[Cover is owned by (I believe) French-banna-toast. If they want me to put it down, I will.]
[Inspired by 'Jaune Arc, Watcher of The Abyss' by Rum Aficionado, although will not have much plot taken from it.]
[Thanks for beta reading, MidKnightMoonglow99, you helped me a ton. (Also forgot to put this here for Chapter 3, my bad.]
As we continued our trek to this Vale the boy spoke of, my overall patience with this whole ordeal was beginning to run rather thin. It wasn't the journey which irked me so - far from it in all honesty - it was however the adolescent's insistence of filling the void between them with meaningless attempt at conversation and forlorn inquires about my person.
"You're really tall, you know that? How long have you been out here for? What's with the helmet? Where were you trained? What was that whole thing with the fire earlier? Was it your semblances? How does it work? Does it strictly rely on needing dust or can you just create fire? What's with all the different knives? I'm guessing you're not a fan of guns as most people are?"
... I was truly reconsidering my decision on just killing the human and be done with his near constant nattering for information, especially considering we've been heading in the same direction for a good while now. With any luck I'd simply have to continue in this direction and reach this Vale myself, and it was as if the boy would pose much of a fight with how lax he'd started to become around me. Saying that however, his constant prattling did help with gaining some minor pieces of knowledge about this current time, even if most of it made little to no sense.
His mention of "guns" was something of interest. Seeing as how the lad worded it, these guns seemed like a necessity for warriors in this time and that not having one was more or less seen as odd. However, with what little the human had said regarding the subject, that was as much as I could truly ascertain without inquiring into the matter further.
... Perhaps once I reach this Vale I'll be able to fine out more information regarding them and their uses? ...
Then there was these Huntsmen and his peculiar reaction to the cursed power bestowed to the Lord's of Cinder - The Fire Blood. "Dust" and "Semblance" I believe he regarded it as? How strange... If the Age of Fire is still in affect, and needing to be prolonged through the sacrifice of mighty souls, surely this child would know of the Lord's of Cinder and their unrivalled power over that which gives this world life?
... Hmm... Perhaps he merely mistook me for a master pyromancer? - A honest error for a human as young as him... Still, why use such queer phraseology? ...
Still, be it a blessing or curse for my mind at this time, the boy did eventually realised that he wouldn't be getting anything for his drab efforts. Though, that didn't stop him from making one final push for some meaningful interaction between the two of them.
"Oh... I- uhh forgot to introduce myself earlier, sorry. Name's Qrow... You?"
Now that was something new, as seemingly meaningless and irrelevant as it was - an introduction, a name. I hadn't expected the boy to ever introduce himself considering how long they've been walking for so far. However, it was his following inquiry directed at myself which brought forth a bothersome dilemma...
... I am currently but a single limb within this time... A single entity... I can no longer go by a collected title... A title, as it seemingly were, may not even hold any weight as it once did...
I may still and forever be an Abyss Watcher of Farron's Legion, a purger of all things dark, but I now required more than my title to likely get by within this new and unknown world - it was hardly seen as acceptable for a knight or soldier to simply go by their title after all.
... I require a name...
The Legion of Farron never had to worry about such things as singular identities seeing as we were always of one mind and soul. Sure there was more individuality between those not apart of the Watchers themselves, but still we all shared in the blood of the wolf, as was the way of our order...
Even now I can still feel every flickering soul from every Watcher, Acolyte and Follower within me... All of us strengthening by the blood of the wolf and united through the soul of the great wolf master...
... I truly hope his legacy still holds true within this new world somewhere, even if those which came after have been forgotten... If not, then it will solely be up to me - my duty - to uphold his majesty...
Through our connection to the wolf's blood, I am as much as the legendary Abyss Walker now as I am ever soldier who fought and sacrificed themselves in his name to keep the darkness of the Abyss at bay. Still, even if this is true in spirit and soul, I shall never be worthy of the title of the Abyss Walker… Rather, what I choose to go by from this point onwards will be to keep his and Farron's legacy alive.
"I am Artorian, Watcher of Farron." I respond sincerely, causing the young Qrow to look over his shoulder in slight bewilderment - likely from the my lack of acknowledgement to his presence or inquiries since their trek started.
"Oh, well... Can't say I've ever heard of a title like that before, or any place called Farron for that matter..." the boy recovered quick enough, "Well, uh... Nice to meet you, I guess. Anyways, we'll be coming up on Vale pretty soon, just over this hill and you'll be able to see it."
Truly, upon crested said hill I was able to get a good view of the city I've heard so little about...
The experience was a strange to describe, seeing this Vale firsthand, one which I could barely explain with mere words. I have seem countless cities within several different kingdoms in my time, but none truly seemed to measure up to that of Vale. Countless specs of dazzling light blanketed the city with so much life, it was a mesmerising sight. Even with the fractured moon of this time still firmly set in the heavens, this city shone like a beacon - guiding those lost to it's majesty.
The buildings, with some as tall as the great Farron Wall, seemed to be an amalgamation of differing architectural styles, both familiar and foreign, with streets and arching viaducts which seemed to radiated some unknown but almost mystical blue energy. All of this however was nothing compared to the gallant wall which surrounded the city.
True, it was nothing compared to the scale of that of Lothric or several cities found within Astora or Carim, but it did seem to serve adequately in dissuading the Abyss's corruption... For now...
"Never seen Vale before, huh? Don't worry, I was the same the first time I saw it." Qrow spoke after a few moments of silence.
"Indeed, it is quite the impressive city. A fire within the darkness..." and it was true, but that being said, it didn't hold all the truth...
Ever since my resurrection within this time, I have never once thought to admire just how vibrant and serene this world was in relation to that which came before it - the disease, the darkness, the corruption of our order, it was these reasons I refused the call to re-link the flame before learn the harrowing truth. However, from what I've witnessed so far these past few days, thing have seemingly changed for the better in this time.
True, the threat of the Abyss was eternal, but you could easily forget about such troubling matters when something such as Vale existed. It was both metaphorical and physical beacon of hope for those which wished for shelter from all the wickedness in the world.
Glancing to the young Qrow, I could easily tell he believe this idea to be true.
... It is all but a shroud however... wasn't it? ... A charming facade for the masses... One which may protected the people within from the darkness for now, but it also made them blind as it slowing enveloped them... It would only be a matter time till they'll be corrupted... Overrun by the Abyss...
The Legion had seen this all happen before. Countless people, cities and kingdoms believing they can dissuade away the darkness by just ignoring it. In the end they became nothing but an infection on the land; one which would need to be cleansed before it was allowed to fester.
... In the end this Vale will fall like all the rest... No matter how well defended they believed themselves to be, they always fell to the Abyss's corruption in the end...
"... But as with so many flames, it is only a matter of time till it dies out. Tell me then human, what will happen then?"
Seemingly taken aback by my words, the human made to argue or even inquire into the nature of the truth which I spoke. He would get no exposition however. Like with our journey until now, I ignored his prattling as I marched towards the city.
He was an optimist, one which seemingly didn't like to face the reality of the larger world I concluded. However, that wasn't completely true, was it? Deep within the child's soul I could see something else - acknowledgment, an understanding of the truth within words which I spoke. It was tucked away, and hidden well, but it was most definitely there...
Still, whatever the boy truly felt on the matter was of no concern to me - especially now. As much as my mind was set with the city's ultimate fate, it would still held a use whilst it still stood tall.
... The darkness of the Abyss shall always corrupt, nothing will change this fact... It is eternal... In the end, all we can do is to prevent it from spreading... and to do that I require knowledge...
(Name Drop, Hurrah! I've got a bit more written out, but not edited, so it shouldn't be as long of a wait.)