Blake watched as Ruby leapt over the edge of the cliff and slid down the cliff side. Rocks and gravel rained down as she slid and she tucked and rolled when she reached the ground. She looked up and started sprinting towards her and Yang. Blake watched the Nevermore, Gambol Shroud in hand, and she couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight of the Schnee caught in its claws. Any second now that prissy, bigoted brat would be torn to shreds.
To her surprise, the Schnee managed to get her sword out and stab the Nevermore in the talon holding her. It let go with an ear splitting screech and she fell in the air before a glyph appeared below her. She stood up, panting, and formed a staircase of glyphs all the way to the ground. She leapt down each one, not daring to look back at the Nevermore as it chased after her.
Ruby shoved past her and straight into Yang's open arms. Blake tuned the two of them out as they embraced, her attention returning to the Nevermore that was drawing closer to them as the Schnee made her way down her glyphs.
"We should move. Now," Blake said. Yang and Ruby were too busy crying and freaking out about how they were both still alive to hear her. She turned Gambol Shroud into its gun form, pointed it up, and fired a shot. The sound was deafening and caught Yang and Ruby's attention. They covered their ears and groaned in annoyance and pain.
"What the hell, dude!" Yang shouted, glaring at her.
"Did you have to fire that so close Blake?" Blake said nothing but pointed at the Nevermore that was fast approaching. Realization and horror crept over both of their faces as Weiss hit the ground and started sprinting towards them.
"Oh," Yang said.
Nora swung her arms in a carefree manor as she strode next to Ren. Her limbs had been tingly for a while after Ren cut her down but they were fine now. They had been wondering around in the woods for a while now and aside from the King Taijitu they hadn't run into any other Grimm. Well, living ones any way.
"I spy with my little eye-"
"A tree," Ren said.
"Yep! You're really good at this Ren."
"That's the only thing near us Nora." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Okay, your turn." Ren looked around for a little bit, looking up and down and around to try and find something aside from a tree. They exited the forest and reached a cliff overlooking a ruined temple. Its ceiling had been completely torn apart and the decapitated body of a Nevermore lay in the grass next to the ruins; smoke billowing from its decaying body . The tower in the back of the building had been knocked over and lay scattered in the field. Ice was frozen over the archway and parts of it clung to the door.
"I spy with my little eye, something big and ruined." Ren smiled at her. Nora pointed down at the temple and he nodded his head.
They made their way down to the temple; the sight of the dead students and the decapitated Nevermore causing their stomachs to churn. The smell of the dead flesh baking in the sun was absolutely sickening. They made their way up the ruined staircase and past the doors, the chill from the freezing ice causing them to shiver. The stone pillars and columns inside the building had crumbled apart and were shattered on the ground, the ceiling had been caved in and huge gashes were raked all across the floor and walls. Shotgun shells, shell casings, and magazines littered the floor, and Grimm blood was splattered on the walls and floor.
"Wow," Nora said. They entered into a large room littered with gold, silver, and bronze chess pieces. They were scattered across the floor and part of the ceiling had fallen onto the chess boards. Nora crouched down and picked up a golden rook. "This is a queen's piece right?"
"No Nora. And it looks to be missing as well."
"Darn. I was hoping to be the queen."
"I could buy you a crown if you want?" She pocketed the chess piece and shook her head.
"Nah, wouldn't be the same."
They explored the room a bit more, noting which pieces were missing, before exiting the room and striding past the battle scared entrance.
"That wasn't too hard, I don't see what all that 'You're all gonna die, bwahaha' stuff Ozpin was talking about was for." Nora said. Ren pointed at the grassy field in front of them.
"He may have been referring to that," Ren said. A red haired woman and a blonde haired man were sprinting towards them. The blonde looked like he was close to passing out while the red head was hardly sweating. Behind them a Deathstalker was scuttling towards them, trying to snatch the blonde boy with its giant pinchers.
Jaune's lungs were on fire and his legs felt like jelly as he sprinted after Pyrrha. His breathing was ragged and the air felt harsh against his throat as he wheezed for air. He looked back at the Deathstalker and screamed as one of its pinchers came within centimeters of his legs.
"We're almost there!" Pyrrha shouted. Jaune wheezed in response. Pyrrha came skidding to a stop, her shield up and her spear transforming into a rifle. "I'll buy you some time, go, go!" She put the rifle in the indent at the top of her shield and started firing at the Deathstalker.
Jaune ducked his head down and threw his hands over his head as Pyrrha fired around him. He ran past her and doubled his efforts to get to the temple. He saw a girl in pink standing at the entrance, a grenade launcher in hand and waving at him. A man in green with bladed submachine guns stood next to her. He looked back to see Pyrrha jump out of the way of the Deathstalker's stinger and come sprinting after him.
He came to a stop in front of the two at the steps of the ruins. He had his hands on his knees and gasped for air, his chest burning.
"Hi there!" The pink girl's face appeared in front of him. He weekly raised a hand in greeting. He stood up and watched the two enter the temple. He lingered at the door to make sure Pyrrha made it. Pyrrha was sprinting, her strides long, and sweat glistened on her skin as she barreled past him and into the ruins. Jaune followed after her and started to shove the ruined wooden doors close.
The doors groaned underneath his efforts. Pyrrha, the pink girl, and the green man came to his aide and they shoved the door close. The Deathstalker's stinger came splintering through the door and they heard the creature hiss as it strained to dislodge its stinger.
They stepped away from the doors, watching through the holes in the door as the Deathstalker tried to smash through the doors with its pinchers. Jaune held a hand to his chest, feeling his racing heart as he tried to catch his breath. They seemed to have a moment of peace.
"So who are you two? This is Ren!" The pink girl held her hands out, pointing at Ren. Her voice was high pitched, loud, and the words came out a mile a minute.
"And this is Nora." Ren said, pointing to Nora. His voice was soft and deep with a melancholic tone. Jaune held up his hand weekly as his breathing started to slow
"I'm Jaune." Pyrrha watched the door but stowed away her weapons all the same.
"My name is Pyrrha. Nice to meet you two." She held out her hand, which Nora happily shook with both of hers. Ren gently shook her hand after Nora was done.
"The feeling is mutual. The relics that we were sent to find are in the room over there." Jaune looked back at the room Ren motioned towards. He glanced at the door; the Deathstalker seemed like it would be busy for a while. He looked over at Pyrrha and she nodded at him.
They made their way into the room and searched it for a relic. Pyrrha held up a golden rook; surprise and confusion etched on her face.
"Chess pieces?" Jaune shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Maybe Ozpin really likes chess?" Pyrrha pocketed the rook.
"I suppose that is possible. Still…what would be the meaning behind these pieces?" Jaune held up his hands; figuring out the symbolic meaning of things was something his literature teacher had told him he was terrible at.
Jaune's head snapped to the room Ren and Nora were in at the sound of the door screeching as it was ripped off its hinges and the rumble as the Deathstalker's stinger came crashing through and into the floor. Jaune drew his sword and Pyrrha her spear as they ran into the room where Ren, Nora, and the Deathstalker waited.
Yang grabbed Ruby by the arm and threw her into the temple; there was no way she was going to let her sister be in any more danger than she had to be. Blake stood in the doorway, her sights set on the girl in white. Yang entered the ruins, standing in front of Ruby the entire time, her arm hovering over her heaving chest. She pressed her bracelets and Ember Celica came into place.
The girl in white, White was her name right? Came sprinting through the door, gasping for air and placing her hands on her knees. Blake stood in the archway and fired a few shots at the Nevermore before entering the ruins.
White stood up suddenly, still gasping for air, and held up her sword. She pulled a trigger and the sword's blade was enveloped in Blue Dust. She swung her sword and a wall of ice formed over the doorway. Yang heard the Nevermore scream as it landed in front of the ice wall. She heard Ruby gasp as the Nevermore started raking its talons across the ice. It clawed and pecked for a few minutes before she heard it fly away.
She exhaled, not realizing she had been holding her breath. Ruby moved past Yang's arm and pulled White into a hug.
"Great job Weiss!" Weiss' body went rigid at the contact and annoyance filled her icy blue eyes.
"Don't touch me," she said. Ruby let go and took a step back, sheepishly rubbing her arm.
"Sorry, won't do it again." Blake remained silent throughout the entire ordeal and pulled out the clip in her glock, checking how many rounds she had left. Satisfied with the amount she popped the clip back into place. Yang saw her pat down the pockets of her shorts, and how she mouthed each number as she counted her spare clips; five in total. Ruby looked over at Yang before saying
"So if this is the ruins, where are the relics?" Yang pulled out the second pony relic she had grabbed and tossed it to Ruby. She fumbled with it but managed to catch it.
"Already grabbed you one."
"So how are we supposed to leave?" Blake asked. Ruby rested her chin in her hand, thinking.
"We could climb out of that tower?" she said. Weiss scoffed.
"And then what? That Nevermore is still-" The Nevermore's beak came crashing through one of the holes in the ceiling, screeching. It forced its head through, its screams deafening as it ripped its way through the ceiling.
Blake fired at the Nevermore, each shot landing. Blood ran down the Nevermore's face and it screamed with pain. It withdrew its head before one of its claws came through, its talons razor sharp.
Yang ducked out of the way as the claw raked over the ground, leaving deep gashes in the stone. She sneered and a fired a blast at the claw. It grazed the talons and she heard the Nevermore cry out in pain.
Ruby ran past her, Crescent Rose in hand.
"Ruby! Where are you going?!" Yang yelled.
"To the tower! I'll try and snipe it from up there!" Before she could protest a part of the ceiling began to fall around her and she jumped out of the way. The Nevermore was looking in; the hole was almost big enough for it to fit its entire body in.
Weiss pulled the trigger on her sword and the chamber switched to Yellow Dust. She pointed her blade at the Nevermore and lightning shot out, hitting the Nevermore in the wing and catching fire. The Nevermore screeched and beat its wings against the ceiling, trying to put out the flames. Parts of the ceiling ran down on them and parts of the wall crumbled and fell. Yang fired at the Nevermore, aiming for its flaming wing. Blake emptied her clip firing at the Nevermore's torso while Weiss fired small chunks of ice at the Nevermore's legs.
The Nevermore writhed under the barrage of attacks and its body contorted as it tried to put out the flames. The flames died down and the Nevermore tried to swipe at them with its claws. They heard a crack of thunder and the Nevermore screamed as blood spurted out of its torso. The Nevermore turned around and walked away from the hole in the ceiling. They heard it climbing over the roof before they heard Ruby fire another shot.
Yang balled her hands into fists and shoved past Weiss and Blake. There was no way in hell that thing was gonna hurt Ruby.
Pyrrha aimed Miló at the Deathstalker and fired, the shot hitting the scorpion in one of its eyes. The creature screeched and scuttled back as blood began to ooze from the wound. She saw Ren fire at the Deathstalker with his submachine guns, the bullets indenting on the scorpion's armor.
The Deathstalker backed away from the door, hissing in annoyance. It began to scuttle away, leaving a trail of blood in the grass as it left. Nora ran up to the door and fired a grenade at the Deathstalker, blowing up next to it and causing it to shriek with pain and annoyance. But it didn't turn around and attempt to attack them but continued to scuttle away before turning towards the left. Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and went over to the door and watched it disappear into the forest surrounding the field.
"Woo-hoo! Suck it ya overgrown bug!" Nora cheered and jumped up and down at the doorway. Ren's expression was blank as he joined Nora in the doorway. Pyrrha walked down the steps and looked at the tree line.
"I don't like this." She said quietly. They would have less cover in the forest and would be left open to ambushes from other Grimm. She sighed. But they had no choice, if they wanted to pass the test they were going to have to go into the forest. She looked up at the doorway to see Jaune, Nora, and Ren looking down at her. Nora was bouncing from foot to foot as she stood next to Ren.
"Everything alright Pyrrha?" Jaune asked. She shook her head.
"It gave up too soon. I think it's planning something when we leave this temple." Ren nodded his head, either agreeing with her or in understanding she wasn't sure. Nora's cheery disposition didn't seem to falter and Jaune bit his lip and kicked a stray chunk of ice with his shoe.
"So what do we do?" Pyrrha sighed and pressed the switch on Miló, turning it into its spear form.
"We're going to have to see how things play out." She moved her shield into position and started walking towards the tree line.
"Hey, wait up!" she heard Juane run up to her side, his sword drawn and his shield on his arm, the weight pulling his arm down. Ren and Nora followed after her.
Weiss watched as Yang punched through her wall of ice; shattering it almost instantly. Yang's eyes had turned red and her hair was aflame as she made her way out of the building. She and Blake ran after her and they ran around the building to see the Nevermore climbing on the roof. It raised its burned wing and ran it through the crumbling tower. Dust and bricks went flying as the tower tipped over and Ruby came flying out of the window, her crimson cape trailing behind her.
Weiss gasped as the Nevermore grabbed Ruby's cape with its beak. She could see the terror on Ruby's face as she looked up at the Nevermore. It threw back its head and Ruby went flying into the air before landing in the Nevermore's beak. The Nevermore swallowed and let out a shriek of victory. Weiss could taste bile at the back of her throat and saw Yang fall to her knees.
"RUBY!"
Ren strode behind Pyrrha and Jaune, watching the trees as they walked. That Deathstalker had given up to easy and the thought of running into it in these cramped forests made him tighten his grip on Storm Flower, his knuckles turning white. He looked down and saw a puddle of black blood on the ground next to the tree Pyrrha and Jaune were passing.
"Jaune, Pyrrha, stop for a moment." They stopped and looked back and he opened his mouth to respond when he saw their eyes grow wide. He jumped forward; hearing the Deathstalker's stinger slam into the ground behind him. He heard Nora grunt and the sound of her hammer slamming into the scorpion's armored pinchers. He spun around and fired at the Deathstlaker, his arms shaking as he tried to keep them aimed at the creatures face.
He heard one gun click and then the other. He dropped the magazines as Jaune and Pyrrha ran past him. The Deathstalker swung one of its pinchers at Pyrrha and Jaune leapt into the way, deflecting the blow with his shield. Ren popped the new magazines into place as Pyrrha charged at the Deathstalker. She yelled and stabbed her spear into the Deathstalker's face, burying it into the eye she had shot earlier. The Nevermore screeched and thrashed about, its stinger smashing into the trees around them and knocking them over. The creature swung its pinchers in towards Pyrrha only to be deflected by Jaune again. Pyrrha jumped over the scorpion's pinchers, rolled, and turned around. She threw her shield at the Deathstalker's stinger as Nora continued to slam her hammer into the Deathstalker's side; cracks appearing and spider webbing with each blow. Jaune ducked down, slipping and falling into the dirt as the Deathstalker swung both of its claws at him. It let out a squeal as Pyrrha's shield sliced off its stinger, black blood gushing out and coating its boney armor. A gray light shimmered over Pyrrha's hand and the shield returned to her arm.
Jaune scrambled away from the Deathstalker, gasping for breath as he ran up to Ren. With no one in his line of sight, Ren opened fire on the Deathstalker. Ren heard Nora let out a 'woo!' as he saw bits of the Deathstaker's bone armor fall into the dirt. Noticing that Pyrrha's spear was still lodged in its eye, Ren ran over to Nora, firing into the exposed side of the scorpion. Nora brought her hammer back, a smile on her face, but lower it as Ren ran in front of her, emptying Storm Flower into its side. Jaune swung his sword at the Deathstalker's pinchers while Pyrrha blocked the other pincher, distracting it while he and Nora attacked its side.
"Nora, the spear!" Nora looked over at the Deathstalker's face, and seeing the spear jutting out of its face, gave a salute and ran over to join Pyrrha and Jaune. Ren dropped his empty magazines, and realizing he was out of ammo, ran towards its side and started hacking at its side with the blades. Black blood spurted out, splattering over his hands and staining his shirt. He hacked and hacked into the scorpions side, almost not hearing Nora call out his name. He looked up to see the Deathstalker's tail coming towards him and slam into him. He felt the wind get slammed out of his lungs and felt his body go flying back.
Lights exploded into his vision as the back of his head slammed into a tree. He slid to the ground, his head feeling like it was going to exploded as he heard the Deathstalker scream. He looked up to see Pyrrha and Jaune block both of the Deathstalker's pincher's as Nora charged its face and slammed her hammer into Pyrrha's spear. The Deathstalker shrieked as its body spasmed before slumping to the ground.
Ren shakily got to his feet and walked over to Jaune and Nora. Pyrrha walked up to Deathstalker and yanked her spear out of its eye. Black blood coated half of the spear as she collapsed it and slung it over her back.
"You okay Ren?" Nora appeared at his side, her hand on his shoulder as she looked at the back of his head. He smiled.
"I'll be fine. But I'd rather not do this again."
Blake took aim at the Nevermore as Yang screamed and Schnee dry heaved. She heard her gun click, and she dropped the mag and reloaded. She had liked Ruby and that thing was going to die. The Nevermore turned towards her but froze. It opened its beak and started gagging as a blade came jutting out of its throat. Blake lowered her weapon, her eyes widening in astonishment. She heard Schnee and Yang grow quiet as the blade spun around and the Nevermore's head came flying off. A torrent of black blood shot into the air like a geyser as Ruby climbed out of the Nevermore's body. She was soaked with saliva and blood. She collapsed her scythe and holstered it as the Nevermore's body fell off the roof and onto the grassy field, its black blood pooling around its body.
Yang ran past her, tears of joy on her face as she stood below Ruby.
"Ruby! I'm...I'm so glad you're okay," she sniffled. Ruby scratched the back of her head and smiled down at Yang.
"You think this is gonna wash off?" Yang laughed, her voice thick with emotion as Ruby jumped down and Yang caught her; hugging her, crying and laughing, Ruby hugged her back, burying her bloody face into her sister's hair.
Blake smiled.
Ozpin sat at his desk, his mug of coffee resting near his hands. Glynda stood before him with her scroll in hand. It was dawn and the rising sun was casting green shadows across the room. The only sound to be heard was the ticking of the hundreds of gears in his office.
"How many did Port and Bob find?"
"Ten sir; after receiving some food and counseling we'll be sending them back home." He leant back in his chair.
"How many dead?" She looked down at her scroll. Her eyes remained downcast as she answered
"Thirty seven." He took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"I want a copy of their names. And how many dropped out before taking the test?"
"Fifty three, sir," she said.
"So that leaves us with one hundred students overall?" he pursed his lips. "That's a new low for us." he stood up, put on his glasses, and walked over to the window pan, staring out at the rising sun.
"I've been giving it some thought and I think it's time we do away with the test; leave the partner and team formations up to the computers. Perhaps make this the final test for our Fourth Years; see that they can perform well in the field as a team." Glynda joined him by the window.
"Are you sure?" Ozpin looked at her, the green light highlighting her hair and eyes.
"If what Qrow has told me is true, we're going to need every Hunter we can spare." He sighed and went back to staring out the window. "Leave a copy of the names on my desk. I'll have the letters ready before the team ceremony." Glynda nodded her head and took her leave.
Ozpin stood at the window and continued to stare until the sun had fully risen. The letters were the worst part of his job.
Ruby sat high up in the Great Hall next to Yang and her friends, who were all busy talking to one another and congratulating themselves for surviving. She had her scroll in hand and was texting her friends back at Signal that she had passed and was waiting to see what team she would end up on. She saw Weiss sitting by herself near the front of the stage and she saw Jaune sitting below her. He was talking to a tall red haired woman sitting next to him. Ruby had seen Blake enter but couldn't find her in the sea of students. The hall was dimly lit and incredibly noisy, the stage was brightly lit and a lone microphone sat on the stage. The hall was packed and Ruby guessed the entire student body was crammed into the room.
She heard a tapping from a mic and looked up to see Ozpin standing on the brightly lit stage. The screens behind him were illuminated and the Beacon emblem was spinning on the screen. Ozpin looked around the full room for a moment before speaking into the mic.
"Good evening students. Tonight, we shall be welcoming in the newest batch of First Year Students." Applause radiated throughout the room. Ozpin held up his hand, silencing the room, before continuing. "I would like to take a moment of silence for the thirty seven students who died during their test." He bowed his head, and Ruby did as well. She looked back up when she heard Ozpin clear his throat. "Thank you. And now without further ado, let us begin." He pulled out his scroll and began to read.
"Russel Thrash, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark, please step forward." A group of large men walked down to the stage. One had a strong jaw and brown hair buzzed short, the other had lanky limbs and an angular face with his dark hair slicked back. One had a round face with sandy hair combed neatly into place and sad looking eyes, and the last had grey hair that fell past his shoulders and a plain face. They took their places in front of Ozpin, standing at attention. Their pictures appeared on the screen as Ozpin spoke. "The four of your retrieved the Bronze Bishop's. From this day forward you shall work together as Team CRDL, with Cardin Winchester as your leader." He held his hand out in front of him and they each shook it, thanking him and telling them they would do their best. Their team name formed underneath their pictures before fading away and being replaced with the spinning Beacon emblem.
"Sterling Sagittariis, Jet Blanc, Drey Gris, and Violet Akita, please step forward." Yang's friend stood up, Drey giving a small wave to Ruby before walking down, and they were joined by a purple haired dog Faunus that Ruby didn't know. They stood before Ozpin; all standing at attention aside from Jet who was leaning on Sterling for support. Their pictures appeared on the screen, Violet the only one smiling in her picture. "The four of you retrieved the Silver Rook's. From this day forward you shall be known as Team SVDJ, led by Sterling Sagittariis." He offered his hand and they all shook it. Their team name appeared on the screen before returning to the emblems. Ruby clapped and cheered alongside Yang as they made their way back to their seats. Yang congratulated Sterling for being chosen as the team leader as the next team came up to the stage. They sat through close to two dozen teams, none of whom Ruby knew but she cheered for regardless.
"Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkayrie, and Lie Ren, please step forward." Ruby shouted Jaune's name as he and the red haired woman stood up. They were joined on the stage by a red haired girl in a pink skirt who bounced with every step, and a somber looking man in a green tailcoat. They stood at attention, Jaune's hands resting in the wrong place, as their pictures appeared on the screen. "The four of you retrieved the Gold Rook's. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR." Nora broke her stance and hugged Ren, laughing with joy. Ren looked surprised but didn't protest or try to break the hug. Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the show of affection before resuming. "Led by Jaune Arc." Jaune broke his stance and his eyes widened in surprise. He pointed at himself, his hand shaking.
"Me? S-sir?" Ozpin smiled.
"Congratulations." Pyrrha gave him a congratulatory punch in the arm, knocking him to the floor. Laughter mixed with the cheers as Pyrrha helped him up and they made their way back to their chairs.
"And finally… Blake Belladonna, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, and Ruby Rose. Please step forward." Yang's friends cheered them on as she and Yang made their way down, the crowd cheering and applauding as they head towards the stage. They were joined by Weiss and Blake seemed to materialize behind them before they took the stage.
Ruby stood at attention, her palms sweaty as she stared up at Ozpin. He smiled before saying "The four of you retrieved the Gold Knight's. From this day forward you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose."
Ruby felt her jaw drop as the audience erupted with cheers and clapping. She felt tingly and her stomach was in knots as she felt Yang grab her and pull her into a hug.
"I'm so proud of you! I told you you would kick ass!" She stared up at the screen as her team's name appeared on the screen underneath her and her teammates pictures. It felt unreal. Ozpin cleared his throat and offered them his hand. They all shook it before taking their seats.
"I am proud to welcome all of you to Beacon; I can tell that you will be making it an interesting year. You will be assigned to your quarters and can unpack and celebrate. Stay safe and be prepared for your classes come morning. Goodnight, future Hunters." The lights on the stage went out and the students started to file out.
Ruby stood up and walked outside, stretching out her limbs. Yang stood next to her and they stood waiting for Weiss and Blake to join them. Sterling and Yang's other friends left to go comfort Violet, who was crying in the bathroom after realizing that one of her friends had died during the test.
Weiss came walking up, shortly followed by Blake. Ruby smiled at them and pumped her fist in the air. "Who's ready to celebrate Team RWBY being formed?"
"Fuck yeah!" Yang shouted, also pumping her fist in the air. Weiss sighed in annoyance and Blake remained silent and as they started making their way towards their dorms.
He pulled out his lighter and lit his cigar before taking a long drag from it. He let the flavorful smoke linger in his mouth before exhaling, forming a ring with the smoke. He smiled at the grim faced Faunus before him.
"You brought the Dust?" The red haired ram nodded and motioned behind him.
"The last raid went without a hitch. I'm sure the Schnee's won't miss their cargo." He smiled. "Or those employees." Roman took another drag from his cigar.
"Excellent. I must say, you and your group of…whatever they all are, are quiet good at raiding. Ever think about giving up on the whole, 'kill all humans' shtick?"
The silence was his answer. The ram crossed his arms.
"Where is she?" Roman pointed at the map of Vale behind him.
"My droogs have seen her lurking in this city and surrounding woods for the past few months. Mostly in the slums and abandoned areas in the city. She seems to change where she stays day to day. Makes catching her… a bit of a problem. I'm surprised that Tukson has never seen her in his store; from the way you talk about her it seems she's quiet the reader." The man narrowed his eyes.
"That's it? She said you would be able to find her."
"I will lover boy. I just need some time. Raiding Dust and tracking a runaway kitten is hard work." The man stepped forward, drawing his blade.
"Don't you dare mock her," he said. They stared at each other for a moment before Roman laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
"Bad habits die hard." He took a long drag on his cigar. "But rest assured, we'll find her." The man sheathed his sword. "Might I ask, whatever do you plan to do to that ca-er, girl, once we find her?" The man turned around and started walking away.
"I need to punish her for betraying me and our order." Roman watched him go and extinguished his cigar before tucking it away.