Chapter 25: Moving Forward
"Hey, mom? I have a question for you."
Terra looked up from the tests she was grading, giving her son her full attention. The lecture hall was completely empty, there were several stations each having a wide array of tools. Beacon Academy's Weaponry Lab was among the finest in the world, second only to Atlas. It featured everything students would need. Terra was in charge of teaching students about dust systems, and how to field strip their weapons safely and efficiently. She would also help students add things to their weapons or make changes as their styles improved.
Despite her being a professor, she only taught this class whenever she was on campus. Most of the time, Professor Ozpin sent her out on urgent missions, and her close friend would take over for the class. That usually meant Thumbelina Peach would teach Dust Chemistry and Weapon Maintenance, and though she was overworked, she wouldn't have it any other way. Terra gave her son a smile, gesturing for him to continue.
"Has Professor Ozpin ever given you… dangerous missions?"
"Dangerous missions? Such as?"
"I dunno… like, killing people who might be hurting others, or taking down members of the White Fang who use force against humans. Stuff like that," he replied. The miqo'te faunus sighed as she gave her son a nod.
"You're old enough to know these things, I guess. You did make it into Beacon, after all. If you must know, I have been sent on those types of missions before. You have to know, we are training you all to not only fight the Grimm, but the people who take advantage of the situation." she said, giving her son a firm look. "I have killed people before, dark people, evil people, connected to those who might have destroyed our village."
"Professor Ozpin knows about Eorzea?"
"He knows everything about Eorzea, the village was quite known in Vacuo. It was built in an oasis deep in the desert, not far from the Kingdom Capital. The Miqo'tes were among the strongest of faunus-kind. But all of that ended overnight when our village was attacked," Terra said, closing her eyes. "It was terrible, honey. The running, the screaming, I can still see their faces. The faces of my friends, my family…"
Levi's ears flattened against his head, as he approached his mother. She wiped away a few tears, fanning her face with her hand. "It's okay. That's long past us, I won't let you get hurt, sweetheart. I know there are times I'm gone, and times where I'll disappear, but trust me when I say, I'm doing everything I am to protect you and Remnant."
"I believe you, mom. You don't need to explain yourself, as long as you are doing it for the good of everyone, you do what you gotta do," he said, glancing away from his mother. He licked his lips, staring at the gear-shaped clock that rested above the door. He took a deep breath, leaning back against his mother's desk. "Momma, what happened to dad?"
He heard her pen snap, something that hardly ever happened. His ears flicked around a bit, as he glanced over his shoulder. His mother looked rather forlorn, not expecting him to ask her that. She grabbed her broken pen, tossing it into the trash. She pulled out a rag, wiping up the ink that had spilled onto the paper she had been grading. She'd have to apologize to Coco for ruining her report. "Honey, I-"
"You don't have to talk if you don't want to, I know it must be difficult for you," he said, frowning. "I just wanted to know about him."
"I know. I… your father was a strong man. He was a huntsman just like I am and just like you yearn to be. Thing is, I didn't become a huntress until after the destruction of our village. He graduated from Shade Academy, top of his class, and went on to protect the kingdom from Grimm. I was just a village girl when he and I met, you could say he swept me off my feet." she said, smiling.
"A village girl?"
"Oh, village girls didn't really do anything. We were just raised with the core values of our people and taught to serve our future husbands in anything they wanted. The thought of a woman becoming a huntress was unheard of. But there were a few ladies who went on to become strong huntresses. They defended our village and were among the strongest in our clan. The village elders taught them in the ways of dust magic and aura strengthening, so they were as strong, if not stronger than some of the men."
"Would you ever consider teaching me some of those techniques?" he asked curiously, ears wiggling a bit. She frowned, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry Kitten, but I can't do that. As I said, I was just a village girl, so I didn't learn any of those techniques. I became a huntress afterward, basing a bit of my style after my father's. Honestly, I should have asked him more about those techniques. I might be a better huntress."
"You're a great huntress, mom! You are teaching all of us the importance of maintaining our weapons. Not only that but your survival class has taught some of us how to survive out in the world. Sure, you taught me how to field strip weapons when I was eight, how to fish at nine, and how to skin animals at ten, but I wanted to give the others a chance, you know?" he said, earning a giggle from the woman. She ruffled his hair lovingly.
"You are my little huntsman. You are well on your way to becoming a survivalist, after all, most miqo'te your age would be young men in our tribe. Some learned how to fish by the age of five." she mused, leaning back in her seat. "Why, if we hadn't lost everything, you'd likely have your tribal markings by now. You'd look so dashing in them."
"Yeah, I'm a pussy for needles, I doubt I'd let myself get tatted up," he said, cringing a bit. Terra rolled her eyes, setting aside another finished report, stumbling onto another student's report. She visibly angered, writing a bold F on the top of it. She set it aside, muttering things under her breath. "Mom?"
"Huh?"
"Why'd you grade that one with an F?"
"Oh uh… it belonged to a student that uh… isn't apt to become a huntress," she said. He quirked a brow, grabbing a hold of the report. He read a few lines from it, honestly finding it rather well written. He looked at the name, his ears flattening against his head.
"Athena Florakis," he said softly. He looked up at his mother, giving her a forced smile. "You don't have to give her a bad grade for what she did to me, mom. I got rejected by her, it's no big deal."
"No big deal? She humiliated you in front of the student body, sweetheart! She deserves to fail just for that alone. Not to mention she doesn't take her studies seriously, doesn't know how to fight, thinks her teammates will do what she wants just because she's the leader, she's an insufferable little ass. She deserves every F I give her!"
"Yeah, that's true, but you shouldn't abuse your power as a professor to give her an F just because you don't like her. You are supposed to nurture her and make her grow into a strong huntress. If she dies on the field, that's on her." he replied. He grabbed her spare pen, crossing out the F his mother had written, changing it to a D-. "There we go, this is much better than an F."
"Oh Levi, you are too kindhearted, you know that?" she said, looking exasperated. He wagged his tail a bit, giving his mother a grin.
"That's because you raised me, momma. You always made sure I was on my best behavior and the kindest person I could be. So I should be thanking you for that." he said. Terra smiled, hugging her son tightly.
"Ahem, I hope I am not interrupting something." the tired-sounding voice of Professor Ozpin said, startling the two. Levi stepped away from his mother, placing his hands behind his back.
"Oh um… Good afternoon, Professor Ozpin," he said cheerfully. He noticed Professor Goodwitch was with him and stood up straighter. "Good afternoon, Professor Goodwitch."
"Likewise, Mr. Athan. I hope you are doing fine this afternoon," the woman said, earning a nod from the young man.
"Is there something I can do for you, Professor Ozpin?" Terra asked, her tone of voice changing a bit.
"Yes, there is. However this is a private matter, I'd like to ask your son to wait outside while we discuss things. This mission is of vital importance and we cannot waste time." the headmaster of Beacon Academy said, making the boy frown.
"Aw, I wanted to spend more time with you mom," he said, frowning. Terra ruffled his hair, giving him a firm kiss on the cheek, much to his embarrassment. "Aw, mom! Not in front of the Professors!"
"Oh don't be embarrassed! You are my son and I want you and everyone to know how much I love you! Now run along, I'll talk to you later okay?"
"Yes, mom. Professor Ozpin, can you make my mom bring me a souvenir from her mission? She never brings me anything and I want something cool to show my teammates." he said, making the man laugh.
"Of course, Mr. Athan, I suppose I can make this an extracurricular activity for Terra."
"Ah yes, before you go, Mr. Athan, I'd like to discuss your progress in Combat Class. Would you care to meet me in my office in half an hour?" Professor Goodwitch asked, earning a nod from the young man. "Excellent, I've informed your teammates about this meeting, and they've agreed to join you. But if Miss Blaze attempts to avoid it, I give you permission to use force."
"Al-right? I'll make sure she's there, she's been in a pissy mood lately, so I'm sure she's gonna try to avoid it. I'll see you later mom, be careful on your mission." Levi said, giving his mother a wave.
"I'll see you soon, son! You better have a girlfriend when I come back!"
Levi let out a sigh, shaking his head.
xxx
The young man blinked a few times, shaking his memory away. He had been thinking a lot about his mother after what Ozpin had let slip. The wind had picked up, the swirling clouds above had battered them with reckless abandon, their unending snowfall covering the paths around them with a thick blanket of snow. The trees were white, hardly any greenery could be seen. The whiteout was so bad that the nearby mountains had been obscured. All he and everyone else could do was walk forward.
The group continued walking, silence reigning supreme since they had learned the truth from Jinn. Ruby had taken the lead of the group, the Relic of Knowledge hanging from her belt. Oscar had been near the back, a look of sadness and despair written on his face. Qrow had been walking several feet away from him, slouched forward, grumbling every so often. Blake and Weiss stood near the center of the group, both shivering as they walked. Yang was pushing Bumblebee forward, while Maria sat atop of it, the snow far too thick for her to walk in. That left Neo, who walked beside him, a blank look on her face.
No one dared to speak, for it would make them all think this truly was reality. Of course, they knew they were in the real world. The cold and snow was a testament to that, but for that moment, they just wanted to pretend what had happened hadn't been real. He knew deluding himself that way was bound to hurt them even worse than before. But he also couldn't accept everything either. He was just… confused, and tired.
"How could she treat me like that and not be my mom? She cared so much about me, encouraging me to be the best person I could be. Was Ozpin lying? Was that just something he said to confuse me even more? Can I even believe anything he's said in the past now? What if it's just another lie?"
The endless barrage of questions only served to annoy him. He didn't want to think, but that was the only thing he could realistically do. That and prevent himself from shivering. He glanced at the scroll mounted against his armor, seeing his aura was nearing the red. Ruby's was still in the green, as was Yang's, but Blake and Weiss were in the red, having dipped slightly below his. Neo was still good on hers, but it wouldn't be long before she dipped into the red too. They needed to find a place to hunker down and fast.
Even so, he only had one thing on his mind, and that was his mother. There was nothing else he could think about. He looked over to Qrow, who had just finished sipping from his flask, shaking it a bit to gauge how much he had left. The former professor looked down at him, the ever-present glower growing stronger. "Something on your mind, kiddo?"
"Did you know Terra wasn't my mother?" he asked, firmly and concisely. The others looked at him, surprised by the tone of his voice. It had been a long time since anyone had spoken, so of course, they were surprised. "She was part of the inner circle, so you have to have known."
He sighed, a soft mist leaving his lips. "Nah, I didn't. It was a surprise to me to hear Oz say that. My sister didn't know either, and I doubt James, Theodore, Leonardo or Glynda knew either. Terra always seemed secretive about certain aspects of her life. Whenever one of us mentioned Eorzea, she'd changed the subject. Well… I suppose Theodore may have known, he is the Headmaster of Shade Academy, after all."
"I see…" he replied, glancing back down at his feet. "Thanks, Qrow. Seems to me like your the only trustworthy adult left we can rely on."
The man didn't reply, he just tipped his flask back, taking another gulp of alcohol. Levi sighed audibly as he walked, glancing around the cold empty forest. It was rather odd. He couldn't sense anything, no animals, no people, not even Grimm. He had been listening to his surroundings for anything that happened to stand out. However, with the hard wind, he doubted he would be able to hear anything. At least, anything that wasn't the wind.
"It's so damn cold," Weiss muttered, teeth clattering a bit as she struggled to keep warm. Levi looked at his scroll, realizing her aura had dipped even lower than it had been. He took a few steps forward, matching her pace. He undid his cloak, urging her to stop. "What are you doing, d-dolt?"
"Making sure you don't freeze to death. You are wearing fewer clothes than all of us, that normally wouldn't be too bad. But with all the aura we spent back on the train, it's put us all at risk. None of us need for you to turn into a Weissicle."
"Pfft, that's a good one," Yang said, even Ruby chuckled a bit. Weiss didn't seem to mind, so long as they weren't so quiet anymore. Weiss pulled the cloak firmly around her, bringing the hood up over her head, feeling a bit warmer than before.
"Thank you, Levi."
"Don't worry about it," he said, giving her a smile. He felt someone tug on his shirt, and looked back, seeing the frown on Neo's face. She held her scroll up, her message written on the screen.
"What do we do now?" she had asked.
"I dunno, Neo. Move forward, I guess."
"Did she say something?" Blake asked, making the man nod.
"She asked what we were gonna do now. We all left Mistral with the express mission of delivering the Relic to General Ironwood. But now we're lost, cold, stuck in the middle of bumfuck nowhere and the only one who could answer us is playing possum." Levi said, digging his hands into his pockets. "Neo was right, we're ultra mega fucked."
"Normally, I'd say something peppy about how we shouldn't give up, but after hearing that spiel earlier, I don't even know what to think," Ruby added, tugging on her own cloak. "Why do you think he hid all that stuff from us? Do you think he wanted to spare us the despair of knowing the truth?"
"He's a selfish untrustworthy prick, that's why," Yang said, as she continued pushing Bumblebee forward. "He could have come clean to us, told us everything. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded. But lying to us, keeping the truth from us, leaving us no choice but to use a Relic to see what he was hiding? It's just too much."
"You're telling me. I just wanna get the damned thing to Atlas and be done with it." Blake said.
"Let's just hope we don't have to walk all the way there."
"You mean swim right?" Neo's scroll said, earning a glare from Weiss. She held her hands up in mock surrender, tipping her hat back. The wind picked up, causing it to fly off her head. She let out a silent scream as she ran after it, trying to grab it.
"Neo! Don't!" Levi shouted, racing after his partner.
The girl continued running, hoping to grab the hat. It landed in the snow a few feet away, making her sigh in relief. As she reached for it, the wind once again picked up, carrying far out of reach. She jumped after it, only to land in a snowbank, half-buried in the snow. She slammed her fist down, her face contorting into anger.
"You idiot, don't just run away like that!" Levi said, kneeling down next to his partner. She turned to look at him, her eyes a solid brown color. She forced herself to stand up, grabbing a hold of his shirt, pulling her fist back.
"Neo don't!"
Her head snapped toward Weiss, seeing the worried look on her face. She shook her head, realizing what she was doing. She let go of her partner's shirt, smoothing it out as best she could, though his armor was still in the way. She hugged the man tightly, burying her face in the crook of his neck.
"That was Roman's hat wasn't it?" he asked. She nodded, hugging him tighter than she already had been. He frowned, giving her a soft pat on the back, hoping she'd calm down a bit.
"Hey, not to ruin the moment or anything, but we need to start thinking about what we're gonna do. This storm doesn't seem like it's going to let up any time soon." Qrow said, looking around.
"I thought you said trails lead somewhere, Grandma?" Yang said, glancing at Maria who looked at her rather angrily.
"Don't you have anything better to do than to pick on a defenseless old lady?"
"She doesn't mean it, Miss Maria. We're all just cold and tired." Ruby said, forcing a smile onto her face. "There has to be somewhere we can take shelter. Neo, didn't you say you lived in Northern Mistral? Isn't there a place nearby that you know of?"
She vigorously shook her head, pointing to the path, miming the act of walking with her fingers. She gestured behind them, sliding her thumb across her neck, before falling back onto Levi, who caught her before she fell.
"Well, I think walking further up the path may lead us somewhere else. If what Neo said is true then all we have to look forward to is death." Blake said. Neo gave her a nod, glancing over her shoulder in the direction Roman's hat had flown off, before marching toward the path.
They continued walking with renowned vigor, but they knew they wouldn't last long in the cold. The snow had gotten stronger, causing them to huddle up as they walked. Neo seemed fine, but Blake, Weiss, and Levi were beginning to feel the effects of the cold. The three of them walked closely together, shivering a bit as they walked.
"We need… to start a fire," Oscar said, rubbing his shoulders a bit. "We can warm up a bit before going on."
"Hate to break it to ya kiddo, but starting a fire with so much snow around isn't going to work. Not to mention the cold wind will just blow it out. We need to find shelter, it's the only way we'll survive the night. We have at least an hour until the sun is fully set." Maria added, glancing up at the rapidly darkening sky. "Less, if I were to guess."
Levi was about to say something when a low growl filled his ears. He thought for a moment that it had been someone's stomach, but when he heard it a second time, he couldn't help but stop. He looked beyond the treeline, the sound of panting and growling growing a bit stronger as he listened in.
"Blake, do you hear that?" he asked, making the cat faunus narrow her eyes. Her ears moved as she tried to listen to her surroundings, her eyes widening a moment after.
"Yeah, I hear it. It sounds like Grimm," she said, drawing Gambol Shroud. He did the same with Overture, the pair of them moving toward the edge of the treeline.
They walked deeper into the woods, struggling to move in the deeper snow. Weiss and Ruby followed along, Yang, Qrow, and Oscar staying by the path. Neo decided to tag along, looking rather worried as she walked, her hand firmly wrapped around Hush's handle. The group turned the corner, gasping a bit at what they saw.
It was a Grimm, that was for sure, but it looked nothing like what they had seen before. It was an Alpha Beowulf, with thick bone plating around its face, arms, and legs, but it looked a lot thinner than normal beowulves. It looked almost emaciated as if it hadn't eaten anything in weeks. Levi knew that Grimm had normal body functions like other animals. They hunted, ate, traveled in packs, and even had their own children. Seeing an alpha without a pack, and of this age was… alarming.
It didn't even seem to react in the presence of them. Its red beady eyes peered up at them, but rather than make a move toward them, it just lay there. Levi moved toward it, only for Blake to grab his wrist. "What are you doing?"
"I'm just looking at it. I've never seen an Alpha Beowulf in this state before," he said, keeping Overture aimed at it as he moved. He poked it with his foot, but other than a growl, it didn't do anything. "It looks like it hasn't eaten anything in weeks. Like it's just been… laying here."
"That's impossible. Grimm don't just stay in one place, they are active hunters. They prey on human emotions and feed as humans and faunus do." Weiss said arms crossed as she looked at the creature. "There's no way this one isn't playing a trick on us."
"So this Grimm is super smart and can fool humans and faunus into thinking it's weak and defenseless?" Blake questioned, confusion on her face. Neo stared at the Beowulf in front of her, her face going pale as she looked at it. She drew Hush's blade and spin it around, driving the tip into its eye socket.
"Wha… no wait!"
She gave it a twist, shadowy blood gushing out of the eye. The Grimm lay still, slowly turning into a black mist as its body rapidly decomposed. Neo sheathed her sword, walking away from the scene.
"Neo, are you alright?" Weiss asked, grabbing a hold of her wrist. She turned to face her, the look of abhorrent fear shook the former heiress to her very core. She was scared about something, but of what? She didn't know. She let her hand go, and she turned away, heading back to the path.
She shared a look with Levi, Blake, and Ruby, not exactly knowing what to say. It didn't take them long to reach the path, where they saw Neo standing away from the others, looking at the floor. Yang was trying to speak with her to no avail. She looked up at the others, a frown on her face. "Anyone know why the hell Neo looks like she's about to piss herself?"
"We found a Grimm, an alpha beowulf, but it looked… different," Ruby said, glancing back at the forest. "It looked emaciated like it hadn't eaten anything in weeks."
"That can't be, you know how territorial beowulves are. Are you sure you all didn't imagine it?" Qrow asked. Levi shook his head.
"Nah, this one was real. I didn't get to take a picture of it before Neo killed it, but it looked weak, with barely any meat on its bones. It didn't even react to our presence. It just lay there and growled at us."
"We should keep moving. We're wasting precious time as it is." Maria said, returning them to the task at hand. Levi glanced back at the clearing for a moment, before joining Neo. She didn't say anything, she just kept walking, hugging her arms close to her as she walked. Levi wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he didn't know how to approach her. He just placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile.
"You aren't alone, we can talk if you want," he said. She didn't respond, choosing to focus on the path ahead of them. The wind picked up again, making the young man shudder from the cold. He really hoped this snowstorm didn't last for much longer. He was starting to detest snow.
xxx
It had grown a bit darker, but the snow hadn't relented. The group was beginning to grow desperate. They had been walking along the path for what seemed like hours, making no progress in finding anything. They had been about to give up, cursing their luck, at least until Ruby heard something, causing the group to stop.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, clutching her scythe tightly in her hands. Levi's ears twitched a bit, as he looked in the direction of the sound.
"Sounds like…" he paused, ears twitching again. "A rusty gate?"
Ruby gave him a nod, the pair moving in the direction of the sound. It didn't take long for them to find a fork in the road, leading up a slight incline. After a moment, they came to a stop, finding exactly what they were looking for.
"Hey, guys! We found a ranch house!"
The property that sprawled in front of them was massive, there was a giant two-story house near the back of the property, made entirely out of wood, stone and bricks. There were several other buildings on the property, including two other houses. The road was covered in snow, though a bit of the cobblestone could be seen hiding beneath it. There was a large stone wall in the center of the property, the outer edges of it being separated from the surrounding forest by wooden fences.
It looked like a normal farmhouse, one that was oddly untouched. He looked up at the sign above the property, reading the name out loud. "Brunswick Farms."
"Well, at least something good happened today," Blake muttered, as she looked up at the sign. Weiss stood beside her, her eyes scanning the property.
"It looks abandoned."
"It's better than being out here," Ruby added, taking the lead. The others followed after her.
"Come on kiddo, I think we could all use some rest," Qrow said, urging Weiss to step inside. Levi was about to do the same, only for Neo to grab his wrist.
"What?" he asked, not looking back at her. "We need to get inside, Neo. It's getting colder out here."
He felt her tugging on his arm, making him look back. She looked terrified as if she had seen a ghost. She kept trying to pull him away, the look in her eyes being one of sheer terror. The others noticed this and stopped to look at her, wondering just why she was acting this way. "We need to go," she mouthed to him, causing him to shake his head.
"We can't, Neo. Where are we gonna go? Our auras are about to break, we have no supplies, no means of making a fire, no tents, the list goes on. The last thing we need is one of us dying of hypothermia." he said, glancing back at the others. "Besides, we can't let Maria get hurt. She's a lot older than us, and this cold isn't good for her bones."
"Hey, don't act like I'm a mummy or something, I can handle the cold just fine!"
"I didn't mean anything by it, but we also can't risk you getting hurt. You are a civilian who should have stayed on the Argus Limited. Since we're all huntsmen it's our duty to make sure you get to Argus safe and sound." he said, earning a sigh from the woman.
"I concede defeat, let's just get inside already." the old woman said firmly. The others moved along, with Neo bowing her head in defeat. She looked up at the sign, her face devoid of emotion as she made her way inside the property.
Levi honestly didn't like how things were looking. The property looked like it hadn't been visited in years. The paths to the houses hadn't been shoved, the machinery looked like it hadn't been moved in a long time. The whole property looked like it had been frozen in time, like a time capsule that had been lost to the snow. He heard something creaking nearby and looked up, seeing a broken wind vane, hanging from its post, pointing in a direction that clearly wasn't north. The windmill had long since fallen to disrepair, and there were a few pieces of broken rope laying on the ground.
"I don't get it, the empty towns I've passed through were all damaged or unfinished. But this place looks fine." Ruby said as they arrived at the porch of the main house. Weiss leaned back against one of the posts, shivering from the cold.
"Maybe everyone left in a hurry. Before things took a turn?" she questioned, earning a chuckle from Levi, who drew Overture from his holster, making sure there was a round loaded in the chamber.
"I seriously doubt it," he replied. Qrow tested the door, only to find it locked. He reached around his back for Harbinger, holding it tightly in his hand.
"Stay on your guard," he said sternly, about to kick the door when he felt Neo take a hold of his hand. She gestured to the doormat he was standing on, making him move his foot. She pulled the mat away, tapping one of the boards before finding one that was loose. She pulled it free, finding a set of keys hidden underneath it. She handed it to Qrow, gesturing to the door. "Uh… how'd you know those were there?"
She shrugged her shoulders, deciding to stay quiet. The man ignored it, testing the keys until he found the right one. He twisted the key, an audible click filling their ears. Levi gave the man a nod, throwing the door open. He darted inside, scanning his surroundings for any movement. He aimed his rifle to the stairwell, before heading into the side room, checking it over.
"This room is clear."
"This one too," Ruby said, glancing over her shoulders. The others slowly walked in, looking around the foyer curiously.
"Close the door already! It's cold enough in here as it is!" Maria snapped, causing Qrow to walk back toward the door, pulling the keys from the lock. He closed the door, twisting the bolt lock.
"We should take a look around, make sure we're truly alone." the man said firmly.
"We can do that while we look for supplies. This place was clearly abandoned, so there might be some food somewhere." Levi said, his grip on Overture loosening a bit.
"I saw a chimney from the outside. Maybe we can start a fire?" Blake suggested, earning a nod from Weiss.
"Please! I'll go look for some blankets!" she said, walking toward the stairs.
"Yang, go with her," Qrow advised, earning a nod from the blonde brawler.
Levi looked at Neo, who still looked rather shaken up from being inside the house. He looked at Oscar, giving him a nod. "Hey, would you mind looking for that fireplace with Neo? She's a bit shaken up from seeing that Beowulf earlier."
"I can do that, come on. We can focus on warming up," he said, taking a hold of her hand. She gave him a forced smile, allowing herself to be pulled by him. He opened a nearby door, looking around for a moment. "This looks like an office… or a study? Oh, there's the fireplace. Let's clean it out and find some wood for that fire."
As Levi moved forward, he noticed another door at the edge of the foyer. He slowly stepped toward it, looking at the pictures that were hanging on the wall. They showed various images of a happy family. Two parents, and three children, one of them being a little girl who was happily holding her doll, a bright smile on her face. He didn't know why, but something about that girl seemed oddly familiar. He shifted his gaze toward the larger collection of photos, spotting a large group that was standing in front of Brunswick Farms.
He looked closely at the family, memorizing their faces. There was an old couple, a farmhand and a man who looked like a huntsman, given the rifle he had been holding. He spotted the family from before, the little girl looked a little taller, but the doll was faithfully in her hand. The final family consisted of a tall, orange-haired man with a sprig of wheat in his mouth, standing next to a beautiful pink-haired woman, a young boy stood in front of them, looking up at his parents, a loving look on his face.
"Wondering what happened to them?" Ruby asked, causing him to look down at the silver-eyed girl. "They couldn't have all disappeared overnight, right?"
"That's what I'm thinking. But the gate didn't look busted, and the houses didn't look broken into. Everything is just still."
"What do you think?" Blake added, looking at the same pictures Levi had just finished looking at. He looked at Blake, a frown on his face. "Do you think they all died?"
"I dunno, but I really don't like this place. It's too… still, if that makes sense," he replied, moving toward the clock. He tapped it, but it refused to move, the pendulum staying still. He spotted something behind it, and reached for it, finding a double-barrel shotgun. It was as simple as it came. He also saw a satchel filled with boxes of dust ammunition, which he grabbed a hold of. "Well, at least I'll be able to keep you girls safe. Ain't no one gonna come date ya'll, ya hear? I'll shoot them in the ass. Get off my lawn."
"Pfft, that was terrible, Levi."
"Y'all need work on yer Deep Mistralian accent, sugar, ya ain't goin' tah convince anyone with that there piss poor performance," Blake said, in a perfect accent. The three started laughing, causing Oscar to peek out from the study.
"Find anything funny?"
"Not really," Levi said, walking toward the young man. He saw Neo kneeling in front of the fireplace, stuffing it with some wood they had managed to find. He held the shotgun to Oscar, who just looked at it oddly. "Take it, just in case we need it. I trust you can defend yourself with that cane, but our auras are still recovering. It's better than nothing."
"That thing will kill my shoulder."
"You'll have to learn one day," he said, ruffling his hair. Oscar sighed, grabbing the shotgun in his hand, finding it wasn't too terribly heavy. He pulled the small lever down, swinging it to the right, making the barrels go down. Two shells ejected from it, clattering to the ground.
"They're spent. Why would someone leave empty shells inside of a gun?"
"Maybe they just forgot to reload it?" Ruby said with a shrug. A sudden scream tore through the house, causing them all to jump. Levi pulled Overture from his holster, using his semblance to propel himself to the top of the stairs.
"Weiss!" he shouted, vaulting over the railing. He raced toward the source of the scream, seeing Yang standing at the edge of the door. He moved into the room, spotting Weiss on the floor.
He was about to ask what was wrong when his breath hitched in his throat. He stood stock-still, spotting a pair of rotting corpses lying in the bed. Their skin had since begun to decompose, their faces completely unrecognizable. Their eyes had sunken in and had long since rotted away. To him it looked as if they died in their sleep, their bodies still tucked in. It smelled musty in the room, not at all like rotting flesh, meaning it must have happened a very long time ago. He holstered his gun, moving toward the bed.
"L-Levi… w-what are you doing?" Yang asked softly. He remained silent as he pulled the covers down, using them to cover both bodies.
"Just making sure no one else will see them," he said, helping Weiss up to her feet. He grabbed Myrtenaster, slipping it through his belt loop. Qrow arrived moments later, clutching his weapon tightly.
"What happened here?"
"There are two bodies in the bed, looks like they've been here for a long time. Seems like they went in their sleep. I'm gonna take Weiss downstairs. I'm gonna gather some snow from outside so we can melt it down. I don't think I trust the well water." the young man said, guiding Weiss along.
Qrow just nodded, asking Yang something which he had tuned out. Ruby and Blake looked at Levi in concern, but he just shook his head, telling them not to head upstairs. The fire was lit by the time they made it downstairs. He had Weiss sit down in front of it, and wrapped her up better in his cloak. "I'll be right back."
"Don't leave," she said, grabbing his hand. He sighed, giving her a frown.
"Weiss, we need water. I'm going to get some snow real quick, it's better than wasting our ice dust, we could end up needing it. I'll be right back, okay?" he said. She looked into his eyes, sighing softly, giving him a nod. He looked around for a moment, finding an old bucket near the doorway, grabbing a hold of it. He nodded to himself as he unlocked the door, stepping back into the whiteout.
xxx
The soft crackle of the fire reassured the group that they were finally out of danger. That however didn't seem to make them forget the events of the last few hours. The snow was pounding the building, the wind swirling around loudly, almost whistling as it blasted the land with its unrelenting blanket of snow. They knew they would be in that farmhouse for a while, but all of them were getting anxious.
Neo hadn't spoken to anyone, having started the fire and gone off to a corner to sulk. Whenever Levi looked at her, he saw the far-off look on her face. As if she was thinking about something, but whenever he asked if she was okay, she merely nodded and said nothing. Oscar was sitting next to Maria, who had grabbed a few books to read, he had the shotgun Levi had found next to him, fiddling with the shells. Yang had taken a seat at the couch, while Blake and Weiss were sitting in front of the fire. Ruby was standing at the edge of the room, holding Crescent Rose in her hands, glancing out the window every so often. The quiet was unnatural, and honestly, it was beginning to bother the young miqo'te.
He heard the front door open, causing the group to all look back. Qrow walked into the room, brushing the snow off of himself. He looked around for a moment, a neutral look on his face. "It's the same in every house. There were bodies lying in their beds, the southern house was the only exception, the wife and kid were in the bed but there was no sign of the husband."
"It's just like this one, the little girl with the doll is missing," Ruby said, lowering her weapon. "Do you think they escaped whatever happened here?"
"Could be. Without knowing what happened here, we can't be sure." Yang said, leaning back against her seat. "What do you think could have happened?"
"Bad crops most likely." Levi theorized, pulling his hands away from the fire. "While I was gathering snow to melt for water, I noticed the tractor hadn't been moved in a long time. It was clean, no dirt, no tracks, nothing. I checked the toolshed too, all of the tools looked freshly cleaned. Aside from a bit of dust, I don't think they were used for a while."
"Maybe they died from the pesticides?" Oscar asked, looking around the room. "I know that some farmers in Mistral dust their own crops, so they might have ingested that same poison."
"It can't be that silly boy. This book here was written by the owner, Bartleby, he mentioned on the third page that they only grew organic fruits and vegetables, no pesticides whatsoever. So it couldn't possibly be that." Maria said as she turned a page in the book she was reading.
"It doesn't matter how they died, what matters is how we're gonna get outta here. We need to find a vehicle or something that can help." Qrow said, turning back toward the front door. "I'm gonna do another sweep of the property, just in case I missed something."
"Alright, me and Blake can look for transport. There must be something around here, an old pick up, a car…"
"A tractor with nitro," Levi said, causing the blonde to chuckle.
"I sure hope so, I'd love to pop a wheelie on it. If we do find something, I'm gonna need someone to drive Bumblebee, who has a license?"
Neo raised her hand, causing Yang to quirk a brow. The ice cream-themed woman sighed silently, opening her scroll. Moments later, she held the device out for the blonde to hear. "I know how to pilot Atlas Military ships, Bullheads, Mantas, regular ships and I can drive cars and bikes. Roman taught me from a young age, just in case."
Yang remained silent for a moment, before nodding. "Alright, I'll let you drive her if it comes to it, but be warned, if you even make a scratch on it, I will kill you."
Neo gave her a salute, returning to her silence. She moved around for a moment, searching for a book to read. She pulled out what looked like a storybook and flipped to the first page, her eyes scanning the words with vague interest.
"Weiss, would you mind helping me? This place might still have some food laying around. If it's canned it's likely lasted a long time." Ruby said, sounding optimistic. Weiss nodded, slowly rising to her feet, tucking Levi's cloak tightly around her.
As the two moved away, the study was once again thrown into silence. Levi leaned back a bit, grabbing the cup Weiss had been drinking from. He scooped some water out of the bucket and drank it, nose scrounging up a bit at the slight metallic taste. Melted snow water wasn't the best, but he would gladly drink it instead of taking a chance with the well water. He had heard Blake mention water contamination earlier and he wasn't taking any chances.
He jumped a bit, startled by the low-pitched sound that echoed through the room. He noticed Oscar had stood up, and had walked toward the right of the room. There was a Grand Piano et p there, though it looked like it had seen better days. He had his hands on the ivory keys, pressing a few of them down. Levi stood up, slowly moving toward him. "Do you know how to play?"
"A little bit, my aunt was teaching me. Admittedly, the only thing I can play accurately is Hot-Cross Buns and I hate myself for it," he said, cheeks flushed.
"Oh don't be embarrassed! We all learn a silly song at first, mine was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," he said, sitting down at the bench. "My mom urged me to pick up an instrument. Since she was gone for long periods of time, I decided to learn how to play the piano. I wanted to challenge myself, you know?"
"That's cool, do you know how to play anything else?" the farmboy asked, earning a nod from the miqo'te.
"Yes sir, I do. I've been classically trained on the violin. Don't tell Weiss, she might make me play some of the classics and I do not want to do that right now." Levi said, causing Oscar to laugh. He ran his fingers across the ivory keys, ears flattening a bit at the sour notes. "Looks like it needs to be tuned."
"That's a shame. I wanted to hear Twinkle Twinkle,"
"Not a problem, learning how to play the piano taught me two things, number one, be prepared to fail. Failing to learn a song allows you to realize your mistakes. It lets you improve your skills and hand-eye coordination. Number two-" he paused, shoving his hand beneath the Piano bench, groaning a bit as he dug around. "Always… hide the piano wrench… inside the bench! Aha! Got it!"
He pulled out a T-shaped piano wrench, grabbing a hold of the piano lid. He opened it, using the wooden arm to hold it in place. "Alright Ozzy, do me a favor and play the first key a couple of times, it'll take some finessing but with ears as good as mine, I'll have this puppy all tuned in no time."
"Sure, I don't mind helping you. Beats sitting around doing nothing," he replied.
For the next few minutes, Oscar and Levi traded spots, pressing keys and turning the piano strings. Levi guided him along, imparting some knowledge about the piano as he went, making sure Oscar learned the skill. It didn't take long for him to start picking up on the subtle nuances, the slight change in the notes as they went from dull and low pitched to crisp and perfectly in tune. After some trial and error and a lot of effort, Levi managed to get the piano to sound like it should. He gave the keys a few taps, a smile appearing on his face.
"There we go, this piano is sounding its grandest!" He said happily, sitting down at the bench, testing the pedals a bit. "Now then, to pick a song."
"Don't you have original works? You were a singer back at Beacon, right? You must have written something." Neo's scroll suddenly said, causing him to look up at her. He pressed his lips into a thin line.
"I do have an original song, actually. I wrote the lyrics to it but I was never able to perform it. It was… the song I was meant to sing at the Vytal Festival." he said, glancing up at the ceiling. "It took me weeks to write it, even more time to memorize it, make sure my voice was perfectly on key. The only one who ever heard it was Cadence."
"Well child, I wouldn't mind hearing it. It's been quite a long time since someone has graced my ears with piano music. It'll be like being in an opera house!" Maria said cheerfully, closing her book. Levi looked at Neo, then at Oscar and finally Maria, he had an audience, a small one, but an audience nonetheless. He sighed, ears twitching a bit as he rested his hands on the keys.
"Alright, may as well. Not like anyone is going to wait for the next Vytal Festival to hear it."
He took a deep breath, his fingers slowly pressing the piano keys, filling the room with a soft melody. It had been one he hadn't heard in almost a year. Even though he was rusty, the tune sounded just like it did the last time he had heard it. A sense of melancholy filled him as he licked his lips, everything around him disappeared as he started to sing.
"I'm… Pedal to the metal make no mistake…
This is my… pity party. Pity party…
And I'm
Living out of time, eternal heatstroke~
Spiritual revolt from the waist down…
From the waist down~
I'm just a full tank away from freedom
A spitfire…
These the last blues we're ever gonna have
Let's see how deep we get
The glow of the cities below lead us back…
To the places that we never should have left,
The last blues we're ever gonna have
Let's see how deep we get~
The glow of the cities below lead us ba-hack
To the places that we never should have left…
The last, the last, the last,
The last, the last, the last,
The last, the last, the last,
The last, the last, the last."
Levi took a deep breath as his fingers glided across the keys, biting his lower lip as he steeled his nerves, the soft pounding of the piano notes reverberating through the room. Oscar, Neo, and Maria had all been leaned forward a bit, entranced and surprised by his voice. Even Weiss and Ruby had returned, holding several cans of food they had found, but had withheld this information, too focused on his singing to say anything.
"I… got a feeling inside that I can't domesticate
It doesn't wanna live in a cage~
A feeling that I can't housebreak
And I'm yours~
Until the Earth crumbles and the Heavens roll away
I'm struggling to exist with you~
And without you yeah~
I'm just a full tank away from freedom
Spitfire!
These the last blues we're ever gonna have
Let's see how deep we get
The glow of the cities below lead us back…
To the places that we never should have left,
The last blues we're ever gonna have
Let's see how deep we get~
The glow of the cities below lead us ba-hack
To the places that we never should have left…
The last, the last, the last,
The last, the last, the last,
The last, the last, the last,
The last, the last, the last,"
The young man sat up straight as he played a few more notes, not noticing the others had returned from their searches, all of them surrounding him as he continued playing away at the piano. His voice had gotten firmer, angrier as he sang, and all the while, the somber tone of the song continued. He closed his eyes after a moment, taking another deep breath.
"I'm sifting through the sand, sand, sand, sand
Looking for pieces of broken hourglass
Trying to get it all back, put it back together~
As if the time had never passed
I know I should walk away, know I should walk away
But I just wanna let you break my brain~
And I can't seem to get a grip!
No!
No matter how I live with it!
These are the last!
Bluuuuuuessss, Yeah!
The glow of the cities below lead us back!
To the places that we never should have left
The last blues we're ever gonna have!
Let's see how deep we get!
The glow of the cities below lead us back!
To the places that we never should have left!
The last, the last, the last, the last
The last, the last, the last, the last
The last, the last, the last, the last
The last, the last, the LAST~"
He let out a soft sigh as he finished the song, feeling a few tears rolling down his cheeks. He wiped them away with his left hand, as the final notes rang out from the old piano. His ears stood on end as he heard clapping from behind him, causing him to turn around. His cheeks started glowing in embarrassment, having noticed everyone had returned and had heard his song. He stood up from the bench, giving a slow bow.
"T-thank you."
"That was beautiful, Levi. Who knew you had such an amazing voice," Blake said, clearly surprised by his skill.
"He's got some good pipes. Hey, maybe you and Weiss can sing a duet?" Ruby suggested, causing Weiss to adopt a pensive look.
"You know something? That might not be such a bad idea. Though I am a bit rusty, I haven't sung anything since that charity concert in Atlas several months ago. To be honest with you, I haven't felt the desire to sing since then."
"Aw, come on Weiss, show us why Jaune called you Snow Angel all those times back at Beacon!" Yang said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Weiss squeezed the can of beans in her grip tightly, the top bending a bit outward.
"Uh… I dunno guys, that was probably just a one-time thing, hehe. Maybe after we eat something we can plan a song? It's not like the snow is gonna let up soon. We have plenty of time to think about it." Levi said, trying to get out of the situation. Weiss seemed a bit disappointed, but gave him a nod of understanding.
"Of course, as I said, I haven't sung in a while. The last thing we want is for me to be all raspy while singing next to you."
"I certainly doubt you'll be raspy, Weiss. I heard you singing in the shower the other day and It was lovely." Neo said, giving her a cheeky smile. Weiss's cheeks tinged crimson, and she rapidly looked away, tossing a can at Neo over her shoulder.
"Why don't you go look for a can opener and start heading that up? I am going to the restroom."
"Erm… mind if I use it first? I drank a lot of water earlier and it's about time I watered the garden." Levi said. Weiss rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to go. She didn't even have to tell him to make it quick.
He swiftly left the study, his hand grabbing the banister as he started walking up the stairs. They bent and creaked under his weight. He reached the second floor, and headed down the hall, passing by several bedrooms before reaching the upstairs bathroom. He ducked inside it, sighing in relief as he closed the door. Weiss had lit some candles earlier, illuminating the room.
He didn't even need to use the restroom, he just needed to get away. Singing that song brought out far too many emotions. He turned the faucet on, earning a few gurgles from the long since clogged pipes. He shook his head, remembering where he was. "Dammit, I'm an idiot. As if a house that's been abandoned for years is going to have running water."
He looked up briefly, noticing the medicine cabinet was open. He looked inside it, finding a few spare tubes of toothpaste, old unused toothbrushes, floss, and long since expired mouthwash. He shook his head, closing the cabinet up, almost screaming when he saw Cadence standing behind him. He swiveled around, bumping into the sink, almost tipping the candle over.
"Hiya pal! Been a while."
"Cadence… what are you doing here?"
"Oh you know, checking in. Wondering how things are going, making sure your mind is breaking after the bombshell you received earlier," she said, giggling as she leaned forward. "I mean… finding out the truth, that Salem can't die, that Ozpin was lying, that must have hit you hard."
"I mean… I've had time to think it over. It isn't so bad… yeah, it sucks that Salem can't die, but that doesn't mean she can't be stopped. There has to be something we can do to her."
"That's a lie and you know it."
"It isn't a lie!" Levi exclaimed, glaring at her.
"It is a lie. Salem can't die, that is the truth, and when she finds where you are, she won't just take the relic from you. Oh no… she's going to kill you." the ballerina said, smiling as she walked forward, getting uncomfortably close to Levi. She traced his jaw with her fingertip, making him swallow hard. "She's going to rip your ears off."
"I'm not scared of her, Cadence. I'm not alone, yes we're all sad, and yes we're all extremely pissed off at Professor Ozpin. But we also have a mission. We need to get to Atlas and make sure the Relic of Knowledge is safe." he said, wrapping his hand around the door handle.
"What about Terra?"
His ear flicked a bit, as he glanced over his shoulder. He saw the look on her face, it was one of malice, of hatred. It honestly didn't suit Cadence. He knew she was just a figment of his imagination but he felt compelled to listen to her. "What about her?"
"Well… aren't you curious about what Professor Ozpin blurted out? Or did you forget he claimed your mother wasn't your mother?" she said, poking his chest. "He's hiding secrets, personal ones to you and you alone. Are you sure you can trust his word?"
"Of course not. He took the coward's way out and hid inside Oscar's head. He isn't going to answer my questions even if I kneel in front of him." Levi replied, glaring at her.
"Ah but you have a tool at your disposal. Doesn't Ruby have that precious Relic hanging from her waist? I say you take it from her and use it for yourself."
"That isn't going to happen. The Relic can only answer three questions and two have already been asked. I am not going to just take it for my own benefit. That question can come in handy if we need it in the future." he said firmly, flicking the lock on the door. "Now please, kindly fuck off."
"Yeah… no. Aria might have found it in her heart to forgive you, but I sure as hell haven't. You left me behind, teammate, you let me get ripped apart, partner. So I think I'll stick around. See what kind of trouble I can get myself into." she said, chuckling. She cupped his cheek with her hand, giving him a pout. "Oh come on, don't be like that… we're partners. We have to share in our misery together."
"No we don't. God, I should have gone to a shrink when I had the chance," he said, opening the door, stepping out into the hallway.
"You know I'm right, Levi. If you don't do as I say, you are going to miss out on figuring out the mystery. Your mother abandoned you for eight months of the year, kept secrets from you and did so much more. Ozpin said she wasn't your mother. She died in vain protecting her students, but she hid more stuff from you. Remember the truth behind the Fall Maiden, Amber? She could have told you about Cinder, prepared you for the fall, but she didn't!"
Levi walked away, grabbing a hold of the banister as he headed downstairs. "I'm speaking the truth, Levi! You know it and I know it. Take the lamp! Answer your own questions, figure out who you are. You aren't Levi Athan, you might not even be who your mother said you were! She's a dirty liar just like Ozpin!"
"Oh gods, shut up! You are so annoying!" he snapped, glaring at the apparition. He turned back, almost bumping into Weiss who had been climbing up the stairs. He froze in place, glancing away from her.
"Who were you talking to?"
"I…" he sighed, frowning. "Cadence… I've been seeing her for a while. She taunts me, reminds me about what happened to her. I know she isn't real, that she's a figment of my imagination, but she loves to pick at old wounds."
Weiss placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "If you need to talk, I'm here, and so is Neo, and everyone else. You aren't the only one who sees things. Yang confessed to me not long ago that she still sees Adam. It's normal."
"Yeah… normal," he said, brushing past her. "Just another part of having PTSD. I'm just… so tired."
The former heiress watched him go, not knowing what to say or what to do. He did have a point about one thing. She was starting to get tired of everything.
xxx
After a hearty meal of shrimp-flavored beans, everyone headed off to sleep. Levi volunteered for the first watch. Qrow had agreed to wake them up at dawn when the storm passed, but Levi had experienced plenty of winters to know that this storm wasn't going to end by morning. He didn't know why it was but he was starting to get tired of everything. Every thought, every movement, everything.
He tried not to think too much about his situation, but what Cadence had said had gotten him thinking. What other things had his mother kept from him? What secrets had she hidden? Was he truly Levi Athan? Or was he just someone else with a name? There were so many questions and he didn't know how to get answers for them. He looked away from the fire, digging his hand in his pocket for his eye drops, dropping a few into his eyes. They had been getting itchier and itchier as the night went on, probably from the dusty surroundings.
He felt someone sit beside him and looked to his right, seeing Neo holding a mug to him. She had one in her other hand, both of them steaming. He gratefully accepted it, blowing it a few times before taking a sip. "Where did you find chocolate?"
She reached into her pocket, pulling out a bag of large chocolate chips. He remembered seeing them on the train. She reached for her scroll, tapping away at the screen as she composed her message. "I melted three packs of these down, Ruby and Weiss found some powdered milk earlier so I just added water and made hot chocolate. Or, what Roman used to call it, Struggle Soup."
"I thought struggle soup was what you made when you grabbed a bunch of salsa packets from Taco Chime?" he said. She stuck her tongue out at him, taking a sip from her mug. He shifted his gaze back to the fire, staring at the burning wood. "We're gonna have to chop some more down. At this rate, we won't have enough to outlast the storm."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah," he replied, pausing for a sip of chocolate. "Heavy winters in Vale prepared me for that. Mom took me out to the far north of Samus a few times and trained me in what to do in a whiteout. Just judging by the wind currents, we aren't getting out of this one for at least two more days, three at the latest."
"That's reassuring." her scroll chirped, her shoulders dropping as she drank her lukewarm chocolate. She heard something creak behind her and swiftly turned around, scanning the room. Levi sat up a bit, placing a hand on her shoulder, startling her.
"Neo, you look like you've seen a ghost. There's no one here, except maybe a mouse," he replied. She had a serious look on her face, making him lower his mug. "Alright, seriously, you are starting to freak me out. Ever since we saw that beowulf today, you've been acting like this. You didn't want to come here and even tried convincing us to rough it outside. What is going on in this house that has you pissing your panties?"
He cringed a bit at how stern he sounded, but he needed to know why his partner was freaking out. She rapidly typed on her scroll, holding the device to him. "I… I can't talk about it. Not because I don't trust you. But because I just don't want to talk about it. Just know that we have to get out of here as soon as possible."
"But why? Is it life and death?" he asked. She remained silent, looking away from him. "Neo?"
She finished the last of her chocolate, setting the mug down. She stuffed her scroll away, grabbing her parasol before heading upstairs. Levi heard her footsteps as she disappeared deeper into the house. He heard a door close and assumed she had gone to the bathroom. He was once again alone. He was honestly surprised the others hadn't woken up from their hushed whispers. He turned back to the fire, adding a few more logs to the fire.
"Great, alone with my thoughts, how fun." he thought to himself, glancing around the room. Blake and Yang were asleep on the couch, using thick blankets to cover themselves up. He noticed Blake had curled herself up like a cat as she slept, her ears wiggling every so often. Maria had nestled herself in the chair by the window, her book having fallen to the floor. Weiss and Ruby slept soundly on the floor, the former heiress having a slightly pained look on her face. Oscar, of course, had claimed the other couch, the shotgun resting beside him, just in case he needed it.
Levi had volunteered to keep watch for the fire, but there was another reason why he had. He had been pondering what Cadence had said to him, thinking about her suggestion. Those questions weren't going to leave him alone until he had answers. He knew Neo wasn't going to say anything if he did go ahead with it, but now that she was gone, it gave him the perfect chance.
"If I'm going to get answers, I'm gonna have to do it now. No one else is awake." he thought, slowly moving toward Ruby. She was sleeping soundly, using one of the cushions as a pillow. He slowly lifted her blanket, his eyes locking on the Relic of Knowledge. He reached toward it, slipping his fingers through the ring.
He almost screamed when Ruby grabbed a hold of his wrist. He slapped his hand onto his mouth, biting his lower lip. He was sure one of his fangs had pierced it, but he didn't care at that moment. He looked down at the sleeping reaper, noticing she had grabbed his wrist as a reflex. He slowly pulled her fingers free from his wrist, slipping the lamp from her belt. He moved back as she turned over, mumbling things about a Zwei and cookies.
The young man rose to his feet, moving out of the room as quietly and as quickly as he could. He reached the door, staring at the snowstorm outside, seeing the fierce waves of snow swirling around him. Just as he reached for the door, he heard someone clear their throat. He looked to his left, spotting Qrow sitting a few feet away, his feet resting on the window sill, a bottle of whiskey in his grasp.
"You gonna use that last question?" he asked gruffly.
"Yeah, I am. Are you gonna stop me?" Levi returned, causing the man to press the bottle to his lips.
"Nah. But it falls on you to tell the others you used it, and you will own up to it. Understood?" the older huntsman said. Levi nodded, opening the door, a wave of ice and snow entering the house. "Be careful, kid."
Shivering from the cold, Levi stepped down the snow-covered steps. The path in front of him was barely visible. He looked up momentarily, only seeing swirling gales and snowflakes. This snowstorm was a lot worse than he had been expecting, but at the moment, none of that mattered. He kept walking, making it past the well in the middle of the property, ignoring the cold as he walked. Once he was a good distance away, he came to a stop, the light crunch of the snow beneath his feet coming to a halt.
He looked at the relic in his hand, the soft glow reassuring him. He could hear his heart beating in his ear. All of his questions were moments away from being answered. There was a part of him urging him to stop, telling him he was about to make a mistake, but he tuned it out. He needed to know. What Ozpin said was going to keep bothering him, and if he truly wanted to accept what he had learned and move forward, he needed to know everything. And so, he raised the lamp, saying the name he had mentioned all of those hours ago.
"Jinn."
A/N: This chapter was a fun one to work on. Really sets the stakes for the rest of the story, I would think anyway. I hope you all are liking this so far, though I'm still working on the Atlas Arc, I am having fun rereading this and editing it (Though I still miss some mistakes here and there lol). Hope you have a good weekend!
I got my Covid shot and I feel like shit, but hey, at least I can read a lot of stuff on here, or spend 10 hours on reddit like I did last night... ehehe... kill me.
