Chapter Six: A Maiden's Reveal
A Bar in Mistral
Pyrrha stepped over the bodies. The two gunmen, who'd been unable to stop her turning their guns on each other. The first men she'd killed deliberately. She ignored them as she strode towards the entrance.
She locked the door with a flash of her semblance, and flicked the entrance lights off. The tinted windows would prevent anyone from getting a good look inside, and appearing closed would prevent any would-be customers from coming in. The previous clients – none of whom had got a good look at her face – had cleared out before trouble started and would doubtless stay clear for the time being. Someone was bound to come by eventually, but this brought her a little time.
She turned back towards the bar, back towards the four corpses she'd left on the floor and the one man still living. He stared at her in terror as he lay against the wall, bleeding from both shoulders, one still pierced by the dagger embedded in his flesh. She gestured, and he cried out as the dagger was yanked out and flew back to her hand.
"You haven't answered my question," she said coldly, walking slowly towards him. "Cinder Fall? The human witch you worked with in Vale…"
"I… I don't know anything! I never spoke to her!" he gasped. "None of us did!"
"Someone did," she pointed out. "The White Fang were following her orders. She had to speak to someone."
"We were following Adam's orders!"
"So she spoke to Adam. Adam…?" she asked. A hint of defiance re-entered his eyes. She answered by opening her palm again, allowing flame to dance across it once more.
His gaze faltered. "Adam Taurus," he breathed.
Taurus? It was logical. She'd heard he'd been involved in the attack on Beacon. An infamous terrorist, and senior figure in the White Fang. It'd make sense that Cinder would work with him; from the cruel condescension Pyrrha saw in the woman, she hardly seemed the sort to consort with lackeys if she could help it.
"And where I can I find Adam Taurus?" she asked, as she leaned in closely.
"I don't know!" he pled.
"You must have some way of contacting him?"
"He's… he's not in the city right now. I don't hear from him directly, only through the lieutenant." He paused and she gazed right at him. He glanced at her and flinched, before hurrying to continue. "The Lieutenant and others – veterans of Vale – they're holed up in a warehouse, waiting for Adam's next move. The Shiroi Logistics warehouse, on the second level on the South Peak."
It was something. She doubted this man – a mid-level funky at best – could tell her much more. But if this 'Lieutenant' had a direct route to Adam Taurus, then he was one more step in the chain. A chain that would run through Adam which in turn – if she was right – would lead to Fall herself. Especially if Adam's 'next move' had anything to do with Cinder's own plans in Mistral.
She looked down at her captive in contemplation.
"Please, I don't know much more," her captive begged. "I deal with business here now."
She felt her dagger in her hand. This man was involved in the fall of Beacon. Innocent blood was doubtless on his hands. She remembered his line about her having lost Jaune, as if it were a simple accident, as if she'd mislaid him, rather than watched him be murdered. She felt fire within burning at her. Yet she hesitated. The gunmen, the thug, the bartender; their deaths had been in the heat of battle. His wouldn't be.
"Please," he continued, "I won't say it was you."
Of course, he'd seen her face.
She struck. His body tipped to the side.
No witnesses.
At least, not until it was time for her enemies to know her true face. When it became necessary.
She wiped the blade on his clothes. It wasn't innocent blood, at least. Sheathing the dagger back up her sleeve, she felt into his jacket and checked his pockets, finding a wallet and a Scroll. She riffled through the wallet and kept the Lien; she had no problem putting White Fang funds to a better use. She briefly opened the Scroll to check it was working. A brief check of its data suggested it might contain useful information, so she closed it and stowed it away. She wouldn't keep it – that could be risky – but she'd examine it more closely elsewhere. Her time was running out; sooner or later someone – possibly even a White Fang enforcer – would check on the bar. Time to leave.
She stood and strode behind the bar to check the door behind it. A brief look confirmed the room beyond led to the rear exit she'd observed earlier. Now to put the fire-escape to its appointed use.
She looked behind the bar, looking for the most alcoholic drinks. A Six Swans label indicated some bottles of Atlesian vodka, and beside them some Mistrali brandy. Taking the bottles, she threw them around the bar, making sure to throw some near the bodies she'd left lying on the floor. As the broken bottles spilled their pungent contents onto the ground, she retreated towards the back door, throwing a last bottle to smash behind the bar. Spirits seeped on the ground and furniture, as she prepared to clean up this mess, and send a message.
She doubted White Fang sympathisers would call the Mistral police force. But a burning building might cause them some difficulty.
Conjuring flames in her hand once more, she sent them jetting out into the room. It was a small flame as yet, hardly matching the one within. But between the fumes and the wooden furniture it served its purpose. Here and there the furniture caught light, each spark growing into a fire, the fires melding together into a true blaze. Seeing the bar burning and satisfied that it was on its way to becoming a bonfire, Pyrrha made her escape. She would leave the bar as they had left her: in ashes.
-000-
Shion
After some cajoling, the villagers had been persuaded to evacuate. The airship had left as soon as it could with the children, bound for Higanbana, while the rest of the village prepared packs to travel. It'd been a tense few days; Qrow doubted Raven would remain entirely ignorant of their actions and in any case expected the tribe to attack any moment. The airship had returned just before dawn, and now was being turned around and loaded with the infirm and anyone else unsuited to trekking to Higanbana on foot.
Kobe and Ruby kept watch, Ruby's speed semblance meaning she could swiftly get word of the bandits to Qrow. Meanwhile the tavern had become a headquarters of sorts, with various villagers making last minute preparations and Qrow organising the remaining huntsmen. In the event of an attack, the other villagers were to fall back to the tavern, pick up the packs, and then follow the huntsmen's lead.
"That's where you come in Valkyrie," Qrow said, gesturing over a table in which a makeshift map of mugs and dishes had been assembled. "We may need to punch past the bandits to get the villagers out. That'll be your job."
"Heck yeah!" Nora smiled in glee, Magnhild in hand. "I get to break some knees, Ren!" she said excitedly to her partner.
"Easy there, kid," Qrow said. "We don't want to bloody them too much. We don't want them chasing after us out of some sort of grudge. We want them to break off pursuit because they're more interested in the village."
"Aww…" Nora replied despondently.
"It's just this time, Valkyrie. Just remember the plan. The average tribesman shouldn't cause you too much trouble anyway."
"If that's the case, couldn't we take them on and defend the village?" Nora asked.
"If it was just us huntsman, we could probably try that," Qrow said. He gestured to some of the villagers around them. "But it's not. That's where you come in Ren: you and Kobe will keep close watch over the villagers and escort them out once Valkyrie's cleared the path."
"Understood," replied Ren, as succinct as ever. He'd seemed unusually edgy – well as edgy as Ren could appear – ever since Qrow had announced the impending attack, but he was still by far the most level-headed of the trainees. Which was why Qrow had given him perhaps the most difficult task. Both Valkyrie and Ruby would get too caught up in the fight to spare much attention to the villagers. As for Qrow, well, he'd keep his distance from them for the same reason he'd stay away from all of them in combat: neither the villagers nor his charges needed any more bad fortune.
"What will you be doing?" asked Nora.
"The average tribesman won't give you much trouble. But there's at least one who will."
"Your sister," Ren stated.
"Right. My job will be to take care of her."
Nora's eyes widened. "You're going to kill her?"
"No," Qrow shook his head, his mixed feelings welling up within him. He hated what she did. Hated that she'd deserted them, what she'd done to Tai and Summer. He hated that she'd gone back to being a thief and murderer, and now led them. But she was still family, as poorly as she understood the concept. There was still a bond he couldn't violate. If there wasn't, he wouldn't be so angry with her. "I won't be holding back, but she was a huntress, a very strong one. She can take it. I'll be trying to distract her, then break off and join the rest of you."
An odd look briefly passed over Valkyrie's eyes, before she nodded. Having ran out of huntsman to address, Qrow began looking round for Rudd, to check in with the mayor.
The tavern door slammed open, a waft of rose petals blowing in.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby called from the doorway. "They're here!"
-000-
A bell began ringing out as Qrow dashed through the streets, Ruby in tow. Villagers were running towards the tavern, as instructed, but the airship remained grounded, a couple of the ground crew still bustling around it.
"Get that thing into the air and away from here!" he yelled out. He was relieved to see them stop whatever they were doing and close the doors. He hoped whatever they were doing wasn't that important, but it was unlikely to be as lethal as still being on the ground when the bandits reached it.
He charged on into a doorway and climbed up the ladder leading to the watchtower. Kobe nodded in acknowledgement as he reached the top.
"We're surrounded," Kobe said, ducking below the parapet as shots rang out. "Some must have snuck up on us, but the others seemed to appear almost out of nowhere."
Raven's work, Qrow realised. She must have opened a portal to fetch more of her followers. He peeked over the barrier, making sure to keep a little distance between him and Kobe. With the bullets flying through the air, the man needed all the luck he could get.
From the sounds and the occasional movement, he saw Kobe was right. He looked round, searching for his target. He was glad to see the airship slowly rising into the air, on its way at last.
"Most are moving in," said Kobe, "already taking cover behind the outlying buildings."
"Thanks. You'd better get to the tavern and join up with Ren."
"Will do, Qrow." The huntsman held out his hand. "See you on the other side."
"The same," Qrow replied, shaking his hand. Kobe moved to the ladder and slid down it swiftly. Qrow kept looking for Raven, before hearing someone come up the ladder. Ruby climbed out of the hatch, and swiftly pulled out Crescent Rose, the gargantuan sniper-scythe she'd based off Qrow's own Harbinger. She looked through its scope, searching for a target.
"Have you seen her yet?" she asked.
"Not yet," Qrow said, turning southwards. He felt the wind suddenly pick up. Strange, the sky had been clear moments ago.
There was a sudden flash, and a peal of thunder. Qrow glanced back to see the airship had been struck by lightning. She was still aloft, but clearly damaged. He looked at the sky; this was no natural storm.
No. It couldn't be. He looked round, finally finding his target. A tall, masked figure in the distance, clad in red and black. And beside her another, stood still.
He'd figured out why the Branwen tribe had been unstoppable for the last decade.
"Ruby, over there!" he gestured. "I've got to stop her. This storm isn't natural, they have the Spring Maiden. I've got to buy time for the airship to get away." And the rest of us, he thought.
Ruby nodded and looked at the cloud that had suddenly gathered overhead. "Wait!" she gasped and sped over to the other side of the watchtower. "Nora!" she yelled out, pointing upwards.
Qrow looked over to see Valkyrie in the distance, standing in in front of the tavern. She looked up, gave an exaggerated salute, and ran back into the tavern.
"What's she doing?" asked Qrow.
"Buying us some time," said Ruby. She hefted Crescent Rose, smiling. "Want some covering fire from a high-impact sniper rifle?"
He smiled back. "Thanks kiddo." Switching Harbinger to shotgun mode he jumped over the parapet, ran down the sloped roof and jumped off. Bringing Harbinger up he fired several rounds in the direction of the bandits and ducked behind another building. He ran round the side, moving southwards past several homes, heading in the direction he last saw Raven and her Maiden. Reaching another building, he dashed around the corner and came face to face with bandit.
The bandit jumped back, before a smirk crossed his lean face. He brought his pistol to bear, but Qrow was quicker. He fired Harbinger, then swung it as he switched it to its sword mode. The smirking bandit dodged the swing but was caught as Qrow's left fist struck into his gut. As the bandit bent over Qrow brought his knee up hard. As the man gasped out in pain Qrow brought the pommel of Harbinger down, smashing against his skull, knocking him unconscious.
Shoving the bandit off him Qrow hurried to the next corner, leaning around the wall to see Raven and what was clearly a young woman in sight, the woman's eyes closed. Several shots hit the wall, forcing him to duck back. He'd be exposed crossing open ground, but he had to try.
Another flash, and another crack of thunder announced more lighting. He looked back, fearing the worst for the airship, to see instead the lighting striking a small, hammer-wielding figure atop the tavern roof, waving her hammer aloft.
He winced for a moment before he remembered. For most people, getting struck by lighting is a harmful, if not lethal experience.
Not for Nora Valkyrie. Her semblance let her convert electricity into strength. For her, lightning didn't bring pain, it brought power.
As the bolt ran through her she laughed. Wait, was that a cackle?
He wasn't sure if Nora Valkyrie scared the enemy, but Brothers, she sometimes worried him.
As Valkyrie's laughter echoed across the village, she switched Magnhild into its grenade launcher mode and began firing eastwards. Explosions rang out as she began bombarding the bandits. A final blast, and she launched herself eastwards, her hammer poised to assail the tribesmen blocking the way.
Now! While they're distracted! Qrow hurled himself around the corner, sprinting towards the Maiden. Shots rang out as a few bandits took pot shots, but they ducked down as several high-calibre sniper rounds rained down.
Thank you Ruby.
Just a little further.
Both Raven and her Maiden stood stock-still as Qrow charged towards them. He brought Harbinger up. As he drew close, he brought it down. The sword arced towards the Maiden's head.
The Maiden opened her blue eyes, jerking in alarm.
A sword leapt out.
The wind ebbed.
Metal clashed.
Harbinger was blocked, its descent stopped dead.
"You should have listened to me, Brother," Raven said, her arm outstretched, her sword in Harbinger's path.
-000-
Qrow sprang back, twisting towards Raven as he brought Harbinger to bear upon her. Raven pulled off her mask and brought Omen – her sword – into a guard position as she glowered at him. The Maiden, a young woman with short hair, reached for her own weapons, a pair of circular, crescent-shaped blades.
"So why did you really ask me to move on, Sis?" Qrow spat. "A fleeting concern for my life, or were you trying to keep your little secret under wraps?"
"It's a strange time for you to be bothered about people keeping secrets, Qrow," Raven growled as her Maiden circled behind Qrow. "Or is that a privilege only Ozpin enjoys?"
Acting on instinct, Qrow brought Harbinger underneath his arm, stabbing back. It was deflected aside, as the Maiden behind him hurriedly turned her attack into a parry. Qrow let the parry push him into a spin, bringing him around just in time to block a swing from Omen. His sister brought her leg up into a kick, but Qrow rolled aside before coming to his feet once more.
"You didn't have to get involved, Brother."
"You're the one attacking, Sis. You could have left these people in peace."
Qrow attacked this time, lunging at the Maiden who was circling behind him once more. She brought her two blades to bear. With two swings he knocked them aside, and then slammed into her with his body, knocking her to the ground. He turned just in time to parry another thrust from Omen and was pushed back as Raven pressed her attack.
"You could have moved on, like I told you to. You could have come back to your people, like I told you to!" she shouted.
Fury filled his veins, as he used Harbinger to push Omen down and swung a left hook at Raven's face. She staggered back as the punch struck home.
"And you could have stayed with us!" Qrow yelled, bringing Harbinger once more to bear. "With Tai! With Yang! With Summer!"
He swung out with his sword, bringing it across and then down. Raven parried each time but was driven back by the force of Qrow's attack.
"Whatever else I may be," he said, "I'm a huntsman. I've made my choice."
Sudden movement crossed the corner of Qrow's eye, and he ducked, avoiding several blows from Raven's Maiden. He stepped back as she sliced at him with her curious blades. She surged forwards and he dodged to the side, opening some space before swinging at her with Harbinger. She jumped back. Qrow sensed the incoming blow and dropped as Omen carved through the air above him, rolling himself to the side before returning to his feet.
"You're a fool who's going to get himself killed waging Ozpin's war," Raven said, as she and the Maiden circled in opposite directions.
"As opposed to running and hiding?" Qrow replied. He leapt towards the Maiden again, before they could encircle him. He brought Harbinger up in an arc, but the Maiden blocked the attack, holding the sword with both blades. He reversed direction, swinging Harbinger back round. The Maiden twisted fast, catching the blow once more, but stumbled as her feet tripped. She fell, but Qrow was unable to exploit her misfortune as Raven came swinging at him again with a flurry of blows. He fell back under Raven's swift attacks, before managing to turn aside a thrust and shoving her back.
"Get it in your head Sis; there's no running and hiding from Salem," he said. "Hold onto a maiden and you're involved. Whether you want to be or not!"
Raven screamed, her red eyes ablaze with anger. She held Omen aloft as the Maiden got back on her feet. Qrow braced himself when he heard a faint cry.
"Uncle Qrow!"
Qrow threw himself back, as several high-calibre shots hit the ground between them. The Maiden flinched, though Raven was unmoved as she stood glaring at him.
I guess that's the signal to leave.
More shots rang out, as Qrow launched himself up and fled back into the village, running as fast as he could. The Maiden moved as if to pursue, but Raven's arm shot out, holding her back. As he ducked back into the outskirts she stood, eyes fixed upon him.
-000-
As Qrow had hoped, the bandits had broken off pursuit in favour of ransacking the village and its goods. He only had a few more run-ins before he rendezvoused with Ruby, and none at all once they'd left the village and caught up with the column. They were met by an appreciative nod from Kobe, wide smiles from Nora, and a relieved look from Ren. The villagers were understandably shaken, but in better morale than he could have hoped. His trust in Ren had not been misplaced; the young huntsman had done a sterling job providing escort. And with the Maiden's attack disrupted the airship had managed to limp away, carrying more souls to safety.
Now the long trek lay ahead, shepherding the company through the wilds to Higanbana.
"How did you figure out that trick with Valkyrie on the roof?" he asked Ruby as they walked near the rear of the company. He wanted to be ready just in case the bandits changed their mind.
"Oh, that was Jaune's idea," Ruby said happily.
Qrow glanced at her with some concern. Ruby looked innocently back at him.
"During the first round of the Vytal tournament," she explained. "Jaune had Nora do much the same thing in team JNPR's match. Weren't you watching?"
He had watched a bit. Drank a bit too. Some of those early rounds blurred together. As for the later rounds… well he wasn't the only one here who'd prefer not to think about those. The kids with even more reason than he.
"I watched your games," he insisted.
"Sure," said Ruby. "But team JNPR were our friends too. And I learned a lot from that game."
"You sure did, pipsqueak," he said, ruffling her hair. Indeed, Nora Valkyrie had made quite an impression on the village infrastructure as she'd made her way through the bandits. It was almost for the best that the people of Shion were relocating.
They walked on silently. Qrow's thoughts turned to the task of escorting the whole company through the countryside. With each step they left the bandits further behind, but other trouble was ahead. While they'd gotten off more lightly than they would have, the villagers had been attacked by bandits and forced from their homes. Their feelings would attract some Grimm; it was inevitable.
Qrow had not had a lucky life. He'd been named for the superstition around the bird, even before his semblance had been discovered. And then there was that: not just for what it did to him, and those close to him, but what it said about him. A semblance was a reflection of one's innate self. What did it say about him when his brought misfortune to those nearest to him?
Such experiences had carved a well-worn track in his mind, one which inclined naturally towards pessimism. His thoughts travelled that path now, as he worried about protecting their convoy, as he worried what he'd learned of the Spring Maiden, and as he worried about his missing charge, about Nikos.
Walking beside him, Ruby pulled out a small photo frame and looked at it with a sad smile.
"What's that you've got there?" Qrow asked.
"It's the picture of Jaune and his family," she said, showing him. "I took it from the tavern."
"Why?"
Ruby wiped a thumb across the picture. "So this moment wouldn't be lost. It's important. We couldn't preserve the village, but we can preserve memories. The villagers have lost their homes, but they can hold onto memories of better times. And so can we." She paused, thinking to herself, before she brightened up. "It might do Pyrrha good to see this. I'll hold on to it for her," she said, smiling.
Qrow's heart ached briefly, as he remembered a similar face, with the same optimistic spirit. And yet the sight of Ruby and her spirit also soothed his pain, memories of hopes past vindicated and rekindled. For the moment he decided to push back against his worries, to bask in her smile, and let her confidence that she could help her friends, inspire him. While he missed his friend, Summer had left a wonderful gift to the world.
No matter all that he had been through, he was lucky to have his niece in his life.
-000-
Mistral
The Scroll hadn't contained much in the end. It'd offered several additional leads – the warehouse was apparently far from being the only White Fang base in the city – and confirmed the location of her next target. There'd been some heavily euphemistic references to police bribes. And there were some references to apparent trouble with local organised crime. The last was potentially useful information, filed away for a later time.
She'd abandoned the Scroll after smashing it. Best to be safe.
Now once again in the room she rented, she sat in thought.
She'd wondered if she'd feel anything, taking a life. She still felt so much guilt over Penny, after all. Surely the act of deliberately seeking to kill should feel significant, even if they did deserve it?
And yet she wasn't sure she felt much of anything.
Perhaps that was for the best. Part of her was worried she might enjoy it. One didn't become a four times regional champion, after all, without a feel for fighting, without taking joy in battle or longing for victory. She'd never fought to kill, never enjoyed hurting people, but she'd liked to fight and win.
But, of course, she'd always done so with restraint. She'd always had to pull back a little, always sought to avoid doing too much harm. Her previous employment of her semblance was perhaps the greatest example of that, limiting her control over metal to a tug of a weapon here or a pull there. Yet it wasn't the only example. Oh, the tournament circuit had demanded the utmost skill, but it had also demanded it be channelled in certain ways. Only against the Grimm could she act freely, and yet old habits had remained even there. Her classmates had seen her as invincible; they hadn't realised she was always holding back.
This was the first time she'd sought blood. The first time she'd fought without limit.
There was something liberating – almost exhilarating – about fighting without restraints. Of never pulling a blow, of pushing her semblance to new limits, of pushing her skill in new directions, like an artist with a new canvas. And this was just the beginning. This was just a small bar. Far greater challenges lay ahead, demanding she draw upon every ounce of skill and talent she possessed. That, part of her would enjoy. But it was combat that part of her revelled in, not killing.
She didn't derive pleasure from killing itself. Oh, she sought justice, on Cinder and all those who'd helped her. She longed to avenge Jaune and all those they'd murdered, and there was a certain satisfaction in making them pay, in bringing their misdeeds down upon them. But she didn't actively enjoy the act of taking a life. That was a relief. Still, even if glad she hadn't succumbed to sadism, she'd expected to feel something more. But the anger in her heart, that choked her waking moments, remained undimmed. Had she expected that to change? Yet why should it? She could hardly expect the removal of some minor lackeys, with only limited roles in the attack on Beacon, to quench her inner rage.
Well, the solution to that was easy: she'd keep on going. She'd keep searching until she'd found all those responsible, especially those who bore the most guilt. She'd keep on going until she'd eliminated every single one of them.
She stood and turned to the armour she'd laid upon her bed. It'd taken careful work assembling it, working with multiple armourers and blacksmiths to avoid the whole ever being seen. Her previous costume – for in many respects that is what it was – was unsuitable. It had been made with an eye for the tournament circuit, to be eye-catching spectacle on the tournament circuit. While Aura allowed some leeway when it came to impractical choices involving armour – indeed, many of her fellow huntresses didn't use armour at all – she was no longer minded to take such chances. Her enemies had been playing for keeps at Beacon, and now so was she.
Besides, her previous armour could hardly conceal her identity. After all, it'd been part of her very brand. And her identity, like everything else, was now a weapon, to be deployed when ready and not a moment sooner.
There were similarities in style between her previous armour and her new set. She appreciated the classical Mistrali style, and it reused much of the same metal. But there were also significant differences. The cuirass had been extended; the breastplate made thicker. Now it covered the entire torso, up to the shoulders and merging with a plainer gorget. The addition of pauldrons protected the shoulders themselves, while extended (and in the case of the right arm, added) pieces protected her arms and legs. Her new suit had less obvious weaknesses and the bronzed armour should look quite different when combined with a black undershirt and leggings. Her new gloves were the same colour.
Black. The colour of mourning.
Of course, there would be no crowds to be disappointed at the absence of skin.
She couldn't bring herself to discard her scarlet sash. Perhaps it was a risk, but she was hardly the only one who'd worn such an accoutrement, and it seemed fitting. The colour felt significant, a memorial to all that her enemies had taken, and a promise of that which she'd exact in return. She'd been so taken by the meaning of the colour she'd added a long scarlet cloak. It could be discarded if need be but would serve to help protect her from the elements or conceal her form when necessary.
Finally, there was the newest piece, perhaps the most significant change. She could no longer stomach wearing her circlet. It was too recognisable for one, so much part of her image that she'd worn it with her school uniform and even at the dance.
But worst of all was what it symbolised: a crown of victory. Fitting wear for the Invincible Girl, for the Goddess of Victory who'd never lost on the tournament circuit. Yet it, and such titles, were a mockery, a cruel lie, foolish self-deception. She wasn't invincible. She had lost. And others – dear, precious others – had paid the price.
Nikos. Even her very name was a promise she'd failed to live up to.
The circlet was gone now, melted down. It had been replaced with a bronzed helm of a classical style, which was both more practical as armour and would conceal her face. Though when the time was right, she planned for her targets to see her true face.
Weapons were more straightforward, at least the ones she used with her hands. She trusted Miló and Akoúo, there was little wrong with them. Miló's versatility – being able to shift between javelin, sword, and rifle – had proven its worth on many occasions. As for Akoúo, a solid shield was a surprisingly useful thing. There were no delicate components to break, nothing to hinder its reliability in close quarters, while her semblance made it a powerful ranged weapon.
These weapons, alongside her semblance and her new powers, would serve her well. But there was one more weapon that would play a part, one close to her heart. She felt some guilt that she'd held onto it. It was a family heirloom after all. But she couldn't give it back just yet.
She pulled Crocea Mors out from where she'd hidden it. In one smooth movement, she pulled the sword from its sheath and expanded the sheath into its shield form. She'd taken to training with this weapon, even back in Patch, seeking to get as acquainted with its weight and heft as she was with her own weapons. She collapsed the shield and slid the sword back home. She then raised it to her lips and laid a gentle kiss on the scabbard.
It was a comfort, having something of his. Something she could hold onto, that made the memory of him more real. But she didn't hold onto it purely for comfort's sake. One day she would give it back, once she could look Jaune's family in the face. She owed it to Jaune. She'd give it back when its steel and her shame had been washed clean, and the blade properly anointed.
This was the weapon she'd drive through that witch's heart.