Demi-Human Students of Beacon

by Reticent Phoenix

In a Remnant where Humanity and Faunus live alongside Demi-Humans, creatures once thought to only exist in myth and fairy tales. Follow as one such demi-human, an elf, as he tries to get through life in Beacon. Hopefully things don't go too badly for him while he's there.

40. The Results of Our Actions

Author's Note:

Sorry this one took a while. Life and other projects got in the way.

I hope you enjoy.

---

The Results of Our Actions

Taupe had had a long night. She had hoped it would have been one where she could get a proper rest without any worry, but just as she was about to get some, Glynda alerted her of an incident at the Academy ballroom. She hoped that it was just some students getting too rowdy and deciding to climb the statues in the courtyard. Unfortunately, what happened was so much worse.

"Mister Bergson, assaulting another student is a serious transgression. Can you explain why you attacked Mister Tatharion?" General Ironwood questioned Halvard Bergson through a voice call from his airship. Ozpin should have been the one to lead the questioning, but the Headmaster was unavailable so the responsibility passed to him. He was the head of security of the Vytal Festival, and this incident fell under his jurisdiction, despite not being directly related to the Festival.

"Sir, I assure you that I was nowhere near the Academy ballroom throughout the entire night." The Dwarf adamantly responded to the General's questions, showing no discomfort despite being under the scrutinising gaze of the professors. Behind her mask Taupe's brow furrowed as she heard Halvard's answer and recall the incident from the night before.

At the party being held at the ballroom, Halvard Bergson allegedly attacked Faen Tatharion without warning. It had not been a simple brawl, though, for he had used his weapon and the damage done to the ballroom was proof enough of that. After a couple minutes, the Dwarf retreated when other students rushed over to put an end to the fighting. However, Halvard claimed to have never been at the party and was in the dorms instead.

"Is there anyone that can provide substantial evidence to back up your claim?" Ironwood said, posing another question to the Dwarf.

"My teammates were the people who saw me last. They left me by myself thirteen minutes before the incident." Halvard continued to answer with unwavering certainty in his voice. If he and Faen were the only ones with accounts of the incident, she might believe him, but thirty eyewitnesses saw him fight and flee from the scene.

"That does no favours to your story, Mister Bergson." Glynda stepped in and stated. She was Ozpin's deputy and, alongside Ironwood, led the questions being posed to the Dwarf.

Taupe's snakes looked to the other professors present and saw they all wore concerned looks on their faces. If this were between two Beacon students or during some other time, it would be much simpler. Yet this had been between representatives of two Academies, who, by extension, represented two separate Kingdoms during the Vytal Festival. There was politics involved in this, and if matters were not handled correctly things could become messy between both Academies and Kingdoms.

A round of questions followed soon after, all meant to ascertain the truth from Halvard. To see if they can catch him off-guard and determine if he was lying to them. They presented evidence such as extracts from eyewitness accounts and even footage that saw him make his way to and from the ballroom. No matter what though, he never once strayed from his stance and still professed his innocence with ironclad resolve.

"Do you still maintain that you were not at the Academy ballroom?" The questioning had gone on for nearly half an hour, and, seeing there was little to no progress made, it appeared Ironwood wanted to wrap everything up.

"Yes," the Dwarf answered without hesitation.

"Return to your assigned dorm then, Bergson. Until we can determine precisely what to do with you, remain there." Glynda stepped in again and ordered Halvard. Hearing this, Taupe looked over to the Scroll displaying Ironwood and wondered what if he would interject and decide what was to be done then and there.

"Go along with Professor Goodwitch's instruction, Bergson. I will personally come down the Academy soon so we might discuss this matter in person." Ironwood's voice came through the speaker after a pause. Halvard was one of Ironwood's students, so she figured the General would want to personally sort things out himself.

Halvard did not say a word when dismissed. Only nodding once, sent a quick glance to each other of the professors present, and walked out of the office into the waiting elevator. The Gorgon kept track of the Dwarf as he left, wanting to see if there was any change that came over him. As it was during the questioning, Halvard was like a rock. He neither smiled or scowled, merely obeyed the order given to him and went on his way.

"Of all the times Ozpin had to leave." Ironwood began to say in an exhausted tone through the Scroll.

"Of all the people it had to be between, you mean. There were worse combinations of people this could have happened to, yet the fact it was these two will spell trouble for everyone regardless." Glynda interjected, her hands on both her hip and eyes now on the still image of Ironwood on the Scroll.

"I am aware of that as well. Oz's presence would have made this whole debacle easier to manage, or even prevent this all from happening if he were there." Ironwood conceded with a sigh.

Ironwood was somewhat right about the effect Ozpin may have had if he were at the ballroom. He was almost universally respected by the student bodies from all the Academies, and even the most daring of troublemakers would smother any ideas of hijinks if the Headmaster were nearby. He was not here though, having gone with Qrow to complete business related to recent Order investigations just after yesterday's matches were finished. No details were shared with her or the others, neither the destination or even what investigations their journey related to, but they were entrusted to keeping Beacon safe in his absence.

They had all attempted to contact the Headmaster as soon as they were made aware of the incident. Try as they might, no one could reach Ozpin or Qrow. Wherever they had gone, they were either too far for the CCT network to reliably connect to them or had shut off their Scrolls. The possibility of them running into trouble was there, but they very much doubted that, for Qrow and Ozpin were both experienced with the latter being powerful in ways few could imagine.

"Ozpin aside for now, what is to be done about this issue? All evidence we have is rather damning of Mister Bergson, despite his own testimony, and a decision must be made before people begin to question why nothing is done." Taupe chose now to raise her voice in order to keep everyone on track.

"We cannot afford to be hasty, however. Until everything is made clear, I suggest we do as Glynda has ordered and keep Mister Bergson confined to his dorm for the time being. It will do us no good if we act whilst lacking a complete picture of what happened," Oobleck, like Taupe had been silent, and decided to speak up now as well.

"I agree with Oobleck. And I for one believe Halvard to not be the sort to act as he is being accused of. His dislike of Mister Tatharion may be great, but attacking him in such a manner does not fit with his character." Port mused, crossing his arms as he looked down to the floor and ruminated on this puzzling event.

"It might not be in his character as we understand it, but that does not make it impossible to happen Peter." Taupe countered, having known more than a few people who performed deeds she believed they would never think of committing. In both her job as a Huntress and outside of it.

"True. True," Port acknowledged with a sigh. She and everyone in the room were veteran Huntsmen and, more importantly, adults with life experience. They too must have experienced similar such events in their lives.

There had been one occasion in her youth that stuck out in her mind. It had been only a couple years after she graduated from Beacon and she partnered up with a team member for a job to protect a village from attacks from Grimm. They were not a rich settlement, and the pay the villagers offered Taupe and her partner would not come close to covering the costs of the ammunition that would be used in their defence. With some shame Taupe had to admit their reward disappointed her, but she chose to help them regardless of the paltry sum of Lien they had. They appeared to be good people after all and it was their duty to protect the people of Remnant, so she felt she had to take it.

What puzzled Taupe then was why the Grimm had come close to the settlement, for there did not appear to be anything causing enough negative emotions to draw the monsters in. After some investigating, she discovered the horrific truth. The settlement had evicted all its Faunus residents after a bad winter in which the settlement could barely feed everyone in it. Tensions between the Humans and Faunus populations escalated, and the Humans forced the Faunus into the wild after a fight broke out. The anger and despair of the event was irresistible to the Grimm, and they soon fell upon the Faunus, then moved on to the settlement once they had finished with them.

What happened afterwards was something she preferred to forget, but it always came to haunt her in the darkest of nights. For the next day there would be little left of the settlement, her weapons broken and her body injured, while her teammate disappeared from the face of the world.

"Kallisto, are you alright?" Professor Peach, who had been at Beacon for once, whispered to Taupe. Breaking her thoughts from the past. Casting her eyes to her fellow teacher, who had leaned in close to the Gorgon, she saw concern writ across her face.

"I am fine, Thumbelina, do not worry about me." Taupe shook her head lightly. Peach, while laying her teaching responsibilities on others more often than Taupe liked, she was an empathetic individual and could notice shifts in people's emotions, even if they wore masks to conceal them.

"But what if Port is right and Mr Tatharion's attacker was somehow not who they appear to be? Perhaps it was someone with a Semblance that allows them to impersonate people, and used it to disguise themselves as Mr Bergson last night?" Professor Greene, the Stealth and Security teacher, chose now to raise her voice and share her own thoughts. raised a fair point but all students with registered illusion-based Semblances had watertight alibis. Registered that is. "I will go over the Security footage from last night again. We must have missed something."

She raised a fair point but all students with registered disguise or illusion-based Semblances had watertight alibis. Registered that is. People hiding their Semblances was not a rare occurrence, but it would put you on a watchlist if it were discovered you had and chose not to register it. With what they knew of certain events in recent months, thoughts shared between Order members sprung back into her mind.

The idea that their hidden enemy, especially those lurking somewhere in Beacon, might have a hand in this incident was at the back of their minds. Their rise in activity the Order recognised to be a sign of a future plan which they worked hard on preparing and preventing, but due to a lack of details, they did not know how exactly this was to be done. Not at all helped by how enigmatic and elusive their means and targets could be.

Last night's incident did not seem to have any obvious connection to any wider goals the enemy might have. The two parties involved were not affiliated with the Order, so they were not targeting them because of any involvement with them. Yes, it had proven disruptive to the peace and started a bit of an uproar, which may be the end desired, but Taupe felt unsure. Compared to past events, this felt small and the benefits beyond the problems the incident caused seemed small and short-lived when contrasted to the risks involved in doing this.

Did not mean that the enemy would not try this, the end goals were just not clear.

"Please do, Greene. My own analysts are combing over the security footage as well. We will share anything we find with the rest of you," Ironwood said in agreement with Ann. "If any other developments not related to other matters appear, I will notify you at the earliest convenience. Please, take care."

And with that, before any in the office could respond, the image of the General disappeared from the screen as the call was ended.

"Well at least he said goodbye." Mulberry, professor of Weapon Crafting and Upkeep, commented as he reached into his jacket, took out a smoking pipe and began stuffing tobacco into the bowl. "Are you sure you will find anything Ann? The footage has been gone through with a fine comb at least seven times by now. I doubt you or the analysts will have missed anything at this point."

"We cannot know until we try, Harold," Port countered. The other professor silently conceding to the point Port made, yet Taupe believed he was still unconvinced that they would find anything.

"When Ozpin returns to Beacon, I will see to it that he is fully informed of what occurred in his time away. Until he does, we all have our duties to fulfil. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity, Beacon is no longer safe anymore." Glynda said to them all, although, truth be told, the Academy was not safe for a fair amount of time.

Wrapping up a couple more matters related to the Academy but not of great import, the meeting was ended and the professors began to leave. Port and Oobleck had to ready themselves for the next and final round of the Vytal Tournament. Ann took out her Scroll and was already reviewing last night's security footage when she stepped into the Tower elevator. Mulberry was now searching his person for a match to light his pipe, all the while speaking with Peach about what they had just discussed. Glynda would not be joining them right away though, for she had to send a message to the Valean Council regarding what actions the Academy would be taking in light of this recent incident. Taupe would not leave either, for she wished to discuss something with the blonde Huntress.

The Gorgon remained where she stood, sending a wave to her colleagues as a signal for them to go ahead without her. Glynda noticed she was not leaving and waited by Ozpin's desk. Her fellows noted and understood, letting the elevator door they had been holding open to close shut and continue on their way. Once the doors to the office shut, Taupe and Glynda were left alone, and the former wasted no time in voicing what it was she intended to discuss.

"Glynda, do you think with all that has happened that Ozpin still intends to go ahead with his plan?" Taupe said as she walked up to the office's desk as Glynda stood behind it.

"I suspected that would be what you planned to talk about." Glynda did not immediately meet the Gorgon's eyes, her attention directed toward logging into the desk computer before looking up to meet her gaze. When she did, Taupe saw a spark of discomfort in the Combat teacher's green orbs.

"The risks involved are immense and there's no telling how it will go. We are talking about Aura after all. Meddling with Aura to such an extent as he and Ironwood plans is... I have my reservations is all I am trying to say to you." She needed to get her thoughts out. She just had to. When Taupe was informed by Ozpin of what the Order planned to do with the special individual beneath the Academy, she was troubled to no end.

Since being introduced to the Order, Taupe had to come to terms with a great many things. From their modus operandi to the results of their actions. Yet this latest endeavour was one that Taupe found to be one of the hardest to stomach so far.

"I have my doubts as well Kallisto and voiced them to Ozpin. Especially since it involves one of our students. But with matters and time as they are, I see the need for the plan." Glynda confided to the Gorgon as she took off her glasses and cleaned the lenses with a wipe.

Taupe agreed with Glynda on how the situation across Remnant was becoming more troubled, and they may need the advantages the plan would bring to the table. But her worries continued to persist in her mind. This plan was a gamble, and what was on the line could not be taken lightly.

"I would prefer we find some other way. Those poor girls doesn't deserve this. But we have little choice, and the matter of the Maiden must be resolved. It is difficult, but it has to be done." Glynda walked over and put a reassuring hand on Taupe's arm as she spoke. The Gorgon wondered if she was saying that to assure herself as much as she was doing so for Taupe.

"Right, right. Ozpin wouldn't play with risks unless he was sure they would pay off. But for all our sakes this one better though, because there may be a special place in Hell for us if it doesn't." Taupe almost thought about whispering that last part, but decided against it. She could not just bottle up everything, and coming even cleaner about her thoughts to Glynda could be a good way of getting her thoughts about all this straight.

"You are right, Kallisto. For us, the Academy, and all of Remnant. Let us hope this all works." Glynda's grip on Taupe's arm became tighter, although not uncomfortably so. Taupe responded by putting a hand on Glynda's shoulder and returning the gesture in kind.

The Order was treading on shifting ice. Taupe prayed for fortune to be one their side, for one misstep and they would plunge into the cold waters of terrible danger.

---

"In an unexpected turn of events, last night, while in the midst of celebrations regarding the Tournament matches that day, a Beacon student was attacked by one of the representatives from Atlas."

Amarantha looked at her Scroll's screen, listening as Lisa Lavender began to cover the incident from last night. Students who had been present or heard from those who were must have shared the story with people outside, which must have then made its way to those connected to news channels as could be seen now. She did not know how people across Remnant were taking the news, but none of this could have been good.

Never mind the world, the incident had already come to grip the Academy and breakfast in the cafeteria was replete with conversations about what happened. All were shocked by what happened and had something to say about it, leading to some heated confrontations. Some called for serious action to be taken against the Dwarf. Others called for a more measured approach and wait until his guilt was definitively proven. The only repercussions Halvard faced for the incident so far was him simply being confined to his dorm with Atlesian Knights on guard, but there was no word on any further action to be taken yet.

Turning her upper body away from the television as the report continued, the Naga looked to the other students gathered with her in RWBY's dorm. There was only herself, Ruby, Faen, and Jaune. The others were on other business and attending to their own matters.

Jaune had been watching the news with her and currently wore a contemplative expression on his face as he listened to Lisa Lavender's report. Faen was not looking at the Scroll nor did he appear to be paying attention to the news playing on it, for the Elf lounged on one of the dorm's chairs with arms folded and eyes closed. Meanwhile, Ruby sat close to Faen and switched her attention between him and the Scroll in short intervals.

This gathering was supposed to have been one of the meetings where the team leaders spoke of and formulated new ideas related to their studies and recreational activities. Now it had become something else.

"None of this feels right." Ruby glumly spoke up, her voice carrying a tinge of anxiety.

"I get what you mean. Last night had been going so great, but then... well, I guess I don't need to say it." Jaune said in a dour tone as he looked away from the Scroll and to his fellow team leaders.

"Why did Halvard do that? I understand grudges can be very strong and people will do crazy stuff because of them. Yet this all just feels wrong to me." Ruby let out a frustrated sigh once she was done talking.

"We can never be too sure of what people are really capable of Ruby." Amarantha shifted her coiling lower half into a more comfortable 'sitting' position then began to thumb her chin.

"I know. It's just that... What was the point in attacking Faen like he did? It would not solve anything and only made things worse for himself." With an expression that was a mix of glum and perplexed, Ruby leaned down and cupped her cheeks with her hands. Seeing her like this, Jaune came over to her and put a comforting arm around the red-hooded girl's shoulder.

Amarantha understood that Ruby and Halvard had been on friendly terms, mostly due to a shared interest in weapons. She had observed the pair chatting together at meal times or looking over each other's weapons at the weapons workshop. It could not have been easy to be friendly with two people who considered themselves rivals. Now that could have only been made worse with the incident last night.

If either Halvard or Faen tried to force her, or anyone else, to chose between the both of them, Amarantha would intervene. The feud between them was not any of her business, but she would not allow any of them to drag other people into a matter that concerned only themselves.

Speaking of the two feuding Demi-humans, Amarantha cast her eyes back over to Faen. Almost no change had come over him. His posture did not change nor had the rhythm of his breathing. He really could be asleep, yet she could see movement underneath his eyelids that correlated with whenever anyone else spoke. Thinking now to be a good time to bring the Elf into the conversation, Amarantha drew herself closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You have been silent for all this time Faen. What are your thoughts?" Her words and hand drew the Elf's mind from whatever thoughts might have preoccupied him until now, his eyelids opening to show the eyes beneath looking back at her. White meeting pink.

Peering into the Elf's eyes Amarantha could sense anger in them, which did not come as a surprise to her. The anger in him was not a roaring bonfire, but more of an avalanche just waiting to be unleashed as more and more snow gathered atop a mountainside. For now at least it was being held back. For now.

As they gazed into one another, the Naga sensed another emotion to be present in him as well. Harder to perceive but it was present regardless. That emotion being nothing else but glee.

He had been attacked last night. Attacked at a party meant to celebrate his victorious match and that of others who also fought a match that day. The anger Faen felt was understandable and maybe Amarantha would share such an emotion if she were the subject of the assault in his place. But glee? Why in the world was the Elf feeling that of all emotions right now?

"What Halvard has done shames himself. My hope is that he receives proper punishment for his actions, and maybe more," Faen responded to her. That would explain the glee in the Elf's eyes. His rival had done something that landed him in a heap of trouble, and had not only chosen to enjoy Halvard's misfortune but wished for more to befall him. Halvard might have done wrong, however, Amarantha could not help but disapprove of this. She would confront him about this later.

"You are one-hundred percent sure that it was Halvard who attacked you? I didn't see you fighting and it was fairly dark out by then. Is there any chance you were mistaken and it was someone else?" Jaune asked the Elf, taking his arm off of Ruby and turning to face Faen. Such a question had been raised by others who discussed the incident, especially those who were not present nor laid eyes upon the short fight and its aftermath, and the professors when he was questioned on the happenings that night.

"I made no mistake of my attacker's identity, Jaune. It was beyond a shadow of a doubt Halvard. It could not have been anyone other than him." The Elf firmly replied, a glimmer of annoyance flashing through his eyes for a split-second. Jaune appeared to notice it too, but he held Faen's gaze.

The question raised by Jaune was one Amarantha also entertained, for she had not been at the ballroom party and saw nothing of what happened there. When she first heard of the incident, she did not immediately believe Halvard to be the perpetrator. It struck her as insane for him to attempt such a deed. However, after going around and hearing what those who were there had to say, Amarantha found the idea of Halvard being the culprit more believable.

No, she did not absolutely believe the Dwarf to be guilty. The evidence against him was great, but until such guilt was undeniably proven, Amarantha would rather not make any assumptions yet. An outlook she unfortunately shared with a few others.

Not wanting to dwell on the incident any longer apparently, Ruby brought the topic of their conversation back to the matters they initially intended for this meeting to be about. The sharing of ideas and planning for future events. It was welcomed by all in the room, and for the rest of the time they were in the dorm, things went without trouble.

Amarantha contributed to the discussion in her own way when needed. Offering up ways in which they and their teams could improve and maintain their physical and mental welfare, which was of great importance to people like them and seemingly come under her purview in these meetings. That was not the only thing she spoke of, and Amarantha often provided feedback whenever she deemed necessary or was asked for it.

Ruby, unsurprisingly, liked to share ideas for weapon upgrades and entirely new designs with them While she was certainly inventive, she could become too adventurous and wild, needing to be reminded to tone things down once in a while by Amarantha and the others. Despite that, she could admit that listening to Ruby speak and come up with all sorts of concepts on the spot was fascinating to see. Even if it were for implements of dealing death.

In Jaune's case all he needed was a little positive encouragement sometimes when getting his thoughts out, on tactical manoeuvres his team or their own might utilise in combat. That Jaune took the time to think of such ideas for them was admirable. What was more admirable was the amount of consideration that went into these proposed 'team attacks', as Jaune put it, and how they could honestly be worth using actual combat scenarios. Not an easy feat given how he did this despite not being in the same team. Goes to show how far he had come from the start of the Beacon.

Faen, being the reticent individual he was, did not put forth ideas as frequently as the other two, but gave feedback on those presented like she did. When he did present a new idea, his most interesting proposals were related to how they fought personally, from their footwork to how to time a thrust meant to slip past an enemy's guard. He just needed some coaxing to speak up a little.

At last, when all matters were concluded and their allotted time up, the four team leaders packed things up and prepared to attend what other affairs they had today. The school year and Vytal Festival was not over yet, so there were still things to keep them from being idle.

Jaune went to his dorm, intending to finish a catch up project assigned to him by Professor Oobleck. Ruby, remembering she had a 'team-building exercise' with Weiss in two minutes, sprinted faster than the eye could track in order to reach her in time. That left Amarantha and Faen together. Both Demi-humans had places to be, but in her mind, now was a good time to confront the Elf with her concerns about him and they discussed earlier.

"You should not be this way, Faen." Amarantha was quick to say, casting a critical eye at the Elf as they began to make their way out of the dorm block.

"Be what?" Faen asked with only a sideways look her way.

"You have been wronged Faen Tatharion, that is true. But must you wish misfortune upon Halvard? If proven guilty he will face punishment, but hoping he receives more than what he deserves will not be justice." Amarantha elaborated, choosing not to mince words with her fellow team leader.

"Thank you for your insight, Amarantha. I will give it due consideration." The tone of Faen's voice was polite, but she could see past the veneer and understood he was being insincere with her. Not wishing to let the issue go, Amarantha pressed him further.

"Faen. This spiteful attitude of yours is improper for a future Huntsman. Learn to curb it or else it will cause you harm one day. Worse, it may result in you harming someone." An edge was now in Amarantha's voice and her brow inched downwards by a fraction. They had their disagreements before, however, this situation drew more ire from her than the others.

Her words dug into Faen, causing him to turn his head to properly face her now while they descended the stairs to the ground floor of the block. Looking back, Amarantha's gaze met Faen's again, and she could immediately sense his displeasure toward her. The way his eyes glared daggers into her sent a chill up Amarantha's spine, and their intensity almost made the Naga avert her eyes away from him. She stayed strong, however, and held his gaze.

"Another of your lectures," Faen's voice came as a tired hiss. "How many of these do you plan to grace me with? You always seem to find a reason to give one."

"I give these 'lectures' because you are among those who most need them. Not even Tora or Jaune received as many as you have." If Amarantha had put a nail against the back of Faen's head with what she said earlier, she had now taken a hammer and driven it into his skull with that last statement. For his eyes flashed for a split-second, and, although he kept his face as passive as possible, his lips parted for a moment before closing sharply.

In normal circumstances Amarantha would do her best to avoid making use of such tactics. This was not a normal circumstance. The Elf could be a stubborn sort, and sometimes the only way to reach him was taking all gloves off and going all out.

"Your grudges. Your spite. They are all folly, Faen Tatharion, and will leave you for the worse. Enemies are easy to make, and you shall have no shortage of those if you keep to this path. You must change or else one of them will be the end of you one day." Amarantha did not speak through personal experience, but the elder Naga of her town regularly told stories as part of lessons. Several she knew applied well right now, yet, she doubted Faen would listen to one given his current mind and state.

"You are correct about me making enemies, but what of it? I shall overcome them, emerging stronger and better for it." Faen responded, a sudden wave of his hand nearest to her coming close to Amarantha's cheek. It was quick and she barely saw it coming. A threat? "Will that not make me a greater Huntsman? After all, competition of any kind can create as much good as cooperation. You would disagree with such logic?"

"I concede on you having a point in that regard, but my earlier point about excessive amount of enemies and your ability to make them remains." Amarantha continued, undeterred by his dismissal and previous action. "Why must you waste time and energy on such enemies anyway? We are pledged to fighting the Grimm, and they should take priority over any personal enmities we might have with others to better fulfil our duty."

The two had now reached the bottom of the stairs, where they walked over to the door leading outside. Opening the door to the outside, they were greeted with an autumnal breeze and two people walking up to the door. Friesian Bones and Cinder Fall. The latter two were immersed in conversation with each other over some topic Amarantha did not know, but were quick to mark her and Faen exiting the dorm block.

"-get what you mean Cin-Oh, hey there boss! Was waitin' for you." Friesian's head looked up from his belt, a hand waving at both his leader and her as they all stood together. "And Amarantha, how're you? Doing fine I hope."

"I am alright, Friesian. Thank you very much for asking." Amarantha nodded her head once to the Dullahan as she tugged her tail in before the the door shut behind her. There were dark circles under Friesian's eyes where there had not been a few days before. He was not sleeping well, and she could sense a hint of tiredness in his voice.

She knew why this was so and Amarantha felt for him. His family had been in danger of losing a member, while Friesian was miles away and unable to do anything to help. She was half a world away from her hometown, and sometimes kept up at night from just thinking about the danger her home was in. There was an option for Friesian to leave the Academy to be with his family in this difficult time, but, despite the anguish he was going through, he stayed to complete his studies in Beacon.

"And you Cinder. A good day to you." Amarantha said as she focused on the raven-haired Haven student and fellow team leader.

"A pleasure to see you as well, Amarantha. The weather is not too much for you?" Cinder replied with a kindly smile her way.

"Chilly, but tolerable." Her answer to Cinder's query came with Amarantha's usual monotone manner of speech and lack of any change to her facial expression. The Mistralian was unperturbed by this and maintained that cool smile on her face.

Cinder was a character that caught the attention of plenty in Beacon during the first couple weeks after her arrival. She was captivating in appearance, disarming for most in conversation, yet remained at a distance from others so very few could say they truly knew her. That only seemed to increase her appeal to some.

For her part, Amarantha was uncertain about the Mistralian. Slightly troubled even.

Amarantha could not get a full grasp of the person beneath Cinder's exterior. She could see past the masks worn by her friends and others, but it was exceedingly difficult for her to find and open any crack on Cinder's. It confounded the Naga how this was so, and, because of this, she could not say whether she liked Cinder or not. They were cordial enough to greet one another as they did just now, but until she knew more, that was unlikely to change.

"This is a surprise Cinder. To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?" Faen asked Cinder, quickly looking to his teammate and acknowledging him with a nod, before facing Cinder with a curious look.

"After hearing of what happened last night, I had to come and see how you are doing." The Mistralian answered him, giving Faen a quick once over and what looked like approval dashing across her eyes once she was done. "I'm glad to see you are unhurt. Awful what happened to you last night. Awful."

"My many thanks for your concern, Cinder. It was all very sudden, but Halvard did not linger long enough to get more than a handful of strikes on me." Faen lightly inclined his head to Cinder as he responded.

"Glad as I am to see you fine, I am afraid I might ruin whatever good mood you may have." Cinder's smile dropped as she relayed this information, which caused the eyes of both Amarantha and Faen to narrow. "A new rumour has began to spread... One that portrays you in a poor light. That, instead of you being attacked by Halvard, he is the victim in this situation and you were the one who assaulted him."

"Is that so?" The Elf slowly let those words roll off of his tongue while speaking in a low tone. Taking a sideways glance his way, Amarantha saw her fellow team leader put his hands behind his back and tilt his head slightly to the side. The fingers of one hand twitching, probably from wanting to form a fist with it, but holding himself back because perhaps it would broadcast his innermost feelings on this subject.

"Afraid she isn't wrong about this rumour, Boss. Passed a couple other students talkin' about it on my way here." Friesian sighed to himself once he finished talking, which certainly did not do any good for the Elf's mood.

This did not sit well with Amarantha either. The whole incident was bad enough, but the spreading of rumours like this would not help matters. Who had even started it in the first place? Did they not understand how perilous such an act might be and what ramifications it could bring? Not just to themselves and the subjects they spoke of, but the whole Academy as well?

"I have somewhere else to be right now Amarantha. We may continue this discussion later." Faen took a step forward then turned around to address her. "In that time I shall... consider all that you said."

"Please do more than 'consider'. Act." Amarantha replied back, her arms folding and staring sternly at him to convey how serious she was about it.

In response Faen regarded her with an icy look, but turned his back to Amarantha with a low huff and began walking with hands tucked in his trouser pockets. Seeing the Elf leave, Friesian bid Amarantha a good day and followed after him. Cinder bid Amarantha goodbye for now and, with quick long strides, caught up with Faen and began sharing what else she had to say with him.

Remaining stood by the door for a moment, the Naga looked on as her fellow team leader walked away with the two other students. After a minute, Amarantha finally turned to slithered away from the dorm block, however, she stopped upon spotting a figure looking down from the roof of a nearby dorm block. With hands planted on her hips, Yasmin Doronlas stood like a stone statue gazing imperiously on the people below her.

It was too far away for Amarantha to make out what expression the Half-Dracon wore, not that it was possible with the mask over her face. Amarantha could see that her gaze was aimed at the trio Amarantha just parted with, for her head followed them as they left. Not long after the Naga noticed Yasmin, she did so in turn, and, in the blink of an eye, disappeared from view.

Amarantha would spy the Half-Dracon watching the comings and goings of the Academy from various high positions. Be it the dorm rooftops, the courtyard arches, Beacon Tower itself, and more. The careful eye could spot her at any one of these locations, with any and all who did left to wonder just what was going on in her head. Most speculated the reason for Yasmin doing this to all come down to her overbearing arrogance, and to be as far away from the people she deemed 'lesser' than her. An easy assumption to make, yet maybe there was more to it.

Arrogance may very well be one reason, however, Amarantha believed she was also observing people. Spying on their actions. Watching their daily routines. This too was an assumption on her part, but the way Yasmin looked down on the ground made her believe so.

Her heart troubled by all that had gone on, Amarantha continued down a path away from the dorm blocks in order to meet with her teammates. She would ponder over all this in time.

---

In Beacon's library Monica sat at one of the computers. Her eyes fixed onto the screen and darting here and there as she devoured the information on display. A finger keying a command to scroll down on the current page she was reading.

Her time in the convent had been dedicated purely to learning and performing the duties expected of her and her fellow Sisters, so she had neither the time or ability to learn of her people beside what was necessary for her to live her life. Since coming to Beacon, Monica had unrestricted access to publicly available knowledge and took the opportunity to learn what she could. Rather embarrassingly, Monica was astonished by how much was stored on the internet, and found herself on it for lengthy periods of time when allowed.

Speaking with her fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-Training provided some good information, but she used what was on the internet to fill in and complement whatever they told her.

Monica knew Vampires once ruled a realm of their own, the Midnight Principality, and that it controlled roughly a fifth of Avalon before the land's unification under the Faery Kings. What she did not know was the finer details of its society and history.

A very hierarchical realm ruled by a sovereign known as the 'Prince' with clearly defined lines that separated people into different societal ranks, with non-Vampires restricted from the higher rungs of society. Unsurprisingly direct feeding, the act of biting a subject and drinking blood straight from their body, was far more commonplace than it was today because of the lack of ways to safely preserve blood for long periods of time. It was also used as a way to punish criminals, with 'blood tithing' as common as monetary fines in their law books. The non-Vampires were protected from predation by the Creatures of Grimm and, depending on the times, treated well for practical or altruistic reasons.

And what protectors they had.

Clad in the finest plate armour. Bearing weapons that could cleave and pierce the toughest beast hide. Their martial skill and discipline as close to perfection as any in this world could reach. At their height they were considered by almost all in Avalon to be the greatest warriors on the island, or even the world according to some accounts. Only the unified Werebeast Tribes of Avalon had the potential strength to overwhelm the Vampires during the Principality's golden age, yet was spared by the tribes' lack of unity.

That time was over now. The Principality was absorbed into the Faery Kingdom, and the Vampires and their protectors were not what they once were.

Abruptly ceasing in her scrolling, Monica bit her lower lip as she thought on all she had found. There was so much to her people, or Kindred as they referred to each other, that she had not known in the seventeen years secluded in the convent. From their old animist faith to the recipes enjoyed by the Vampiric elite. The love for tournaments in the Principality's later years to the particulars of showing hospitality towards guests. It would likely take Monica years to absorb all the knowledge.

All of it was fascinating to Monica, really it was. Yet it made her feel more distant from the rest of Vampirekind than before. The realisation hit her hard, for the more she learned, the more she realised how large the gap between her and her people was. She had become accustomed to the life she lived in the convent, and, while she would like to incorporate more of Vampire culture into her life, she could not see how to.

Placing a hand over her chest and taking a deep breath, the young Sister whispered out a prayer. An envy for the deep connections her friends and peers had with their parent cultures had wormed inside her, and Monica worked to quell it whenever the feeling rose up before it tainted her actions.

Logging off the computer and, as she powered it down, Monica heard the whispered words of a few nearby students. Nothing new and on most occasions not worth listening to. This time, however, she was drawn in because of the subject of their hushed conversations.

"Hey, you see that? That was Surtr Bran wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah it is. Damn, no matter how many times I see him, I still can't get over the fact that he is here."

"Is he busy? I've been wanting to ask him if he could give me an autograph for ages."

"Autograph? Nah, you're better off asking for some pointers on how to fight."

"'Fraid ya'll have to wait a lil longer, 'cus it looks like he's with someone right. That's Ren and Nora, right? Funny that. Thought I saw 'em speaking to him just yesterday."

Ren and Nora? Were they not speaking to him the day before? When the students returned to Beacon after that day's matches, she noticed the pair being engrossed in conversation with Surtr. What was it that drew the two to speaking with the Jotunn again? Monica, intrigued by what she heard, chose to pick up her things and see for herself what the two were doing with the Jotunn.

Following the direction of the voices and where some had pointed to, Monica kept an eye an eye out for the Jotunn and the Humans accompanying him. She did not need to search long, for all three were very recognisable, especially Surtr thanks to his great height.

Laying eyes upon the Jotunn a short distance from the library, Monica sucked in a breath and halted her steps. Her body freezing as though it were caught in a trap or an incredibly sudden cold breeze. It was more than just Surtr's reputation that caused her to stop. The sheer size of the Jotunn fired up some instinct that told her to beware such a large individual,

Surtr was someone that could not only draw the eye of everyone in the room, but make you pause where you stood. His mere presence in a room was enough to render all silent, and if he wished to speak all would listen.

Monica's legs were reluctant to obey her commands to move. Her lower limbs feeling as though they had grown roots that embedded themselves into the ground, or they had turned completely into lead. They moved in the end and Monica began to follow them from a distance, her higher sense of hearing allowing her to hear what they were saying to each other.

"Keep practising, you two. You've come far, but with the world in the state it's in, you and all your friends need to be prepared for the hard times to come." Surtr commended the two, but Monica was intrigued by the warning he was giving them. Hard times?

"You really believe something bad will happen soon?" Nora asked the Jotunn, her normally chipper attitude notably absent.

"It's bound to, Nora. Live as long as I have and you will learn to see the signs. Right now, they are everywhere." Surtr told them in a grave tone. "In the times ahead, we will need capable fighters to face the encroaching chaos. Use your time together in Beacon wisely, and you may come out of it alive."

What was Surtr talking about? The Vampire, now thoroughly intrigued, followed after the three with more interest and caution. Caution because she did not want them to realise they were being eavesdropped on, which Monica did feel guilty for doing. Yet her curiosity outweighed her sense of guilt right now.

"That's a lot to put on us. We'll do our best to live up to your expectations, though." Monica overheard Ren saying in response to Surtr's previous words.

"That is all I ask, Ren." Surtr said in a rumbling voice, his head turning to the side. Monica believed she had been spotted for his eye seemed to flash her way for a split-second, but it appeared she had been wrong, and he continued speaking. "It's likely I won't come back to the Academy after my business is done. Might not be back for a long, long time, so you'll be on your own. But I think I won't have to worry about that, do I?"

"We'll be okay. The Academy's willing to provide accommodations for us while we study here, and we've spoken to Jaune about living with him if we have to. He said he'd be happy to, so there's no need for you to worry about us not having a roof over our heads." Nora replied, her words causing a question to light up in Monica's head.

"I'm still not sure if we should be imposing on Jaune." Ren said in such a low tone that Monica had to strain her ears to properly hear all of what he had said.

"C'mon, Ren. It was Jaune who offered us to stay with him in Vale. We can't feel bad for our friend wanting to help us." Nora looked to Ren and put a hand on his shoulder. Her voice still lacking any of the cheeriness and energy that had come to define her in the eyes of others, which continued to throw Monica off. Others matters drew her attention, though.

Thus far she had learnt Surtr believed some terrible event or dire times were in their future, and they all needed to prepare. She had also observed Ren and Nora having some kind of deep connection to the Jotunn, for she had witnessed no other student converse with him in a way like this. Everyone was essentially scared of the Jotunn in some way, her own moment of anxiety being one example, yet Ren and Nora appeared to be the only ones who seemed able to approach Surtr without concern or trepidation. Yet, as far as she could see, their interactions brought out a melancholic atmosphere.

Should she ask them what it was about? They were friends, or at least on friendly terms, so they ought to understand her curiosity But, judging from the air, the subject may be one they would rather not approach.

Confounded on what she should and should not do, Monica continued to follow them as they entered Beacon's courtyard.

"That Arc boy? He might not be as strong as his forefathers, but at least he displays a kind heart toward you." The Jotunn commented with a huff. "See to it that he stays that way. The Arcs have produced good people, and we need more of such people now. That Pyrrha girl as well. Make sure the pair of them, and both of you, stay on the right and true."

"So you do think well of him?" Nora's tone perked up by a bit, almost tripping as she began to walk sideways.

"You did not seem to like Jaune when you first met him. Has your opinion of him improved?" Ren inquired, quickly helping steady Nora as he did. This appeared to amuse Surtr, although why was not immediately clear to Monica.

"He's got further to go than the rest of you. And... bah, nevermind." Surtr shook as he discarded the thought he had started to say. Causing Monica to wonder just what he had intended to say, same went for Nora and Ren who quickly gave each other a look. "That Pyrrha girl, as well. She needs an eye on her as much as that boy. Fame of the kind she has is more of a weighty burden than anything else, so make sure she remains strong and the attention sent her way doesn't wear her down."

"We promise. Don't you worry," Ren resolutely answered the Jotunn.

Monica was even more intrigued by what she had heard. Surtr spoke little of his thoughts about Beacon's student body, at least in earshot of the students themselves. When he watched them train Surtr never gave any of the students the impression that he was impressed with them at all. To hear what the Huntsman thought of Team JNPR, which sounded fairly positive, made Monica wonder what he would say about the rest of them. With his age and experience, he must be able to spot any flaws in their techniques, and, from what she just heard him say, spot any internal problems they might face.

Now Surtr stopped and turned his body to look down on the two Human students, setting the duffel bag he had been carrying onto the floor. From where Monica was watching, she saw the expression on the Jotunn's face melt a little. It lost a fraction of the hardness that defined his facial features.

Before Monica could spend a second marvelling at this unexpected sight, the Vampire caught sight of a familiar pair of Huntresses waiting some distance ahead of the trio she had been following. Professors Goodwitch and Taupe. They too were watching the interaction between Surtr, Ren, and Nora, while appearing to be sharing a few words together. Surtr was leaving the Academy, perhaps they were here to tell him something before saying goodbye.

"We'll part ways here. Again, take care of yourselves and maybe we'll see each other sometime in the future." While his face had softened, Surtr's voice remained as gruff as it had always been despite some of the tender words he had just spoken.

"Stay safe," was all Ren was able to manage. Bowing his head to the Jotunn.

"What Ren said." Nora added, although she was not done yet. "We'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for us. But when we get the chance, mind if we treat you to something or-"

"There's no need for any of that Nora. I found the two of you and got you to Tsutsuji because it was my duty as a Huntsman. When you become Huntsmen, always remember what your duty is and who it is to." Surtr was quick to reject the idea Nora was proposing.

"Well it's our duty to show thanks to the person who helped us in the past. What you did may not mean all that much to you, but it's a big deal to me and Ren." Nora fired back, her tone and body language showing annoyance toward the Jotunn's dismissal of what she had attempted to say. Maybe he had refused previous offers in the past.

Tsutsuji. Monica had heard that name when Amarantha shared her side of what happened at the Demi-human District Festival. It had been mentioned when her group, which had Ren and Nora in it, ran across the Jotunn while he conversed with Professor Taupe. It was significant to Ren and Nora, to the point that whatever occurred there left a long-lasting impact on them, but without a fuller picture Monica could only guess at what happened.

As Monica continued to watch the three as she pretended to take in the sight of the statue dominating the centre of the courtyard, she heard the sound of scales sliding over pavement. They could only belong to one person in all of Beacon, and, from how they drew closer, she was headed towards her.

Diverting her attention from the three she had been watching, the young Vampire's gaze fell on her team leader. Today had been one of Amarantha's meetings with other team leaders, and, although the Naga's composure remained the same, the look in her eyes told Monica she was troubled or burdened by an issue that may have arisen during the meeting. She would often be this way after every meeting, so Monica was not at all surprised.

"Amarantha. Good to see you. How did your meeting with Ruby, Jaune, and Faen go?" Monica asked her team leader as soon as she was within seven human paces from the Vampire

"Monica. The meeting was productive." Amarantha replied, stopping a couple paces from Monica. "Come the end of the Vytal Tournament, we plan to have another meeting. Maybe we shall bring everyone in this time. It shall allow us to hear everyone's thoughts, although it will make it more chaotic."

"With Team RWBY, Nora, and Tora in the same room, it's bound to." The Naga's face did not visibly respond to the joking remark Monica made, but Amarantha's gaze became lighter. Tora was the one to first notice that whenever their team leader must felt encumbered by something, a spot of light-hearted humour was a good starting point toward improving her mood. Immediately bringing up the topic of whatever was troubling her would not be wise, as it might sour her emotions, so she would wait before raising the subject with her team leader.

"Is that Surtr Bran. Is he leaving the Academy?" Amarantha looked past Monica and cast her gaze in the direction of the three she had been watching earlier.

Swivelling around and looking to where the two Human students and Jotunn Huntsman had been standing, Monica saw them share a few final words with each other before Surtr picked his duffel bag up and began walking out of the courtyard. Ren and Nora waved goodbye to him as they watched him leave just as Amarantha and Monica, alongside a dozen other people, were doing the same. It would seem Monica had not been the only person interested in what the legendary Demi-human Huntsman was doing.

As Monica had thought, Professor Goodwitch and Professor Taupe had been waiting for him. They joined him and the three almost instantly fell into conversation with each other as they walked down Beacon's long avenue together.

She was curious as to what they were talking about. A part of her wanted to continue following after the Jotunn and listening in on what the three Huntsmen were discussing. She was prevented from doing so by the feel of a hand on her shoulder. Looking to it Monica saw it belonged to Amarantha, the Naga speaking as their eyes met.

"Come. I want to find Reuel and Tora. There is a matter I wish to share with you all." Oh dear. If Amarantha wanted to personally share something after a gathering with the other team leaders, then it might not have gone well.

"Oh. If that is what you want." Monica replied, her mind running through several ideas as to what Amarantha could possibly intend to speak to them about. Given recent events and the people she had to meet, it could be anything. "Last I checked, Reuel and Tora were sparring together at the practise halls. They might be done now, so we should give them a call to know where they are."

"An agreeable course of action." Amarantha hummed as she nodded, sent one last look past Monica, and swung around to start slithering away.

Before Amarantha followed after her leader, Monica sent one last look at Ren and Nora. The two were stood side by side, and she saw that the two were holding each other's hands tightly as they kept on watching Surtr leave. Monica felt something in her heart when she saw this, as though it were a harp and someone had roughly pulled on the strings and let them go. Puzzled by these emotions, Monica turned away and silently walked after Amarantha.

---

Coming down from Beacon Tower after the meeting with the professors, Taupe now walked along Beacon's long avenue with Surtr beside her. This was the day the Jotunn would be leaving for the mission given to him by the Vale Council, and she wanted to see her friend off. Glynda was with them too, and, while not a personal friend of Surtr's, she felt it to be her responsibility to bid him goodbye in Ozpin's absence.

"Please come back to the Academy if you ever have time. I'm sure Ozpin would like to have you with us, even for a day." Glynda suggested to the tall Huntsman.

"Many thanks Glynda, yet this was only a brief stay though, and the wilds still need clearing of Grimm. So do not expect me back any time soon, but I may come back when time allows." Surtr replied, nodding his head her way. In his right hand he carried an extra-large duffel bag, while his massive greatsword was slung on his back.

"You will be missed Surtr. I think the students are starting to become more comfortable with you. Some I hear are working up the courage to actually approach you for an autograph." Taupe said, a couple of her snakes eyeing a pair of students who watched the three pass them by and whisper between themselves who would approach Surtr first.

"Good for them, I suppose." Surtr snorted. He was never all too fond of giving out autographs, and she suspected he was secretly glad to be leaving before anyone asked for one.

Walking further down the avenue, an increasing amount of people began to mark their passage. Not a surprise, and she could hear them begin speaking in hushed tones to one another as they watched the three. By the time they reached the airship docks, Taupe was willing to bet they would have a small crowd behind them. Such was Surtr's legend, and the sheer levels of curiosity the young Huntsmen-in-Training would harbour upon seeing him.

As they walked, an idea rose up in Taupe's mind. This mission would involve many Huntsmen, that much she knew, but she had not been made privy to who and how many. With Surtr having accepted and leaving for the mission, now might be her best chance to learn what she could from him.

"Who else will be on this mission with you? I know of a few, but the full list of Huntsmen was not disclosed to anyone who refused it." Taupe spoke quietly enough that only she, Glynda, and Surtr could hear. She had corresponded with plenty of her friends and associates in the Huntsman community to hear who had and had not been put on this mission. Quite a few of them were offered a place, but only four confirmed they had accepted the offer at the time she checked up on them.

"Here. No harm in showing you both," Surtr reached into a trouser pocket and, after unlocking it, passed it over to the two Huntresses.

Taking the Scroll from Surtr, Taupe looked down at the information on the screen and saw it to be the mission details. Scrolls belonging to Huntsmen could display and update the missions they accepted, even show who else may have taken it alongside you if the mission allowed for multiple Huntsmen. What Taupe was looking at right now just so happened to be the other Huntsmen who would be accompanying Surtr, and what a list it was.

Francesca Oro, the talented pilot of the Pelican-Class airship 'Hind'. Sophos Caeruleum, a cunning man famous for his discovery and decade long adventures in the Homeric Archipelago. Arthit Gung, a marksman of extraordinary skill renowned for shooting down nine Huowu threatening a Mistralian town.

They had even roped in the likes of Alonso Triste. In all honesty, Taupe had to wonder why they had chosen him to be a part of the operation. While he certainly had a considerable number of years and experience under his belt, he was an old Huntsman, older than her and Surtr by nearly two decades. Despite his advanced age, and, if the rumours were true, deterioration of his mental health, he still took on missions with an ardour that was equal parts astonishing and worrisome. If it were up to Taupe, he would not be a part of this mission.

These were but a few of the Huntsmen to participate in the mission, the total number being thirty-five. It was rare for such a high number of Huntsmen to be brought together for a single mission. The last instance being when twenty-one Huntsmen took on the task of helping found and protect the Valean frontier town of New Reverie back in 72 Post-War.

That so many Huntsmen were selected for this, plenty seasoned veterans, spoke of the threat the amassing Grimm posed and the seriousness with which the Council were taking this matter.

"Quite something, eh?" Surtr remarked to Taupe and Glynda. "I was surprised to see half of those names on the list. It will be interesting to work with some of them, that I can tell you."

"It certainly is impressive to see how many the Council are bringing in for this mission. I cannot help but feel it is dangerous to drag this many away from Vale and the other settlements, however. The Council has a plan to handle this, I hope?" The threat the Grimm posed was great and needed dealing with as soon as possible, but dispatching thirty-five Huntsmen could negatively impact the safety of settlements in need of their protection. She hoped the Council were not foolish enough to not see this problem.

"The Council stepped up the amount of active Valean Defence Force personnel and positioned them across the Kingdom. Even enlisting mercenaries to supplement their numbers." Glynda informed the two as Surtr's Scroll was passed on over to her. "And remember that message encouraging Huntsmen in Vale to take on more missions in the Vale City area? The Council has thought this through."

"All the while Ironwood and his Atlesians are charged with protecting the city itself." Surtr grumbled. Taupe knew better than to ask if he was fine and looked ahead of them.

They were at Beacon's docks now and waiting at one of the landing pads was an airship bearing the symbol of Vale, a pilot and officer in the green and grey uniform of the Valean Defence Force waiting patiently by the airship. The VDF are the primary branch of Vale's professional military, and, while they might not be as technologically advanced as Atlas, they were a dependable lot as far as Taupe was concerned. The officer took note of their approach and said something to the pilot, who saluted and hopped into the vehicle while the officer began walking to meet them.

"Mr Bran, sir. We will be your ride to the gathering point." The VDF officer informed the Jotunn once they were a few paces from each other, a hand tipping his officer's cap to both him and Taupe.

"Thank you. Give a minute then I will be aboard." Surtr nodded his head to the officer. Hearing this the officer sent a glance over to Taupe and Glynda, before then stepping back a couple steps and stood with his hands behind his back. Surtr then turned back to face the two and continued speaking. "Sorry in advance for all this. A mission like this isn't going to be resolved quickly, so I likely won't be back until after the Tournament is over. If I decide to come back that is."

"Don't you worry about that Surtr. You have a job to do, and it would not do for any of us to hold that against you." Taupe lightly shook her head at Surtr as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"And it will be fine if you choose not to return to Beacon after your mission's completion. I dare say you having been here will motivate the students to train harder for a while." Glynda turned her head slightly, sending a look behind them to the group of students that had gathered to watch the Jotunn's departure. Through her snakes Taupe could see the likes of Teams ABRN, FNKI, BRNZ, and CRDL.

So many gazed with eyes full of awe towards the three Huntsmen. A handful whispered to each other, while some more had their Scrolls out to record or take photos of what was happening. The Kingdoms had not shared news of the mission Surtr and the other Huntsmen had taken with the public, so all they knew was that the Jotunn was leaving the Academy. What would they think if they knew just what he was actually getting up to, she wondered?

"Glynda, if you can, tell Ozpin I would greatly appreciate it if he were to send me word on how two of your Academy's students are doing over the course of their studies here." Surtr asked the Human Huntress.

"Oh, which ones?" Glynda was surprised by this request, as was Taupe.

"Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie." The blonde Huntress raised a brow at the two names given to her, while most of Taupe's snakes snapped their gazes his way in an instant. She recalled they encountered one another in the past, although when asked none were willing to go into the details as to how.

"Typically legal guardians are the only ones this may be done for, but I will pass your request along to the Headmaster regardless. Please, do take care of yourself while on this mission, Surtr." Glynda said after a brief moment spent digesting what the Jotunn had requested of her.

"Thank you, Glynda." Surtr graciously said after hearing her co-worker's response, his eyes turning away from Glynda and to what was ahead of him. Quietly the two Huntresses shared a curious look with each other as they carried on conversing with Surtr.

This was a first for Surtr. As far as Taupe was aware, Surtr had never shown this level of interest in the students of the Huntsmen Academies or anyone taking the Huntsmen exams before. True he had put forth recommendations for people seeking to be Huntsmen, but rarely had he followed that act up by keeping an eye on their progress and careers. So Surtr wanting to be informed as to how a pair of Beacon first-years were doing mostly definitely sparked Taupe's interest.

"Do you have a particular reason for this? Or is the Headmaster already aware of the reasons you might have behind this request?" Glynda went ahead and asked Surtr, most likely out of her own sense of curiosity and for the sake of documenting the Jotunn's reasons when she approached Ozpin with his request.

"No, I have not approached Ozpin with my request before. If it is not possible, I understand." Surtr sighed. "Bah, ought to get get going now or else the Council will get antsy with me. Pass my regards to the rest of the staff. Same goes for when the old bird comes back from wherever he's buggered off to."

"We'll be sure to pass your words on. Keep safe," Taupe stepped in a responded. The Jotunn looked her way and gave Taupe a thankful nod. When she had time tonight, the Gorgon would pour a drink out for him to wish him luck.

"Farewell Mister Bran. Best of luck to you and the other Huntsmen on this mission." Glynda added, also receiving a gracious nod of the head from Surtr.

Their goodbyes said and done, Surtr's great frame swung round and he followed the VDF officer as he lead the way to the airship. As he walked away, Taupe could hear the Jotunn hum a song to himself. She recognised it to be an old folksong from the Solitas Enclaves he loved to sing from time to time before his departure from the public spotlight. If she remembered correctly, it spoke of a warrior's desire for their lifelong duty to end and to return home, enjoying the simple comforts for the rest of their life.

Closing her eyes briefly, the Gorgon sighed as the words danced at the edge of her mind. She never put much thought on the song when she was young, but now they never felt more relevant to her.

When she next opened her eyes, the door to Surtr's airship had shut and, after a half a minute, it began to rise from its platform. Hovering over the ground for a handful of seconds, it then sped away from the Academy in a south-westerly direction. Leaving Taupe and Glynda alone at the now empty platform. Together, the two turned from the airship as it quickly shrunk the further away it flew away and looked on the crowd of students.

They were abuzz with excited chatter and Taupe spotted a few of them furiously typing something onto their Scrolls. By her estimate, the whole Academy will have learned Surtr had departed from Beacon within an hour. They would all start wondering why, and a dozen theories will have begun to circulate through the student body in another hour. Looking at the students, however, another thought sprouted in her mind.

The future had become more uncertain lately. If a storm were indeed coming, she hoped her students would be able to weather it.

---

The gentle swaying of branches in the wind, the calls of distant animals, and the crunch of dead leaves filled Ozpin's ears as he walked under the trees of the Emerald Forest. This particular part of the forest was not near to where Initiation for Beacon normally took place. No, this was a far older part of the Emerald Forest which had seen next to no Human feet tread under its boughs.

Although the Emerald Forest was regularly used by Beacon as part of training exercises and students were permitted to train under its branches, it was still a highly dangerous place. Grimm of various shapes and sizes prowled through the forest, with several old and powerful specimens. Beacon's proximity to the Emerald Forest was no random coincidence, but a deliberate choice. With able-bodied Huntsmen and numerous teams of Huntsmen-in-Training residing in the Academy, they could rapidly respond to a surge of Grimm activity from the forest before they struck the city.

A good place for his quarry to call a hideout.

"Are you sure we should be approaching her? After what happened, I was not sure you would ever think of calling on any of them for assistance ever again." Qrow said to Ozpin from a couple steps behind. He had asked this same question three times already, with different wording, but Ozpin's mind was made up and his answer unchanging.

"Yes, she and her group have made mistakes and did not always do things in ways I approved. But now is not the time to dwell on them, and there is still uses they can fulfil." Despite his own words, Ozpin had his own reservations with involving his quarry in the Order's matters again.

"Alright, Oz. Know I've got your back if things somehow go sideways with her. They could be unpredictable at times, and if she tries anything I'll be there in a flash." Qrow let out an exasperated sigh, his dominant hand noticeably close to Harbringer at all times. The Headmaster greatly appreciated Qrow's concern for him, but it would not be necessary with their quarry. Although there were without a doubt other matters that validated Qrow's concern.

"Thank you Qrow." Ozpin gratefully responded without breaking or slowing the pace of his stride. "I very much doubt she will attempt any harm on my person, but remain vigilant. The Coven fractured terribly, and there might be some who do have ill intentions towards her and myself. Ensure our meeting goes without a hitch, please."

Qrow answered with a silent nod and carried on eyeing the forest around them in case of danger or signs of someone following them. Ozpin looked ahead, his mind falling back to the organisation their quarry once belonged to.

The Coven. Perhaps the only other secret society that could rival the Order in longevity and, at one point, influence over Remnant's history. It had gone by many names over the course of its existence, eight last time he checked, with the Coven being the ninth and the one they settled on.

Once a collection of sagely figures, they grew into more fifty years before the Demi-humans retreated to the Enclaves. It was at that time they encountered the earliest form of his Order, and the two organisations began to collaborate. Both organisations shared interests and some motivations, but they had their differences. Where his Order sought to safeguard the peoples of Remnant and carefully guide them through the ages, the Coven's eyes were set on pushing Remnant, and themselves most importantly, into becoming something more. Something greater than what their current selves allowed them to be.

Not a terrible ideal on its own. Unlike the Order, however, they did not hope to achieve this through the people coming to understand one another, for society was not what they hoped to better. The people themselves were what the Coven intended to better. Rather grimly, these sages saw the best way to do so being through experimentation of the body, Dust, and Aura.

Word of these people performing disturbing experiments in their secluded abodes arose around that time. Rumours of Dust-laced concoctions imbibed by strange hermits, who also cut into the bodies of the deceased and would perform unspeakable acts on those who unlocked the gift that was Aura. These rumours went on to form the basis of many fairy tales that told of dark wizards and the twisted magic they performed in their dreadful towers or palaces.

Undoubtedly many of those rumours and remaining tales exaggerated the truth of their deeds. Yet that did not mean they were untrue.

The Coven were dangerous, and Ozpin had missed more than a few nights of sleep trying to curb or clean up the most reckless of the Coven's explorations into bodily 'ascension'. They were tolerated for, in spite of the dangers, the organisation had been almost as earnest in protecting Remnant as his own Order. For the longest time its members thought it their duty to raise the people of Remnant up, and used what resources they had to safeguard this goal. Or at least, that was how things had been for the Coven until just over a decade ago.

After a grave failure on the Coven's part, dissension arose among its ranks. The Coven did not survive the internal strife and fractured. Now whatever remained of its members were scattered across Remnant and pursuing whatever goals they wished. He kept track of as many as he could, but a vast majority of them went into hiding and it took no small amount of investigation to identify and find a former Coven member. If Ozpin was correct, there would be one Coven member in these woods.

Coming at last to the where Ozpin believed the target of his search to be located, he heard Qrow let out a low whistle when they laid eyes on the cottage hidden away among the trees. Vines had grown unchecked on the outside walls. The shingle roof was missing several tiles, exposing the underlayer beneath. Wherever they could be hung, be it on the house itself or the surrounding trees, dozens of windchimes swayed in the gentle forest wind.

At the front of the cottage was an overgrown garden comprised of grass, flowers, and herbs enclosed within a wooden fence that was serviceable, but certainly in need of some patching up. Wandering inside of the fence were eleven chickens, with one poking its head out of a coop made for them all. Outside of the cottage and off to the side was a curious vehicle designed similar to a mortar, one that Ozpin recognised to be a mobility scooter modified by its owner, and these specific modifications confirmed that he had found who he had been looking for.

"Qrow, I will go on ahead and speak with her. Watch out for anything or anyone that might interrupt our meeting." Ozpin instructed his companion as he eyed the cottage for any sign of there being something amiss.

"You got it. Give me a call if something goes wrong," Qrow replied as he took out Harbringer and unfolded it into its sword form.

Ozpin took a deep breath and pressed on forward. He had seen nothing wrong, although he could see no sign of the person he sought. She was old and not in the best of health when he last saw her, so part of him feared he might find nothing but a dead corpse inside the cottage. It would be a terrible thing if she were dead, as he urgently needed the particular skills and knowledge in her possession in order to tackle a dilemma he had encountered, and to have a long needed talk with her.

Drawing near to the cottage, Ozpin's grip on the top of his cane tightened slightly when he saw a flash of movement inside one of the windows. He kept on walking though, and was soon at the cottage's fence. He stopped there and, before he could move his hand to push the fence open, the front door of the cottage swung open as a woman in a white and black dress under a red top stepped forth with a long-barrelled rifle with a wooden stock in both hands. Ozpin remained calm and put both hands on the top of his cane, and he hoped Qrow, who was undoubtedly watching, would do the same.

The woman did not point her rifle at him, though she did appear to entertain the idea for a moment. She eyed him for half a minute then cast her gaze to the forest around the cottage, her eyes falling on every shadow before finally lowering her weapon and stepping aside. Ozpin was thankful the encounter had not turned violent, for he had neither the time or want for it, but that feeling was magnified tenfold when he saw the figure emerging from behind the armed woman.

Hobbling on a walking stick made of dark gnarled wood was an elderly woman swaddled in a pink and blue dress with a wool shawl wrapped over her shoulders. Her posture was stooped forward from age, her skin heavily wrinkled, the thin strands of hair on her head white, and coal-black eyes staring at Ozpin from a face disfigured with much scar tissue. This was who he had been searching for, and from the look in her eyes, she anticipated him coming for her.

"Ozpin. Long years has it been since we last met. What brings you to my home?" The elderly woman's raspy voice called out to him as she walked halfway through the garden with the aid of the armed woman with her. When she stopped, she put both bony hands on the top of her walking stick.

"A fair few things, a fair few things." Ozpin cordially responded, as he waited for the cottage residences' permission to enter her garden. "You are better than when we last met. I'm glad that you were able to recover, Baba Yaga."

"Perhaps, but there are ills that not even the best medicines can do away. Such is our lives," the old woman shrugged her shoulders.

"Sad, but true. Baba Yaga." Ozpin's gaze did not leave the former member of the Coven, the feeling of pity stirring in his heart as he looked on her now aged form. A decade ago she was old, but did not appear nearly as frail as she did now. A decade before then she had no need of a walking stick and did not need to hide away in distant parts of the woods such as this.

Time was cruel, Ozpin thought as he scanned the scars that covered Baba Yaga's face.

"Why do we stand out here in the wind? Inga, open the gate and start up hot water inside. Now!" Baba Yaga snapped at the woman with her, who moved without hesitation. Ozpin would be happy opening the gate himself, but she had already opened it for him, crossed the garden, and disappeared back inside the cottage before he could raise a word.

"Can we trust her with sensitive information?" Ozpin asked Baba Yaga as he entered the garden, the sounds of movement and the clatter of metal coming from inside the cottage.

"She is my new ward, though carer might be the proper term. When I die, she shall inherit all that remains of my Coven work." Baba Yaga replied as she turned around and unsteadily walked back to the abode's front door. Ozpin quickly catching up to her before she could come near her cottage.

Hearing this, the Beacon Headmaster held back a frown and a remark he almost felt compelled to share with her. The last young woman Baba Yaga had helped take on fled due to the pressures of her responsibilities and the way Baba Yaga had treated her. That was ten years ago, and the Order was still searching for her. Seeing how she treated her new ward, and the knowledge Baba Yaga had, he feared a repeat of what happened back then.

He did not entirely trust Baba Yaga, but he knew her, and, more importantly, knew she would not use her knowledge for any reason other than what the Coven strove for in all the centuries of its existence. If the wrong people got a hand on what Baba Yaga knew, they could be used to the detriment of all the peoples of Remnant. This Inga girl was unknown to him and, alongside the dangers of possessing Baba Yaga's secrets, she could jeopardise the Order's secrecy if Baba Yaga shared with her what she knew of his organisation. He would have to determine her trustworthiness over the course of his stay here, for the world was nearing a critical point, he could feel it in his bones, and he could not afford to risk the Order's secrecy now more than ever.

Entering the house, Ozpin's nose was immediately assaulted by an assortment of pungent smells like old corn, something resembling sulphur, the distinct smell that came after Dust reactions, and other smells Ozpin could and could not identify. The interior itself was liveable and in a better state than the outside, yet he could see the odd spot where dust and cobwebs had accumulated. This room they currently occupied had a wooden table with two chairs, a heater, and a full bookcase that appeared to have seen recent repairs. Its wall were decorated with faded pictures, while a handful of glass ornaments hung from the ceiling.

Baba Yaga hobbled over to the wooden table and began to pull a chair back to seat herself on it. Stepping forward, Ozpin helped her sit down before taking a seat himself. Inga was in another room, the kitchen, where she was preparing whatever she could for them. Coming to the table as well, Ozpin sat down on the only other available chair while facing Baba Yaga.

"Let us not stand on ceremony, Ozpin. What is it you wish of old Baba Yaga?" The old woman sat with steepled hands in front of her face. The coal-black eyes of the former Coven member staring intently at him and with a sharpness most would not expect from someone of her age.

"It concerns this," Ozpin said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a leather bound journal. Opening the journal, the Headmaster pulled a yellow-brown sheet of paper out from a hidden sleeve he found in the cover and presented it to Baba Yaga. "What can you tell me of this?"

"Yes... Yes, I can see why you came to Baba Yaga. I see the Coven's work in this." The elderly woman commented after taking the paper from him and examining it for a minute. He had thought she would recognise it and its significance. There were still more papers hidden inside the journal's cover, each as curious as the one he just handed Baba Yaga, but he would reveal them when he deemed it necessary.

"Please, tell me all you know regarding this and answer some queries I have related to it. I have all day, so please do not skimp on any details." Ozpin did his best not to sound pleading or too demanding, for while he desperately wanted answers, doing either may result in Baba Yaga withholding information that may prove critical in understanding his dilemma. Thankfully he had more than considerable amounts of experience in dealing with Baba Yaga and many, many others this way.

Baba Yaga did not immediately answer him. Instead, she appeared to now be mulling over what Ozpin had presented to her and what she could tell him. He was not surprised by this, as the Coven valued secrecy as much as the Order did, and the sharing of these two organisations' deepest secrets did not come often or cheap. For that was what he was asking of Baba Yaga and, being who she was, the old woman would not give up the knowledge easily even after the Coven has collapsed.

"I shall what I can." Baba Yaga said after a long pause. Having finally come to a decision as Inga brought a bowl of soupy liquid to Baba Yaga, before retreating back to the kitchen.

"Thank you," said Ozpin. Deeming now to be the appropriate time, he reached into the journal's sleeve and produced another sheet of paper, one with circular diagrams filled with archaic runes and other shapes, and handed it over to Baba Yaga. A flash of recognition dancing through her eyes. "Please, tell me what you can of a term I found on this. What exactly is the 'Second Gate'."

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Right, that is another chapter done. Again, apologies for the wait between updates.

I will see you all when I next see you.