Episode 2:
"The Two Riders Enter Vodiken"
Vodiken was unlike any other town. A hundred miles west of the Borro Mountains and the Grey Fields, out of the jurisdiction of Kings, Generals and Governors, and past the point of no return. Men grew their own crops here and traded them with themselves. Natural selection was as much as law here as the Mayors. Vodiken was not exempt from this ancient, cruel, and yet merciful, Law.
Qrow had chosen this as one of their stops.
Raven was restless. After the killing of the Blue Fang on the other side of the Borro Mountains, a target was painted on the back of their heads. Qrow, ever the 'wiser, older brother' had, with a bottle of booze in hand, disregarded the idea of Assassins coming for them.
They did.
However, they were not very skilled. After all, Raven had killed three men, albeit by herself, but three men in these times were but a statistic. But still, a statistic is enough to send five armed men for both of them. Luckily enough, she was on watch duty that night up in the Peaks.
Raven was proven right, but as they swaggered into town atop their mounts, they were stopped. Soon enough, they came face to face with a small gathering before them. The town was a grey, glum, muddy and downright backwater. But it was their best stop. And, lo and behold, the two siblings stared down a gathered militia.
With pitchfork, twenty-year-old rifle and woodsman axe in hand, dozens of men stood at the front, and a hefty looking, older man stood at their vanguard. Qrow nodded at him.
"Hello, sir."
"Mhm. Welcome to Vodiken. I hope you do not mind our security. We can never know with distant travellers." The man, who seemed to be a Village Elder, explained.
Qrow shrugged, his red eyes tracing over the town, and then back to the Elder.
"No offence was taken, Elder. We're actually Hunters. We're on a Hunt of our own."
The men looked at each other, mumbling. They soon huddled together in a group, peeking at the two riders ever so often. Raven frowned at this, looking at Qrow, who smirked and shrugged right back at her. As the militia reformed, their weaponry cast down.
"Though you were Blue Fang…" The Elder said, his gaze trailing off, suggestively.
"Ah. Got a problem with the Fang, I take?" Qrow asked, cheekily leaning forward on his horse. The men seemed to be embarrassed to admit it, so Raven sighed, speaking up: "We can help you."
The Elder looked hopeful.
"For a price."
"Of course. A price…" The Elder muttered, nodding over and over. It was very, quite painfully, obvious that this backwater chieftain didn't have a penny to his name, much less the village itself.
"We'll take anything you can give us, in fact," Raven said, very evidently making the Elder relaxed.
"Good. My name is Elder Volter, by the way. If you would follow me, Hunters."
The two trotted after the man, as the militia split, the gruff and tough men laying their arms down and returning to their families. As they did, it became more of a ghost town, as Raven observed. Qrow leaned into her, with a serious, but glum face.
"We never take anything but coin, Raven."
"I know. But you did say we're staying here. Might as well make ourselves useful."
Qrow couldn't really disagree.
"The situation is dire."
"Go figure," Qrow said, sipping the wine he had been offered as the two sat down in front of the desk of the Elder. They were in his home, and now in his personal study. A shadowy place, lit by candles that let forth a very wild musk and smell from them, clearly homemade from the wax of trees and moss.
With a small glare from Raven, the Elder continued.
"Yes, the Blue Fang has been terrorizing us. In fact, we're much like tributaries to them. There is a camp, further north of here, in a small valley. We were forced to settle here, in Vodiken, due to it being occupied by the Khan's forces. The damn animals beat us to it. And then they had the gall to ask us for not only our yearly food but a child every two years! I… I've lost my daughter, this year, Hunters."
The Elder's voice cracked, his eyes shutting, as he clutched his fists together, resisting to tear up and break down, then and there. Qrow seemed to simply stare at him with a cold, red gaze, while Raven's stomach somewhat turned at seeing it. It reminded her of her days, as Chieftess.
"Where are they?"
Sniffing, the Elder answered Qrow. "They're in the valley, still. But few, even I, remember the way. But there is… one who remembers the way." The Elder frowned, and Raven sensed a slight aura of annoyance from him. So did Qrow, more easily.
"I'm wondering if this someone is a 'someone' you like to be around."
The Elder's defeated gaze said it all.
And seeing that certain someone in the back of a barn, his mouth gagged, his face alight at seeing the three there and a guitar beside him, Qrow groaned.
"Don't tell me. Singer?" Qrow asked, and the olive-skinned boy nodded, smiling brightly past black, short hair.
Raven sighed, kneeling down and daring to do what many in the village, even Qrow, would not. Unbind the drape over the young boy's mouth. Releasing a pleased sigh, he smiled toothily up at the two Hunters and Elder.
"Why, thank you! Pleased to meet you both, my name is Oscar Pines~!" He sang.
"Hello, Oscar." Raven begrudgingly greeted him, with a small frown. Qrow chuckled behind her, earning him a scowl from him, as Oscar slowly got up, despite the bindings of his hands behind his back.
"If you don't mind~..." He sang once more, turning around and lifting his hands.
"Now, hold on. We're not unbinding you until you promise to lead us to the Blue Fang camp…" Qrow warned, turning the boy back around to face them, who had a confused and nearly shocked face on his features.
"Oh my, Blue Fang? Well, I'm sorry~, I do not know of any Fang of Blue Sky~..." Qrow growled at this, gripping his shoulder, making Oscar freeze.
"Rule number one: stop the singing. Leave it to the road, and whenever we tell you to. Rule number two: you will follow my every command, bard." Qrow growled, his red eyes shining down into his green ones. Cast in heavy leather, plate and chainmail, the two Hunters were imposing enough, but the strength of Qrow's hand alone and his gaze turned Oscar normal, for now.
Nore more singing, he relented, stepping back.
"All right, all right, I'll lead you there… But I best get paid. They paid me well enough for a couple of songs… With my life." Oscar commented on the last part in a small mutter.
Ignoring this and leaving it to Raven, Qrow turned to the Elder.
"How many do you want alive?"
The Elder looked him over, in thought before nodding. "There is one. A Bastard that threatened to rape my daughter, if I didn't hand her over. His name's Clovis. He's got big fangs, he grew them out. Supposed to be a lion, but his tail's cut, certainly not on his own vigour, eh…" He muttered the last part, his voice growing with anger. Anguish, more like, Qrow stated to himself.
"Got ammo to spare? We use Winchester 1600s…"
"Oh, no, none of that kind of calibre. If you want weapons, we have some blades, but we can't spare any, really… Because, well, we can't be sure if you return, you see."
Qrow understood the man and didn't implore more. Turning to Raven, who had just unbound Oscar and getting some warm words on her beauty and light, and giving a blank scowl back at the boy, Qrow interjected.
"You got a horse, Pine?"
"No."
"Good."
"How is this Good?" Pine sighed, his guitar laced around his body and abound on his back, as he stood behind either of the riders. They were travelling through a thick forest, up into far-off peaks.
"It means all you can talk about is whining about your sore, little feet, Bard."
Qrow said, smirking to himself. Raven simply concentrated on the road but winced at Oscar's shrieking voice.
"How am I whining!? And I'm not a bard, or whatever! I'm a musician! An artist within this hellish land! By the time more settlers come out West, I'll be a legend in these parts! And I'll finally go East!"
At this, Qrow arched an eyebrow, looking over his shoulder.
"Never been to Marathon, Skald?"
"Yes! Never! And it's horrible!" Oscar fussed, almost like a baby, making Qrow smirk, amusingly.
"Hey, nothing against that, Pine. It's better to be born out here than in there…" Qrow said, sighing as he relaxed back into his saddle. Oscar blinked, walking up to between them, looking up at Qrow.
"What is that supposed to mean, Hunter?"
"Qrow."
"Sorry, Qrow."
Qrow took his sweet time, literally mulling the answer between his teeth, as he then removed the wooden poker from his mouth and flicked it away.
Looking down at Oscar he shrugged.
"The World east of the Borro Mountains is more savage than the one here. Kings enslave men, force them to do their bidding. You can't go two steps through the streets of Hyperion without getting jumped by either a hooker without cat ears or with cat ears and trust me, both are not worth it."
Oscar contemplated this. A long silence came over them, as Qrow feared he had scared the poor boy. Soon enough, Oscar's gaze from the ground came up and looked up at Qrow, once more.
"What's a hooker?"
Raven snorted, resisting to laugh at the stupidity of the situation, as Qrow simply groaned, slowly getting his pipe and tobacco out, letting his trusty mount continue on the path without his aid.
"Gimme a break," he grumbled, with the tunnel of the pipe between his teeth.
"No, I'm serious, Master Qrow. What is a hooker?"
The fire churned between the three of them. Oscar had dozed off, curled up on a pillow and bedroll under him, placed upon warm grass. The cold of the journey through the Mountains had passed for the riders as well, and the two enjoyed the fire, with Raven slowly peeling away the skin of a grapefruit, whilst Qrow continued smoking, puffing up smoke from his nostrils and mouth.
The silence was enjoyable, and the two siblings at times met with their eyes. Raven smiled, through Qrow simply stared, before averting his gaze. Soon, however, Qrow threw forth a sombre sigh. And then a soft pillow of smoke with it.
"No one knows me."
Raven looked up, stopped in her tracks. She blinked at her brother, arching an eyebrow. In the silence, Qrow smoked some more, before continuing.
"No one here knows the Bloody Crow. No one flees in the sight of my eyes. Or Fangbane." he said, pushing his left foot against the scabbard that held his signature broadsword, its pummel coloured ruby red, and its hilt engraved with the names of old friends. And partners.
"I've heard that thrown around. Never got what it was about…" She commented, just above the flame of the fire. Qrow's eyes met hers, and for a moment, neither dared to breathe, before Qrow looked away, sighing.
"Back in Auroria, twenty years ago… It didn't matter. Hell, you were still with Tai. STRQ was over. But Torinth was getting started. I had no job other than the one I had with Torinth. I was coupled with Colonel Hotzendorf, you might know him… We were his death squad, me and other Hunters."
Raven listened intently, and unbeknownst to both of them, so did Oscar, who layed silent, his gaze away from the fire.
Qrow's red eyes stared into the flames, alight with the mirror image of it.
"Auroria, Raven, wasn't a War. It ended in days. The army strolled through but didn't want a Fallout. They wanted a scapegoat. Mad Hunters, underpaid, undeveloped savages. Godless, they say. That's what we were, in truth. Killing women and children, as if they were soldiers… First hand…"
The Slaughter flashed into his eyes, and Qrow sighed once more, though this time shakily, controlling the shivers that threatened to engulf his body. Soon enough, he shook his head.
"Nothing good came of us. Some of us were tried. They weren't listened to. In the end, we did it for the money. I did it for the money. And the blood on my hands earned me the monicker- Bloody Crow. The man who killed innocents… The man who never got to see his nieces grow up."
Raven simply sat there, her heart conflicted. She had never hugged her brother, but as she extended her hand in the silence afterwards, she tried to reach out and pull him in. She whispered a soft 'Qrow', but before anything could happen, Oscar's head rose.
"Guys?"
Both of the Hunters looked the way he gazed on to, and from the shadow, a silhouette appeared, walking through the thicket, Qrow was about to get up, before the three of them heard it. Various guns getting cocked back and loaded, aimed right at them. Seven in total, all perched in the hands of men with horns, antlers, ears, scales.
A motley, yet dangerous crew.
The one from the forest soon approached, a disinterested look on his face. A ravenous, three-mark scar ran over his left eye, though the eye was safe. The rabbit ears on him were a good explanation as to what he is. Them being mangled, cut over halfway down, was a bigger one.
His cold, blue eyes stared at the three that stood around the fire, before speaking.
"You trespass on our land. What is your business?"
"To not get guns aimed at us, good sir. We're simple adventurers, who sought the safety of the forest and fire before passing onward. We meant no harm to your peace, Mister…" Oscar quickly entered the conversation, making the Faunus' eyes centre on his, which forced Oscar to straighten his back and shut his mouth.
Reluctantly, the Faunus answered. "Clovis. I lead these men, and I govern these parts, in the name of the Khan. You trespass on his land. Explain your business."
Qrow resisted the urge to kick his broadsword up into his hands and unsheathe it and let it all playout afterwards, but Raven relented, giving him a scowl, but an understanding one. They hadn't captured their target but had been captured by him, instead.
Oscar thought this was all so humorous.
"Well, sir, me and my two paid mercenaries are simple travellers. We're going up north tooo…"
"To?" Clovis asked, stepping closer to Oscar.
"... Nordiken."
The Faunus stared at him for a long moment. "That just means 'North Town' in Thorian."
"Oh, you can talk Thorian?" Qrow asked, with a smug smirk, before Clovis looked at him, their eyes meeting. Clovis glared and turned to his men. He spoke something in Faun, before marching off. Before Qrow knew it, he had felt a sudden sting in the back of his head, and he fell to the ground, blacking out.
"Wake up."
Qrow did. Opening his eyes, he felt something on his back. The black hair covering the sides of his face told him of exactly who it was. And the robes around the both of them told more to him. Grunting, he readjusted his sight. It was midday. Sparing himself from looking around, his eyes readjusted back toward what was straight ahead of him. Then he heard the strumming.
Oh. It's. The!
Bloody Qrow of Auroria
See him now or see him too late
the bloody crow of Auroria
A demon no flesh can sate
Thousandfold of men I'm told
A killer of armies and of saints
but I know more
about ten times swore!
did souls of sons he takes!
Qrow's eyes perplexed, as he saw Faunus soldiers laughing at the boy singing the tattle-tale tune. Clovis knelt down beside Qrow, as their eyes met. Clovis was not laughing or smiling, unlike the dozen men around them, all dressed in trench coats with either blue armbands or collars. A signature look for many of the Blue Fang.
"We recognized him the first moment we saw him. Though we didn't expect him to bring you, Blood Crow." Clovis growled, and Qrow growled back at him.
"Get me out of these ropes and I'll show you why your mother should've had an abortion, bunny boy!"
The men stopped to look at Qrow, some hollering and laughing, whilst Clovis sent a swift punch toward Qrow's face. It was blunt, and bloodied his cheek, as he forgot to freeze his Aura around himself. Luckily, Clovis stood up, shaking the same palm he had punched with.
Looking at Oscar, he could see the boy's fear. Even feel it. He should've guessed, the boy wasn't doing this out of charity, let alone with some great, master plan to bait two Hunters into the captivity of terrorists.
"Yes, when I heard that the Bloody Crow was in our hands, with another Huntress with him, it was as if something glorious had rained upon us from Yodea. The Mother has gifted our small unit the very man responsible with the slaughter of hundreds of innocent Faunus lives…" Clovis growled, his fists squeezing together. His men's face became more serious, some sad. Oscar simply looked around, awkwardly. And Raven was, as ever, concentrated and still. At the ready.
She could feel Qrow slowly undoing the ropes.
"Oh yeah? Were you there, jackass?"
Silence came. And Qrow knew why. Clovis' gaze told him everything. He was. Losing his smug Aura, Qrow stilled as Clovis approached him. The Faunus looked down at the Hunter, shaking his head. "You sicken me, Crow. When will this end, hm? Dogs like you, they don't make the world safer. They don't do anything, really. All you do is spread the hate, death and carnage that has brought me and my people to the very mountains, raiding and scrounging for food like savages! Driven out from the homes of our ancestors, for what, having tails!? You sicken me, Crow. And I will not rest until-...!"
The thunder of a gun going off was the last sound that Clovis would hear, as the side of his head exploded. Men jumped up in alarm, and looked around, to see Oscar wielding a rifle a little too big for the boy. His legs shivering, he instantly dropped the rifle and raised his hands.
Good distraction, kid, thought Qrow, as the ropes were finally unbound. Raven instantly rolled to the side, taking a gun out of the pocket of Clovis, and soon enough, cocking the gun. The men rose from their crates and seats around the beaten-out fire, and soon, two fell, as Raven fired off two shots from the revolver in her hand.
Qrow himself dived into a tent next to himself, finding a sabre and quickly pulling it out, slashing open the side of the tent and going around the side of the camp. To his left, however, he saw a cage with some forms. They seemed humanoid. He would need to check it out after they were done.
Raven rolled over toward her right, dodging the incoming fire of the retreating Faunus men. Oscar himself ran off, into the forest, after having picked up his guitar. Raven considered the best thing the kid could do, now that all Hell had broken loose.
Revan opened the revolver and found it already empty from her covering fire. She could hear them conversing in Faun, so her premonition of their strategy was ruined for her. Hiding behind a crate of supplies, she peeked out from the crate, before diving her head back down behind the crate, as five bullets crashed into the wooden surface.
"Shit! QROW, COME ON!"
Qrow cursed, as he spent his time cutting open tents, looking for their things. Finally, he muttered, as he cut open a tent and found their armour and weaponry. Taking Fangbane, he unsheathed it, and its siren song alerted a Faunus soldier nearby, making him face Qrow.
Soon enough, the sword cut into the rifle facing him, and Qrow slashed across the Faunus' neck, forcing him to kneel and clutch it, slowly dying. Qrow sprinted across the battlefield, items in hand, as bullets flew across the grass and tents he passed.
Brother and sister met, and both exchanged weaponry. They could hear them approaching, and their shots were getting closer. Suddenly, from their right, they saw a disturbance in the forest, but before they could fire off either of their guns, they saw Oscar, in a crouched run, coming toward them. Breathing heavily, he knelt near them.
"Come on! We can flank the bastards!" He yell-whispered, and the two Hunters looked at each other. Reluctantly, Raven followed Oscar, and soon, Qrow followed her. Passing into the thicket, they could see how the Faunus approached an empty barricade of crates, wasting their bullets on ghosts. It didn't take a genius to constitute that most of the stuff the Faunus were saying in Faun were curses at them.
Quickly putting on the bare necessity armour, concentrating their aura and pulling out their broadswords, the two, armed with full revolvers, charged out. They charged at the encroaching line of eight Faunus terrorists, flanking them as they fired upon them.
Their bullets already wasted, some of their guns simply did not fire, and soon, the Faunus that did not and could not fire were cut down, or initiated short duels with the two Hunters, which the Hunters swiftly ended.
All that was left was ash, blood, and silence. And two very tired Hunters. Raven sighed, sitting down on a shot up crate, whilst Qrow knelt down by a Faunus with a cigarette pack, taking it from him and using a lighter on it. Breathin smoke, they watched as Oscar walked out. His face was in utter shock before it turned to elation.
"Wooohooo! How do you like them apples, you furry FUCKS! Hahaha! Yes! Fuck yes! We won! Holy shit, we fucking kill the fucking bastards! Oh, my fucking Ani! AHAHAHA!"
Qrow smirked, soon enough joining the boy in laughter, as he smoked, nonchalantly.
Raven, on the other hand, shook her head.
Qrow, Raven and Oscar had found the children. They were alive, but barely. Hardly fed, the five boys and four girls, one having the same hair colour as the Elder and who was, most likely, the Elder's daughter, a girl of only thirteen, clutched her legs to her chest, while the others begged to be let out.
Raven instantly unlocked the cage, while Qrow watched, as the boy and his sister helped the children to warm furs, and some of the rations the Faunus didn't need anymore. Qrow himself crawled into the stench-ridden cage to pull the Elder's daughter out, who whimpered but relented, to his touch.
The kids would return home…
When a humble bard
Graced a ride-along
With Qrow of Beacon
Along came this song
From when the Bloody Crow fought
A silver-tongued devil
His army of furs
At his ears did they revel
They came after me
With masterful deceit
Brokedown my guitar
And kicked in my teeth
While the devil's ears
Minced our tender meat
And so cried the Hunter
He can't be bleat~
"That's… Not how it happened." Raven said.
They had left Vodiken, alongside Oscar. After all, a guy who could manipulate 10 Faunus and kill one of them, let alone know the Western Frontier better than both of them, was better than any other companion. Even with the horrible singing voice.
Qrow and Raven had stopped and Oscar, perplexed, turned about.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You killed Clovis. I and Qrow just cleaned up the baggage- you're basically the Hero. Your story's not true…"
"Well, you know what they say. History is written by the Victors." Oscar smirked, turned, and continued on his way Westward. Qrow scoffed, winking at Raven before the two of them continued to follow him. And he sang…
At the edge of the world
Fight the mighty horde
That bashes and breaks you
And brings you the morn'
He thrust every faun
Far back on the shelf
High up on the mountain
From whence it came
He wiped out your grimm
Got kicked in his chest
He's a friend of humanity
So give him the rest
That's my epic tale
A champion prevailed
Defeated the villain
Now pour him some ale
Toss a coin to your Hunter
O' Valley of Plenty
O' Valley of Plenty
O'
Toss a coin to your Hunter
And friend of humanity
Toss a coin to your Hunter
O' Valley of Plenty
O' Valley of Plenty
O'
And friend of humanity~~