Chapter-10

Sigurd

"John, please. Losing your cool isn't the best thing to do right now." Sigurd tried to console the distraught Arc.

"Well, I'll obviously be pissed if my family is in danger of being torn to shreds!" He snapped. "How the hell did that thing even get something like that!"

"That…was an ability I was not aware of." He spoke. "But now's not the time. John, stay here."

"Hell no I'm not! I'll tear that fucking monster apart before it lays a finger on my family!"

"Johnny." Cú's voice cut in. "You'll get yourself killed if you go after it. Let us handle this."

John glared at him. "I'm sorry, but I still don't get how you guys would be enough."

"The Wendigo's greatest advantage has always been the mystery surrounding it." Sigurd spoke. "It is at its most powerful when its opponent is limited in their senses and knowledge. But now, we know of almost all of its abilities and will be confronting it in a more open space. I can assure you this time we will overcome it."

John gulped. "…Ok, but I swear to the gods if you fail me…"

"I understand." Sigurd spoke before looking at Cú. "Let's go."

The Irishman nodded before both applied reinforcement to their bodies and ran off towards the Arc home.

Oh Allfather, please make sure they come out of this alive… Sigurd thought running through the fields.

Qrow leaned on Harbinger on the southern wall of Sauvage. Saber had ordered him to stay back so that his damned semblance did not mess up the entire plan.

But Qrow wasn't mad. In fact, he was happy. He wouldn't have to worry about his semblance doing things that it really…

"What the?!" He heard a guard exclaim beside him as suddenly the skies turned stormy.

Qrow narrowed his eyes. Just how did the weather change all of a sudden? The only one who would be capable of this would be a…

Qrow's eyes widened. Have they been attacked by a maiden? Did Salem already have a maiden among her forces?

"It…" Qrow tried to rationalize but stopped. Fall was currently split, and even the thief shouldn't have this much to change the weather at abnormal speeds. Winter was under strict supervision by Jimmy and his tin cans, Summer was roaming Vacuo and making stops to Theo's place once in a while, which left Spring…

Spring hadn't been seen since Ozpin sent Raven to retrieve Vernal after her home was ambushed. He didn't want to remember the mission that turned Raven from the reckless and loud-mouthed sister he knew to a paranoid and almost maniacal woman who abandoned her daughter.

This could only mean that Spring had gone over too…

An ear-piercing shriek sounded as Qrow noticed something running towards his direction at blinding speeds.

"Huh?" Qrow spoke before getting a clear look. It was the Wendigo Saber talked about, except it was leaving behind a trail of lightning behind it as Qrow's eyes could even spot snowflakes where the Wendigo had been.

"GET AWAY FROM WHERE ITS CHARGING!" Qrow yelled to the guards as they scrambled away before the Wendigo slammed into the wall, the sheer force of its charge blowing a hole through it as it charged straight for the nearest house.

The Arc Estate.

"…" Qrow and the others looked at the scene flabbergasted before Qrow jumped off and ran after the Wendigo, cursing his luck.

Whatever they did, it was clearly pissed off, and It had come here in search of blood to spill.

Qrow honestly hoped that the Wendigo did not find John's family hiding in their bunker before he and the other guards arrived.

Sapphire sat in her mother's lap in the bunker in their house's basement. Dad still hadn't come home along with Mr. Saber and Mr. Blue.

"Mom, when are they coming?" She asked as Carmine shook her head. "I don't know, sweetie. Daddy said it would take some time. But don't worry, they should be done with it by now."

Violet stared at the door. "But I'm still worried. You heard what it did to Team SOLR. What if…?"

Carmine frowned. "Don't say such things, Violet. Your father will come back safe and sound. Nothing to worry about."

Violet frowned but nodded.

The family then heard the sound of thunder.

"Hm? A thunderstorm? But it's not we've just come out of the summer season." Ebony spoke in confusion.

"Well, we shouldn't worry about it. An odd thunderstorm isn't something to be concerned about. "Carmine assured her daughters.

As she said that, they heard wood breaking outside. The arc family looked at it in worry before Violet noticed someone knocking on the reinforced window in their bunker from above. It was Qrow Branwen.

"Mom…" Violet spoke pointing at him as Carmine nodded quietly. She took a ladder to climb up to the window and opened it, letting Qrow in.

"Qrow, what happened? Is John okay?" Carmine asked.

Qrow shook his head. "I don't know, but you need to get out of here now."

"But…"

"Sh!" Qrow cut her off and put a finger to his lips, shaking his head vigorously. Carmine nodded and gestured for her daughters to start climbing the ladder.

Soon, most of the Arcs were out of the Bunker, with only Qrow, Sapphire and Violet remaining.

"Come on." Carmine spoke quietly as her daughters went for the ladder. Qrow held his breath, hoping nothing went wrong…

"Girls! I'm home!" John's voice sounded at the door.

Sapphire turned around. "DAD!" She screamed as Qrow's eyes widened.

He quickly clamped a hand over Sapphire's mouth as they heard sounds of something heading straight towards their room before…

BOOM!

The door bent outwards as Sapphire screamed in terror.

Qrow looked towards Carmine. "Go!"

Carmine shook her head. "No! I'm not leaving my daughters here!"

Another sound of the door bending even more came.

"No time! Go before it comes here! I'll get your kids out!" Qrow ordered as he took Sapphire behind the couch. Carmine gave one last look towards her daughter before nodding and going away.

Qrow turned to the remaining Arc girls. "You two go hide in the closet. I'll distract it and when I do, run. The guards and I will do what we can till your dad arrives. Got it?"

Violet nodded and quickly took Sapphire into the closet, closing it just as two claws ripped through the door and two red dots peered into the room.

Inside the closet, Sapphire had her mouth closed by Violet, a sense of fear washing over her.

"Stay calm, Saph…Stay calm." Her sister assured her. From the gap, Sapphire could see some kind of really big grimm walk into the room looking into the room. The grimm looked around, with Qrow nowhere to be seen before looking walking up to the closet sparking with lightning. Violet's hand pressed down on Sapphire's mouth to keep her from screaming as the beast's frosty breath entered the closet.

But she couldn't stop Sapphire's feet from taking a step and causing the wooden floor to creak. The grimm looked straight at them before suddenly a flurry of movement.

"GO!" They heard Qrow's voice as Sapphire found herself scooped up by Violet and running out of the Bunker.

As they reached the ground floor, they noticed a bunch of the townsfolk with weapon's ready.

"Come on!" One of dad's friends, Elk, called to them.

"B-But where's daddy?" Sapphire asked, not able to understand why dad was not here when she heard his voice earlier.

"I don't know, Saph. But we're safe. Now all that's left is to…"

Qrow flew out of the basement and landed in front of the townsfolk.

"Qrow!" Elk spoke coming up to him. Qrow did not answer, unconscious as the creature had backhanded him while he was fighting it. Through some insane luck, he was alive.

The rest took up their weapons before the beast came up.

"Get him!" Elk yelled as the townsfolk and guards raised their weapons, shifting them to gun forms and firing a hail of bullets.

The creature screamed as the bullets hit with spurts of blood coming out its back before its wounds immediately healed.

"It can heal?!" One of the guards spoke lowering his guard before the creature lunged at it, not giving him time to scream as its claws ripped through their aura and tore into their chest.

Several others rushed at it, the creature looking at them for one moment before standing over their ripped apart corpses in the other. The creature picked one up and devoured it quickly, uncaring of the bullets landing wounds that regenerated.

Violet stared in horror as the creature dropped the corpse before going on what could be described as a slaughter. Body parts flew around as the creature slashed the guards into pieces, bit their heads off, burned them into crisp with lightning or freezing their bodies before smashing them into pieces.

Sapphire shook in her sister's grasp as her mind took in the blood and gore that took place around her.

"D-DADDY!" She screamed crying tears of terror as Violet took her back.

"You're not getting her!" Elk spoke charging the beast with his longsword which the beast snapped in half with one swing.

Elk realized his predicament. "RUN!" He spoke before the creature's jaws bit into his head, splattering Violet and Sapphire with pieces of his broken skull.

Now, the creature stood in front of Violet and Sapphire with an unconscious Qrow and bits and pieces of the force of guards that had assembled to fight it.

"N-No…" Violet spoke staring at Elk's headless corpse before she unsheathed her blade. "You're going to pay for that!" She yelled as she charged at the creature in blind rage, which charged back and overpowered Violet and swinging its claws at her, her sword saving her as it snapped under the creature's attack, however, the creature's charge hit her and sent her flying into the wall. Violet slid from it coughing blood from her mouth.

The creature then looked towards the frozen Sapphire who seemed to feel nothing but numbness.

W-Where's daddy… The thought went through her head as she looked at the carnage around her.

Daddy, where are you… She thought. She wanted her daddy here, to save her from the beast like the hero he is.

D-Daddy? She thought crying.

"SAPH! GET OUT!" Her sister screamed in desperation, trying to stand up before collapsing, her ribs broken from the creature's attack.

"SAPH! SAPH!" Violet continued to scream, hoping Sapphire heard her.

But the girl was too absorbed in hoping her father came to her rescue.

The creature opened its jaws and went for Sapphire, intending to finish her off when a black blur slammed into it, sending it away from Sapphire. The creature screamed and prepared to charge only to dodge as a crimson spear almost impaled its heart.

"Tch! A bit to the left and I would have killed it!"

Sigurd glared at the Wendigo before looking at Sapphire in concern. The girl's eyes were puffy from crying and she was stock still. He had been successful in saving her, but from the bodies it was clear she witnessed it slaughter the townsfolk and had been scarred mentally.

"Tch! A bit to the left and I would have killed it!" He heard Cú grumble in frustration.

The Norse warrior joined the Irish demigod as they both stared at the beast. The beast stared back, a lot more cautious seeing it recognized them as the ones who almost killed it.

"We need to get it into the open." Sigurd whispered to Cú.

"No shit! But we need to make sure it doesn't go for the others." The blue lancer replied.

Sigurd looked towards him. "You take that. I'll make the first move." He spoke before charging at the Wendigo with gram raised. The Wendigo's eyes lit up as Sigurd averted his vision to avoid petrification.

"Algiz!" he chanted as the Wendigo's claws hit his shield. The creature, however, did not press its attack and ran towards Sapphire, only for Cú to repel it with a thrust from his spear.

"Oh you're in trouble now." Cú spoke baring his fangs before engaging the Wendigo.

He spun his to parry the Wendigo's claws before responding with vicious thrusts aimed for the Wendigo's heart. The Wendigo dodged the thrusts but Cú continued his onslaught with bestial ferocity, scoring many stab wounds as his relentless onslaught put the Wendigo on the defensive.

Sigurd nodded to Cú who grinned. "Alright! Now here's a little present from me!" He spoke parrying the Wendigo's claws before spinning around to land a kick on its chest. Even weakened, Cú's demigod strength was more than enough to send the Wendigo flying back. Sigurd caught, drawing upon his dragon heart to feed mana into his muscles before tossing the Wendigo outside the house.

Wendigo was sent flying outside into the courtyard as Sigurd and Cú walked out.

"Thurisaz!" Sigurd chanted as the rune sent a shock wave sending the Wendigo flying through the main gate it broke through and into the main street.

"It's in open space now." Sigurd spoke as the Wendigo sparked with lightning. A Lightning bolt struck the courtyard and lit it in flames.

"Heh, it thinks a little fire's going to stop us." Cú spoke while Sigurd stayed quiet. This was it. He had to keep calm and not lost his presence of mind, like he did with Fafnir.

"Hey, Saber?" Sigurd was broken out of his thoughts by Cú. "You okay?"

"Yes." Sigurd replied. "Just spaced out. But anyways, we can't drag the others in. This time, we're going to tire it. Once its exhausted, we'll finish it off. Can you fight for that long?" He spoke as Cú grinned.

"If I can hold off that whore Medb's army for days, one Phantasmal shouldn't be a problem."

Sigurd nodded. "Then let's finish this. Once and for all." He spoke before the both of them charged through the flames for the final showdown.

As soon as they came out, the Wendigo lunged at them, having waited for them to come through.

They dashed to the side, avoiding the Wendigo's claws before Sigurd went in for a slash to its chest. The Wendigo dodged and counterattacked which Sigurd blocked with Gram before Cú slipped in a few thrusts with Gáe Bolg.

The beast jumped back and tried to petrify the two, only for them to again avert their eyes to avoid it. The Wendigo charged back in, swinging its claws wildly to get at them but they kept their distance, Sigurd blocking any blows that came too close while Cú stabbed with an unrelenting pace.

This repeated till the Wendigo charged at Cú, uncaring for Gáe Bolg that had stabbed into its shoulder and tried to pin the demigod. Cú grabbed its arms and held it back before Sigurd kicked it away from Cú. Cú picked up his spear.

Temperatures plummeted but the two did not pay it heed. For Sigurd, the Wendigo's cold was nothing compared to the Scandinavian winter.

Sigurd punched his daggers to pin the Wendigo. It deflected the ones aimed for its legs but screamed in rage as the other two sank into its shoulders.

Sigurd grunted and called the daggers back. "Keep going. We have to find an opening to pin it down." He spoke as the Wendigo let out another scream of rage before lightning started dropping on the battlefield more frequently. Sigurd noticed John who had run in and come out with his daughters step back, knowing what was going to happen.

"Looks like it's going all out." Cú spoke.

"Then we'll go all out as well." Sigurd spoke.

"Uruz!" He chanted reinforcing his body as the Wendigo blasted forward, its claws arcing with lightning as they landed on Gram with explosive power. Sigurd kept calm and blocked the Wendigo's attacks to give Cú the opening's he needed.

John and the others watched in awe as Sigurd clashed with the creature which seemed nothing more than a god wreathed in lightning which tore the ground around them.

This wasn't some normal battle. This was the battle of legends.

"Come on, Saber!" Violet cheered at him as the others started joining her. When he'd first come to the village, the people had been a bit suspicious and skeptical of his ability to take down the Wendigo, especially after the death of Team SOLR, but now, with him unquestionably risking his safety to protect them, they cheered for their champion to win.

Sigurd and Cú now had fallen silent, completely focused on wearing the Wendigo down. Lightning tore through their clothes but the two warriors did not let down. The Wendigo's movements were getting sluggish and its lightning was losing its power. The frost around them was also melting as the Wendigo continued to tire. A few more minutes, and the Wendigo would be too tired to move.

But that did not come, as the Wendigo managed to find an opening and pin Sigurd down. The townsfolk gasped in horror as the Wendigo opened its mouth to finish Sigurd off.

"That's not going to happen." Sigurd spoke looking at the Wendigo with a glare, before stabbing a dagger through its throat. It wouldn't kill it, but the Wendigo stumbled back with the dagger stuck in its throat, too tired and distracted to dodge Cú as a spear sprouted out of its chest in a spray of blood.

The Wendigo fell to its knees and took one last look at Cú before Sigurd got up and swung Gram at its neck.

All went silent as the Wendigo's headless corpse fell to the ground.

Sigurd caught the head, now having two bottomless sockets before raising it for the townsfolk to see.

"HE DID IT!" One of them screamed as the entire town erupted into cheers.

"SABER! SABER! SABER!" They chanted as the guards ran towards the smiling Sigurd, with John wrapping him in a hug.

"Thank you…" He spoke unable to hold his emotions back. "For avenging Sham, Elk and saving my daughter…" he spoke crying into Sigurd's shoulder.

"I did what my duty demanded of me…" Sigurd replied calmly. "But thank you for your support, John."

John broke off the hug and raised Sigurd's arm. "Let's hear it for the Champion of Sauvage! HIP, HIP…"

"HOORAY!" The crowd chanted.

"HIP, HIP…"

"HOORAY!"

Festivities began in the night to celebrate Sigurd's victory, the entire town celebrated in the town hall in a big banquet.

Sigurd and Cú sat in simple tunics with fur cloaks watching the people make merry.

They noticed John come up with Sapphire, who held a box in her hand.

"John." Sigurd greeted.

"Saber. Lancer." John greeted back. "Enjoying the festivities?"

"Yeah, except for the fact you still haven't gotten me some good quality booze!" Cú exclaimed as John rolled his eyes. "You literally took every single type of alcoholic beverage Sauvage had. I honestly cannot believe that QROW of all people thinks you're going way too hard on the whole 'drinking' thing."

"Pah! I used to do this all the time with better stuff than this!"

"Yeah, yeah, anyways, Saph…"

Saph nodded before giving the box to Sigurd. "T-Thank you, Mr. Saber, for saving my life." She spoke. "When I get bigger, I'll save people just like you!"

Sigurd smiled. "I am sure you will. Now let's see…" He spoke opening the box to find a medallion in it.

"Oh?"

"It's a medallion with our family's symbol on it. We hold a lot of influence in Vale's countryside. It marks you as a friend of the Arc family and should make it easier to cooperate with other villages should they need you." John explained.

"I see. Thank you for the wonderful gift, Sapphire." Sigurd spoke as Saph nodded before John called for a toast.

"People of Sauvage! For the past few days, our village had been terrorized by a monster that had power on unimaginable levels. We were terrified, afraid to venture out of our home in fear that the monster would tear us apart. But now, it is no more thanks to Saber and Lancer here. If it hadn't been for their interference, I don't know if Sauvage would have even survived the Wendigo's rampage. So, I offer a toast, to all those who fell against the Wendigo in battle, and the huntsmen who slew it."

"To all of our fallen friends." They spoke.

"And to our saviors." They spoke raising their glasses.

Sigurd and Cú drank their glasses in one gulp and sat back as the people went back to celebrating.

"So, Cú, after all of this, do you want to come to Beacon?" Sigurd asked.

"Come to Beacon? Heck yeah, I do! All this travelling without a permanent place to stay has left me tired and annoyed! I don't care if Beacon somehow had a crazy manipulative old man running it, I just want a place to stay!"

Sigurd brushed the unnerving accuracy of Cú's comment aside. "Very well then, we shall head out tomorrow morning."

Sigurd's scroll rang next morning as he was preparing to pack up and leave with Cú.

"Hm?" He spoke picking it up. Who could be calling him at this time?

He lifted it to see Ozpin's contact. "Ozpin? Alright, let's see what he has to say." He spoke before answering the call.

"This is Professor Ozpin speaking. All members of the Vale huntsman's association posted in the villages in north are to return to the capital immediately."

A/N: And that marks the end of the First Mission arc. Tomorrow, Black and White begins. Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated.

Response to reviews:

Maglad: As I said, I have other plans for Scathach. I sat in school and planned out the basic framework of the entire Vale arc of this story and decided not to put Scathach in it. Scathach will come later, have a little patience.