Chapter XI: Nyx and Qrow's Bogus Journey
The smell of alcohol and cheap perfume filled Nyx's lungs as he watched Qrow partake in his favourite pastime in a dive bar, drinking.
"This is the fifth bar we've stopped at, Qrow." Nyx said growing impatient with the drunken Huntsman "I have to get this ring to Noctis before it's too late."
Qrow took a big gulp straight out of a bottle and poured Nyx a drink "You're too serious, Nyx. You need to learn to unwind, we'll get to Beacon. Don't worry about it."
"It's just very important that the Prince gets this-"
"I know I know, all of Remnant depends on him getting that ring." Qorw said in between drunken hiccups. "Just relax, take a drink. Only a few more days before we make it to Vale. So stop worrying and take a drink!" Qrow drunkenly said as he shoved the shot glass in front of Nyx's face.
Nyx hesitated for a moment then took the glass from Qrow's hand "I guess one drink wouldn't hurt."
Nyx took a deep breath and drank the shot.
"Adda boy!" Qrow said as he poured Nyx another glass. "Tonight you're gonna live a little!"
10 shots of vodka later and Nyx and Qrow were on the karaoke stage drunkenly singing out of tune to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" earning them drunken applause and looks from the single ladies in the bar.
The Next Morning
Nyx woke up in a sleazy motel bed. As soon as he opened his eyes and the sunlight from the wide opened window hit him he felt the throbbing pain his head from last night's activities. He removed the blanket from his near naked body and retrieved his discarded clothes from the ground. He zipped up his pants and looked to his side to see Qrow still knocked out and a mysterious girl with white hair sleeping at his side.
"Qrow, wake up." Nyx groggily said trying to overcome the hangover. When he received no response from Qrow he grabbed his pillow from his bed and threw it at the sleeping Huntsman.
"What?" Qrow asked annoyed at being woken at an early hour.
"Come on we're burning daylight."
"Yeah, yeah." Qrow got up and made his way to the bathroom with his clothes in hand.
Nyx grabbed the ring from his coat pocket to make sure it hadn't been stolen when he was drunk "We're almost there, King Regis."
Qrow came out the bathroom fully dressed and took a drink from his flask. "You're still drinking?" Nyx asked as he tied his boots.
"The best cure to a hangover is to keep on drinking." Qrow said with a smirk as he took another drink "Want some?"
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Suit yourself."
As soon as the two were ready Qrow grabbed his keys and made his way for the motel door "Aren't you gonna wake up your friend?" Nyx asked
Qrow looked back at the sleeping woman and stood in thought for a moment "Nah, she looks peaceful."
Nyx and Qrow exited the motel room and the smell of eggs and bacon from the diner across the street hit the two causing both of their stomachs to growl.
"We should get something to eat." Qrow said
"We've wasted enough time as it is"
"We can't fulfill our quest on an empty stomach."
Nyx was going to suggest that they just hit the road, but the growl of his stomach was to fierce to ignore "Fine."
The two entered the small diner and received a warm welcome from one of waitresses. They grabbed a booth by the window and the waitress took their order and left them with some coffee while they waited.
"So what's so important about that ring?" Qrow asked as he poured sugar into the coffee.
"I'm honestly not sure, the King just made me promise to get the ring to his son."
"Without telling you why it was important?"
"Well we were kinda being chased by a man in armour that could literally kill me with one swing, so yeah we were kinda pressed for time."
"All I'm saying is a little more detail would've been great."
A silence fell over them as they sat in silence and drank their coffee as they waited for their meals "So no more detours after this, right Qrow?"
"Just one more."
"Seriously? We've wasted enough time as it is. We really don't have time for-"
"Relax, Mr. Serious, it's on the way."
Their meals arrived and they sat in silence enjoying their greasy food as the aroma nearly cured their hangover. They had back into the car and take off. Nyx turns the radio dial to several news stations and gives a displeased sigh.
"What?" Qrow asked
"Word still hasn't gone out about the attack on Insomnia, Niflheim did one hell of a job keeping it from the media."
"Of course they did, if anyone got wind of what happened Niflheim would face serious repercussions from the other Kingdoms."
"Which is why we need to hurry to Beacon."
"We will, Nyx."
Qrow stopped the car at a local flower shop and went into the shop. A few minutes later he came out with a bouquet of roses.
"For me? You shouldn't have." Nyx said sarcastically
"They're for a friend."
"Is that what this next detour is? A booty call? We don't time for you to satisfy your needs, Qrow."
"It's not a booty call, ass."
"Whatever it is just make it quick."
After half an hour of driving in silence they arrived at what appeared to be a hilltop. Qrow parked the car and grabbed the bouquet of roses "I'll be back."
"Just hurry up."
10 minutes pass and Nyx became impatient. He got out the car and followed the path that Qrow had took. The path lead to the top of the hilltop and Qrow was kneeling in front of a headstone that looked over a small forest. He walked closer to his companion and heard sniffling as he got closer, as he got closer he saw the headstone which read 'Summer Rose' and had a picture of a rose on it. "Hey, Qrow." Nyx said to let his presence be known.
Qrow wiped his eyes and got up from his kneeling position. He took out his flask and took a drink and faced Nyx. "Sorry for taking long, Nyx."
Nyx saw that Qrow's eyes were red and he knew it was from crying "Don't worry about it." Nyx looked over Qrow's shoulder at the headstone "Who was she?"
"She was apart of my team… And a close friend. Today marks 5 years that she has been gone."
"So that's why he went a little overboard last night" Nyx thought to himself "What happened to her?"
"She sacrificed herself… to save me." Qrow said as he took another drink from his almost empty flask.
"You want to talk about it?"
"Not really… Come on we should get you to Beacon."
Nyx just stood there in silence, for the last week he had been traveling with Qrow he had never seen him as vulnerable as he did now, it made him feel sorry for Qrow, he realised why Qrow always kept a flask handy. To numb the pain.
The two of them made their way back to the car and as soon as they reached it an imperial ship had approached them as a group of armed niflheim soldiers exited the ship lead by a woman with white hair.
"You know, I don't like being left as a one night stand" The white haired woman said now wearing armour.
"I don't think I got your name last night, sweetheart." Qrow said in his normal nonchalant voice that had left him a while ago.
"Aranea Highwind. And I have been hired to confiscate something from you that my employer wants."
"Uh huh. Listen sweetheart, sorry about the whole one night stand thing, but we really do have to go."
"You're free to leave, as soon as you hand over that ring you're transporting."
"Sorry, but that ain't gonna happen." Nyx said as he unsheathed his kukris
"Guess I'll have to take it from you then."
Before Qrow could react she had rushed him and took him out with one hit to the gut with the end of her spear like weapon. Knocking Qrow unconscious.
"Qrow!"
"Guess it's just you and me now, pretty boy. Hopefully you put up more of a fight."
Nyx took his kukris and swung at her, but she was easily able to parry his attacks and land a hard kick to his chest, causing him to lose his breath and fall to the ground.
"Awww, I really hope that wasn't all you had." She said mocking Nyx
"Not by a long shot." Nyx said as he got up from the ground "The only way you're taking this ring is over my dead body!"
"That could be arranged."
Nyx charged at her, swinging his kukris as she blocked the attacks using her spear. He tossed one of his kukris into the air and as she looked up at it he swept her and she fell to the ground. Nyx caught the blade as it fell down and stabbed at her, but she was able to roll out of the way and gave Nyx a hard kick to the face making him fall back. He sprung back up and gave her a kick of his own ot her chest that she blocked with her spear, but still being pushed back by the force of the kick.
"You've got some moves, pretty boy. But looks like the fun is over." Aranea said as he examined the newly acquired ring.
"What the hell?!" Nyx shouted as he searched his pockets for the ring.
"You were just a little too slow." She said as she gave Nyx a wink.
Nyx made a rush for her but was stopped by niflheim soldiers as they aimed their gun barrels at him.
"We should do this again sometime." Aranea mocked as she made her way back to the ship. "Make sure those two don't follow us." She ordered the soldiers.
"Shit!" Nyx thought as he watched the ship take off. The 6 soldiers that were left to deal with Nyx and Qrow began to close in on them "Qrow, get up!" Nyx shouted at the unconscious Huntsman but to no avail "Well this sucks." As two soldiers got closer to Nyx he grabbed his kukris and threw them at the two soldiers, before one of the bodies could hit the floor he grabbed his kukris and pulled it out, he turned to the remaining 4 soldiers and before they could react to their comrades' deaths he leaped to one of the soldiers and buried his blade into his chest he grabbed his gun as he hit the ground and rolled for over the lifeless body and shot the other two soldiers. He got up and tossed the gun away and retrieved his kukris and sheathed them back into their scabbards.
Nyx cursed at himself for letting her get away with the ring and fell to his knees. "I'm sorry, King Regis I failed you."
Qrow then sat up and felt a sudden pain running through his chest "Jesus christ! Was I hit by a freight train?"
He then turned towards Nyx who was kneeling and punching the ground "Woah woah woah, calm down, Nyx."
"Calm down? Calm down!? Your psycho girlfriend just took off with the ring that King Regis entrusted me with, the ring that we need to save Remnant!"
"Listen, we just need to get to Beacon."
"What good would that do? I don't have the damn ring!"
"The headmaster at Beacon, he can help us get back that ring."
Nyx just stayed knelt down in silence for a while "Okay… Let's get to Beacon."
Outside of Niflheim
Two of Aranea's most trusted men were tasked with delivering the ring to their employer who had asked for them to meet them at an old factory building outside of Niflheim as she attended to other business.
"We have the ring!" One of the men shouted
"Good." A voice called out to them from the shadows
"Do you have the payment?"
"But of course." The shadowed figure said as he made his way out of the shadows "Chancellor Ardyn Izunia, at your service." He introduced himself as he bowed "May I have the ring, please?"
"Payment first, that was the deal."
"Ahhhh, but of course." Ardyn took out a bag of gold and tossed it at one of the men.
The man opened the bag and smiled at the gold, and the other man tossed the ring to Ardyn.
"Marvelous!" Ardyn said inspecting the ring "A work of beauty, this is."
"This ends our business together." One of the men said as they both turned to make their exit
"There is one more matter to take care of." Ardyn said causing the two men to stop in their tracks, they turned and looked at Ardyn.
"You two now know that I, the Chancellor of the Emperor am in possession of this ring, and I'm afraid I can't let you leave with that information." Before they could react to what he had just said he had taken out his dagger and slit both of their throats in one swift movement.
The two mercenaries fell to the ground as they held their throats trying to stop the bleeding, but soon stopped moving. Ardyn knelt down and wiped his dagger clean with their clothes and took back the bag of gold.
"It was lovely working with you lads, it truly was."
"What's so important about that ring?" A female voice asked from the shadows
"That is none of your concern, is everything in place?"
"Yes, we are just waiting for Torchwick."
"Good, that should please the Emperor."
"I've also received reports that Prince Noctis is attending Vale's school for Huntsman and Huntresses."
"Really?" Ardyn said with curiosity in his voice "So that's where the young Prince ran off to. I think I should pay him a visit and offer my condolences." Ardyn said with a smile
To Be Continued…