"So… You spent the night at her place?" Nicholas Arc spoke up as he sat at one of the towns local cafe. Sipping on his coffee he stared at Aedon who hadn't noticed the man evenn as he sat right next to the entrance. A level of sloppiness that he'd never seen in Aedon. All things considered though Nicholas he would wash this under the rug. Regardless, seeing Aedon stop dead in his tracks upon entering the cafe was well worth Nicholas decision to speak.

"Yes," Aedon spoke in a measured tone as he looked at Nicholas. Nicholas then noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and there were obvious tear marks on his face. Something he never thought he'd see from Aedon but only reinforced what he already knew about the man.

"How'd everything go?"

"Good. We got a lot off our chests… There was a lot of crying on both sides. Especially when she learned of all the secrets Ozpin hadn't told her. Then more when she heard more of mine. She was… surprisingly sympathetic to me," Nicholas snorted at that. Shaking his head as he took a sip of his coffee and motioned for one of the few waiters to come over. Ordering two coffees and bagels for Aedon to go. Something that got Aedon to give him a grateful nod.

"That's not surprising to me Aedon. No matter how hard she tried she could never forget you," Aedon curled in on himself at Nicholas' words. Something that had the far younger man both surprised and slightly angry at at.

"Seven years and 139 days," Aedon spoke quietly Nicholas realizing what those words meant immediately. "She remembered down to the day… I never thought she would react the way she did; thought she would try to kill me the moment we were alone. Not…"

"Care?" Nicholas interrupted the man before he could speak getting a nod of affirmation from him. "I stayed in relative contact with Glynda through the years Aedon and she never gave up on you. You to her is what Kate was to me… you don't replace that."

Aedon opened his mouth to respond to Nicholas' words but stopped. The sharp look from Nicholas silencing Aedon. Aedon could've said something, fought through it and denied the accusation. Denied the man's words but didn't, couldn't; because he knew it was true.

"I also know she's the same for you. It's easy to tell you're thinking about a family and wouldn't have come here if you didn't want Glynda. You would've run far away from here if that wasn't the case. You've been isolated from this type of love for so long; you told me that yourself. We haven't seen each other before last month for over a decade Aedon but I knew the moment we worked together exactly the type of man you are. A romantic," there was a tense silence between the two before Aedon sighed.

"Fuck you," Nicholas chuckled at his former mentor's words shaking his head as he took a drink of his coffee. Setting down his cup he took out his map from his pack and laid it on the table getting an odd look from Aedon.

"Location of where you think Jaune is right now and any contacts you have that could lead me to him," he stated. Aedon opened his mouth to protest as they had set out together and would've separated when Nicholas found Jaune's trail. Nicholas decided to change the plan and raised his hand before Aedon could visibly protest. "It's Beacon's semester break and she has two weeks off. You are staying here and figuring this out with her," Aedon looked at him in astonishment before breaking out in a fit of laughter.

"Never thought I'd get love advice. Guess there's a first for everything," Nicholas smiled at the words.

"Just returning the favor old man. You helped me get Kate after all," as he spoke the two bagels and coffee arrived at their table. Grabbing them Aedon marked the map and gave Nicholas information on his contacts before leaving and went straight back to Glynda's house.

Knocking on the door he waited for a minute before the door was flung open. An obviously tired Glynda Goodwitch with the same clothes she had on yesterday with fresh tear stains on her face. The anger on her face instantly evaporated at seeing Aedon there. Slowly pushing the coffee in his free hand towards her she gently took the beverage and held it as if the brother gods themselves had given her that coffee.

"I… I th-"

"Never again," hearing Aedon say those words brought the first genuine smile to Glynda's lips since he had left her the first time and fresh tears from her eyes.

Jaune had spent the last three weeks playing cat and mouse with the green-haired thief. Enough time for Kal and his family to leave Karachi and head back home. Though Lizzie and her husband still housed him for his time spent there to the point that they started charging him rent. A fact that had forced Jauneto do several different jobs while he hunted the thief.

The first being a B ranked extermination mission on a pack of Beowolves that apparently had two Alphas. He did the job with a team of recent Shade* graduates who had been passing through the area and needed some cash. They were willing to let him join in on the job if he could make a plan for them. The team did that as more of a test for Jaune instead of anything else noting his young age and wondering if he had experience in this or if he was just looking to piggyback on them and get extra money. Shade and Vacuo were all about personal strength after all.

After detailing the job as he would approach it and then creating a whole new plan for the group, they were satisfied. They weren't particularly thrilled with his methodical nature of which his plan would indeed take them but appreciated that he thought through the many possible scenarios. Making a solid plan for the four of them plus Jaune with only knowing their weapons and not their semblances or usual battle formations.

They finished the job in two days and would've done it in a single day if not for Jaune's methodical plan. A plan which had them forcing the pack in several different directions while separating the Alpha's from the pack. The set up of which took a whole day to implement and the second day being one where they executed the plan. The use of fallen trees, controlled burning of the forest, traps, and ambush points within their set up leading to the job being finished with everyone having their aura's above 80%. Almost all that aura being taken by the Alpha's they fought.

A fact that surprised even the leader of the Shade team leading to the man swallowing his pride as a recent graduate and asked Jaune for some pointers on creating plans. The leader, Swallow Tenner, knew living in Vacuo his whole life that there was never a bad time or person to learn from. Vacuo was unforgiving and you never knew when someone could give you a piece of advice that they learned which would save your life or the lives of those around you.

In response to Swallow's askance Jaune gave him the notebook he had created while travelling with Aedon which Swallow greedily took pictures of. Something he mildly regretted afterwards as Jaune cheekily added after the fact that he would be taking Swallow's cut of the job as well as payment for allowing that. Swallow merely laughed and paid Jaune before taking his team further into Mistral with the warning from Jaune to stay away from the Branwen Tribe.

The few other jobs that Jaune took while he played cat and mouse with the thief were mostly C rank and a few E ranks. The C ranks being simple package delivery to some nearby settlements that took Jaune a full day if he didn't run into any grimm. Two days if he did run into Grimm and three days for a singular one of those C ranks.

The one that took three days wasn't because of the distance as his aura could make him go forever without really stopping. No, what made the job last three days was the fact that the Grimm he ran into and subsequently had to tip toe around was a Spriggan*. These rare Grimm were extremely dangerous even if they weren't an Alpha or Elder and were always given B rank designations at minimum.

See Spriggan's mostly consisted of only an upper body but two sets of arms with incredibly sharp claws known to rend people in half in a single swing if their aura was down. Their many sets of eyes on their face with some Elder types developing eyes on their body made hiding from them extremely hard. Usually meaning the only way to do so was to burn the area around them. As younger Spriggan's apparently only saw in infrared around them along with the usual Grimm senses; Elder Spriggan's could switch between infrared and normal sight. Knowing the spriggan was young from from all the jagged edges sticking out of the tree he burned several trees on his way to and fro the town for his delivery.

Now, what made Spriggan's so dangerous though was a combination of several things. Their incredible agility made them able to move around area without ever touching the ground and attack while doing so. The higher-than-average durability all Spriggan's had. Though what made them both rare and extremely dangerous was that they traveled between trees.

They could literally absorb themselves into trees leaving only jagged jutting out pieces on the tree. The younger they were the more pronounced the jutting out pieces and the fact the one Jaune ran into was extremely young was the only reason he was alive. He thanked Aedon and his group again in his head as they had saved him again with their information.

When he got back to Karachi and informed the guild of this development, they thanked him before having him point out on the map where the Spriggan was relatively located. After giving that information they paid him his mission fees and a bonus for giving them information on the Spriggan.

Of the other E ranks that Jaune took they almost entirely consisted of him running around town delivering packages. The pay was terrible on those missions but usually just did them because he needed some extra pocket change. Something to buy a meal around the town as he hunted the green haired thief.

An endeavor that has been about as fruitful as the Vacuoan Desert. On the few occasions he'd been able to corner the thief she had either used the crowd to slip away from him or manipulate them into thinking he was attacking an innocent child. Something that had him in the guildhall for a full day explaining wasn't the case and what the girl's semblance was. Regardless of his explanation and the acceptance of the guild he still had to pay a fine. A small one but one nonetheless.

Still, over the three weeks he had been in Karachi, his other jobs had left him with more than enough money to buy a good amount of supplies to cross the Vacuaon Desert. The reason he didn't was frankly because he was enjoying the chase. Added to the fact of the embarrassing nature that she had kept on being able to slip from his grasp. Plus, the most resent humiliation which lead him to now.

One that had him running thinking he was diving through a window she had already broken. Only for him to dive straight into a full garbage container. He pulled himself from the container before the smell could stick to him but that didn't mean he wasn't covered in trash. A humiliation further steeped by the fact that he had heard the click of a camera and the thief laughing at him.

Knowing he wasn't going to find the girl today he took his time to get all the trash that was on him off before heading to Lizzie's house. Stepping inside he was greeted by said women who gave him an amused look to which he just scowled. Seeing him scowl Lizzie let out a chuckle before ruffling his hair even though they were about the same height now as Jaune had grown two inches since he and Aedon parted.

"Little miss illusionist escape you again?" his glare made her laugh, a true laugh.

"Yes," he ground out as he started walking to his room silently giving himself a week. If he couldn't capture the girl in a week he would leave and cross the desert. He hated leaving a job undone but he also refused to delay his travels any further.

"I think someone has a crush~," she singsong behind him which had him grumbling. He would readily admit that the girl was pretty but just no. The girl was someone who seemed to have a sense of humor and wasn't outright malicious, but she was a survivor through and through. Something he could respect but could tell that she wouldn't come to his aid in a fight unless that was her only option. She would rather cut her losses and survive. Again, something he understood after living in the wild for so long but not something he looked for in someone to watch his back.

If you traveled with someone in the wild, you had to trust them and know that they would be there. That if something went wrong they would step up for you. It's okay to loot and scavenge the dead but to leave companions alone to fight was looked down upon. Even bandits had exiled or outright killed members for abandoning others during a fight. Something he was sure that she would do but that could change if he got to know her. That just wasn't going to happen though.

Going into his room and showering he prepped himself for bed with a shower before doing maintenance on his gear. Not that any of his gear needed maintenance but was mostly for the sake of checking his gear. Making sure that everything was good and ready to go. When satisfied, he went to bed.

Waking up the next day early, he got dressed in his gear and made to begin looking for the thief. Though after last night and his resolution the search wasn't his main priority. Instead spending most of his time today searching for and buying supplies that he would need to cross the desert.

A lot of salt for his meats was the first thing that he got. All the salt he got would also help with his water retention so he wouldn't have to drink as much. Wouldn't help too much with the desert but even just a little help would go a long way in his survival. Lighter clothes under his armor helped as well but he had to find a store that specialized in removing layers from his armor. Not something that he wanted to do but if he wanted to travel during the day in the desert, he would need that.

The store he found willing to do that gave him a five day wait time. Which was completely fine with him as he would be hunting during that time. The haggling of prices took several hours before they seemingly content with the end price. The day of shopping amounted to almost a quarter of his funds for the trip. He knew that was coming though and was more than okay with the result. He had gotten a bargain all things considered. Bazarr could've put a word in for him and gotten a better discount but didn't want to take any more of the man's hospitality than he already had.

Speaking of the man and Lizzie when he got back, he was asked to look after their kid, Lime. He did so with no problem and even with the child just being a baby Jaune found himself enjoying being with the young boy. Caring for him and treating him like he would've his sisters if he had ever been given the chance. A thought that brought back his anger and reminded him of the fact he would never get to do this with his family.

However, looking down at the baby in his arms as he sat on the couch, he couldn't think of that. He saw only the innocence of the child in his arms and their peaceful looking face as they stared back up at Jaune. Giggling at the young man they reached out towards him and almost instinctively he held out his pinky for the babe to grab. He did so and seeing that brought a smile to Jaune's face. The baby was just too pure to truly ever have thoughts of a negative connotation.

Not long after the babe held his pinky, they each passed into the realm of sleep. A scene in which Bazarr and Lizzie came back home too. The former sporting a kind and gentle smile while the former couldn't contain her glee. She had traveled with Jaune for years and knew what had happened to him.

So now to see said young man holding her child with a serene look on his face did wonders for her mind. Her baby smiling while he slept in Jaune's arms doing so much more for her thoughts on Jaune. She had been worried that Jaune had become jaded during his time in the wilds, something she wouldn't have blamed him for. To see that he hadn't warmed her heart; seeing as Jaune might truly have a chance at love in the future. He would need it, after all. Everyone did she thought while looking at Bazarr with a goofy smile.

"I know that smile Liz," the man spoke as he brough her to his chest in a hug. She looked up to his eyes as she rested her chin on his chest and wrapped her arms around his body.

"I love you," she said without a moment of hesitation.

"I know. I love you more though," Bazarr had a cheeky smile on his face as he looked down on his wife. "Afterall, the Lynx tamed the Shark."

She grumbled at his words, burying her face in his chest to try and not let him see her blush. Even after years of marriage and having a child together he would never let that go. The fact that she had outright demanded a date with him after getting hurt after recovering. He was just too damn perfect in her eyes and would never let that go, no matter what. Even if she could kill him in uncountable ways being the S class hunter that she was. She would always buckle under him and couldn't help it. That god damn smile he had; it just lit up her world.

"Fuck you," she grumbled, the sound of her voice muffled by his chest but the laughter he answered with that reverberated around his chest had her hugging him all the harder.

"We should put Sam to bed. I'll take him from Jaune, you want to make sure his bed is ready?" Bazarr asked and got a nod in response from Liz. Leaning down he kissed her lightly before letting go and walking over to Jaune. She made it four steps down the hall to set up Sam's bed before her eyes shot wide open realizing what Bazarr was about to do.

You never, ever, wake up someone as hardened as Jaune, her and people like them who had spent years in the wilds without caution. She didn't think Bazarr would be stupid enough to do something like that as he was a surgeon but he had a couple drinks on their date. Plus, Jaune even at his age had remarkable reflexes.

Sprinting back down the hall she stepped into the living room and instantly Jaune's gun was pointed at her. Her child held in one arm protectively with his body covering as much of the babe as possible while he pointed his pistol at her. She didn't say a word to him but slowly motioned with both her hands for him to lower his pistol. It took almost 10 seconds before he registered what was going on and lowered his pistol and handed the babe off to Bazarr.

Lizzie had expected Jaune to put up more of a fight as he had just been woken up. Though she was quite happy that he hadn't and instead had come to his senses quickly. As he gave up Sam though he sat on the couch and rubbed his hands over his face groaning slightly. Seeing this Lizzie couldn't allow that to stand and sat down next to him.

"It happens Jaune. Practically ingrained into people like us… I do it to Bazarr sometimes," Jaune took his hand from his face as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Surprising? It's true though."

"I hate that it happened though. I don't like that," he replied to which she adopted a sympathetic look.

"Do you realize what you did when you woke up?" she asked him as she put a hand on his shoulder. A question that had him shaking his head. "You protected my son. Your first instinct was to protect my son Jaune. Don't beat yourself up over nothing Jaune."

"Thanks Lizzie," she smiled and ruffled his head before sending Jaune off to bed. He did so without complaint and fell asleep quickly.

Waking up the next day he went around the town and got the rest of the equipment needed for the journey across the desert. Most of said equipment was just duplicated versions of what he already had but made specifically for the desert. The new tent he got being an example of that. The water catcher that could take water from the air not being one and was the most expensive thing he got.

The water catcher was filled with a type of science that he just didn't understand. All that mattered to him though was that the thing worked which it did but there were some rules to using the machine. For the thing to work, the machine needed to be on the ground and stationary. After which would take several hours to get even a glass of water meaning he would only be able to use the machine at night while he sleeps. Still, worth the money and the added weight of the machine for a reliable source of water in the desert.

Leaving the store with his new gear, he brought all the gear back to his room in Lizzie's house. Putting all his gear down, he made his way back to the town proper and began searching for the thief. Using the rooftops of the buildings to run around the town. Getting a birds eye view of the entire town as he ran around looking for the thief.

That day searching, he had no such looking for the young woman. Wherever she was, she wasn't out and about on this day which was another thing that had bothered him. Where could she possibly be hiding whenever she wasn't stealing from people. The local hotels knew what she looked like now so if she was there the guild and him would be notified. Plus, she may be able to fool people with her illusions but she couldn't fool technology. Cameras and scroll could see her.

Which left very few options for her to be somewhere. Most probable being that she was hiding out in businesses or stores that closed for the night. Then she could be just slumming in the streets but doubted that. The guild knew what she looked like and if she had been slumming on the streets some hunter would've seen her by through luck alone. With the final option being that she was breaking into houses and using guest rooms and such. The least probable because that likely would've been reported if there had been serial break-ins.

He called off his search an hour after the moon had fully ascended into the sky. Grumbling to himself and pissed that he hadn't even been able to spot the woman the last two days. Granted he wasn't really looking for her the first day but that still hurt his pride. He's survived in the wilds for almost a decade and now can't find a single person in a city. His pride was definitely hurt.

Waking up the next day he went back to the where he had first seen her and sat down. Not in the street of course but off to the side on one of the few public benches. Spending most of his time just people watching; looking for anyone that seemed to lose their wallet spontaneously.

By the time midday rolled around he saw nothing and got some food from one of the stands before returning to his bench. As he sat down and began to eat the sandwich he had bought, an absolutely stunning woman made her way over to him. Breaking the necks of many a man as they watched her walk.

Hair as black as midnight with piercing and arrogant amber eyes with a face and body that many a woman would kill for. Curves in all the right places while her choice of clothes barely covered anything but at the same time more than covered enough. Letting Jaune's imagination run wild as he stared at the frankly beautiful woman without showing him any of what she had.

He did take note of the way the dress sparked on the hem of the dress and the sleeves. The dress was dust infused so definitely a hunter of some kind as well. Even if she barely looked old enough to be in one of the Academy's. Maybe a 2nd year but nothing older than that making her around 18. He also noted that infusing dust into clothing was not only rare but also extremely expensive, so she was probably like him. Been working as a hunter for years but she had about three years on him so if she saved up money and was powerful enough to get a dress like the one she had wasn't that surprising.

Though why her eyes were fixated on him was something that he no idea about. He did appreciate the attention from the pretty girl and the legs she had on her were a delicious sight to watch as she made her way to him. Her little black anklet and black heels highlighting just how creamy her legs looked. The woman was dripping sex appeal which had him wary of her. Women like her wrapped men and women alike around their fingers for them to use… and in some cases assassinate through seduction. Aedon had made certain he knew the dangerous of a beautiful woman.

That's not to say he wouldn't appreciate the sight. Afterall, whoever she was, was easily ranked in the top three hottest women he'd seen in his travels. He also had absolutely no shame in raking his eyes over her as she stopped in front of him and stared down at him.

"You have no idea what you're doing do you?" her voice was sultry and sexy as she crossed her arms under her breasts and kicked her hips out to her left putting more weight on the leg.

"You're going to have to be more specific there," Jaune answered taking a bite of his sandwich earning a raised eyebrow from the woman. She may have been gorgeous and the closest to Jaune's age as all the most beautiful women he had met but he was hungry.

"Your aura. You're projecting and it is quite… distracting," she spoke struggling to find the final word.

"You can project aura?" Jaune honestly didn't know that could be done.

"Yes. Though to be able to feel it is rare. Usually coinciding with a semblance or excellent aura control; that or just SS level hunters in general can feel aura as a rule of thumb."

"And which category do you fall into?" Jaune never was one to pass on the opportunity to gather information. In response the woman gave a sultry looking smile down at him.

"A woman never tells all of her secrets," she responded amused at his attempt at information gather.

"Pity, it'd make the world a lot easier to understand if ya did," that comment did get a soft giggle from the woman but he couldn't exactly tell if the giggle was genuine or not. "So, how exactly am I supposed to reign in my aura?" the young man asked.

"You won't be able to. Not today at least and I plan on leaving soon so it matters little to me. I assumed you knew what you were doing," the woman stated.

"What is the significance of my aura doing that by the way. Never said why it was distracting," Jaune asked again curious to learn more.

"Your aura is… potent. Incredibly so. Projecting as you are now though to such a degree usually makes some animals and people be instinctually cautious around you. As for people who know how to sense aura you're essentially showing yourself as a giant beacon to them."

"Huh, would not have guessed that. Thank you miss…" he let the word hang in the air to get her to introduce herself. Information gathering in the form of pleasantries; the look on her face telling him she knew exactly what he was doing and would respond in kind. Like he expected anything but.

"Fall. Cinder Fall," she gave him a small smile while extending her hand. Seeing that Jaune put down his sandwich before standing up. Noticing that despite the age difference and her being in heels he still that he had a couple inches on her. He was closing in on 6' afterall.

"Jaune. Just Jaune," Cinder nodded in understanding as Jaune shook her hand.

With their peace said the two went their separate ways. Jaune continuing to watch the world around him stoically looking for the thief while Cinder walked down the street and into an alley. She had wished whoever had been putting out that much aura would've been older and more willing to play along with her. There were so many things she would've gotten them to do for her plans. She couldn't have everything and wasn't about to go and start molesting people either; she had standards after all. Give him a few years though and he will be quite the treat.

Might have to make a note of this town to return and pick him up in the future. The level of aura he exuded was astounding on a level she had never felt before. With the potency of his aura only growing in the coming years. If he lives that long, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

"Met my stalker I take it," her new pawn asked as she pushed off the wall of the alley.

"I did. We'll be back for him in time but not now. Let's go; keep yourself hidden until we get out the gate Emerald," the green haired red eyed woman nodded and obediently followed Cinder out of the city.

Jaune was blissfully unaware of this development and spent his remaining time in Karachi searching for Emerald. Not a single time catching even a whiff of her. He assumed that she had probably gone to ground as she no doubt had a high amount of money to call upon. Still, he was not happy that she had been able to get away from him. That fact grated against his pride but knew you couldn't win every battle no matter how hard you tried.

When he had announced that he would be leaving Karachi the night before his departure Lizzie and Bazarr made him a giant meal. All of them eating together one last time before heading out. With Bazarr gifting a book on human anatomy for the future so he would be able to treat himself better if he ever got hurt. He would also be using it to kill if he needed to in the future. As for Lizzie, she had gifted him with a brand new Scroll and asked that he call if ever needed help and to stay in touch.

He took the gifts with a smile on his face before heading to bed that night and gathering up all his gear the next morning. Giving a goodbye hug to Lizzie and Bazarr the morning of his departure he left through the gate of the town and took his first steps towards the desert of Vacuo.

One step, two steps, three steps, all the steps.

"Ma'am. There's two things that my network have found out that you might be interested to know," the slimy voice of Arthur Watts spoke as he entered into Salem's private throne room. She had been looking out the massive glass window to the deep Grimmlands. Red and dead for as long as the eye could see.

Salem didn't answer to Watts' voice as she continued to look out into the land. She had never liked the man on any level besides his usefulness. The man was a genius, she could not deny that as she would've killed him already if he wasn't. His far too haughty of an attitude reminded her of many a person that she had killed in the past. In many respects he was not worth her time but with the way the world had changed with technology he was needed. Quite frankly, he was important if she wanted to achieve her goal of finally dying.

Standing from her chair Salem turned around and looked at the man. Her stare forcing the man to his knees in an instant. His haughty and general attitude disappearing instantly as he became submissive. Another reason she did not like him; the man had no backbone.

"Speak," she commanded.

"Cgm, yes," he spoke clearing his throat. "It seems that the Vampire has shown himself and intends to settle down," now that was most certainly interesting to hear but ultimately unimportant.

"He has done so in the past Watts. Why have you deemed to tell me this instead of just keeping tabs on him," that seemed to get a ghost of a smile out of the man before Salem's stare intensified and the smile disappeared.

"Because of who he has done it with, mistress. Glynda Goodwitch, one of Ozpin's most trusted," that stopped Salem short. That was incredibly interesting. Aedon would never align with Ozpin, their storied history would prevent that but Goodwitch was an insanely powerful huntsmen. One of maybe four in the world that could take on multiple Elder type Grimm alone and walk away alive. If Ozpin found out about that particular development, he would shut her out from pure paranoia. He'd be weakening himself to an incredible degree and there was doubt in her mind he would do exactly that.

"Make sure Ozpin finds out that particular bit of information Watts. Do not be overt about it but make sure he knows within the month," Watts nodded his head. "Now, the second development?"

"There have been reports Crocea Mors is alive," that was concerning. That sword and shield had been a thorn in her side for over a millenia. The properties of that weapon were imbued with magic from one of Ozma's lives and beyond powerful if someone could access them. However, that shouldn't have been possible. The sword and shield had been separated and lost almost a decade ago. Her agents at the time had seen to that with the killing of most of the Arc family. Not a complete success but enough of one that should've had the weapon un-unified for at least half a century.

"Is it back with the father or one of the survivors?"

"No mistress," quirking an eyebrow at the man he continued. "It seems another of the family survived and has been making their way across Mistral over the past few months. I have no information on where they are or what they look like but they have the shield and are male. A son."

"How old would they be now?"

"According to what I was able to scrounge up they would be a few months past the age of 15 mistress," she nodded her head at the information before deciding on how to approach this.

"See if you can find him and keep the information brokers open on finding out where he is. Unfortunately, the shield looks like a regular scabbard until opened so finding him will be hard until we know what they look like. The moment we do however, I want them dead and the shield here. Dismissed," at her words of dismissal Watts stood but did not leave seemingly contemplating his next words.

"What is it Watts?" she asked seeing that he had yet to leave.

"If I may mistress; why do we care about Crocea Mors? It is but a sword," she nodded at his words understanding his question.

"Tell me Watts, have you heard the story about The Mountain King?" Watts eyes widened at her words starting to connect the dots. He was a man of science but since being introduced to this world of magic by Salem years ago he had devoted time to studying fairy tales and legends of history. As if one story held truth to to them then others must've as well. With that he had heard the story of The Mountain King, a legend of history.

An old legend, one of the oldest recorded to date. Depicting the story of a man who came down from one of the mountains now within the Grimm lands and unified the people of Remnant in their first and largest empire. With a sword that used by him was said to be able to cut down armies of Grimm in a single swing. Allowing for the empire to be the largest one in Remnant's history. Watts assumed the sword to be a falsety as historical records showed that both he and his wife had Silver Eyes. The Grimm's ultimate weakness. Though it was also known that the sword had been broken, after he died, by the infighting of the Empire that ultimately destroyed the Empire as well.

"I have mistress," he answered to Salem's question.

"Crocea Mors is the Mountain King's sword reforged… Make no mistake Watt's, the king may have had Silver Eyes but that weapon was just as responsible and to this date only Aedon has taken more lives of Maiden's under my control than the wielders of Crocea Mors. Now, dismissed," she demanded of the man.

Watts didn't say anything to her words and left silently. A smart move on his part as she turned back around and gazed out the window. Things were shaping up to be interesting in the future years. How they all played out however was something no one knew. She would not be too humble though; the odds were steadily creeping farther to her side.

Hope y'all enjoyed. Just as a sidenote as someone DM'd me talking about Glynda being taller than the 6'4 Aedon. I actually did research there and from what I found Glynda is 6'6, it didn't say if that was with or without her heels but I assumed it was with heels.

*1: Shade Academy is the Academy for Vacuo

*2: Spriggan's was a grimm I found in a story called Grimm Nightmares by Ace Reaper. It's a RWBY x Bloodborne crossover and I would highly recommend it; the story is very good.