Chapter 30 – Burnt Wings

Ruby

Night fell upon the Summit's Claim…

… and by the Gods was it beautiful. The moonlight glowed upon Ruby's face as she stared at the endless expanse of stars, freed from the pollution of all the cities that they had been to. Vacuo was not as bad as Mistral or Vale when it came down to the pollution issues of all those cars and factories pumping toxic fumes into Vale's atmosphere… but up here? The sky was alive, millions of stars rolled over their heads, and the Shattered Moon watched over them nonetheless.

That story… that the Moon was the eye of a god? And when it was blinded the world descended into chaos? Ruby knew it was not true, but even then it still fascinated her. She never knew why the moon was this way, if not for the astronomers and all their books, she'd simply believe that it was how all the moons of the planet looked. Like they were all partially annihilated by something extremely powerful – but the question was always the same.

Why? What happened to the Moon?

What could have possibly hit it so hard that it blew it to pieces?

Ruby listened to the songs that were sung by the blissful citizens of the Summit's Claim, singing to each other as they celebrate the return of Li Ren's son. It amazed Ruby to see how happy all these people were, even though in comparison to the world she came from… they would be considered homeless. Living it rough, having to put up with the dangerous Grimm and Climate up here – having to rebuild destroyed ruins from the Great War.

That War… it still shocked her when she read the stories about it, how many people died and how long it lasted. One thousand years of conflict, conflict that nearly destroyed the world. She did honestly wonder if the destruction of the moon was caused by the Great War somehow, all the books described the era of blood as being world ending. The scars of their past were visible all around them – the only one that was pretty and not a dark side of the world had to be the Summit's Claim.

The one place the War never reached, because people came here – no matter which Kingdom they hailed from, or even fought with – and they were accepted no matter what, so then they could have a fresh start. And even now, the same thing was happening. There was no war, it was still a time of peace… yet things never changed here.

The villagers' song was not all she could hear, but it was also the beautiful singing voices of the Altum Eagles that circled the Summit. Their huge feathered wings cut through the darkness, and landed upon the buildings, or with their masters.

Ruby looked out at the mesmerizing view, from up here the city of Mistral looked so small. Tiny in comparison to the huge mountains that Haven Academy and all those buildings were built. And all the many settlements were like dots across the area. That was the other side of the Summit's Claim that explained how it was still here, and untouched by the unstoppable force of society. They could see anything and everything from up here, any armies that marched their way up here to claim the land?

Well… if they didn't get stopped by the storms or the dangerous Grimm first? The Summit's Claim were hardly defenceless. They were some of the most skilled warriors, who learned how to use Aura in ways very few had learned. Ancient knowledge from an ancient past, just as Li Ren used his aura and bonded with Nicholas' Eagle – Harmony Gives Humble Mind. And so did Eryka with Dulcis, and Sashaa with Inbe. But that was not all they learned how to use.

Enhancing their senses so then they could move faster, have improved reaction times and aiming. And the biggest advantage of all? This was their home, and attacking a settlement on their own turf? The odds would always be against you, especially when they have the powerful Altum Eagles on their side, one of the few animals that could generate their own aura.

This place… it was perfect… beautiful. Ruby loved it here, with all her heart.

"Hey, Rubes." Yang softly said to her sister, Ruby looked up and saw Yang with her hands held on her hips with a bright smile. Her long golden hair dropped down towards her face, Ruby smiled at her.

"Hey, sis." She greeted.

"Boop." Yang cooed as she playfully dangled her hair into Ruby's face, tickling her. Ruby giggled as her soft hairs stroked against her nose and cheeks. Ruby sat forward as Yang walked next to her and she sat down, crossing her legs. "You okay? Been sat here for a while."

"Yeah… just wanted to… have a moment, y'know? Past few weeks have been pretty hectic… pretty rough. Just wanted to take it all in." Ruby said, looking back at the distance with a happy smile. "Where else am I gonna get a view like this?"

Yang chuckled. "I'm with you on that." Yang agreed, still holding her wooden cup of coffee. Steam trailed from the rim of her cup, the warmth generated from it was of great comfort in combatting the cold climate of the Mountain Summit. Yang and Ruby both stared at the horizon of Anima. In the distant mountains… they could see the very faint silhouettes of Nevermores flying through them and around the peaks. They were much lower down than the rest of the mountain peaks, it was clear that most of the larger Grimm could not survive this high up. The ones they saw when following the Claim's Path? That was still much lower down than the peak was here.

Perhaps it had something to do with the oxygen levels being lower due to the altitude or maybe the cold – hell maybe it was just because Grimm could not survive at this height. Which meant that was yet another reason behind why the Summit's Claim was one of the safest places to be, since the Grimm could not reach it. It was clear that the hardest thing to survive with all the way up here – was the climate and the altitude sickness.

Ruby would be lying if she claimed it was not affecting her, she had a splitting headache and sometimes felt quite sick. She looked at all these people who lived here, and it shocked her to see how well they had accustomed to this environment.

Guess it was time, adapting to it.

Yang looked at Ruby and she gently bumped her shoulder. "You remember that holiday we had? When we went with dad and Uncle Qrow to see the Cresta's Canyon?" Yang asked her curiously, Ruby raised a brow with curiosity.

"Yeah. Uncle Qrow's semblance made dad get sick from the altitude, didn't it?" Ruby asked, after knowing what his semblance was – well all they had to do was think back and do the math.

"Gods… never thought I could see dad throw up that much stuff." Yang laughed, and the memory made the two of them laugh.

"Uncle Qrow whispered in my ear – that was how I met your dad. It was raining oatmeal and he crashed into the floor right in front of me." Ruby recalled, they both giggled some more, imagining how disgusting that must have been.

"Well, I guess that's what Dad gets for eating Oats before Initiation." Yang agreed with a laugh, holding her cup of coffee close to her chest. Ruby groaned and she massaged the side of her head.

"You can tell, huh? How pale am I?" She asked.

"White as a sheet, sis." Yang answered with a grin, sliding over a bucket she found next to them. Ruby grabbed it and she final hurled, vomiting up her dinner into the bucket from her Altitude Sickness that she was suffering from. It felt like someone had pressed their hands against either side of her head and just squeezed, it pounded… but it was hardly unbearable for her.

"Ugh… aaaaaand, there goes my dinner." She groaned, and Yang giggled.

"Feast is still going, sis. C'mon, let's go back to the others. Before Nora eats everything, as Pyrrha said – wouldn't be the first time." Yang said, standing back up but she staggered a bit. Ruby looked up at Yang and she gasped.

"How much have you had?" She asked.

"Um… not enough? I'm still standing, aaaaaand I haven't started dancing in front of a bunch of people I don't know yet, singing dumb songs. I guess that's a good sign." Yang slurred with a grin, her eyes were glassy, at best she was tipsy, not drunk.

Ruby never agreed with the idea of alcohol, and neither did Yang really. She was not one for drinking a lot of the stuff, due to their Uncle's condition – however she was not one to be completely immune to its… charms. Ruby simply hated the taste of the stuff – Yang only drank on occasions like this. When there was a reason to, and having Ren back with his father? Seeing him so happy with Nora?

Well that was worth raising a glass to.

Yang held her hand out to Ruby with a smile. She would never ask her baby sister to drink if she didn't want to – she knew her sister well. Ruby took Yang's hand and the Blonde Brawler pulled her back up to her feet. They both walked back to the large table that was set up before the High Temple.

The Temple was stunning to behold, where the ancient Mistraalian Princes used to come to pray and guide people, long before the Great War. This place was one of the oldest locations left on Remnant, in fact. As they approached the dancing flames, they could smell the alluring scent of meat being cooked over fire. Meat from Mountain Ox that they farm in a small area they managed to build. They used everything from the Ox, their hide and fur was used in clothing and making their soft beds. The horns were used for their armour, the milk for food and nursing children if the mothers did not want to breast feed.

All the bones were used for armour against any attacks that could happen, even though they were rare – but it was always a precaution – just in case. The two sisters returned back to the feast, where everyone was at. Cinder was sat at the very end of the table, alone and drinking with Vernal. Looked like they had a challenge on their hands, seeing who would be left standing at the end of their contest.

Whereas Oscar was with some of the other young fellas, making sure that they were happy. It was surprising to see Oscar in such a different light, he was normally quite cold and they only saw what he was like with the Tribe. But here? He was so personable, playing tag with the kids, racing them around the place. Their laughter made Ruby smile as Oscar shot past the two of them, and they both approached the table. Nora turned and she grinned, holding a tankard of ale.

Nora and Yang by far had the strongest tolerance for Alcohol, must have been Nora's Norse Blood in her veins. "He-HEY!" Nora cheered with glee as she held her tankard over her head.

"Oh gods… not again. Nora nearly destroyed our house the last time she drank." Ruby groaned.

"Good thing she's outside then, huh?" Yang burped, ruffling her sister's head.

"Hey." Ruby groaned as she playfully pushed her hand from her head of hair. Ruby watched Yang return back to the feast, and there were people happily dancing round the fire. Arms interlinked together as they enjoyed themselves, whilst Qrow was stood off to the side by himself with his arms crossed. Valravn was the only individual that was not with them, and Ruby saw Li Ren approach him.

That was something to see… two very wise old men… staring off into the distance.

Li walked over to the much larger man, shrouded in armour, feathers and chimes. The musical pieces of metal gently clinked together as they stared out at the horizon. Li could hear him… the soft and rather unnerving song that he softly spoke. Words that he could not decipher, from a language long dead.

"Angeli ceciderunt maledictus

Arcum argenteum

Ignem extinctum.

Hoc propositum meum.

Mundus non valet salutaris,

Regni non patiatur,

Ut arbitror disputatum est."

"I have never heard this tongue before." Li Ren greeted as he approached, drawn by his deep voice. Valravn paused and he glanced over his shoulder at the approaching Summit's Mentor. He then looked back out at the vast landscape.

"It's a long forgotten one… from a time long past." Valravn answered, his voice was so harsh and deep, sounded as if it hurt to speak a single word. Li Ren held his hands upon his cane as he stood with him.

"You're a Branwen… yet you do not strike me to be related to Qrow or Raven Branwen in any way. The two of them… I do not agree with your ideologies but they have a code. Do you?" Li asked him curiously, and Valravn just stared at him. Li Ren may have been blind but he could read people like a book just by sensing their aura, he did not need to see his face to know that Valravn Branwen was a dangerous man… with a dangerous past.

And he knew – that just like him – his age did not weaken him either.

Valravn's eyes were… scarily like Jackdaw's… they were the only part of his face that could be seen. Just a pair of glowing red eyes, that were like burning coals behind the Raven Skull-Shaped Mask he had over his face, and the back of his head shrouded by a hood adorned with long black feathers. He seemed to mick each of the Branwen Children. He had the clothing similarity of Raven, with reds and blacks. Like Qrow he was wise, and had learned a lot from the perils of this world. And Jackdaw? The feathers on his sleeves, and the stilts his weak legs were stood upon, they were just like Jack's cybernetic arms.

And yet…

… something was so unnerving about their uncle. His semblance for starters… it was the only one that affected other people instead of just himself. Li could hear them, the many whispering voices that came from the Ravens and Crows that stayed with him every step of the way. Whispering his name endlessly.

"Valravn, Valravn, Valravn, Valravn."

It must drive him insane… but Li was so calm, even in the presence of him.

"I am but a shadow – formed from burning silver flames – flames of which must be extinguished." He softly spoke, and Li raised a brow.

"What do you intend, Valravn?" Li questioned, and he glanced at Ruby Rose who spoke with her friends. "You do not intend to murder her, do you?"

"Blood will flow, but this is not my wish. If not death, knowledge. The most powerful gift of them all, to learn from the past." Valravn spoke with words that normally would confuse people, wisely so too. That way he could commune with people he trusted in ways that anybody else would not understand – unless they were wordsmiths themselves – like Li Ren.

"You intend to convert her… don't you?" He questioned. Nicholas told me about the Silver Eyed Clan, a very long time ago. They were not evil but were not perfect and made mistakes… does he want Ruby to learn about the past of the Silver Eyed Warriors? So then he could use her?

I don't know what would be worse…

Li exhaled, he did not agree with Valravn at all.

"Tell me… do you know of the Fabled Valravn? The Oldest Creature of Grimm ever recorded?" Li inquired curiously, and Valravn glanced at him.

"I may have heard the tale." Valravn admitted, but Li Ren could not help but recount the story anyway.

"There have been different accounts behind it's origin… but all of them stemmed here in Anima. According to Ancient Mistraalian folklore recorded during the early years of the Great War, when a king or chieftain was killed in battle and not found and buried, ravens came and ate him. The ravens became Valravn. The Valravn that ate the king's heart gained human knowledge and could perform great malicious acts, could lead people astray, had superhuman powers, and were "terrible animals"."

"In another account, a Valravn is described as a peaceless soul in search of redemption that flies by night – but never by day – and can only free itself from its animal countenance by consuming the blood of a child. Other accounts describe Valravn as monsters that are half-wolf and half-raven. All of them are false though, more stories exaggerated by people to scare their children at night." Li scoffed.

"No… Valravn was simply a Grimm, but one we had never seen since. A Humanoid Grimm, one that had the wings of a Raven on its arms and long scythe shaped arms. It was always seen, wandering the battlefields during the Great War. Feasting on the corpses of countless men and women… and slowly bringing agony to the still living. Feasting on them slowly, so they would scream in pain." Li described and Valravn stared off into the distance. "The face of a Nevermore… and the legs of one. I remember seeing drawings of it… I was amazed when I heard that a Warrior managed to finally kill it." He said, looking at Valravn.

The mysterious man stared back at him and he just spoke these simple words. "Indeed." He said, before walking away from Li Ren. The Summit's Mentor watched Valravn walk away, he could not see his face… but he knew.

That man… there was more to him than met the eye.

Valravn walked past the table and his eyes glowed fiercely as he stared at Ruby, Yang watched Valravn was he walked past them, before he disappeared round the corner once again. He gave her the chills, but she shook it off and returned back to the festivities, seeing Li return back to the tables. Yang was sat with Ruby who spoke with Sashaa. She immediately clicked with the young woman, her hair was the first thing that drew Ruby to her. White and purple hair, and her beautiful Altum Eagle.

Inbe stood on the table and he was dancing, and by dancing he was simply swinging his head back and forth, bouncing up and down as he enjoyed the festival music around him. The much older, and bigger Altum Eagle – Harmony Brings Humble Mind – was still laid down on the snow, resting her head down, whilst Dulcis stood next to her, softly chirping at her. Amazed by her size, but also jealous since he was always so used to being bigger than every other eagle he had ever seen.

Eryka was here as well, with some bandages applied over her two lacerations underneath her shirt. She was healing well, and quite fast thanks to her aura. Yes it was thin but thanks to Winter's teachings, she had learned how to use her aura to heal wounds faster than before. And of course… because it was Eryka Vasillias, she could not resist but try some of their stronger stuff. She held two tankards of ale and she drank them over and over again, slumping down on the seat. "You already looking for an Apprentice, Sashaa?" Eryka slurred curiously.

"She loves Altum Eagles, I don't see why not." Sashaa shrugged her shoulders, and Eryka raised a brow.

"Is that all you want, honey?" She asked her curiously.

"Shut up, Eryka. You know I ain't interested in that kinda stuff." Sashaa scoffed as she blushed, crossing her arms, touching the faint burn scars across her cheek and neck.

"Yeah… not enough time for that, if you ask me." Ruby shrugged her shoulders, Yang grinned.

"That's my girl." Yang playfully giggled as she wrapped her arm around her sister and kissed the top of her head.

"YANG! STOP EMBARRASSING ME!" Ruby whinged, they both acted like a pair of cats, playfully fighting each other in front of the laughing crowd. Eryka shook her head, wincing as she rolled her shoulder. The injury she suffered from Icarus' attack still throbbed quite bad, just because it was healing that did not suddenly mean she was fine. Sashaa reached over and grabbed some of the meat and vegetables fro the feast, adding them to her plate whilst the sisters fought behind them, slapping each other's hands.

"So… I'm surprised to see you back here, Eryka." Sashaa admitted as she cut up some of the roasted Ox.

"Eh, couldn't keep me away forever." Eryka shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "What about you? Plan on moving on sometime? I see you have gotten used to your legs." Eryka said as she filled her plate up as well. She had one hell of an appetite.

Sashaa looked at the carbon fibre prosthetics, they were not shaped like human legs – they were designed for athletes, a simple curved flat footed peg that helped people sprint or simply stand. It gave her great speed in these environments – surprisingly. "Yeah… it took me a while though. Hell, you remember what I was like when you first saw me? Just this kid who lost her legs because of an old Great War Mine buried under the soil for years. Happened to get set off… nearly killed me." Sashaa sighed.

"Yep… one more thing the Government doesn't seem to give a damn about. They have the tech to search them out and destroy them. But no… that would be a waste of resources." Eryka put on a funny voice as she made fun of the Government for that. "I swear, if Killian was not such an asshole and a traitorous piece of crap? I'd probably side with him if his goal was to change the Government. But no… it's never that simple, is it?" She sighed.

"So that's why you're with them?" Sashaa inquired.

"Yup. That and Ruby and Yang have some pretty personal reasons behind it, the guy we're after? Jack the Ripper?" Sashaa nearly spat her drink out.

"Holy hell, that psycho is still alive?" She questioned.

"Uh-huh – he killed Ruby's Mom." Eryka told her, and Sashaa sighed, shaking her head as she looked back at the playful sisters who were wrestling each other – which ended in a sweet and loving hug in the snow as Yang started to tickle her.

"At least they got each other." Sashaa said, and Eryka smiled.

"Yeah… I just wish this whole thing didn't split their teams apart. Before we left, Killian showed up with that damn Vytal Consensus thing. Don't get me wrong, it's not the worst deal in the world… but I could never sign it. Not after what he did." Eryka stated with a sigh as she rubbed her gloved knuckles, still self-conscious over the scars.

"What did he do?" Sashaa asked.

"Used a kid with Paranoid Schizophrenia like a damn bomb, drew the Grimm to Beacon Academy so they could wipe them out. He then used our near-victory to his advantage and decided to save Vale… got the people on his side and against us because we were defending the school. Of all the things he is? That bastard is nothing if not a genius, he knows how to play people." Eryka explained, drinking more of the ale. "Just waiting on the moment he cracks though – he really tries to convince us into believing he is a good man… I actually think he believes it. And that's not good."

"How so?" Sashaa asked curiously.

"He makes himself out as the good guy… then does terrible things. How long do you think he'll be able to keep that up until he goes crazy?" Eryka asks out of curiosity. "I hate the bastard… but I'd rather him like this than a maniac. He has the Black Gallows, we were lucky in Vacuo, they weren't allowed to use their real weapons on us or their advanced skills because they had to take us alive. But I have heard stories of what they are capable of…" Eryka explained.

Sashaa's eyes widened as she decided to drink some more of her ale. "Damn… sounds like it's been quite exciting for you then, huh?"

"Just a bit." Eryka replied with a laugh.

"I still remember when you came here. It was after you left the Branwen Tribe." She said with a smile, sitting forward and crossing her arms.

"Yep… you were still recovering then." Eryka remembered. Sashaa was the same age as Ruby, nineteen years old – she was only fifteen when she lost her legs because of that Anti-Tank mine. The same age Ruby was when she first started this journey at Beacon Academy. "There I was… scarred and beaten, broken and angry." She touched the side of her neck where she had the Branwen Tribe tattoo, where the Raven and the Crow were both flying. "And Li still took me in."

"How long was it until you knew that boy was his son?" Sashaa asked curiously.

"I thought he looked familiar – but it was when I saw his knife on our way here, actually. Never really knew for sure if they were related, yeah they had similar stories, both came from Kuroyuri… but that was what sold it for me." She admitted and Sashaa smiled as she saw Ren and Nora together, whilst Raven was sharpening Omen on a bench with her Whetstone.

"You've come a long way. You and Dulcis, he wasn't an easy baby, was he?" She asked.

"Gods no. Fattest eagle I've ever seen." She said, and Dulcis landed in between them, squeaking softly as he nuzzled his head against her cheek. "Hey there, yeah I'm talking about you. Always making me feed you aren't ya?" She stroked his neck affectionately as he sat on her lap. Inbe walked back to Sashaa and did the same, falling asleep in her arms. It was incredible, nearly every Bird of Prey never showed affection to their owners. It was more of a deal for them, they were loyal because they knew they would be fed if they helped them. But Altum Eagles? They show genuine love for the people that raise them.

Which also shows how much trust must have been forged between Li and Harmony Gives Humble Mind, considering the fact that he did not raise her. Yet they were still inseparable. "I think he was the reason I managed to calm down though… the fights, the Tribe? None of it helped my anger… I didn't wanna be around Neptune because of it. Hated the idea of becoming like Mom." She said, shuddering as she even pictured Lavinia's face.

"Having an animal like this? It's like having a kid… I dunno if I would ever be a mom, but… I love Inbe." She said as she gently kissed the top of her feathery head. "I was depressed… in a dark place for a while before Li gave me her egg. I tended to her, wanted to make sure she came out, and when she did… I never wanted anything to happen to her. That was when Li asked me if I wanted to be a cripple for the rest of my life. So… I accepted his offer, and I took these legs… and vowed to train her. She's a good girl, aren't you little Inbe?" She asked as she tickled under her neck.

Dulcis looked at Inbe and she looked at him curiously. "Ooh… got a crush there, Dulcis?" She asked him, and he nervously hid behind his wings, and Inbe tilted her head curiously.

"Aw he's shy." She giggled, but as they both spoke, they heard the all too familiar voice of Shay, yelling at someone. Ruby and Yang stopped playing and they turned, seeing Shay pointing a knife at one of the Grunts.

"You think you can steal my stuff? Huh?" He growled as he walked towards the Bandit – named Traynor, the one that he and the other Grunt called Flynt carved the face of.

"I-I swear, I didn't take anything!" Traynor begged as he backed up, and Eryka stood back up, her hand close to Constantine Damascus on her back.

"Oh yeah? Then what the hell happened to the three bullets that have gone missing?" He asked him curiously as he pressed the knife up to his eye. "Maybe I didn't teach you enough, huh? How about I carve up the other side of your face? At least then you won't be a two faced liar!" Shay barked with anger, until he heard the sound of electricity course through a weapon behind Traynor.

Nora glared at him with crackling pink energy around her body, then he felt the green pistol push against the back of his head, belonging to Ren. "You need to calm down." Ren commanded, and Shay chuckled, turning to face the young man.

"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do, boy? Gonna shoot me?" He asked him, placing the tip of his blade against Ren's chest, slowly pushing him back. But Ren's stare did not change, he just stared into his eyes. He smelt him, and he reeked of booze, he was drunk as a skunk.

"You've had enough to drink, sit down." Ren ordered.

"Or what, kid? You gonna shoot me?" He yelled at him with rage. "That piece of crap stole my ammo from me! If he doesn't give it back, then I will have my fun with him." He stared at Raven. "Ain't that how it works, boss?"

Raven glared at him and then Shay scoffed, the feast fell silent as everyone stared at him. Ruby and Yang were both stood tall, ready to intervene if he tried anything. "I'm going to ask you one more time – sit down." Ren ordered, and Shay stared at the barrel of Stormflower, then back at Ren.

"You think you're some kinda special, huh?" Shay asked him. "This whole party, thrown for you. How long do you think it will take them to save you if I decide to just cut your throat open?" He asked him as he grabbed Ren by the back of his head and thrusted the blade towards his throat. But his aura protected him, and Ren just stared at him, and pressed his other hand against the side of his head.

His body turned black and white and he gasped, as Ren calmed him down, bringing him down to one knee. Shay dropped the knife after Ren used his semblance and he walked around the killer. "You think you can trust your old man, boy?" He asked curiously.

"That's enough." Ren told him.

"He's a killer… just like me. You can judge me all you want… I'm an asshole, I know that. But believe me… you're daddy ain't a good man. Just wait… and you'll understand. That's the thing here – nothing's a secret. Not even your past." He said with a grin, before he thrusted himself back up and shoved past Ren, walking to the edge of the summit and sitting down. Ren looked at him and his eyes danced around. The Feast continued, but he looked at his Father who stood there, and he returned back to his tent.

He is hiding something…

… something about Icarus. I need to know what happened between them, why Icarus came for him and destroyed our home.

Why did he lead the Nuckelavee there so it could kill mom?

I need to know the truth.

Ruby watched as Ren followed his father, she looked at him and she sighed. Then she walked away from the festivities. "Ruby? Are you okay?" Yang asked.

"Yeah – just want a second. You know I don't like parties." She said as she walked away, Yang sighed and closed her eyes before she returned to the table with Eryka and Qrow. Ruby walked past the different Yurts and she found a quiet place. She looked at her hands and back at the dark horizon of Anima.

"No matter what happens… I always still hear the yelling when it comes." An old lady said, Ruby gasped and turned, seeing an old woman sat behind her inside of her Yurt.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I didn't know you were here." Ruby apologised, standing up to find somewhere else.

"Oh sit down, for pete's sake. I never said you were not welcome… especially not someone who is like me." The woman said with a smile on her face, her large glowing blue prosthetic eyes blinked as she spoke.

"Like… me?" Ruby asked with confusion.

"Your eyes… surely you knew you were not the only one with Silver Eyes, right?" She asked and Ruby's eyes widened with disbelief, the silver irises shimmered with awe.

"Who… are you?" Ruby inquired.

"My name – is Maria Calavera." She introduced, walking out from her Yurt and into the moonlight.

"And you?" Maria inquired.

"Oh – I'm sorry, I'm Ruby Rose." She introduced.

"What a lovely name. Which side? The Rose Family? Was that your Mother or Father?" Maria asked curiously.

"My… my mom…" Ruby sadly said, Maria was wise and she knew sadness when she saw it.

"I am sorry, sweetheart." She apologised as she emerged.

Maria was an elderly woman with dark skin and long silver hair, which she wore in a single braid down her back. She was of small stature and appeared to be hunched over, requiring the use of a walking stick.

She wore a full-length dress, consisting of a dark blue top with full sleeves and skirt comprised of alternating light and dark blue layers. In addition to her dress, she was clad in thick brown gloves and a heavy blue cloak trimmed at the edges with a pattern of white, hollow triangles on a light blue background. A similar white and blue trim was around the neck of the cloak. The cloak was secured to her shoulders with ornate white pauldrons.

Her silver eyes were gone, however. She had a large prosthetic replacing it, much like most of the people here – she had some form of prosthesis or scar. The prosthesis was dark grey with cyan coloured lenses, each of which is equipped with a set of adjustable shutters capable of mimicking natural expressions. Four rectangular cyan lights created a partial ring on the outer bottom edge of the eyes, while a single cyan nodule on the top outer edge overlapped slightly with each lens. Two small antennae protruded vertically from the upper left side of the prosthesis.

Additionally, Maria carried a walking stick comprised of a natural wooden shaft terminating in a smooth, narrow section and metal foot with a purple band around its middle. Her walking stick was topped by an ornate blue skull connected by means of a thick metal band with a purple ring at its centre. On the front of the connecting band was a large, blunt protrusion located directly below the skull's mouth.

Ruby had never seen an Old Lady like her before, she was unique, but by far the most interesting part about her… was not just her name… but her eyes. "Wait… are you THE Maria Calavera?"

"You've heard of me?" She asked, sitting down next to Ruby as she returned to where she was, both of them looked out at the beauty of Anima.

"Yeah! My Uncle Qrow… he always talked about you, he based his weapon off yours and wanted to be just like you. He said you were known as the Grimm Reaper, and for a while you never said your name… until…"

"Until I decided to settle down and have a family with my husband… who regrettably are all gone now." She said with a sad sigh, and Ruby's face changed from excitement to sadness. She looked down at the floor, grieving for the woman.

"Oh… I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be, you didn't take them from me. You can blame that on the Black Gallows, and the leader who lead before the one who controls it now." She revealed, Ruby's eyes widened.

"What? Why?" She asked with fear.

"I don't know… my husband was a loving man, best man I ever knew. He was no Warrior like me, just a man I met one day at a bar. He owned the place… and we fell in love… had three children… all of which had Silver Eyes." She explained, but Ruby was still baffled.

"I… I don't understand… why did they come for you?" She asked.

"Like I said, sweetheart. I do not know, they asked no questions. They bombed my home… and they killed them all right in front of me. Shot my children… cut my husband's throat… and sliced open my eyes. I only escaped because they burned my home down… with the bodies of my family inside." She said with a sigh. She looked back at her Yurt and she looked back at Ruby.

Ruby looked in there… and she saw the pictures… and the two old Scythes that she used. "It was all I could save, to remember them by." She told her.

"I'm so sorry."

"Gods, you apologise a lot for things you don't do, don't you."

"I'm sorry, I – oh… ha… sorry… DAMN IT!" Ruby squeaked, making Maria laugh. Ruby smiled at the Grimm Reaper as she sat forward.

"If it weren't for Nicholas Schnee finding me out there… well I would have died. He did what he could for my eyes but they would never work again. Not without this." Maria said as she tapped her Prosthetic Eyes. "I was broken for a long time, but he and Li helped me find a new path. I never wanted a new family – I had my time, but I wanted to help others."

"It's what Huntresses do." Ruby said with a smile, and Maria softly chuckled, nodding her head.

"It's what we should do. Not all do though." Maria said as she held her little model she had been working on. "Like the people you're with, the Branwens?"

Ruby looked at her and she looked back at the land. "Your Uncle Qrow… I know who he is… he is Qrow Branwen, and his sister is Raven Branwen… and their Uncle… is Valravn Branwen, aren't they?" She asked her, looking at Ruby Rose.

Ruby nodded her head. "I thought so. Tell me, what do you know of the Branwens… and the Silver Eyed Tribe?" Maria inquired, Ruby raised a brow.

"Um… I know about the Warriors, and my Uncle mentioned something about a Tribe of people with Silver Eyes… but…" Ruby stammered.

"I guessed it – he has never told you, has he? The dark past between the two families?" Maria asked her, this was news to Ruby. News she was definitely not expecting at all. "Would you like to hear it? Quite the gripping tale."

"Yes please, Miss Calavera." Ruby politely said, Maria could not help but find this girl adorable. She was literally the embodiment of purity.

"Well… during the Great War – there were two factions that split off from the Kingdoms. The Branwens turned away from the Atlesian Pagans, and they descended down into Anima, whilst the those with Silver Eyes were already living out here… in fact… they were the people who lived here, a very long time ago." She explained.

"This was a home for the Silver Eyed Warriors?" Ruby inquired.

"Indeed – but as the war progressed these warriors wanted to protect countless towns from the Grimm. All that negativity in the air? People were dying every day, they wanted to save people… but the Branwens had their own methods. They fed off these innocents, they attacked them and robbed them. They were simply common bandits." Maria explained to Ruby. "However… they were not pure evil. The people that they robbed and killed? The truth was that they really were left no other choice. The first town? They asked if the people there would allow them to live there. The people shunned them, due to their past affiliation with the Pagans up north."

Ruby continued to listen to the tale, she was learning so much.

"The Silver Eyed Warriors however? They did not care for such morality issues, they hunted the Branwens down… and they killed a lot of them. In an attempt to try and stop them from killing anymore people, they used the burning power of their eyes to scare them off. But the Branwens were strong, and had Pagan Blood in their veins – thus they decided to attack again. This lead to a full scale war between the two factions – a war that nearly wiped both bloodlines out."

"When the Great War ended? Well the Branwens only had one Bloodline left, and that was the one you see today, the one your Uncle and Raven Branwen are a part of. The Bloodline that was – allegedly – deemed to be cursed by the Silver Eyed Warriors. Cursed with abilities that would bring harm everywhere they go."

Uncle Qrow has a Bad Luck Charm…

Jackdaw's semblance brings him good fortune and takes it all away from him…

Raven has Good Fortune but is cowardly…

… and Valravn? He has those whispering voices…

"What happened afterwards?" Ruby asked.

"More than one bloodline from the Silver Eyed Warriors survived, there were approximately six of them still out there, and our bloodline was deemed as the dominant one. For example, my husband had blue eyes. When we had our three children all of them had my eyes, because my genes were dominant due to my bloodline. The same will be for you too." She said to Ruby.

If I ever have babies…

"But… the Branwen Bloodline never forgot about this dark past – I do not know everything that happened here, but I know that the Branwen Tribe did something. Something terrible, I remember returning to this… Silver Eyed Orphanage… and all the children there were massacred in their sleep. Their throats were slit ear to ear…" Maria explained, she then turned and saw Valravn stood looking out at the distance, alone.

They both stared at him.

"Nobody saw who the killer was… but whoever it was they had a real motivation to kill them for their eyes." Maria explained. "If you ever wish to learn about your eyes, Ruby Rose, to learn how to master them? I will happily teach you if you choose to return here." Maria assured, but then she looked back at Valravn.

"But please heed what I say – do not trust him. I do not know the full truth… but he has done something. I believe he may have had something to do with it. Your Uncle and Raven Branwen wouldn't have done so, they are better than him. But… Valravn seems to have more Pagan in him than they do. And believe me… from the tales I heard? The old Tribe became monstrous in their war against our blood. Do not think he will not finish the job." Maria warned.

The Old Lady stood back up and she returned to her tent.

"Ruby! Come on, I've saved you some food!" Yang called.

Ruby heard her, but her eyes were glued on Valravn Branwen who turned and stared straight into her Silver Eyes.

And she could hear them… endlessly whispering.

"Valravn… Valravn… Valravn…"

Ren

I need to know the truth…

Ren followed his father up the stairs into the High Temple, and he walked through the huge doors that were left open. He walked inside and his eyes widened at the beauty of this place, he saw how huge the pillars were. Adorned with reds and blues, ancient markings from a time long past. Inside of the warm orange hue of this building, was Li, knelt before his old Bow, with the only picture he had left of An and Lie back in Kuroyuri. He bowed his head with his blindfold taken off, and the deep scars were carved over where his eyes once were, after the Nuckelavee slashed him across the face.

He knew Ren had followed him here. "Do you know what this building is, Lie?" Li inquired, Ren looked around at the place in curiosity.

"No…" Ren answered.

"The High Temple – it was where the Ancient Monks of Mistral came to pray, back when there were many Kings and Queens. The Silver Eyed Ones lived here too, maintained it with their strength and determination." Li explained, and Ren looked back at his father. "Now very few come in here… it was just left behind, for time to claim." Li said as he stood back up, and faced his son.

It still shocked Ren to see those scars – hell it shocked him to see his father was actually alive. But it was time for him to know the truth. "What happened? What did you do to him, to Icarus? Why did he come to Kuroyuri and destroy it all?" He questioned, and Li sighed.

"I… had hoped we could have more time." Li said.

"Father! Please… Just tell me. I do not want to learn the truth through a man like Shay." Ren said with desperation in his voice. "Why… why did he kill my mom?" She whimpered.

"The Nuckelavee was what killed your mother, that is the truth. But the thing that brought it – was indeed Icarus, the same man that you fought on your way here. The truth… about what I was… it is not a gentle tale."

"I have not lived a gentle life, with the Grimm wandering Remnant none of us have." Ren stated.

"I know… but the things I did, son…" Li's voice broke as he tried to admit the things he did. He then looked back at his grown up son… and he gave in… and agreed to tell him. "I told you I was a Fallen Angel – and that I was paid by bad people to carry out dirty jobs. I shook people down, beat people into submission… assassinated trouble-makers."

Ren listened to what his father had to say.

"I wanted out of it, I had stained my hands with too much blood for me to bare, so… I agreed with my wife and promised her that the job I had lined up would be… my last job. So we could start a family together in Kuroyuri." Li explained, walking over Ren. "She was pregnant with… you… at the time."

Ren looked at the floor, it still broke his heart to know his mother was pregnant when she died – and that he could have had a brother or sister. "But my final contract… became my final sin. I was paid by none other than the Vasillias Cartel, and Lavinia was a few years older than you when this happened. She ordered me to track down someone who had dangerous intel on her operations – and I was sent to kill him. She did not care how, she wanted me to burn the house down anyway." Li explained to Ren as he walked around him, his son listened to his words… and could hear the grief in his voice.

"I never liked killing people, I never enjoyed any of it. But I had the skills and it paid me good money – so I did it. I travelled to his home, it was a beautiful estate, and I found out what the biggest reason was behind Lavinia's Urgency. The Man's Girlfriend was an Operative of Lavinia's, and she fell in love with him. The Target was a policeman, and she was desperate to get out of this life of crime – she was a beautiful young woman." Li explained with sadness in his eyes.

"And… the main reason behind her hiding with him? And him trying to tear Lavinia down? Was because they had a child together – a boy – and they wanted to live a life knowing that they were safe. But Lavinia did not care for such trivialities."

"I had my orders – and I fought them both. The Woman came at me with a knife, and I drove the blade into her heart, she died fast, but the father of the child managed to hit me a few times. I used my bow and I fired it at him… that was when I made my fatal mistake."

Li was reliving it, reliving the whole place – the sapphire blue lake that their home was built upon, the amount of blood that spilled from her chest after he murdered her… and the arrow. "What happened?" Ren asked with fear in his eyes.

"I missed…" Li said. "I never missed, but I did – and the arrow hit the Boiler tank behind him. The spark was enough to set it off, and the entire house exploded. The Boiler erupted and set off the gas line, it nearly killed me as well. The Father was in the heart of it, and the house collapsed into the lake that ran out from the river, headed downstream and into the wilds." Li explained, still able to see the father screaming out to his son, reaching out to him.

Ren had not forgotten that detail – that his son was there. "And the child?" Ren stammered, and Li looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"I… left him." He answered.

Li closed his eyes, and he saw it all again. The crying child, blown away from the house, as pieces of burning metal blew into his jaw, and ripped it from his face, blood everywhere, and throwing him into the water. "His jaw was severely damaged, pretty much severed from his body… I went searching for the boy, to try and help him. But I never found him, the blood trail stopped… and I assumed he was dead. But someone found him… someone who had a very strong mind for cybernetics and technology – and saved the child from the brink of death… and turned him into what I was… a Fallen Angel."

Ren's eyes were wide with shock from this revelation, that was why Icarus hated his father so much, and went berserk at the mere sight of Ren. It was because of what happened, because Li murdered his mother and father, and caused the explosion that blew off his jaw. "I destroyed a family… so then I could create one… for myself." Li could barely make it through that statement, nearly crying as he remembered that cold hard truth of what he did.

Li wiped the tears from his eyes. "Icarus must have watched me for a long time, and whoever saved him taught him how to fight and gave him those wings alongside that jaw. Whoever that person was? They have some impressive resources to save a boy who should have died. He lured the Nuckelavee and the Grimm to Kuroyuri… and destroyed it… so he could take everything from me. And he nearly did." Li explained, looking at his son, he reached out and caressed his cheek.

"His name may be Icarus… but he was not the one who flew too close to the sun. I am the Fallen Angel with the Burnt Wings… because I truly believed that in time I would be able to get away from my sins without punishment. What happened at Kuroyuri? It was my fault… your mother? She died… because I flew too close to the sun." Li told him.

Ren looked at his father – and what he did surprised Li more than anything. He hugged him, wrapped his arms around his father so tight that he felt like he was locked in the position forever, he held his son close, feeling his alive body in his arms.

"It wasn't your fault…" Ren told him with a crying voice. "Icarus was the one that couldn't move on… I am not saying that you were in the right because you were not. But do not blame yourself…"

What am I saying? Am I saying this just so he can feel better? I really don't know… I mean… I guess it was his fault in a way… but he was not the one who brought the Nuckelavee there… he did not murder my mom.

He did not destroy the town.

What he did was wrong, there is no arguing that fact… but I cannot see my dad crying like this.

He held his dad close, and Li broke, and he cried into his son's shoulder, holding him tight as they both stood there.

"It is… my son… because if not for my actions… that boy would not have become a monster." He told Ren.

Ren held his dad, and he stared at the bow, closing his eyes and he sighed.

He had the truth – but he did not know how to feel about it.

Does one's past mistakes define them… or can they atone for them?

Ren believed in the latter – because that was what separated his father from people like Jackdaw Branwen. But he still wondered nonetheless…

Who was really to blame for Kuroyuri's Destruction?

My Father?

Or Icarus?

Jaune

Darkness…

Smoke…

And fire.

That was all Jaune could see, he stood in the ruins of Beacon Academy, and all he saw was blood all around him. Thick black smoke that red eyes stared at him from, deep growls and whispers echoed in his mind. "Fallen Knight! Liar! Betrayer!" The voices all yelled, and they all had familiar voices.

At first he heard the ones he cared the most for: Pyrrha Nikos, Ruby Rose, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xiao Long, Sun Wukong! All of them were screaming at him, they all sounded like they were all in agony.

Then more voices appeared.

Scarlet David, Sage Ayana, Neptune Vasillias, Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark.

There were so many now, all of the above and even more. Qrow Branwen, Killian, Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood and countless more all yelling the same thing at him.

He turned and his eyes widened at what he saw stood by the Fountain in the Courtyard of Beacon Academy. Blood was shooting out from it instead of water, and the Huntsmen were crumbling, only the Grimm remained. And stood in front of it was a dark shadow with burning eyes, staring at him with a sinister smile… eyes that were flames that turned deep purple.

"You… must… all… kneel!" Salem yelled, her face appeared for a single second, eyes burning red with fury.

Jaune gasped, sitting upright in a cold sweat, completely unaware of the creature that was staring at him, felt like he was being choked by something. He looked at the sofa and saw the creature was gone, and he touched his neck… feeling a hot pain like something had him by the neck. Long nails dug into his neck, and he looked out the window – it was still night time and the storm had calmed into a gentle sprinkling of snow.

He pressed his hand against his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Pyrrha softly moaned as she sat up, and she wrapped her arms around him, softly kissing his neck. "Hey… are you okay?" Pyrrha asked with concern as she stroked his sweaty blonde hair.

"Just… a nightmare." He stammered, as the entities watched him from the shadows.

Something was here…

… something terrible.

Author Note - Da Creeps be Creepin...

God I love writing chapters like these, ones filled with character development, worldbuilding and backstory. We got to meet Maria Calavera, and learn of her quite sad history. It also shows the Black Gallows have been dangerous long before Killian started leading them. Which begs the real question - How long have the Black Gallows been working for Salem?

Valravn... he may be one of my favourite characters... I have written. He is seriously up there with Vir Nominis Umbra, he is so mysterious and unnerving yet so wise. And of course I adore his design. We got to learn of his backstory too and the Myth of Valravn (based off actual folklore by the way XD). We also learned about the history between the Silver Eyed Warriors and the Branwens... a damn intriguing one too, really had fun coming up with that.

And of course... the truth about Li and Icarus. Who do you think is truly to blame for what happened at Kuroyuri? Li or Icarus? Both are to blame in different ways if you ask me, but it was still fun to play around with it. Loved the idea of that backstory too, if you are an avid reader of mine then you know I love making characters who are Morally Grey.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, follow and favourite!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

- Matt