After getting settled into the seat of her compartment, Sera sighed and leaned her head against the wall behind her. Those two huntsmen, Isaac and Bela, had asked if she wanted to sit with them, but she politely declined. She wanted to be alone, and she could tell Bela didn't want to be around a stranger. So, she had the idea that the huntsmen should be spread across the train for maximum coverage, and now, she had a little compartment all to herself.
Sera propped her feet up on the bench opposite of her and folded her hands behind her head. If she had to sit here for the whole ride, she was at least going to be comfortable.
In the blink of an eye, Kassandra appeared on the other bench and imitated the position Sera was in. She flashed a grin and nudged Sera's thigh with the heel of her boot.
"So, we riding in style all the way home?"
"Fingers crossed," Sera shrugged lightly.
It was still so weird to be looking at Kassandra like this, essentially face-to-face. With the way they were sitting opposite of each other, she thought it was fitting. Like a reflection in a mirror. Apparently, Kassandra felt the same way. When Sera moved, Kassandra imitated it perfectly in sync with her. She scratched her head and crossed her ankles, and Kassandra did the same.
"Stop that," Sera narrowed her eyes.
"What?" she smiled coyly.
"Copying me."
"I am you, dumbass," Kassandra said.
"You know what I mean," she sighed.
The train jolted forward, slowly crawling and gradually picking up speed. A loud whistle blew from the front car, and Sera was officially on her way to Argus. Her breath hitched in her throat when the train moved.
"Jumpy?" her counterpart smirked lightly.
She forced herself to unclench her fingers from her seat's edge. "A little."
"Relax," she scoffed, folding her hands behind her head as she reclined back. "All you gotta do is lean back and enjoy the ride."
"Weren't you the one who was nervous in the first place?" she muttered.
Sera looked out the window, a sense of uneasiness settling over her. Trees and small buildings sped past the train as it chugged along, gradually picking up speed. In no time at all, the city of Mistral was left in the rearview and the train was barreling down the tracks at full speed.
She furrowed her eyebrows and stared out the window, lips pursed in deep thought and anxiously tapping her thigh while her past self watched her silently. She thought about where her friends were and worried about their safety. The girl couldn't help it. She, Ruby, and what was left of JNPR had spent so long looking after each other, she wasn't as prepared as she thought she was to be separated. Then there was Weiss, Yang, and Blake to consider. Finally, after months, all of her friends had been reunited again.
And she wasn't there.
What if she couldn't make it into Atlas? If she was forced to live the rest of her life trying to find her friends? What if she never saw them again?
She bounced her heel restlessly, balled her fists, and frowned at the passing scenery.
After a few minutes of silence, Kassandra spoke up.
"Stop that," she said.
"Stop what?"
"Overthinking. They're fine. Everything's fine. Just focus on making it to Argus, then go from there. We're one step closer, Sera. Just a little while longer," Kassandra spoke calmly, but she looked worried.
Sera took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I know, but-"
"No 'buts.' It's fine. Relax," she sat forward and put a hand on Sera's knee.
The huntress leaned back and rested her head on the wall. "Just... I worry, y'know?"
Kassandra smiled softly. "Yes, I do. That's why I'm telling you to calm down. You're not going to fix anything by getting all worked up. Trust me."
"I know, I know," she sighed and fell back, looking out the window once more. The landscape was beginning to shift from lush greenery to snow-blanketed fields of white, covering the trees and weighing down their branches. They must be getting into the mountains.
"Pretty, huh?" Kassandra asked, also looking out the window now.
Sera leaned back and folded her arms behind her head, keeping her eyes off of Kassandra's apparition-like form.
"Get some rest," Kassandra urged. "It's been a long day. I'll wake you if anything comes up, yeah?"
She felt too wired to sleep, but it'd be nice to enjoy some quiet for a bit. Sera turned her body and laid across the semi-comfortable bench, using Vernal's jacket as a pillow. Once she turned her head and faced the wall away from her past self, Sera closed her eyes and relaxed her tense limbs.
A million thoughts raced through her mind regarding her current situation and the whereabouts of her friends, but Sera forced it down. Kassandra was right—there was no use in stressing herself out over this. Right now, she just needed to focus on making it to Argus.
After a few minutes of silence, the train's constant chugging rocked her to sleep. If only she knew the dreams she was about to have would only leave her more confused.
. . .
Suddenly, she was in the middle of a lush green forest in the mountains. She was standing on the edge of a high cliff, looking down at a stone fortress in the middle of a ravine with smaller wooden buildings surrounding it. High walls made of gray cobble made up the perimeter, with tall platforms at each corner and along the walls working as watch towers. Red banners hung on either side of the wide entrance, flanking the iron gate that kept unwanted attention out. At least, that's how Kassandra remembered it.
Now, the place had all but collapsed and looked like it had been set on fire. Black scorch marks were splotched across the walls and the long buildings inside them. Portions of the wall were shattered, as if something enormous had rammed through them. All that was left of the tents and buildings inside had been burned to cinder, as well as the watch towers along the perimeter. The enormous gate had been knocked clean off and laid just inside the fortress, as if a Goliath had charged it. White smoke billowed into the sky from the fortress, indicating that whatever attacked it had been fairly recent.
Fort Hinansho had been an impressive safe haven for military and citizens alike, no matter their background, acting as a lone bastion in the middle of the Hinoki Forest in Mistral. In the middle of all the civil warfare in Mistral, those in need could come here for refuge. It was rumored that the army of Vale had built it as a forward operating post, but Mistral had captured it long ago and repurposed it as a safe haven. Its name, Hinansho, even translates to "shelter," or as Kassandra's people called it, "Fort Haven."
The rules had been simple—everyone is here for the same reason, so no violence would be tolerated. Hinansho had been declared neutral ground, and has been one of the few peaceful locations she's seen in Mistral. She's witnessed soldiers of opposite factions playing cards or drinking together. Women of different cultures would share their various methods for weaving or clothes making. Human and Faunus children played together without issue. She's seen all sorts of acts of kindness like that in the few times she's been here.
And now, it was in ruins.
A hand squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, and she looked over to see a tall, broad man with arms like tree trunks looking down at her with a solemn expression on his face. His black beard and curly hair had grown a bit scraggly after so much time on the road, and the bags under his eyes that darkened his olive skin indicated how little sleep he's been getting. Nevertheless, his dark eyes held the same intensity as always.
"Come on. We'd better go take a look. Check for survivors," Gus said, his tone calm and even.
"...Yeah," Kassandra put her hand on his and squeezed it gently. She took a deep breath, adjusted her round shield on her back, then hefted her bronze lance and stepped down the rocky path leading into the ravine.
She and Gus had been on a long journey to return to Argus, and were hoping to rest at the fort until they were ready to continue. Now, she wasn't sure what they were going to do. They were low on food and water. She hoped they could scavenge something from Hinansho. If everything hadn't been burned, that is.
Once they made it to the ruined walls of the fort, the sight made her eyes go wide with fright. Bodies, burned to a crisp or slashed to pieces were strewn across the ground, with the smell of death permeating the air.
Kassandra tightened her grip on her lance and cautiously walked further inside the fort, keeping an eye out for any movement with Gus close behind her. He kept his hand firmly around the hilt of the enormous sword strapped to his back, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
She eyed the ground closely, examining it for any signs of who the attackers might've been. So far, she only saw human prints. Sandals or boots, but everything about them indicated a panic. Most of the bodies looked like they'd been running away, but a few armed corpses seemed to have put up a fight before meeting their end.
Then she saw a fallen man, garbed in elegant Mistralian armor that consisted of iron scales, leather, silk cords, and ornate designs decorating it. His helm looked just as elegant as the rest of the armor, with a golden crest that resembled a Lotus flower on the head. A fearsome face mask left only his wide, lifeless eyes exposed. What drew her attention were the distinct claw marks across his chest, having slashed through his armor like paper.
"Grimm," she noted, scowling at the bloody slashes.
Gus bent down and examined him closer, then looked around the area with a distressed light in his eyes.
"What happened here, Kass?" he rose to his full height.
"I don't know," she shook her head. "The fort was supposed to be the most well-guarded place in the area. How did some Grimm manage to destroy it?"
Gus glanced at the scorch marks covering the stone fortress. Its roof had fallen in, and she doubted anyone that had survived was inside.
"Looks like it wasn't just some Beowolves and Ursai," he murmured.
Kassandra looked up into the sky, watching the white smoke rise higher and higher from the stone fortress and wooden buildings.
"Dragon fire..." Gus said under his breath.
Kassandra shot him a bewildered look.
"The Black Dragon, Augustus?" she raised her eyebrows. "It's impossible. It doesn't exist!"
"What else could do this?" he waved at the main building that used to stand higher than the surrounding trees. "This fort has defended against large waves of Grimm in the past. The soldiers were well-armed and trained. Nothing could get inside."
The Black Dragon was a campfire story, something to scare children to behave. The story was that long ago, a terrifying, enormous flying Grimm with huge wings, teeth that could rip a man in half, and scales as hard as iron that not even ballistae could penetrate. It could blow red-hot fire that would burn flesh off and melt armor and weapons. A warrior's worst nightmare if they ever had to face it.
"Believing in superstitions isn't like you," she said.
Gus sighed and dragged his fingers through his dark hair. "Look... Let's just get out of here, okay? We'll scavenge what we can, but we have to tell someone about this, warn them about coming here."
She's never seen him scared before. Gus has faced down some of the most terrifying Grimm she's ever witnessed and come out unscathed. Even if it was a fairytale, she decided to listen.
"All right," Kassandra exhaled, tightening her grip on her lance. "Yeah, let's get out of here as fast as we can. This place is giving me the creeps."
Gus nodded and looked down at the fallen soldier, a mixture of respect and despair etched on his chiseled features. He crossed the man's arms over his chest, then pulled two silver coins from his pocket to set on his eyes. His and Kassandra's people's funeral rites, ensuring a peaceful afterlife.
Then the two of them picked through the ruined buildings and scrounged for any food, water, or other supplies they could find. Most of it was burned or destroyed, but Kassandra found a well near the stone wall to refill their canteens. The smell of charred flesh and burning wood was ever present, and she was eager to put some distance between herself and the fortress to get away from it.
Before she knew it, the sky began to darken. As the sun set over the horizon, a ball of anxiety formed in her chest, and she hurried to finish their search. Whether Gus's fears were contagious or being surrounded by so much death had gotten to her, she wanted to leave.
Kassandra met up with Gus in the center of the fort. She'd found a bit of extra food and stuffed it into her pack, and Gus managed to scavenge Dust crystals and spare water.
"Let's get out of here already," she muttered and adjusted the strap of her travel pack.
"Read my mind," Gus said, his voice a quiet rumble.
On their way out, Kassandra looked over her shoulder to take one last look at the ruined structure of the fortress. She would've opted to bury the dead, but that thought left her mind as soon as it started getting dark. Once she and Gus had put a comfortable distance between themselves and Hinansho, Kassandra allowed herself to relax.
As soon as she'd stepped foot into that place, her skin began to crawl. She was grateful that they were heading in the opposite direction.
"Well," Gus broke the silence. "That was... fun."
She gave him a look.
"What? Can't blame me for trying to break the tension a little," he said.
Kassandra sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Can we just hurry to Argus already?"
"I told you," she said. "It's to stop the Grimm, once and for all. If we can find those artifacts, he can use them to save the world."
"And you believed that?" Gus asked, his eyebrows raised.
Kassandra stopped and turned angrily to face him. "Someone has to! We can't let that," she pointed towards the ruins of Hinansho, "happen to anyone else! If you want stop helping me, fine, but I'm trying to do something to make a difference!"
Then she stomped down the path away from Gus. He sighed heavily and followed her, resting his sword on his large shoulder.
"Kassandra-"
"It's fine," she muttered and wiped her dark hair back and out of her eyes.
Gus exhaled a chuckle and rolled his eyes. "Women."
He took another step, and a flash of orange suddenly bathed them in bright light. Kassandra whirled around and looked up at the source of it, and her blood ran cold.
An enormous dark shadow was heading straight for them, its maw open and letting loose a torrent of red-hot flames in their direction. Kassandra instinctively rolled to the side and drew her shield, raising it in front of her to block any incoming attack. The blast of fire missed her by inches, and the shadow passed over them silently.
As it flew by, her eyes followed it, trying to get a sense of what was attacking them. It was impossibly large, with an enormous wingspan nearly as wide as its body was long. How the thing hadn't made any noise from flapping those huge wings, she had no idea. A long, narrow tail hung from its rear, and she could just barely make out a skinny, freakish neck with what she assumed was its head attached at the front. It was just a vague shape, but the thing was clearly a-
"Dragon," she thought aloud, then looked at Gus with wide eyes. He looked just as terrified as she felt, watching the dragon bank to the left to circle around for another pass.
Before she could say much else, the creature flew directly towards them and let out an ear-piercing roar that made her recoil, a cold shiver passing down her spine. It was the weirdest feeling, as if she'd just walked over her own grave.
"Gods, it's real..." Gus muttered, his sword drooping at his side.
Kassandra raised her lance and braced her shield, keeping her eyes on the dark shadow flying towards them. Two orbs of sinister red light pierced the darkness, glaring at them with what felt like pure hatred. She assumed they were its eyes.
She forced down the spike of fear that had driven into her chest and tightened her grip on her lance, faintly aware of the short sword strapped to her belt in case she needed to draw it. There wasn't enough time to formulate a plan, so she and Gus took on their familiar defensive position. He stood just ahead of her with both hands gripping his large sword, ready to make the first move so she could follow up with the range of her pike.
It was getting closer. Just another few seconds, and it'd be right on top of them.
Another roar made them falter, and then the dragon opened its maw to loose another jet of flames.
Kassandra's eyes widened and she raced forward to shield herself and Gus from the attack, but she was too slow. The flames reached him before she could even close the distance.
Searing heat washed over her and the fire dominated her vision, blocking out everything around her except the dark silhouette of her companion. A desperate cry ripped from her throat and her hand extended outwards as Gus was completely enveloped by the orange flames.
. . .
Sera screamed and sat bolt upright on the bench, her eyes wild with fright and her chest heaving like she was hyperventilating. She took a shaky breath and looked down at her own hands, confirming that she was back on the train, far away from the black shadow.
The images she'd seen flashed through her hide like a slideshow, quick as a camera's shutter. Sera lowered her hands and fell back, holding her face with one eye peeking between her fingers.
The shimmery form of Kassandra Kallisto appeared on the bench opposite of her, a solemn expression on her face and a sad light in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop it. Seems you and I get to have the same nightmares now," she said, her voice low and shaky.
"What... was that?" Sera asked, turning her head to look at the black-haired apparition.
"That... was the last time I ever saw Augustus," she pulled her knees to her chest, her eyes peeking over them. "The very last time. And my last words to him were yelling at him, just for asking what I now know was a very reasonable question."
Sera took a deep breath to calm herself, still feeling her hands shaking from the memory. She sat up and rested her elbows on her knees, interlacing her fingers tightly. "What the hell was that thing?"
"The Black Dragon," she murmured. "Just a scary story, really. No one thought it existed. Until..."
"And it's a... Grimm?" she asked.
"Has to be," Kassandra swallowed. "Those eyes..."
Sera shuddered. She could still feel those angry red eyes glaring at her, almost peering into her soul. Finally, she composed herself and met Kassandra's eyes.
"I'm sorry. I don't even know what..." her voice died in her throat.
"I know," she nodded. "I've killed more Grimm than just about any of your huntsmen, but that thing..." she shuddered. "I think I'd rather die than face it again. You saw what it did to Hinansho. I don't even think it needed extra Grimm there to burn that place down."
She nodded in agreement. The carnage was brutal, and terrifying. "Do you think it's...?"
"Dead?" Kassandra finished. "Honestly... I don't know. Those stories had been around for literal generations. I don't think a few extra hundred years would make much of a difference."
Sera leaned back and folded her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling.
"You're wondering why you haven't heard of it," Kassandra murmured, staring at her. "Ask your friends, Ren and Nora. I'm sure they've heard a tale or two. They grew up near where Hinansho was, after all."
She nodded, silently bookmarking that to ask about later when she finally reached them.
Darkness suddenly enveloped the train, like someone had turned off the sun. A few moments later, it faded in an instant, and she could see again. They'd gone through a tunnel, she realized.
Glancing out the window, she saw a snowy mountain range that went on for miles. Tall trees blanketed the area, like an ocean of green among the white. The tracks were right on the edge of a steep cliff, so she had a pretty good view of the ground several dozen feet below.
A reflection in the sun caught her attention, and she looked over to find several derailed passenger cars laying on their side at the base of the cliff. They looked beaten and dented up, like they'd snagged a few boulders on their way down the mountain.
Sera's eyes widened in realization. It was the train that had been attacked days ago. The one her friends had been on.
She pressed her hands to the glass and tried to get a better look, but as quickly as she'd seen the cars, they were gone. The train sped right by them and kept chugging along.
"They're not down there," Kassandra said, reading her thoughts. "You would've seen Yang's hair miles before you saw that. Weiss, I'm not so sure," she chuckled.
Sera smirked at her. She opened her mouth to make a snarky comment about the snow being the perfect camouflage for Weiss to match her cold exterior, but the door to her booth opening interrupted her.
The grinning face of that huntsman, Isaac, looked down at her with a friendly twinkle in his eyes. Kassandra glanced over at him, but she knew he wouldn't see her. Kassandra was her hallucination, after all.
"Hey, the ride going okay?" he asked kindly.
"Uh, yeah," she blinked, unsure of why he was here. "What's up?"
Isaac shrugged and held up a multicolored paper bag and tossed it at her. Sera caught it out of reflex and looked down at it. Potato chips.
"Figured you could use a snack or something. Long ride. And between you and me," he leaned closer into the booth and whispered, "I can't take much more of Bela's quiet... judgy-ness. Thought I might swing by and holler at you, see what your story is."
Sera considered the offer. He had been kind enough to bring her food, so she gestured for him to sit down.
Isaac flashed a grin, closed the door, then sat right in Kassandra's lap. Or rather through her lap, earning an indignant, "Hey!" from the blue-eyed girl. She stood, phasing through the dark-skinned man, then took a seat beside Sera with her arms crossed.
Sera suppressed a smile and cleared her throat and lifted the bag of chips. "Thanks. Is Bela really that grumpy?"
Isaac laughed. "No, not really. Her conversation skills just get a little... dry. She doesn't have a very long social battery, if you know what I mean."
She nodded, understanding exactly what that was like.
"So, what's bringing you to Argus? Friends? Business?" he asked warmly.
"Something like that," she put the chips down. The bag went right through Kassandra's thigh and sat on the bench. Kassandra flashed her a look of irritation and scooted away from her and the chips. "Tracking down my friends. They're huntsmen, too."
"Right, right," he nodded. "And what, they just left you behind?"
"Ehh... They kinda think I might be dead," she laughed dryly.
"Wow," Isaac snickered. "How'd that happen?"
"Long, long story," she said, not really wanting to explain her life to a stranger.
His expression hardened slightly, and Sera picked up on it immediately. She almost reached for Jupiter, but she decided to wait and see what he'd say. He didn't look that tough, but there was no telling what he had up those green sleeves.
"Have anything to do with the White Fang at Haven?" he finally asked.
"Actually... it has everything to do with that," she chuckled, scratching the back of her head.
He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his palms upturned. "So, what happened? I mean, the soldiers wouldn't say anything. Just something about a bomb threat."
"There's not much else to it," she lied. "We were there to talk with Lionheart about attending Haven for the next semester, then the White Fang busted in and starting spouting their usual 'kill all humans' nonsense. I'm a student, from Beacon."
His bright green eyes bulged. "Seriously?"
She nodded. "Crazy Vytal Tournament, huh?"
Issac blew air and leaned back, sliding his hand back across his head. "Damn. Heard that was some crazy shit."
"You have no idea," she exhaled, her shoulders falling.
"Why go to Haven, though? I mean, Vacuo is like right there, and not across an ocean."
She opened her mouth to reply, but Isaac held a gloved finger up. Fingerless olive-colored gloves that she hadn't noticed before.
"Let me guess. Long story?"
"You've got me figured out," she laughed.
Isaac chuckled and spread his arms on the back of the bench, crossing his ankle over his knee. "Alright, mystery girl. If Haven is out of the question now, what next?"
She shrugged. "Atlas is looking pretty good. I know General Ironwood, and I figured my friends would be heading there. They were on the last train to Argus, the one that crashed."
"Gods, who are you?" he laughed, semi-serious.
The corner of Sera's mouth twitched. "Just a huntress trying to find her friends. Nothing interesting."
"If you say so," he gave a half-shrug. "Still, it is pretty interesting, even if you say it isn't. And," he held up a finger. "What makes you think you're going to get into Atlas? The place is on lockdown."
"I may or may not have access to a highly valuable person important to a certain aristocratic Atlesian family," she smirked, picturing Weiss's face. A bit of warmth spread across her cheeks at the image.
"Oh, yeah? Who's that?" he quirked an eyebrow.
A sudden thump made the train lurch to the side and sent Sera against the wall. She grunted at the impact and readied herself for another blow, but none came. Immediately, the sound of muffled gunfire crackled to life from above and confirmed what Sera was thinking.
They were under attack.
"Shit!" she jumped to her feet and grabbed Jupiter and her navy coat before dashing out of the narrow booth. Isaac was on her heels, running at a full sprint towards the nearest maintenance ladder she'd seen on her way inside.
Another blow to the side of the train nearly made her lose her balance, but Sera just straightened herself and kept going. Startled screams came from the booths on either side of the passageway. When she saw one open and an older man poke his head out, she jumped to the side to avoid running directly into him.
"Stay in your seats! This is all under control!" she shouted as she ran, her boots pounding on the floor and gunfire ringing out on full automatic.
Thankfully, the civilians listened to her. Their doors stayed closed, even if they looked like they were on the verge of panic.
A few others stepped out of passenger booths. They looked more like huntsmen than civilians, so she decided not to yell orders at them, too.
"Ladder!" Isaac pointed,
Sera saw it immediately—an iron wrung ladder leading straight up. She slung Jupiter over her back, jumped as high as she could, then grabbed hold and clambered to the top until she reached the red lever holding the trapdoor shut. Wrenching it open, a blast of cold air blew into the train car and made her hair fly back. Sera gritted her teeth and climbed up, planting her hands on either side of the opening and into the snow before crawling to her feet.
Icy wind ripped through clothes like daggers and sent her hair blowing in every direction as she took in her surroundings. Snow blanketed the entire roof of the train, initially blinding her from the sun reflecting off of it. Impressive gun turrets covered the roof, placed every few yards or so on either side of the train. The scenery flew past her in the blink of an eye, showing off just how fast the train was rocketing across its tracks.
In the sky, large black dots sliced through the to avoid the turrets' projectiles. After a moment, she made them out as Griffon, Manticore, and Sphinx Grimm. Thankfully, there were more Griffons than anything, and more Manticores than Sphinx. Higher in the sky, a pair of Nevermores surveyed the assault. They didn't seem to be attacking, so at least she didn't have to dodge their enormous feathers. For now, at least. The other Grimm tried to swoop in for an attack, but a quick burst from the turrets sent them reeling back. The guns wouldn't keep them at bay for long, though. Soon enough, they'd overwhelm the train and it'd be too much for the turrets to handle to fire in all directions.
Across the length of the train, she saw more huntsmen appear from inside and draw their respective weaponry. Isaac clambered onto the roof behind her and pulled out an impressive iridescent green bow with rivets along its length to increase the draw strength. It looked like it could transform into a different form, but she couldn't guess what.
"Jeez!" Isaac pulled a green knit cap out of his jacket pocket and pulled it over his head.
Kassandra shimmered to life in front of Sera, her hair and clothes untouched by the hard wind. It made sense, though. She wasn't really standing there.
"What's the plan, me?" Kassandra asked, then faded into nothing.
Sera did a headcount of the other huntsmen on the train. Just like she'd been told, there were fourteen of them. Six in front of them, and six behind, then her and Isaac.
She blinked. Wait, that wasn't right. There were supposed to be thirteen. Who the hell else was up here?
Deciding that she didn't have time to worry about it, she turned to Isaac and hefted Jupiter in its guitar form.
She pointed towards the front, "Go tell them to try and corral the Grimm to the back. If we can get them all in one direction, the guns can blow them to hell!"
"I like it," Isaac grinned, his bow aimed into the sky.
Sera raised her fist, and he grinned wider as he gave her a fist bump. As best as he could against the wind, Isaac sprinted towards the other end of the train to tell the others what to do.
Seeing that he had it handled, she turned and made for the back of the train. The six huntsmen on her side were firing their weapons at the Grimm, but few shots were connecting. The nearest one, a huntress with auburn hair and warm blue winter clothes, got pounced by an unseen Griffon. Without breaking her stride, Sera slammed Jupiter into the creature and batted it into the rocky wall beside the train.
"Thanks!" the girl shouted and jumped to her feet.
"Make them go to the back!" Sera yelled, still running. Her boots dug into the snow and hit the icy roof of the train. If she hadn't been focusing her aura to the soles of her feet, she would've slipped.
"Uh... Why?" she blinked her sky-blue eyes in confusion.
"Just do it!" Sera replied.
One by one, she passed on the message. The huntsmen grouped up and fired as one, each predicting a Grimm's flight path to cut them off and make them retreat back. Behind her, she saw the others doing the same. They walked at a casual pace, trying to corral the Grimm to follow Sera's plan. The ones that slipped by and tried to head further up the train were put down.
Sera slid a shard of electricity Dust into Jupiter and fished her guitar pick out of her pocket, fingers trembling from the cold air. Her aura helped with the below-zero temperatures, but it could only do so much to completely block out the cold.
She fired bolts of purple lightning at the Grimm, each one preceded by strings of notes played on Jupiter's strings. Slowly, her plan was working. The Griffons were little trouble, but the Manticores and Sphinxes were being a little stubborn. Their thick bone armor deflected a majority of their attacks, and the shots that hit their mark didn't do much more than annoy the creatures.
Fortunately, the machinegun turrets helped make up for that. Their high-velocity rounds shattered the Grimms' armor. The shots that landed, at least. After nearly five minutes, it looked like they hadn't been downing any to begin with. It seemed that no matter how many they brought down, more took their place until a dense black cloud of Grimm were blotting out the sky.
Sera lowered Jupiter, staring at the horde of monsters with wide eyes while the other huntsmen kept firing. How long would they have to fight to protect the train? Until it reached Argus? She doubted they'd last that long against this many Grimm in the blistering cold like this. Even now, she could feel the wind stabbing daggers of ice into her. If the Grimm didn't deplete her aura, the cold certainly would.
"You can't stop," a voice said, and Sera looked over to see Kassandra staring at her with hard eyes. "You have to keep going, keep fighting. The people on this train depend on it, Sera."
"But..." she unconsciously returned her eyes to the dozens of Grimm, each one seeming to stare right at her.
"Hey," Kassandra grabbed her chin and made their eyes meet. "You can't stop. Who are you right now? The Sera I know would never back down from a challenge. So what if there's a few more of them than you'd like? There always are. They haven't actually landed on the train, have they? Woman up, and kill these bastards."
Sera blinked, processing her past self's words slowly. She was right. The hell was she doing getting scared like that?
She clenched her jaw and pointed Jupiter's head towards the group of Grimm trying to attack. Sera raised her pick, placed her fingers, then brought her hand down into a deafening power chord that blasted a wide bolt of purple electricity and made the snow under her feet explode outwards.
"Gods!" Isaac yelled, raising his arm to shield himself from the snow.
The violet lightning hit the nearest Manticore and made it roar in agony, its fur sizzling, then bolts of electricity arced to nearby Grimm to create a terrifying web in the air. The creatures struck by the majority of her Dust fell from the air, dissipating into shadow. The ones that were only left dazed got picked off by the train's turrets and the other huntsmen's firearms.
"That did something!" an older huntsman with graying hair laughed, then pointed his scoped rifle at the rest of the horde.
"Damn. Do that again!" Isaac clapped her on the back.
Sera blinked, watching the shadowy remains of Grimm fall from the sky and dissipate into nothing. She fished another Dust crystal out of her pocket. As soon as she slid it into Jupiter, a loud, angry roar made her halt.
At first, she thought it was The Black Dragon. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought, hands trembling so hard she nearly dropped the Dust shard. Then she heard it again, and relief swelled within her.
This roar was different than the Dragon's. Not as loud nor rageful. The Black Dragon sounded like, well, a dragon. This one sounded more like the growl of an alligator. But it also didn't belong to any Griffon, Manticore, or Sphinx she's ever heard.
She looked up, and her blood ran cold. High above in the sky, between the two Nevermores, was another dragon.
Well, kind of.
This one was more serpent-like than The Black Dragon, and a lot smaller, too. It was long and skinny with only two front legs and a set of wide red wings. Its body became narrower as it reached the end of its tail that flowed through the air as if the creature was swimming through water. As per usual with the Grimm, white bone covered its sides, wings, and the front of its two legs. She bet her Lien that it had the typical mask-like face armor too.
She didn't know what it was, but someone else sure recognized it.
"L-L-Lyndwyrm!" a huntress stuttered fearfully.
"The hell's a Lyndwyrm?" Sera asked.
"That!" she pointed at the Grimm.
"Well, no shit! What's it do?!" she demanded.
Another shorter huntress with voluminous scarlet hair falling past her shoulders, orange eyes, and red winter clothes gave a silent shrug, her expression puzzled.
The older huntsman shrugged. "Big mouth, sharp teeth. You do the math."
"So, it can't breathe fire or anything?" she asked.
He laughed. "No, miss. Just a big, flying snake. Wouldn't recommend getting close, though."
Sera hefted Jupiter and shot a glare at the distant Grimm. She dropped her gaze and eyed the many creatures that remained. They were trying to get closer, but the machineguns were doing a good job of keeping them back. Judging by their flight patterns, it wouldn't be too long before they all just rushed the train.
"Keep firing at them! Drop as many as you can before that Lyndwyrm decides to join the party," she commanded.
The older huntsman cracked a grin and braced his rifle against his shoulder. "Yes, ma'am!"
He fired a shot, and a Griffon cried out as it dissipated into shadow. Isaac notched a trio of arrows and drew his bow, a tight-lipped smile on his face as he fired all three at a distant Sphinx. One caught it in the chest, another in the neck, and the third in the middle of its forehead. The Grimm roared defiantly, its red eyes burning with hatred and looking rather silly with the arrow in its face.
Sera raised an eyebrow at Isaac. "That it, or...?"
He flashed a grin, then snapped his fingers. Immediately, the three arrows exploded and blew the Sphinx's head to smithereens.
"Perfect timing," he commented smugly.
Sera rolled her eyes, a smile forming on her face at the trick. "Smartass," she mumbled.
Isaac gave a thumbs-up, then notched more arrows on his string. Beside him, Bela rolled her bright blue eyes and fired her twin pistols at the Grimm.
She glanced over at the scarlet-haired huntress garbed in red. Sera hadn't really noticed, but this girl hasn't really been doing much since the fight started. She just stood there, watching the destruction occurring in the air.
"Are you gonna help?" Sera asked.
The huntress gave a helpless shrug and raised her weapon—a short sword with a blade so thin that it looked more like an oversized needle. Sera rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the fight.
As she pointed Jupiter's head at a Manticore, she couldn't help but remember her confusion from earlier. Isaac and Bela had told her there were thirteen huntsmen onboard, meaning that one of the people around her was either a civilian, or the two of them had been misinformed. Given the circumstances, she wasn't sure why it was bugging her. She was feeling paranoid for no reason, and she had bigger things to focus on than some wannabe huntsman.
The Grimm swooped in for another pass. This time, they didn't let the turrets deter them. The guns blasted on full auto and downed a number of them, but the rest just kept coming.
"Why are they all attacking now?!" Sera silently screamed, her heart racing as the monsters drew closer to the train.
Kassandra's reply was alarmed and sudden, as if she'd just been startled by something jumping out at her. "Look out-!"
She turned her head just in time to see the Lyndwrym slam into the side of the train, followed by the two Nevermores screeching from nearby. They launched a volley of razor-sharp feathers at the huntsmen as soon as the Lyndwyrm collided. The speeding train careened sideways, one side of it lifting off the tracks before it all slammed back down and kept going at full speed. Sera nearly lost her balance and fell off because of it, her heart jumping into her throat from the sudden scare.
Then she saw the Nevermore feathers heading straight for them all. She'd gotten lucky from the sudden tilt of the train, and one sped right over her shoulder. Unfortunately, the others weren't so lucky.
She watched three huntsmen get knocked aside by the feathers and fly off the train in the blink of an eye, as if they'd just been pulled out of a speeding airship high in the sky. One of them crashed into the rocky cliff beside the tracks while the others landed in the snow, tumbling head over heels.
Despite the horrifying scene she just witnessed, a flicker of hope ignited within her when she saw that at least two of them had survived mostly unharmed. That is, until she saw several Griffons and Manticores peel off from the rest of the flock and dive straight down onto the huntsmen.
The train sped away and left them behind, and the last thing she saw of the huntsmen was Grimm swarming them.
In an instant, she flashed back to the night she was on the Tower with Cinder. Images of Cerulean's and Pyrrha's corpses filled her mind, and she nearly dropped Jupiter into the snow.
"You don't have time to mourn!" Kassandra yelled, and Sera felt her body jump into action.
She ducked under a pair of large paws and came up fast, swinging Jupiter into her assailant. If her past self hadn't forced her to move, she would've been snatched out of the air by a Sphinx. Thanks to Kassandra's intervention, the Sphinx fluttered away to reevaluate its next attack. Sphinxes were intelligent beings, compared to other Grimm. They didn't just attack blindly and hope to get a kill, but instead planned how best to defeat an opponent. She knew because one of the first Grimm she'd ever faced was a Sphinx during initiation at Beacon.
Sera shut her eyes tightly and gripped Jupiter's neck harder. She reached inside herself to try and grasp that same power she'd used before to try and turn the battle around.
Everything around her just became background noise as she probed her mind, searching for any hint of her latent abilities. Finally, she felt a surge of aura within herself, and she dug into it, trying to bring it out.
Violet aura flickered along her body, her skin turning paler starting from her fingertips and toes and working their way up. When she felt it reach her face, she opened her eyes just in time for her violet irises to morph to crimson red and her sclera darken to pitch black.
Strength coursed through her veins until her body stopped trembling and her limbs felt stronger than ever. Her mind calmed, going from what felt like a raging ocean of conflicting thoughts and chaos to a cool, steady stream.
She took a deep breath and looked to the side. The Lyndwyrm was circling around, preparing itself to charge again. This time, it'd ensure that the speeding train was knocked clean off the track.
The flapping of wings behind her drew her attention, and she whirled around, swinging Jupiter directly into the Sphinx's head. Jupiter cracked its face mask and skull on impact, and the red glow in its eyes died as the front half of its body crumpled onto the train. Its weight made it slip off and tumble across the ground, dissipating into smoke all the while.
A loud, angry growl from the Lyndwyrm made her stop. Sera shot a red-eyed glare at it as the creature flew towards the train faster than a bullet. Without hesitation, she brought her hand down hard on Jupiter's strings, and an orb of fiery purple energy formed in the air in front of the guitar's head. The projectile fired straight at the Grimm and caught it in the face, and it roared in protest at the sudden blast.
Sera played another few rapid chords on Jupiter and shot a trio of similar blasts at it, and accidentally played the intro to Into the Fire in the process. The balls of flaming purple exploded against the Grimm's head and chest, and it cried out as it diverted its path just before colliding with the train.
A volley of large feathers forced her to roll to the side, narrowly missing the huntress by mere feet. Sera came up on one knee and played more of her song, firing shot after shot at the flying birds until she hit one in the beak. The Nevermore sailed to the ground, its wings twitching helplessly before it slammed into the snowbank and stayed there with its clawed feet standing in the air.
"Help!" a voice cried, and Sera whirled her head to see the same auburn-haired huntress from before on her back, her staff/rifle the only thing holding a Griffon at bay.
Sera sprinted towards her, boots thudding against the roof, and kicked the Griffon away. It landed on its side and scrambled to its feet, roaring at Sera angrily for interrupting it.
She swung Jupiter over her head, clicking the button on its neck mid-attack, and the weapon's axe blade cleaved the Grimm's skull in two.
The huntress looked up at Sera with fear in her eyes, her face turning ghost white when she saw the state she was in. Sera wordlessly helped her to her feet and held Jupiter at her side, eyeing the rest of the flying Grimm with a critical gaze.
"Help the others, and stay outta the way," Sera told her.
She nodded shakily, then scrambled away to regroup with the other huntsmen. They all formed a tight circle, firing in every direction to keep the Grimm off of them. It was working, thankfully. They were both protecting each other and managing to take down a sizeable number of Griffons, but the few Manticores and Sphinxes left were what worried her. The gun turrets were firing so much, some of them had either run out of ammunition or had their barrels glowing orange from overheating. Without their help, they'd better finish off these Grimm fast or the train was doomed.
Then, there was the Lyndwyrm. For the moment, it was keeping its distance, but she could clearly see the furious glow in its eyes as it circled the train. And it was looking straight at her.
A flicker of movement in the corner of her eye made her raise her axe. When she was about to swing, she saw that it was just the short, red-haired huntress with the tiny sword. She alarmingly raised her palms, her eyes wide with fright.
"What?" Sera asked, irritated that this girl was distracting her.
She pointed at the Lyndwyrm and brought her fist onto her open palm, a defiant gleam in her orange eyes.
Sera got the sensation that she was mute, or even deaf. Funny, because she knew another short, fiery mute girl.
"You want to help kill the lizard?" she asked, resting her axe on her shoulder. She cast a glance over to the Grimm, watching it fly back and forth with its burning red eyes.
The redhead nodded her head eagerly, then imitated the smashing gesture she'd used to emphasize her point.
Sera chewed her lip indecisively, trying to formulate a plan. The others were doing a decent job fending off the Grimm, so for the moment, she was clear to go for the Lyndwyrm. With an extra pair of hands, she might be able to either take it down or scare it away from the train.
A sudden, alarmed shout made her eyes widen and heart skip a beat.
"Tunnel!" Isaac screamed, pointing ahead of the train at the mountain they were about to pass through.
Sera cursed and stamped her foot in frustration. She started to run for the nearest trapdoor, but the huntress grabbed her wrist and made her stop. With the raise of an eyebrow, she lifted her fist and punched her open palm, imitating a splat gesture when her fist collided.
A grin spread across Sera's face when she understood what the huntress was getting at.
She whirled her head towards the others and pointed down, at the train. "Get inside for cover!"
"What about you two?" Bela screamed over the rushing wind.
Sera pointed at the Lyndwyrm, then imitated the splat gesture her new friend had used.
Bela's eyes widened. "You're crazy!"
"Yep!" she gave a two-fingered salute, then ran to the edge of the train. Sera transformed Jupiter into its guitar form, then fired a volley of energy at the Lyndwyrm. It was already looking at her, but now it seemed really pissed off. She waved Jupiter in the air, screaming, "Hey! Come on! That all you got, you overgrown tadpole?!"
Isaac cackled, "I love this chick!" Then jumped down the manhole into the train.
Bela rolled her eyes and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Don't die!"
Maintaining her confident smile, Sera shouted, "I'll try!"
Then the last of the huntsmen were gone, and she was alone on the train with the scarlet-haired huntress. Their hair and clothes whipped in the harsh wind as the remainders of the other Grimm circled above them.
A Manticore dived towards the train, and the other huntress leapt into the air above it. She landed nimbly between its shoulder blades, then quickly sent a flurry of slashes with her thin sword against its neck. The Manticore roared defiantly and tried to shake her off, but that just gave Sera an opportunity to deliver a mean uppercut under its chin with Jupiter. The Grimm reared back, and the huntress drove the point of her sword into its head just below its plated bone armor. Its eyes darkened, and the girl jumped off of it just as its body began to dissipate.
The Lyndwrym growled loudly, the noise sending a shiver down Sera's spine. She glanced towards the tunnel. They were getting really close, and it didn't look like much space would clear it.
She turned her attention back to the biggest Grimm and waved her arms. "Hey! Fresh food, right here! Come get some, you ugly bastard!"
Her new red-haired friend waved her arms and jumped up and down, trying to help draw the Grimm's attention.
Sera quickly played a chord on Jupiter and launched another volley of flaming orbs at it. One of them caught the Lyndwyrm right in the faceplate, and it roared angrily. It flapped its swings and launched itself towards the train, glowing eyes trained for Sera's over-confident body.
"Uh-oh," her eyes widened.
The front of the train entered the tunnel, meaning they'd only have a few seconds to reach safety. In its enraged state, the Lyndwyrm made the mistake of flying straight for the train rather than angling towards it. Its open jaws missed Sera by a mile, and its belly scraped against the snowy roof as it flew past.
She turned to the side to face the rear of the train, hoping the Lyndwyrm would hit the cliff face. Instead, it altered its flight path at the last second and turned towards the train, just barely missing the mountainside. Unfortunately, it could fly fast. Faster than a speeding train.
It was catching up in seconds, its maw open wide to show off its shiny, razor-sharp teeth as it sped towards them. The scarlet-haired huntress hit the (metaphorical) dirt and laid perfectly flat against the roof, since there was no time to reach one of the trapdoors.
Sera looked behind her, then at the Lyndwyrm. It was less than a dozen feet away from her, and too blinded by rage to see what it was flying towards. Sera had royally pissed it off in such a short span of time, and her work was about to pay off.
When it was ten feet away from her, the Grimm roared so loudly she felt her eyes vibrating in their sockets. Without any time to lose, and cutting it rather close, Sera flashed a grin, smugly saluted the Lyndwyrm, then fell backwards.
Her back hit the roof of the train, and total darkness immediately enveloped her. She heard the Lyndwrym roar again, followed by a loud crashing noise that made the entire tunnel shake like an earthquake had hit.
Sera laughed joyfully. She couldn't help it, and she couldn't make herself stop. She quickly became hysterical, giggling to herself as the train passed through the tunnel. After all that, she'd essentially defeated the Grimm in a game of chicken.
She exhaled a long, deep breath and relaxed against the snow, letting it work as the perfect pillow for her body.
"Not bad, hero," Kassandra said.
"That was so freaking funny," she said, both voicing her own thoughts and replying to Kassandra.
"And I'm sure the passengers will be grateful. I have to admit, I wasn't sure this plan would work. Luckily, that Grimm really was just a big dumb lizard."
Sera cackled and, careful to avoid the roof of the tunnel, pressed her hands to her face.
The train really had been attacked again, like Isaac and Bela were worried about. Fortunately, they'd managed to fend off that huge flock of Grimm before it could do too much damage. The train got a little beat up, but it was still running on all cylinders and heading straight to Argus.
The tail of the train pulled out of the tunnel and it was suddenly day again. Sera sat straight up and didn't even try to suppress the grin on her face. The wind was still blowing her hair straight back and ripping at her clothes, but it didn't bother her as much now.
Further down the train, the girl with red hair crawled to her feet and looked around until she saw Sera sitting in the snow. She ran towards her and made a quick gesture that she didn't quite understand at first. The huntress was using the same sign language that Neo had taught her.
She'd asked a frantic and barely decipherable, What the hell were you thinking?!
Sera blinked her crimson eyes and got to her feet, dusting the snow off of herself. "What? I had to make sure it'd go into the wall."
She rolled her eyes and signed. Well, it worked. Cool semblance, she gestured, moving her upturned palm up and down towards Sera.
She looked down at herself. Her hands were still as white as the snow beneath her feet. "Oh, right..."
Sera took a deep breath and released her hold on her inner aura, like taking her hand off a lightning rod. The aura flowing through her stemmed, and she exhaled the breath she'd been holding.
The huntress watched as the skin on Sera's hands, neck, and face returned to its usual light tan complexion. When she opened her eyes, they were violet again.
"Okay, that was fun," she breathed, curling her fingers. "Can we please get out of the cold?"
The huntress smiled lightly and gave a curt nod. The two of them made for the nearest trapdoor and jumped down, and Isaac and Bela were waiting for them. Resounding cheering and laughter was going on all through the train, with the compartments open for civilians to crowd into the main passage and congratulate the huntsmen.
Isaac clapped her on the shoulder, a broad grin on his face. "Now that's what I'm talking about! I can't believe that idiot actually flew into the wall! Oh, I wish I could've seen its face!"
"That... was adequate, I suppose," Bela shrugged indifferently.
Sera couldn't help but smile. "Aw, come on. Admit that was cool."
The corner of her mouth twitched, marring her otherwise emotionless face. "Okay, it was pretty-"
Something slammed into the train and sent it sideways, followed by a familiar roar of anger. The train tilted forty degrees towards the mountain wall and sent everyone flying into the wall or into compartments. Or at least, rear of the train was almost knocked over. Thanks to the engine at the front, the train kept pulling along and corrected its rear, but no one wanted to wait and see if it could take a second hit.
"What the hell?!" Bela groaned, holding her hand to her head as she got to her feet.
Kassandra appeared next to Sera looking about as distressed as the others. "That's not good. I think the lizard's still alive."
"You don't say," Sera eyed the window. Something big and black as night flew by, then away from the train. The Lyndwyrm circled around and pointed its body towards the tracks, its long tail swishing behind it.
"Back outside!" Isaac announced. "Everyone, back in your compartments! We have this handled!"
The Lyndwyrm flicked its tail and roared loudly, then flew straight at the train faster than Sera anticipated. Her heart skipped a beat and she grabbed Isaac's shoulder before he could go up the ladder.
"No time! Grab something and brace yours-" she started, then the train was thrown to the side again. She flew into an open compartment and hit the far wall. Fortunately, she managed to activate her aura just in time and she hit the ground, unscathed.
Unfortunately, the Grimm wasn't finished. It had hit the train at an upward angle, then flew into the air while it careened to the side. Only the rear of the train was experiencing the creature's attacks. The front was still rushing down the tracks, trying to outrun the Lyndwyrm.
The rear cars slipped off the tracks and fishtailed behind the rest of the train, throwing everyone inside left and right with its motions. There was no time to do anything against the Grimm, unless the huntsmen further up the train managed to distract it. She doubted it, though. The Lyndwyrm seemed dedicated in wanting to kill her in particular.
Sera grabbed hold of the benches within the compartment and hauled herself to her feet, trying to keep her balance. As soon as she got to her feet, the Grimm hit the train again, and the rear cars slammed into the mountain. The cars ricocheted off the rocky cliff face, and went right over the edge of the drop on the other side of the tracks. A chorus of terrified screams rang out through the rear train cars.
From the blow, she was launched to the side and into a bench, then dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. That time, she didn't have enough time to activate her aura, so she felt the full impact.
Sera groaned lowly, her vision swimming as she tried to get to her feet. Issac, Bela, the mute huntress, and a number of civilians were sprawled across the ground from the Lyndwyrm's attack. She had to do something, or the whole train was going down.
Outside the window, she had a perfect view of the snowy ground a hundred feet or more below. The rest of the train managed to keep riding the tracks, despite the extra weight it was carrying at its rear. From what she could tell, nearly a quarter of the locomotive was hanging off the cliff. She had to give props to whoever designed it, the couplers linking the train cars were holding on strong. But for how much longer?
She was faced with a decision. Either uncouple the cars and save everyone else on the train, essentially sacrificing herself and those in the rear train cars, or try to save everyone.
Unfortunately, she didn't enough time to make that decision. The Lyndwyrm circle around again, its white face aiming straight for the rear of the train. Thankfully, someone else had a good idea.
"Everyone, get to the front cars! Move further up!" Isaac yelled.
Sera saw civilians rush past him in the main passage, screaming and pushing others aside to get to the front. She stumbled towards the main passage and saw the huntsmen directing them, trying to make them go in a calm, but hurried manner. Looking out the window, the Lyndwrym started to make its next move. Another ram attack. It was fond of those, apparently.
The huntress collapsed Jupiter and clipped it to her belt, dashed out of the compartment, turned on her heel, then sprinted towards the front of the train with Jupiter in her hands. Bela, Isaac, and the mute saw and followed closely behind. She jumped across two train cars, her heart jumping into her throat every time cold wind blew against her when she was outside.
When she almost made it to the car connected to the tracks, a sudden roar brought her to a halt. It was really close. Sera's head whipped around and saw the Lyndwyrm rushing the train, its teeth gleaming in the sunlight and wings beating the air furiously.
It was less than ten feet from the train.
The world slowed to a crawl around her, the noise turning to static as she stared at the Lyndwyrm's glowing red eyes through the window. She didn't even have time to say, "Uh-oh" before the thing's head rammed the train and broke the coupler clean off.
The rear train cars were knocked backwards and off the cliff as easily as if a juiced-up Nora had struck it. The car spun in the air, and Sera went weightless.
"This is NOT part of the plan!" Isaac screamed, getting thrown around just like her.
She slammed into the wall, a support pole, the ground, a window, other people, then did it all over again as the train cars spun end over end. After the first few hits, she activated her aura, but she was still feeling fuzzy in the head after taking a shot to the temple. Besides that, and taking so many hits in such a short amount of time, her aura had all but faded.
She and the huntsmen were thrown around like rocks in a blender for the next few seconds until the train cars slammed into the ground, and the sound of metal tearing and crumpling was all she could hear. A microsecond later, Sera was thrown into the ground. Her aura shattered when her shoulder slammed against the wall of the train car, then her head bounced off the metal wall, and everything went dark.
. . .
In an instant, Sera opened her eyes and looked around. Only she wasn't where she was just seconds ago. She was standing in a brightly lit room with several desks covered in open books and scrolls. The floors were made of polished stone and the walls were dark oak planks. Ornate sconces hung on the walls to provide light, and a few lit candles were spread across a few of the wooden desks.
A tall man with broad shoulders and short cropped orange hair was leaning over one of the desks, inspecting the pages of an old book. His dark blue eyes scrutinized it, apparently searching for something. His maroon tunic and brown breeches were simple, yet his appearance gave off an aura of regality.
Then her body moved for her, and her voice called out, "You wanted to see me?"
The man looked up and a kind smile formed on his lips, a twinkle in his eyes that seemed... familiar. He rose to his full height and straightened his tunic, smoothing the fabric over his torso.
"Ah, Kassandra. It's good that you've arrived. I take it you're accepting my offer?"
"Depends," she crossed her arms over her bronze breastplate. "Why should I drop everything to help you?"
"Cool, I'm wearing armor," Sera mused, admiring the shiny greaves on her arms decorated with wave-like designs on its bronze surface.
The man furrowed his brow. He took a deep breath and motioned for her to come closer.
Kassandra raised her eyebrow and approached the table while he flipped open a leather-bound journal and stuck his finger on its pages.
"These are precious artifacts I must find, soon. I'm afraid that if they fall into the wrong hands, things could get very ugly, very fast," he looked over at her, almost warily.
The young huntress scanned the pages of his journal. It consisted of detailed sketches of four objects, and elegant scribbling beside each one to name them and explain their properties. Four objects, each as ornate and regal as the last. A crown, sword, lamp, and staff.
This memory must be before Gus's death, she realized.
The crown looked like something the most royal king on the planet might wear. Large jewels were inlaid around it. The journal named it the "Relic of Choice," and supposedly had the ability to give its wearer visions of the future.
The sword was beautiful, and terrifying. An ornate short sword that looked like it was more for show than combat, like a ceremonial sword. It was called the "Relic of Destruction," and its description read that it could, well, destroy. Apparently really well, but there were no explanations to describe the scope of its power.
The staff was tall and held a large crystal at its top, held in place by thin metal rods that curled around its base and reached out from the end and made the object look even more beautiful. The "Relic of Creation," that could create anything you ask of it out of nothing. Kassandra's mind brimmed with ideas.
The final artifact, the Relic of Knowledge, was the strange lamp. It looked like the others, but seemed something out of a fairytale. All of them did, but this one even more so. Like one of those old stories about rubbing the magic lamp to ask a genie three wishes. Except for this Relic, you got three questions that would be answered with absolute certainty. Any question, no matter what it was.
Each of the artifacts were more incredible than the last, and the possibilities were endless. But there was no way they actually existed, right? This was ridiculous. If they were real, someone would've found one by now. If people knew about it, entire nations would be turning over every stone to find them.
"This is impossible," she murmured, eyeing the pages critically. The drawings and writing struck her as the work of a madman that'd hit the noxious fumes a little too hard, if you caught her drift.
"Believe me, I wish it wasn't," the man chuckled dryly.
Kassandra looked at him with wide eyes, a disturbed expression on her face. "Who are you?"
He smirked, glancing down for a minute. "They didn't tell you who I was when they told you of my job offer?"
She shook her head.
He straightened himself and extended his hand, a kind smile on his face. "Ozma, the scholar."
"This is fucking Ozpin?!" she screamed in her own head. She knew that he and Kassandra had known each other before, but he'd been extremely vague with the details like usual. Her mind reeled, trying to process this. Kassandra helped him find the Relics? The more she learned about her past, the more confused about who the hell she was.
"Scholar? What do you want with these 'Relics' or whatever they are?" she asked.
Ozma shrugged. "As I said, to ensure they don't fall into the wrong hands. I wish to house them, to keep them safe and protected."
Kassandra blinked, trying to process everything she's learned so far. "Where?"
He smiled lightly and opened another book, displaying rough sketches of blueprints for a large structure labeled "vault plans."
"I'm very glad you asked," he said, then laid his hand on her shoulder. "But before I tell you more, I need to know that none of this leaves this room, Kassandra. No one can know about my plans. But I promise, you will be repaid for your efforts. After hearing of your adventures helping and saving people across Anima, you've sort of inspired me. I'd like to help people like you have, and this is how I do it. So... please consider it."
She was hesitant to accept. But how could she walk away knowing what she did now? If she left, all she'd have is more questions. If she accepted... there was no telling what would happen. A new life, new possibilities, and who knows what else.
Kassandra inhaled deeply and scanned the notes one last time. "Okay. What do I need to do?"
"Find the Relics," he answered. He laughed warmly at the scowl Kassandra made at that. "I know, painfully obvious. I have a pretty good idea as to one is, though. And that one will lead us to the others. It's all in my notes, I assure you."
"How do you even know all this?" she asked. "And why haven't you found them yourself if you know where they are?"
He raised his eyebrows as a sort of shrug. "Let's just say I've had a lot of time to think about this. As to why I haven't gone to retrieve them... I'm not exactly a fighter, Kassandra. I need someone like you to help me."
"Ha," Kassandra laughed. "That's a lie. As soon as you saw me, I could feel you looking me over like only a warrior would. It's in your eyes, 'scholar.'"
Ozma scoffed lightly. "Guess I don't hide it very well, eh? The fact remains that I need outside help to accomplish this. To be honest, I wasn't certain about you until, like you said, I got a good look at you. You're who I need, I know it."
She clucked her tongue and leaned onto the table, eyeing Ozma's notes. A page peeking out from his journal's pages, and she pulled it out to get a better look. Ozma's posture stiffened, but he said nothing. Taking that as a sign of consent, Kassandra quickly read the first few lines of elegant handwriting.
"You mean to build combat academies?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Once I have the Relic of Creation, yes," he nodded. "These academies are where the artifacts will be held, protected inside of vaults to shield them from the outside."
She dropped the page and let it flutter to the desk. This man was ambitious, that much was clear. He seemed to have good intentions. Keep the powerful artifacts out of the wrong hands, and train warriors to protect them. With said warriors, they could protect people from the Grimm like she's been doing.
That thought was attractive to her. Sure, there were heroes like her around, but they were few and far between. Few of them could even utilize their aura, so heroes were in high demand. The armies of Remnant seemed more interested in fighting each other and expanding their kingdoms rather than protecting their citizens from the bigger threat in the world—the Grimm. If Ozma could actually raise his own group of warriors dedicated to fighting these monsters... Well, the world would be a better place.
"I like it," she said, looking him in the eyes. "It's a good idea, and not just the thing with the Relics. If we could have more people like me to fight the Grimm, people could actually be, I dunno, safe? Not having to live everyday like a fight for survival?"
His eyes twinkled at her words. "My thoughts exactly, Miss Kallisto. While, to us, the primary function of these training academies is to protect the Relics, to everyone else, it's an opportunity for a better life. It helps everyone, which is why I hope you'll keep your word about assisting me in the matter."
Kassandra straightened herself and held her sword belt in a comfortable posture. "I think you've sold me on it, Ozma. When do we start?"
He smiled and clapped her on the back. "Immediately, whenever you're ready. The sooner, the better."
"Okay," she nodded, a smile forming on her lips. "Where to first?"
Ozma reached across the desk, pushed his books and scrolls aside, then unrolled a map of Mistral for her to see. He jabbed his finger on the western side of the map and on the island in the center of Lake Matsu.
"Here," he said. "This is where I think the Relic of Knowledge is. Fortunately, if you retrieve it, we can use it ask where the others are."
She grinned excitedly. "Sounds like a piece of cake. I'll leave in the morning for Lake Matsu."
Ozma exhaled a sigh of relief. "Very good. Thank you, Kassandra. I'll happily provide you with anything you need for the trip."
She nodded in thanks and took that as her sign to leave. If she accomplished this, the very world could change. The threat of Grimm could be even lower. The kingdoms would flourish without their kind hindering trade and business. They could build bigger cities, with bigger walls to protect themselves further. If everything went right, she could have a hand in the extermination of every Grimm once and for all.
Before she left the room, she held up a finger and turned on her heel. "One thing, if you don't mind. If we succeed and you get your academies and vaults built, what are you going to call these warriors we train? 'Heroes' is a bit... overdone."
Ozma straightened himself and smirked lightly. "Tired of the 'hero' bit, huh? I don't know, Kassandra. What would you like to call them?"
She thought for a moment. "Well, we're pretty much going to be tracking down Grimm and killing them to protect people, right? How about 'hunters' or something?"
The man perked up, his eyes widening slightly. A warm smile spread across his face. "Huntsmen. I like it, Kassandra. Very well, we'll train huntsmen. But they might as well be heroes, with what they'll be doing," Ozma chuckled with amusement.
Kassandra laughed dryly and departed the room, calling out a friendly, "See you tomorrow, Ozma."
The memory ended, and once again, Sera had nothing but questions. She'd been the one to track down the Relics for Ozpin. Not only that, she may have been the first person he'd even told about the schools. And as a cherry on top, she coined the term "huntsmen."
That was a bit jarring, to say the least. But what she wanted to know was what did Kassandra meeting with Salem have to do with any of this? The memory from that, er, memory was still fresh on her mind. Did Salem trick her at some point? Or had Kassandra been playing both sides to achieve some ulterior motive?
Again, she was left with nothing but more questions, but at least she knew a little more about her past now.
And as soon as she could, she was going to get some answers from Kassandra.