Chapter 2
Spin the Web.
It was morning in Haven and Professor Lionheart was at his desk with his hands on his face.
His head raised when he heard the voice of Watts.
"Are we ready?"
Lionheart looked and saw Watts and the red haired man from Salem's inner circle.
The man was dressed in a red robe type of combat gi and black pants.
"She doesn't like to be kept waiting, professor."
The man said while holding his blade at his side.
Watts closed the door and the both of them walked to Lionheart.
The three of them entered a secret room that was lit by candles.
At the end of the room was a squid looking grimm.
"After you."
Watts said while pushing Lionheart close to the grimm.
"Your Grace, are you there?"
Lionheart asked.
Suddenly the smoke sealed part of the grimm's head cleared and revealed Salem and Cinder.
"Hello Leonardo, do you have something to report."
Leonardo was about to say his report when Watts walked close to the Grimm, fascinated in it.
"Uh Cinder dear, are we coming through? Can you see us clearly? Well as clearly as you can."
Cinder scowled at Watts.
"Shut up."
She said.
"Oh goodie, you recovered."
The red haired man pulled Watts away from the grimm.
"We have bigger things to discuss, no time for your pointless teasing."
"Glad to see you're still on topic Kiryu, Leonardo your report."
Salem stated.
Lionheart said he found the Spring Maiden but then started praising Watts and the red haired man now named Kiryu.
"Had I known that you two would be at expediting this process i would have sent the two of you there, long long ago."
"The credit goes to none of us, my queen. The credit goes to Qrow Branwen."
Kiryu said before Watts could speak.
"Explain Leonardo."
Lionheart said how Qrow believed that the Spring Maiden was somewhere in Raven's Tribe.
"Are they with him?"
Cinder asked her eyes full of rage.
"Yes, Ms.Rose and Mr.Leaf were in attendance."
Salem but a hand to Cinder and she backed away.
Lionheart said he knew where the Tribe was located and he told Salem to hurry which led to the grimm grabbing his neck with one of its tentacles.
"Leonardo, do you remember the first time we met? I remember, I remember your fear.But since that day you've been extraordinarily brave. I wont forget all that you've done for me, do not forget everything ive done for you too."
Another tentacle was close to stabbing Lionheart.
The grimm dropped Lionheart.
Salem told Cinder that her team and Watts will go convince Raven that the survival of her people depends on her cooperation.
As well as escort the Spring Maiden to the relic then contact Hazel and the third member of Salem's inner circle.
"And me, my queen?"
Kiryu asked while bowing.
"You are to remain on stand by until Cinder's team and the Spring Maiden arrive."
"Yes, my queen."
Salem looked at Watts.
"Tyrian is in need of a new tail."
"What happened to his old one?"
"Guess."
"The Silver eyed girl?"
Salem nodded.
"Strange, you think with Yuki helping him he would have succeeded."
"It seems the Shadow Manipulator had a hand in delaying Yuki long enough to have Tyrian defeated."
"It will be done."
Watts bowed.
"Good."
The image on the grimm vanished.
"It seems Qrow was right, those kids aren't pushovers."
Back at Salem's castle, Cinder was questioning why they should work with anyone when they were strong enough to take what they wanted.
Salem told her not to underestimate the usefulness of others and to be wary of Ruby and Shade.
"If either of them master their gift, then they could destroy yours."
This made Cinder think before she left.
Meanwhile…
Dawn was meditating in her seat on the Airship while Weiss just looked bored waiting.
They passed floating islands.
Suddenly Weiss shouted look out which snapped Dawn out of her meditation.
Dawn ran to the front of the ship as it suddenly turned.
"What happened?!?"
"A ship crashed."
Weiss responded.
Dawn and Weiss looked out the window and saw another Airship being chased by a small army of grimm lancers.
The lancers started pulling the ship apart before one crashed straight down the center of it causing it to explode.
Then the grimm turned their attention to the ship Dawn and Weiss were on.
"Alright buckle up!"
The pilot shouted when he saw Dawn and Weiss jump down to the cargo hold.
"What are you two doing?!"
The pilot shouted using an intercom.
"What we should have done in the first place."
Dawn and Weiss grabbed their weapons.
"You're carrying dust right?"
Weiss asked.
"Officially no, actually yes."
Weiss started loading her weapon with dust vials.
Dawn readied her weapon in its gun mode.
"Then when i say so, open the rear door."
Dawn and Weiss stood in front of the rear door.
"I'll try to save you some targets."
Dawn said while ready to shoot.
"You've spent way too much time with your team."
Weiss responded.
"Have you seen Erika?"
This made weiss think before she laughed a little.
"Good point."
Weiss readied her Glyphs.
"Ready!"
The door opened but Weiss's semblance kept her and Dawn from going flying out the ship.
Weiss used a wave of dust to push the lancers back then began to shoot at them.
Dawn waited for the right opportunity to shoot.
"Hold on!"
The pilot shouted as he maneuvered the ship all across the islands.
Weiss and Dawn began shooting at the lancers.
Dawn used bullets while Weiss used ice dust.
Weiss blasted the heads while Dawn shot wings off some of them.
The ship shook
"What was that?"
Weiss asked.
"We've been hooked!"
The pilot shouted.
Dawn quickly jumped out of the Airship.
"Dawn!"
Weiss shouted.
Dawn quickly made her weapon in its ax form, then extended her hand to the ship.
Her strings attached to the open door caused her to swing up and in front of the ship landing on the windshield.
"Are you insane?!?"
The pilot shouted.
"No!"
Dawn climbed to the roof of the ship, keeping one hand on the roof so she did not go flying off.
She threw her ax at one lancer, then used her strings to pull the ax blade onto the other lancer's head.
Dawn pulled her weapon back and put it on her belt.
Using her strings, she climbed back into the ship where Weiss used her Glyphs to secure her.
"Do me a favor and warn me next time, ok?"
"I'll try."
Dawn said with a small smile.
The pilot flew them between some Islands causing all the lancers to be more grouped up.
Weiss and Dawn took advantage of this and shot at the island causing rocks to crush the lancers.
"So who killed the most?"
Weiss asked.
"I was too busy to keep count."
"Uh girls we have company!"
The pilot shouted.
They looked out the door and saw two large lancers heading towards them at high speed.
"Ok that is very bad."
Dawn said readying her weapon.
"Why are there two of them?"
"I read that Queen Lancers often compete for territory, they must see us as a bigger threat."
Weiss said.
"I'll take one, you take the other."
Dawn shouted before jumping out of the airship.
She aimed her guns at one of the lancers and shot at it.
The grimm looked at Dawn and flew at her.
Dawn quickly made her weapon go to ax mode and struck one of the floating islands to stop her fall.
The Queen lancer got closer to Dawn.
She quickly jumped over the lancer, pulling her ax off the island.
The lancer turned and flew at Dawn again.
Dawn jumped on its back.
This made the grimm start to shake.
Dawn attempted to stab the head of the lancer but was shook off and was falling again.
Right before she hit the water she landed on the airship.
"I got you kid."
The pilot said as he flew.
Dawn looked around at the floating islands.
She suddenly saw a small group of 6 islands somewhat close to each other.
"I have an idea, get me close to those islands!"
"Alright hold on!"
Dawn switched her weapon back to its two guns and used her strings to stay attached to the airship.
She severed her strings when they got close and landed on top of one of the islands.
Both lancers were chasing the ship.
"Hey over here!"
Dawn shouted while shooting directly at the lancer she was previously dealing with.
The Grimm looked at the airship then at Dawn.
It flew directly after Dawn.
Dawn placed her hand on the island then quickly jumped away before the lancer reached her.
She landed on the next island and placed her hand on it before jumping to the next.
The grimm lost sight of her until she shot at it,regaining its attention.
It chased her again but Dawn kept jumping from island to island.
The grimm continued to lose track of her until she stood on the island close to the center of the islands.
The grimm was right outside the group of islands.
"Over here!"
She shot at the grimm but it did nothing.
The Queen Lancer flew directly at Dawn.
She jumped back right in the center of the islands.
Before she fell to the water, she landed on a string tight rope she made.
"Got you."
The Queen Lancer was stuck between the islands.
"I call this the Spirit String web."
She switched her weapon to its ax mode and sliced the grimm's head clean off.
Dawn climbed to the top of the islands and looked around.
'Where's the ship?'
Dawn thought to herself.
She saw smoke rising from the shore.
'Oh no!'
Dawn quickly used her strings and slingshot herself to the shore.
She landed in a tree where she saw a group of bandits taking Weiss away.
'This isn't good.'
Dawn could tell at her current strength she would be unable to get Weiss out of there safely.
And even she could tell the leader could take her easily.
Little did she know the leader was Raven Branwen.
AN:I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 2 of Volume 5. You can probably tell this was a bit more Dawn focused this time around. I was going to add another scene when Adam killed the leader of the White Fang and introduced the last member of Salem's court. But I figured I'll save that for next chapter. Speaking of, I will be releasing the next chapter on Christmas so a little less than two weeks and a new SHADE Chapter will be out.Until next time.