It was on the next day that the Crescent Rose caught sight of land. The mouth of the great river Kuana lay before them, gun emplacements on the few islands that lay in the river like teeth. Past those islands was the port, the Kuana wide enough to accommodate various sea-faring vessels, ranging from small sloops to large ships-of-the-line. The colonial administration of Kuo Kuana was built around this port, with the homes of the governor and colonial elite built from stone and marble, whilst the rest of the settlement was made of wood and rope.

Surrounding the settlement were large plantations that relied on the labour of enslaved faunus to grow tobacco, sugarcane and cotton in large quantities, leaving very little arable land for food or cattle. And beyond the plantations lay a dense jungle that stretched on for miles until stopping at a large mesa that, in the distance, looked no bigger than the burial mounds outside Vale.

"A large, inhospitable desert lays beyond those rocks," Ren stated, "No one knows if any life exists on the eastern half of the island."

The Crescent Rose sailed into the harbour and weighed anchor. As the gangplank was dropped, Ruby pulled Weiss aside, "I'm going to need you to act cute," she said.

"Cute?" the first-mate questioned, though she was left unanswered as her captain dragged her down the gangway and towards an imperious looking fellow.

"Hello sir!" Ruby greeted jovially, looking up at him with doe-like eyes, "We're looking for a Miss Neo, but this is our first time in Menagerie and don't know where she is. Could you help us, please?" Weiss did her best to follow Ruby's instruction, but lacked experience and knowledge on how a cute girl should act.

Fortunately, her nervousness was endearing enough to charm the man. "Neo, you say? Well, she works over at the customs office." He pointed down the river leading into the settlement, "Follow the Kuana for about five minutes and you'll eventually come across a big-blocky building made of palm wood. Neo should be on the ground floor."

Ruby nodded and thanked the man, as she and Weiss made their way into town following his directions. They eventually reached the customs office and were directed to Neo by the secretary.

Neo sat in an immaculate yet simple office, it was exceptionally clean to the point Ruby and Weiss could see their reflections in the polished oak desk. However, there was little in the way of luxury or refinery, no portraits hung from the walls, little gold and silver, and fabrics like the drapes seemed to be simple cloth as opposed to extravagant silk or cotton. Upon their entry, Neo looked up with a knowing yet also guarded smile.

Ruby closed the door and approached, "We've got a delivery from Roman."

Neo was silent, only her seemingly ever-present smile offering any indication to her thoughts.

Weiss was incensed by the silence, "Are you not going to respond?"

Neo shrugged, only furthering to anger Weiss more.

Ruby, however, placed an arm between her first mate and the customs officer, "Don't be too harsh on her, she can't speak."

"How do you-" Weiss began but stopped herself when she inspected Neo more closely. A large, angry and ugly scar desecrated her neck. Weiss immediately shrunk in shame, "Oh…"

Neo's smile seemed to become a bit more genuine and her shoulders moved to imitate mirth. She then raised her hand and slowly moved it in front of her, as if wiping a window. Suddenly, a sentence of light appeared in the air. "Apologies for that, but I enjoy teasing people when I first meet them, to see how long it takes them to notice." The words changed, "You noticed quite fast, captain, or rather noticed the effect my wound has rather than the wound itself."

Ruby smirked, but Weiss noticed that her captain's face was unusually stiff and pale, "Uh, right... I wasn't expecting someone to speak to me like this."

Neo raised her hand again and summoned more words, "It's my semblance, I can manipulate light to my will. And it's not just limited to making words." Two perfect replicas of Ruby and Weiss appeared behind her. "And, before you ask, I don't need to use my hand, I only do the gesture to indicate I have something to say. Think of it as clearing your throat before speaking."

"Pretty impressive semblance."

"More like dangerous…" Weiss cautioned.

Ruby shrugged, "Still impressive."

Neo's smirk turned proud. She raised her hand again, "Anyway, you said you had a package from Roman?"

The pirate captain remained still, staring at the floating words intensely with a furrowed brow. Weiss elbowed her in the ribs and then nodded her head towards Neo. Ruby fumbled for a moment, but removed her hat, revealing a piece of parchment sitting atop her head. She took it and handed it over to Neo.

Weiss frowned, "That's not very safe."

"It was still there, wasn't it?" The first mate chose not to argue with her captain.

Neo read through the parchment, before looking up towards her guests. "Everything seems in order. Now, I have another job for you, a supply run to Nánfāng, but it will take some time to get ready. For now, you can visit a business partner of mine."

Again, there was another silence, the captain's silence confusing both Weiss and Neo. Eventually, the first mate took it upon herself to ask, "Is this a job, or a favour?"

"A job. This friend of mine owns a plantation on the south coast. She likes to source her own candle wax, and so I imagine you'll be hunting a whale. She'll give you the details." Neo pulled a piece of parchment aside and began writing on it, then offering it to Ruby, "A letter of introduction."

Ruby hummed, "We'll see. Our ship took some damage in a storm and will need some repairs."

Neo nodded and smiled, "That's fine, whales congregate off the coast. Do this for me and I'll give you a discount for the repairs."

Weiss frowned, "You're willing to repair our ship just for helping a partner?"

"Not everyone here is on good terms with the Kingdoms, and would prefer getting their goods across the globe without going through the kings' middlemen. This lady is one such person, and is our primary source of business."

"Regardless, I see no reason why we can't go see her," Ruby decided, turning to leave. Weiss quickly fell in behind her. Neo offered one last smile and a wave before returning to her work.

The two pirates left the building and made their way back to the harbour, rendezvousing with the rest of the crew. On the way, however, as they plodded along the dirt paths of Kuo Kuana, Weiss decided to confront her captain. "So, what was that back there?"

Ruby glanced at her in confusion, "What was what?"

"You not responding to Neo."

An unusual look of irritation crossed the young captain's face, turning away from her first mate to continue along the road, "Nothing you need to worry about, alright? We've got a job to do, so let's get on with it." Weiss was baffled by the usually friendly woman's response, but decided to let the conversation end, walking back to the ship in silence.

"Alright!" Ruby called, standing before her crew, "We've got a job to do here in Menagerie whilst the Rose gets repaired. Weiss and I are going to a plantation just outside of town. The rest of you will wait here and help Neo's people haul the cargo to wherever she wants it. Once that's done, you'll have shore leave for the rest of the day. Let's get to work!"

A few hours later, the two women arrived at their destination. Before them stood a majestic mansion, built from white marble and granite as grey as ash, the roof clay shingles, made fiery red in the bright sun. A colonnade covered the porch, providing shelter from the scorching rays.

After knocking on the door, they were greeted by a maid with dark skin and mint green hair, staring at them through bored ruby eyes. "May I help you?" she asked dully.

"Neo over in town said you were in need of some help," Ruby explained, handing over the letter of introduction.

The maid opened the envelope and read the letter, then looked Ruby and Weiss over in slight interest. "I see," she said, "I must demand that you leave your weapons at the door. Once you have done so, please follow me." The pirate captain glanced at her crewmate, nodding at her. They deposited their weapons and followed the maid into the mansion.

Fine portraits decorated the walls, depicting a broad range of styles and subjects. To Ruby, she could only tell a vague difference between them, with some focusing on lighter colours and aspects of nature, others looking colder and more religious, whilst others still seemed dark and brooding.

Weiss, having been raised from noble stock, was well versed in the latest art. Most of the paintings on display were focused mainly on the natural world, depicting idyllic scenes that used a lot of warm and bright colours. Of particular note was Vermond Vert, an older gentleman from Atlas whom she had spoken to on multiple occasions, finding him to be one of the more pleasant of her father's guests at dinner parties and balls. Most of the paintings on display were made by him, she could tell from the strong use of green grass and trees in the height of summer, all painted from the same technique she had been shown personally.

A less frequent, but still significant, number were of the previous age, composed from dark, moody colours to create a highly stylised image, usually depicting religious stories. She could note a few; The Hanging of Jasmine, an older piece depicting the mother of Orost at her execution where she gave birth to her son; The Chosen Lords, depicting the selection of the first kings of the four kingdoms, John Vale, a blond, blue-eyed guardian cloaked in autumn leaves, Atlas Morgen, a dark haired and dark-eyed veteran wielding a sword of the coldest ice, Mîsū-Rā-Lí (translated as Mistral), a tall and grim man in his ebony crown, and Mohar Ra Vacuo, a kindly sort with a golden dragon ring glinting on his finger, the light of God shining upon the four men from Heaven. The first mate recognised these as pieces of Raphael, a layman from the Basilica of St Yvonne in Vale. There was also a piece here and there of older mythology and folklore, though the only one she recognised was the Curse of the Brother Gods, depicting when the brothers of light and dark cursed the world with the Grimm; the brothers dominated the upper corners of the scene, casting light and dark from their respective corners, pointing down towards the world with accusing fingers. The centre portrayed the natural world, with Ándras and Gynaíka, the first man and woman, in the very centre. Encroaching from the borders and beneath were the Grimm, stylised as a writhing mass of darkness and bone, though a few species were recognisable; beowolves, nevermores and ursai were common, but a few horned boarbatusks and menacing deathstalkers were also present, and from the east, in a body of water, were sea serpents.

Moving on, Weiss noticed a difference in the type of art as they walked through the mansion. More and more frequently were the paintings of a new style, one that originated in Vale a decade or so ago. They were dark, moody and highly realistic, and often depicted the human world. Some were as simple as a family sitting for dinner in a dingy home with food on the table, a stream of light from the window providing contrast between light and dark. Yet others were as complex and provocative as the Storming of the Bastion, a recent piece that gained notoriety for its depiction of the famous event of which it was named after during the early days of Vale's revolution. Such a work of art was practically non-existent in Atlas, and Weiss could remember her father becoming notably enraged whenever it or the artist, a man named Taiyang, was mentioned in his presence.

As they proceeded through the building, the sound of soft music filled their ears, though it was not from any instrument either of the pirates recognised. Ruby thought the piece sounded melancholic, like a bird singing from its cage. To Weiss' ears, the intricacies of the piece were subtle; flat notes perpetuated an arpeggiated melody that slowly built towards an ultimate crescendo - F flat, minor, Weiss noted. Just as she began to untangle the complicated rhythm, the tone shifted to its relative key, lightening the sombre harmonies into something more hopeful. A flat, major, the first mate noted again.

Finally, they came to a door, behind which was the source of the music. The maid wrapped her knuckles on the wood, "Lady Fall, you have guests. Excuse me." She opened the door, revealing a large conservatory of sorts, a plethora of flora providing a bouquet of colour, shining in bright sunlight. A water fountain stood at the back of the room, shaped like an angel holding a jug, from which the water flowed. It was flanked by two glass doors that led out onto a balcony overlooking the Annarella Ocean.

In the centre of the conservatory sat a woman, with ashen hair and pale skin. Dressed in a ruffled gown, the colours gradually shifting to imitate the colours of fire, she sat at a glass armonica, the source of the music, wetted hands gliding across the spinning glass.

"Lady Fall, your guests have come on behalf of Mistress Neo," the maid stated.

Lady Fall finally removed her hands from the instrument, the music dying out like a sputtering flame, and smiled amiably at them, "Thank you, Emerald," she began drying her hands with a cloth handed to her by her maid, "Welcome. I take it Neo sent you over to take on my whaling job?"

Ruby smirked, tipping her feather hat slightly, "Yep! We just sailed into port and thought we could do this whilst our ship is repaired."

"I see." Lady Fall stood and curtsied, "My name is Cinder Eleanor Fall. I am the lady of this house and owner of the plantation."

"I'm Ruby, and this is my first mate, Weiss." The former aristocrat curtsied politely, standing in contrast to her captain's casual demeanour.

"A pleasure. I am sure that Neo informed you of what I require, but allow me to request it personally." Cinder gestured to the balcony, leading her guests out into the open air. "Around this time of year, whales congregate off the coast of Menagerie for breeding." She pointed out towards the ocean, diverting the pirates' attention to the seaborne mammals in the distance, streams of water jettisoned up from the blowholes. "I, personally, prefer to source my own candle wax. Neo is kind enough to send enterprising individuals, such as yourselves, to me at a marked down cost."

Ruby hummed, "Well, before we agree to anything, I've got to ask; how many whales do you want and how much are you paying?"

"Typically for this breed of whale, a couple adult carcasses supply enough blubber to last until the next breeding season. I will pay you one thousand lien per carcass you bring."

Ruby grinned, "So, about two or three. That sounds fair. Sure, we'll get you your whales."

Cinder smiled cordially, "Excellent. Emerald?" she called, turning to the maid, "Please send for Blake."

"Of course, my Lady."

As she left, the plantation owner turned her attention back to Ruby, "You mentioned your ship is in repair, correct? Blake is a skilled navigator and usually helps with this task. I feel she will be an asset to your endeavour."

A few minutes later, Emerald returned with Blake. The first thing Weiss noticed was the pair of cat ears poking through her midnight black hair - "A faunus," she grimaced.

Blake's face, which already appeared disinterested, morphed into a defiant frown, glaring at the first mate, "Is that a problem?"

Before Weiss could respond, her captain interjected, "Of course not. It's a pleasure to meet you, Blake," she sent a stern look towards her companion, "Isn't it?" Weiss remained silent.

Cinder cleared her throat, drawing their attention, "Blake, these two will be undertaking this year's whaling expedition. I would like you to help them navigate towards the whales' breeding habitat." Blake's frown deepened, turning her glare back at Weiss, who eagerly reciprocated with her own. Cinder sighed in irritation, then glancing at Ruby, "Captain, I would like to speak with you. Chiefly, I would like to discuss how you plan to hunt the whales and if you require any tools."

"Oh yeah, sure." Ruby offered another glance at her first mate, then said, "Hey, Weiss, why don't you and Blake get to know each other?"

Though it sounded like a suggestion, the snow-haired woman could tell from the firm edge in her friend's tone that it was a command. So, as Ruby, Cinder and Emerald departed from the balcony, Weiss and Blake stood still, glaring daggers at each other in an icy silence. In this silence, Weiss took a closer inspection of the faunus. She was dressed in a smooth, black gown, though nowhere near as extravagant, or expensive, as the clothes of Cinder. White lace decorated the corset and cuffs, breaking the veil of darkness with a little colour.

It was Blake who spoke first, "So, do you mind telling me what your problem with me being a faunus is?"

Weiss clicked her tongue in annoyance, "As Ruby said, there is none."

"Oh really?" the faunus scoffed, "Yet the first thing you noted about me was my race, and, judging by the grimace, it did not inspire positive feelings."

"Ruby said there was no problem, so there is none. However," a sharp glint appeared in Weiss' eyes, "I am not thrilled with working with a beast."

Blake smirked triumphantly, "Beast, is it? You find me bestial? How so?"

The human stared at her faunus counterpart in confusion, "Do you even need to ask that? The evidence is sitting there atop your head. You faunus have animal blood and instincts in you."

"Yet, we look more like humans than we do our animal counterparts," Blake rebuffed, gesturing to her body, "We stand on two legs, we have opposable thumbs, our faces are smooth and we have no muzzles. More to the point, though, we think. We speak language, hunt and build with tools. We can make art, sing songs, and write poetry. Tell me, what other creature on this Remnant can do all those things?"

Weiss hummed, "Of course you can do all of those. I will not deny that you share heritage with humanity. You came about because Filózoos mated with a dog."

Blake chuckled cynically, "Ah yes, Filózoos; the woman who mated with a dog and gave birth to hybrids, and for her sin was transformed into a bitch. It's the prevalent theory on faunus origins. After all, God punished her, no?"

Her face morphed into another scowl, "However, it is nothing but bullshit."

Weiss looked at her, aghast, "I'm sorry? Did you just say it's nothing but…" she paused, trying to repeat what Blake said in a more refined vocabulary, "a lie?"

Blake's smirk returned, "Have trouble even uttering a swear? Well, it doesn't matter. Yes, that story is nothing but a myth."

The human scowled, "You understand that you are insinuating the word of God is wrong, right?"

"The word of God as interpreted by humans. It was a human who heard it and it was a human who wrote it down. As for why it is a myth, do you know what Filózoos translates to in the common tongue?" Weiss remained silent. "It means 'animal lover', and that is a literal translation. I don't know about you, but no person I can think of would name their child that. Additionally, faunus are native here, in the southern seas, yet the myth of Filózoos is from Argus, all the way on the northern coast of Anima; how could that myth relate to a culture and people on the other side of the continent?

"I'll tell you, it does not. Former versions of the myth vary but are pretty standard; Filózoos mates with an animal, sometimes a dog, sometimes a lion, sometimes even a swan, and is transformed by the gods of Ancient Argus into an animal herself. Yet, in not one of them, is there any mention of her conceiving and giving birth to hybrids. The earliest mention of that detail dates back to an essay a couple hundred years ago by an obscure theologian called Tyler Bacnomius, who, upon landing in Menagerie and encountering the faunus for the first time, postulated that we must have been products of Filózoos' union with an animal."

Weiss was momentarily stunned. She considered herself an intelligent and cultured individual, up to date on the latest science, philosophy and mathematics. Yet, she had just been outstudied by this, in her eyes, primitive faunus. Still, she was not about to give up her argument, "So, if that is not the origin of faunus, what is?"

Blake sighed morosely, "It is difficult to say. Written records from before five-hundred years ago are rare and also dubious. Not to mention, our culture is passed down orally, which means it's a lot more fluid and formless than the written records of the Kingdoms."

Weiss smiled in victory, "So, essentially, you can't offer an alternative theory. At that point, it is useless to argue otherwise. It may be true that there are questionable details, but if you wish to challenge the claim then you must also offer an alternative, otherwise you're just speculating."

The faunus narrowed her eyes, "So, you're willing to accept a potentially false theory, just because I haven't offered an alternative? That's just wilful ignorance. It is readily accepted by modern scholars that the world revolves around the sun, yet philosophers of the previous age rejected that claim, choosing to believe that the heavenly bodies revolve around Remnant, simply because they couldn't explain the alternative."

The human chuckled, "That is true, but it was also wise. If we followed your example, we would have to discredit every theory because of a few holes in it."

Blake shook with rage, but bit her town and calmed herself, instead choosing a different approach, "Even if we are the descendents of Filózoos, does that justify our bondage, our oppression? Does God not forbid slavery?"

The first mate sighed, irritated by what she saw as an obvious answer, "Of course he forbids it, hence why human slavery is outlawed, but you're atoning for the sins of Filózoos."

That was the last straw for Blake. "Why should that burden fall upon us?!" she screamed, shocking Weiss. The faunus was breathing heavily and baring her fangs, her face flushed red, "Why should we suffer for the actions of our ancestor?! How in the name of Heaven and Hell, in the name of every god, spirit and demon does that justify enslaving us and forcing us to do your labour so that you can profit?!"

Weiss took a step back, hardening her gaze, "Calm yourself. You're clearly a free-faunus, why are you so upset by this?"

"You ignorant harlot!"

"Excuse me?!"

"You think I'm free?! You think that all this," she lifted her dress slightly, displaying it to Weiss, "is enough to make someone free?! I'm a slave! A creature who is a possession, without the dignity of owning herself! Yes, I may be educated, fed and clothed thanks to Cinder, yes I live in her mansion, but I am still a slave! I am afforded no dignity of my own, no dignity that any being, thinking creature is owed!"

By this point, the faunus had become so incensed that Weiss felt sufficiently threatened to draw her rapier, pointing it at Blake's heart. The black haired woman growled, glaring at her human counterpart through amber eyes, alit with fury and hatred, "Do it, you devil. If you have even the slightest bit of compassion in you, then thrust your sword into me."

Weiss remained still, feeling paralysed by the fiery glare Blake was sending her.

It was then that a firm hand grasped Weiss' wrist. Glancing away from Blake, the first-mate saw Ruby, a rather unpleasant scowl stretched across her face. "That's enough, Weiss," her captain stated firmly, before turning to Blake, "I apologise for my first mate's actions. We'll be leaving now."

The faunus clicked her tongue in irritation, suddenly casting her gaze towards the ocean.

Ruby bowed respectively, then motioned for Weiss to follow her. The two pirates left in awkward silence. It was clear to the first-mate that her captain was incredibly disappointed in her.

Eventually, Weiss could bear it no longer, speaking, "Are you… okay?"

"Are you?" Ruby replied, though there was no warmth or reassurement in her voice, "It seems to me that you have a problem with faunus."

Weiss harrumphed, "I don't have a problem with them."

"Then why did you draw your sword?"

"She was becoming hysterical, I was afraid she would attack me!"

The silver eyed captain stopped, turning and staring her first-mate directly in the eyes. "Why?" she asked simply.

Weiss was confused, "'Why'?" she repeated, "She was shouting and raving!"

"That's not what I meant. Why did she become like that? How did the situation devolve into that?"

"How much of our conversation did you hear?"

"Enough. But, I need to know if you understand what happened. So, why did you draw your sword?" Weiss was silent. Ruby answered for her, "It's because you said something stupid."

"Stupid?"

The red-hooded captain nodded, "You said something hurtful and insensitive with no understanding of what you were talking about."

"I… don't follow."

Ruby sighed, "Remind me, Weiss, why did you come to this part of the world?"

"To escape the marriage my father arranged for me," she answered, but her captain remained silent, expecting more depth to her reason, "I… didn't want to be shackled by him."

"I remember. So, that brings us to your conversation with Blake. Why is it unacceptable for you to lose your freedom, but okay for faunus to be enslaved from birth?"

Weiss stared at her in confusion, "Because it's the natural order of things."

"And on whose authority was that decided?"

"The church."

"So, if the church said that humans should be slaves to faunus, claiming it to be the natural order of the world, would you have no problems with that?" Weiss was silent, she did not believe that to be true and would argue that enslaving a fellow human was abhorrent, and so could not answer 'yes' in good faith, yet to answer 'no' would imply she was wrong.

Ruby sensed this and turned back around, leading Weiss to the exit. She opened the door and led her companion outside, weapons retrieved, and took off her hat as she stepped into the sun and ordered Weiss to do the same. It was blistering, sweltering even, Weiss was heating up just standing still and was wishing the moment for relief would come sooner rather than later.

Yet, Ruby, despite experiencing similar discomfort, did not allow her to put her hat back on, instead leading her down the path towards the plantation.

It was the first time Weiss had seen a slave plantation. Fields of cotton and sugar seemed to go on forever. Faunus in ragged cloth harvested bundles of cotton and sugar, their hands stained with blood from the cotton bolls. Overseers marched up and down the fields keeping a watchful, scornful gaze on the slaves.

The sight shocked Weiss. She had never given much of a thought to how the products of the south seas were harvested, and the few slaves she had seen back in Atlas were generally happy with their lot, to her observation. She had no idea this was how they were treated in Menagerie; forced to harvest plants that shredded their skin in the blistering sun, all the while under the constant scrutiny of the overseers.

There was a pained cry from one of the fields, immediately drawing the two women's attention. One faunus, a large man with black hair and a large tuft of black fur on his bare chest, was being whipped by one of the overseers. "Stupid animal!" he screeched, sweat flying from his silver hair as the whip cracked against the faunus' body, "Did you think you could take a break? We've got a quota to fill!"

Ruby moved forward, quickly approaching the two and grabbing the overseer's arm in a firm grip. He gazed at her in irritation, "And just what do you think you're doing?"

"If you keep that up, then you'll kill the poor fellow," the silver eyed woman explained.

The overseer grunted, "Would be less than he deserved."

"But if you did, then he wouldn't be fulfilling any quotas, would he?"

The overseer was silent as he considered the pirate's words. He pulled his arm out of her grasp and spat on the faunus, "Alright, beast, I'll spare you, but no more dallying, you hear me?"

"Yes sir, I'll get straight to it!" the faunus said, offering a grateful glance at Ruby before returning to picking the cotton.

Ruby returned to Weiss, "Do you understand, now?" she asked. Her first-mate was silent. "Honestly, it's probably impossible for either of us to understand," the captain sighed, "This experience is unique to the faunus; neither of us are enslaved, nor are we treated with such abuse as they are. However, that doesn't mean we can't sympathise with them, and maybe even empathise.

"Come on, we need to get back to the Rose. You can put your hat back on, too."

Sorry for the long wait, got caught up in essays and reading. I'll try to get back into the swing of things, though, now that we're at the point where I feel the narrative is about to really kick off.