Qrow raced through the air, pushing his wings to their limits. Angling himself, he dove down to a familiar little clearing. Transforming into his real form without fanfare. Catching himself from tumbling and shooting forward.
Racing through the last stretch of forest before running into where they had set up camp for the night. His niece, and family, sitting by a little campfire while Yang and Ice Princess Junior were sparring. Tai standing and looking over them. Shooting him a glance as he came into the clearing.
Zwei barked loudly, quickly bouncing from Ruby's lap and racing his way demanding scratches. Only to turn on his heels and darting back to Ruby the moment Qrow bent down to scratch him.
'Brat.' Qrow snarked in his mind. "Good, you are all awake." He said instead. Looking over his niece's team. Dirty was the first thing that popped into his mind. Yet, there was none of the complaining he had been expecting.
Yang made it obvious that see saw her sisters quest for finding answer's as nothing more than a reason to get away from Patch and Vale. Happily tagging along, making sure she didn't get hurt while she did her best to get over what she saw during the Scorching. Everyone knew that Ruby had helped people. Brining children and anyone she could help to the Club. What she must have seen as the city burned down around her, sights he had wished she wouldn't even see after graduating.
Weiss on the other hand had taken this as an opportunity to lay low while also evading her father's grasp. Patch might not be Vale, but the tension and anger towards Atlas for their betrayal burned high and enveloped the island. Every one of them knew it was a matter of when, not if, before a mob of angry and hurt civilians would come and demand they kicked out the 'Atlatian whore.'
He didn't entirely know what Blake's deal was, even if part of him was glad she wasn't with them. She reminded him way too much of Raven. Not to mention how she had ditched Ruby and the girls right after Beacon's tower had fallen. He may not have talked much with her, but her actions spoke loud enough.
"I got news." Qrow announced, falling down on one of the logs with a load groan. Petals of roses drifting into him a moment later. A pair of silver eyes burning into his side.
"Good news?" Taiyang asked with a raised eyebrow as the girls stopped their sparring match.
"Well…" Qrow started. "I have some good news, some not so good news, and some bad news. They cancel out, so news."
"What about the good news first?" Taiyang said before any of the girls could say something. Giving him a glance and a nod.
Qrow knew he wasn't the most socially inclined of people, he also wasn't entirely socially inept either. He knew the girls needed something to pick them up. "The good news is that JNPR is close by. I met them last night in a town not so far from here."
It had been a long time since he had seen Ruby's eyes light up like that. Almost like she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. A soft sigh escaped the icy princess, Yang shooting her a wide smile and ribbing her good naturedly with her elbow. Earning herself a roll of Winter junior's eyes.
"And they are also traveling with a friend of ours." Qrow continued, sharing a quick glance with Taiyang. His words flying five feet over the blonde's head. Looking just as confused as the girls. Rolling his eyes, he continued explaining. "Stayed overnight. So we should be able to catch up with them soon. I will also be heading out soon to catch up with them again."
Sharing a glance together, RWY nodded ever so slightly. Ruby looking moment's away from standing up and demanding they leave now. Catching herself and breathing out.
"And the not so good news?" Weiss asked with a furrowed brown.
"Well, for one, your sister and another specialist are personally headhunting them." Qrow shared, carefully gauging the girl's reaction. Not wanting to put the girl in a situation where she had to choose between her nation and family, and her team. Even if he knew that with how the world was heating up, that might not be possible.
Letting out a long sigh, he sat up and pulled out a ration bar. "You aren't the only one with questions pipsqueak." A brittle little smile appeared on Ruby's lips as the nickname left his lips. "Just… Atlas' isn't a person. They also have questions about what Jaune did during the Scorching… I'm not going to tell what I heard, it's none of my business. However… Atlas wants him. And from what I gathered, they are not taking no as an answer."
"What do you mean by that?" Weiss shot sharply with a loud huff.
"That the only reason their talk didn't end with blood is because there was a innocent bystander." The words came out far sharper and clipped than he had intended. Sighing, he rubbed his temple. Feeling the stress get to him. "I'm sorry you have to hear it like this, but your sister is on a mission. She is a specialist, first, second and thirdly. Just like you are a huntress first. While I'm sure Winter is a great sister, and you could never imagine her to be anything like that. That wasn't your sister. That was Specialist Schnee."
"They are the same person." Weiss snarked, crossing her arms. Giving him that patented Schnee glacial look.
"Your sister is a specialist. A member of the Ace Ops at that." Qrow said as plainly as he could. Knowing when a battle was lost. 'Just as stubborn as her sister.' He thought to himself, shaking his head. It didn't matter what he said. Until she saw it with her own eyes, Winter would always be that pillar she could lean on.
Not that he could fault her really. Having been in her position once.
"The bad news?" Yang asked, shooting Weiss a little look.
Smacking his lips, Qrow felt the words die in his mouth. Intimately aware that he sat on a ticking bomb. 'Out of all the people you were looking for. Why did it have to be the tribe?' Qrow cursed in his mind. Quickly downing the ration packet and chasing it down with some water. It felt like he had a gun to his head. There was a reason they had never really told Yang about Raven. Partially shame and guilt. But also because of how incessant, he would almost say obsessive, she had been about finding out when she had been younger.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that the second she knew who she was, that Yang would be out the door with a bag slung over her shoulders. Leaving to demand answers from her mother.
'Add in how obsessive Ruby was about getting answers.' Qrow cringed just thinking about what was going to go down. 'Tai is going to kill me.'
Qrow never did answer the question, forgetting that indecision also was a decision. Like one, everyone snapped their heads to the same direction.
He didn't know what caused it. Not feeling anything wrong; his gut wasn't screaming at him, his semblance was as compliant as it could be, yet everyone saw the giant crimson dome that suddenly appeared in the forest. Wrapped in golden chains.
Zwei whimpered loudly, peeing himself where he stood.
"Ruby no!" The words didn't manage to leave him before gentle rose petals danced in the air.
"Finally!" Yang shouted, hot on her sister's heel.
{-ooo-}
"Fearless Leader, I'm curious about something." Nora hummed. A string of word's Jaune hadn't been keen to hearing. "Since your secret's have secret's that also have secret's." She barrelled on with a gleeful smile filled with innocent curiosity turning to Oscar, smile still as dazzlingly bright. "And since Ozma is older than dirt. I'm willing to bet my left boob on that he has some juicy secret's. So…Who have the worst secret's?"
Jaune blinked, sharing a look with Oscar. Before looking over to an over eager Nora.
"How about… no?" Jaune said with careful finality. Putting as much emphasis on the word as he could while shooting her a flat look. Shooting down the topic quickly. "There is a reason I'm so cagey about what I learn in Yharnam. Sure, Ozma's secrets will give you a mild case of existential dread as you learn about things that have been buried in history for a reason."
"Mild?" Oscar spoke, sounding almost affronted on his invisible-passenger's behalf.
"There is a very real chance your brain can come oozing out from your eyes, nose, and ears from some of my secret's." Jaune continued with a shrug. Not minding the doubt on Oscar's face. He would rather have doubt and disbelief, instead of ill-placed curiosity.
"Ozma says you are full of shit." A sly little look momentarily crept over Oscar's face, making him look like a fox. With a faint little blush creeping up his cheeks.
"Oscar, I know what you are doing. I wasn't born yesterday." Jaune snarked. Rolling his eyes. The blush on Oscar's cheeks turning a deeper shade of red and spreading. Even if that first spark of curiosity never left his eyes.
"You are no fun." Nora pouted. Quickly bouncing back with a smile. "Then, what is it like to die? What's the worst way you have died?"
"Nora." A long-suffering sigh escaped Ren. The audacity of the question even momentarily kicking Pyrrha out from her funk. Red rashes covered her forearms, finger's freezing their fervent scratching as she turned to Nora with disbelief. Even Violet threw her a flat look. Loudly harrumphing and making a grimace at Nota. Squeezing his hand harder.
Giving her hand a comforting reassuring squeeze, Jaune huffed and rolled his eyes. "That's not a competition."
"Well said." Ozma supplied not a moment later with a tired drawl.
"It's like you forgot the time I popped my anal cherry to my own femur." Jaune continued with a nonchalant drawl. With everything he had seen and experienced, his mad scramble against the cleric beast had a certain taste of nostalgic wonder. Something he could think back to fondly as his first real challenge.
Oscar nodded, blinked, seeming to speak only to find his tongue tied. A weird noise escaped him as he violently began coughing. Nora there instantly to pat him on the back with a sympathetic look. While Elizabeth did her best impression of a bluescreen. Static racing through her as her form sizzled and stretched in impossible shapes.
"Why?" Oscar groaned out when he got his cough under control.
"It was more a dozen small factor's that turned into a pretty weird experience if I am to be honest. Still in my top ten weird things list believe it or not." Jaune shrugged, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. "I was moving to block. My footing was unsteady. I stood on a pool of blood and rubble. My aura shattered after protecting my torso. So the force had to go somewhere, counting down. Instead of going out, my femur popped out and was then pulled in as my legs turned to mush."
"Why?" Oscar pleaded with him. "Why-"
"I saw dad turn into sludge once." Violet blurted out. Cutting of Oscar before he could say anything else. Putting a grinding halt on any ideas the team were getting. Momentarily freezing in place and looking at him in disbelief. "I think I turned into sludge once." She continued with a little frown. Looking to him for confirmation. "You did." He answered ever so softly. Letting his words hang in the air for a moment.
"And that's why my secrets have secrets." Jaune finished. Ignoring the looks his team sent him. Not wanting to dredge through that topic again.
"Still, on a completely unrelated matter. Am I the only one who thinks this is a stupid idea?" Oscar asked, looking at him carefully.
"Oh it's stupid alright." A loud snort escaped Jaune, glad to change the topic. He wasn't blind to the plans idiocy. Rolling his eyes at the farmhand. Not missing how the boy's shoulder fell in relief when he wasn't angry. "It's just that doing nothing is dumber. Salem or not, Cinder is cursed. And we've kind a done most of the legwork for her. Still, we have time. I can say for certain that Cinder isn't on Anima. If, and it's a big if, we can take care of Tyrian and move the maiden somewhere else. That's at least the best-case scenario."
"We are going to be fighting a bandit camp, aren't we." Oscar sighed wearily, Nora wrapping her arms around his neck with a megawatt grin. "Ye~ Isn't it going to be fun?"
"Probably the spring maiden as well." Jaune added in with a sigh. "Hopefully not… but… Look sharp."
Noticing the dozen or so badly disguised bandit's that hid further up the path. Some other packs circling around them. Thankfully too far away to overhear them.
The Team instantly falling into a forced relaxed casualness as they looked around. Sharp twinkles in their eyes as they ever so slightly moved closer while moving their hands closer to their weapons. Previous topic hopefully all but forgotten.
"Ahh. It seems our friends have sent someone to greet us." Jaune called out. Raising his voice as he looked into the eyes of some of the bandit's. Making it as abundantly clear as he possibly could that he could see them.
The bandit's spilled, soft whispers blending into the woodlands creaking trees and rustling leaves.
"Yes, I can see you." Jaune continued flatly, never moving his eyes away from the lead bandit. "Red hair, tired mohawk, septum and side labret piercings."
"Well, fuck me then." The leader called out. A young, if muscular, boy that reminded him of Russel, rose from the rabble and walked towards them. Lazily spinning the weight of a kusarigama with deft hands. The rest of the scattered bandit's drawing closer. A dozen or so firearms pointed their way. From an old semi-automatic rifle that Ruby would salivate over, to different types of carbines, with a fair number of pistols and revolvers taking up the rest. There was even a guy who had an arrow lined up towards them.
"What you want?" He called out harshly. Spitting a bit of phlegm before his boots. Sharp blue eyes wandering over their little group. "This is Branwen turf." He snarked loudly, looking at them like they were idiots. "What's a child, a farmhand, and a boy cosplaying the last century doing here?"
"Then we are at the right place." Jaune said politely. Taking of his top hat and resting it in the nock of his arm. "We have… let's call it business with the tribe."
"You aren't hunter's, are you?" He snorted with crossed arms. Eyes darting from Crocea Morn on his hip, to Magnhild, to the longsword Violet had strapped to her back. "Because if you are, you're probably the dumbest hunters I have ever seen. At least the last group of huntsmen who thought they could take us were smart about it. Not that it changed anything."
"Quite." Jaune drawled, letting his eyes wandering over the rag tag group around him. 'At least they value hygiene more than Yharnam's mad hunter's.' He thought idly, having an idea why their group wasn't rooted out yet. "We are here on business. Nothing more, nothing less. Let's talk to the boss, and we'll be on our merry way."
The lead bandit snorted loudly, scorn creeping into his eyes together with a cruel, callous, arrogance. Jaune didn't need his spirit vision to see what he thought of them. If he thought them dumb, gullible, or both. Jaune wasn't going to correct him.
He had learned the hard way that perception could play just as large part in a fight as attitude, willpower, and technique. Having lost count of the times he had won only because he had been underestimated. Or the times he had died because he had underestimated how much being in a group changed the playing field. All without mentioning the amount of mental whiplash he had experienced after coming out of a fight victorious when he thought he was going to wake up in the dream again.
"Oh, that reminds me." Jaune smiled politely, reaching into his coat and pulling out a piece of red cloth. Pretending he didn't see the other bandits tense and move their guns towards him. "Here. Found this on some poor shmuck on our way here. He wore the colours of our contact. So we thought it would be best to return it to you. You know, as a show of good faith."
"Hnnnnhghghg-" A sound no different from a constipated dog's whine escaped Nora as she looked at the cloth. Instantly recognising it.
"How did he look." The leader hissed, tearing the cloth from his hand and looking it over. Tsking and cursing under his breath.
"Long wavey light brown hair. Some stubble and a sharp chin." Jaune calmly explained, falling into step behind the bandit as they began walking. "It looked like he got jumped, his face was bruised. He also had dirt and bark showed into his mouth."
"What… Oh for fucks sake Shay." He grumbled loudly, pocketing the red cloth with a sharp exhale. "And… for what it's worth. Thanks…"
"He still owed me twenty lien." Another bandit tsked loudly, but no one went out of their way to say anything more.
Humming lightly to himself, he took in the forest path. Not having expected much differently. While Shay had had many 'threads', most of them stemmed from being in a collective. Every student in Beacon had what felt like a few thousand threads, connected to each other, while also reaching out to alumni. That wasn't to say they were strong relationships. It was just that everyone who thought themselves part of Beacon, or it's overarching collective, shared that connection. In that sense Beacon and the Tribe wasn't any different.
The truth was that Shay didn't have many strong relationships. Positive or otherwise. Not exactly an outsider as just being there. He had some friends, some who didn't like him, but that was that. Where he threw 'Raven' or the bosses name around willy nilly, he didn't have any real power to draw on.
'That's an awful lot of assumptions.' He thought to himself, even if he coulndt help but feel his ideas gaining credence. Feeling some miniscule pity for the poor bastard. It was a hollow pity at best, one that didn't really change anything. He wasn't blind to the fact that there was a very real chance their meeting would end in blood.
Jaune could think of two reasons as to why a Maiden would join a bandit group from the top of his head. The first was that the tribe used drugs, a semblance, or she had obedience beaten into her from a young age. Making her easy to keep her in check and forcing her into a fragile and malleable mental state. Only needing to point her towards something, and she would get her next fix, or she would feel 'useful'.
The other was that being the head of a bandit tribe affirmed her worldview in one way or another. Being on top made her feel strong, important, she could live how she wanted without rules, take who she wants, bed who she wants.
'Hopefully it's something else. And hopefully blood won't have to flow.' He thought to himself rather naively. Whistling a little tune as he thought how Oscar would take it. The boy faked it well, but against his sight that allowed him to cheat. It didn't matter how one held oneself, what they said, or how they said something. Not when he could see their emotions and intentions as clear as day.
"So what's the kid doing with you." The bandit leader asked with a raised eyebrow. Throwing a quick glance over to Violet.
"She's my daughter-apprentice. Adopted." Jaune replied with a faint little smile. Staring the bandit in the eye, daring him to ask anything else. The bandit snorting and shaking his head.
"Are we there yet?" Nora bemoaned, cutting of the banding before he could say anything else. Not that it was needed. A large wooden palisade, reaching up into the treetops, appeared like a wall further into the woods. Nestled beside a large river and tall trees.
It had seen better days, with vine wrapping around ropes and crawling down old bark. Still, compared to Castle Cainhurst's tall ramparts, Vale's tall walls, Beacons majesty. Jaunce coulndt help but feel the palisade lacking. It was impressive at first glance, but the longer he looked, the more cracks and scurrying holes he found.
Jaune ignored the arrogant look the bandit's threw them. The gate's raising and allowing them in.
"Hopefully the boss won't be against whatever 'business' you have for her." The lead banding gave a sharp smile. A lecherous light momentarily creeping into his eyes as his eyes wandered to Nora and Pyrrha.
Jaune gave him a sharp smile back, instantly killing the spark in his eyes, not deciding to waste any words on a dead man walking. Instead he took in the tribe. For that was what it was. A little fiefdom for themselves where they could live as they pleased. With their own rules and culture.
Children butted heads, stopping what they were doing and turning to look at them. Even if a dozen or so eyes looked to Violet. Violet looking back with curiosity. Especially when she spotted some of the older boys and girls waving around what could only be training swords. Their parents quick to user them away with grim looks. Already discreetly reaching for weapons.
'Huh. Must be the first time she seen children her own age with weapons.' Jaune thought idly, not knowing if he should ever so slightly push Violet to play with them. Knowing what little friendship she may find would only last some moments.
"So that's what life could've been like?" Nora murmured idly. More out of idle curiosity than anything malicious. Her words drawing a few eyes.
"It could have been." Ren replied flatly. Shoulder's tense as he looked around.
"Sean. Who are the chumps?" A brash girl called out, a pair of striking blue eyes wandering over them. She, like most of the tribe, had fair sun-kissed skin. Dressed in a torn jacket that showed her arms. Walking with a confident little strut, acting as if she owned the place. Two mechashift looking pistols strapped to the back of her hip.
"Don't know." Sean shrugged lazily. "Says they have business for the boss. And you know me. Can't say no to some easy lien." Turning to them with a spin and a smile. Holding out his hand while pulling out a revolver with the other. "You can't possible think you are going to meet the boss without paying the entrance fee, right?"
"And here I thought you had something between your ears." Jaune huffed. Staring flatly down the barrel. "Pull that trigger, and you and every one of your posse dies." He spoke calmly, voice neither breaking nor wavering in the slightest. "We are here on business, let us hopefully leave as friends. If not…"
Smacking his lips, Jaune stirred his spirituality. Letting it come flooding out of him. Filled to the brim with every bad experience he had been exposed to in Yharnam. Infused with every type of anger under the sun. Churning with barely contained bloodlust and hunger. Dripping with cold apathic killing intent. The sun seemed colder; a nip appeared in the air.
Sean stood rooted in place, even the cocky girl's attitude seemed to be dunked in ice. Oscar looked sick, green faced and gaging. While the rest of his team looked unfazed. As if they didn't feel it. To used to being bathed in his spirituality to notice.
"Put the pistol down." Jaune ordered calmly.
"What's going on here." A sharp voice cut through the air. A raven-haired woman with hair like a wild waterfall, threw the tent flaps open and came marching out onto a slightly raised wooden terrace. The telltale sound of heels on wood ringing through the tribe. Dressed in a short red and black kimono that came down in a short shirt, a pair of high-mid tight boots ending in heels. A large revolutionary scabbard hung from her hip. Piercing red eyes wandered over them, momentarily widening when she looked at Oscar, before stopping at Jaune. "Who are you?"
Recognition flared in Jaune's eyes as he turned to her with a polite smile. Ren, ever trustworthy, ghosting forward and stealing the pistol right out from Sean's hands.
"Jaune Arc." He smiled, giving a polite little bow. "Short, sweet, and rolls of the tongue." Pretending he didn't cringe inside. Seeing the familiar well of power that was so similar to the one inside Pyrrha. Only that hers were whole and filled with a wellspring of gentle energy. While the power inside of Pyrrha sang with a final inevitability.
"That doesn't answer why you are here." She replied flatly.
"I thought you already knew?" Jaune continued, never losing his polite smile. "A little red eyed raven has kept an eye on us during our travels. Let's not pretend that haven't been you."
Taking a step forward, he stepped between her and Oscar. Staring flatly at her. "This doesn't involve him. It's… surprisingly easy to see through the transformation if you know what to look for. Neither you nor your brother really goes out of your way to hide when transformed."
"And?" Raven replied with a raised eyebrow, cocking her head ever so slightly to the side. "You know I can transform. Congratulations. Would you like a lollipop?"
"You really are you daughter's mother, aren't you?" Jaune murmured softly, giving the woman a flat look. Instantly scrapping one of the idea's he had swinging in the back of his mind when he looked at her spirit. There was much to learn about a person just by watching their spirit.
And Raven's spirit was sharp and jaded, formed around a pillar of harsh pragmatism. He wouldn't call it beastlike, even if it wasn't far from it. There was anger bleeding into righteous indignation and hurt. Pride wrapping around itself and pulling in and at other emotions. Then there was hunger, lust, some want, and some need for comfort. All impossible due to the sharp and jagged nature of her spirit that made her push away instead of open up. Yet, deep in her spirit, in the very core of her being. A ball of fear burned. Pushing at everything, not all consuming, but ever-present.
Already beginning to ever so subtly push at her since having recognised Oscar.
Not letting her scowl deepen as he continued. "Not that it much matter's. Yang isn't a part of this conversation. It doesn't change why we came here."
"Oh?" Raven hummed with a little tilt of her chin mockingly. Eyes drifting over to Oscar again. "And why are you here? What business do you have with us? With the Branwen tribe."
"I'm beginning to wonder that myself." Jaune sighed out. Looking at her with an unimpressed look. "We came looking for someone. Mainly to offer some help, or protection if needed. Beacon's fall was half orchestrated after all. Someone was looking for something."
"And what does that matter to me?" Raven asked with forced nonchalance. Eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. Almost vindictive in some way.
"Salem." Jaune said the name plainly. It was impossible to miss the jolt that raced through her spirit at the mention of that name. Jaune throwing an uncaring little glance over to the bandit who had pulled out a pair of mechashift double barrel pistols. "Her… Champion... yes let's call her that. Her champion is wounded. A special type of wounded. A type of wounded that only one person in the whole world can heal. You."
"How do you know that?" Raven demanded. Eyes darting to Oscar furiously. Jaune calmly looking her dead in the eyes as a nervous electricity raced through the bandits. Weapons ever so subtly being drawn. Taking a deep breath as she shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter. Dead men don't talk. Kill them. We are moving camp after."
Pandemonium exploded around them not a moment later. The bandit clan drawing weapons. The blue-eyed girl already firing her dual pistols. Ren sidestepping, firing kill shots or kneecapping the closest bandits. Nora already had her hammer swinging. Magnild hit flesh, blood and viscera splattered over the dusty ground. Mixing with the dirt and making a deep reddish mud.
Violet already darting between some of the more teenage bandit's. The precognition the ritual gave her, together with her semblance, making her a real menace. Moving five steps ahead. Making her age and lack of real muscle and height her biggest problems. Oscar's whip darting around, keeping her safe from harm.
A bolt of lightning raced towards him. Instantly a golden chain shot out from his hand, catching and redirecting the lightning bolt. Swinging it over to Nora and supercharging her.
A dozen orange glowing spears materialised in the air as Pyrrha dashed forward. Only for Vernal to come dashing before her. Firing her pistols while darting in for a strike.
'I honestly didn't know what I was expecting' and 'I should have handled that better.' Both ideas raced through Jaune as he threw himself forward. Dancing as bolt's of lighting fell from the sky. Throwing his golden chain out, redirecting the bolts and filling the chain with power as it came around to Raven. Cracking through the wooden terrace.
Raven pulled a trigger, the rotation mechanism on her scabbard whirled to life as she drew a blade. A purple blade formed from dust racing towards him. Jaune came up to block, feeling his knees buckle under him. It wasn't as much her strength as it was the weight of her weapon. For a moment it felt like he held up a whole mountain with just Crocea Mors.
Angling his sword to the side, Jaune danced away from the blow, instinct honed through the street of Yharnam kicking in as his arm shot backwards and caught the wrist of a teenage bandit. The hunting knife in his hands aimed right at his kidneys. He couldn't be more than a year younger than him. Thinking on his feet, he pulled the boy forward, forcing him into the direct path of the purple sword.
Raven's brow furrowed, yet her blade snapped forward unobstructed. The purple sword cutting into his human shield, turning flesh and blood into mush and paste. Crocea Mos streaking over what remained of the boy's torso, striking like a viper towards Raven's neck.
Then she was gone. A little black raven taking her place. Then she was back. Purple sword appearing at an impossible angle and racing towards his neck. Eyes burning with a heavenly blue fire as the wind picked up.
Exhaling, he drew on the moon. Quickening to the side, with three elegant step's he boxed her in. Coming at her from behind. Feeling like a disoriented mess. Still far from comfortable quickening.
Only for Raven to push herself to the side with the wind. Sliding and bending under his blow as her sword came towards his neck again. Drawing on the moon again, he quickened again. Flicking his finger and throwing a single drop of pinkish blood on the side of her scabbard. Racing down the side, crawling under, finding the shaft and forcing itself down as it began coagulating.
Crocea Mors slammed into the side of the purple dust sword, sending thousands of small shards splattering into the ground. Shooting up a wall of dust.
Jaune heard the trigger be pulled again, moving through the dust as if it wasn't there. Crocea Mors nicking the side of her face as Raven forced herself to dodge. Her own sword half pulled.
Flexing his finger's and hand, a golden chain came and wrapped around the yellow blade. Cracking and turning the lighting dust blade to motes of light before it was wholly drawn.
A dust bullet slammed into the back of his head. Jaune didn't as much as flinch as the roar of fire momentarily clouded his vision. Drawing on the moon, he backstepped and fell into old steps. A hail of thunder crashing down where he had just left. Coming out by her left, a spear of lighting already launched itself towards him. A red sword that burned the air behind it trailing over his side. Taking out a chunk of aura.
"Predictable." Raven chided coldly. Kicking off and backflipping over a hail of burning javelins. Sword biting into nothing, creating a red hole in the world. Appearing out of nothing and scrapping down his back.
'I can end this instantly.' The realisation struck like lighting. Whatever it was that caused the portals, he could dispel them. They had the same spiritual 'weight' as Cinder's fireballs, the viscount's boons, and Weiss' glyphs. He knew without doubt that if he drew on his dispel ritual, the portal would be forced to close.
'I just have to force her into a portal.' With renewed vigour, he thought himself forward. Pushing through a localised storm that suddenly were conjured before him. Snakes of lighting wrapping around him a thousand razor sharp blades of wind tore into his aura. The last syllable of a chant escaped him, instantly silencing the magic.
Creating another domain under the blood red moon. Forcing an unnatural silence over the area as black and white shone. Stealing the colour from Raven's blade, making it crack and fall apart into grey motes of dust.
Shock and fear momentarily battled in Raven's eye. Throwing herself backwards and out of the domain. Pressing the trigger again. The revolutionary chamber spun, skidding to an abrupt halt a third from the next blade.
Something hit his semblance from outside, sending cracks racing up the sides. Mote's of red falling and letting sunlight through.
Jaune didn't care, pushing the offensive. Heart thundering in his ears, blood singing in his veins, pushing him on. A hail of javelins from Pyrrha darted over his head. Closing in, he fished out a poison packet from his vest, throwing it forward, right into the path of one of the sunburnt orange spears. Tearing the package to shreds and crating a mini dust cloud of purple and green specks. Another chant already on his lips.
'Check mate.' The instant the portal appeared, he called for his magic, dispelling it. Instantly the portal was gone. And with it, her head, part of her shoulder and arm, and sword. Her body still carrying it's earlier momentum.
Forcing himself to quicken again, he appeared before the body. Digging his hand into her chest and tearing out her heart. Golden chains exploding out from his hand, wrapping around the heart and forcing the maiden power to stay. Puling tighter and tighter until the heart exploded into a splatter of gore. Leaving a beautiful and vibrant glob of coldblood sat on his palm.
It bubbled and churned like frenzied coldblood, but not out of madness as much as it brimmed with never-ending vitality. Clear, gentle, and true. It felt like he held spring itself in his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, the coldblood disappeared. Just in time as Vernal raced towards him. Reaching for the power, eyes red with tears and rage. Tilting back ever so slightly, he grabbed her neck unceremoniously. Golden chains flowing from his hand and wrapping around her neck.
"You!" She snarled with venom, aura flaring to life as she struggled with all her might. Her weapons tearing into his aura time and time again for no avail. Her struggle growing weaker, colour disappearing from her face. Forcing his will over the chains, crystal blue sparks fell off her. With a harsh crack, her neck snapped, bone jutting out against his palm. Her body crumbling to the ground as he let go.
Dethatched blue eyes turning to look around at the slaughter they had committed.
Bodies lied scattered over the ground.
Both med and women who had picked up arms cut down mercilessly. Those who were lucky enough to survive moaning out, tears and choked sobbing escaping them. Together with wails of pain. More than just a few teenagers lying amongst them. Children looked at them with fear, some breaking out of their friends hold and throwing themselves at their family's corpses.
Jaune felt nothing as his eyes wandered over the bloodshed he was responsible for. No pain, anger, tear's, grief, or regret. Ren sighed out heavily, bending down and closing the eyes of some dead bandit's while Nora looked slightly uncomfortable. Eyes lingering at the children, now orphans. Pyrrha stood alone, nails scratching furiously at her arms. Not even a hair out of place, nor a single drop of blood to show for the carnage.
Violet came wadding over to him with a little proud smile on her face. Pushing her chest out, preening under his touch as he ran his hand gently through her hair. Not at all caring for the blood he smeared over her, nor the blood he drudged through her hair.
Oscar looked around the carnage with confusion. Unbelieving at what surrounded him. Confusion, hurt and guilt all weighing on his shoulders. Colour draining rapidly from his face as he broke, falling to his knees and retching. Breakfast and yesterday's dinner joining the red mud.
"Hello Ruby." Jaune said softly, turning to the gates, something complicated that couldn't be put into words darting through his eyes as he looked over at Ruby. The black bags under her eyes, the way she looked at him, the confusion, the burning need to have her question answered. Taking it all in with quiet detachment. Yet, there was no disgust, no hate, no fear. Nothing close to what was in Yang and Weiss's eyes, or the cocktail of mixed emotions in Qrow's eyes.
And Jaune coulndt help but hate her ever so slightly for it.
A question was on her lips, a demand not spoken. An invisible hand touching her shoulder. Two pair of silver eyes looking at him simultaneously.
He didn't hear what she said. Snapping his head left, a knife buried itself in his heart as he felt a thread snap. Then another, and another. Dawn, Mari, Jade, Bloom, Saphire, and Claire. One by one he felt the threads between him and his sisters snap. With a part of his soul being torn out when his mother's thread blinked out.
Visions and flashes of fire, of smoke, forced itself onto him. A pair of burning amber eyes staring down at him as he felt a blade burry itself in his chest. The thread connecting him and his twin sister Lily snapping.
"Cinder." The word came as a growl from the deepest, darkest, part of his heart.
{-ooo-}
"Good girl." Salem purred. A pair of pale white lips stretched into a little self-satisfied grin. Casually whirling a glass of red wine, Salem stared into a seer. An elegant black eyebrow cocked up. "So you aren't useless after all."
Moving her gaze from the seer to another one. Another scene of carnage, lacking smoke and fire, but no less grizzly. Blood, limbs, and gut's lying strewn everywhere. The grimace of hurt and anguish mixing delightfully with pure unadulterated hatred on her prize's face. Sniffing the air, Salem swore she could smell a hint of blood.
"At least you managed to do something right in the end." She muttered gently. Humming ever so gently to herself. A thousand ideas racing through her mind as she looked at the young Arc. Knowing that the first step to wrap him around her finger and make him hers was already complete.
That he could seemingly feel his sister's death, only something that spoke of his potential and worth. Making her want him even more. The connection between twin's was sacred and fill to the brim with magical symbolism after all.
{-ooo-}
Note: Between Jaune and Raven, it was always going to end with one of them dead. Jaune is too caught up in his own problems and his 'saving people thing', together with Raven being too much of a coward, to paranoid, and having enjoyed her life as a bandit. Making them sort of incompatible. As for the fight, Jaune was always going to win, especially with him being able to simply dispel her portals. Leaving her both in place a and b.
Note: And the question as to what Cinder have been doing is revealed. Honestly now, if you tell someone mad, angry and desperate, to don't do something. Of course they are going to do it.