Author's Note: Act II is rapidly approaching it's conclusion. Next week I'll be taking a break from this story to post the first two chapters of a new one.

Chapter 21

Qrow looked on as the Imperial Army marched toward his fortifications, deploying into battle order as they entered the valley before him. The archers and mages readied as theirs would be the first parts played in the event of an immediate attack, but Qrow was fairly sure there would be no serious fighting that day. The Imperials had marched many miles and were surely tired. They would also want to soften up the defenses with artillery first. And so it proved as the great mass of soldiers stopped just out of bow range. The remainder of the force marched into position, along with siege machines, and then there was an eerie silence as the two armies stared at one another.

"Bombard them." Qrow ordered. "Target their artillery. All units are to fire on my order." Messengers spread through the army, commanding the artillery crews into readiness. Catapults and trebuchets were loaded and primed, awaiting the order to fire. When the messengers returned to inform Qrow that all was ready, he gave the signal. Trumpets blared up and down the line and the massive siege engines loosed their shots. Huge stones and fiery shells filled with flammable material rained down on the Imperial forces.

The Imperials soon responded in kind. Their siege machines were larger and more numerous, but the defenders had pre-sighted their weapons and the first few volleys disabled many Imperial weapons while they were still getting their range. The balance soon shifted however as sheer weight of numbers won out. In less than an hour all the defenders' heavy artillery was destroyed. Qrow knew it would be, but he hoped he had done enough damage to buy some time. Every day the combined forces of Ferox and Ylisse grew larger as more and more newly levied soldiers arrived. They would never make up the difference in numbers, but every soldier helped.

With the defenders' siege engines silenced the Imperial artillery shifted focus to the great palisade that traversed the valley and the obstacles in front of it. Parts of the wall were frequently leveled but the defenders immediately repaired them. It was just wood, and they had plenty on hand to make quick repairs. What could not be fixed was damage done to the obstacles ahead of the wall. Rubble began to fill the defensive ditch and the traps laid before them were obliterated. A day or two of bombardment would leave nothing but the wall between the two armies, and Qrow was not confident that it would be enough to ensure victory.

After observing the onslaught for some time, Qrow returned to his command tent, located a safe distance behind the wall. Khan Glynda was waiting. "The new South Khan has been selected." Glynda reported. "She's the successor James himself selected before his death. All that remains is to introduce her to the troops."

"So send out messengers." Qrow said. "I've got more important things to worry about."

"I actually had something else in mind." Glynda said. "Something that could give our soldiers a boost."

"Interesting." Qrow said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you planning?"

"Well, first I'll need a brief truce." Glynda replied. "That artillery fire will ruin my idea."

A Pegasus rider flying the flag of truce took to the skies from behind the wall and flew over the Imperial Army. The rider landed amongst the soldiers and requested to be taken to the Duchess of Rosanne. In minutes she was taken to Winter. "If you're here to negotiate terms know that I've already made my final offer." Winter warned.

"I come with a proposal of a different sort." The rider said.

"I'm listening." Winter said.

"We request a single combat, a champion of Ferox against a champion of Valm." The rider said. "The combat would take place between the lines in view of both armies. There is to be no outside interference. All that is required is a ceasefire for the duration of the duel."

"And the winner gets what?" Winter asked. "Is this to be take place in lieu of battle?"

"No." The rider replied. "This is simply a test of individual strength and honor, nothing more, nothing less."

Winter thought for a moment. If the Valmese champion lost the combat it would surely demoralize her force while giving a boost to the defenders. On the other hand, if her champion won, the situation would be reversed and victory achieved more easily. Winter was confident in both her army and her ability to select an unbeatable fighter. "I accept." Winter said. "Our artillery will stop firing at midday tomorrow. If your champion does not immediately come out to fight, our bombardment will resume."

"Very well." The rider said. "I will inform my commanders."

Weiss and her group rode all day and all night, finally reaching Qrow's army after dark. They were taken directly to his command tent. Qrow looked up as his nieces entered and smiled. "You're okay." He said, breathing a sigh of relief. Then he saw the scars and his smile disappeared. "But something's happened."

"Many things have happened." Weiss said.

"Raven attacked us again." Yang said. "We had a dragon fight. I lost."

"You're lucky to be alive." Qrow said.

"Yeah…" Yang sighed. "Raven...she's dead. I'm sorry."

Qrow took a deep breath. "Don't be." He said. "It's a relief. Now I don't have to worry about her hurting anyone. And she can finally be at peace. How did she die?"

"I killed her." Pyrrha said. "She surrendered to Ruby, calling her Summer, and asked to be killed. Ruby could not go through with it. I offered, but I will not kill an unarmed foe. I told Raven to take up her sword and fight me. I pierced her heart with my lance."

"She let you kill her." Qrow said.

"I assumed as much." Pyrrha agreed. "She was given a proper burial in a nobleman's cemetery."

"That's probably a better end than she could have expected." Qrow sighed. "What happened to Blake? Given Blake's lineage Raven would not have harmed her."

"Raven's ally Adam Taurus attacked us as well." Weiss said. "Blake stood between us to save my life."

"I never thought I'd see the day, you defending a Schnee." Qrow said.

"I bet you never thought I'd get romantic with one either." Blake said.

"Wow Yang, that was over quick." Qrow said, trying to add a little levity to the conversation.

"Weiss and I are actually still together." Yang said. "It's the three of us now."

"Gods, you certainly take after your father." Qrow laughed. "So, I assume you met with the Exalt. How'd it go? I'm guessing he gave support for an invasion of Valm if we can stop Winter."

"I don't really know how to say this…" Weiss started. "The Exalt wanted us to give this to you." She presented the small box the group had been entrusted with in Ylisstol.

Qrow took the box and opened it. "The Exalt's signet and seal...Gods…" Qrow gasped.

"Queen Cinder of Plegia cursed him." Weiss explained. "When we met with him he was on his deathbed."

The box also contained a letter. Qrow read it with tears in his eyes. "He was a good friend." Qrow wept. "And now this...it's too much."

"What does it say?" Ruby asked.

"It's the Exalt's will." Qrow replied. "I...I'm the new Exalt."

Weiss immediately bowed and the rest of her group followed. "Your Majesty." She said.

"But I don't have Exalted Blood." Qrow said. "Who will defend the world? Who will wield the Falchion. I cannot."

"I have Exalted Blood." Weiss said. "Through my late mother. The Exalt entrusted me with the Falchion and the Fire Emblem. Though I fear he misjudged."

"If he trusted you, I trust you." Qrow said.

"The Falchion was destroyed." Weiss admitted. "I used it to defend myself against Adam, but his blade cut through it like it was made of paper." Nora handed Weiss the case containing the two halves of the Falchion and the Fire Emblem. Weiss opened it to show Qrow.

"This is a tragedy." Qrow said. "The Exalt's death, the destruction of this legendary weapon, this war. It feels like the end of the world, and now it might well be. Without the Falchion there is no defense against a successor to Grima. Unless…"

"Unless what?" Weiss asked.

"I have an idea, but it will have to wait." Qrow said. "Now you should rest. We can discuss strategy in the morning."

Weiss, Yang and Pyrrha arrived at Qrow's command tent just after sunrise. Qrow looked as though he had not slept at all. He probably had not. "What's the plan?" Yang asked.

"I don't really have one." Qrow sighed. "I was hoping to hold out until the Imperial Army ran out of supplies but my scouts tell me they've got enough for a prolonged siege. We might even run out before they do."

"So we destroy their supplies." Weiss suggested. "Where are they located."

"Behind their army, well to the rear." Qrow said. "Even if we had artillery we wouldn't be able to reach them, and there's no way we could fight our way through their forces."

"We could sneak around them." Pyrrha said. "We snuck around the Plegian armies, and the terrain around here would make stealth even easier."

"It's suicide." Qrow said. "Once you've destroyed their supplies, assuming you even get that far, you're going to be trapped behind their army with no support. They won't take you prisoner either."

"If it's the only way to stop them we'll do it." Weiss said. "Suicide or not, that army must be defeated. My father cannot be allowed to rule the world."

"I'm not going to send my nieces to their deaths." Qrow said.

"Neither will I." Weiss said. "But you know as well as I do that they're going to volunteer, and nothing you or I say will dissuade them. Now that we know what must be done, it's going to be done, no matter the risks."

"I know." Qrow sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I will do everything in my power to protect Yang and Ruby." Pyrrha said. "They will survive, even if none of the rest of us do."

"Since there's no stopping you...fine." Qrow relented. "There's only one thing. There will be a short truce at midday to allow for a single combat between champions of the respective armies. You are not to attack before or during the truce. Attacking later would be wise as the cover of darkness may aid your escape."

"But they'll probably return to camp at night." Pyrrha pointed out. "We'll need to attack before that or we won't be able to get near our target."

"So we'll attack at dusk." Weiss said. "We'll head out immediately to sneak into position. We'll require maps of the area."

"Here." Qrow reached into a box of scrolls and pulled one out. "This map shows all the trails through the forest." He sighed. "Good luck...and...come back alive."

"Don't worry." Yang said. "If I can survive a dragon fight with Raven, I can survive anything."

"Yeah." Qrow said, managing a smile. "You'll be alright."

As promised the unrelenting barrage from the Imperial artillery stopped at midday. An unsettling silence prevailed. A gate near the center of the defensive wall creaked open and out stepped a short ginger girl. The gate was quickly closed and barred behind her. She was clad in light leather armor, carrying a sword in one hand and a tome in the other. She walked toward the Imperial Army. There was no need to be careful about where she stepped. The obstacles that had once separated the two armies had since been chewed up by the siege engines and all that remained was a cratered landscape.

A few dozen yards from the wall the ground leveled off where it had not been bombarded. The girl found a particularly clear spot and stopped. There was some commotion among the Imperial soldiers and soon a towering giant of a man pushed his way through the lines. Apparently he was their champion. The man was at least 7 feet tall, clad head to toe in heavy plate armor, and carried a broadaxe. The ease with which he casually swung the weapon about attested to his immense strength.

The giant stopped a few feet from the girl, rested his axe over his shoulder and lifted his face-shield. "You're Ferox's champion?" The man laughed heartily. "You're nothing but a child! If this is the best Ferox has…"

"I'm not a child." The girl cut him off. "I'm a Khan. South Khan Penny."

"Well, South Khan Penny, I hope you've enjoyed your reign." The giant said. "It's going to be very short."

"Shall we fight?" Penny asked, ignoring the insults.

"Yeah, let's get this over with." The giant said. "Your head's gonna' look real pretty on the end of a pike." He lowered his face-shield and readed his weapon.

Penny made the first move, charging straight at her colossal opponent. He swung his axe around, hard enough that his whole body spun with it. Penny ducked under the attack, slashing at the giant's leg as the did. Her blade cleaved the armor on his left knee and sliced into his flesh. Already off balance from his swing, the man fell to his knee, bracing himself by putting a hand on the ground. He swung his axe again, less coordinated this time, and Penny backed up, just out of range. She opened her tome, spoke a spell, and held out her sword. Electricity flew from the blade and arced across the giant's armor. The man roared in pain, writing for a few seconds before dropping to his hands and knees. Penny stepped forward, raised her blade, and brought it down on the back of the giant's neck, severing his head in a single stroke.

With that Penny stepped back, dragged the flat of her blade across her arm to clean off the blood, then did the same to the other side before sheathing it. She slipped the tome into a satchel slung over her shoulder. Emotionless, she walked back toward the defensive wall just as she had left it. A great cheer rose up from the Ylissean and Feroxi forces. Shouted chants began. "All hail Khan Penny!" Penny smiled as she heard the cheering. All her life she had been prepared for this moment. She had never imagined it would come so soon, and the death of her mentor had been a horrible shock, but she had acquitted herself nicely and done him proud.

While the defenders celebrated wildly, the situation on the other side was very different. The Imperial soldiers were stunned. Not only had their most powerful warrior been felled by a tiny girl, that little girl had killed him effortlessly. If she entered the fray, what hope did any of the others have? Discontented whispers began to spread. The officers did their best to assuage the fears of their men. "It was a bad matchup." "She can't take all of us." "It was a lucky shot." "She cheated." It seemed to calm the soldiers but they had clearly been shaken.

The defenders, once despairing of their chances, now felt victory was assured. The Imperials' most powerful warrior had turned out to be a paper tiger. The idea that they were somehow invincible was destroyed. They could be beaten, and soundly at that. Plus they had a new hero to rally around. More was to come. Qrow had gathered his lieutenants. They spread through the army, and ordered the soldiers to meet around a hastily assembled platform behind the center of the wall.

Qrow ascended the platform. Once atop it he briefly surveyed his troops. He took a deep breath. "I have sad news from the capital." He said. There was some whispering between soldiers. "Exalt Ozpin has passed." There were gasps and shocked shouts. "He has named me his successor."

There was a short silence, no one sure how to react to the news. An officer scrambled up onto the platform, followed by his squad of soldiers. They lifted Qrow up on their shields. "Long live the Exalt!" The officer shouted. His men repeated the cry. Soon the shouts spread through the entire army. Even the Feroxi soldiers still manning the wall joined in the shouts. Despite hearing that Ozpin was dead, the soldiers' morale was boosted. Now the Exalt himself was watching them, leading them, sharing their peril. It was the ultimate in leadership. Even Qrow now dared to hope they could be victorious.

Weiss led her group through the winding forest trails that ran alongside the Imperial Army. They could hear shouting and cheering, along with the crash of artillery, as they continued along. The commotion briefly stopped. Soon after the sound of siege engines returned but the cheering did not. Something had clearly happened during the truce to silence the Imperial soldiers. There was not time to concern themselves with that though. They had to focus on being as stealthy as possible. If they were caught their mission would be a failure. Their very survival, perhaps the fate of the world, depended on them reaching the rear of the Imperial Army unnoticed.

Pyrrha's Pegasus could at times be ornery but she continually fed it treats and it kept quiet and obedient. Zwei needed no such encouragement and silently trotted along. Ren cast a spell on Nora that silenced her speech, just in case. The trail they followed was far narrower, more mountainous and less well-kept than anything they had encountered in Plegia. It was just as well. The thick cover would hide them very effectively and the myriad obstructions would block the sound of their footfalls.

After walking for some time the group reached the edge of the forest near where the Imperial Army was keeping its supplies. Yang scanned the area. "A few dozen guards." She reported. "No archers or mages."

"I should be free to take to the air then." Pyrrha said.

"The wagons are all clustered together." Yang continued. "One good fire should take them all out. Unfortunately there's a stream nearby. We can't let the fire be put out."

"We'll just have to eliminate the guards then." Blake said. "If there's no one alive, there will be no one to put out the fire."

"We don't have time for prisoners." Weiss said. "Incapacitate those that resist. If any flee, let them go. Damnit we're outnumbered by a lot."

"I have a plan." Pyrrha said. "I just hope my Pegasus will go along with it."