Late chapter, but life getting real busy again! Shorter this week too, but setting up for some fun next entry!

It crossed Hazel's mind more than once that he should strike Ahmar as they rode. His gauntlets were ready and loaded, Dust waiting to be sparked to life, and a simple spell would be all that was needed. Even if he missed the Hunter himself, surely his horse would fall, either crushing Ahmar under its weight or throwing him from his steed; the resulting fall from his horse would injure Ahmar and render him a non-threat.

Yet honor forbade him from doing so. A ridiculous thing to grant one's enemy but even now as Hazel stared at Ahmar's back and fought with the whirlwind of emotions in his breast he could not force himself to attack.

Despite their differences the two of them had cooperated and protected civilians. The Church was at fault, of that he had no doubts, but that did not mean every soul associated with it was a lost cause. People joined its ranks with the intention of doing right by their fellow man, to protect and serve those who could not defend themselves. If he set aside their bickering and took Ahmar at face value then he could appreciate a man who fought to defend the kingdom. In that regard he and Hazel were one in the same. Their allegiances were different, their methods grossly incompatible, but Vale was, objectively, better for both their efforts.

Perhaps ignorant but better, nonetheless.

And so, with his enemy leading the charge he rode on in silence. Awash from the evening's sudden storms the roads they traveled were riddled with puddles; running water formed trenches that his horse deftly navigated, and Hazel directed it around precarious slopes and pits of mud. Even with the sun rising the air remained crisp, chilled in a manner that made his lungs ache. His and his horse's breath billowed out in plumes, and soon the wind cutting against his face made Hazel wish his beard were just a bit more grown out, if only to spare his nose and lips the bitter sting. With the homestead long since behind them they had officially left all signs of civilization behind. Maples, oaks, and ashes sprouted up in clusters, separated by shallow valleys and rising hills, stone erupting from the soft, loamy ground and jutting free of earthly confines. Ahead of them the road forked around a large maidenhair, its luminous yellow leaves somehow even more brilliant than the sun's own radiance.

Ahmar bore right at the fork without looking to see if Hazel would follow. A signpost, nailed to the trunk of the tree, indicated a small town to the left whose name Hazel did not know. Judging by the wear of the sign, moss covering the other marker entirely, he doubted anyone knew of the town any longer.

Out here with little need for regular maintenance the roads showed clear signs of nature reclaiming what it had lost. Though trees remained scarce ferns and bushes cluttered the roadsides, encroaching on the paths and at times reducing it to barely a horse's width. Diablo ninebarks formed a deep purple wall to their right, their waxy, broad leaves glistening droplets, branches rustling and bending in the wake of their hasty passage.

How nonsensical it was to ride into danger like he did. Gretchen would have his head for such idiocy, provided he ever told her. Provided he could tell her. Telling his sister anything was contingent on making out of this alive. If he could convince Ahmar that they did not need to fight, then that might be easy. Assuming that failed…

What did he know of Ahmar? The man was one of Vale's foremost Hunters and responsible for teaching Initiates subterfuge. It was something that Hazel assumed must go horrendously underutilized; the few newly minted Hunters he had met were about as subtle as a rampaging bull. What of his combat capabilities? The night before showed that Ahmar utilized wires for battle, a highly unusual but lethal weapon. While he would wager his armor could withstand such a tool Hazel hesitated to test that theory; soon enough he would know how plate fared against such an irregular weapon.

And what of his magic then? It was Hazel's responsibility to familiarize himself with the skills Hunters possessed, particularly those who might pose a threat. Yet to wit's end he could not recall what the man used. Elemental? Shadows? Illusion? Perhaps he augmented himself with magic in some way.

Much like the question of where they were going Hazel suspected he would find out soon enough.

The sun, having only recently risen to shed its light upon Remnant, seemed to shy away now. As they moved further into the wilderness and followed the decrepit, crumbling road Hazel noticed that not only did the ground recede away beneath them, but so too did it rise up on either side. The road itself seemed to disappear into the dirt, burrowing deeper into the rising cliffsides, rock concealed by vines and precariously perched trees. Ahead of them the road disappeared around a bend. Taking the corner, he slowed his horse as he found Ahmar waiting for him.

Sun-bleached and withering from age, two great stone walls cut off the road before them. Ramparts cast long shadows from the wall, several of them reduced to rubble. An iron gate stood between them and the interior, caved in and crumpling in on itself, rusted, mangled chains dangling uselessly above it.

"An old fort…" Whatever keep laid within the walls likely had fallen to ruin long ago, devoid of any inhabitants for years, perhaps even decades. Slowly, Hazel dismounted and led it aside, letting it graze on long grass at the base of the cliff.

"I never did understand your people's fascination with building fortresses like this." Ahmar cast a perplexed look up at one of the towers, its eastern wall caved in entirely and leaving the structure pitching dangerously to one side. "You would think a field would be preferable. Able to see enemies for miles around, no risk of attacks from above."

"The cliffs are a natural defense. Scouts would roam the peaks and alert those below to threats. And while I suppose it's true an attack from above is inevitable, many of these fortresses have tunnels built into the cliffs themselves." Hazel smiled wistfully. "Not the most practical, I'll give you -"

"Then why? It begets any kind of logic. As do you and yours rallying against the Church."

"Is that right?" Hazel looked up at the walls and began to pace. How many of these forts were scattered across the kingdom? How many had died within their walls. "People deserve to know the truth, Ahmar. I do not hate you for what you do. I hate that we keep so much from the people."

"And what would you have us do, precisely? Tell everyone the truth of magic?" Ahmar snorted, waving a hand dismissively. "People did not trust Magi before the Church's inception. Before we created laws to govern our people. To ensure that Magi could not wreak havoc as they did before."

"You speak as though Magi and those without the gift are different peoples entirely."

"A single Magi can eviscerate an entire squadron of soldiers. A trained one with years of experience is worth an entire platoon of soldiers. People feared Magi long before the wars, and they only now accept our kind because of what the Church has done."

"Deceived them, you mean," Hazel rebuked.

"What we do, we do to protect everyone. Magi are necessary! Without them, without Hunters, Grimm would run rampant. We need magic, and convincing people of that has taken generations of hard work." Ahmar dismounted, drawing back his hood and spitting. "They would never trust Hunters if they knew we drew Grimm to us. They would slaughter anyone, man, woman, or child with the gift if only to try and spare themselves the Grimm. What we do allows Magi to live freely."

"While putting everyone else in danger." Hazel raised one of his gauntlets, turning it to brandish the gemstone set inside. "There is an alternative to magic, Ahmar. We have other ways of fighting back the Grimm, one which everyone, regardless of talent, can use with a modicum of training."

"And you would entrust that to the masses? Tell me, Hazel, what happens if everyone can cast spells? Is that what you wish for? To have everyone on Remnant capable of casting magic?" Ahmar growled and cut Hazel off before he could answer. "Humanity is not fit to wield such power! We would use Dust to kill each other, to murder Faunus en masse as we did before. A simple civil dispute could devolve into a cataclysmic event if everyone in town has the ability to use magic! It would be the Magi's War all over again!"

"Do you truly believe that humanity is so fickle?" Hazel could not help but sound exhausted by the ramblings. "Do you honestly think that we would ruin ourselves so readily?"

"We have done it before, commander. One only needs to look at history to see that!" Ahmar no longer spoke directly to Hazel as he turned his back on him, looking at the deformed gates. "The Magi's War, the Decade of Strife. The Fall of Mantle, General Malion's Rebellion. There are dozens of instances throughout time that humanity, using magic, has nearly brought itself to ruin. So yes, I do believe that."

"And so you presume to be the only ones to lead the people?"

"Someone must! Kings are fickle, liable to answer to bribery, or play favorites with those among their courts. By removing ourselves from such matters we are beholden to no one but ourselves. We enforce no laws beyond those which keep our own, and Magi everywhere, in check. By self-governing as we have, we've been allowed autonomy, and Remnant as a whole has benefited from that."

Hazel could not deny that. As much as he disliked secrecy and deception there were undeniably positive results gained by the Church of Remnant's creation. Magic was outlawed as a tool of war in all four kingdoms, was governed by strict laws to prevent people with it from running rampant, and Grimm were largely curtailed.

Everything was not as wonderful as Ahmar would believe, however. Hazel had seen enough ruined towns to know that Dust could have saved countless lives. That in trying to outlaw its proliferation the Church had caused Dust to become a weapon of choice for those who laws meant nothing; bandits, the White Fang, and even rogue Hunters made use of it. Magic was restricted, yes, but it left the people dependent. Crippled. Incapable of protecting themselves unless they happened to have a Magi among them. Even then that was if they could beat back the subsequent surge in Grimm that their magic would inevitably create.

"When man has been granted power, he is loathe to relinquish it," Hazel mused aloud.

"This has nothing to do with that, Rainart! Were we able to sit by idly and live our lives, we know I'm tired of all this nonsense." Ahmar cast his lone eye skyward, shoulders sagging as he exhaled. "So damned tired…" He closed his eye and rubbed at his face, scowling at Hazel as he stepped forward. "But humanity and Faunus both are too keen to eradicate themselves, and so it falls to us to ensure they continue to survive. Even if that means deceiving them. Even if we must fabricate half-truths!"

Hazel began fixing his gauntlets, stepping back as the Hunter stormed towards him. "Ahmar, we do not have to fight. We both want the same thing here."

"No. You want to open the floodgates and bring about the apocalypse! People. Cannot. Be. Trusted!" Ahmar reached into his pockets and drew coiled wire, grabbing one end and unraveling the spool with a flick of his wrist. Wire came to life in an instant, wriggling and circling him, forming a loose spiral around his body. "We work to prevent another calamity, and anyone who would threaten that is an enemy of humanity!"

"People are more receptive than you might think. Please, lay down your weapon and let us speak as comrades." Hazel prepared to defend himself, forming a bubble of water around himself, an aqueous barrier.

"No. I know precisely how people would treat us, commander. They would sooner have our heads then welcome us."

"The lies are of your own making. It will only do more harm to hear it from someone else. Speak to Ozpin, encourage him to share the truth and -"

"No. I will hear no more of your naive prattling. What you speak of is a utopia and no such thing exists." Hazel cringed reflexively as wire lashed out, striking his barrier and slicing through it with ease. Wire scraped loudly against his pauldron and he stepped back, using wind Dust to blow the wires away. "I will not allow you to threaten all we have worked to build!"

Wire sliced through the cliffs and sheared stones large as Hazel's head free. Hazel flared both crystals and fired them together, shattering stone and sidestepping another lashing. More wire unraveled and shot to the cliff sides, embedding itself in stone and pulling itself taught, creating lines spanning from wall to wall. Their horses cried out and bolted up the road, leaving Hazel and Ahmar in the narrow canyon alone.

The Hunter leapt onto one of the wires, balancing easily as it remained firm beneath his weight. "You believe your ideals are stronger than mine, commander? You believe you know best? Come then!" Ahmar sneered. "Let us see whose faith is stronger."

/+/+/+/+/+/

Vale's landscapes were blanketed in forests.

Cities the size of Vale City or even Galloway were far and few between. Most of the settlements and villages dotting the kingdom were home to no more than a few dozen souls, maybe a hundred at most. Modest, spread apart and more often than not lightly fortified these villages were small droplets in the grander basin of Vale. Where homes and farmland were absent forests took claim, rolling fields that spread for miles in every direction, mountains that cut imposing shadows across the land and blotted out the sky. For all of mankind's advancements, for all of their magic, nature would always lay a greater claim to Remnant.

Weiss both loved and hated Vale. As far as a kingdom's rulers were concerned, she rather liked the royal family here, or at least did not openly despise them. They appeared to try and rule fairly and just, maintaining peace and order without the threat of an army storming a village over slight dissention. It had its issues to be sure, as did any kingdom, but some of those were not of Vale's own making.

The forests though? Those were definitely Vale's fault, or with no one else to blame for their current situation Weiss decided the kingdom itself had somehow wronged her. As if the entirety of the kingdom had gained sentience and decided to pester her with every nuisance imaginable. The humidity in the air was gone thanks to the rain but the heat returned in earnest; summer was not finished with them just yet. Her clothes, only recently dried, clung to her skin. No amount of plucking could keep her attire free. Wind was painfully absent and the air in the forest grew warm, heavy and damp. Shade did little to cut down on the unpleasantness.

And the damned insects! Every fly and beetle that flew by rang in her ears, their tiny wings grating. Mosquitoes whined as they circled the group and, much to her chagrin, they seemed to favor her blood. Her ears twitched as another offender wandered too close and she smacked it, crushing it on her shoulder. Another landed on the back of her hand and she scowled.

"I. Hate. Nature!"

Ruby giggled. "Aw, don't say that! It's pretty nice out here!" she said, smiling and folding her hands behind her back. "At least it isn't snowing!"

"Why don't the bugs bother you more?" Weiss swung her hands blindly and growled, stomping her foot on the muddy forest floor. "We should take the road. I sincerely doubt anyone will be traveling it."

"Because everyone is gonna be in the woods like us, right?" Qrow drawled.

"I don't see why we can't take the road," Blake chimed in. "We would be able to see someone else coming long before they can do anything to us."

"Gotta agree with kitty cat, Qrow!" Yang grinned, oblivious to Blake's death stare as she raised her arms overhead. "All this walking around in the mud is a real pain. Roads should be a little dryer!"

"Sure, but the roads might be crawling with Hunters too."

"If there were Hunters actively pursuing us then they wouldn't limit themselves to just the roads."

"Blake is right. They would be out here too turning over every log and toadstool to track us down," Yang said. She swat at an unseen insect and huffed, blowing bangs from her eyes. "We're just making this tougher on ourselves, so I say let's get back on the road already."

Weiss had made her stance known, and Blake's gradually growing irritation made her decision plain. Ruby looked torn before nodding to Qrow, content to follow her friends' leads. Outvoted four-to-one the elder Hunter let out a sigh, rubbing his cheek before acquiescing with a nod.

"Alright, alright. Er, there's only one problem with that though." Qrow stopped and appeared embarrassed all at once. His eyes passed over the four girls and he chuckled, tugging at his collar. "Anyone know which way to get back?"

Weiss' jaw dropped. He was not serious, right? Surely, he had not gotten lost. In stunned silence she looked back the way they had come, furrowing her brow as she retraced their steps. The road should be directly at their backs. Except they had detoured around a small ravine at one point, followed a swift river upstream until they found a safe point of passage, and scaled and descended four sizable hills. That was leaving out the small fact they had spent half a day walking since waking that morning. With the sun high overhead now, warmth permeating the leaves above and turning the forest humid, Weiss slapped a hand to her forehead and sighed loudly.

"You don't know where the road is?" Dubious, she narrowed her eyes at Qrow. "How would you know how to find Liar's Bay then?"

"Cuz it's on the ocean? We're heading east." Qrow pointed to the sky to indicate the sun's position. As if they had been keeping an eye on it. "There are smaller roads along the coasts, plus fewer towns. I figured we would take those to get there."

Blake crossed her arms and shook her head. "Isn't Liar's Bay in a valley? I don't recall there being many roads in and out of it."

"You've been there before?" Ruby asked.

"It's a popular spot for people who want to do things that aren't exactly… Legal. Plus it's a popular spot for the White Fang."

Oh, is it now? Qrow had left that small tidbit out before. The man looked nonplussed by having that outed either, shrugging nonchalantly as he retrieved his flask.

"So, that means we're stuck here in the forest?" Ruby asked.

"Stuck? Nah. If we wandered in one direction long enough, we'd find a road. We could double back too, get back to where we'd come off and go from there." Qrow took a swig and coughed. "'Course, the longer we're out here, woods or not, the better chance we have of being found. And I don't know about you girls, but I don't exactly wanna fight a squad of Hunters again."

"You didn't have much problem back in Galloway."

"That's cuz I had to, firecracker. Plus, I didn't know any of them so that helps. Chances are we would run into someone I know and I don't exactly like the idea of possibly killing a pal."

"Hunters are the enemy though," Blake said, as if that was the most obvious fact to her.

"So those kids you all ran with are the enemy? You'd fight 'em if you had to?" Qrow wrinkled his nose and corked his drink, shaking his head as he tucked it away. "I'm technically still with the Church too, ya know. And just like your friends there are folks I'm inclined to believe aren't doing this of their own will. Can't exactly kill someone for being a puppet."

Which was why Qrow was fine with them being hopelessly lost, or close to it. So far removed from everything as they were it would take days to find them and keeping them from disappearing into the landscape would be a massive undertaking. Obvious in hindsight; minimize the likelihood of an encounter while still making decent time.

Weiss crushed another mosquito on her forearm and huffed.

"If we're going to keep to the trees then let's at least keep moving. I'm not fond of becoming a buffet for insects."

"Well, unless anyone's got other complaints, we can get a move on." Qrow looked to each of them expectantly, smiling when no one spoke up. "Good. And we're not completely lost for the record," he added, breaking off a low hanging branch as he started off again. "I have a rough idea of where we're at. If we're really not feeling another night out here there should be a town close enough that we can stop at. Probably make it there before dusk."

"A town sounds good to me!" Yang cheered. "Could use a bath. Soft bed would be nice too!"

"A proper meal would do wonders as well," Weiss agreed. "Even if it's a greasy stew. A golden crusted bread would be lovely too. Or even just a properly cooked steak…"

Gods knew she missed the luxuries that came with city living. Hells, the luxuries that came with being in any kind of settlement. Necessity meant they dined on whatever they could find and slept wherever was suitable. That did not mean Weiss had to like it.

And so they pressed on. It was either late in the morning or early in the afternoon, Weiss could not be certain which. Despite the sun hanging directly overhead now the thick trees blotted out the sunlight at every turn. What should have been a bright, warm day was turned into an inscrutable trek through a perpetual twilight forest. On the trunks of trees shelf-like mushrooms sprouted, some of them as large as Weiss' entire hand. Forest critters scurried away as they drove deeper and deeper, the occasional sighting of a deer or woodchuck a maudlin excuse for excitement.

The occasional break in the forests provided them a measure of warmth. Here the ground was not soaked, moss and fungus not growing on every surface. Beneath the sun's unmitigated rays, they soaked in the warmth, flanked on all sides by the harrowing forest.

Their stops were never long. A moment here or there to catch their breath, pauses to slake their thirst with a steady flowing stream or refill their waterskins.

Weiss' feet ached. Her legs were sore, hips equally so, and her clothing had collected burrs, small twigs, and one or two strings of webbing. The latter she suffered in silence, grabbing the nearest small branch she could and wiping away the silk. Yang, no doubt accustomed to such treks, appeared none the worse for wear, as did Qrow. Weiss took solace then in seeing Blake and Ruby both fatigued from their walking, the latter of which was a little surprising.

Another hour passed, or maybe less. Perhaps more? Weiss continued to try and keep track for her sanity if nothing else. Aside from idle chatter they traveled largely in silence, everyone present intent on remaining vigilant. Grimm had yet to harry them but that did not mean their peace would last. Hunters were notably absent yet that could change in an instant too. Where silence should have been comforting Weiss instead felt uneasy because of it. Rather than become a jittery, paranoid mess she marched along with little more than the occasional glance around. Her stomach remained in a coil however, nerves ready to snap at the slightest provocation. She needed a distraction, anything to pull her away from the constant thrumming sense of worry gnawing at her breast.

"You're sure you're okay with this?"

"I don't have much choice, do I? Besides, there's some merit to the idea."

Weiss' ears flicked and she turned her head slightly. Ruby and Blake walked at the back of their group, voices low as they tried to speak in private. Even if she wanted to give them solitude, they sought there was nothing loud enough to drown them out. Weiss' own curiosity did not help either.

"We could try somewhere else though. I'm sure uncle Qrow knows plenty of towns we can stop at."

"Hm. Towns that are either loyal to the Church or beholden to them." Blake snorted and shook her head. "Liar's Bay is better than it used to be, but not by much. We need to find a captain that won't ask questions and there aren't many better places to look."

"True. I guess that makes sense." Ruby did not sound convinced. "But you're sure you want to go there? You heard what he said…"

"It's a small town, Ruby. And sure, there might be some White Fang there," Blake stressed. "Some. Adam would have no reason to be there though, or anyone else important. At worst we might run into some low-ranking members. Nothing I can't handle."

"But you might have to fight them."

"I can fight without killing. Besides, I can always hide if I need to."

That was unfair though, wasn't it? Despite their wandering Weiss assumed that they were making haste to leave Vale. Clearly they were doing everything in their power to avoid detection, but that did not extend to everyone. Clearly Ozpin was the looming threat and Qrow did not pay much heed to the White Fang, or any complications that might cause Blake.

"I can talk to him. There has to be other towns."

Blake smiled, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "I'm fine, honest. If this is the best course of action then I won't complicate things for us. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time I've had to sneak into a hostile town."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?!" Ruby whined.

"What are they talking about, snowflake?"

Weiss squeaked indignantly and stumbled, blushing furiously as Yang caught her arm. Helped back to her feet she glared at Yang, catching a confused look from Ruby, and a knowing stare from Blake. The tips of her ears flushed, and Weiss lowered her head, pulling her arm free and continuing.

"Hush, you. It's private."

"Mhm. Which is why you were listenin' in, right?" Yang grinned. "Not exactly discreet, princess."

"I'm reassuring Ruby that I'm not worried about the White Fang," Blake spoke up, smirking when Yang and Weiss both started. "What? Weiss isn't the only one with good hearing." She wiggled her ears for emphasis.

"Well that's good! Besides, we won't let anyone hurt ya, Blakey. Anyone who tries is gonna get a face full of fist," Yang said, cracking her knuckles and grinning.

"We're all in this together. Whatever comes our way we'll handle it as a team," Ruby added with a smile.

"Exactly why I'm not concerned. I know I can count on you three."

All three of them. Weiss smiled gratefully. "Always."

"'Cept for when there are spiders involved," Yang teased. Weiss' still red cheeks burned and she swung at Yang, missing by a mile.

"I said hush! I'm revoking your right to talk!"

"Oh yeah? And how are you gonna do that?" Yang placed her hands on her hips and gave a taunting grin. "You gonna kiss me too, Weiss? What would Ruby think?"

"Yang!" Ruby whined, her face matching Weiss' pink complexion.

"It is rather difficult to speak when kissing." Blake put a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Although that doesn't mean you can't make other noises."

"Speaking from experience?"

Blake met Yang's blinding grin with a more tempered smile of her own. "Maybe."

Now Weiss was glad they were in the forest. Hiding from Yang's ribbing would be much easier than on the open road. Or better yet she could freeze Yang to a tree. Sure, her friend would melt through the ice quickly enough but Weiss would relish the fleeting vindication.

"Uh… Hey girls?"

Qrow had continued while they squabbled but had stopped, turned back to them now with a look of plain concern. Exchanging looks, they took the cue and hurried to meet him. The ground rose up slightly as they went and Weiss noted small gashes in the soft soil. Long, trailing lines that were narrow and deep. Similar wounds were cut into trees, and a few broken limbs dangled precariously above.

Her first thought had been a bear. Few animals she knew of marked trees the way bears did, or were large enough to strike branches from the ground. Any such thoughts were stricken away when they crested the hill and a foul, rotting stench wafted up from below.

Predators ravaging their prey was not anything unusual. Pack animals would strip a carcass clean, leaving scraps for scavengers later. A more sizable hunter like a mountain lion or bear would devour most of its kill or drag it off to feed its young.

No predator Weiss knew of would tear a stag to bloody chunks and scatter its remains across the forest. Nor did any animal Weiss knew of leaving pulsating globs of black mass among the flesh, slowly evaporating and filling the surrounding area with a thin mist. Eyes trailing along the carnage Weiss saw a second decapitated head nearby, a body torn in two. Another bloody mess further beyond still. The wind blew and she gagged, covering her mouth in the crook of her arm.

Yang cursed and began to itch her bandaged arm.

You know, sometimes you need to remember that writing is meant to be fun. Sometimes you go full anime with a character because frick it, let's have fun.

Can't wait for next chapter where everything is resolved peacefully by Talk no Jutsu then.