20 years before V1C1:
Mistral was generally known for its mild winters. This year, however the chill in the western region of the kingdom would rival that of Atlas. So cold, though Summer, that I can feel my Aura being drained by the wind, if only ever so slightly. The one consolation that Summer and her companion, Raven had was that while the chill was certainly unpleasant, it would also prove a great deterrent to the Grimm, and the heavy snowfall would mask their footsteps.
"You know, if I knew Mistral was going to be this chilly this time of year, I would've just stayed behind", grumbled Raven as she fiddled around with her sword. The road to the capital was a long one, especially if one wanted to take a stealthier route to avoid being seen by hostile parties. The two-man group had packed what they could, replenishing what supplies they needed from whatever they could forage and whatever they could buy from the small towns on the outskirts, but travel by foot, with only a digital map and no tracker to cover up their activities, was proving to be quite frustrating. Shortcuts were unavailable to one unfamiliar with the region, and even some of the supposed "landmarks" would be covered by snow as well. Aura protected from the worst of the cold, but Aura was finite, and this also limited how long they could go in a single day.
"Well, you decided to tag along on my own little crusade, even despite you grumbling all the way. It'll be just like the days at Beacon!", Summer said cheerfully. Raven had always been like this since she had known her at Beacon: very moody, complained a lot, but always tagged along on group assignments and could never be accused of slacking off. "Besides, your Semblance allows you to leave any time you want."
At this, Raven gave a slight laugh. "You're right, but leaving you alone, especially one with your...unique abilities, leaving you alone would result in another Grimm Reaper situation, and as much as I hate Ozpin and his scheme, I do actually feel a bit of obligation towards my companion. Speaking of duty, looks like something is posted on the local request board." She gestured towards a screen displayed behind an armored glass panel.
In the towns closer to large cities like Argus or Mistral City, most requests for Huntsmen were handled by the guild, and coordination by scroll was always monitored. Outside of the immediate power of the cities, however, border towns still needed Huntsmen every now and then, and so the local request board was designed: a postbox of armored screens shown to any Huntsmen-errant who happened to be going through the area. On this one, it said:
HUNTSMEN REQUEST:
MYSTERIOUS ICE GRIMM BESIEGING TOWN OF DORYLAEUM
CLASS: A
REWARD: 5,000 LIEN
3 DAYS OLD
DETAILS:
recently, a group of Grimm have gathered around the town. This would be nothing new, but for two things. Firstly, they seem to be encased in ice. Secondly, they are behaving very strangely. Unlike a rampaging beast, they seem to be behaving like a strategic army - not attacking, but surrounding the town as if laying siege. They don't react to the town defenses, almost as if they are waiting for something.
The Grimm are not attacking, but their presence is causing fear and panic among the townsfolk. Food supplies are running low, and the town's defenses are on the brink of collapse due to the constant vigilance needed.
All attempts to communicate with the cities for help have gone unanswered, likely due to the heavy snowfall and harsh weather disrupting signals.
Any Huntsmen who could help us break the siege would be greatly rewarded.
Summer read the request out loud, her expression serious. Raven was quiet for a moment, then she shrugged. "Well, looks like we've got a detour to make. Can't let a town be taken over by Grimm, especially not ice Grimm. That's new."
"A new kind of Grimm? That's worrying," Summer replied. "We should let Qrow know about this as well. He might be able to help."
Raven nodded, already pulling out her scroll to send a message to their third companion. "Let's take a rest for the night, then we'll head out first light tomorrow. Prepare yourself, Summer. This might not be an easy fight."
As the night fell, the two Huntsmen prepared themselves for the battle ahead, their resolve firm. Unbeknownst to them, this would be the beginning of a series of events that would change the course of their journey, and perhaps, the fate of Mistral itself.
Neither of them saw a white bird off in the treetops, watching the two run off before dissipating in a mist.
As Summer and Raven neared Dorylaeum, an uncanny sense of unease permeated the air. The Grimm tracks were unnervingly neat, resembling a well-disciplined army rather than a chaotic, monstrous horde. As the town came into view, the peculiar reality of the situation fully revealed itself.
Dorylaeum, a medium-sized settlement, was a product of Mistralian pioneers building upon the remnants of an ancient fortress. Ideally located near a river, it was initially established to levy taxes on passing merchant vessels. However, the once grand fortress had now succumbed to time, its ruins repurposed by settlers seeking refuge from city life. The fortress' dilapidated stone walls were now interspersed with modern machine-gun batteries peering through the arrow slits. Patches of metal were hastily fastened to the breaches in the wall, a testament to the town's resilience.
Beyond the fortress walls, the scene unfolded exactly as the report had indicated. A sea of Grimm stood in the snow-laden field just outside the guns' reach, their posture eerily mirroring that of soldiers standing to attention.
As Summer and Raven reached the periphery of the town, the Grimm horde seemed to spring to life. But rather than a reckless charge, their advance was calculated and methodical. The slower, heavily armored Grimm took the lead, protecting the smaller, more vulnerable creatures. Ranged Grimm launched volley after volley of inky tar and bone-tipped darts at the machine gun nests, effectively neutralizing the town's primary defenses. Once in range, the swifter Grimm burst forth, decimating the turrets and overrunning the walls.
Faced with this sudden onslaught, Raven and Summer had no choice but to join the fray. Their original plan was to locate and eliminate the Grimm leader, assuming the remaining horde would descend into chaos without a commander. But with the surprise attack, they were forced to react. Yet as they charged towards the horde, a commanding voice echoed across the battlefield.
"Valiant Huntsmen! You are outflanked. You cannot withstand my legion. Surrender the silver-eyed warrior to me, and you both may live. Oppose me, and you will perish. I speak this as a knight of Salem."
From within the mass of Grimm, a towering figure in a blue cloak stepped forward, throwing back his hood. His face, aged and marked with scars, maintained a noble and fair countenance. His face was framed by a full white beard and mustache, matching the flowing white hair that crowned his head. Contrasting the modern attire of today's Huntsmen, he was clad in a suit of chainmail, an echo from a bygone era. He wielded an ancient weapon, a long, thin-bladed sword with a twisted hilt. A horn hung from his belt. He pointed his sword at the two Huntresses and a small group of Grimm, glowing with an unusual white aura, closed in around them.
Horizon Rose and Omen sprang to life, glowing with dust powder. "If you're a part of Salem's group, you know our answer already", Summer responded. The strange knight nodded solemnly, and whispered, "death, it is."
A Nuckelavee sprang between Summer and Raven, drawing a wedge between the two. "Take case of the swordsman. The other one's mine." The knight commanded. With that, the Grimm around him turned their full attention towards Raven, drawing her further and further away from the fight. Summer attempted to rejoin her companion, but was interrupted by a swift blow from the knight's sword. With that, the fight began.
Within the initial moments of the skirmish, Summer recognized her disadvantage. She was no amateur – as a top-ranked graduate in combat from one of Remnant's most prestigious Huntsman schools, she was a formidable opponent. Yet, facing this knight, she was reminded of her first sparring session with Headmaster Ozpin. She had wildly swung her axe at him, only for him to effortlessly dodge and counter her haphazard strikes with swift, punishing blows from his cane. This time, however, it wasn't a training exercise—it was a real battle. The knight lunged, knocking the grip of Horizon Rose aside with his cross-guard and drawing his blade towards her neck. In the nick of time, Summer activated her Semblance.
Summer's world morphed into a flurry of crimson as the knight's sword sliced through the air where she had just been standing; both she and Horizon Rose had disintegrated into a cascade of rose petals. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Raven, her katana blazing with the distinctive warmth of Fire Dust, cutting a path through the Grimm.
As Summer materialized once again, she swung her axe with all her might, a strike powerful enough to cleave through even the most formidable Grimm. But the knight was swift, parrying her attack with a swift motion of his blade. Their weapons clashed, creating a shower of sparks that lit up the snowy battlefield.
The knight retaliated with a series of swift blows, his sword dancing like a silver stream in the frosty air. Summer blocked and parried, her body moving with the rhythm of the fight. Each clash of their weapons echoed through the field, a testament to the intensity of their battle.
Raven, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of motion. Her blade cut through the Grimm like a hot knife through butter, each swing precise and lethal. Her movements were fluid, displaying the mastery she held over her weapon.
Raven's blade danced through the air, slicing through Grimm after Grimm with deadly precision. But as she focused on her enemies, she could see Summer struggling against the formidable knight. Their clashes were getting more intense, both sides taking devastating hits and draining their aura rapidly.
The knight, unlike any opponent they had faced before, was unyielding and relentless. He closed in on Summer, parrying and riposting her heavier weapon instead of dodging, pushing her to her limits. In a desperate move, Summer used her semblance to materialize above him and strike down with all her might. But the knight was not fazed - he was a master duelist, skilled in tactics and technique rather than brute strength.
With lightning speed, the knight grabbed the handle of her axe and yanked it away from her grasp, delivering a brutal knee to her stomach. Summer cried out in pain as she felt her Aura flicker and diminish. Then, she found herself trapped by a Glyph that appeared beneath her feet, holding her in place as the knight delivered a final blow. She dropped to the ground, broken and defeated.
"Yield!" The knight's voice rang out triumphantly. "Your aura is shattered and you are at my mercy. Surrender your weapon and perhaps my mistress will show you mercy." Despite the haze of pain engulfing her, Summer could hear his words clearly. It was a crushing defeat, but she refused to give up without a fight.
Summoning every last ounce of strength, Summer lifts her gaze to meet the imposing knight's. Despite her depleted aura, a fierce determination blazes in her eyes. With a guttural war-cry and a burst of renewed energy, she charges forward, swinging her axe with all her might at the daunting figure before her. The knight grunts in surprise as the blow lands, but his retaliation is swift. He strikes her viciously on the head with the pommel of his sword, causing Summer's vision to blur and spin. A sharp pain lanced through her eyes and Summer screamed, staggering back and clutching at her face. Warm wetness seeped between her fingers.
She couldn't see.
Raven knew something was wrong as soon as she heard the stream. Looking over from the last of the Grimm assaulting her, she saw Summer stumbling backwards, covering her eyes. With a roar of rage, she launched herself towards the knight. Before he could react, she slammed her sword into his face, driving him back with a cry of pain. "Stop!", the knight said, breathing heavily. "I have no quarrel with you. My orders were only for the silver-eyed warrior. However, it seems that there is no such warrior with us here." He gestured towards the blood dripping from Summer's eyes.
Raven felt a surge a rage, but upon second thought, he was correct. Her companion was heavily injured and her Aura was broken. Given his skill, he could easily take her out before she could, and she was not willing to risk such a thing. Still glaring at him, she summoned a portal and carried Summer through it. As she was stepping through, she heard the knight say "And tell the King, whatever form he may take, that the last Paladin has awakened."
With that, the Grimm drew back from the trembling villagers, and surrounded him as his personal guard.
Qrow sat in the dimly lit room, surrounded by Ozpin's inner circle. The meetings were always important, but they tended to be dull and uneventful. It seemed like nothing major had happened since their last gathering.
"I'm sure you've all heard the tales of the ice Grimm terrorizing Mistral," Ozpin began, "but those have been isolated incidents. We have not encountered any major threats yet. Our priority should be finding Summer Rose before her crusade puts her in danger of capture or death. Silver-eyed warriors are a rare commodity."
Ironwood interjected, his voice stern and resolute. "I believe we need to investigate these Grimm further. Their behavior is unsettling. They do not attack, even in the presence of high levels of negative emotions. And when they do strike, it seems that their target is communication networks. I fear this may be a sign of something larger on the horizon."
As everyone mulled over Ironwood's words, a sudden disturbance interrupted the meeting. A dark portal materialized around Qrow, causing everyone to jump back in surprise. From within the portal emerged an exhausted Raven and a heavily injured Summer, both appearing as if they had just narrowly escaped a great danger.
"What in the name of the Brothers is going on here!?", exclaimed Ironwood, as he drew his pistol. Ozpin was less combative. "Qrow, get her some medical attention. Her Aura is clearly broken and she's badly injured."
As Summer was being carted off to the medical ward, Ozpin turned his attention back on his former student. "Raven, I believe you have some explaining to do."
As the story was being told, Ozpin's expression turned from concern, to shock, and finally exhaustion. "If what you've told me is correct, our plans have been thrown awry. Qrow, I want you to start scouting in Mistral for him. He cannot be allowed to roam freely as Salem's agent."
"Wait! I still have a question." Interjected Ironwood. "What's this about the glyphs? I thought only Schnees had them. It ought to be hereditary."
"It is," sighed Ozpin. "If my theory is correct, we are facing another ghost from my past. Long before I created the Maidens, I had another, albeit short-lived band of knights with whom I shared my magic. I secured a number of relics with them, and as the passed away, their power returned to me. Except for one."
"So he is-"
"Roland Schnee. First of the Paladins, and the first to fall. I had assumed he was dead, given the circumstances of his disappearance, but I was in no condition to look for him at the time." Ozpin leaned back on his desk, deep in thought. "If he is genuinely working with Salem, we are looking at very dark times ahead of us."