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Chapter 6: Strained Reunions
Forms of speech.
"Draconic."
"Thought."
"Normal."
Qrow flapped his wings, propping himself up to maintain his glide high above the tree line. The sky was a dark ocean dotted with small islands of light and behind him was the slowly rising blaze of dawn.
It was nearly daytime and that meant his target would probably lay low until the sun went down again. The huntsmen had to admit that this Grimm was a sneaky one.
His was searching for this mysterious ice monster; one that had Ozpin so agitated that it forced Qrow to abandon his duties for nearly a month and that was putting him more on edge than the Grimm itself.
Not only did it tell him that this thing knew how to play the long game, but it also meant that Qrow was away from other places in the world making sure that Salem did not get her claws on anything important.
For all he knew another Maiden might have died and they had to start from scratch again, or worse, Salem could have captured one and turned her over to the other side. Both possibilities were bad and ended with the same result. A dead Maiden and restarting his entire search.
Qrow was not sure whether to believe that this was some sort of tactical play by Salem or some new freak of nature, but neither would be tolerated. Any new Grimm had to be stamped out before they matured enough to start rallying their kin.
"And this one is already smart enough to dodge me. If this goes on for too long, I'll have to call Beacon for backup."
Qrow often let it be known that he was above the average huntsmen. He would boast, brag, show casual disinterest and display a condescending attitude to anyone he did not find threatening in any way. Often just to throw his opponent off or test them to see if they were hiding a genuine threat to him. People and their egos were easily bruised and that was something he learned to take full advantage of thanks to his years with Raven. His sibling thought that it would be best to keep the gloves off, but he found it was easier to get around when people thought you were just some stupid drunk.
However, when he was threatened or outwitted, he did not let his pride get the better of him like it did to his sister. He knew better than to risk everything to prove that he was better than anyone. When it was unclear if he was capable of defeating an enemy, he gave the fight everything because he could not afford to die.
His family could not handle it, not after the loss of Summer. Not only did their team lose its leader, but the kids lost their mother. They could not afford to lose anyone else, even a stupid drunk like him.
So, he took his job very, very seriously.
As the wind ran over his feathers, he thought about that strange woman that he found tending to Tai's garden when he arrived on Patch.
The one that resembled their lost leader so much. They looked very similar, except she had pure red hair that was longer than Summer's and ran halfway down her back. She was slightly taller too and her features were sharper. Then there was the lack of Summer's signature feature, her silver eyes. This woman had eyes that shone with an amber light.
The woman named Alexstrasza.
Qrow was usure what to make of her. When he first saw her, he assumed that she was just some kind of groundskeeper that Tai hired to watch the place, since he was not getting any younger and rumor had it that Signal and the other combat schools were experimenting with their schedules.
Despite the teasing he had given his brother-in-law, he did not think this was some kind of romantic interest. Taiyang was not that kind of man, this was different from when Raven left. Summer still owned his heart, and it would be years before he would even consider such a thing again.
As for the strange woman herself, he found her strange. Qrow was a well-traveled man thanks to the gift Ozpin gave him. He had seen nearly all of Remnant that had been touched by civilization and nowhere had he met anyone like her.
Then there was the way she looked at him. Most of the time, ladies tend to sneer at him offhandedly, and the more butch women tend to look down on him. Even the ones who try to be polite tend to do it with an air of distrust. That was just how he was treated by most girls.
While he had managed to sneak up on her, some part of him told her that perhaps she was not completely unaware of him even before he took human form. It was the lack of agitation she showed him when he introduced himself.
She was completely calm and even friendly. The truth was that he might have been more agitated than she should have been. Either she was supremely confident in her ability to defend herself, or she was a very good acter.
It could have been both for all he knew, any woman who had been nice to him often had ulterior motives, with the exception of Summer. He suspected that his leader had secrets, but he never pressed her on it. She was allowed to keep secrets so long as they would not affect the family.
Alexstrasza was likely an exception as well, given that she had not done anything despite being in a prime position to pilfer, sabotage and influence the girls, and if she planned on using Taiyang for a place to stay, she would have started flirting by now.
Taiyang was vague on what her semblance was, but he made it clear that she was not a pushover. That trench in the forest was a testament to that. Semblances were an odd thing, but it was common knowledge that if you had your semblance unlocked then you were already head and shoulders above the norm. As just unlocking your aura took intense training and discipline using your semblance went even further.
Especially for destructive semblances that could cause harm to the user. It was a blank statement that the more destructive the semblance, the more disciplined you would need to be to use it. And it was exceptionally rare for anyone to have a combat semblance that had an effective range of one hundred meters and have the force of a cannon behind it. One or the other was fine, but not both.
She was dangerous, that was something he had noticed after some time. There was a causal ease to her movements that spoke of pure confidence. Alexstrasza was not afraid of anything.
He made a note to keep an eye on her just in case she was sneaky enough to trick both of them. Also, he had to gauge if she might be someone that could be useful in their war. Quality allies were hard to find.
The sudden rustling of branches below broke his chain of thought, and he directed his focus to the moment.
Folding in his wings, Qrow made for a quick dive into the leaves, flaring his wings out to break in mid-air and perching on a branch. Turning his head from side to side, he spotted it.
The large grotesque shape scuttling about underneath the canopy. It's multitude of sharp stake-like legs made short thumps as they dug into the dirt.
It was a giant thing, far bigger than he anticipated. It ranged to be longer than a fully grown Deathstalker and taller than a Sphinx. Qrow felt a chill as he realized that this thing was more dangerous than even his generous estimations gave it credit for.
For a time during his search, he thought it was the size of an Alpha Beringel or Ursa, maybe a Deathstalker at most. Anything bigger would never be able to keep itself hidden in these trees for so long, much less avoid anyone getting a proper look at it.
That showed that this thing was not only smart, but it understood exactly what it was doing. Just looking at it as it stalked through the underbrush, Qrow could see the practiced step of experience in its spider-like legs. It moved with serpent-like ease through the trees while keeping its body concealed.
This thing was not some talented newborn, it had maturity and experience, two things the Grimm must never be allowed to cultivate.
Qrow knew that he had to act quickly, if this thing decided to stop the game of cat and mouse with the people of Patch, then there would be corpses on the ground before sunrise and even more in the evening by the time any huntsmen could be sent to respond.
It had a mismatched body. It had the legs of a spider, the long neck of a snake, and if his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, a scaled hide that looked tougher than old Boartusk with an armored head that looked hard enough to bash one of Ironwood's mechs and win.
It would be a tough fight to bring this thing down considering that he was alone and the odds of him finding this thing again weren't in his favor if it chose to run. The beast would only show itself on its terms after that and Qrow could not afford such a scenario.
Not to mention he had no idea how to fight this thing. While most huntsmen relied on pure skill, the best of the best, like his team, studied every Grimm they encountered intensely.
Or to be more accurate, Summer did; the rest of them just took their cues from her. While Qrow never doubted his skill, he had too many close brushes with death because he did not listen to his leader's advice on how best to exploit his enemy's natural weaknesses.
His long years had taught him never to underestimate the lethality of an aged Grimm. A lesson most huntsmen learn or end up in the dirt.
But there were tactics that could be applied to almost any fight, even if you do not know much. The most basic one was to take the initiative.
So, he did.
Qrow launched himself at the monster, shapeshifting back into his human form as he closed in. Drawing Harbinger from his back, he planned to deliver a telling blow the moment he burst into range.
The wound he planned to inflict should off-balance or at the very least slow it down for him to try and pick it apart. But to his surprise, when he swung his great blade down to create an open wound, the beast's large body whipped around and Qrow was greeted with a quick flick from one of those legs.
When it crashed against the metal of Harbinger, Qrow felt the shock of the inertia leaving his body and the force of the creature's parry pushing him back. There was so much power behind what looked to be a reactionary response that his flight was put in full reverse, sending him skidding across the forest ground, forming a small groove in the dirt where his feet hit the soil.
Qrow managed to stay upright and maintained a ready stance as he got his first proper look at the Grimm he's been hunting.
Its body was an icy blue and its face glared at him with an expression he was unable to read. Qrow was normally good a reading a room, it helped him when he wanted to aggravate someone, so he was in the right to kick their arse, but this thing made it impossible.
Not because it was an expression he had never seen before, but because the face was so alien to him that did not know where to start. The face of the being had a multitude of eyes that were different in size and perhaps even species. In his quick glimpse, he spotted eyes he had only seen on horses, hippos, cats, dogs, even snakes. All of these different eyes were mashed together with no form of pattern on that single face. The mouth also looked to be some sort of unholy amalgamation of different animals.
It was as if someone had a never-ending stream of ideas for this thing's appearance and could not decide on what would be best, so it took some of everything and hoped for the best.
Qrow had no idea if Salem intended for this monster to look this way or not, but he could see one thing clearly by looking at those eyes as they blinked in disturbing unity.
This was the face of unrestrained madness.
The beast gave a loud hiss and lunged at Qrow with a speed that shocked him to the point where he almost forgot he was in a life-or-death situation.
With a quick dive, he rolled out of the way of the scything leg. Looking back to where he was standing, he saw a tree fall after being cleanly cut in two, the point of separation freezing over adding the cracking of ice to the snapping of branches.
Qrow readied Harbinger and braced himself as the creature circled him like a panther stalking its prey. It's body weaving seamlessly through the trees in a full display of its mobility.
Qrow let out a tired sigh as he prepared for what looked to be a drawn-out fight.
"I should've taken Tai up on that offer."
Alexstrasza stepped out the from door of the Xiao-Long household. The dawn had come, and she wanted to bask in it for some time before the girls required her aid in their preparations for school.
Over the past few days, she had come to incorporate herself in the children's morning rituals as they prepared to leave for their education. It was something she had come to enjoy as it felt fulfilling to her as she watched the young ones and gave her aid when needed.
Taiyang was most appreciative of her assistance as it freed him up to cook at a far more measured pace which allowed him to broaden his morning menu to things that required more time to prepare.
She could not help but imagine the taste of the morsels he would prepare for them, he was an excellent cook, his personal insecurities aside.
She knew the man was a battered and bruised soul, having suffered both betrayal and loss in his life, she found that he tended to cling to what he had. He projected an air of calm, but she knew that he would become vicious if the children were threatened.
That protectiveness could easily become a negative if he did not recognize it by the time the girls were of age. A protective parent should be ever ready to guard their children, not lock them in a cage for fear of losing them. Such actions never end well, for both the parent and the child.
She had seen the results of such things throughout her travels across Azeroth. Where those of high standing would lose someone dear to them and have a curse of fear placed upon them. Locking their significant other or their offspring away. Dividing them from the outside world in a misguided attempt to protect them from all its dangers, when in truth their misguided attempt at protection, they have become the danger itself.
The reasons behind such fear are many and understandable. Fear of being alone, the pain of never seeing your loved ones again, the realization of the fragility of life and the limited time you have. All leading to the paranoia that if you dropped your guard even more a moment your cherished ones would be lost to you forever.
Such a thing is born in selfishness. Alexstrasza had lost many children due to the simple fact that the world is a dangerous place, even for a dragon. She mourned their loss, as she did for all her children, but she did not allow it to break her as it did to Malygos.
Death was a natural part of life, and as such, it was something she could accept.
The Queen of the Dragons was far from perfect, and she had come to terms with that early in the Aspects' reign. The Incarnates had proven that point at the very least. Their sudden transformation at the hands of the Titans had made them haughty and their protodragons kin had made sure to slap that out of them before they fell into the same hubristic trap that the Night Elves did.
Luckily for her such things happened, however tragic.
Thanks to those evens, she had matured more and remembered the harshness of reality she experienced as a protodragon that she nearly forgot after she had been altered.
She could not save everyone, and she could not protect everyone even if she tried such a tactic. They would resist, as all beings did when placed in chains of any sort. We long to be part of the whole but on our own terms. The children would be no different, assuming humans developed and matured here the same way as they did on Azeroth.
When they reached adolescence, they would begin to form their own opinions and views, then they would begin to test the boundaries of their father's authority. If he squeezed too tightly, he would lose them in more than just their lives.
He would also lose their love. It would be choked out as he tried to preserve them.
Alexstrasza was not a hateful being, but her opinion of Orcs was definitely something that would take a long time and a lot of good will from them to improve.
If her efforts helped keep Taiyang from going down such a path, then it would be worth it to help this family. Seeing them flourish before her departure back to Azeroth would be the greatest outcome she could hope for, and so she strove to make it a reality.
As she reached the top of the hill behind the house she sat down on the grass and watched as the red dawn rose.
Qrow was panting as he dodged another bite from the thing's malformed mouth. He had to admit that perhaps he had bitten off more than he could chew.
The beast was not just powerful, but it had an understanding of tactics. After the first hour of fighting, it he noticed that it had started to change its approach, the angles of attack became harder to predict as it would bend and contort its body in odd angles to try and catch him off guard.
Such tricks had nearly cost him his head as a result. More than once it surprised him with a new trick it could do with its body.
Then there was the ice that was sprouting up everywhere it stepped. The forest was becoming dotted with bundles of jagged ice shards. The rumor that they were cold enough to freeze your skin on contact was appearing to be less of an exaggeration than he thought.
He was knocked near one of those and just bearing around then was enough to make his hair stand on end. It was like this thing was spreading the chill of death with every step.
The worst part was its skin. The scales on its body weren't just for show, he would have an easier time brining down a giant Nevermore than this thing. He'd met Alpha Nuckelavee that took damage with less force.
The most annoying part, however, was the indifference the creature was showing in response to Qrow's attempts to hurt it. While aggressive and certainly Grimm-like in its attitude, it did not give the usual response to an attempt at harm. Most Grimm, even Elder Grimm, took umbrage towards being attacked.
Most would become more aggressive, or rushed in their attempts to attack their foes, such was their primeval desire to destroy humanity that they often lost their cool when they found a human or Faunus that they could not bring down.
Certain Grimm were exceptions. Beowolves for one. They hunted with the methodical care of actual wolves, but when they attacked, they responded the same way unless they realized just how dangerous their foe was.
The more exotic Grimm, like the Nightmare, Chill, and the Apathy did not act this way due to their methods of killing. The Apathy especially was a very unique exception as it was the only non-aggressive Grimm. If caught alone it would simply stand and wait for its strange powers to wear you down.
The Nightmare and Chill sought out their victims with the same ruthless determination that all Grimm possessed.
The rest of the Grimm all acted the same in response to people. Attack and kill with little to no regard for their own lives.
This thing was not like them. Despite the natural aggression it showed, there was a sense of calm about it. Like it saw Qrow as a chore rather than a threat to its existence. That getting rid of him was a matter of convenience rather than a necessity. Even less so a primal component of its nature.
This only had the effect of putting Qrow on higher alert. This thing likely could body any Grimm outside of a Leviathan and it was smart enough to roam around multiple urban areas without being caught once.
It did not matter if Salem made this thing or not. It was too dangerous to be left alone.
Qrow had begun to realize that perhaps he should cut and run. He needed to get back to Beacon and bring in some backup. If this thing was putting him on the ropes with minimal effort, then he did not want to think what it could do to a town if someone pisses it off.
Much less if it suddenly rallied the Grimm population of Patch into a single force. They would have to call Jimmy for that, and Soldier Boy would never let him forget it.
As the red sun lit up the forest, Qrow prepared to change into his bird form. He needed to call for backup while he was in the area so he could lead them to it.
After avoiding another bite came at him from the right, he ran, and tried to focus his thoughts on becoming an avian again.
Then a new sound caught his attention, a sound that he had never heard before. A strange humming noise with a deep base.
Glancing back, he saw the monster in a position that looked like it was taking a breath. Its head was craned back, and its chest was expanding as it gulped down air. Then it snapped down and a burst of white shot out of its mouth.
Qrow yelped in surprise as he dodged the white beam, it lasted for only a second, but what he saw afterwards left him stunned.
That was a burst of ice it just shot at him with fricken ice breath. Everything in the path of the beam had been frozen solid. Everything from the trees, bushes and even the grass had a thick layer of ice over it like a decorative popsicle.
Qrow turned back to the thing and for some odd reason, he somehow got the impression that it was looking down on him. He had received plenty of stares like that throughout his life. His parents, his sister, Ironwood, Glynda and more that he did not care to remember. Those multiple eyes gave off a sense of condescension, like it knew that Qrow was realizing the difference between them and found it funny.
Were Qrow a lesser man, he would have let this get to him, but he was not stupid enough to continue a fight that he could not win.
As he prepared to run, the monster's head suddenly quirked up. Its multiple eyes went wide, as if suddenly noticing something of great import that it had failed to see until now. Its long neck allowed its head to turn a full one eighty, staring off in the opposite direction of Qrow.
It let out a strange noise. One Qrow could not properly identify before rushing off in the opposite direction, completely abandoning the huntsmen.
Qrow stared in bewilderment at this sudden change in the creature.
Slowly, he relaxed his form when he was certain that this was not some sort of trick by the beast to catch him off guard.
Now would be the perfect time to call for backup, but for some reason he felt a sinking feeling in his gut.
"It wouldn't just run off for no reason."
With a leap, he transformed into his bird form and soared up high. When he was well above the canopy, he scanned the trees to see where it was going.
The beast was showing none of its previous subtly, it was bashing against the trees with reckless abandon now. The trees it hit shook violently, giving Qrow a clear path to follow.
Then he saw where it was going, and his blood ran cold.
Abandoning all thoughts of calling for aid, he let panic take over as he gave chase to the beast. He could not allow it to reach his family.
Taiyang watched with satisfaction as his children came running out the house with their schoolbags on their backs. Following calmly after them was Alexstrasza with an expression of delight on her face.
It could not be stated just how much she enjoyed taking care of the girls. While she was not human or even Faunus, Alexstrasza embodied what it meant to be a mother.
Ruby stopped by the truck and stood at attention with both hands holding her bag straps. She looked ready to go and eager to learn something new. This was something she had not shown since Summer left because the little girl just wanted to spend more time with her family.
Since the dragon woman came into their life, she has been eager to learn new things to share with the red-haired woman and to try and get a leg up on Yang.
Tai did not approve of this behavior at first, but Alexstrasza convinced him that it was a good thing.
"She does not do this out of malice or envy. This comes from a need to assert that she is capable and is essential for building her confidence. Many of my whelps often fought with one another as a form of play. This is a good thing for her."
Alexstrasza's words replayed in his mind and after pondering them he found that he could not argue. To discourage Ruby would hurt her belief in her own ability. She will think what she is doing is wrong and that will damage her self-esteem. Children are far more susceptible to what happens around them than adults are and learn fast on even a subconscious level.
He learned that from his many rushed studies on how to raise kids when he recovered from his ex-wife leaving him. He was just so protective of them that he often forgot, and Summer had to always remind him not to overdo it.
Yang came next in her looking less eager but not displeased in the slightest. Her hair was loose and wild like Alexstrasza's. Not long before the dragon came into their lives, Yang stopped wearing ponytails due to an incident where she found out Raven was her birthmother and not Summer.
She stopped with the ponytails soon after while Taiyang suffered his second depression. He was so out of it that he barely noticed. That thought alone brought him shame. Yang had to grow up quicker than she should have thanks to him, and he did his best to make up for it.
He could not help but notice that Yang's hair was a little bit more like the dragon woman's. He was not sure how to feel about that. On the one hand, he like the fact that the girls had a mother figure again, they needed one and he sure as hell could never fill that role while having to manage the house with all the legal garbage that Patch has been throwing around for the tourists.
One the other hand, Alexstrasza has made it abundantly clear that she plans to return to her own world whenever the opportunity presents itself. Her responsibilities were extensively explained to him, and he could not bring himself to even question the notion of what the right decision would be.
He felt a pang in his chest at the thought of the girls bonding to another woman only to have her up and leave some day. He doubted she would just leave without a word, but he knew the girls would not like it.
Tai just didn't know what to do about it, if there was anything he could do at all.
He felt his heart grow heavy.
"Thing were so much easier with Summer around."
"Dad?"
Taiyang shook as the voice of his first daughter woke him from his reminiscence. Looking down, he saw Yang watching him with worry,
"Are you okay?" She asked.
He glanced at Alexstrasza who gave an amused smile, she had warned him that his children were better at reading his mood than he suspected.
In response, he just smiled and looked down at his girl. "I'm okay, Firecracker."
Standing up straight, he made a show of their morning routine as he always had.
"Alright. Time for pre-school inspection to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Ruby, present your bag."
Ruby unslung her bag and presented it to her father. Taiyang took it and unzipped the main sleeve to make sure his daughter was not taking anything she shouldn't. He trusted her, but she was still a child and that meant he had to ensure she did not do something she would end up regretting.
After a quick search, he found nothing that would get his daughter in trouble. Not wooden swords like the last time and no toy guns either. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel bad because she shot some poor kid in the eye.
Handing the bag back to Ruby, he turned to Yang. "Yang, present your bag."
Yang replied without a word and Taiyang did not look too deeply into it.
Luckily for him, Yang did not appear to be in a rebellious mood today. While Qrow was a massive help in taking care of the girls, Tai cannot help but think it was his influence that rubbed off on her to make her so eager to beat back on other kids. Standing up for yourself was important, but so was knowing when to stop.
He just hoped it didn't develop into something that would come to bite her in the behind later.
Handing the bag back, he looked at his pride and joy. They stood there in their little dresses and beamed with the joy of youth.
"Have you both said goodbye?"
Both girls shook their heads and he smiled.
"Go on then."
In that instant, the two girls lost all composure and rushed into Alextrasza's waiting arms. Taiyang could not help but grin at the sight, it was always a pleasure to see the girls so happy.
It was moments like these that he wanted to capture in memory, but he knew that he had to save the camera film for special occasions. Those things are expensive nowadays.
Then something changed in Alexstrasza's demeanor that sank that pleasant feeling in Taiyang's chest.
She suddenly broke the embrace and stood up to comb the area with a serious expression on her face. Furrowed brow showing her focus on the moment as she slowed her breath to dedicate her mind to her surroundings.
Tai had been around enough woodsman to know when they detected incoming danger. Summer, being one of them, often displayed such signs before a sudden and often unexpected encounter with the Grimm.
He did not bother asking and reflexively clenched his fist in preparation for a fight. While he was a retired huntsman and he had not been in many serious fights since his discharge, he had not slacked in his training.
The girls were beginning to question why she had suddenly changed when something massive shot out of the nearby trees. In the split second he caught sight of it before it barreled into them, he only saw what he could describe as a monster.
The massive thing charged straight at them and knocked Tai aside with a flick of one of its chitinous legs. Alexstrasza took hold of the two screaming girls and rolled out of the creature's path at it crashed into Tai's truck, tearing it in half with pure brute force.
Taiyang shot to his feet in an instant and did not waste a second with what was important.
"Get the girls inside!" He barked.
Alexstrasza gave a quick nod and carried the children away, rushing up to the door with more speed than he had grown used to. She had recovered more quickly than he thought, still he'd rather not risk her in a fight if he could avoid it.
The creature turned to face him, and he could not help but flinch under its unsightly face. This thing looked completely unnatural.
From its malformed mouth came a series of syllables and clacking noises that Taiyang could not make any sense of and when the creature got no response from him it appeared to become enraged.
Then it charged with a fury charged with the instability of madness.
"Woah! That thing is so freaky," Yang said as she watched from the window in the lounge.
"Is it a new kind of Grimm?" Asked Ruby, ever the enthusiastic child when it came to all things huntsman related, as the dragon queen learned after many brushes with that topic.
"If it is then I call dibs on name it," Yang said with a hint of triumph, having called what the humans of this world called 'dibs', meaning that she was the first to stake her claim on either an object or something more abstract. Like naming the being outside.
"Hey! No fair!" Ruby cried. "You always call dibs on everything! I should get to name the Grimm!"
Alexstrasza did not pay attention to the girls as they argued, instead she focused on the battle outside. Taiyang was doing more dodging than attacking. The creature that had just destroyed his truck snapped at him like an insane crocodile.
She could not take her eyes off the grotesqueness of the thing. It brought back memories of ice encrusted caverns covered in arcane runes and discarded artifacts from ages past. Through it all, it was the scales on the creature's back that gave it away.
Or him, to be more accurate.
"Get em, dad!" Yang cheered as she watched the fight, balling up her fists in a clumsy attempt to mimic her father's counters against his opponent.
One of Taiyang's fists crashed straight into that sapphire scale hide and the concussive force of the punch was enough to push its recipient back a few centimeters. The sight genuinely impressed the dragon queen as most human would have shattered their knuckles by doing that.
The girls cheered at the successful strike against the sudden interloper, only for them to morph into shocked gasps as the beast rushed up to the man and pinned him to the dirt with hostile intentions made clear.
"Get up!" Ruby cried as if believing her words would somehow empower her father.
Alexstrasza was about to walk outside to break it up, but then another sight caused her to stop.
Qrow came soaring towards the fight in his bird form, in a burst of black feathers he changed back into his true human shape, much to the astonishment of the children.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby squealed.
The scraggly man drew his sword mid fall and brought it down on the back of Tai's foe. While the sword hit with considerable force, it did not have as much effect as Taiyang's fists did, by it had enough of an effect to draw the target's attention away from Tai.
The blonde man took the opportunity to deliver a powerful uppercut to his enemy's jaw, actually succeeding in knocking him off balance. Alexstrasza was glad no other dragon was here to watch this. While she was considered humble, she still had pride in the resilience of her species. Especially in her status as the apex of it along with the other Aspects. If the others were to see this, it would be slightly embarrassing by association.
The two men pressed their advantage, pushing back the monster in their midst but still failing to hurt him. As for the children, Alexstrasza could not help but smile at seeing their love for the sight of their elders doing exactly what they had told her about. What huntsmen do and what they dream of becoming one day.
As for the two men, she had to admit that they were very impressive for mortals. She could count on her talons how many mortals in Azeroth's history could accomplish this without significant enhancement or magical preparation.
The time was drawing near for her to step in. If she was correct, the one who had barged onto the family property would tire of this comedy soon and then the huntsmen would be in real danger.
Still, this was the first time she had seen their skills in action and decided to see how long they would last. If would make for a good reference point when she begins her travels.
So far, they were doing well, but they had yet to pierce the scales.
Then there was roar and a wave of ice washed over the yard, freezing the window solid. This did not bother the dragon queen much as she held up a hand and red flames appeared to melt the ice.
The sight beyond was one absolute defeat.
"Dad! Uncle Qrow!" The children cried, all the excitement and enthusiasm replaced with genuine fear for their loved ones.
Qrow was pinned to a tree by ice, his hands were free, but his sword was well out of reach and Alexstrasza suspected that he knew it was not a good idea to shapeshift while he was restricted like that.
As for Tai he was locked in a pyre of frost, everything below his biceps, including his forearms were completely immobilized.
Alexstrasza had decided that this was enough.
"What do we do?" Yang asked, looking at the dragon queen in panic. A genuine fear born from past trauma that had been brought to the forefront.
"We have to help!" Ruby declared with more bravery than her elder sibling, but the genuine fear was still there.
Alexstrasza just gave them both a calm smile, letting them know that everything was alright.
"Follow me," was all she said as she defrosted and opened the front door.
When she stepped outside, it was as if the front lawn had been terraformed into the frosty forests of Northrend. Snow and ice covered pretty much everything in sight.
As she melted the frost in her way, she watched as their uninvited guest scuttled up to Taiyang and began to interrogate him. As she knew he would.
"No more little games games," he said in Alexstrasza's native tongue of draconic, "Where is she?"
She noted that he still sounded as manic as the last time she visited him, but he appeared to be more coherent and focused now. Perhaps restoring his powers did help heal his mind as Nozdormu and Ysera suspected.
When all Taiyang could do was groan it prompted a response. "Answer! Answer now! I played your silly little games now I am owed an answer. I know she is here you little mortal, I sensed her! Where are you hiding her?"
Alexstrasza melted a path straight towards the large form of her old friend with the girls behind her. Both looking extremely nervous, but the difference was that while Yang was shivering, Ruby had a look of determination on her face.
"Malygos," she called out, causing his head to audibly snap in her direction.
This sudden change in him frightened the girls and made the dragon queen frown. Standing there in her human guise, surrounded by snow, she stared at him in disapproval.
"What are you doing?"
Malygos the Spellweaver, Aspect of the Blue Dragonflight, scuttled towards her and lowered his head so that they were eye-level.
"Sister? Is that you?"
Alexstrasza would have been disappointed at that question but given the state he has been in for the past millennia, she was surprised he had managed to find her at all. Then again, even Neltharion had an unhealthy habit of underestimating just how good Malygos was with magic during his moments of clarity.
Instead of using words, she decided to just show him that it was really her. With an outstretched arm, she turned her human skin into ruby red dragon scaled and shot a gout of crimson flames from her palm and towards Taiyang.
Malygos watched with his multiple eyes as the red fire melted the ice but left the human he had trapped completely unharmed. He also noticed that the human's injuries and bruises had vanished.
Taiyang fell to the floor and the girls rushed past the pair of dragons to check on their father. Malygos' gaze followed them with an expression Alexstrasza could not place, mostly due to the face he was wearing at the time.
"I'm going out on a limb here," coughed Taiyang as the girls tried to support him. "But I am assuming you know each other."
"That would be correct," Alexstrasza answered gesturing to her fellow Aspect. "This is Malygos. He is the leader of the blue dragonflight."
Ruby let out a loud gasp. "He's a dragon too!?"
Yang seemed equally spellbound by the news. "And one of your friends from the stories?"
Alexstrasza nodded with her usual smile returning. "He is one of my oldest friends. Were are as close as siblings."
A groan from Qrow made everyone look his way and Taiyang let out a gasp as he saw the effects the ice was having on the coloration of his skin.
Alexstrasza let out a tired sigh. "My mistake. Let me fix up this mess."
Her words had a small hint of accusation in them that did not go unnoticed by Malygos who lowered his head as his damaged mind realized how much trouble he had caused.
Alexstrasza raised her hand and a miniature red sun appeared above them all. Qrow, while stunned registered the sudden change and braced himself as the sphere of fire crashed into the ground.
Instead of being burnt to a crisp like he had expected, he felt that he was suddenly able to move again as he fell to the floor. Before he knew what was happening, he felt the strong arms of Tai hoisting him up.
The two men looked at each other and Qrow gave an appreciative grin.
"Thanks," said Qrow.
"No problem," Tai responded.
The scraggly drunk gestured to the red-headed woman and the monster at her side.
"Mind telling me how she managed to get this thing to stop trying to bite our heads off and how that little stunt of hers didn't burn me alive?"
Tai gave a nervous laugh. "That is a bit of a complicated story."
"I got time," Qrow grinned.
Alexstrasza turned to Malygos and gave her reprimand. She made sure only to point out the hostility he had shown the family that had sheltered her. Not his attempts to find her.
Turning back to the family, she spoke to all. "He has something to say to you."
Giving the floor to Malygos, he said the words she instructed him to.
"I am sorry."
"In the human tongue!" Snapped the dragon queen.
Malygos let out a ragged breath, making the girls stare at him and giggle. The confidence they had in those they considered close to them was almost astounding to Alexstrasza.
"I am sorry for the trouble I have caused you."
"We forgive you," Ruby said first. "Watching that fight was so cool!"
"Cool?" Malygos queried with a tilt of his head. "I would expect such. I threw ice all over everywhere. All over."
Alexstrasza wanted to giggle herself. It had taken some time for her to understand the way humans used certain words in this world to describe things they find entertaining or popular.
"Yeah," said Yang, "You and your magic are so awesome. Aunty Strasza always said you were the best."
Alexstrasza saw his chest puff out a bit at the complement given but then he turned to her and asked. "Aunty Strasza?"
"It is what these children have taken to calling me. I personally like it."
Qrow looked at Tai and asked. "What are they talking about Tai? Magic?"
Taiyang just coughed and said to Alexstrasza, "You might as well just show him. No point in trying to hide it now."
Alexstrasza nodded and turned to her fellow Aspect.
In draconic she said, "Change out of that form already. You've moped around in it one to many times whenever I saw you in the Nexus."
Malygos narrowed his eyes at her but then he acquiesced to her request and took a step back.
"Girls, stand behind me," the dragon queen instructed.
"Is he going to turn into a dragon?" Ruby asked excitedly as she and Yang stood behind the Red Aspect.
"Dragon?" Qrow asked to receive no answer other than the demonstration unfolding before him.
The spider-like legs began to fuse together leaving only four large chitinous growths which began to shift position until they were under Malygos elongating torso. A long blue tail sprouted behind him, and his neck became shorter and thicker but still had a slender serpentine flexibility to it. His multiple eyes disappeared, and his true sapphire blue eyes took their rightful places on his face as it belonged to match the rest of his body. His scales shone with arcane power as his majestic wings sprouted from his back and formed a corona above him.
Alexstrasza watched the reemergence of the Malygos she once knew with a smile while the girls just looked awestruck at the second dragon they had seen in their short little lives.
Qrow's jaw dropped as he took in the full reality of what he was seeing.
Then he realized something, his brother in-law knew about this from the beginning and didn't tell him.
Looking at Tai he said, "You've got some explaining to do."
All Taiyang could do at the moment was give a tired smile.