Author's Headnote: New Year, New Chapters, let's head onto it.
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Rooftops of a Bird
Illia Amolita:
Aura Status: 100%
Semblance: Locked, Illia makes up for this with her faunas trait
Weapon: Lightning Lash
Licensing: White Fang, Vale Cell, Recon Division
Party Relations:
- Yuma: Bat Faunas who mostly deals with interceptions, rarely seen
- Trifa: Spider Faunas who mostly deals with captures, rarely seen
End of Character Status Report
Village of Menagerie, March 26, Monday, 10:00 AM, Village Rooftops
Well, after some convincing, Ilia managed to convince Adam to get a doctor to Menageire, though he won't arrive for another month. Which means that she'd have to wait until the doctor arrives. She also counted how much supplies the village has left, they can survive for around 4 months. Which means the Mistral council is the only hope for the kingdom's survival. Because Vacuo's warlords won't budge and Atlas is under lockdown, no one in or out.
More importantly, how in the world is Arris still alive, Ilia saw him, stabbed... through the heart. He's supposed to be dead. The most likely case is someone is impersonating the individual.
For now, she needs to keep a watch out for any visitors, and make sure Blake's doing all right. Seeing her in that state. Seeing someone you care about, passionately, more than passionately, in that state... well, it hurts.
In the mean time, she's to look out for any other visitors of the Island. Making sure there's no unwanted guests in Menagerie. So far, no one... which is good since there's no intruders to speak of. Though, she's expecting to see an emissary from Mistral in around two months. And hopefully ongoing supplies means Kuo Kuana will remain. They can't grow any crops because the land's not fertile enough for crops, the grass is synthetic. It's a small, barren island where literally the only way a village to survive is to rely on imports.
The rooftops don't have much going for them, they keep buildings dry during rain time, and warm during winter, which ended on February second. It does that every like 4 years. Ilia hates the winter, may be because she's a reptile faunas, but she prefers the hot weather. Thankfully menagerie doesn't get snow. Being it's some sort of desolate island. Anywhere cold would make her uncomfortable. A good reason to stay away from Solitas, it's just all Snow, save for the settlements, Mantle, and Atlas.
Though, Ilia doesn't want this settlement to rely on humans, they really don't have a choice, being that fish alone doesn't have all the requirements needed to feed a settlement. Theoretically, yes one can rely on the fish for food, but there's also the issue of water. There is no underground water on the island, and it hardly rains so storing rainwater isn't an ideal method
Really, this place was only here to just move all the faunas to one place and forget about it. And being that this village is dependent on imports, and the White Fang for some reason decided to put an end to the only place where faunas rule themselves in the long term by destroying the kingdom. The more she thinks about these things... the more she questions the White Fang's motives... attacking humans is one thing, but there's no viable method to keep the village self-reliant. She doesn't like it, but it's the truth.
There's got to be a good reason for the White Fang's actions, there has to be!
But no less, a group of nevermores have wandered to the village. Which means it's Ilia's job to take care of it. Thankfully, she's armed. Lightning Lash being an electrical dust powered sword whip, using revolver rounds to power it. She can use it to fight at a safe distance or shoot out bolts of lightning. It's a useful weapon for recon duty, which most of her training is... combat duty...
Which she then whipped out the whip and used it to grasp onto one of the legs of the nevermore, she then electrocuted it... which brings it down, and before it hits the ground, she retracts the whip, grasp the nevermore's neck and tightens it until it pops, killing the nevermore.
Which leaves two more. She launches a bolt of lightning to strike down the other nevermore, which was above the third one. The nevermore comes crushing down, landing beak first into the other nevermore, impaling it and killing it. Ilia finishes off by using the whip to grab the nevermore by the foot and swings it into the water.
Well, that was another disaster averted. This is why she's on the rooftops, so she can fend off the nevermores. They are troublesome creatures, and she's no huntress, but the job has to be done somehow. Say... wasn't the grimm fighting with the White Fang during Vale? So... why are they attacking Menagerie? Ilia, no less. Well, now is not the time for thinking about this stuff. Everything Adam has done has been right, even going back against Sienna Khan's word.
Has it? No, she can't question him. The White Fang is the only voice for the faunas, and she needs to follow it. If there was another option, she would have taken it. But for now, she needs to focus on the present, which means protecting Menagerie and making sure Blake is all right. All that grief, sorrow, and guilt... she blames herself for what happened to her friends. Though, Ilia and Blake's opinion on them conflict, Ilia still feels sorry for Blake, genuinely.
Ilia sighed and went scouting... so far, nothing out of the ordinary... just the average day at the markets, the aquatic district, the residental areas, and the villa. Seems like everything is business as usual, though there is talk about a potetntial food shortage, and some people talking about leaving the island. This is mostly due to the fact that they can't receive imports right now and the stock supplies are finite. Though, other than that business as usual. She's worried all that worry will increase as time passes by without any word from the kingdom of Mistral.
And another thing... how exactly could Blake be friends with a Schnee? That makes no sense. Ilia knows Blake, she would never be friends with anyone as despicable as them. It could be possible that either Ilia didn't know Blake that well, the Schnee is different from the archetype that's presented to her, or the fact that Blake as a person has been changed. Ilia would have to ask Blake why she left the White Fang... there's got to be a good reason. After her leg has been healed, of course.
Ilia drops down from the rooftops, she's going to make a quick report and head back up.
Character Change: Ilia Amolita - Raven Branwen
Mistral Wilderness, March 26, Monday, 3:56 PM, Mistral Forests
Raven woke up from her short nap. Given her half-blood heritage, she only needs around 2 hours of sleep per day. Why is she sleeping in the forest? Well, because Mistral is a place where she had grown up, and the elderly populace will recognize her face, being acclaimed childhood friends and all. Being that she begun to age slower when she turned six, those friendships had to end quickly. Being from a nomadic bandit tribe, her and her brother lost friends as quick as they made them. Though it took around a decade or two to advance to a higher age group. Not to mention all of those names she had went by...
Of course, training always came first. Learning to fight since she was thirteen... despite being eight in mortal years. All those decades of training have given her and her brother an experience advantage that none other of their fellow colleagues back at Beacon had. They had the training and experience, being raiders. Though, Raven grew bored of raiding. The targets were too weak and didn't test her limit. So, she and Qrow became huntsmen for two different reasons. Raven did so to become a better fighter, and Qrow for attornment. But then, there is so much grimm one could fight before they get predictable... so, she quit that too. However, living on her own, she needed the money. Though, living a nomadic lifestyle, she still needs money for food. Hence, she became a bounty hunter.
Her latest contract is some White Fang recruit. 'Heather Nightshade'. Sounds like some knock-off variant of the SPHR character 'Hannah Heart'. But no less, there's a head to decapitate and deliver. Even if it is a small fry deliver.
Most bounty hunters prefer to bring their targets alive, but Raven just doesn't care enough for the extra pay for lugging up an entire body. She can get more bounties taken care with through decapitation alone.
But no less, she readies herself, gets in her combat stance, and does some warmups on the trees. She unsheathes Omen and slashes it once vertically, she then sheathes the sword, which after that, the tree is cut in half. Though, a single dismembered tree is not a warmup. She went to a different tree, and she unsheathed Omen again, and began to slice and dice back and forth, until finally she sheathed it. The wood is then shaven and cut down to a sculpture of a beowulf bowing. Guess those sculpture classes were good for something.
Well, now that the warmup is done. It's time to fight through the White Fang. She had looked around for a camp or something... she's looking for a faunas with purple hair and a tail. This wouldn't be that hard to notice, being that tails are quite hard to conceal.
The suns still up, too. Albeit it's annoying, it means Moon Dragon's eyes and ears are away. Which is something Raven would prefer. She'd prefer to have to squint everytime she looks up than having to fight those grimm. For most, the grimm is a challenge, for Raven it's a bore, and given that they'll keep coming unless she's indoors or constantly on the move. The wilderness at night can be more dangerous than Vacuo at times, and keep in mind. There were events in Vacuo she doesn't want to openly share through third person narration, the woman has her secrets, after all.
And as for what those secrets are, they aren't what matters, what matters is finding the girl, and killing her. She's white fang, so she has no sympathy for them. Raven would have been hesitant if this was around six years ago, but it's not. The White Fang are terrorists, one and every single one of them. She has no sympathy towards terrorists, no matter the cause. Yet again, she was always told she is never one to have sympathy in the first place.
Though, she has sympathies for that Roxy girl. Reminds her of Summer somewhat, a respectable rival. And when one hates someone in the right way, they start to care for that person. It's hard to explain or even comprehend, it doesn't even make sense for Raven. But that girl... though, she's obviously lying about her age. She looks fifteen! How does she know? Well, no one would take a fifteen-year-old as a mercenary seriously... so, lying about her age is the only way to make a living. Though she wonders why she can't apply to be a huntress. She just hopes the vampires don't get to her, wouldn't want to spend the rest of eternity being fifteen...
She arrived at the White Fang camp, though it appears to be vacant, as if no one is home...
Raven kept her hands at the hilt, waiting for an ambush aaand... she got bonked in the head by some idiot trying to knock her out by surprise, she then lunges Omen's large sheathe back, which knocks back the attacks, and begins to unsheathe and slice the attacker, she quickly sheathes and by now they're decapitated. She looks back to double check... it's a typical white fang mook alright. Well, that's what they get for trying to bonk Raven in the head. Her head is not for bonking.
And just like that, more of the mooks show up. Though, no sign of the bounty. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Why can't she have a simple hit and be done with it? Raven sighed... she pretends to let her guard down to bait her enemies to attack her. It is, of course a flawless plan... if she was fully mortal, she would have been dead by now. But thankfully due to her vampire heritage...
She can survive a stab through the chest, at the heart no less. Though the latest attempt by this mook tried to impale by firing a gun at point blank...
"Close..." Raven said, in a mocking tone, who proceeded to grab the gun from the mook by ripping it from the grasp, the strength ripping off one of the arms, which Raven shook off, she then took the gun and fired it at their head. "But no cigar."
Apon the reaction, the remaining White Fang members are seen running, however. Raven ran towards one of them and catching them. The mook was pinned against a tree, with a sword at their throat.
"I'm looking for a particular girl, young. Purple-haired, has a tail. Talk, and I may consider sparing your life." Raven threatened.
"H-h-her?" The mook asked.
"Yes, there's a bounty on her, and my client is going to want her severed head."
"Sh-sh-sh-she's only up around at night, she handles the night patrols."
"So... she's sleeping?"
"Y-y-yes!"
"Which. Tent!?"
"Th-th-the small one left of the main tent."
Raven then threw the mook down to the ground. "Get out of my sight before I cut your head off as well."
The mook fled, fearing for their lives. Raven scoffed how pathetic they are. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they don't have any spine unless they're fighting alongside grimm. Raven rolled her eyes and went to the tent.
Mistral Wilderness, March 26, Monday, 4:40 PM, Small Tent
The small tent is what one makes of it. It's small, with enough space to protect one from sunburn, and enough room for sleep and clothes.
And the bounty she's going to kill is... wait, Raven doesn't hear any breathing. And she can't have died of natural causes from the description... unless... Raven notices there was a bandana under her face. Raven removes to reveal well...
Damnit. She's a vampire, which means she'd actually have to take her alive if she wants the bounty, if she decapitates her, she's going to turn to dust. And if she stabs her in the chest, she's going to decay into a faunas raisin. Which means she actually has to wait until night to get the bounty.
She may as well take the weapon. It was white, it has a bladed sheathe... with a blade under it... wait a second, she recognizes the design... a weapon exactly like this was used in the Vytal tournament. Poor girl's weapon got torn to pieces, her leg too. She also knows what it's like to lose a battle, albeit she had more dignity than what Raven went through... which again, will not be revealed quite yet. Most importantly, she has to wait to incapacitate her, and go through the Mistralian forest at night before bringing her back. May as well look through her stuff while she's here.
And looking at her bag... what's this? A letter from the Chieftan of Menagerie? Raven opens it up... it's to the Mistral council. Requesting a supply importation to keep their village running. Now why would the White Fang prevent the only faunas run community from surviving? The answer is simple, it's to get them dependent on the White Fang. If the faunas realize that none of the kingdoms send them supplies, then they'll turn to the White Fang. What does the White Fang gain from this? A safe place of operations, a vast training ground, and a number of recruits.
Thankfully those huntress skills pay off, however the bounty comes first, then delivering the message to Mistral. If Raven knows anything about the White Fang's connections, they're either connected to Moon Dragon or Salem, either way the friend of one's enemy is another enemy. Both Salem and the Moon Dragon have reasons to back the White Fang, the former to cause chaos... as what Ozpin has stated... and Remnant history has backed... and the Moon Dragon because they seek a monopoly on all crime. Even the higher-ups of the other two crime families are enthralled by Beulleodeu. Which means any newcomer to Mistral will be in for a surprise when they provoke the Moon Dragon Yakuza. Sure, there is fighting between the yakuzas, however it is to keep up appearances to draw away suspicion.
How does she know this? Well, her father has made quite the reputation with the Yakuzas. And when he provoked the head of Moon Dragon himself, mooks from all three came to the tribal doorsteps. At that time, her body was too young to be any help. She has conflicting views on it... on one hand, she feels like she's younger than she should be, having all this experience and knowledge, being older than General Ironwood of all people. On the other, Raven does not like to be called old, or feel old.
However, she has to stop thinking of the past... although at her age it'd be quite hard... So much she's experienced... she meditates until nightfall...
Apon ceasing her meditation, she glares at the waking vampire, which she unsheathes Omen and whacks her with the blunt end of the sword, knocking the waking vampire unconscious. The next order of issue is feeding the vampire, so she doesn't go feral... which means she HAS to kill her. Though if she were mortal, Raven would have been carrying her severed head across anima by now. Thankfully the White Fang corpses are still warm, she grabs the body and the vampire's weapon, and leaves the tent.
Mistral Wilderness, March 26, Monday, 10:05 PM, Mistral Forests
Apon exiting the tent, she had lied the body down, she then took off her own mask, knowing the process she's going to have to do... she's going to have to find an IV bag, and some blood...
She scours the tent... looking for an IV bag. She managed to find one and dump the IV's out of it. She then took one of the White Fang corpses, and bit on one of them, sucking but not swallowing the blood. The taste of steel is not so appealing to Raven, but it's something she's got to do. With a mouth full of faunas blood, she spits it out in the IV bug, and squeals in disgust of what she's about to do.
After that, the IV bag is pouring blood into the vampire's system. She has a short span of seven hours to deliver the body. Being impatient, she puts her mask back on and begins carrying the body and IV to where she needed to go. Where? To the meeting point the client specified.
Character Change: Raven Branwen - Ilia Amolita
Village of Menagerie, March 26, Monday, 10:00 PM, Village Rooftops
Nighttime is especially important... though the nocturnal faunas are awake at this time, they are still in the minority, so... usually nocturnal faunas aren't ones she should be looking out for, she's more interested in daytime faunas poking around at night. That's when things get a bit suspicious.
There's also the occasional grimm attack. Though, one thing for sure is being changed, she's being kept in the dark about White Fang activity... treated like some recruit. However, this does not concern her as the task she pulls ahead. It gives her enough time to think about Blake. Though, she prefered it if Blake was the one who was helping her, just carrying her off to the sunset whilst Blake is riding a horse as she is carrying Ilia...
Well, she can't get distracted now, she's got a job to do.
And from the looks of it, the night is so far, status-quo... the only thing Ilia hopes is that Mistral sends their supplies over, Kuo Kuana needs all of the supplies it can get it's hands on.
Author's Footnote: A short chapter... but it turns out, I caught something else... and it's much worse than the last disease, and I fear it's going to get worse. So, I'll try to keep the fanfics updated, though the reaper may have other plans for me. Figured I'd do something with Raven since I don't have much content to think up at the moment without time skipping a whole month. I just hope I live to publish another chapter.