do the Forsworn use another's dragon?" Ruby didn't take her eyes off target.

"As far as I know, they don't," he swore. "I can tell you this, those two do not work for the Traitor."

"What?" Ruby held her weapon in place, but turned her head to look at Aaron. "We're the only Riders who don't."

We lied, Nalia said. We never swore that, did we?

"If they're not in the Forsworn, who are they?" Yang demanded, her eyes red.

"Masters Oromis and Glaedr, Nalia's and my former teachers on Vroengard." Aaron shifted his eyes completely to Ruby. "They're the ones I'd trust with Nalia's true name."

Ruby let her weapon fall to her side. All dragons on the cliff silenced and raised their necks. "More of us?" Velvet mumbled.

"I guess so." Ruby felt the corners of her lips tugging up. Cerise, please tell me I'm not dreaming.

You're not, Gem. Cerise lifted her wings. Suddenly our chances look a lot better.

Weiss felt dirty. She fought to keep her meager breakfast down. The city of Dras-Leona itself only played a small part in that. The buildings were run down compared to what she'd seen in Feinster, Cithrí, and Furnost. Even though she and her partner stuck to the main roads, Weiss could smell the human excrement from the side alleys. There was even some of that gunk on the main road.

But those weren't the reasons Weiss felt sick to her stomach. She was willingly going to a slave auction to buy people. On one hand, she was buying their freedom, but she was still putting out money for them instead of walking over to them and cutting their chains. Her problem soldiers had a point, but that wouldn't help as many people in the long run.

The worst part was she had to act like she was enjoying this, even if it was a business manner. If asked, Weiss needed to say that there was a market in the southern cities, but they didn't have any auctions there. Mich, the wagon crews, and she were hired by wealthy families in Belatona and Feinster to bring 'help' from Dras-Leona. That probably could happen on a regular basis for all she knew.

Then there was the fact that Aaron's sister was somewhere in the city. Weiss knew her name, but not what she looked like. She wouldn't even be able to look for family resemblance. Viki Sarasdaughter. Would the auctioneers even say the people's names? Would Viki even know at this point?

Mich wasn't doing any better. Beforehand, he cursed up a storm about what they were doing. Now he wore a forced smile that Weiss could have sworn was real. Maybe that's why Blake chose him for the mission.

Eventually the pair found a large gathering of richly dressed people standing before a stage. A dozen people stood on it with chains around their feet and hands. Weiss and Mich joined the crowd and looked at the 'goods' for sale. There was no rhyme nor reason to who was up for sale. Man, woman, young, old, dark skinned, light skinned, they were all there.

Weiss listened around the crowd. Most of the conversations she heard sounded like things that people at her father's parties would say. They couldn't see outside their own little bubbles. They talked about people like they were possessions. Actually, attending one of her father's parties sounded appealing. At least those people spoke about Faunus like they weren't owned…for the most part.

A man in a blue suit stepped onto the stage. "Welcome, one and all!" he yelled. "We have a fine selection today. A fair mix of fresh and experienced. Of course, you get what you pay for." The crowd laughed, and Weiss forced herself to do the same. Inside, she was burning up.

The auctioneer pulled out an old fashioned scroll and started listing the starting prices on the people. Weiss looked in her purse and acted like she was counting how much money she and Mich had to spend. Of course, she already knew how much and how many people they could free at a time. They would free four that day, and four more once they returned from bringing the first batch to Belatona.

"Now, the part you have been waiting for," the auctioneer announced. He waved at one of the first people in line, a man that looked to be in his twenties. "Our first item today is a healthy male from the Spine, captured three weeks past. This one is as strong as an ox, and will work all day with little exhaustion." The man spit on the auctioneer, and received a hand to the face. "As you can see, this one still has some spirit left in him. It will have to be broken, but I don't deem that beyond most of you.

Weiss locked eyes with Mich. They both nodded. This was one of the ones they would free. Mich played his part in bidding for the man's life, not that it was tough. Only two others showed interest. Weiss handed Mich the necessary coins and he walked to the auctioneer to hand over the payment. He grabbed the man's chains and pulled him away. The man glared at Weiss as he passed. The heiress nodded at him. He looked confused for a second, then Mich pulled him forward again before handing him off to the wagon crew.

"Onto the next item." The auctioneer waved another person forward. Unlike the man before her, her shoulders were slumped and her eyes dead. She was younger as well, probably around sixteen or seventeen. "This one has been in the business for years. Her previous owners could no longer afford to keep her. They say she is not flawed, and will follow any instructions to the letter. She will make sure your home will always be clean and she is an 'amazing' cook. She also offers…other services to those who wish."

The crowd laughed again, but this time Weiss couldn't force herself to do the same. Is this how the Nevermores marketed Ruby and all those Faunus? She looked toward the center of the crowd. It would be so easy to summon a Deathstalker in the middle of all of them and have Nevermores and Griffons take them out from above. She could use the confusion to run up to the stage and break all their chains, even if she had to summon a Beowolf to do so.

Someone grabbed her left arm. Weiss snapped her head around to glare at Mich. He slowly shook his head. Weiss shifted her glare to the stage. The auctioneer was already calling bids…and Weiss and Mich would not be participating this round. Saying they were going for the spirited and young ones was one thing. Going through with it was another entirely. Weiss could only watch as a man in black clothes took the girl from the stage and out of sight. She felt her breakfast coming up again, but forced it back down.

Weiss and Mich rode out the rest of the auction, freeing a young brother and sister pair and a woman who tried to bite the auctioneer. They all loaded up onto the wagon and the Drivers started to bring the former slaves to freedom. No one tried to stop them. They were getting out unchallenged.

Just outside the city, Weiss noticed a large procession moving toward the odd black mountain in the distance. She could have sworn there were more people dressed in slave clothes with them. "Mich, you're from here, where are they going?"

Mich looked in that direction and scowled. "The reason I finally left Dras-Leona five years ago." Weiss looked at him, confused. "I'm sure you've noticed the cathedral in the city. For whatever reason, people here worship Helgrind. I can't tell you more about their religion. But five years ago, they formed this procession every week. They bring slaves with them to the mountain, but they never return. Probably killed out there." Mich shook his head. "I had enough problems with the new laws before. That drove me over the edge."

Weiss clenched her fists. "Understandable." She glared at the procession, then focused on the road ahead of her. Each step took her farther away from that hellhole. Her father would make better company than those people. Weiss made a mental note to further apologize to Blake and Velvet for her father's actions.

When Dras-Leona was nothing more than a speck on the horizon, Mich urged his and Weiss' shared horse off the road. The wagon followed as well. They proceeded off road for several minutes until they reached a rock formation large enough to hide Nalia. The rest of the Drivers were there and immediately converged on those from the city.

Weiss dismounted her horse and walked to the back of the full wagon. She pulled down the back gate and stared at the freed slaves. "We're moving you all to the other wagon."

None of them moved. The first man glared at Weiss. "What is this?"

"We're not bringing you to those bastards in Belatona and Feinster. You are no longer owned by anyone. Right now, you are all free to go whenever and wherever you want. If you have nowhere else to go, we will bring you to Surda. They are preparing accommodations for you as we speak."

Again, none of them moved. "How can we trust you?" the older woman growled. "You were there. You bought us."

Weiss turned to her partner. "Mich, your sword." Mich handed his weapon over, and Weiss offered it to the woman pommel first. "If you think I'm lying, strike me down."

The woman hesitated before grabbing the hilt and pulling. She sword slid out of its sheath. She looked at the weapon for a few seconds before facing Weiss again. "How long have you been doing this?"

"As far as we know, this is the first time the Varden has done this." Weiss let her shoulders slack. "We couldn't do anything before now."

"Why Surda?" the man asked. "My family is in Carvahall. They probably think I'm dead."

Weiss' heart sank a little. She hoped she wouldn't have to deal with this so soon. "Like I said. You are free to go whenever you want, but we can't afford escort you there. Once we get to Belatona, you can get a horse and ride back there yourself."

"What about mother?" the girl asked on the brink of tears. "She's still there." Her brother pulled her into a hug.

How does Ruby do this? Weiss tried to put on a genuine smile and placed a hand on the girl's leg. "We have others in the city right now. It's their job to get as many people out as possible." Weiss paused. "We also have plans to make it so no one can own anyone else. I don't know how long it will take for it to work, but we will free everyone in that city."

The girl nodded and clutched onto her brother. Weiss walked away and looked for her team's spellcaster. She found him adjusting something on the second wagon. The man looked up from his work toward Weiss. "I heard what you said to that girl. I'm not aware of any plans to take Dras-Leona."

"Because they haven't been approved by Brom or Deynor yet." Weiss took her powered down scroll out of her pocket. "I need to report to Blake."

The spellcaster took the scroll and stared at its black, reflective surface. "If we do this now, I won't have the energy to do so later."

"That's fine. She needs to know."

The spellcaster nodded and said some words that Weiss knew were part of that magical language. She still had trouble wrapping her head around magic at times. It made no scientific sense. Then again, magic wasn't bound by science.

After a few seconds, the screen of the scroll swirled, then showed what looked like the inside of a pocket. The spellcaster handed the scroll back to Weiss. "Blake. Blake, can you hear me?"

A hand appeared on the scroll shortly after. The scroll on the other side left the pocket and soon Blake's face filled the screen. "Sarah. You were supposed to call in later."

"I have good news, Blake. We have the first batch out of the city, and we will be on the road to Belatona shortly."

Blake's cat ears shot up. "That's good to hear. Do you have their information?"

"Mich and the others are taking care of that right now. It will all be in order by the time we reach Belatona."

"Were there any complications?"

Weiss grimaced. "Just being in the city. Honestly, I almost lost it a few times."

Blake slowly nodded. "I probably couldn't say the same. Is there anything else you ran into that we need to know?"

Weiss hesitated. "There's a group of slaves being taken out of Dras-Leona. Mich thinks they're some sort of sacrifice. What do we do?"

Blake stared at Weiss and it slowly turned into a glare. "We both know there's only one way I can answer that. Scout it out, and see if there's anything you can do. If you have the opportunity, free them. If not…don't compromise yourself. I don't want to tell Winter that you were killed in action."

"Don't worry about that." Weiss glanced at her spell caster. He was panting heavily. "I've got to go, Blake. I'll report in tomorrow night."

Blake nodded. "Be safe."

Weiss lowered her scroll and her spellcaster sighed in relief. "Get yourself something to eat. You've done enough for now." She turned back around and walked back to the group. She found Mich in the crowd and grabbed his arm. "I have new orders from Blake. We need someone to scout out that procession and figure out if we can help those people."

Mich nodded. "Who are you thinking about?"

Weiss paused and looked around. They needed some people to stay with those freed, but it could take just as many warriors to guard the people from the procession...Or maybe it wouldn't. The spellcaster would stay with this group and Weiss would go to that black mountain. If any force came to her and her convoy, she could introduce Alagaësia to Beowolves.

But she couldn't go out alone. Smart leaders would never go out without backup. Weiss needed at least one other person to cover her back. She searched for someone who would fit the bill. Eventually, her eyes settled on one man. She would probably hate it the whole time, but he could get people moving.

Weiss approached one of her problem soldiers. "Ralph, you're coming with me."

Ralph looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "And where are we going?"

"New orders from Farthen Dûr. We are to approach the procession that was leaving Dras-Leona and free anyone they have."

"Why me?" Ralph shrugged. "There are plenty of other people you haven't knocked to the ground."

"I thought you wanted to free as many people as possible as fast as possible. This is one way to do it without attracting too much attention."

Ralph grunted. "'Bout time you saw that."

"Mount up. We're leaving at once." Weiss approached the horse she rode from Tronjheim. Mich stood by it holding the reins. Weiss took them from her second in command. "You're in charge while I'm gone. If all goes well, we should be back by sunset." Weiss mounted the horse before Mich could protest. With a kick, she urged the horse forward and toward the black mountain in the distance. Her reluctant partner followed close behind her. If she remembered right, there was a small forest near the base of the mountain. She'd be able to hide in there.

For once, Weiss hoped there were a few guards near her target. Those monsters needed to be put in their place.

Now...That finale… Warning, spoilers…

Ruby, don't you dare. Stay away from that pen and paper. Don't you dare leave again. GOSH DANG IT RUBY!...Write it Ruby. Write like you've never written before. Sing with your written words! (Almost verbatim for things I thought/said)

Can it be Fall 2017 yet?