AN: Here's a short interlude which summarises Ren's experience as a dream-scented hunter.

I could do a better job but I'll make Ren explain the beginning of his journey in more detail, maybe when Jaune and him decide to share their stories. Anyways, as to follow Chad's new rule, I have uploaded on Sundays. Even if it is a different time to you guys.

Interlude: Song of Petals and Crows

Location: Traveller's path, Remnant

A walk through the forest was always a relaxing activity to do. The sound of leaves rustling, animals running by and the sound of winds blowing past, cooling down the body. Simply harmonious. And with the recent bounty, the day was made even better.

The duffle bag shuffled around, its contents bumping next each other.

Within the bag was around forty lien, five cans of ham and corn, three water canteens and three weapons consisting of a short sword, a rusted dagger and a pistol with combustion dust inside.

"Hey, Renny?"

Lie Ren looked back the girl walking slightly behind him in a smaller pace.

Her ginger hair was cleaned and clear of dirt, soil and dust – unlike how they were a few days ago. Her clothes – which used to be soiled and covered in muck – was now cleaner, much is the same for her shoes.

Ren himself wore the same clothing he had a few weeks prior, and much like Nora, his clothing and hair are now cleaned of the muck they had collected over the days.

It was only thanks to a certain blonde huntsman that pitied them and gave them enough lien to get enough food and a room from an inn for one night, were they able to get much cleaner than they did before.

If Ren was honest, he was surprised that the two of them were even able to make here to the outskirts of Vale from Anima without being caught on the ship they hitched a ride from.

"Yes, Nora?" Ren addressed his only companion.

"Where… where did you learn to fight like that?" Nora asked.

Ah yes. That.

Nora looked back to where they had come from and sighted three men lying down on the dirt path which the two were currently following through the forest. One of those men, bled a large puddle originating from the sliced neck of the man.

They had just come from a small frontier town named Dom.

When the two had decided to leave and journey through the forest via the path they were now following. Bandits had ambushed them, using the trees as cover so they can reap what little the two had on them.

Although, their hiding skills were basic at best. Basic enough that even Ren was able to notice them without as much as glancing at the trees they hid in. Though…

That may had to do with his training in hunting down beasts.

That's not important right now. What is important is to find an excuse as to why he was able to fight off three grown men that had to intent to kill. And why he was able to kill one of them without as much as a flinch.

"Well…" He began, scratching the back of his head, "You know how back in Mistral I had to scavenge for food for the both of us?"

"Oh, Renny… you didn't…" Nora whispered.

He looked away from her, guilt-stricken, more from the fact that he had lied to her.

He felt Nora grip on his sleeve, her small hands holding them tight. She walked closer to him and had practically hugged him with how close she is to him.

They continued to walk in silence for several minutes.

"Teach me."

"Huh?"

"Teach me." Nora repeated, "Teach me how to fight."

That… is a surprise.

"Nora… why would you want to learn how to fight?" Ren asked.

She muttered something unintelligible under her breathe.

"What was that?" Ren asked her.

"So that you don't have to kill again…" She mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

Oh.

Ren couldn't think of anything to do after what she said and instead looked down at the dirt path. The awkward silence between the two of them began to daunt on him, so Ren did the only thing that his mind told him to do.

He started patting Nora's head.

"Nora… you don't have to fight you know." He said, as he continued to stroke her hair, "Once I get a stable job in Vale, I will be able to get enough money to support us both. I can even get you into a school then."

"But how long will that take?" Nora returned.

"I… I don't know." Ren answered honestly, "But I know that there is a job that I can get in Vale really quickly, I might even be able to earn enough to get a room for two nights too if I pawn off the weapons in the bag."

"And what's the job you're looking for?" Nora asked, eying him not all too trustingly.

Ren only looked away.

"You're gonna try and work for some criminals, aren't you?" She accused, "You're going to get them to hire you with those fighting skills, right?"

Ren didn't answer.

"Damn it, Renny!" She yelled, "Damn it. Fine. If you're going to work for criminals, then let me help too!"

The thought sickened Ren. The mere thought of Nora needing to do the dirty work for some bastard because they didn't want to get their hands dirty simply sickened him to his core.

"Nora, no. You are not going to work for criminals." He said.

"Then what do you want me to do?!" She screamed.

Ren was taken back and stepped backwards from her sudden outburst.

She bumped against his chest and held him onto him.

"Lie Ren… you've always protected me from danger, ever since that incident. You've always looked out for me; giving me the largest and cleanest pieces of foods you can find, and you always sacrifice yourself… for me." She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, "Teach me how to fight. And let me protect you too."

"I'm all alone now."

The memory of a young girl in a worn and torn purple dress surfaced up from his mind.

He said nothing and hugged the girl.

Location: Yharnam Sewers, Past

Ren stood up from the wooden planks beneath him and scanned his area.

The planks he laid upon were laden with a white piece of clothe and was spotted with some sort of red fluid resembling blood. There was a large silver-looking syringe that laid nearby, and several blood bathed bandages were laid around him.

He looked down at his upper elbows to find them wrapped in the same bandages that laid around him.

"Where am I?" He spoke aloud.

He looked around more to realize that he was in a small opening inside some sort of canal, he could tell due to the sewage under the wooden planks.

"Argh… my head." He said, gripping the side of his head as he felt a sharp sting.

"Ah yes… Paleblood-"

"Yharnam is the home of blood ministration. You need only unravel its mysteries."

"Outsider-"

"-A little Yharnam blood of your own. But first…"

"You'll need a contract."

Images surfaced in his mind. There was an old man in a wheelchair, in his hand was a large silver-like syringe which now laid on the wooden planks below him, however, it was filled with a type of red substance. Another image came to him, and he saw himself signing a type of contract that the man held out. The next was the old man injecting him with the red substance and finally… he was here?

The contract… why did he sign it?

Right… he knew that this place wasn't a dream. Whatever had happened, wherever he is now, Ren instinctively knew that he wasn't in a dream. That was why he had signed the contract. There was a voice… an… no it was more akin to that of an echo. An echo that called to him, called FOR him.

He had resisted its calling but… something had told him that he should sign it… it felt like the echo can free him from this… this place. Whatever this place is.

"I guess I did it after that…" He said after much pondering, "I should get out of here."

And so, he did. He followed through the canal and was lead to an opening which was surrounded with cement walls. He looked up to see how high they were and found that was light coming from atop. Looking around once more, he found a ladder leading upwards.

He climbed up the ladder and reached the top. Only to be met with hostility.

Those years that he had used to acquire the skills he needed to hunt and survive in Mistral began to kick in and he immediately rolls away from whatever attacked him.

Once he had created distance between him and his assailant and he looked up at whoever attacked him. He was wrong; however, it wasn't who that attacked him. It was what.

The thing that attacked him resembled something akin to that of a Beowulf, however, its skin was darkish grey, with no bone armour in sight. What was peculiar about the creature, was how much it resembled a normal human being. The thing held onto a large metal stake with its two… paws and lunged at him.

He rolled away just in time to not get skewered.

'I need to get out of here.' Ren told himself.

He turned to make a run for it but was shocked at the sight of seeing two men in black aiming hunting rifles at him.

*BANG* *BANG*

Without wasting time, Ren immediately ran forwards, trying to dodge the bullets.

There was no point in standing there when there was a grimm there to kill him. If these men are also here to do the same thing, then he wasn't going to let himself get shot like an idiot.

The men began to reload their weapons and Ren used this opportunity to sprint past them.

*BANG*

Another shot was fired at him.

He tried to duck under the shot, but he was too slow. But he was fine, he had aura so even if he were to get shot, it wouldn't really harm him. Or so he thought.

The bullet pierced into his shoulder, the force of the bullet knocking him to the floor.

He lets out a loud groan as he held onto his wounded shoulder.

'W-why didn't my aura activate?' He thought to himself, 'I know… I know I willed my aura to protect me. So why?'

He received an answer in the form of a metal stake skewering him in the chest.

'Oh.'

It seems that he was going to die…

How strange. Why is he so calm right now? He was about to die, so shouldn't he be in fear?

'Strange…' Ren thought.

~~AMONGST US~~

Location: Yharnam Sewers, Past

Ren has been here multiple times already. He has wandered the place for at least a day or two, maybe even more if he counted the first few times he had died and come back to the Yharnam Sewers. Throughout his deaths, he has learnt many things, about the city called Yharnam, and about the hunter's dream, a place where he will return to after death. The dream was kind enough to provide him a basic set of Yharnam hunter's attire, although at the cost of providing echoes to the creatures named messengers.

Right now, he was above the sewers (aqueduct) themselves and was currently in the rafters, overlooking the sewers below him. And after much observing he decided to make his move.

He moved away from the edge of one of the platforms and began to walk towards a set of barrels in his sight, planting down his Threaded Cane in rhythm of his steps.

He then raised his cane once he got close to the barrels and swung down on them, breaking them apart.

"So then… what do you think of my proposal?" an old voice belonging to an old lady called to him.

Ren walked through the debris of barrels and found the person that spoke to him.

She wore a feathery cape which covers most of her body and had a triangular hat which poked from atop her head, if he were to look closely, he'll be able to find a crow's mask attached to her face.

This woman was Eileen the Crow, one of the people who he has encountered in this… world that hasn't tried to kill. At least not yet.

He first met her when he had found the area, she hid herself in. He went in and was given a gift as a way to keep him going on and hunting beast. She noticed his calm demeanour throughout their conversation and decided to take him in as an apprentice of sorts.

He had asked why she is taking him in, and she simply answered that he has potential.

"I… accept." Ren answered.

And so begins his birth as a hunter of hunters. A flowering young crow.

AN: Alright, as to follow my own rule, I have uploaded three chapters. I shall now move back to the old and dusty Fragmented Star.

Poor little thing has been waiting for me to upload a chapter, I feel you buddy, I feel you T_T. Hopefully I can finish the chapter for Fragemented before the deadline. My lore notes got thanos snapped and it wasn't fun. And right now, all I have left is some backstory for a certain cynical old boi who'll appear in the later future of Fragmented, T_T. Poor thing's lore notes got its shit done in by motherfucking icloud T_T.

Anyways, that's all I have, cya in Fragmented if you choose to read that one.