Slipping through the gap in the airlock doors as they opened the sisters stared across the foundry's first floor in search of their Teammates and the Professor "So, where to now?" Yang asked aloud to no one in particular, digging into her jacket pocket for her scroll once more. 'You'd think the prof, or his sis would have come down to wait for us?' Then again considering most of their time would have been spent dealing with Blake and Weiss there probably wouldn't be much of a welcoming committee.
'We'll apologise to him later.' She re-affirmed to herself; it was the least they could do for him considering all the trouble they'd probably caused.
"You two sure took your sweet time getting here." The sisters stilled and then slowly as one, turned to regard the red-eyed huntsmen watching them from his place leaning against the wall just by the doorway.
"We don't exactly have a lot of time before the usual morning traffic starts rolling through here, if you took any longer then Oz'd probably have to have Goodwitch drag you two here after hours." Qrow added shaking his head slightly at the two.
"Right..." Yang tried to speak up before trailing off, a moment of silence hung between the three as Yang stared back at her uncle, the blond opened her mouth seemingly to argue back before letting out a breath... they had spent a good chunk of time after waking up back at the dorm, time their team and the Prof might have spent waiting for them. "Are Weiss and Blake still here?"
"They're still up there" Qrow replied, considering the distance and the scenery however he hadn't been able to overhear anything though every now and then he'd been able to make out a head of white hair moving around the upper levels. Best he could guess, Fish Boy had been walking the two of them through a few practice runs with their new 'accessories'.
Nice to know he wasn't just handing them over and sending those girls on their way with a 'Good luck' and a pat on the back.
"So.. why are you waiting here?" Yang asked wincing as the words left her mouth, as though the answer to that wasn't obvious "I-I mean I figured you'd want to be up there with the others." Qrow shrugged in response to his eldest niece.
"I got the gist of things the first-time round." And he'd had more than enough to do with all that magic crap for a good while at least, besides, he had more important things to worry about right now "And like I said before, you were cutting it pretty close firecracker, someone needed to make sure you two made actually showed".
Ruby glanced towards Yang 'Maybe we did take a little longer than we should have.' Ruby thought to herself as she rubbed her arm "Sorry we made everyone wait Uncle Qrow, we just..."
"Don't sweat it squirt" Qrow replied the older huntsmen glanced off to the side in thought, rolling his jaw he considered stopping there and just letting the two be on their way, he was costing them even more time now holding things up now. The smart thing to do would be to stow it for now and pick this up later, preferably when things would be a little less awkward and they maybe had a little more privacy.
But he wasn't sure whether that chance would roll around again, and he didn't trust his luck to help make it a possibility either. 'At this point, it's here and now, or not at all.'
Re-affirming himself Qrow turned back to address his nieces, forcing down the feeling of shame swirling around in his gut as he spoke "Look... I get things are a little mixed up between us right now, for obvious reasons." He started, trying his best to be diplomatic about the whole situation, taking the time to choose his words carefully before carrying on.
"I'm not gonna try and make any excuses for what happened, I should know you two well enough to be able to tell if something was off..." Qrow trailed off rubbing at his brow in frustration, looking back on it now it was so obvious, but that was the curse of hindsight, in the moment he only had what Oz had shown him and the realisation of what that tricky bitch Volkihar had done to him to go on.
Qrow looked at the girls, his nieces, his family, the best a guy like him could have ever hoped to get and that he treasured more than anything. "You kids, you mean the world to me and your old man, I don't know what I'd do with myself if anything happened to the two of you."
"Uncle Qrow, we-" Yang tried to say, but her uncle raised his hand up silencing her.
"Listen" He huffed stuffing his hands back into his pockets as he addressed the two." With what we know and the way things are going now, we can hazard a guess things are gonna get worse before they get better, so we can't be making any mistakes right now."
Security was being shored up around the academy and the greater part of Vale, so far over a dozen active Huntsmen had been pulled in from the field alongside a fresh battalion of Jimmy's own troops and a team of his best operatives put on standby, with the recent unrest caused the White Fang providing a convenient excuse for the council and quieting any of the doubters that thought Oz had been lax when it came to security for the Vytal Festival.
"We're gonna need every advantage we can get moving forward." They were more than outgunned and outnumbered when it came to this fight, and even if he wasn't fully on board with trusting the sources of a lot of those future 'Advantages', he'd be lying if he said he wasn't even a little glad about the barrier around the academy or the fact that there'd be more than a few of those fancy Tin Men Jimmy liked to go on and on about between that thing and his niece if worst comes to worst.
"Which means we can't have another repeat of this every time we try and talk to the four of you." Qrow carried on gesturing between himself and the girls, while it might not be that big of an issue now and while he didn't think the girls would go out of their way to be difficult with them in the future. But the chance of them or their team deciding to ghost a call or message from him, Oz or Glynda, wasn't something he wanted to risk.
"We weren't trying to be difficult, we just..." Yang glanced off to the side a small ball of shame churning around in her guts.
"We didn't know how to talk to you about everything." Ruby carried on pulling her hood back she looked up at her uncle, that same burning feeling welling up in her chest, the same anger and fear she'd felt that morning when he first knocked on their door. "What you said back there, hurt, a lot more than you might think." Ruby's hand tightened into fists as she spoke.
"I get how things looked back then, everything was so crazy that you thought you couldn't trust the professor or even Yang." Ruby swallowed her voice wavering before she reaffirmed herself and moved forward warping her arms around her uncle, embracing him in a tight hug "I'm sorry we let things get that far and I want you to know that that I still trust you and I want you to be able to trust us as well."
"Look it's not about that, I... I do trust you" Qrow replied looking up from Ruby to Yang. "Both of you" he reaffirmed reaching out to rest a hand on his eldest niece's shoulder, Yangs stared back at him hard for a moment her red eyes regarding him seriously, before she too stepped forward to embrace him. "I never meant to put you in a situation where you felt like I didn't, I just, everything was so..."
"It's okay." Yang said pulling back from her uncle her eyes having shifted back to their usual violate. "Even looking back on it all now it still seems so insane." If it had happened to anyone else and they came to them with such a story, she felt no shame in saying she'd have dubbed them a nutcase. "And I get we haven't made it all that easy for everyone since then... Look we just want to be sure that if things ever get like that again, you'll talk to us rather than go off chasing some wild theories... and-"
Yang trailed off, hesitant to complete her request, she knew what she was about to ask, and knew it would be a bit of a stretch getting Qrow to agree, but she still needed to try. Glancing towards Ruby, their eyes met her little sis shooting her a small look of encouragement. "And we'd like it if you could maybe go a little easier on the professor as well?"
Just as they'd expected the sisters felt their uncle stiffen, though before he had a chance to get a word in Ruby spoke up "I know you blame him for a lot of what's happened and maybe you're right that a lot of it is his fault for keeping quiet." Ruby peered up at her uncle almost pleadingly. "But it's not like he had much of a choice to begin with" She argued "He hasn't stopped since then either, you know it too, he's been doing so much and trying so hard to make things right." Ruby carried on gripping her uncle's shirt tightly as she spoke. "We're not asking you to like him or be friends with him or anything, just... stop treating him like he's the problem and give him a chance to make things right."
Qrow was silent, he kept his gaze forward his face set in stone, the only sign of his true thoughts being how his brow had furrowed in response to his youngest niece's words. 'Be nicer to the guy? I'd say I've been doing more than that already.' he thought to himself, his nieces waiting silently for his reply, their faces a mix of anxiety and trepidation.
He'd be lying to them if he just said 'yes' and that he'd try to play niece just for the sake of it.
The guy had been skulking around behind their backs keeping the existence of some gods-forsaken eldritch horror from the far off wherever under wraps, not to mention letting said horror -a threat worse than even Salem herself- stomp around in the heart of one of the four kingdoms before nearly costing him the life of his nieces.
If she'd been asking him to go out and kick his and that creepy sister of his asses, and then hurl them into the heart of the Emerald Forest for the Grimm gnaw on, he'd have done that in a heartbeat.
Hell, the only reason he hadn't done it the second he'd laid eyes on the bastard back at Beacon Tower was because of what Mikael had done to make sure Ruby came back to them safe and sound after that thing got hold of her. With the barrier fish-boy cooked afterwards bringing him up to tolerating the guys' continued stay at the school.
So, the girls asking him to play niece around the guy, even more than he already had been, would be a bit of a tall order for him to fill. "It's not that easy kiddo" Qrow replied separating himself from his nieces, fixing the two with an understanding but apologetic look. "What he did, what he put you through. It's not something I can just forget or forgive all too easily." The guy had to earn that first and while he could admit what he'd done so far was a step in the right direction towards that, there was still a long way to go before he'd even consider the two of them being on anything remotely close to 'Friendly terms' in his opinion.
Yang let out a small breath through her nose "We kinda figured that would be your answer" Yang replied, her disappointment clear as she spared a glance towards her little sister, who looked back at her with a similar expression.
They'd both known their uncle well enough to tell when he wouldn't back down on an issue anytime soon, even if she had been hoping they might at least be able to give a little nudge towards the two of them at least getting along, but she wouldn't try and force the issue when she knew it wasn't going anywhere. "Can you at least cut back on all the glaring and some of the threats a little." They'd all had enough of that already from Blake. "You may not like having him around, but he's here for us, not to mention he has just as much as you and the headmaster on his plate right now and doesn't need the extra stress."
Lips twitching down into a frown Qrow pinched his brow 'What about the extra stress he's been giving all of us?' He felt like asking but knew those kinds of remarks wouldn't get him anywhere "Fine." Qrow replied before levelling a scrutinising finger towards the girls.
"But if something like that happens again and he tries to keep quiet about it or he tells you something that the rest of us aren't privy to that might cause... friction, you come to me." He reaffirmed before gesturing back to himself with the other hand. "And I'll do the same for you as well." As hypocritical as it felt for him to say.
But they already had one possible world-ending scenario on their hands at the moment, and throwing word out there about Salem into the mix would only cause more chaos that they didn't need right now.
"If you can do that... I won't make you any promises about us getting along... but I'll 'keep things civil', alright?."
His youngest niece stepped forward silver eyes staring up into blood red, she fixed her uncle with a firm look. "You promise?" She asked or rather demanded of him as though she wouldn't be moving from that spot without an answer.
Qrow looked his niece in the eye, then after a moment of hesitation gave his answer "I promise." Taking a step back from the two Qrow turned away and waved the two of them off towards the stairwell "Now you better start running." Tilting his head to the side he looked up to the balcony lining the upper levels. "I don't think the two of you want to keep Glynda waiting any longer, not after all this?"
'Right' The sisters shared a glance before following their uncle's gaze up towards the upper floors, the two could already picture the cold green eyes of Beacon Deputy Head Mistress. They could already feel the frustration and that tinge of disappointment burning in her eyes, the same look that made your stomach drop in fear and squirm in shame.
Ruby shuffled in place "Was she really that mad?"
The blond grimaced and looked at Ruby "Do we really want to make her wait and find out the hard way?" She may have lost some of the respect she once held for the blond combat instructor after their little get-together at Beacons Tower, but that didn't mean she ever planned on acting like an ass around her 24/7 and really start getting on her bad side. "At this rate, we'll be lucky if we aren't spending the next Month on another one of those 'Essays' "Yang added earning a small whimper from her younger sister.
She wasn't sure if they could get detention for this, but she wasn't about to risk Goodwitch adding another black mark onto her and Ruby's existing rap sheet. They'd already racked up more than their fair share of detentions since the start of the year, anymore and she wasn't sure if they'd ever see the outside of Miss Goodwitch's classroom again.
"A fair assessment Miss Xiao Long" A more than familiar voice called out to the three. All eyes turned towards the approaching form of the Nightingale himself, coming to a halt a few paces behind their uncle. He regarded Qrow with a respectful nod before turning his gaze back towards Ruby and Yang, the sisters offered him a pair of sheepish looks as his cold sky-blue eyes regarded them. "Glynda is a patient woman though as you know even she has her limits."
Yang winced, yeah he definitely looked a little miffed, not that she could really argue.
She didn't regret taking a little extra time for them to start sorting things out with Uncle Qrow, she couldn't help but feel a bit scummy, especially considering what she knew about the deal he'd made with the headmaster and how much he'd gone out of his way for them over the last few months. "Come on sis" She whispered nudging her sister forward as she went.
"R-Right," Ruby stammered back, tugging at the sleeve of her hoodie nervously as she took a few quick steps towards the stairwell, glancing back and forth between it and the hooded archer behind her, biting her lip she let out a short breath before turning and calling out to him "Professor?"
Mikael turned back to regard her. " I... listen, I know you've been working really hard for us these last few weeks." She carried on finding with her fingers as she spoke. "A-and that we shouldn't have just blanked you all like that, and..." She trailed off, feeling a hand settle on her shoulders and giving it a gentle squeeze. She looked up to find a pair of sky-blue eyes staring down at her reassuringly.
"It is forgiven and forgotten." He said, his brow scrunching up in a complicated expression coming to rest on his features. "I know things have been far from easy for the two of you or your friends, and that finding yourself in this situation was the farthest thing from any of your minds the day you set foot in Beacon. " Nor had he for that matter. "How have you been managing these last few weeks?"
"It's... It's not been that bad really" The young rose replied after a moment of hesitation. "Classes and the team bonding we've been doing with each other have helped keep our mind off things." Ruby rubbed at her arm as she spoke feeling a little put on the spot at the moment. "Plus, we've been helping Jaune and the others in our spare time with prep for the festival." Extra combat practice, gathering info on visiting teams, she'd even helped Jaune come up with a few combo moves for him and his teammates.
If they couldn't be there to represent Beacon, kick butt and bring home a super cool trophy then the least they could do was make sure their sister team had an edge over the rest of the competition that would see them through to the finals, besides having Pyrrha and all that.
"I'm sorry to hear you've chosen not to compete this year." As logical as the decision may have been, from what he understood this tournament was a rather important part of remnants culture, with many young fighters chomping at the bit for the chance to compete.
"It was a team decision." Ruby waved off a slight frown adorning her features. Even if she agreed with it, she couldn't help but feel more than a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to take part alongside the rest of the teams from Beacon. "There's a lot that could go wrong if we went up there, so we're just going to be watching it from Beacon."
"We didn't want to risk it, especially with all those people up there." Yang added earning a soft hum from Mikael in agreement.
Mora launching an attack on Amity was a very real threat, and one Mikael had brought up with Ozpin more than once in the days following the revelation of Hermaeus involvement, however there was little they could do to postpone let alone stop the event with everything as it is, respected as the headmaster was among the ruling council of Vale, his word let alone that of a stranger would not be enough to sway the council in their decision, and may even bring more trouble down upon them if they were to try.
"Still, I'd ask that you not act as though your own wants and problems are somehow less important or think you cannot take part in the festivities out of fear of what may or may not happen." At the end of the day, they were still children, even with the path they had chosen in life and with things the way they were, they deserved to be able to act like it for as long as they could. "You've done well pressing on as you have over these last few weeks, but I do not expect you to carry on as you have with impunity, there is always a point where we need to stop and take a step away from it all."
Even he had his limits and had learned the cost of carrying on well past them more than once in his time, justifying the cost with the belief he had to be this way, that he had to push himself, that he had to be stronger to prove the faith others held for him and meet the expectations levelled upon him hadn't been misplaced. "If you or your team feel as though it is becoming too much for whatever reason or you feel you need time to yourselves, away from training, classes, this" He gestured with his free hand towards his surroundings "I know it might seem easier at the moment to dismiss it or shove it aside, but please, come to me and I will make sure arrangements are made for you."
"I..." Ruby trailed off her brow knitting down into a thin line as she considered his words.
Ever since the night she'd been taken she and her team had been in a near-constant state of stress, always on guard, always on the lookout for signs of that monster and while the news about the barrier had given them some much-needed breathing room to the point they could at least let their guard down on academy grounds, but even then that same pressure, that weight was still there in the back of her mind.
The only real time she could recall recently where she and her team had been able to relax had been the day winter had shown up for a visit, a day of relaxation and fun with her team followed by a night of "eloquent conversation" as Weiss would put it with her cool big sister. Other than that, she couldn't remember a time over these last few weeks that she'd been able to relax and enjoy herself like they all had.
So, the chance for her and her team to forget about classes, forget about all the eyes watching them, and forget about the monsters waiting for them just beyond the walls of the academy didn't sound that bad. "Thank you." Ruby replied after a moment of silence
"Think nothing of it." Mikael replied, tilting his head back towards the stairwell. "Now, be on your way." Ruby nodded quickly and jogged off to join her sister. The older girl wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into her side as they made their way towards the stairwell. Pulling open the door, Yang looked back at him, a grateful look in her eyes as they disappeared into the stairwell.
Mikael let out a small breath, reaching up to rub at his eyes while retrieving his scroll from one of his pouches. Glancing down at the display, he nodded to himself in satisfaction. 'There's still time,' he thought to himself, far less than he'd initially hoped for but enough that they'd be able to run them through a few of the drills to familiarise themselves with the pendant's abilities and its limitations for when team RWBY next decided to set foot outside of beacon.
Still, as he had realised the night Mora had enacted his plans to abduct Miss Rose; the endeavour he was undertaking would be a long and difficult one for all involved and while what he had done these last few weeks would help to lay the groundwork of what was to come, there was still more that needed to be done before they moved onto the next logical step, should they hope to survive what is to come.
"Shouldn't you be going up there with them?" Ahh, speaking of which.
"Serana is more than capable of handling things on her own." There were more than a few recruits at Fort Dawnguard who could lend credence to Serana's reputation as a notorious taskmaster, both within the halls of the Fort Alchemy Laboratory and its Training Yard. "In the meantime, there are some things I'd like to discuss with you regarding the next steps of our operations."
Qrow quirked a brow back at him. "Look." He began keeping his tone as even as he could muster "Not that I don't appreciate the heads up but, pretty sure you should be saving that talk for later on with Oz?" Despite the years he'd spent working under the old wizard, he wasn't ashamed to admit his knowledge of magic was on the lower end despite the few things he'd picked up over the years courtesy of his work with Amber and the other two Maidens. "That stuff isn't exactly my department." He replied.
"I'm aware of your skillset and while you may not be attuned to the more magical aspects of our work, your combat abilities would be more than helpful regarding a few matters that have been on my mind recently, one of which concerns Miss Rose specifically." Mikael pressed on, his words drawing an immediate reaction from the Huntsmen his attention now locked on Mikael intently before he could make his thought known however Mikael gestured off towards the offices to the side of the entrance. "If you have the time?"
There were a few too many eyes and ears out here for his liking.
Qrow fixed the Nightingale with a flat look. "Fine, whatever." A part of him wanted to just shrug the guy off and be on his way, but not only had he just made the girls a promise, but his own suspicions wouldn't let him turn down the chance at some more info where it involved his nieces.
Crossing the foundry floor Mikael pushed open the doorway into the office he had Serana had occupied for most of the days leading up to now, a few scant crumpled diagrams and empty coffee cups littered the desk. Rounding the table Mikael pulled out the chair closest to him and sat down gesturing silently to the chair across the other side of him.
Qrow crossed his arms in response, situating himself with his back against the reinforced windows across the other side of the room. "I'll stand if it's all the same to you." Not to be rude or anything but if he had to be dragged off to a small unassuming corner office for a meeting with someone who he didn't trust as far as he could throw him, -not that he expected him to pull something with the others close by- he'd prefer to be the one with the advantage in that situation.
The Nightingale shrugged in response "As you wish." If the distance gave him some sense of security or perceived power over their current situation, then he wasn't bothered, just so long as the Black Reaper would listen to what he had to say. "After the events of today, my sister and I will be dividing our attention to focus on individual projects regarding the installation of further magical applications across the academy." Mikael gestured back towards the leftovers of their earlier work. "As well as the gathering of appropriate materials and the research of others for said projects which may require us to requisition aid from those in the know."
"Right." It made sense considering what he'd peeked at their notes about that jewellery they were passing off to the kids, plus there wasn't someone out there who hadn't heard one of those old wives' tales about certain plants or metals having 'mystical' properties, like silver or salt, most of which they should have been able to requisition through OZ or hell, grab themselves from the cafeteria or Miranda's Chemistry lab. "And what exactly would you need my 'assistance' with anyway?" Qrow inquired.
Mikael leaned forward resting his hands on the table in front of him. "To put it frankly, the resources we used to create the objects you've seen today are running short." He was already making arrangements with the headmaster to mitigate that issue in regard to physical materials, those relating to the arcane were outside of Ozpins' ability to provide. "The physical materials the academy has provided are of no issue to us, it is the more arcane materials we use to re-enforce our creations that are the problem."
A look of understanding passed over The Black Repaers features. "And you can't exactly go out anywhere around here to get more, can you?" He might have been able to a few thousand years ago back in Oz's time, but here and now, anything that could be even considered magic was either a closely guarded secret or a powerful semblance that had been mistaken for the arcane in the heat of the moment.
"Our supply has dwindled somewhat after forging the Barrier stones and creating the talismans for team RWBY." All that remained were two Dark Soul gems and a handful of petty gems he'd managed to scrounge up that he was hesitant to put to use for anything less than the most necessary reasons. "Serana and I can supplement them with our own arcane power for the time being, but we will be limited in what we can create and the time frame that we can provide them until this issue is remedied."
The situation involving their supply of Soul Gems had been on his mind for some time now, and while his and Serana's power would be enough for some of the smaller projects they had planned moving forward. However, if they wanted to repeat the creation of something on a similar scale as the barrier that surrounded Beacon without being forced to drag out the process for weeks at a time, then they would need a steady stockpile.
Qrow nodded back, although he was having trouble understanding why he'd bring this up in conversation, unless." You have a way to get more don't you?"
"Returning to Nirn is not an option for us at the moment, however, the items in question are not unique to Nirn alone, they can also appear within the realms of Oblivion." Mikael paused tapping a finger against the table. "As luck would have it there is another realm we are both acutely aware of that I possess the means to travel to."
It took a moment for the Black Reaper to process the Nightingales' words before realisation dawned on him, his face twisting in a grim look of understanding.
"Apocrypha." Qrow spat the name out like it was poison on his tongue, a world endless landscape dotted with giant spiralling bookshelves that stretched high into the acidic green sky, dotted with black clouds and with what little land there was surrounded by dark ink-black waves, that bubbled and hissed, threatening to burn away all that came in contact with them. And from the sound of it, Mikael was suggesting they go there to rip the place off, so he could fund the defence of Beacon. "You're telling me, the two of you have been making plans on raiding that thing's home to fund your crazy science fair projects."
"They would be small-scale infiltration missions to secure necessary supplies and nothing more." Mikael replied in an even tone, a quick smash and grab with the sole objective of securing items of interest such as scrolls, soul gems and other items of a magical nature. "So long as we maintain a level of discretion the risk would be minimal."
Qrow paused regarding the Nightingale with a serious look "Does Oz know about this?"
"As of yet, no." Not that he would have brought this to him now, there was no way he could justify the risk at this moment in time. Although once the pendent he had supplied team RWBY proved their worth then perhaps he would approach him regarding this. "I have been putting together a proposal regarding the matter, but we are not yet at the point that would warrant such a risk. But should the time come, having a select group of huntsmen on standby who would not blink in the face of such an unknown would only improve our chances of success."
"And I'm guessing you want me to be one of those huntsmen helping you make those run." Qrow surmised.
He'd done a lot of crazy shit over the years in the name of the kingdoms and the world as a whole, but being asked to dive literally into Hell alongside this nutjob, was a new one.
"No huntsmen involved would set foot in Apocrypha" Mikael replied, leaning back into his chair he fixed the elder huntsmen with a serious look. "I could not guarantee your safety nor that you would return from such a place unchanged. When the time comes my sister or I would be the ones carrying out the delve into Apocrypha, the huntsmen I speak of would act as a rear guard for us, as our return to remnant will be far less easy than our arrival there." If any Daedra pursued them back through to remnant they would need to be dealt with swiftly before they had the chance to wreak havoc.
So, he didn't actually want them there, instead, they'd be in charge of keeping whatever portal they were using to get there safe and stop anything from coming through. 'Yeah, like things would be that easy.' He thought to himself with a small shake of the head.
He'd admit it made sense on paper, those two would be the ones facing the bulk of the danger while their own people would be far from the front line, but there was still the issue of him suggesting they open a portal to connect Remnant and the hell that place called home. "No offence, but you'd have better luck convincing the Grimm to help us, than getting a mission like that green-lit." Qrow shook his head in disbelief. "Hell, have you even considered doing this might provoke him enough that he decides just to screw scheming in the background and come for us then and there."
"Have you considered that this isn't just going to stop if we manage to beat him back?" Mikael interrupted his voice rising slightly as his cold sky-blue eyes stared back at the Black Reaper unflinchingly, his concerns were justified but his understanding was far too narrow-minded, no, it was better to say that he was just ignorant of the true scale of what was coming for him to be able to see the bigger picture. "Through his actions, Hermaeus has exposed Remnant to dangers far beyond your comprehension or that of anyone on Remnant." Mikael took a breath calming himself less he said something that may antagonise the huntsmen into doing something they would both regret.
"For now he is the current threat against us, but it will not be long until others like him take note of his actions if they have done so already and grow curious as to what has gained his attention, and let me be clear that out of the many Daedric lords I have encountered he is one of the weaker of them." Mikael stressed pointing back through the office window and up towards the skylight above them.
"And if he wanted to, he could appear above Vale right this second and what we have in place would slow him down enough for us to rally for the coming battle, but in no way would it stop his advance upon this world outright." The only reason he hadn't appeared already was the unseen forces at play behind the scenes and Hermaeus's desire to achieve his goal through his own means and no others. "It is not a matter of if he will make another attempt on Miss Rose, but when and as such steps need to be taken to ensure we have the best advantage against him and those that may set their sights upon this world after him."
Qrow scowled, forcing himself to keep his hands by his side his fist clenching so tight his nails threatened to break through his aura and draw blood "You think we don't get that we're outnumbered and outgunned to hell and back" It was a foregone conclusion at this point that thing wasn't finished with them just yet and while it might not have looked like it from their end, they'd all been scrambling behind the scenes trying to shore up the kingdom's defences while he played magician. "But the risk of doing this doesn't justify the reward not while we still have time to find another way...or does that barrier you were so keen to tell us about have its own 'glitch' you've been keeping to yourself about." It would explain why he wanted to do this, especially if the 'resources' he'd been going on about kept that thing running.
"Were there an issue of any kind you would already be aware of it." Mikael replied maintaining an even tone as he rebuffed the black Reapers accusation.
He had kept to his word since their meeting atop Beacon Tower and kept the headmaster and his followers informed of his operations around Beacon, withholding such crucial information as a possible fault in the barrier would serve them no purpose in the long run. "The barrier is fully functional, these supplies would be used for further projects relating to team RWBY and the expansion of additional defences against the Daedra for the academy, however, these are only short-term answers, deterrents, which don't even begin to address the larger issue at hand."
"Yeah, you keep saying that." Qrow replied, kicking off the wall he began to pace across the office, why did every conversation he had with this guy always go from one headache to another? "So, where does Ruby fit into all of this?" He wasn't interested in drawing this out more than it needed to be.
Mikael paused for a moment considering his words carefully, this was a far different beast than his previous conversation with Miss Xiao Long, Qrow's opinion of him was clear. They were not friends in any regard, no, The Black Reaper tolerated his presence at the academy because of his skills, and skills that could be put to work ensuring his family's safety, and even then it was done more out of necessity than choice.
So the level of trust he would be asking for may be far more than he was willing to give him at the moment, but he could see no other way around it at this point, attempting to circumvent him or the academy would serve only as a detriment to both of them, nothing more.
So, if he was to see his plan through without incident, then he needed Qrow's help.
"Her eyes." And from what he had seen from Qrow so far, the direct approach may be the best way to break through his stubborn exterior and make him listen. "Hermaeus went after your niece because of the power buried inside her, he went after her because of what your niece is capable of... because she is a threat to him and those like him."
"Really" Qrow scoffed he'd heard the stories about how powerful the silvers were meant to be, the same as any of them in the know had, how entire hordes of Grimm had fallen to them at just a glance. But these weren't Grimm they were dealing with, as much as he wanted to hope otherwise, the Grimm would have been easier, an agent sent by Salem would have been easier, but that thing his niece had described to him in vivid detail... was a monster beyond anything he had seen or faced before, even Salem.
So, the idea that his niece might be some kind of 'Chosen One' capable of fighting him head-on like this guy was making her out to be, was more than a little bit out there, even for him. "And how are you so sure about any of that?" Qrow countered, even Oz barely understood what the Silvers-eyed warriors were capable of, and he'd even admitted to being one of them in a past life. "How much of what you're spouting right now is fact or just some theory you've cooked up, that's gonna end up blowing up in our faces when the time comes."
Mikael grimaced beneath his cowl in response to Qrows accusation, it wasn't as though he could just say that his lady had told him as much, that path would be a swift road to unnecessary bloodshed. "The Journal." Mikael eventually settled on. It was the only realistic choice he had to explain his theory. "Do you remember what I said in the office, about how I found it and what the creature was trying to do with it?"
Qrow grimaced and nodded back to him "Yeah." He'd picked it up off of some fucked up cross between a squid and a librarian, that slimy fucker apparently liked to keep around to take care of all of its book collection. "It turned tail and ran at the sight of you."
"That doesn't strike you as strange?" Mikael carried on "That the same creatures I encountered on my journey up that god's forsaken tower, had been carrying a book that contained not only the thoughts and experiences of another just like Miss Rose, but their notes on how they came to call upon their own power." Mikael pressed on "Out of all the other tombs of power spread throughout his realm, that book was the one its master instructed it to bring them."
Why was that one book so important enough that the seeker had felt the need to flee, to protect that book above all others around it, rather than stand and fight to prevent the one threat against its masters plans from intervening before its work could be done? "Because it was information that its master had the intent to pass on, and that could be used against him in the right hands."
"And you're those hands?" Qrow inquired back at him his suspicions all too clear.
Mikael shook his head in frustration "I do not care who trains her, whether it is myself, you or someone who is chosen by the headmaster for the task, only that she is given the chance to learn, to prepare." The Last Dragonborn gestured back to himself. "I have seen first-hand what Hermaeus is capable of and when he returns for her, not if, Ruby will need every advantage available to her if she hopes to walk away from this."
A low frustrated sound emanated in the back of Qrow's throat, as much he hated to admit it the guy was making some good points.
"Alright... maybe it wouldn't be a completely bad idea if she had more time for training." And who said all the training had to focus just on her eyes, there were more than a few things his niece could do with some brushing up on that he and Tai had let slide over the last few years.
As for the silvers, however... he wasn't sure that was something he was ready to give any ground on right now, and not for the obvious reason sitting across from him right now.
He hadn't missed that curiosity in his niece's eyes back in Beacon Tower when he brought up Ruby's ancestry, how eager she'd been to hear more about the silver-eyed warriors and what she was really capable of, and that worried him. "What if she starts getting it in her head that she needs to do something about this, that she has to face him one on one."
"Then we will be there to guide her away from such foolhardiness." Mikael pressed on, it was not that long ago that he had set out upon his own doom-driven quest against impossible odds, a journey that had nearly been the end of him a dozen times over, he would not have that girl think she would have to walk a similar path to his own "I have no intention of filling her head with tales of grandeur, destiny or about fated responsibility, all I want is for her and the rest of those girls to be able to be able to walk out of the other side of this and I swear to you now I will do all that is within my power to ensure that happens... if you will let me."
Qrow stared back at Mikael silently judging him and his words for any signs of insincerity, any sign of deceit or just plain anything that would give him a reason to doubt the man here and now, and after a long tense breath of silence he finally gave his reply. "What exactly would you need, to get the ball rolling on this?"
"The journal Glynda confiscated from me for a start, the material inside will be invaluable to us." In the brief time that it had been in his possession, he had managed to put together what he believed to be a functional training regime for her, however, he could not be certain how receptive Miss Rose would be to the same training he had undergone under Master Arngeir until they tried it, so having material he could compare their findings against would help to expand and refine their training methods.
"As for facilities." Mikael trailed off, crossing his arms across his chest he cupped his chin in thought "I don't expect us to be in any position to conduct any combat drills for some time, so not having access to the arenas shouldn't be an issue." Beacon had its fair share of unused classrooms and offices on site, and while that number had shrunk somewhat with the preparation for the Vytal festival, there would still be more than enough space to fit their needs and even then, what he had in mind already Miss Rose could practice within the comfort of her dorm if she wished.
Qrow nodded back to him slowly, with the Vytal festival right around the corner the main facilities across the campus would be packed with students from all four academies looking to get in some extra training and prep time in before they stepped out into that arena, and the emerald forest wasn't exactly a good option for them considering what might very well be waiting out there for them.
He knew there'd be risks to agreeing to this, he knew what would happen if Ruby learned more about her eyes and was one day forced to use them, he knew who would take notice and the danger that would come after her. But right here and now, they were dealing with something far bigger than that, something bigger than Her, something he couldn't hope to protect Ruby from alone. "Fine... I'll help" He relented.
"I'm grateful." Mikael replied.
Qrow scoffed softly, "Yeah, don't go thanking me yet." If he was going to let this happen, then it was going to happen under his terms.
"First of all, nothing happens without either me or Glynda there to keep an eye on things." He could show all the drawings or notes he had about all of this as much as he wanted but he wanted to be there and see for himself just what this 'training' he'd been cooking up would entail, not to mention he could expect that tricky bitch of a sister of his to be involved in this as well... speaking of. "Your sister can keep her distance from this as well, after the crap she pulled to get herself here I don't want her sticking her nose into this."
Mikael narrowed his eyes back at The Black Reaper, he did not appreciate the implications of his words that Serana may do something untoward to Miss Rose but considering the means by which Serana had arrived at Beacon he couldn't say the request was not justified. "I understand you and my sister did not meet under the best circumstances, but Serana would not harm those girls."
"Don't care." Qrow replied, his blood-red eyes staring down into the Nightingales' icy blue eyes " She doesn't get involved in this, get her to handle some of the other stuff you were talking about."
Mikael stared back at Qrow for a long moment before letting out a breath. "Will there be anything else?"
"That's all." If he were being honest, he had more than a few other conditions in mind about all of this right now, but most of them would just knock all the progress he'd made with Ruby and Yang back to square one, once they found out.
"In that case, once you've returned the book to me, I'll need a few days to put everything together before we bring this to her." And while their information was limited to the words of his lady and the contents of a single journal, he was confident it would be enough to stave off any further curiosity Miss Rose might have towards her abilities for the time being, cutting off yet another route Hermaeus could use to attempt to entrap her in the future.
Mikael rose from his chair and offered Qrow his hand "We have a deal then?"
Qrow glanced down at the offered limb then back up at the owner before reaching out and taking his hand, pumping some aura into his hand, amplifying his grip strength. He made sure it wasn't enough to cause any real damage, but it was enough to let the guy know he meant business, and just enough to act as a warning of what would come if something happened to his niece because of this. "...Deal" he said his cold blood-red orbs staring into the twin pair of icy blue eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his hood.
The Nightingale stared back at him silently, seemingly unaffected by the huntsmen's gaze or the sudden increase in pressure on his hand.
Eventually, after a long moment of silence Qrow released the Dragonborn, turned and dragged the office door open, glancing back over his shoulder towards the Nightingale he added "I'll talk to Oz, see if he'll be willing to hand the book back over." Then stepped through the doorway the door swinging shut behind him.
Mikael let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, then grimaced beneath his cowl glancing down at his hand he flexed his fingers once then twice again, before drawing his scroll from his belt pouch as he rose from his chair he glanced down at his scroll, noting the time he typed out a quick message to Serana regarding the status of team RWBY.
He waited a few moments staring down at his scroll silently, then it buzzed signalling her response. 'Deadlines only fifteen minutes away so Glynda and I decided to cut them loose for now' A set of dots appeared on the screen for a few moments before another message appeared beneath the last 'But, she wants my help running them through a few remedial classes through the week to make sure they're all familiar with the Pendants and their limitation.'
Mikael hummed softly in response; a sound decision given the time frame this morning's events had forced upon him. 'Good' He typed out before adding 'Qrow has agreed to assist us regarding Miss Rose, he will attempt to persuade Ozpin to turn over the journal to us.'
'Well, that worked out better than I expected.' Serana typed back; he could feel the concern in his sister's next words. 'You're still sure this is still the best option moving forward.'
'Believe me, I still have my hang-up about involving her more than she already is in something so trying.' But with Hermaeus's attention focussed so keenly on that girl, he hardly saw any other options in this matter. 'If this works then it will ensure Miss Rose's safety in the long term.'
'There is still our soul gem situation to worry about as well.' Serana typed, there was a slight pause before another test appeared below. 'What we have right now might sustain us a little while longer, but eventually, we'll need to restock if we're going to be able to keep working.'
'I made mention of that along with our proposed solution to Qrow, no doubt he'll bring this to Ozpins attention along with my request for the book.' Mikael typed back to her watching her response appear a few seconds later.
'That was risky.'
Mikael couldn't disagree. 'Maybe' But it was still the truth and after the look he'd seen in the headmaster's eyes after he'd seen the first of their work, he had a feeling the headmaster may be inclined to entertain the idea in the future, however, at this time the risk far outweighed the reward. 'However, it doesn't change our situation nor the fact our progress will slow and eventually stall in the future without access to more Soul Gems.'
'You think he'd agree, considering the risk to his own people' Serana typed back.
'Not now, not with the way things are, if things get worse, he may re-consider.' Mikael typed back, for now they'd just need to keep moving forward as they were, speaking of which. 'I know this was hardly the swift recovery and return as you hoped it would be, but I'm grateful that you and the others came.' He paused for a moment after clicking send then added 'I'm not sure if I could have done this one on my own; the fact you've stood with me through all of this, means a great deal to me.'
For years they'd travelled together, fought together, and bled together but they'd never been faced with a situation such as this before, for her to not only seek him out but stand with him when it came to light he could not leave Remnant, not at this time at least, meant more to him then he cared to admit.
After a few minutes of silence, his scroll buzzed. Swiping down to her response, a small smile spread across his features. Stepping over to the office windows, he looked up towards the balcony overlooking the office from across the floor, an all-too-familiar figure looking down on him from above.
'Where else would I be'
AN: I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a happy new year.