Here we go

Cover Art: GWBrex

Chapter 44

The war had begun in earnest.

Jaune wasn't sure what to think about that. It wasn't his war even if he could tell the people of Mistral needed his help. There were no reservations on fighting against the Schnee because their cruelty was obvious, but as Winter Schnee's body was taken and displayed above the gate, hanging like a ripe fruit from a knotted rope about her neck, he couldn't say he felt good. That she was dead and gone long before the rebels got a hold of her body was a mercy, and he knew they'd have done so much worse had she been alive.

They were the "good guys" in a sense, but it didn't feel like it to see them now, celebrating as the few surviving members of the Deterrence Corps were executed for their crimes. There were no trials, no judges, just rows of bodies swinging from gallows that had once been used as tools to strike fear and obedience into the hearts of the locals. There was a poetic irony in killing them the same way, but he couldn't help but feel it made these people no better than the last. Even that felt unfair to say because they hadn't done this out of greed.

It was a confusing mess of feelings.

Ozma had helped, whispering words into his head that for once were less temptations and more explanations. He talked of how war made all men monsters; he talked of how people were not infallible, and would follow orders and do terrible things, and then go home and be normal people; he talked of what pain and grief did to a person, and how easy it was to judge someone at their worst while ignoring them at their best.

Most of all, he talked about how there were no winners in war – and how there wouldn't be any in Mistral. That much, Jaune could tell was true. Though much of the town celebrated its freedom, many more wept for what they were sure would be an invitation for an overwhelming response from the Schnee, and their imminent demise after. A lot of the people living here had accepted a lesser life for safety. They had done nothing wrong, and yet the Corps wouldn't care when they came back. Everyone would be considered guilty. Everyone would die.

"They have no choice now," said Jaune. "They might as well fight to defend with the rebels if it's death otherwise. Hardly seems fair."

"Sieges rarely are," said Ozma. "In olden times, before myself and Salem, it was not uncommon for inhabitants sympathetic to the invading army to fight against it. It mattered little whose side you were on, for once they invaders were inside the walls it would be a massacre either way. You may look at it now and say the world is worse for us, and I won't disagree, but the truth is that humanity has been killing one another for tens of thousands of years."

Inspiring. He'd kind of hoped Ozma would have a way to cheer him up or keep him focused, not make things worse. Jaune had returned to the Seaspear, unable to handle the town with its odd contrast of celebration and grieving. He was either faced with drunken rebels crying about how he was their saviour and how this was just the beginning, or angry and frightened families condemning him with silent glares or making the sign of Salem against their chest.

The only thing that unified both sides was the belief that he was a part of the rebellion, if not one of them. It was what the Schnee would decide as well, and he was sure they'd be happy for the chance to throw huntresses at the rebellion. This might end up being worse for the rebellion overall because the Chosen had mostly stayed out of it and focused on finding him.

"What do we do now?" he asked Ozma. "Things are going to get worse. We can't stay here."

"I would suggest we try and meet back with An Ren. We have done as she asked and caused distractions up and down the coast but the war has begun now. Distractions are meaningless."

He supposed he could ask Neptune when he got back. The captain was off meeting with the rebel leader of this cell, likely finalising plans and what would happen next. He might have a different idea to Ozma. He would have to wait and see.

"Hey boss!"

It was a sailor down on the harbour – one of theirs. They had been working on fixing up the Seaspear after its violent charge into the harbour. The ship wasn't sinking by any means, but the hull halfway up was dented and smashed open in places, which could let in water if they were out in the deeper ocean and the waves got high enough. Luckily, most of Neptune's crew were expert carpenters, which he supposed might be a requirement if you were living on a boat. Neptune wasn't there, however, which left Jaune to point at himself. "Me? I'm not your boss."

"Not sure what else to call you," admitted the topless man. He jerked a hand back toward the town. "They're asking to see you."

"Who is?"

"The Captain and the leader of this lot. And some guests. Apparently, you've got some people who are looking for you."

The only ones looking for him were the Chosen, and he doubted Neptune and the leader of a rebel cell would be sitting down to chat with them. Diplomats, maybe? He hadn't thought the Schnee would want to negotiate. Maybe it was messengers from An Ren, then. Jaune nodded and made for the ramp. "I'm coming. Can you take me there?"

"Sure thing, boss. Follow me."

/-/

He had expected a lot of things. None of them were accurate.

The moment he was led into the building the rebels had taken over, his attention was drawn to the table at which sat Neptune and a few other people. Most were rebels, but a few were not, and one of them saw him and leapt from her chair, evading the rebels who tried to grab her and raced toward him with a happy shriek. "Jaune!"

"Ruby…?"

The rebels let her go once it was clear he knew her, and she crashed into him throwing her arms around his waist. It was enough to knock him back a step and force his hands around her to steady himself. He couldn't find the words, or the thoughts, and he couldn't believe she was here instead of in Vale where things would have been that much safer. Taiyang was there too, along with Adam and Blake, the two members of the White Fang who had first struck the deal with him in Raven's camp. They looked tired and haggard from long travel.

"What are you doing here?" asked Jaune. He looked down at Ruby, then up at Taiyang. "Why are you?"

"We came to find you, silly!" said Ruby.

"Why?" That came out wrong. "Why would you take that risk?" he asked instead. He could understand the basic concept of friendship, obviously, but he'd proven himself the Dark Lord and exposed himself in the middle of Vale. There was owing him a favour for saving her dad's life, and then there was waging war on the world. "I thought you'd stay in Vale with Raven's tribe. Or that you'd find somewhere else to stay. What on Remnant would convince you to come to Mistral of all places? You knew they'd be after me."

"So…" said Neptune, speaking up from the table. "I'll take a wild guess that their story of knowing you checks out. That's good to know."

His mouth was dry. "Were you here during the fight?"

"No," answered Taiyang. "We arrived only an hour ago. We heard about it, which is why we came, but we didn't see anything. Other than the bodies, that is." There was little condemnation in his voice, but then the man had been a raider. He'd killed before. "We came as quick as we could. Honestly, we were worried you'd sail off again."

Jaune would have moved closer but Ruby was still hugging him and short of picking her up and carrying her to the table, he couldn't do anything about it. "You didn't answer my question. Why would you come all this way? It can't just be because I helped you out once."

"You're my friend," said Ruby, as if that explained everything.

"We couldn't stay in Vale anyway since Ruby would have been scouted by the church sooner or later," said Taiyang. "We could have gone to Atlas or Vacuo, but that'd be the same thing eventually. We'd be hunted down eventually. That's when we ran into these two."

"Good to see you alive and well," said Adam, raising a hand in greeting. "I trust you still have the relic."

"On the ship."

"How many questions are left?"

"Two."

"You saved them?" He looked relieved. Nakedly so. Beside him, Blake released a huge breath. "I was worried you might have been using them to get by. Well, that's good. I won't lie and say Blake and I are here for hugs or feelgood moments."

"You want the Relic of Knowledge. That's fine. It was agreed you'd get a question. I'll honour that."

He didn't want to make enemies by not honouring agreements, and it wasn't like he needed the relic. He could use it, and he was sure it'd have solved a lot of problems, but the issue with having only two questions was the terror of wasting them on something unnecessary. Every time he was tempted, that little voice in his head – not Ozma this time – whispered that he might need it more later, and he'd end up putting it away.

"Raven and the tribe were pissed at you for leaving," said the faunus girl, Blake. "They wanted to come after you. We managed to convince them not to by paying for both questions and taking the onus of finding you on ourselves."

Generous of them. Also, a great risk since they couldn't have known he'd have the questions left. It was obvious they'd worried he might have used them. "Why? Why do all that? There's something you want to ask of me, isn't there?"

"There is." Her eyes roamed about the crowded room. "It's a private offer, however. No offence, but this isn't specifically Mistral business, and the less who know of it the safer we'll be. The White Fang could make a lot of enemies if it was known to be working with you of all people."

The leader of the rebels snorted and said, "We're all dead if the Goddess' people get a hold of us, but fine. I only kept you fearing you might be working for her. If they have your trust, my lord, then I release them into your care."

Lord? Jaune blinked. "I'm not-"

"They are calling you by my title," said Ozma.

Oh.

That…

It didn't feel good.

"We can talk on the ship," said Jaune, woodenly. "Assuming they can come with us, Neptune?"

The Captain nodded. "Sure. We've been offered however many provisions we need to resupply from here, and I have the room. I need to stay and talk things through here anyway. We'll be running messenger back around the coast toward An's cell after this. It's about time the various cells worked together."

"An Ren and the Kuroyuri sect have aided us by sending you here," said the man. "I will return that favour as best I am able."

Good for him. And Mistral, Jaune supposed. He waved to the others, and Ruby released his body, only to grip his arm and refuse to let go. The last time she had, he'd gone and vanished on her, so it wasn't unfair. He led them back to the ship.

/-/

"So, let me get this straight." Jaune looked at Adam and Blake over the table in Neptune's cabin. Sun had told them they could borrow it. "You want to invite me – the Dark Lord – to come and live peacefully on the island of Menagerie, where you'll shield me from Salem? Is that right?"

Adam nodded. "That's correct."

"You'll forgive me saying that it sounds like an insane idea."

"It's not as wild or as reckless as it sounds," said Blake. "You know that Menagerie is surrounded by deadly currents that have thwarted all attempts to re-settle it, and that the Grimm hold much of it. We always planned to use the relic to plot a safe course through for the White Fang. Once we're there, it's not like those currents will disappear. They'll stay and make any pursuit by the church next to impossible. Better yet, they won't even know where we've gone. They'll think you're hiding somewhere in Mistral, or that you fled to Atlas or Vacuo or even back to Vale – and if they do assume Menagerie, they'll believe we crashed on the rocks and you drowned."

"It's not like the church will know we're there either," continued Adam. "It's going to be the work of a generation to get Menagerie back on track. We'll need to clear land, establish an outpost, plant crops, deal with the Grimm, build homes – it's going to be a lot of work. Easily thirty years before we even think about contacting the other kingdoms again. Maybe longer. If you want somewhere to hide, we can provide it."

"In exchange for my help?"

"Of course. We're not asking for you to do anything untoward, however. Your magic could help fight off Grimm, clear down trees so we can use them for lumber or help guide fish into nets. Honest work. We're looking to rebuild our ancestral home, not fight a war. Isn't that what you said you wanted?"

He supposed it was. Somewhere safe to stay and be and not have to worry about a war against the world. He was paranoid only because he was too used to getting screwed over. The deal was a good one. Assuming it was genuine.

"And you don't think the goddess will be angry when she finds out about me?"

Adam shrugged. "Who says she will? We'll lie. History can paint you as a woman or something, and we'll say it was Joan or Jane who helped us. Or we can say that only faunus lived on Menagerie, and you're not a faunus, are you? Point is, we're willing to support you. You want a home. We want our home back. There's no reason for us to mislead you when we can be upfront about what we want and what we're offering."

"And the Relic of Knowledge was already agreed upon," said Blake. "We're not asking for that since by all accounts it's ours already. One question was for you, one for Raven and one for us. We bought Raven's off her and you've used yours."

"That's fine. Do you want it now?"

"Keep hold of it," said Adam, surprising him. "It's safest with you. Just make sure Sienna gets it if we die."

"Don't you want to use it now?"

"No," said Blake. "First, if we die then the knowledge is lost. Second, we don't know if the information on the safe route to Menagerie will last. Our best bet is to use it right as we approach and that way we can guide our ships through without issue. We also don't actually have a question planned for the last one. Sienna just thinks it'll be useful if we run into any desperate problems like not being able to find fertile soil. We can cheat with a question to find the best place to set up out outpost."

Good positioning meant a lot with any village, so it wasn't too bad an idea. Having the best spot with the best soil, easiest access to water and everything else would shave decades off the time it took to found a proper village, and probably more off a city. The alternative was to send scouts out across Menagerie, which might take years depending on how big the place was. Jaune had never seen a map.

"Large enough," said Ozma. "Rugged land, a lot of it hot and unfit for habitation, but it had a city once, and a safe haven for the faunus it was. And it will be again. The deal is a good one, Jaune, but do not forget your current obligations…"

"I've agreed to help with Mistral first. I can't back out on that."

"That's not-" began Blake.

"If we help you with Mistral, will you agree to come with us?" asked Adam.

"Adam!"

"It's only a question, Blake. Well. Will you?"

Jaune hesitated. "Ruby? Tai?"

"We've had a long time to think about it," said Taiyang, "and it works for us. We want a place where Ruby won't have to worry about the church recruiting and forcing her into the Chosen. Menagerie will do nicely. We're used to the island life anyway." He finished with a grin, and Ruby nodded eagerly. It made sense they'd been sold on the idea after travelling with Blake and Adam.

It wasn't a bad one either. Even he could see that. He'd be away from Vale and his family, far enough away not to put them in danger, and even if the church suspected he was on the island they'd be unable to hunt him down, and they might even decide to just leave him there to die of old age, treating Menagerie like a prison. That was fine with him.

"I'd agree," he said. "If you helped me in Mistral, I'd go to Menagerie."

"That's an offer Adam and I need to discuss," said Blake, more for Adam's benefit. Jaune could tell the other man was keen to agree, and it was obvious Blake was the cautious one in their relationship. That was fine. He couldn't exactly expect them to decide for an entire group of misplaced settlers and then hold them to it.

"That's fine. Is Sienna in Mistral?"

"The White Fang are living on the open waters for now, in between Mistral and Atlas. We can get a message back to them given time, but any decision will have to be made by her. Not everyone in the White Fang can fight. We have elderly, children and people just wanting to live their lives. It will need to be her decision."

"That's fine. If they can't help then just the two of you will do."

Blake was surprised. "Really? Aren't you rating us a little too highly if you think we can topple a kingdom together?"

"I – or we – are helping the current rebellion," said Jaune. "Not leading it. I'm stuck here because of a deal I made with Ozma, and I can't go back on it. I don't need an army of faunus, though it'd be helpful. I just need what little help I can get to stay alive while I aid An Ren and the other rebels here enough that they can do their own job."

"And if they can't?" asked Adam.

"Then it's agreed that I can retreat. If they fail on their own then it's not up to me to singlehandedly fix everything, though if I can do something then I have to." He sighed and added, "It's complicated. And I've made another deal to take on a student of sorts on the proviso Mistral is either free or the rebellion has failed before I think of leaving."

"A student?" asked Ruby, interest piqued. "In magic?"

"Yes. More of Ozma's student than mine, but you get the idea."

"Is it wise to be making deals with him when he quite clearly took control and forced you to expose yourself in Vale?" asked Taiyang. "Unless that was you who went mad and tried to cut Salem down in front of every huntress in the kingdom."

Jaune smiled lopsidedly. "I did say it was complicated. We've come to an… understanding. Things aren't as obvious as they look and… well… I didn't have much of a choice at the time. They're after me. Hating Ozma won't fix that, and he's been pulling his weight to keep me alive."

"In a situation he put you in."

Jaune shrugged. "Ignoring him and dying because of it doesn't strike me as a good idea. It's in his interests to keep me alive."

"Is it in his interest to support you in going to Menagerie, though?" asked Blake. "I'd worry he might betray us if we do something he doesn't like."

"I am happy with it," said Ozma. "I don't expect them or you to believe me if I say that on its own, however, so I shall provide a selfish reason you might believe more. By aiding in the reconstruction of Menagerie, I can build a support structure through which, in future reincarnations, I can recruit loyal and capable men and women to my cause."

If he meant that to be calming, it wasn't. Jaune grimaced. "Ozma is fine with it. More than fine. He sees it as an investment in the future."

Blake snorted. "Not ominous at all."

"The future is the future," said Adam. "We can worry about it later. Not only will his magic make taming Menagerie easier, but he's just admitted to being able to teach more. He could help instruct those who unlock their aura so they wouldn't have to join the church. Sienna will love that. Huntresses who can stay with us and help protect the people against the Grimm. Come on, Blake, you can't say that isn't attracti-" He cut off as she glared at him. "Alright. We'll discuss it in private." He rolled his eyes and said, to the rest of them, "Looks like we're tentatively in agreement for now, at least as far as coming along with you and helping out. We'll need to get a message to Sienna and the main fleet for a final answer."

"I'll have Sun get some quarters set up for you."

/-/

Weiss Schnee watched as the Deterrence Corps member walked into the room. He dropped to one knee, bowed his head, and whispered her name with respect. Not reverence, but then that had dried up long ago when her mother's reforms came into practice. They had once seen the Schnee family as divine envoys before Willow's cruelty became apparent.

Respect was about all she could get nowadays.

"Lady Schnee," said the man. "I bring unfortunate tidings."

Willow had killed the last man to utter those words. He had been but a messenger elected by the Corps, and yet she'd made sport of killing him after he'd delivered his message. Since then, they'd taken to delivering their messages to her instead. Weiss did not fault them for it and made sure she was available. Her mother could not kill her because she was Chosen, and because killing her would mean she'd taken away someone of the Goddess. Willow wasn't that far gone yet.

"Speak your piece," said Weiss. "And know that I shall not hold you responsible for it." A pause, and then, "Assuming, of course, that you are not."

"I have been stationed here for the last moon, my lady. This comes from the town of Fleetsport. Deserters, my lady."

Weiss frowned. "Deserters…? From what?"

"The town, my lady." He licked his lips. "It has fallen. To the Dark Lord and local rebels. They invaded from the sea, used magic to blow open the harbour and attacked the town both from the water and from within."

Weiss stared over his head, out the open doors. "Fleetsport. Remind, captain, but is that not where my sister went?"

His head dipped lower. "Yes, my lady. I am afraid that Lady Winter has… perished. According to the deserters, she challenged the Dark Lord herself."

Of course you did. Damn it, Winter. Weiss clenched her eyes together and spared a thought for her sister, who… hadn't always been so bad. As epitaphs went, hers was a poor one, but it was hard to be involved with an elder sibling who had left you when you were six to travel to Vale and had not much as sent a letter since. All because the Goddess willed it.

"Continue."

"The deserters claim that the battle was already lost when they met with Lady Winter. They begged she retreat with them, that they were but six against well over a hundred, but Lady Winter told them…"

He trailed off.

"What did she tell them, Captain?"

"My Lady." He bowed his head. "Lady Winter told them that if they believed in the Goddess, and that if they were devout, they would see victory. That if it was their time to perish, that it was because the Goddess willed it so. And then she went to face the Dark Lord."

And perished. Dramatic irony, Weiss supposed. She wondered if it had even crossed Winter's mind that she might die, all the way to the end. I warned you, Winter. I warned you he had complete control and mastery of his magic. Why didn't you believe me? Why did you ignore me?

Was it because the Goddess told her to? Was it because she thought herself above such things? Weiss could remember, distantly, her sister telling her once that arrogance was the greatest weakness, and that pride came before a fall. What had happened to those lessons? It felt as though her time in Vale had stripped her of all common sense.

"My lady," said the man. "What shall we do? Shall we make ready to move on Fleetsport?"

"No." Weiss snapped back to reality and shook her head. "No, I won't throw our people into a siege when the Dark Lord himself might stand on the walls and rain death and destruction down on us. We will fight him in the open field or we shall not fight him at all. Break camp. We shall return to Mistral and inform my mother of her daughter's demise." Weiss saw the man flinch, and said, "I shall inform mother. No one else."

"T-Thank you, my lady. And what of the deserters? They claim it was folly to throw their lives away, but Lady Willow Schnee dictated no Corps shall ever flee-"

"It was a withdrawal, captain. Not flight."

His eyes widened. "Are you certain?"

"We need all the men we can get, and I won't see capable soldiers thrown away because of my mother's whimsies. Let them taste the lash for disobeying an order from my sister, but do not execute them. Let them re-join the ranks with honour untouched."

"My lady is kind and merciful."

No, thought Weiss, I'm simply not an idiot. We need numbers. The Dark Lord is nothing like we were told he would be. He's too capable, and Vale has not sent nearly enough Chosen to deal with him. Not even after it was confirmed he was here. Where are the rest? Why isn't the Goddess diverting more to our cause?

Weiss bit her lip and looked out the window as the man left. It had been weeks now, and no further reinforcements from Vale had come. Winter might have claimed that was because the Goddess knew – in her infinite wisdom – that no more were needed, but Weiss did not hold to the same faith. Or not to such a slavish degree,

It felt to her like they were being set up to fail…

And that they were failing.

Took my dog, Kali, to the woods today and lost her mind. Came back so filthy I had to give her a full wash, and now she's curled up asleep under my writing desk in her bed. Always funny how much she wears herself out.

Next Chapter: 11th December

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