Well, yesterday was rough. To make it clear I never knew my brother-in-law's parents since they were infirm and suffering from dementia, living with a carer when my sister married him, so the opportunity never came up. It wasn't a big loss in our family or my sister, though I thank everyone for the condolences. It was more that I had to be there for my sister since she literally woke up to two dead people in her home, her husband broke down because it obviously WAS a huge loss for him, and she had no idea what to do.

Still, I spent the whole day there taking care of it, calling a coroner (which I was later told I didn't need to have done because they were so ill, but how was I meant to know?) and cleaning up and cooking for my sister and brother-in-law because they were in no state to do it themselves. Rough day. Luckily, this was all expected so funeral arrangements and all that had been planned half a year earlier.

Felt super drained coming home last night and was considering skipping this, but then felt in a better mood this morning. Maybe it's the contrast but walking outside with my dog this morning and having it be so sunny out just made me appreciate life more. Enough to rock my laptop out in the garden with some amaretto and coke and write this out.

Cover Art: Z-ComiX

Chapter 83

They were but half an hour into the northern outskirts when they came across the first signs of Grimm. Trees lay broken like twigs, the jagged spikes jutting up and to the sides, forced to part in the path of something much larger. Ruby ran a hand over one of the trunks, fingers feeling the coarse bark and then the softer inner flesh of the tree. Mud had become swirled and pitted underneath, then baked solid again under the sun. Whatever had come through had been huge, big enough to force trees aside and then snap them in two like dry twigs.

"Looks like we're on the right track," Qrow said. "This isn't too fresh. The ground has had time to dry out. Plus, we'd definitely have heard whatever this thing was moving around."

"How did no one else? We're not that far into the outskirts."

Someone must have heard the sounds of trees falling, or seen the canopy giving way from the farms. If this Grimm was big enough to do this so close to the farmlands, how had no one noticed it? There should have been sightings by now.

"Maybe they thought it nothing to worry about." Qrow said. "Someone felling trees, rotten trunks or just their imagination."

"Whose fault is that?" Ruby snapped. "If we weren't lying to everyone-"

"I know. I know." He pushed off the trunk and hopped over the torn up ground, looking ahead down the path where the creature had travelled further north. "Just because I'm part of the White doesn't mean I agree with everything we do. Still, what good would people knowing do them? There's bliss in ignorance."

"Not when it costs your life."

"It hasn't cost them that yet."

"Yet…"

Qrow hummed. They both knew if something this big came to the flimsy walls erected to keep `wild animals` out the farms then it would snap it apart and slaughter everyone within. It would be a massacre.

"All the more reason to look deeper," he said. "If we can confirm something this big is so close to the city then the Collegium will have to move."

"Confirm?" Ruby asked, almost laughing but for her mounting panic. She held both hands out. "Are you not seeing this?" The path of absolute devastation looked like it carried on far into the distance. "This feels like pretty clear proof to me!"

"Ah, but the path leads away from Vale, does it not? No need to worry then, the Grimm is clearly leaving. Let's ignore it and carry on as normal. That's what they'll say if we go back now. Maybe if Oz was still alive things would be different."

Who were they? Glynda, for her numerous flaws, didn't seem like the kind of person to take this lightly, and Ironwood and his Specialists were still around. They'd put so much effort into catching her before, so they should have been happy to chip in here. Ruby bit the strap and asked.

"The other Arcana," Qrow answered, leading her on with a wave. He picked his way onto the left side of the path left by the huge Grimm, following the trail. It was their best bet of hunting it down. "The Collegium is made up of all the different Arcana and they all have their parts to play. The White believes this threat is real – they believe every threat is real – and the Crimson trust us. The others, though, well, they need more proof. The White is populous, but even with the Crimson on side, that's less than a third of people in the Collegium. If we want to have a chance of hunting down and getting rid of the Grimm, we'll need everyone. Every Arcana."

"And they won't believe you…?"

"Why would they? I'm just one man, one Arcanist among many. And besides, the White always overreacts – that's what they'll say. And they'd be right," he admitted. "We do overreact sometimes. There's been so many of us throughout history that have accused first and looked for evidence later, research struck down without justification, power abused for personal gain. The White is an easy path to authority for those that want it."

"You did close down the Azure Archives. It's no wonder the Azure hate you."

It wasn't Qrow per se, but he got the point. "Grimm came pouring out. I'm not sure what the Azure expected. If you open a direct path for the Grimm into the heart of the Collegium you shouldn't be surprised when we take it off you."

"Except that the White is using it now when it's safe…"

"Is it safe? Last I checked the Grimm were still down there. It's impossible to clear the whole place out and too many Arcanists down there only draws more Grimm. The Azure would be putting themselves and us in danger, and for what, their thirst for abstract knowledge?" He snorted. "Not worth it."

Ruby aimed a scowl at Qrow's back even if she did accept some of what he said. That didn't justify the White blatantly censoring things by burning books they didn't like. They could have returned it to the Azure with conditions, limits on how many people could go down at once and other safety measures, but they didn't. Of course they didn't; they wanted it to themselves.

That wasn't important now. Ruby looked down at the tracks they were following, less recognisable foot or hoof-prints and more a long, torn up tract of ground like something huge and heavy had been dragged along. This was much more important than the Archives, especially if they had the misfortune of actually finding it.

Are we looking for it? The question bouncing in her head seemed like one easily answered, and yet she wasn't sure. Maybe we're just looking for more proof.

"We're not going to fight this thing, are we?"

"Not if we can help it," Qrow said, causing Ruby to let out a heavy sigh. "We just need to confirm it's still close by with our own eyes or find out where it's headed. Something this big has `wall breaker` written all over it, and if there is an intelligence behind this, human or Grimm, then I'd bet my liver this thing will be headed toward it."

"Or it is the intelligent Grimm."

"Doubtful. Something intelligent enough to plan an attack on a city should be smart enough to know leaving this much evidence is a bad idea."

That was a good point. This thing was knocking trees down rather than sneak around them, so it was either confident enough to not care or too dumb to realise. The latter sounded much more likely.

The ground rose upward as they moved, the land sweeping up out of the fertile valley the city lay at the base of. As footing grew steeper, the path veered off to the north-west, even the giant Grimm they were following struggling with the steep upward ground. Soon, they were following on level ground, pathing around a risen outcropping of stone with more forest atop it.

Looking back, the spires and rooftops of the merchant's quarter and higher could be made out, the city set on its different tiers much like where they were. The treetops below blocked off sight of farmland, slums and the main outer walls, but the Collegium could be seen in its glory in the distance. They hadn't nearly been so high up to the south, nor had they had such a vantage point. Ruby felt a swirl of vertigo and stepped back to press herself against the rock. It wasn't a cliff-face by any means and dropping would mean a slow roll until a stop. She'd faced bigger falls roof hopping in the slums, and yet this felt so much higher.

"This is a commanding line of view." Qrow remarked. He, too, was clinging to the rock and peering at the city. "You could orchestrate a good attack from this height. Have a decent view on everything. I wonder if that's why they're congregating to the north."

"They'd still have to come down onto level ground to attack the city."

"True, but a commanding figure could easily watch things unfold from up here. Plus you have the flying Grimm. They'd struggle on flatter ground. It's all rock the further up we go. I imagine that's where the Nevermore are nesting."

The huge bird Grimm. Ruby swallowed nervously and ducked down, trying to make herself a smaller target. That they'd gotten this far without being found felt more luck than anything, though they hadn't found the Grimm either, so maybe it was working both ways.

Why haven't we run into any? It doesn't make sense that the Grimm are surrounding the city and yet so far away from the farms. Unless they're being told or forced to stay back.

It made sense. Grimm were mindless and attacked without thought, but that wasn't good from the point of view of commanding an attack. You didn't want your side running in to die constantly before the battle had even started. There was another reason why that was a good idea, though. One that implied so much about the person behind this.

"The Grimm are trying to stay hidden…"

"Now you're thinking like an investigator," Qrow said. "You're right. The northern side of the forest is so steep that most people avoid it. The trade routes are east, the farmland stretching went and the south, while uninhabited, is still even footing. People can travel there. The Grimm are being kept here because it keeps them from being detected."

"It's not just about the culling, is it?" Ruby asked.

The Grimm were so strong and numerous that they could accept that without consequence, and it could go both ways. Crimson Arcanists could be killed when trying to hunt Grimm, which would only weaken Vale. Despite that, the Grimm were backing up. Staying out the way.

"They're trying not to be detected by the Collegium…" she said, watching Qrow nod his head. "They're not trying to avoid being killed, they're trying to avoid spooking the Collegium enough to mobilise it! It's exactly what you said - that the other Arcana won't believe the threat is real until they see it with their own eyes."

That implied an understanding of how the Collegium worked, how the inter-Arcana politics worked and, as a result, it all but guaranteed the person behind this was an Arcanist themselves. They almost had to be to understand why all this was a good idea in the first place.

"Is this why they killed the Grand Arcanist?" Ruby asked.

"It's what first clued me off," Qrow said. "Oz was strong, don't get me wrong, but he was only ever one man. It was a big risk to try and kill him and removing him from the battlefield isn't nearly as big a payoff to justify that. That made me look deeper. What could justify that sort of risk? What else would someone backing the Grimm stand to gain from his death? In the end, I realised it. We lose clout. We lost the respect he had with the various Arcana."

"One of the biggest parts of a Grand Arcanist having four Arcana isn't their power, but their connections. You know how insular they are by now. When he says the threat is real and that we have to prepare, that's four Arcana won over almost instantly. They trust him because he's one of them. From there, it's easy to bring the rest in line. But with Ozpin gone, Glynda doesn't have the same influence. All of a sudden, it's just the White overreacting again. It's one hysterical person jumping at shadows."

Ruby wanted to ask if some of that wasn't paranoia on his part. The assumptions he'd made involved a lot of leaps of logic, yet maybe that was the point. It was better to assume the worst and be pleasantly surprised. Either way, they were out here now to confirm if it was true or not. Ruby, however, was convinced.

The Grimm she'd seen before had always been so eager to hunt her down, from Merlot's rushing through the corridor specifically hunting her, to the one in the Archives itself all but ignoring Merlot in favour of her. That she could be this far out and not be attacked by now spoke volumes.

Something tickled on the edge of Ruby's senses. A faint breeze when there was no wind. A rustle of sound made by nothing. The rising of hairs along her arms and a sudden shudder.

Qrow grabbed her arm, yanked her against him and threw himself off the rise.

The icy chill intensified and expanded behind them. They fell six feet, struck dirt and skidded along. Qrow rolled onto his back and pushed her off him, then jumped to his feet and drew his sword. The thin strip of land they'd been following was gripped in ice, the rocks themselves frozen solid to the point they looked brittle.

"W-What-?" The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she threw herself down, laying flat as a whistling noise whooshed by. Ahead of her, a sapling fell with a cracking noise, sliced right across its middle. "Magic!"

"Keep moving!" Qrow barked.

The tingling sensation returned, and Ruby scrambled to a nearby tree, rolling behind it as the area she'd been in before erupted into flame. The heat washed over and around the trunk she was against, singing her clothes. Spells. Someone – an Arcanist – was attacking them.

I guess this proves it! Ruby thought hysterically.

"Stay hidden!" Qrow shouted. "He's trying to get rid of you first!"

Why? Did he know-? No, their attacker was probably trying to even the odds by taking out the weakest link first. Ruby's instincts screamed at her to run for new cover, but she forced herself to sit still. Magic could be sensed, even if the person attacking them had the advantage.

Magic surged behind, but this time from Qrow. He swept his arms out wide and summoned a burst of wind that scattered leaves and dirt up in every direction. It stung at Ruby's eyes and she had to squint them tight. Covering her face with her arms, she peeked out at the absolute cyclone of leaves, wondering what the point of it all was.

Until she saw it. The leaves were flipping and flapping in every direction, but they were sticking to something higher up the ridge. Something small enough to be human. Ruby watched as leaves were scraped off by an invisible figure, being pushed down as if by nothing.

"Qrow!" she yelled, pointing.

He was already on it. Bands of yellow light shot toward the figure whipping through the air. The leaves moved, the person jumping to the left to dodge while also fighting the barrage of wind. More leaves were scraped off them and they were invisible again, not only to the naked eye but to Ruby's magical sensing as well.

"Shadow Arcana!" Qrow spat. "Great. Stay there, Ruby. Don't run or he'll target you. He wants to separate us."

Ruby nodded, though Qrow was too focused on the fight to see it. This was Blake's Arcana, the Shadow, and their main power was in being able to conceal themselves not only from normal people but other Arcanists as well. It was how Blake had kept herself safe in the slums, and possibly how she'd survived to reach Vale at all fleeing a city overrun by Grimm. Qrow was White-Red, so he was probably the better combatant, but the Shadow Arcana was like a knife in the back in a dark alley. It didn't matter how good you were if you didn't see it coming.

I could help, Ruby thought. This guy wouldn't expect my Wildmagic.

Neither would Qrow. Aside from him getting an idea as to what she was, it might catch him by surprise. She bit her lip instead, getting up onto her feet so she could run if needs be, but otherwise trusting Qrow to handle himself. He was the professional here. He'd dealt with Rogue Arcanists before. Clinging to the tree, Ruby peered around to watch him fight.

/-/

Qrow ignored the rush of air as he panted for breath, arms spread and fingers of one hand splayed. The currents ran through his mind and he focused on them with practiced ease, intensifying the wind that would reveal his foe if they came anywhere within his range of control. To concentrate both on that and not being caught off guard was a degree of focus few could match, but he'd done as much before.

All the while, his mind whirred.

Shadow Arcanist, invisible, ambushes. A gimmick rogue.

Rogue Arcanists could be split into three categories – the fighters, the researchers and the gimmicks. Fighters were just that, powerful Rogue Arcanists who relied on magic and strength to fight their foes. They were the most straightforward and often the most dangerous.

Researchers were, for the most part, harmless. They were the bookish types lured in by promises of power or forbidden research. Dangerous in what they could do to people, yes, but often helpless in an actual fight. Researchers were the most common of Rogues, for all that they were easily rounded up. They also numbered more in the Sanctum since fighters tended to die free rather than be captured.

Gimmicks were different. Not often strong or particularly intelligent, they relied on one ability, a spell, speciality or some other gimmick to outwit pursuit. Sometimes that was an incredibly specific field of magic, sometimes it was just a way of fighting. In this case, both.

He likes to stay hidden and attack from a distance. Never comes close enough to be hit back. A bit of a coward who doesn't trust himself to win unless everything is in his favour. He must be sweating at a two on one, especially if doesn't know Ruby was an Initiate recently.

It was always awkward against these kinds of foes. The battle was heavily in their favour until you found a way to neutralise their trick, at which point the balance swung back so hard it was comical. Qrow thought he had it when they go caught by his leaves, but they were quick. It was rare to find someone fast enough to dodge his spells.

If he could close the distance, this would be over. Doing that meant leaving Ruby exposed, however. Qrow swore and let the wind falter, feigning a loss in control or him being distracted. Anything to draw a desperate opponent back in.

No attack came.

As the seconds ticked by, Qrow dropped the spell entirely, letting the wind and the leaves carried on it float to the floor. He kept his legs tensed, ready to jump away, but the air was still and quiet. Had the Rogue fled already? If so, they played into their gimmick of an ambush predator even more heavily than Qrow initially thought. It was clever in a way, try for the immediate kill and then flee the second that failed, but why try at all if you weren't going to commit?

This retreat was too sudden…

A loud crack further up the ridge snapped his attention upward. Qrow tensed but nothing came, at least no spell came. Another loud and echoing snap punctuated what sounded like a boulder striking the earth. Then another. In the distance he saw birds take flight as an entire treeline shifted and then toppled to the left.

His eyes widened. The Rogue hadn't only been trying to kill them. He'd been trying to make Qrow use his magic, magic that couldn't be concealed by the secrets of the Shadow Arcana.

"Ruby!" he shouted. "We're leaving. Now!"

The girl scurried out from behind cover, far less afraid than someone her age should have been, but then he expected that. He did his best to ignore it, as he did all the other alarms ringing in his head.

"What is it?" she asked. "What's that noise-?" Her words cut off. Her intelligent mind figured it out before he could tell her. "We've drawn the Grimm! They're hunting us!"

"Hunting me," he said. "We're turning back now. This is all the proof we needed. You go ahead. I'll follow."

"But-"

"No arguments!" he snapped, pushing her downward. "The Grimm are chasing me and there's still a chance that Rogue is around." He would attack whoever had their back undefended, and he was not about to let that be her. "I'll cover us both. Now go! Hurry!"

Ruby jumped into motion, vaulting a log and hopping over uneven rocks like a mountain goat. Athletic for a noble, his brain noted. Too athletic. No. He shook his head and bit his lip. He wasn't doing this, not with her. Not with Summer's- He shook his head, concentrating on his hand until a ball of red fire appeared within it. Looking back and noting the falling trees, shaking ground and the ominously raised growls, he threw the ball into the air. It sailed high, shooting upward before exploding in a shower of red sparks high in the air. Each trailed down with vibrant red smoke, a signal that would be visible from anywhere within the city.

He chased after Ruby a moment later.

/-/

Weiss followed Lady Goodwitch out the Collegium and out of the city entirely, the first hour of their travel spent in the back of an ornate wagon but the final half hour having to be on horseback since the river naturally wound its way high up into the mountains where the carriage couldn't traverse. They did not go alone. Six Arcanists came with them along with twenty Collegium Guards, their red tabards and darker red cloaks wrapped tightly about them.

It was incredible to be involved in such a large procession, and to be this trusted even if that didn't mean too much. Lady Goodwitch was at best involving her, at worst humouring. Weiss kept her head down and followed every command, listening in excitedly to the occasional conversation between her mentor and another Arcanist.

"We're nearly there," Lady Goodwitch said as their steeds carefully and slowly picked their way upward. "You can see that this area has been fortified already. We have a strong presence here."

Weiss could see that. As they crested the top of the rocks, she noticed a wooden palisade wall with outward facing spike barricades. There was no gate, but two guards flanked an opening in the wall near the rushing water of the River Vale. They saluted Lady Goodwitch as she approached and everyone dismounted, handing their steeds to their escort to hold onto. Most of the Arcanists headed off to their own assigned tasks, but Lady Goodwitch placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder and steered her inside the small fortification.

"You asked for assurances that we are prepared," she said kindly. "This should assuage your concerns."

"I can see that something is here but not what," Weiss admitted. "Is this to prevent the Grimm floating into the city by the river?"

"Not a bad thought, but no. The water here is too wild and rapid for even the Grimm to hope to survive. It is calmer by the time it reaches the city, but here it can sweep a man under and hold him there for minutes at a time."

Weiss could well believe it. She was used to the river as it flowed through the Collegium and the Upper District, a serene and crystal clear sight that people might dip their toes into on a warm summer day. Here, it frothed and roiled around sharp rocks, twisting and turning into wild rapids like it was a living and furious creature.

Further up but still within the fortifications, Weiss noticed a wooden structure build across the water. She pointed to it and asked what it was for.

"That is where the water reservoir builds up," Glynda explained. "The annual floods occur with the heavy rains, causing it to overflow and rush down into the city. It carries with it water rich with nutrients from the mountain, all of which is distributed among the farmlands outside the walls. It is this that makes our farms so fertile."

"What are we doing with it? There hasn't been any rain recently so the water shouldn't be rising."

"Correct. Come."

Glynda beckoned and Weiss followed, walking up a wooden staircase built to the side of the dam. On the top, four Arcanists were casting something on the water. Weiss could feel the magic but couldn't for the life of her figure out what they were doing.

"We've dammed the water to build our own reservoir," Glynda said. "We began this the moment the Grimm were sighted, our own countermeasures in the case of an attack. The Arcanists here are working to keep the dam steady and counteract the flow of water. See how still it is? Impossible given it is rushing down from the mountain."

Weiss made an understanding sound, realising that she'd been looking for something when the nothingness was the answer all along. The water was still like a pool which, as she said, should have been impossible.

"What's all this for?"

"It is to create a very sudden and very effective defence for the city. Should the Grimm attack in force, we will break the dam and send the water crashing down the River Vale." Glynda pointed down toward the city. "This will flood the river anew, and in such force that it will create a natural barrier, a moat for the city, while also annihilating the Grimm as they come in."

A second floor. Despite living in the city all her life, Weiss had never truly witnessed a flood. Not the reality of it anyway. It was a heavy rain, some water on the ground and a time to stay indoors with warm food served by their exceptional cooks. Winter was always busy with the Royal Guard, but their father would regale them with stories of his time as a merchant while she and Whitley drank warm mead. Sometimes he would even hire them a musician to drown out the noise outside, noise that Weiss had only learned in recent years might be tragic cries and screams from further down the city.

"What of the people in the farms outside?" she asked. "What of the Dredg-" She winced. "What of the people living in the slums?"

"They will be evacuated. Worry not. This is a multi-stage plan involving a lot of people. This is where it begins but there are people in the city who have their own parts to play."

Of course. Weiss breathed out, shoulders relaxing. There wouldn't be any problems, not with a plan as thorough as this. It was a prepared plan, too. Ruby was wrong to think no one had reacted, Weiss knew that now. The White were obviously more prepared than anyone thought they would be.

"Lady Goodwitch!" someone shouted. "To the north of the city. There is red in the sky!"

Glynda pushed past Weiss suddenly, racing past the man who had spoken to stand on the edge of the wooden platform and cup her hands above her eyes. Weiss didn't need to, easily picking out the red lights flickering and falling in the air beyond the city, trailing red smoke like it was raining fire.

"What is that?" Weiss asked.

"A signal. An alarm. It is a sign that the Grimm are moving, that the city is in danger."

"Ruby!" Weiss yelped. "Ruby is out there!"

"Calm yourself." Glynda snapped. "It is only a sign, not proof. Red signals sighting, blue to signal the attack has begun. This could be a few Grimm sighted and those Grimm will be dealt with by Crimson Arcanists working in the area. We need only act if the blue is signalled."

"I-I see." Weiss forced herself to stay still. Her heart was racing. "Then this only means someone has seen Grimm? There's no danger?"

"There is always danger where Grimm are concerned, but we will not flood the city until we are sure we can catch the Grimm within it." Turning to the man who had spoken, she said, "Send up the white. Signal our allies in the city and tell them we are ready."

Weiss looked back, confused, as the man hurled up what appeared to be a fire spell tinted white in colour. It spiralled up and floated in the air, streamers coming down like petals from a flower.

"This is to let the Arcanists working in the city know it is their turn to act. They will do what needs to be done in case we are forced to unleash the waters. Worry not," she said. "If there is no blue then this will be nothing more than unnecessary caution."

Weiss nodded and turned to watch the city, biting her lower lip.

/-/

Across the city, Arcanists hooded in white looked back up at the signal in the air. Those within the Collegium did not act, those of differing Arcana did not understand, but those stationed at the gates moves quickly and efficiently, their instructions drilled into them.

"What is that?" a town guard asked. "What are you-?"

The Arcanist of the White touched the man's forehead. "Sleep."

"Ugh."

The man slumped, collapsing to the floor like a marionette with his strings cut. His fellows rose, but they too stumbled as the other Arcanists dealt with them and dragged their sleeping bodies aside. Silent nods were exchanged as they moved toward the large gates connecting the slums to the merchant's quarter staircase.

With a mighty groan, the imposing wooden doors slammed shut. Thick beams slammed down behind them to seal them off. The same happened across the city, white-robed figures moving silently and sealing off every exit from the lowest tier of the city unto the next.

Me: Okay, I spent all of yesterday caring for my sister but today is going to be a day to myself.

Sister and her husband: We felt so bad about you having to come over and look after us yesterday that we've decided to come over today, spend the day with you and order takeout here so we can all have fun together.

Me: Yay…

Next Chapter: 11th April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur