Chapter 11 – Birds and Planes
Yang stared miserably out of the window. A merry Team JNPR were strolling across the courtyard.
A voice spoke out from inside her room. 'Hey there, firecracker.' Yang hadn't even heard him enter the room. It could have been because she was swimming in her own sadness, or the fact that her Uncle was a trained Huntsman who knew how to break and enter without being detected.
'Hey Qrow… said Yang without looking him.
Qrow was leaning against the wall by the door, with his arms folded. 'So… why'd you do it?' he asked, obviously believing that Yang had punched Mercury unprovoked.
'You know why.' she replied without elaboration.
'All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid. So either you're lying, or you're crazy.'
'I'm not lying.' said Yang vehemently, facing Qrow for the first time with a scowl.
'Hm, crazy. Got it.' Qrow stepped away from the wall and walked in a circle around the room.
'Who knows? Maybe I am.'
'And here I thought your dark haired friend was the emo one.'
'I saw my Mom.' Yang said all of a sudden. Qrow stopped pacing and looked at her niece, with piqued interest. 'I- I was in a lot of trouble. Took a pretty hard hit. But when I came to, the person attacking me was gone. And I thought I saw… her. Her sword. Like the one in you and Dad's old picture.'
'Tch. You're not crazy, Yang. That was your Mom alright. Let me guess. She didn't say a word, did she?' said Qrow with an absence of doubt.
'How did you know that?'
'I don't see my sister very often, but she does try to keep in touch. Whenever it suits her.'
'Wait, you mean you talked to her? That was real?!' said Yang nonplussed.
'Yeah, she found me. Had a tip from my most recent assignment, and wanted me to give you a message.'
'Why didn't you tell me sooner?' Yang demanded.
Qrow walked up to the window and gazed at the clear sky outside. 'I was trying to wait for the right moment.' he responded imprecisely. 'And this sure ain't it. But I guess you deserve to know.'
Yang attuned her attention on Qrow.
'She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again. Raven's got an interesting way of looking at the world that I don't particularly agree with.' he went on to say. 'And she's dangerous, but you're a tough egg, kiddo. Shouldn't let this tournament thing get you down. You had a slip-up. Sometimes bad things just happen. I say it's time you move on.'
'Move on to what?'
Before answering Yang's question, Qrow put his hands on the windowsill, continuing to observe the blue sky. 'Well, Raven let some info slip before she took off. If you ever wanna track her down, I think I might be able to help.'
Qrow turned and the two of them met with solid eye contact.
Five seconds passed before Qrow answered Yang's question with the second part of his answer.
'Also, it may not be long before you're gonna make yourself useful in the real world, outside of Beacon.'
'What do you mean?'
'It's about the whole issue of the "new world". Time could be our enemy. Every second that passes has potential for horrors to brew. The tournament may feel important to you, but in the grand scheme of things, it's just a few moments of fame with no real bearing on life and the world as a whole. Priorities don't lie a friendly competitions, but with genuine, real-world problems. I discredited you and your sister for not doing a proper job at stopping Torchwick and the White Fang, but I should have at least given credit where it is due. You made an influence for the betterment of Vale and that warrants recognition. You have some experience under your belt and any bit of experience you have is priceless in a time where the future is uncertain. It's very likely that Oz and the General will be rounding you lot up and taking you to Anima or Western Sanus themselves.'
'But I thought Ozpin wanted us to remain put until we hear from the Kingdoms directly.' Yang pointed out.
'Again: you're not thinking like a Huntress. You can't be reactive and only make a move when something surfaces. You need to be proactive and anticipate something that has yet to surface. Remnant has merged with another world – as far as we know. That's not something to take lightly. To us, the people on this new planet could be savages. We need to be on our guard and ready in case someone ambushes us. Not only is their illegal activity going on in Remnant, there's also threat from the new world – outside of Remnant. So long as we don't know for sure that's going on, we should all be on the alert. Besides, the CCTS isn't up and there's no telling how long it'll be before the whole network will reboot. Oz is optimistic and think that it won't be long, since none of the Kingdoms were supposedly damaged beyond repair, but fixing an intricate technological tower within a few days isn't likely to happen quickly.'
Qrow exhaled and Yang peered into his eyes, observing the red that clouded hers when she was angry. The colour made her feel agitated, but the expression from Qrow revoked that feeling.
'Yang, you should feel good that you hold so much power as a Huntress. You make more of a difference on this world than twenty trained military soldiers combined, and you're still yet to finish growing in vigour and spirit, and even graduate. If anything happens and you, Ruby and your friends have to make a trip to the East or West, then that speaks numbers about how significant you all are: high school students. Now of course we shouldn't undermine the military and their role in protecting humanity, but you and I both know that Huntsmen and Huntresses are far more respected members of society. The world may currently be outraged and what you did to that kid, but overtime this little issue will boil over, and we may even be able to clear your name in due course. So cheer up, because a young thrill seeker like yourself has many adventures ahead of her.'
Qrow put a hand on Yang's shoulder and smiled. She saw the kindness in her Uncle's heart and the sincerity in his words. She smiled back. 'Thanks, Qrow.' she replied.
'It's okay Firecracker. It's the middle of the day and there's about five hours extra to account for, but you should get some rest and try not to let yourself get worked up about the tournament.' Qrow got up and walked towards the door. 'You have some great friends and teachers who are very supportive of you Yang. If you ever need help or want someone to talk to, remember that you're surrounded by allies.'
Yang remained where she sat on her bed and looked back and simply said: 'Okay, I will.'
'Catch ya later kiddo.'
My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103472
It's the second time in the last few days that I've been directed with a scouting mission. Assignments have been lacking over this past year, since there has been little activity and anything worth investigating, so no one has called for an expert aviator.
My feet have been itching for some action. I greatly missed the feeling of the wind against my moustache, and I wasn't satisfied with only one mission. Now that I've been tasked with two, my cravings are being sated: possibly not entirely, but enough that my excitement isn't as uncaged as it was when the Expeditionary Force asked me to go across the seas for the first time in ages. Still though, I was beyond thrilled that I would be up in the air shortly. The disclaimer that it was to a faraway land with no stops along the way served only to expedite my eagerness.
Without hesitation, I answered the call of duty and prepped my Reconnaissance Operations Front-Line Copter for take-off.
My directives were demanding, but I am a fulfiller of absurd tasks that people of a younger generation don't have the guts to take on. I am attracted to the air as much as a bird is and as much as a fish is to water.
Forty-nine hours prior, I flew across the eastern seas to the "new world". This time, I was going westwards, travelling the long way around by flying over Valoran to find an alternate route to the new world. No one knew for sure how far away it'd be, because we didn't know how big the continent is, but my gut instincts told me that I would succeed.
I was sitting in my locker room, putting on my pilot gear, when my co-officer came in and gave me a pep talk. I can't remember what he said word for word, so I'll summarise by saying that he was feeling mentally and physically sick. He was having regrets about sending me on this mission, because of how much danger and uncertainty was involved. This is not surprising, considering that he is very close to me.
With the biggest grin I could muster under my hairy visage, I reassured him that I would be fine and nothing bad was going to happen.
I put on the rest of my garments and strolled out of the room, with my co-officer following behind. The look of melancholy on his face was puzzling to me. On the first mission a few days ago he was displaying high tenor. Maybe it was because the first mission was merely a glimpse of the new world. This time however, the BCEF wanted me to touch down and investigate on foot. It definitely entails more things that I need to do.
I can appreciate my co-officer worrying for me, but he should remember that I am youthful and more than capable. Old age is nothing more than a dysphemistic way of saying sagacity. I am an expert in the field, and no other pilot has even come close to my feats in my lifetime. I would sooner lose my eyesight than a chance at flying the longest distance a person has ever flew. It is not polite of me to brag, but I take pride in knowing that I am unmatched in the skies. Who I ask is better suited to an assignment like this than myself?
I walked out to the hanger and see my baby. My relationship with her is as old and faithful as that of the ragamuffins in Bilgewater and their boats. She's just right for me: packed with a gatling gun, missiles, bullets and other artillery that a dogfighter may need.
I hopped into my plane and put on my goggles. I turned on the engine and the propellers above me begin to whirl. The sound is like the prelude of a majestic song, sang by a choir, and it only gets better from there.
All of a sudden though, my commander came up to me and instructed me to get out of the plane. I turned the engine off and asked what the problem was.
By the end of his explanation, I was outraged. He has told me candidly that my No. 1 plane isn't suitable for this mission. "It's too slow." he said. "You're better off using the Red Baron Fighter Plane instead."
With hot gas in my system, I clenched my fists and told him that he was speaking nonsense (It was the first time I ever snapped at him so you can tell I felt personally offended). My plane is suited for major missions like these. Furthermore, I am used to my ROFC. It would make less sense for me to handle a plane I have little experience with.
But alas, he insisted that I take command of the Red Baron Fighter Plane instead. I hopped inside and fiddled with the controls. There was a bit more legroom and space for my hands out in the open, which was comfortable for sure. In spite of this though, the new workstation felt alien and I immediately felt uneasy, but I tried not to think about it too much and let it get in the way of my mission. It's loaded with basically the same weapons as my personal plane, and I reckon that I'll quickly warm up to the feel of the aircraft once I've taken to the sky.
I had another surprise though. My commander came back to say that someone would be accompanying me on my journey. Personally, I don't handle passengers well. They weigh the plane down more than I'd like and can also be inconsiderate of the pilot who's trying to concentrate on flying. But I submitted and said that I would gladly take them onboard, and then my commander left to go and retrieve my inconvenience.
It came as a rather large shock therefore when my commander came back and I saw that he was cradling a cat, sitting atop a big, leather book. The cat had white and blue fur, bright blue eyes, a pink nose and some kind of bulb on a stem, resting on her head. At first I thought he was pulling my leg, so I told him that I was appreciative of the gesture, but I didn't need a pet or a mascot to keep me company. But he chuckled and said that he was being serious! Apparently, this cat directly requested herself that she wanted to go with me.
When my commander placed her and that book in the back of the plane, the first thing that she said to me was: "I'm Yuumi, and you're warm!"
I was frankly at a complete loss for words. My commander then wished me good luck, saluted me and just left me alone with the cat.
With a hefty sigh, I turned on the engine and guided the plane out of the hanger. I looked back inside and saw my baby sitting alone. Poor girl, but I guess she'd stretched her wings a few days ago, so she wasn't dying to be flown again. By thinking of it in that way enabled me to refocus my attention to the runway.
I had an earpiece on, and I heard the navigator in the control tower giving his permission to let me go. A few seconds passed as the engine revved up enough before it could lift off the ground. It took a shorter amount of time than my personal plane, overall. I let a few seconds pass before accelerating the plane forwards. I went faster and faster, feeling the wind on my face as I left the runway. It's always a great feeling, but was even more noticeable this time with how roomy this particular aircraft was. I went through the portal wall between the physical and magical realm and could feel the abrupt change in the cold air. Now I was officially en route for the new world, westwards at nine o'clock.
My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103473
It took me a while to adjust to the plane's dynamism. It was like my brain had been swapped with someone else's, and I was inside a different body with a different physique. I would've done a few dips and dives, barrel rolls and other expert manoeuvres to get me in touch with this new plane in no time – I'm an adaptable pilot after all – but that wasn't really an option with that cat in the back.
I stayed below the clouds, since they were looking rather dense. Below me were the rocky hillsides of the southern North Valoran. It was going to take me quite a while to get past the rural areas of Noxus, but the Red Baron would make the journey quicker in theory.
Meanwhile, the cat was constantly saying "Hey." to me. I tried to ignore her because I really did not want distractions initially, but she just kept going on like there was no tomorrow.
"Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. HEY! …Huh? Oh no, I don't need anything."
I suppose I hadn't even addressed her at that point, and I was curious myself to find out why she had requested a passenger's seat. So I just asked it to her without even saying hello or introducing myself. "Why are you flying with me, ya little rascal?"
She sounded indignant when she replied, but apparently she's looking for her master. She's made a wild and perilous journey across Runeterra so far, but hasn't found her yet. The book she has with her is also some kind of magical atlas, where you can go to anywhere it depicts through a portal. Come to think of it, if I do recall correctly, there were tales of an adventuress with a magical "Book of Threshholds". I'll admit that I was sorry to hear that, and I clap my hands for her persistence.
What followed though was permission for her to tag along with me, because I was going to this new continent. Personally my wisdom tells me that if the cat was searching long before this whole ordeal began with the new moon, land and longer days, then it doesn't exactly stand to reason that her master would be where I'm going, unless she found some sort of magical portal to that realm. If I was gonna be blunt with her, I'd say that she might just have bitten the dust at this point. But I would feel mean for doing that. She is rather adorable. If she's with me, I might as well give her some optimism.
My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103474
So far I had made it past Noxus and was en route to the outskirts of Demacia. I seldom go to West Valoran, so I was surprised by how nice the view was. I pleasantly eyed the luscious green farmlands and remarked how tranquil it all looked down there. Farmers had migrated from these regions to go and settle in bigger states like the Kingdom of Demacia itself, or Piltover. If I ever do retire, I would like to go to Glorft. I got a good impression from just one flight above it.
Next I went over Trevale. If my memory serves correctness, I believe that one of my distant relatives made a life down there, gaining land a property before migrating to Noxus and joining the military. It's been gosh knows how long since I last saw him, but if he has lived as long as I have, then he might still be going strong. The winds were slightly rougher here, so I pulled down lower to not be caught in the fierce gales blowing up north. The wings of this plane are actually benefiting quite well from their aerodynamic streamline design. That's interesting. My commander is younger than me and yet knew in advance that this plane would probably be better for me. Maybe I am getting old to the point where I can't distinguish quality from affection.
Meanwhile though, the cat was excitedly yelling at me to go faster. Well at least she has the same taste of exhilaration that I do whilst riding the sky.
Then I was over Needlebrook, encroaching on Demacian territory. As I flew close to the coastline, I could see the pristine white walls of the great nation in the distance. From there it looks like a city of art, sculpted with the intent of aesthetically pleasing its citizens and those who just happen to pass by.
It took me one and a half hours approximately to get that far. I wasn't concerned with running out of fuel, for I remember my gauge saying that I had only depleted six percent of my tank at the time.
Finally I left Valoran and moved out to sea. Obviously there's no solid surface beneath you when you're above water. Had I have been somehow foolish enough to crash, I would've plummet into the water and become stranded, and I also had the cat to worry about. It amused me when we began to fly over the sea, because she suddenly said to me: "Do not drop! Do not drop me!". I guess the old fable is true. Cats do indeed hate water.
I always have my co-officer on speaker though. If I ever get into trouble I can just give a shout. But because of how far I was going, I would be beyond the reach of rescue anyway. Bah, I have no reason to worry. Thhere's no way that would happen. Why would I even ponder such unhealthy thoughts?
I looked below me and saw a ship. I assumed that it is a Demacian vessel, and it too seemed to be going outwards. The Conqueror's Sea has nothing beyond it, save for a lone island. Perhaps word had gotten around from Bandle City that a new continent has been discovered by that point. They should've given me credit, considering that it was me who made the initial first contact, but whatever. I'm always in it more for the thrill than the glory.
The ship was powered by wind and sail – very slow. At the rate they were going, they wouldn't have been able to make it without running out of food for their crew. Not my business though.
At the time, I saw the possibility that the new world would be closer than anticipated. I couldn't see it yet, but I hoped that it wouldn't be long.
Then the cat started asking me if I had snacks in my pocket. Truthfully I did. They were some biscuits that were baked by a youngling in Bandle City, but I wanted to hang on to them for myself, so I just said no. But then she kept saying "How about now? How about now?" over and over again. As if the answer would change from no to yes over the course of a few seconds, without me having gone and bought some.
Although I was feeling rather hungry then, so I tried to sneak in a bite on one of those lovely biscuits, and I must state for the record that they were delicious. But alas, she saw me nibbling and immediately called me out for lying to her. So I conceded and gave her some, if only just to get her to shut it. They weren't precisely to her liking of fishy flavours, but her hunger was still abated.
Four more hours passed. I was miles out and so far I had just seen nothing but blue. Most of my flights are filled with excitement and risky aviation, because a lot of those moments were during wartime or when a target needed to be blown up. A mission like this isn't very noteworthy, where nothing happens for a prolonged period of time, and I had been flying for longer than I had ever done before in my life. Still though, there was no turning back. I could tell that I was at least halfway there, and I'm not a quitter. There had to be something that was worth flying all this way for.
My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103475
At some point, I saw land: big and wide, just like my ex. This had to the be the eastern side of what I had just explored. It was worth coming here after all.
Still though, I had to keep a low profile. My orders were to not only fly over it, but of course to also touch down and make a thorough scan and analysis of the land before reporting to the folks back home. Anyone could take my presence as a reason to be alarmed. Conveying this all to the cat was basically impossible. She was just too catlike, and by that, I mean not very sensible.
Concentrating was hard. I may have been flying merely in a straight line, but I still had to keep myself awake, fighting against the wind and making sure that I didn't dip. It requires a lot of mental perseverance that I have less of nowadays. As much as I despise the reality, age outclasses ability as they continue to wrangle with each other. It doesn't help that right now is the moment I have to be the most astute. Oh how topsy-turvy this all is.
From what I could see, the land below me was highly developed whilst harmonised with nature. There were towns with colourful buildings and gardens, and overall I just got a positive vibe from here. I descended lower to get a better glimpse of the living things below. I may be old, but there was no mistaking that those were people: human beings if you will. They looked just like every other human I've met.
How could this be? The cycle of day and night has been extended and land just comes out of nowhere, that's developed and thriving with people. The concept makes my head spin with astonishment, but that wasn't the most pressing matter at that moment. I just needed to take more mental notes of what the continent actually looked like and has in it: not how it came to be. I moved out of town and headed north across a landscape of grassy greens and natural forests. I reckoned that this would be the ideal spot to land. I'd be away from people and have an opportunity to scout about with no one around. Whilst it would take me a while to get closer to the settlements once I landed, I would be safer here and have a better chance to recuperate.
My Mental Journal: Entry No. 103476
It didn't occur to me that there may be predators on the ground, out in the wild, and it certainly didn't occur to me that there may be tribes out here, who are far from amicable.
I was startled at the noise of a sharp object piercing the metal of the Red Baron. An arrow hit my plane, directly in the engine core! After the shock, I felt the plane losing air, and myself losing control. It started to spin and so did I. All of its functionality had been mitigated, so I cried out: "Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! I'm going down!" The cat was screaming at me to do something, but for the life of me I cannot remember what she said. It probably wasn't helpful advice though.
I was circling downwards, in too much of a panic to even think to eject myself. My head was dizzy and all sense of control tumbled down with me. This had never happened to me before, even when I was just a little novice. I can safely say that it's an experience I'd rather not be faced with again. I kept accelerating towards the ground – probably reaching terminal velocity of their particular continent. I screamed as the Red Baron nose dived into the floor and the resulting explosion sent me flying. I skidded across the ground, rolling on my side until I eventually came to a stop.
I had lost a lot of my vision and my ears were ringing. With bleary eyes, I looked straight on to see a pair of feet directly in front of me. I was bruised all over and had only enough strength to look up and see the sinister grim of a man carrying a crossbow in his hand. Next to him were a few other men who were probably friends or accomplices of his.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he said with both glee and curiousness in expression. "Some sort of rodent flying a mini plane. It's pretty cute."
(A quick note to myself: all the dialogue I write here is what I recall. The exact wording probably isn't perfect, but I definitely remember the gist of what is said, especially because my life was on the line.)
He could speak my language, I realised! I had a chance to reason my way out of that predicament, so I gave it a try, putting all my dignity and "manliness" aside. "Please, d-don't hurt me.' I beg.
"It can talk." another man remarked.
"It probably can if it's smart enough to fly a plane and wear clothes, idiot." said the man with the bow.
"What should we do with it?"
"Take it back with us. Whatever it is, you never know if it fetches a high price." said a third man, who brought a rifle from over his shoulder and pointed it at me.
I was hapless, absolutely hapless. There was no way I could run with my small stature and I couldn't fight back, because I'm old and ground fights aren't my speciality. "Oh what am I to do?" I thought to myself. "What do you want with me?" I then asked.
"To see what you are. Normally we'd just discard any normal game that we find in the woods, but you're clearly not some ordinary animal. Our leader will most surely be interested in you."
I gulped at his response. I'd been captured by bandits and was unable to do anything. A fourth man picked me up, with the third man still pointing the gun straight at my head. The second man was instructed to help the archer carry my plane with them. It also occurred to me at that point that the cat was missing! Two contradictory, stock phrases went into my head at exactly the same time. "Good riddance" and "Oh no!".
I was taken straight into the heart of the woods. For only a few minutes we traversed until we reached a camp, with tall columns of sharp wood set roughly up as a makeshift fence. There were a few pitched tents and a lot of crates inside, with dozens of various men and women in rough attire. Some were drinking. Others were fumbling with various firearms. A few were playing cards. My attention however was focused on the massive tent at the very end. It looked menacing, even without knowing what was in it.
As we approached, the man holding the gun went up to it and poked his head inside. "Hey Raven, we've found something you might be interested in seeing!"
"Describe it to me before I bother to step outside." responded the voice of a hard-line woman.
"It's a talking rodent of an unknown species that knows how to fly a plane. We shot him down."
Gotta say that I do find the term "rodent" highly offensive, and I darn well would've said that, had it been the appropriate time.
The woman, who I guessed was their leader, stepped outside and came to inspect me. She had long black hair, an outfit of mostly black, with hues of red, and carried a long red sword in a scabbard at her side. But the most unsettling feature about her were those red eyes. They were even more cold-hearted than the eyes of the Swift Scout when he is in full focus on his missions.
She removed the goggles off my face and stared directly at me. Her red eyes examined me like I was some sort of wild specimen. Though I suppose to these people, I was. "What are you?'" she asked me.
"I want you to let me go. I didn't do anything to you folks. Please let me leave!"
"You've whetted my interest now I'm afraid. You're not going anywhere. Put it in a cage over there." she orders to her henchmen. "I'll have a better look at it later."
I was carried over to a barred cage with gaps too small for me to squeeze through. They opened the door and threw me inside before locking it. In the distance, I could see the woman and her nuggets taking a good look at what was left of the Red Baron. Thank the celestials that it wasn't my beloved. In retrospect I was very glad that my commander told me to use the Red Baron instead.
A few other campers came and looked at me like I was a zoo exhibit. I was being treated like an animal and it made my blood boil. I was angry at them for attacking me with no reason, but I was also mad at myself for not being more alert. The Red Baron was filled with weapons. Had I been on more of a lookout, I could have seen the archer and fired a barrage of missiles at him, or better yet, have avoided him altogether.
Oh how did I let myself get captured by a pack of bandits?! I knew the risks were there, but I never really thought that things could turn out this bad: that I would get captured. These people were only a tribe, but they were clearly outlaws from the rest of their society, and I just so happened to fall into their muddy hands.
In my age, I am too old to use the magic of my body that might help me slip out of here. And where is that damn cat?! Her book could have come in extremely handy! It's no use. I'm going to be stuck here for a while…
