Ember Legacy, Volume 1

Chapter 3: To Catch A Thief

City of Vale

"When it comes to fighting for your dreams, be a dragon. Breathe fire."

~ Richelle E. Goodrich

Blake Belladonna had been casing out the unassuming apartment for some time now. The Cat Faunus had decided that tonight was the night. The apartment's occupant hadn't been seen for a few days, and if her sources were correct, she was out on some business somewhere.

I wish I could tell for sure if she really is a wealthy merchant, or a nobleman's daughter… Something, anything about her would have been helpful.

But this young blonde woman, seemingly of an age with the raven-haired girl herself, was an enigma. Blake had lived on the streets all her life, and considered herself a rather talented rogue, with far-ranging contacts throughout the kingdom, but absolutely nobody knew anything about her target.

One day, several weeks ago, she simply showed up out of the blue. Little luggage, but with a regal air about her that spoke of wealth.

There just had to be something of value in that apartment. And Blake was determined to be the one to find it, before any other scoundrels tried to move in first.

The Cat Faunus crouched on the rooftop of the building across the street, her furry ears tilted as she scanned the neighborhood and her long, black tail swishing eagerly behind her.

She loved this, the brink before she sprung into action and robbed some hapless fool blind. There was nothing sweeter than enjoying the fruits of other's labors, especially the obscenely rich. Her last job, however, had taken a turn for the worse as they'd recently gotten a guard dog that her intelligence had missed.

Blake suppressed a shudder at the memory. No, she was giving the wealthy quarter a wide berth for a while, too many people had seen her face as she fled in terror from the ravenous beast. But the mercantile quarter, now, had plenty of targets.

And this one was the most promising.

Her Faunus ears twitched at the sound of boots approaching, the sharp clomps ringing against the dimly-lit cobblestone street below. Once she made out the approaching figures, she shrank further back into the shadows. No mere watchmen, these were Knights, and she did not want to tangle with the likes of such opponents.

Her amber eyes poked over the edge of the rooftop, tracking the movement of the quartet of female Knights on foot. Eventually she could pick out their markings, relaxing somewhat.

"At least they're from the Order of Artemis," she sighed softly to herself. Of the many organized so-called chivalrous groups throughout the four kingdoms, the Order of Artemis only accepted females, though without any regard to race, social status, or upbringing. They were widely known as just and fair, certainly not ones to punish a simple rogue like herself with the cutting off of extremities. The Order of the Cardinal was infamous for their harsh sentences, carried out on the spot of their apprehension.

She had a few friends who had run afoul of those monsters in humanoid guise. She clutched her tail to herself protectively at the memory.

Eventually, the four lightly-armored Knights, three Humans led by a purple-haired Elf, rounded the street corner, the long brick-red hair of the last in line passing out of sight. Blake waited for several more minutes even after they'd passed before she stirred.

The slim girl straightened her black vest worn over a dark purple long-sleeved tunic, checked that her black tights were still securely tucked into her flexible, soft black ankle boots, and finally adjusted the knives she carried about her body. She never went without her blades, and had a few secreted in some quite unnoticeable places.

Satisfied that she was as ready as she was going to be, Blake took a few steps back, inhaled sharply, and then hurled herself forward. As her foot touched the edge of the rooftop, she sent a boost of her Aura into her jump, soaring through the intervening space with her arms outstretched over the street below.

Truthfully, this was one of the reasons she was so good at her job. She was able to jump further than most in her trade, and loved to do so. The feeling of weightlessness as she crossed the open spaces between buildings, for just a brief, fleeting instant, it was almost like she was flying.

Her travel ended all too soon, and she tucked herself into a tight roll, coming to a rest against the parapet on the far side of the roof. Stealthily she traversed back to the street-side, and without further ado, gripped the edge of the roof to somersault down and onto the windowsill of her target.

As she clung to the side of the building, feet resting on the narrow ledge, she pulled out a few of her tools. Blake's amber eyes narrowed as she traced the outline of the window, checking for the presence of traps or magical runes that would trigger upon opening.

Finding none, she gave a quiet, disappointed grunt. This had damn well better be worth it.

The Cat Faunus deftly worked the locks, gripping some of the tools in between her teeth while her free hand slipped a slim piece of metal in between the cracks. Without much of a fuss, the lock was picked, and she was able to slide the sill up and slip inside.

Alright then, what do we have here… Talk to me, little room, show me your goodies…

She canvassed the study that she found herself in, checking for hidden drawers or secret compartments. Finding nothing, she let out an irritated huff and stared at the only locked compartment there, a drawer of the large desk.

"That is entirely too obvious," she muttered to herself under her breath.

Shrugging, she knelt in front of the desk and worked open the lock carefully, expecting the worst to occur at anytime.

When it happened, it wasn't what she was expecting.

"You sure you're in the right place?" a sleepy voice called out.

Blake spun, a blade already slipped into her hand, as her Faunus eyesight immediately focused on the speaker. It was a buxom blonde, wearing only a mid-length linen shift that left her knees and feet bare. She was scratching the back of her head, her luxurious wavy locks rustling in the dark.

Oum's sodding balls, how did I not hear her?

"What, cat got your tongue?"

Blake glared at the girl, though by the smirk evident she was all too aware of the racial jab.

Wait, forget about me not hearing her, how can she even see me?

"In case you're wondering…" The blonde paused as she yawned widely. "Yeah, I can see you just fine, the moonlight's enough for me. Now, what's your name, kitten?"

Blake growled quietly. That was quite enough disparaging remarks for one night. Her hand whipped forward, throwing her blade out to plunge into the other girl's shoulder to cover for her escape…

Or it would have, had the blonde's hand not flashed out to bat the thrown knife away like an annoying insect.

"Well, that was rude," the girl commented mildly. "And here you're in my place, acting like that. How am I supposed to be a proper host if you don't tell me your name?"

The Cat Faunus just stared at the woman in shock. Who is this girl?

All of her thoughts were now focused on escape, as she definitely did not want to tangle with someone who likely possessed better reflexes than even herself. She spun in place and shot over towards the open window, but skidded to a halt when she noted it was closed.

Oum's blood! I left it open, I know I did!

And now there seemed to be another lock fastened from the inside, one that required a key. She could pick it, without a doubt, but that would take time she did not have. Her other option was to fling herself out the window and brave the four-story drop…

Or try and get past the irritating blonde who was currently not only radiating smugness but tunelessly humming to herself.

Blake straightened up, and as she turned she slipped a knife into both hands. As she stalked forward and approached the completely unworried girl she noted that she had lilac eyes, a kind she'd never seen before.

Part Fey perhaps, or Elven? She doesn't smell like Faunus… I don't quite know what she smells like… lavender and… woodsmoke…

The blonde was still smirking, watching her approach with her arms crossed, when Blake got to within arm's reach. She halted, turning the full force of her glare on the apartment's occupant.

"Move," she growled.

"Oh, so you do talk," the blonde snickered. "I was wondering about that. Buuut… nope. Not moving."

Before she'd finished her sentence, Blake had launched herself into action. She was a decent enough fighter, could easily hold her own in a bar fight or against most of the riff-raff she came across. She always preferred to fight at range if she could, the few times she took a job that required her to actively engage in combat she'd brought her beloved shortbow with her, the ebony carved wood one of the few precious things she possessed.

But blades, she knew well, and it wasn't vanity for her to consider herself one of the best knife fighters in the city of Vale.

All that, however, didn't matter in the least.

It happened faster than she could even track, the whole world tilted around her and she found herself once more in the middle of the room, but now lying on her back and gaping up at the ceiling. Her blades were gone from her hands.

She craned her neck, stunned, to observe the blonde woman standing in the same position but twirling one of her knives in her hand idly.

"Not bad," she commented. "You're quick, and pretty damned skilled with a knife. Also stealthy, didn't even hear you on the rooftop…" She seemed to be deciding something, and when she finally nodded to herself, the blonde walked over to crouch at Blake's side.

"Tell you what," she began conversationally. "I could use some help in a quest I've been on for a long time. Not getting anywhere by myself, but I bet you got lots of contacts around here, yeah?"

Blake just nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off of the dangerous woman.

"So, what do you say? Want to work for me?"

The Cat Faunus continued to stare at the deranged woman wordlessly.

Yep. She's a nutcase, don't care how talented she is. Although, in this position…

She hadn't even let the thought finish before the black-clad rogue was up and sprinting across the room, bolting down the hallway and towards what she desperately hoped was the front door. As she rapidly pulled back the locking bolts and crossbeams, her Faunus ears were listening intently for any sound of pursuit. She managed to get out the door and flew down the staircase, still without any sign of the crazy blonde.

Finally at the bottom she spied the door leading outside the complex. It had a doorkeeper on duty but fortunately someone was just coming in, so she bolted on through, barrelling over those in her way in her haste to escape.

Ignoring the shouts of protest, Blake sped across the street and down the next alleyway, pausing for breath.

"Insane," she panted. "That woman was absolutely insane."

"Now, that's just being mean."

"Fuck me!" Blake shrieked, flailing about with uncharacteristic clumsiness as she toppled over. For the second time that evening she found herself on her back with a blonde mane of hair hovering over her face, a pair of lilac eyes glinting down at her in amusement.

"Really?" the woman asked skeptically. "You want that as part of your employment contract?"

"No! I mean… Arrrgh!" Blake let out a scream of frustration as she scrambled to her feet, pushing herself up against the brick wall of the alley. Her tail swished behind her erratically as she desperately tried to cling to her sanity. The other girl was still wearing her shift, right out there in public, and didn't even seem concerned. In fact, standing there barefoot, with her hands on her hips, cocked to the side and a wide smirk on her face, she looked to be having the time of her life.

"Why did you follow me?" the Cat Faunus whispered desperately. "I didn't even take anything!"

"Nope, but you came pretty damn close," the blonde grinned. "Here, lemme make this easier for you, since you seem to have trust issues."

"I don't have trust issues," Blake grumbled, her eyes and Faunus ears downcast.

The look on the other girl's face clearly said 'Really?', but she continued on nonetheless. "My name's Yang. And I'm serious about the job offer."

"Why?"

"Er… why what?"

"Why me?" Blake sputtered, at the end of her tether. "What is it you want from me? How do you know you can trust me?"

"Hmm." Yang seemed to give her line of questioning serious contemplation. Still clad in only her shift and standing out in a darkened alleyway in the middle of an autumn night in downtown Vale, this blonde woman was entertaining a reasonable conversation with her.

This must be what going mad feels like...

"Okay, well, in order." Yang began ticking items off of her fingers. "You, because you were convenient, like, you just tried to rob me so I got to see your skills. Oh, and you also tried to fight me."

"Tried to fight you?"

"Well, yeah, you weren't all that successful, were ya?" The blonde just grinned at Blake's exasperated eyeroll and continued on. "And then, I already told you what I need. A person who can handle themselves in the shadows, and has contacts."

Yang crossed her arms and leaned up against the wall next to the Cat Faunus, her lilac eyes twinkling merrily. "And finally, how can I trust you? Well, I got the feeling if I ask you to pledge yourself into my service, you'd be a faithful retainer. But, in case I'm wrong, 'cause yeah, it does happen…" She leaned in, grinning widely. "I can find you, wherever you go. You believe me when I say that?"

Trying desperately to conceal her nervous trembling, Blake just nodded warily.

"Good!" the blonde exclaimed cheerfully. "Now, I figure you're part of the Thief's Guild here in Vale, am I right? Monthly dues and a cut off your stolen goods?"

"Yes…" she replied slowly, unsure as to how this strange girl was so well-versed in the Valesian underground.

"But no cut from an honest retainer, right?"

"Right, but I still have to pay my dues…"

"Okay, then! So, here's the deal, I cover your dues, expenses like food, lodging, outfitting, the works. You stick by my side and you get a free ride. Plus, when I finish my quest, you get a bonus."

Blake's eyes widened considerably. Most retainers were a flat fee with occasional bonuses for combat, barely covering the dues to the Guild, but this… This was quite the generous offer.

"What's the catch?" she whispered.

"Well…" Yang shrugged. "I've been on this quest for quite a few years now. Like I said, been doing it by myself, and I figure it's time to change that. Maybe with you helping me, I can actually complete it."

The raven-haired girl nodded slowly. "So… what is this quest? Are you looking for something?"

"Someone, actually," Yang replied. "I'm looking for my long-lost sister, same seed but…" She trailed off with a frown. "No, sorry, that's not right. We share the same father, different mothers, yeah? So that makes her my half-sister."

Blake nodded once more, perplexed as to the original odd wording but following her so far.

"If you're really interested, then come back up to my place and we'll talk, okay?"

"Okay," she replied softly.

With a nod and another grin, Yang turned and began to walk back out of the alley.

"Blake."

The blonde paused, looking over her shoulder quizzically.

"My name," she continued. "Blake Belladonna."

Yang turned then and flashed her a brilliant smile. "Well, Blake, it's been a pleasure to meet you. Come on, let's get back inside before I give some poor old man walking out this late a fit."

Snickering softly to herself, Blake followed in her new employer's footsteps.

A/N: And here's our next two players to fill out those from Team RWBY! Oh, and a brief cameo by Team NDGO (but they'll make another appearance later, promise).

First off, I need to give belated props to my lovely Betas for this story, KellyConnely and PandaAnimeLover, who are patiently putting up with my insanity for yet another story. I promise not to stress your mental limits this time. Honest.

To address a point by Wolfenheart regarding Weiss' casual lethality - this is indeed a different setting from RWBY, where Grimm do not exist. Therefore there isn't a clear delineation between those without souls and those who have them. It's certainly more brutal, so in that regard there will be a definite deviation from the characterization of the show. Not all monsters here look the part.

I do want to thank you all for reading the start of what I hope to be quite the journey. Hugs for those who have favorited, followed, or reviewed: Sharkdude5, allie300093, Arcredemption, AntonSlavik020, Wolfenheart, FOODninja-321, TacoKing23 (never gonna stop!), DandyHandy (hope this explains your question about Yang), FoxyFoxation. Hope you continue to enjoy!

Next chapter we meet another pair, with perhaps a more… unexpected twist.

Stay shiny!