Well… here we go with the official first chapter please leave a review so I know where am I lacking writting skills. Thanks to everyone who has followed this story, I'll try to keep up with your expectations.
Chapter 1:
El Arca
Space could be so many things; beautiful, scary, mysterious. As of late, Qrow Branwen had a couple better words to describe it: lonely and boring. That was the only thing he could think of as he was sitting on a chair, drinking while facing a glass window and gazing into outer space. Turning his head, he focused on the marks in his room's wall. His father, and his grandfather before him, had made one mark for each year spent in the space station they called home. There is no real time in space, but they needed a way to keep track of it. That was just their nature.
One hundred.
One hundred years since mankind was confined into three space-traveling vessels and forced to flee Earth. One hundred years of searching for another world to inhabit. One hundred years of failure. His mind was soon occupied with other things though. For example: How was he going to make this madness of a plan work?
'We are going to hell and that´s why you have a solution, they can't ignore you' A voice in his head reminded him. 'Yeah, sure' He thought bitterly. 'They will call me insane and dismiss me with an idea like this.' He downed another gulp of the bottle of beer he had been drinking.
'Remember why you do it. You are doing it for them, for what you promised her.' He really couldn't argue with that.
"…Welp, what the hell. Do or die as they say." Throwing the bottle into a trash can, he stood up and walked out of his room. It was time to meet the council.
Thisisatransition
"Well Qrow? What did you wanted to discuss?" Asked the stern voice of James Ironwood, a man of strong complexion, black hair greying on the sides and blue eyes, also head of the council that had in their hand the lives of ten thousand people. Qrow scanned with his eyes the rest of the members sitting across a semicircular table; his own twin sister, Raven Branwen, who like himself had black hair and red eyes, and her husband, Taiyang Xiao Long; a man of blond hair and purple eyes, Ghira and Kali Belladonna, a wolverine faunus with black hair, broad beard and yellow eyes, and a cat faunus with the same color of hair and eyes as her husband, leaders of the Faunus faction; Faunus were a species of humanoids with animal traits from a distant planet who also faced extinction, with the difference that their planet was completely destroyed. By sheer luck, or perhaps fate, these two species met while traveling through the galaxy. In exchange for resources and supplies they were allowed to join what was left on human race on their desperate quest; also, Glynda Goodwitch, a woman with pale blond hair and green eyes that seemed to be forever stuck in an accusing frown, Jacques Schnee, a man of pale complexion, white hair and cold icy blue eyes, also probably the richest councilman due to the fact the forefathers of his wife were the ones who put the money for the arks, but Qrow had another, easier word for him: Asshole. And many others, but only those named were the ones he needed to convince.
"Council, I know it was me who called for this meeting, so I'll keep it brief. We need to find a planet to live in and we need to do it now." There were murmurs among the members. They did not expect him to be so straight about it.
"Is that it? Tell us something we don't know. Besides, we have in our current route five possible planet to examine" Said Schnee in an arrogant tone.
"Seventy-two and counting." Qrow just dismissed him. "As you all know, our resources are decreasing with each passing day. Last week we cut down food and water rations to half. Last month we euthanized over a thousand elders who we couldn't afford to keep maintaining, and we are still nowhere close to finding a habitable planet."
"And I suppose you have a solution?" Ghira questioned him.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Qrow said. Tai and Raven kept their eyes on him, they knew he was working on something for the last few years, but they didn't know what.
"I propose we return to Earth." Stunned silence followed. The first to recover was James.
"Qrow, the reason we left in the first place was because Earth was a raging cataclysm. Are you suggesting we return to the hell we fled in the first place?"
"I know it sounds like madness but hear me out. In real time, we have been in these ships for a hundred years. However, considering the time-lapse about how long we have been running around space, I have made my calculations, and reached the conclusion that Earth should be inhabitable right now."
"And how, do tell, is that possible?" Glynda accused.
"Because in real Earth time, no less than 100,000 years have passed." Yet another stunned silence. "By now, a full terraformation cycle should have been completed, and if I'm not mistaken, the atmospheric conditions should be at least 80% similar to those needed for us to survive."
The councilmen talked among themselves for a few moments, but Qrow did not relaxed, the hardest part was yet to come.
"Do you have any actual evidence to support this hypothesis?" James asked him.
"I'm afraid not. This is all just mathematical and statistical probability."
"Then why should we consider this as an improvement from our current situation?" Raven snarked.
He took a moment to look at each of their faces before speaking. "We have been searching like this for a hundred years, without success, to the point we are getting desperate. How many of you have children?" There he knew he had touched a tender spot. "Belladonnas, you have a daughter, Jacques, you have three children, Raven, you have two." He put more emphasis on that last word, to make clear his point and send his message without giving details. Raven and Tai seemed to get it loud and clear. "If we don't change strategies now, they will be the ones to deal with the worst of it, and to make even harder decisions than us." He finished.
He took a moment to breathe. His case was made. The only thing he could do now was wait for the verdict.
"…Qrow, please step outside, we need to discuss this in private." Said James, with little energy in him to argue, he did as he was told.
Once outside the council room, he walked to the other side, where there was a transparent wall of glass. From there he had perfect view of the courtyard of the ship. El Arca, was its name. The youngest members of the crew had insisted on making it their area of recreation.
There, playing basketball, he could see them; Blake Belladonna, daughter of Ghira and Kali, a cat faunus like her mother, Weiss Schnee, middle daughter of Jacques, of all his three children, she and her elder sister Winter were the ones he found most tolerable, Nora Valkyrie, a girl with light blue eyes and orange hair trapped in a perpetual hyperactive disorder, Lie Ren, an Asian-descendent boy with violet eyes, and black hair with a pink streak in it, Jaune Arc, a blonde boy with blue eyes, Yang Xiao-Long, his own niece, with blond hair and purple eyes like her father, and her. A girl with dark hair with red tips, pale skin, and eyes like silver, Ruby Rose. She was a couple years younger than the rest, but hell if she wasn't a rose with thorns. At her age of 18 years old she was one tough bone after living in the ever-hardening living conditions of the arks. And Qrow held her dearest to his heart for reasons he would never tell for as long as he could.
'She will have a future, she will be ok. I will make sure of that no matter the cost.'
"Mister Branwen?" A voice snapped him out of it. He turned and saw a guard standing beside him.
"The members of the council would like a word with you." 'This is it.' He thought. As he re-entered the room, he was met by silence, and the members regarded him with various expressions.
"Qrow," James began. "after talking about this matter for some time, we have reached an agreement." His heart was hammering in his chest. In his mind he was ready for rejection, in his heart he was paying that they would accept. "We shall make a jump for the Earth." He released a breath he didn't knew he had been holding.
"We have just enough fuel for a jump that large, I hope you realize what we are risking with this plan." Said Glynda.
"Whatever happens, I accept full responsibility." He answered.
"Very well. Inform the other ships and the passengers about this and make the preparations necessary for the jump." Ordered James to his subordinates. As they hurried of to do as they were told, Qrow felt a huge weight being lifted off his chest. 'It´s done Summer, I'm fulfilling my promise to you.'
Thisisatransition
Kingdom of Ragnaval, Stormcrown Fortress
The king watched the sky through his window. The sun had set a couple hours ago, and the storm broke soon after. 'He really is doing it, is he not?' He turned his gaze to the cloth-wrapped object in his hand. 'I had hoped this wouldn't happen at all. Alas, fate is a cruel mistress.'
"Father!" Yelled a voice behind him. He turned to see his third child, his youngest son and heir, as he entered his study in a rush.
He was dressed in riding leather, with the hood of a cloak covering his head.
"They will be here in any moment, we must flee now." His son said in a hurry.
"What about the queen and your siblings?"
"They escaped early today along with the private council and aunt Em." He said as he came closer. "The horses are saddled, if we ride now we—" He cut him off.
"Son," He said as he put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going with you."
"…What?" He asked not comprehending what was happening.
"It's you they really want, not me. If I stay I can buy you enough time to make your escape without problems."
His son looked at him with utter disbelief. "Father, you can't- you are the king. You of all people should flee."
The king just regarded his son affectionally, they never really interacted that much with each other, now he wished they had had more time.
"A king's duty is with his people, to be whatever they need. The people don't need me anymore, my son, my time has passed, but you are the future." He extended the object in his hand towards him. "And so, you must protect it, and yourself."
His son took the object in his hands, and noticed it had the shape of a sword. He lifted the cloth that covered it around the part of the cross guard, and his eyes widened in surprise when a deep red jewel gazed back at him.
"Father—I don't—I can't accept this."
"You can, and you must." The king said as he took of the ring in his right hand's middle finger and placed it on his son's.
"But this is—this are the king's treasures!"
"They are the treasures of the Dark Lord." He replied. He then proceeded to grab a dark metal gauntlet that was on the desk near him. "And thus, I feel no guilt no shame in giving you what's rightfully yours. Extend your hand."
His son did as he was told and extended his left arm towards his father. The king the placed the gauntlet on his son's hand and made sure it was secure and firm. Once he was done, his son retracted his hand and flexed his fingers experimentally.
"Our bloodline will carry on in you, and you must be ready to face whatever comes your way." He then placed both of his hand on his son's shoulders. "I know you doubt yourself, but there's no reason to. No matter what happens next, my son, I'm proud of you, and I know you will be a great king one day."
The prince tried his best to keep a straight face as his eyes grew glassy, then he wrapped his arms around his father in a hug, which he gladly returned under the knowledge that it was their last. When they finally broke apart, the king walked toward a chest in the corner of the room and extracted something from it. It was a sword. It was clearly ancient, but the oddest thing about it was its strange and coiled shape.
"What is that?" Asked the prince.
"Do you remember the tales about the origin of our power? About the First Flame and the Dark Spirit?" His son nodded. "Well years ago, I had an agent sent out to seek the kiln of the Flame, it was snuffed out completely when he found it, but he came back with this. I spent many nights trying to discover what is it, I found out it existed within the Flame before the dragons themselves, probably even before the Age of the Old Ones."
"I see. What do you plan to do with it?"
"I feared it would be used for malign purposes, for I am not the only one who sought the kiln, so I'll prevent that from happening. Draw the sword."
His son unwrapped the first gift he received from the king, revealing a two-handed bastard sword, as he unsheathed it, it revealed a blade black as the night.
The king held in his hands the coiled sword and began to chant. As he spoke, the sword began glowing as if it was red-hot. The sword then turned into bright embers that flew toward the black blade on his son's right hand, and the gauntlet on his left one. The force of it made the prince stagger, but he held his ground. The sword and the gauntlet shone red-hot for a few moments, when the glow receded the coiled sword was gone.
"With that, none shall use it foe evil." Said the king.
"Father, do you really trust me with this?" Asked his son as he drew back his sword.
"I trust you with that and more" Was his answer. "Now go, ride swift and with haste, my son, and remember, don't ever look back." He told him while looking at him in the eyes.
With one last hug and a longing look, his son ran away from his study and deep into the halls of the castle, headed for the stables.
'I left one last gift in the saddlebags of your horse, make good use of it.' He thought. He then walked to his chair and took a seat. After several minutes of calm, he could hear a ruckus, several voices and the sound of drawing steel nearing the door. 'If I'm to die today…' He stood up and drew the longsword that hung from his belt. 'I will die with a last glorious deed.' He took his stance and waited as they banged and banged on the door. His last thoughts before armed men broke into his study and a massacre started were of a woman with black hair and hazel eyes.