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Chapter 10: The Strength of Life

A sound Alexstrasza knows in her heart she will never grow tired of is a sound that many humans would, in their own heart of hearts, agree with her on.

The joyful screaming of children. I was always something she admittedly found to be strange. On the surface it was a highly unappealing sound on its own as many human parents had attested, especially when they are focusing on their occupations.

Yet, when they hear the voice behind the scream, they cannot help but smile afterwards.

The Dragon Queen sat on the bench at a park in the rural area outside of the island's port city. She was but one of many who sat and observed the children playing within the area which was specifically designated for them to enjoy. What humans call a 'playground', a fitting name even if it sounded a little simple.

Sitting there with her legs crossed, she observed the children. Yang and Ruby were running around the structure of metal bars and wooden planks, what was called a jungle gym. It was meant to exploit the child's desire to move and explore and give them the thrill of going on an adventure while minimizing the risk of harm to the child.

Judging by the half a dozen little monsters on the structure it was safe to say that it worked.

The Xiao-Long Rose children were both dressed in clothes that was more fitting towards this sort of environment. As their usual dresses would become dirty and frayed very easily. So, they were now wearing simple pants and shirts that would let them go wild for a few hours.

And she had to admit that this was quite relaxing. Just being able to sit and observe the little ones as they ran their little hearts out.

Yang then began to climb the jungle gym at a pace that made the other children look half her age and Ruby followed close behind her sibling. Alexstrasza watched this with amusement and interest.

She could not deny that the pair were gifted in many regards. Of course, such abilities still required work and dedication to bring out, but their potential was obvious. Given that they had to become self-reliant for a time after their mother died and father became near catatonic, it made sense that they had to grow up a little.

Alexstrasza watched them reach the highest platform of the play structure with triumphant smiles on their faces. Both yelling something about queens and castles, playfully taunting the other children to try and take their crowns. Which many of them obliged and they climbed back down to begin a climbing race once again.

It was such a curious thing as how children banded together so easily for the sake of simple amusement. It showed how trusting they were and how badly they needed to be defended. As such trust was very easy to exploit.

Alexstrasza looked around. Seeing the parents, sometimes together, often times alone, the mothers and fathers in their own little corners of the carefully curated patch of nature made for casual social interaction. Many were engrossed in their own work. Some typed on those devices called laptops, while others were on scrolls.

Normally she would chastise such behavior as their children needed their attention to develop self-esteem, but seeing the little monsters distracted, it did not do much harm.

So long as they did not do it continuously, lest their children believe that they are irrelevant.

Alexstrasza turned to a tree that was a dozen or so meters away and spied Malygos watching from a branch. He was enjoying the sight of the girls' little game as much as she was. Probably more as he was seeing it with a whole new dimension compared to her.

He studied their actions with the eye of someone who desired their development. Similar to a personal trainer but with much more parental affection. He was likely taking note of each different approach the girls took when they made the climb. How they responded to each obstacle that came at them. How they reacted to the other children who forced them to alter their tactics on the spot.

Granted, Ruby and Yang were too young to consciously grasp such things, but Malygos was nothing if not precise in his calculations. Even in his maddened state, he could spit out perfect magical formulae when his mania aligned with the questions some of the braver members of his flight dared to ask him.

Even now she could recall how the younger members of the blue flight spoke of him in awe. Stating that even with his mind broken he was a genius. In fact, most of the rebuilt Nexus was based off of Malygos' mad ravings. When his few remaining children mustered up the scales to approach him, they managed to coax designs and magical defenses out of him without triggering another fall into a mindless rage.

Now with his mind mending, he was watching the two whelplings that had caught his eye.

Alexstrasza knew he was studying them, and he had already shared predictions for the future. Much to Alexstrasza's surprise on that day, he stated that Ruby was likely to be a better leader than her sister.

He based this theory on how Ruby responded to adversity. Emotionally she responded like any other child, but when you look past the emotion and focus on action, you notice subtle differences. When she fails, she is quick to change her approach and even quicker to take in information when presented as something that can help her.

Malygos admitted that her level academia may not be as he would have liked but he was confident he could improve that.

Alexstrasza watched the girls with a new pair of eyes for a moment. She watched how Ruby moved. She was quick, perhaps quicker than her sister. But due to their age difference, Yang still held the advantage, good thing they were competing together against anyone else.

Ruby looked around quickly but did not take her eyes off her own path for too long. Taking in her environment in quick glances and acting immediately. One of the other children tried to grab her leg, but Ruby caught this from the corner of her eye and grabbed a vertical pole to swing around to the inside of the jungle gym before resuming her climb.

Another child who had started before her tried to block her by mimicking her, but she reacted quickly by releasing her grip and balancing on a horizontal pipe and hopping up above him, grabbing onto the beam over his head.

She was one of the smallest children at the park besides those who were too fragile partake in the game, so she had to be creative to keep up with her sister.

Yang still reached the top first, but Ruby was right behind her.

Both jumped and waved at Alexstrasza who waved back.

Both were determined and strong of spirit. But they were different and that was fine. Alexstrasza and her own sister were vastly different as well and their bond was the strongest. Despite their separation over the years, Alexstrasza had never stopped loving Ysera.

Seeing these to human children, she could not help but feel as if she were seeing herself and her own sister in them.

Malygos watched from the trees as the children won another game within their little crowd. It had gone on for about an hour. The children would challenge each other to games and decide who was the best. Yang and Ruby won a good portion of the time.

So much so that the other children had to play a guessing game known as Rock, Paper, Scissors, in order to decide who would join them in team competitions.

He found this entertaining as he enjoyed studying them in order to better tailor their studies in the future.

He frowned at the thought of that cheap sterile excuse for a learning center getting all the credit for their future academic successes. Not on his watch, they would learn to think for themselves rather than follow some novice scholar pointing a stick at a chalk covered board.

It almost made him pop a vein when he learned about the mage city of Dalaran that appeared back on Azeroth. If he hadn't been lost in his own despair, he would have shown those poultry wizards what true magic looked like as Alexstrasza had noted from her spies in the city that they were quite pompous.

Even a red dragon could reach their high council. He stifled a chuckle as the thought returned to his mind. If a red dragon could match the best of the best the humans had to offer, then he did not believe they were as proficient as they would have liked to believe.

When they returned to Azeroth, he would make sure to give them a proper humbling, as well as make sure they respected the magic they were so privileged to wield. At the very least he could give them credit for not repeating what the Night Elves had done. As he had no doubt that they had the chance at some point. Still, he felt he had to teach them a lesson as they simply stood by while the strange creatures Alexstrasza called Orcs ravaged their land.

Not to mention doing nothing when the Orcs exploited his sister's flight after imprisoning her. Thousands of humans burned and those with the means to stop them did very little. It was an insult that he could not allow to stand, even decades later.

Humans were an odd bunch for him to figure out. They were vain, but clearly not as vain as the Elves as Alexstrasza had noted that one of the ruling kings, the one who ruled over the land of Lorderon, while far from perfect was quite the exemplar. Many of them tried to do good by their people. Not all succeeded and there were bad apples among them, but still, he would take his sister's word for it as even her kindness towards mortals did not blind her to their faults.

That was why the Titian's chose her as their leader. Besides her skills, her kindness did not make her naïve.

As he watched the children playing a game where they pulled a rope, he spotted Ruby pulling behind her sister. Malygos hoped that the kindness Ruby had did not blind her to the wickedness that all were capable of. The last thing he would want was for her to make a friend and that friend ended up betraying her.

Then there was Yang, strong and reliable. Perhaps too reliable. He had watched her and he noticed early on that she was quick to rush to her sister's defense. Turning herself into a shield.

That was a problem. Not the fact that she was protective of her sister, but the fact that she was turning herself into the foundation that others depended on. She wanted to be the rock others looked to.

Malygos thought back to the old days. The days when the dragon who was once his brother would shrug off Malygos' concerns. How whenever he showed weakness, he would find something to distract him.

He was the strongest of them. Their general of war when it came to it. As their chief defender, he must have felt the weight behind it. So much depended on him staying strong. Yet, in his moments of weakness where the whispers of the Old Gods, tortured him, he could not open himself to his siblings.

He had developed an insecurity and Malygos had no doubts about that now that he could think back without the agony plaguing him anymore. His brother must have felt alone for some time before the madness claimed him.

Then there was Yang and while her intentions were noble, he had to make sure she understood that she could rely on her sister just as much as Ruby relied on her.

The rustling of leaves caught his notice. Malygos sensed magic nearby. Not powerful magic, but magic, nonetheless.

Malygos did nothing and weighed up the scale of this new arrival. It remined him of that scraggly man who attacked him when he searched for Alexstrasza. It was almost the same, but with something else woven into the mix.

Turning his avian head, he spied a raven perched on a branch not too far from his own.

It was a female, and it was watching the children with the same attention he did. Malygos was not fooled in the slightest. This raven was as much a raven as he was an owl.

The raven then turned to look at Alexstrasza and Malygos noticed something interesting. When Yang waved to Alexstrasza, the raven's feathered bristled.

Malygos had studied birds before and he knew that this was a sign of aggression. Or in this creature's case, anger.

Now that was interesting, as when Ruby waved at the Dragon Queen, the raven showed no reaction.

The raven turned to look at him, but he gave her nothing. To this stranger disguised as a bird, he was nothing but an exotic owl. He stared at her with a blank uncomprehending expression, twisting his head slightly when she was still for a few seconds. Testing to see if she knew that owls were supposed to be blind during the day.

When the raven moved, he looked straight at her. Apparently, she was aware of the vison he was supposed to have, and she did not sense his own power. If she did, she would not be so bold as to approach him as she was doing now.

The raven circled him for a few minutes, studying him. It was clear that she was suspicious of him. He did not blame her. How many owls did one know that were sapphire blue?

He simply followed her, his head rotating all the way until he had to change sides.

Hopping onto his branch, she stepped up to him.

What happened next must have been some sort of intimidation tactic as she repeatedly cawed in his face. He did not react, simply blinking slowly as if he found what she was doing to be some theatrical performance.

It was only when she tried to poke his eye out with her beak, did he quickly step back. Still, he showed no aggression, even when she was clearly annoyed with him.

He refused to fight back, because if he did, it would prompt Alexstrasza to intervene or it would result in the girl's fun games being ruined by their concern for him.

While he would appreciate the gesture, he did not need their help to deal with a wannabe mage like the one before him.

The raven attacked him again, but he swiftly hopped to another branch. Then another and another. He made it clear that he meant no harm.

She did not look like she cared about his intent as she likely wanted him to simply leave as many were looking her way now because of this little spat.

It was clear she wanted to be unnoticed in this position which he had correctly identified as the best vantage point to oversee the children.

Malygos glanced at Alexstrasza who only held his gaze long enough to confirm that she had seen him. Other than that, she made no move to help as she most likely already took the measure of his avian adversary.

The raven spread her wings and made to give pursuit. However, a scream brought their little conflict to a halt.

A woman came running out of the bushes with a bleeding arm.

She looked ragged and worn like she had been running past her physical limit and had been forced to rely on adrenaline to keep herself moving.

"Run!" screamed the woman. "Grimm!"

The next second, a pack of black furred, bipedal lupine creatures burst forth from the brush, chasing the woman down.

The people all around screamed as the creatures closed the distance, just before the wolfish creature could get its claws close enough to get a hold of the woman, a patch of ice suddenly encased its food forcing it to fall. The audible snap of its heel going unheard amongst the screaming crowd.

As the woman ran for her live and more of the Creatures of Grimm emerged. The parents present all made to retrieve their children. Malygos would acknowledge that. The offspring were the most important things in this park. Second only to their own survival. The fact that many of them discarded and potentially damaged their technological devices, which he was told was a requirement for many occupations, to respond with haste proved they had their priorities in the correct order.

The Grimm paused and sniffed the air as if scenting fresh prey. Malygos deduced rather quickly that the beasts were likely detecting the newly formed waves of fear being generated by the crowd.

The parents with their children were fleeing, bar one.

Yang and Ruby fled to the edge of the playground, where Alexstrasza tended to the fallen woman. Malygos looked at the raven who watched the children hiding from the Grimm behind Alexstrasza.

Not only did the raven bristle her feathers again, but he noticed her breathing becoming accelerated. As if she were holding in an impulse to act. And judging by the small spike of magic he sensed coming from her, it was likely that she wished to change her form.

She looked at him for a moment, as if expecting something or, just to make sure he wasn't going to do anything. Which he didn't. His sister may have been weakened but she didn't need his help.

The raven began to channel magic, and he could not hold back an eye roll, good thing she was focusing on the children again.

Such a paltry thing. Activating preset conditions for a spell is not the same as casting one yourself.

The raven halted as Alexstrasza stood before the girls and marched on the Grimm. Malygos, seeing that the children were unattended, decided to make sure they remained secure while his sister introduced herself to these vermin.

Letting out a short caw of his own, he spread his wings and flew down to Yang. Landing on her shoulder with practiced ease, as she has been volunteering for this for some time as she developed more and more questions in order to keep her sudden rise in academia up to the standard she has set for herself.

"Uncle Maly?" asked Ruby. "Will Auntie Strasza be okay?"

Malygos gave her a nod, then turned up to check on the raven. She was still channeling magic but was not committing to the final steps that would solidify her spell. She was waiting for something.

Her focus was on Alexstrasza, and while reading the expression of the avian was tricky as most birds did to house a human mind, or even a dragon mind, he suspected that it was impatience. As if the raven was expecting Alexstrasza to fall.

"I think I know what you plan to do. A shame that you abandoned your responsibilities, and the spotlight you crave along with them," he thought and wanted to smirk, but decided instead to focus on protecting the children.

Alexstrasza had expressed a sense of anxiety recently due to her years of confinement and this was a prime opportunity for her to blow off some steam.

After healing the woman and tuning out her cries of fleeing the scene, Alexstrasza stood tall and stepped towards the fiends who had ruined the fun little trip she was supposed to be having with Yang and Ruby.

She was not a spiteful being, not in the slightest, even when thinking of the orcs, her only focus was on her own freedom and that of her children. Her rage towards Nekros was vengeful, she would admit to that, but she was not going to admit that she did it to spite him. He was a being that could not be redeemed and had to be slain. She promised to make him pay for all he had done as she promised. It was not her fault he didn't take her seriously when he held the Demon Soul.

However, she did take umbrage, however irrational, to these creatures interrupting the girls during a day when they were supposed to be indulging themselves to their hearts content.

Taking in the images of the beasts before her, she studied their odd anatomy, and they indeed reminded her of void creatures. Malygos was correct in his assessment. They appeared to be diluted somehow. As if they had been lessened in order to exist on this plane without a direct connection to the Void or a summoner to sustain them.

Whatever methods or foul arts had been responsible for their existence could be resolved later. For now, she had to remove this threat.

Glancing around, she saw that there were at least ten of the beasts in the clearing, however, if her hearing was correct, the howls in the distance indicated more on the way. Undoubtedly attracted by the sudden surge of human fear.

That would not be an issue if she could use her full power, however, she had detected magic earlier and the spat Malygos appeared to be having with the raven in the trees that she was being watched.

It would be wiser to take the subtle approach. While she had recovered enough to simply break their bones with her bare hands, it would look rather out of place.

Taiyang had informed her of huntsmen and their methodology. They were stronger than the average human, but not to the extent that Taiyang had boasted during his fight with Malygos and even then, he paled in comparison to the blue dragon.

Alexstrasza could simply crush them one by one with little effort, but she had to keep up appearances for any onlookers.

In other words, she had to hold back to make herself look human. Simple enough and she even had a way out in terms of using her powers. The huntsmen all boasted a wide array of abilities, each specific to an individual. Their semblances.

Mimicking the appearance of such simple displays of hyper specialized magic should be relatively easy for one such as her.

Ruby and Yang ran and hid behind a bench with Malygos perching atop it. Both of them made no efforts to hide themselves, preferring not to miss a second of their new maternal figure showing how cool she was.

Ruby was shaking with excitement while Yang was stiff with concern; she knew Alexstrasza was tough, but she still remembered how shaky she was when they first met.

As the Grimm took notice of the Dragon Queen, they began to circle her. The one in front charged straight at her, raising its claws to strike and a flaming red claw rose to meet it.

Alexstrasza conjured a pair of fiery claws, a projection of flames that encased her arms as a form of ethereal armor.

As she delivered her intercept swipe at the beast, the flaming apparition expanded and rather than stopping the Grimm, she scored first blood by impaling it on three spiked talons. Carried by the momentum, the beast was tossed to the side like a piece of bundled cloth.

The Grimm crashed into a tree and fell to the ground, limp and useless. The remaining beasts and those arriving looked to their fallen kindred for a moment before turning to Alexstrasza.

The Dragon Queen was examining her blazing talons as if the act of striking them was merely an annoyance to her. She had no idea if these creatures had enough of a mind to be susceptible to taunts but she decided that it would be more humanlike to act overconfident, further selling the illusion to any of the parents who might become spectators.

The Grimm snarled at her and charged, now identifying her as a threat to them they did not take time to try and elicit feat from her.

As a trio of them leapt at her, she lowered her stance and ran straight for the center Grimm, balling her right hand into a fist, the burning projection turned into a fireball and with a swift uppercut, she sent the creature flying above the tree line, propelled by the small blast wave her punch created.

The shockwave also had the added effect of knocking the remaining two off their mark. The fire around Alexstrasza's right arm reformed as they came at her again.

Taiyang had not personally trained her in the unarmed human combat form known as martial arts, and his specific style known as 'brawling,' but she had observed him going through intensive drills week after week.

While she could not copy him, she had seen enough to get a basic understanding and replicate some of the stances he most often used. Using her draconic strength as a way to make up for their difference in form, she was able to fight effectively while she was human. Not to mention her lack of skill in this regard would lend to the illusion that she was struggling and over reliant on her 'semblance' to win.

She lowered her center of gravity to anchor herself to the ground as she caught the incoming claws with her wrists. The flames acting as both a shield and a form of countermeasure, searing at the black hides of the Grimm.

Both of the wolfish creatures howled as her aspectral power reduced their unnatural mater into nothing. Their claws not simply burning but disintegrating under her touch.

When both reeled back, she took her turn to swipe at them. Her own claws expanding into scythe like limbs that bisected her attackers.

More Grimm emerged from the thickets and wasted no time to rush at her. They now began to pile on, the moment she cut one down she had to either dodge or defend against another in the following second.

Her movements were not as fluid as they would be if she were in a form she was more accustomed to like her usual Elf form. When shapeshifting it can take years before one becomes accustomed to their new body. It certainly took the Aspects some time to adjust before they started dealing with the Elves.

Since it had only been a few months since her arrival in Remnant, she was still not fully used to being a human despite the similaries between humans and Elves being rather plain to see.

The beasts pressed the assault and she found herself not being forced to give ground, but to pour more focus into the fight than she though necessary.

Now, in the thick of battle, she found herself understanding why these creatures were such a bane to humanity hear. She could see it in the ferocity of her foes. Their clear dedication to her destruction.

"They are pure of intent," She thought, as she landed a powerful punch that threw one of them into another, killing both. "Singular in purpose."

With a backhanded swipe she burned a trio away, their howls lost in the flames.

"Malygos was right," she found herself saying in her native tongue. "You are things of destruction. Nothing more."

From the bushed came another beast. Wolfish like it's kin, but bigger with more bonelike protrusions across its body along with larger fangs and claws. The creature howled at her, signifying a challenge or perhaps in a vain attempt at intimidation due to its enhanced bulk.

Alexstrasza was not cowed in the slightest as she prepared to meet the beast's charge.

"If destruction is all you crave then I shall give it to you."

Raven watched from her vantage point in the trees as the woman who had been living with Taiyang dispatched the Beowolves with the ease of a veteran huntress. Those flaming claws ripping through the Grimm with as much ease as her Omen tearing through a straw hat.

Watching the scene closely, she examined the woman whom she had learned was called Alexstrasza. Raven had never heard such a name before. It was so abnormal that she had no clue which Kingdom she even came from. At one point she wanted to say it was an Atlassian name, but after watching the woman, Raven knew she did not come from Ironwood's little safe space. Mantle was also ruled out as most people preferred not to leave even if disadvantaged compared to the snobs above.

Her manner of dress was something that made Raven think she was Valish, similar to Summer, but it was too neat, too orderly to be from one of the woodsman towns or remote villages that Team STRQ's late leader confessed to be from.

This abnormality led Raven to be distrustful of the new arrival in her old home. Granted, she was distrustful of everyone, even her own twin brother, but there was something about this new woman that set Raven's feathers on edge.

Looking at her know, Raven could see that she was dangerous, her semblance was powerful, and she wasn't afraid of getting into a fight. Although her fighting skills were clearly substandard. Raven spotted some of Taiyang's moves as the woman ducked and weaved through the mass of Beowolves trying to drown her.

The Bandit Queen would give this stranger props for not allowing that lack of martial skill hold her back if it did not irk her to simply see the woman with her daughter.

Her red bird eyes narrowed at the woman who impaled another Grimm on her giant fire claws.

She recalled that first day. The day she had decided to check in on Taiyang and Yang. She had heard from Qrow that her ex-husband had overcome his depression after the loss of Summer, and Raven found she had to check in to see for herself.

She came in her bird form as she never wanted to confront Taiyang after their split. While she was not afraid of him, she knew if he caught her off guard, which happened fairly often sometimes, she would find herself in a hospital within moments.

Raven was the best fighter STRQ had, but even then, she did not underestimate the force behind Taiyang's fists especially when he was enraged. And boy howdy did Raven suspect that her presence would set him off, all he would have to do was hold it in just long enough for her to get comfortable and then it would be lights out.

And Raven was also aware of just how much Summer meant to him when they officially tied the knot. Was Raven happy that her ex-husband and her huntress partner were getting together? Not exactly, but she accepted it at the time. Raven was the one who left, and she had no ground to stand on when it came to Taiyang's choices after that.

Besides, Raven had her reasons for leaving, Summer was a far better choice to be Yang's mother than she was. It was one of the reasons Raven never showed her face when Summer was alive. Even Qrow acknowledged it even when Raven never brought it up during their rare meetings.

Summer was simply the better choice.

When Raven arrived she was expecting Taiyang to be working his arse off as usual to appease the little monsters as he usually would. What she did not expect was for a complete stranger to be reading a children's story book to Yang and Summer's little spawn.

The sudden anger she felt was one of the most confusing things she had ever felt in her life. Trumped only by the Fall Dance at Beacon where Taiyang had somehow made her blush and pulled her onto the dance floor with him.

Even to this day she still had not figured out how he managed to make her so flustered.

As for the stranger now living in her old home, Raven went back to her encampment with more than a few harsh words that she felt needed to be vented on some of the idiots she had working for her.

Looking to her daughter, Raven felt another surge of anger at the expression of admiration Yang had on. From behind the bench, Yang's eyes were sparkling as Summer's daughter cheered. Raven knew that look, it was the same one she and Qrow showed to their parents when they were young.

It was irrational and stupid, but Raven could not ignore the irritation she felt in that moment. When the Grimm first arrived, Raven intended to show up and prove who was the stronger one. And while Raven was confident she could beat this woman, she knew she couldn't just show up and beat the tar out of her. So, Raven waited for the woman to become overwhelmed and then Yang's mother would step in.

The problem was that the woman did not go down. This Alexstrasza was good, very good despite her clear lack of intensive training. She was holding her own and against an Alpha Beowolf leading the pack.

Alexstrasza was just about done dismembering the beast while moving to finish off the rest. Raven wanted to scoff at this. The woman was clearly over reliant on her semblance to win fights. But that was a moot point when the power of the semblance itself was nothing to sneeze at.

It destroyed the Grimm with an efficiency that only Summer's silver eyes could match. Reducing them to nothing with the slightest touch. Honestly, Raven didn't blame the woman when she was acting so cocky. If that power worked the same way on people, then Raven knew she would have to be careful.

Looking back at her daughter, Raven saw a Beowolf sprinting past the battle and running straight towards Yang. Raven prepared herself to change back into her human form, but Alexstrasza reacted first.

Seeing the fiend running towards the children, she formed the tips of her left claw into a spear and launched the flaming hand across the distance with the speed of a cannonball. The lance of fire drilled through the Beowolf and exploded out to the other side, showering the children in a dazzling display of sparks.

By the time Raven realized what had happened the Grimm was already dead, and Alexstrasza was already mopping up the stragglers.

The sound of sirens fille the air as the last of the Grimm died. The local defense force was coming to help stop the Grimm while they called for a huntsman. Taiyang would no doubt be on the scene before long as he never let Yang go anywhere without him knowing. Not when she nearly got herself killed after Summer died.

With a sigh, she decided it was time for her to leave. Even now she felt a slight sting in her chest. She did not like this new woman. Summer raising Yang she could accept. Yang deserved someone like her old leader to be a role model. Summer was not the best fighter but in terms of her commitment, she was ten times the woman Raven was.

This new woman was someone Raven had never seen and could not understand. Alexstrasza acted nice and showed all the signs of being an upstanding person, but Raven had once thought the same thing of her old headmaster and look at how that turned out.

Before departing, Raven decided to get one last look at Yang. Both of the little girls ran up to the woman and made no effort to repress their admiration. The sting in Raven's chest only heightened, but it quickly died when she saw the owl.

That blue owl which had been watching them since she had arrived.

There was something off about that bird. It was too calm to be a normal animal. When she tried to provoke it, it did nothing. Even a trained huntress' companion would retaliate when attacked by another animal.

The owl slowly turned its head to look her way. Its blank eyes locking onto her. There was something about that bird, something about the way it watched her that made her want to run for the hills.

She had not felt something like this since her unauthorized trip into the Grimmlands.

Where she faced her.

How a small bird could replicate that same feeling of dread, she would never know and was happy to keep that way.

Malygos watched at the raven flew away and he was more than happy to see her gone. Her presence would not be welcome even were she to introduce herself.

Such personae did not mix well with a family. Especially when her first instinct was to try and provoke him.

Yang and Ruby both layered praise on the Dragon Queen as Malygos flew in to land on her shoulder.

"Is that mage gone?" asked Alexstrasza as she patted Yang on the head.

"She is, sister and I do not think she plans to return anytime soon."

"Let us hope so. I would prefer to avoid conflict, but some resort to it far too quickly."

A familiar truck came speeding in through the park entrance and came to a sliding halt on the flagstones before the grass. The door opened with such speed that it nearly broke its own hinges.

Taiyang jumped out of the truck with a wild look in his eye, clearly his mind had been forced into a feedback loop of emotion as he drove here. Such a state of thought would have driven him to the point of near hysteria.

"Where are the Grimm!?" he nearly cried as he looked around.

"All gone," said Ruby cheerfully.

Taiyang did not relax right away, but he did pause in his frantic search for the enemy he was expecting.

"Gone?"

"Yup," said Ruby.

Yang tugged on Alexstrasza's white sleeve. "Auntie Strasza go them all."

Taiyang stopped shaking and took a breath. "That's good to hear."

More siren's were heard as many trucks with transmitter devices attached to them pulled up. People wearing smart uniforms stepped out, many of them holding devices Malygos recognized as a camera, while others had things called speaker microphones.

Those without such devices carried firearms and marched through the park in search of the now vanquished Grimm.

As for the reporters, they followed close behind and one of the teams pointed in the family's direction. Taiyang sighed in exasperation.

"Great, I just got here, and news jockeys already want a story."

The children giggled and Alexstrasza giggled along with them. As for Malygos, he simply stood on his sister's shoulder taking in the absurdity of it all.

Why were those responsible for distributing information marching headfirst into an area where they were told hostile forces were waiting?

Humans were so hard to figure out.

And done. I hope these three chapters hold your infinite appetites for now.

Because as I have said before, three chapters pers tory before I move on. Now I am going to the next story.

I ask for some grace for this part. I will not repeat this, and I don't want to sound rude, but do not ask when I am going to update this. I will get there when I get there alright.

Anyway. I hope you all enjoy.