Thanks to TehGramerPolise and MasterofBones for their help with this chapter.

So once again I was following someone along the winding streets as Seydin took me through the city. He finally stopped right beside a large fountain and knocked on its side sharply with his staff. I smelled a whiff of powerful magic as he muttered under his breath.

One moment we were beside a fountain, the next we were simply standing in a large, dark room. I blinked in surprise as I realized I hadn't even felt us being teleported.

"Password?" Someone demanded from the darkness.

"Gazzlebaum." Seydin replied quickly.

The room lit up and I was surprised to see Count Arnau sitting at a round table, an empty chair across from him.

"Huh," He looked me up and down, "Brought home a stray Seydin?"

"He saw too much." Seydin replied, "Ended up following an unlucky Orgauhl that Tepes nabbed."

The Count let out a slight hiss, "An yrchalthan? Do we know how old?"

Seydin shrugged, "Couple centuries, give or take, it will make a formidable monstrosity, but by no means an Elder-thing."

"A what now?" I interrupted.

Seydin sat down in the empty chair and with a wave of his hand, another appeared beside him.

"You might as well sit." He told me, "This will by no means be a simple explanation."

I frowned, but did so, "Alright then, hit me."

"How much do you know of this city's official mission?" Seydin asked me.

"Gather up the baddest and meanest monsters then go take down the Jade Empress." I replied, "Give beings of mana a home that's permanently safe from the Filth."

Seydin nodded, "That is correct." He grimaced, "It also emphasizes that the best lies are those with a grain of truth."

He spread his hands, "You see, the City of Noradz is perfectly safe from the Filth. Considering you've been to the palace, I'm sure you've seen the Twin Temples of Blood."

"If you're referring to the two ziggurats with ritual sacrifice happening at the top then yeah, kinda hard to miss them." I answered.

Seydin nodded, "The fact of the matter is, those two are plenty to keep the Filth out indefinitely. They are of a magic deep and powerful, equal to that of some of the greatest enchantments I have ever encountered."

I folded my arms, "Alright, so I take it then that you think that the whole 'take down the Jade Empress' thing is legit?"

Seydin nodded, "Correct."

"So, if this place is safe from the Filth and the plan is to gather a huge army of monsters to take down the Jade Empress, then what's with Ashuna handing over a citizen to the Filth?" I asked.

"We believe that Ashuna serves the Filth." Count Arnau told me, "Along with several others of his higher echelon, Tepes included. They've been selecting individuals from amongst the Tribunes to hand over to create monstrosities to act as the vanguard for the army."

I scratched my chin, "And as soon as the Jade Empress goes down, they can turn them on all the other citizens."

"It goes further than that." Seydin told me, "Once they have taken Mistral, they can then seek to deactivate the measures keeping the Filth out."

A chill raced down my spine, "And then they can do the same thing here." I said quietly.

Seydin nodded, "Precisely, in one fell stroke, the Filth will have overrun all of Anima, mortal and beings of mana alike."

I leaned back in my chair and let out a long, slow breath, "You said that they pick their victims amongst the Tribunes." I nodded to Count Arnau, "That's why you were hunting me, isn't it? You were trying to knock me out of the tournament."

The elf gave a toothy grin, "Indeed, although we both know how that turned out."

"And you." I nodded to Seydin, "That's why you crush just enough contestants and then bug out; you've been trying to deprive them of victims."

The kobold sorcerer smiled slightly, "Yes, pardon me in saying so, but you were one of our more spectacular failures."

"So how have they been able to get away with this for so long?" I asked them, "Shouldn't there be more people noticing that Tribunes keep going missing?"

"It's the food." Seydin explained, "It begins at the feast, but all of the food here makes those who eat it forget the victims; and as you found out, it also helps with isolating the targets they select."

I thought about how my legs had been rebelling at following after the doomed green monster after the feast, damn, chalk another one up for healthy paranoia.

"So I'm guessing you didn't help me and fill me in just for the hell of it." I said to Seydin.

He nodded, "You would be correct, you see, the Count and myself have been arranging a little rebellion; mostly among those that we have prevented from becoming tribunes. Once they reach the rank of tribune itself, it often becomes too dangerous to interact with them directly, else we attract unwanted attention."

"Yet you're taking that risk with me." I pointed out.

Seydin chuckled, "Well, our hand was somewhat forced in regards to you. However, it is true we might have approached you even if events had not unfolded like they have. You were already one of the more promising new citizens even before you defeated the good Count here and took the rest of the tournament by storm."

Count Arnau cleared his throat, "That all being said. We now have some questions for you."

Something about the tension in the elf's arms and in his voice sent alarm bells ringing in my head and I shifted slightly, putting my hand close to Harbinger's hilt, "Yeah?"

"That was a pretty good trick with the ash wood." He said, and he leaned forward over the table, "Thing is, there are very few people who know about it; it's one of the most closely guarded secrets of the Fey."

"Furthermore," Seydin added, "The flames you use are very… unique." He peered at me closely, "While they appear to use your own energy and mana, they are not born of magic, but rather something far deeper… much more primal."

Oh shit… I did my best to keep my face as composed as possible. Had word of my return spread that fast? Then again, the two of them might have been able to put enough clues together on their own to be suspicious.

I had barely been able to survive Count Arnau, with Seydin as well, I would probably be dead in a minute if I fought them. That left running, but that was a bit of a wash too… maybe if I hit fast and hard enough I could buy enough time to find a way out?

First Seydin, then the Count… and I would have to hope that a night's sleep was the difference that would put things in my favor.

"Which means…" Seydin wrapped his hand tighter around his staff and I coiled up, getting ready to launch myself at him.

"That you are a Tengri High-Shaman, are you not?"

I blinked and then slumped back in my chair, damn it, if they really knew who I was then why the hell would they go through all this trouble in the first place?

I gave the two of them a wry grin, partly to set them at ease, but also to hide my relief, "What can I say? You got me." I told them dryly.

"I must say that it was quite ingenious." Seydin admitted, "Send in a High-Shaman disguised as a mortal fledgling, no one would bat an eyelash as you began to use more and more of your power."

He shrugged, "After all, they would simply interpret it as the abundance of mana drawing out their heritage." Then he peered at me closely, "But why have you come here?" He asked me, "What interest does the Roost have with Noradz?"

I hesitated for a moment, then, in a flash of inspiration, decided to take Seydin's words to heart… just a little bit of truth…

"We're after the Scepter of McCulloh." I replied.

The two of them looked at each other, then back to me, "For what purpose?" Seydin asked me.

I shrugged, "I wasn't told the details." I answered, "Just simply that I was to retrieve it."

"I see…" Seydin mused, "Well that does explain quite a bit."

"And it means that we can work together." Count Arnau put in, "After all, Seydin and I are mainly interested in deposing Ashuna and his ilk. Thereby ridding ourselves of Filth influence in the city. We care not for such artifacts."

"Well then." I stood up, "Consider this an agreement then, I'll work with you in your rebellion and I get the Scepter of McCulloh when all is said and done."

Seydin nodded, "That would be agreeable."

"So, you got a timing on when this is all gonna go down?" I asked them, "Time is- that is I was told that time was somewhat of the essence."

"Needless to say we're being cautious." Count Arnau replied, "But we're hoping that you joining us will help us recruit some beings who were on the fence."

I nodded at that, "Is there a way that we can contact each other?" I asked them.

Seydin reached into his pocket and handed me a small black stone, "Here, simply channel mana into it and it will reach me. Likewise, you will feel a sharp tingling if I wish to contact you and you have it on your person."

I took it and put it into my pocket, "Very well then, it was good speaking to you both."

Seydin stood up and turned to me, "Here, I shall return you to your domicile." He waved his hand and everything became a blur.

I blinked to find myself right outside of the mansion, the sun was just starting to rise over the horizon, bathing everything in a faint light. I let out a huge sigh, the tension flowing out of me in a rush, leaving me feeling drained.

Well that had just happened. I ran a hand through my hair, Ashuna being allied with the Filth changed everything. It wasn't enough to just grab the Scepter and get out; if they started their invasion, then thousands of humans and Faunus would die and the Filth would devour everything.

It would seem like an impossible task, but like always I had been given a chance, just a slim one in the form of Seydin and Count Arnau's planned coup.

The gate to the mansion opened and I looked up to see Kali there.

I waved, "Hey."

"Where the hell have you been?" She demanded.

"Uh…" I winced, "It got a little complicated."

"Yeah, I'll bet." She shot back, "You've heard the news? Apparently the whole city knows you've come back from that three-year journey to get a pack of cigarettes."

I winced, "Yeah, I know, I was there when it was announced." I walked through the open gate and back up to the house.

Kali fell in beside me and the two of us went inside, Kali walked over to one of the chairs and sat down, "Alright, so just how complicated did it get?"

I told her about the feast and what had happened afterwards.

When I was done, she grunted, "Well then… you weren't kidding." She folded her arms and frowned, "Do you have a timing for when they're going to be launching this coup of theirs?"

I shook my head, "Not really, no. They were kinda vague about that."

Kali sighed, "They're being cautious then… can't say that I blame them. If normal citizens get sacrificed to the Filth, I can't imagine what fate awaits for actual traitors."

Then she looked down at her feet and I got the feeling that she was screwing up her courage for something. "So… why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

I sighed, "You're talking about the multiple heart thing?"

"Yeah. That."

"Scale of one to ten… how bad of a sign is it?"

"Qrow… I think you're turning into a monstrosity."

I froze, and the silence was so complete that I could hear my hearts beating in my chest, "What?"

"Tengri don't have multiple hearts Qrow." She told me, "That and organ multiplication is a classic sign of the transformation."

I walked over to one of the other couches and sank down into it, "So I'm guessing the whole 'transformation not being permanent' thing is kinda out the window?"

Kali bit her lip, "Not necessarily, but you have to slow down on taking in mana. You keep taking in so much of it that it's starting to accumulate in your body… if that keeps up…"

"Yeah, I know…" I rubbed the back of my neck, "How far gone am I?"

"I don't think it's irreversible… yet. You haven't noticed any other transformations like that?"

I shook my head, "Not yet. No." I looked down at the back of my hands and the black feathers that sprouted along their length, getting thicker as they got to the arms, "Have you told Winter yet?" I asked her.

"No, I haven't." Kali replied, "I had just gotten back from gathering information about Tengri… didn't want to scare you unnecessarily. When Winter told me you hadn't come back and went out to look for you. We agreed to rendezvous back here not too long from now."

"Can you… not tell her?"

Kali lifted an eyebrow, "And just why in Kir'ala's name would I do that?" She demanded.

"I mean, you know how she is," I told her, "Considering what I'm going to have to do, I'm probably going to be going up to the very edge, if she thinks I'm about to turn then she wouldn't think twice about putting holes in me. I don't want to be watching my back for that."

Kali was silent for a moment then shook her head, "Qrow… that's bullshit."

I blinked, "Come again?"

She let out a sigh, "I said: 'that's bullshit'... and you know it."

I closed my eyes as I massaged the bridge of my nose with my finger and thumb, "Look, I know you've only seen us when we've been having to be all buddy-buddy at the Atlas base, but she's tried to kill me multiple times in the past. And by the way, it's not like I don't understand why she did so; one or two times, I might have even deserved it."

Kali let out a huff, "Just once or twice?"

I shrugged, "Okay, maybe like… three times."

She shook her head, "Maybe just for once, admit to yourself that you like being depended upon. To have people look to you to know what to do. That this is a gray area, something you don't know what to do about and you're scared of that."

I stared at her, "Where the hell did you get that from?" I asked her.

She let out a sigh, "I was there when we first met Jaune, remember?" She asked me, "When you first met him, I could tell that something about him annoyed the shit out of you. By the time we met up with you at the Carnival, I could tell you even admired him a little… and that you liked that he turned to you when no one knew what to do."

I scowled, "Alright, so he grew on me… big whoop."

She rolled her eyes, "Next, at the Carnival itself, everyone looked to you when Ironwood was throwing curveballs with the games. Especially the soldiers, whom might I add, probably tried to kill you several times at Winter's behest. If you were half the petty asshole that you pretend to be you would have just sat back and let Ironwood take them. Instead, you did your damndest to make sure they got out alive as well."

She shook her head, "Face it Qrow, there's a reason you've worked alone all this time. Whenever you team up with people, you care about them, so you lead them. When you do, people admire you for it and care about you back. Now you're worried that if Winter learns about you turning into a monstrosity that it will undermine that and you'll lose that."

I rolled my eyes, "Alright, so you've psycho-analyzed me… now do I get a lollipop as I tell you about my father?"

"You're a big boy, you want a lollipop, look in the pantry." Kali replied, "And trust me, in terms of daddy issues, I've got you beat, no contest."

"I mean, mine was a cultist." I told her.

She lifted an eyebrow, "Really? This is the first time you've mentioned that. What cult?"

I frowned, "You know, I can't actually remember." I shook my head, trying to clear it of the haze that had seemed to descend on my mind.

"You sure you aren't just making it up just to one up me?" She asked.

"So what if I am?" I asked, then shrugged and let out a chuckle, "But seriously, can you blame me for being paranoid about her, for me it's not that long ago that she absolutely despised me. You had to intervene so that she didn't put a knife in my neck for our trial."

Kali frowned, "With that fate seal? But that-"

Then she stopped and stared at me, her expression dumbfounded, "Wait a second. You mean to tell me you still think that seal was geared towards animosity?"

I shrugged, "Well yeah, when I asked you about it before you just laughed at me."

"Kir'ala's bones." She swore, "You are absolutely the most dense person I have ever met, I don't know whether to be mad at you or pity you."

I frowned, "I don't care, pick one, but tell me what the hell you're talking about first."

Kali rolled her eyes, "Qrow that seal-"

The door opened and closed and I looked up to see Winter walk in, "There you are." She said, "Where have you been?"

I told her about everything that had happened and Winter shook her head, "Ashuna is allied with the Filth… that changes quite a bit."

"Yeah, I know, but at least we'll have some help when we take him down." I replied, "Besides, with every single imp in the city being aware that I've returned, we've now got another reason to try and get this done fast."

"Agreed." Winter said, she tapped her chin thoughtfully, "So, the question is: what do we do now?"

"Well, I know what I'm going to do." I said as I stood up, "I'm going to get some well-deserved sleep; and then…" I rolled my shoulder, "I'm going to go get a drink."