Chapter 17

Discovery

The wind whipped through the side of the open hovercraft as it soared silently through the night air. Rose sits in silence, hair dancing lazily as if caught in a mild zephyr. As she is sitting, she runs through a series of meditational exercises crafted for the sole purpose of focusing her mind. She would check on Crescent Rose if she could, but the possibility of it falling out of the drop-ship was far too high for her liking. She'd never let that happen again, once was more than enough.

Glynda is in a similar state, undertaking her own pre-mission warm up. She flows her Aura through her body and her weapon, allowing it to pool up and then release. She feels the call of the Dust woven into her crop and her clothes to her Aura, a distinct resonance she has built over the years. Her body tingles with the other worldly awareness that comes naturally to Dust adepts and Aura masters. Almost subconsciously she reaches out to the world around her, feeling it in a way that cannot accurately be described. How do you explain sight to a blind woman? Or sound to the deaf? She may as well attempt to count the stars in sky... Wait, how in the world did her thoughts start running on such meaningless tangents? She really was getting more dramatic in her advancing age. With a small mental self-rebuke she returns to her exercises, muttering a slew of uncomplimentary things about Ozpin being a bad influence on her.

Tai-Yang hums under his breath, singing along with the classic rock thrumming through his headphones. He builds his awareness, of the feel of his body, the world around him, and his own tempo using his music. He always felt more connected, more perceptive, when he had something that quieted his inner thoughts and nothing served that purpose better than song. He can feel it, in the still quality of the air, the loose preparedness of his muscles, and the steady beat of his heart. Tai-Yang is ready, so he sits and he waits.

Qrow is perhaps the most charged. Being the only trusted pilot amongst the team, he had gone through his prep time before take off but that had been hours ago. Whilst he found flying his ship relaxing, maybe even cathartic, it was not inclined to leave him in the shatter-sharp state of awareness he would prefer for a mission. But he wasn't about to complain. He'd done far worse in much direr conditions; he could grumble about his lack of meditation time to Rose later. Perhaps they could hire a pilot? Not that he was going to let anyone lay a hand on the Corvus. Hmm, he'd have to think on it.

"Rose, I'm in position." Qrow's voice sounds statically over her earpiece radio. Her eyes flicker from her hiding place, some bushes about one hundred metres away from the entrance of the White Fang storage compound. Hidden deep in the forest of Thousand Homes, no one would even dream of using such a hostile environment as a base. No one except Cinder, of course.

Thousand Homes is one of the most Dust rich sites in all of Remnant. Unbelievably massive veins of the precious resource lay just below the surface, a few even being of the much sought after self-revitalising deposits. Dust, contrary to what some conspiracy theorists would have everyone believe, is not a limited resource. There are a few places in Remnant where the natural energies intersect, collecting it self replenishing deposits of the essential energy propellant. Indeed, the Schnee Dust Corporation has made spectacular use of their vaunted regenerating mines, leading to many of their modern achievements.

To find and claim such a mine often leads to instant fame and riches. But only if the mine is claimed successfully. Unfortunately, finding a new vein in non-hostile territory was exceedingly rare, and chances that it was regenerating even if you found one are slim to none. In the past, settlers and adventurers alike have taken to making their way out into their world to stake their claim on new territory. New territory like Thousand Homes.

Except Thousand Homes isn't new. Beneath the soft glow of the dark blue fir trees lay earth soaked with the blood of hundreds of thousands and the shattered remains of more settlements than one could hope to remember. Thousand Homes has had many names throughout the ages, each different but each with the same end. Ruin and slaughter. Word would spread of the destruction of a new settlment, a tragedy but a terrible fact of life for those who dwelled in Remnant. However, in time, memories would fade and Thousand Homes would once again be claimed under a new name.

And the cycle would repeat. Eventually Hunters who had taken it upon themselves to solve the mystery of inexplicably vanishing settlements uncovered the dark story. So it was that Thousand Homes was given its final name, a stark reminder of the suffering of humanity under the Grimm threat. That despite the beauty of the roiling blue hills and the immense wealth contained within the land here rested an ancient and terrible malice.

Drakes.

Widely regarded as some of the most horrifyingly dangerous Grimm on Remnant, they were native only to Thousand Homes (luckily). Fiercely territorial and aggressive, even for Grimm, they actually avoided human contact except to slaughter any who would dare encroach upon their territory. They were, essentially, dragons. Even the youngest Drake was easily the size of a Deathstalker and twice as deadly. Even though they only number in the double digits, the Drakes of Thousand Homes have never been conquered.

And for good reason.

For a Grimm to be named is terrible thing. Only those Grimm with recognisable and unique features were ever named, the type of features that come with vast age and countless battles. Only the direst of threats to humanity, the most monstrous of the dark horde were ever named. Happily, precious few of the legendary beasts remained. And even fewer of them had known locations.

Izhar was one of the few. With bladed claws sharpened on the bones of the greatest warriors, tooth and tongue bathed in the blood of the innocent, with wings of an ebony so dark they leech the very light from the sky, and eyes of sickly green fire, Izhar was the stuff of nightmares. The elder Drake, capable of the wholesale slaughter of entire armies. Magnificent in all its dread glory.

And Rose is undertaking a black-op in its backyard.

So, she is justifiably wary, she feels. She signals her uncle to move forward, to begin their infiltration of the base. The plan was to get in, steal the Dust, move it to the Corvus and flee. At least that was the optimistic plan. The more likely plan was for Qrow and Rose to get as much Dust as they can to the ship before they are inevitably discovered (moving a tonne of Dust is noticeable), then they were going to call in back up.

That is where Glynda and Tai-Yang came in. They would take care of the Fang as quickly as they could, and once they were done they'd help load the Dust. Hopefully, enough Dust will have been stolen using this method before backup arrived for the White Fang.

It wasn't a complicated plan, but efficient in its simplicity. Unfortunately, Rose knew that no plan ever survived first contact with the enemy.

The White Fang guard holds his rifle over his shoulder lazily, with his back propped up by the wall. His uniform is too tight, he's cold, and he's tired. He doesn't even really understand why he is on guard duty in the first place. He knows he's a decent enough fighter, but what could he possibly do if he saw a Grimm? Run inside and tell everyone about it is all he could do, really. And if he saw even one Drake scale he was out of here faster than you can say 'I don't get paid enough for this shit'. A flicker in his peripheral vision causes him to come to attention.

He doesn't even have time to register the pain when the hand embedded in his chest clenches into a fist and pulps his heart. With a bloody wrench Rose yanks her arm out of the now dead man's chest. He falls to the ground in a heap, like a puppet with its strings cut. Next to her, Qrow flicks his scythe clean of blood. A decapitated body lay at his feet.

"Why'd I even bother teach you how to use a scythe if you can do that." Qrow mutters, plugging his scroll into the White Fang guard he killed.

Rose shrugs lightly, flicking her hand free of blood and the lingering scraps of flesh. "It's quiet." She explains.

"The scythe is quiet."

"Your scythe is quiet, Uncle Qrow." Rose says with amusement. "With your semblance, your everything is quiet."

"Point." He concedes. "But how is killing people with your hand quiet or easy?" He asks with a raised brow.

Rose grins, lifting her hand and splaying her fingers. The glove she wears is a specialty piece she picked up in Vale. Coloured a crimson red, with metal tipped fingers for claws and a cutting edge for the blade of her hand, it makes a moderately deadly concealed weapon. For most people that is.

Slashing her hand through the air with her semblance, she showcases her ability to Qrow. He doesn't even catch her arm in movement, just the flutter of petals and the change in position.

"So you use it in conjunction with your semblance?" Qrow questions, tapping a few buttons on his scroll.

"Yup."

"Why not just use a normal weapon and swing it the same way?"

Rose shakes her head lightly at him. "Swinging something bladed or heavy at that speed is a recipe for disaster. Luckily, I know my arm isn't liable to fly off at the elbow and brain my favourite Uncle. So I got a bladed glove to use."

"I appreciate the thought." He mumbles, fiddling with his scroll once more. "Your saying swinging something with your semblance makes it too clumsy?" Qrow clarifies.

"More or less. I can swing Crescent Rose at the same time I run with my semblance but trying to swing her with my semblance is too hard. I can't correct my blow or my balance at that speed, and it's really hard to keep a good grip on things. It's completely impractical to try and swing a weapon that way."

"But it makes a good assassination tool." Qrow says. "All you need is one swift, decisive strike, after all."

"Basically. It was either this or I grab a knife. I can't throw the sound of my scythe like you can, so it's a little too loud for any sort of infiltration mission.'

"Good idea." Qrow says airily, then he grins as his scroll flashes. "Annnd done. I have an accurate layout of the complex."

"Goody." Rose says, rubbing her hands together and squatting down next to her uncle to look at the small display screen. After a few moments of observation she finds what she is looking for. "Here, on the floor below us," She points at a largish room at the end of a passage. "I'm willing to bet that's an operations office."

"And the huge space on our level is probably where they're keeping the Dust." Qrow mutters. "What do you want to do? We haven't got a plan for an information raid."

Rose hums, tilting her head side to side. "It could be invaluable. Taking the Dust is only a delaying tactic, we don't actually need it - but I could find something important in the office."

"Go. I can take care of the Dust for now." Qrow says, standing up and unsheathing his scythe once more.

"See you in a few." Rose says, standing and striding silently into the White Fang compound. It's completely dark, devoid of any real light source. A common tactic for the White Fang, considering they were made up almost exclusively of faunus, a race with night vision as a primary trait. She'd learnt to manage, however. She would never have the same level of sight that faunus could boast, but she wasn't blind in the dark.

She slips silently down the hall, breathing lightly of the cool damp air common to most underground complexes. The uniform concrete walls blend into monotony as she glides in between the shadows. Often when a passage breaks off she hears people, a few mess rooms and some sleeping quarters. She studiously avoids going close to those. Spotting a small alcove she darts inside, pulling out her scroll and checking her map.

A set of stairs not far from her would lead her down to the second level. From there it was two rights, a left and then the office at the end of the hall. Standing silently she makes her way to the stairs, pausing and hiding herself behind a wall when she spots a man and a woman playing cards just outside staircase. The sound of faint laughter carries in the still air.

Spinning out of her hiding place Rose blurs forward using her semblance. Her arm crashes through the Aura of the woman first, spearing through her back, but her momentum is not spent and her blow continues onward. The bladed glove meets its target in the man's sternum. Rose hovers above the two forms pinned onto the floor by her arm. The woman is gasping, lying atop the man and scrabbling futilely in an attempt to right herself. The man coughs, his brown eyes dimming with pain, shock, and rapid blood loss.

Rose frees herself, scanning the halls around her for any signs of alert or movement. She hears the panicked breathing of the woman, and turns in time to see blood bubble up from the mortally wounded fox faunus' lips. She continues to claw, arms shaking, in order to move herself. The man, apparently a wolf faunus, turns to her slowly lifting his own weak limb and placing a hand on the woman's face. He brings his lips to hers in a slow kiss, murmuring something inaudible to the woman against her mouth. The fox faunus seems to calm, returning the sweet kiss despite the blood gathering on her lips.

Rose isn't sure how much time passes before both forms stop moving, their last breaths splaying across the face of their partner as they still in one another's arms. Stifling the vicious wrench of guilt building within, she leaves with one last glance at the lives she had destroyed. Hands intertwined, they don't so much look dead as two lovers resting. The pool of blood building tells a different story.

Rose bounds down the stairs, taking four at a time with nary a sound. She presses herself against the door leading out to the level of the office. Opening it slowly her eyes flicker with incredible speed around her environment, but she doesn't spot any movement at all.

The passages are empty, even as she moves along walls in order to minimise any chance of her being spotted. She bypasses the open doorway of a nearby room, leaving her looking down the passage to the office.

Three male faunus stand conversing outside the office door. The shortest of the three had his back to Ruby, facing his two taller counterparts. With a deep breath she readies herself, gathering her Aura in preparation of her semblance. In a burst she moves forward, covering the distance between her and the shortest guard in mere moments, far to quickly for the guards to follow effectively. Her fingers jar slightly as she slices through his Aura, severing his spine at the base of his neck with a swipe of her hand. The second guard was in process of reaching for his sword when Rose delivered a jumping, diagonal slash from hip to neck. Her jump carries her to the roof overhead and she lands against it in a crouch.

"WHAT T-" The last member begins to shout before he is silenced by Rose. Her jump from above roof sends her barreling into the last guard, skidding across the floor with her hand in his abdomen, clenching his spine. With a vicious twist akin to snapping a wet reed, she breaks him, leaving him paralysed or dead on the floor.

Rose's face is pinched with disgust as she wipes the worst of the gore on the guards pant leg. Standing smoothly she turns and walks into the office, drawing Crescent Rose just to be safe. If there was anyone in there they would have definitely heard her scuffle with the guards. With a quick twist of the door knob, Rose opens the door and takes the plunge.

Qrow is growing increasingly anxious. The route to the Dust had been guarded heavily, but not anything beyond his abilities. With his semblance's power of sound relocation, and his own not so inconsiderable talents of stealth he had the situation well in hand. More often than not, the guards were cut down without even a hint of his presence.

He'd then proceeded to take the most valuable Dust crystals and place them in travelling cases, as well as loading barrels of powdered Dust onto shipping pallets. It was smooth sailing and he was glad for it. At this rate it was getting more and more likely that the mission would be completely stealthy.

That is, of course, before he heard gunfire. He'd tensed briefly, hoping that Rose would be able to handle the guards that had found her. But oddly enough, he didn't hear any answering gunfire. Which was strange, Rose would undoubtedly use Crescent Rose if she had been discovered - throwing stealth to the wind.

But then he heard the screams. He was a veteran hunter, he'd seen the best humanity had to offer face the absolute worst that the Grimm could spawn. He knew those types of screams. He'd heard them far too many times before. Those particular hopeless cries were of people facing a beast that they could not hope to defeat, a primal mix of terror and agony.

For a few moments Qrow entertains the thought that it was Rose eliciting those screams. It it disturbed him that after seeing the haunting rage simmering below the veil of her silver eye that he believed she was perfectly capable of doing so. She was definitely a monster in her own way.

He is both incredibly relieved and utterly dismayed when he is proven wrong. To his far left the concrete wall explodes outwards in a dusty shower of debris, among said debris a pulped fleshy mass of what could only have once been a member of the White Fang skidded wetly across the floor. The few remaining screams were louder as a group of terrified faunus fled into the storage hanger.

The last, tall female deer faunus, scrabbles over the debris and into the hanger. Or at least, she tries. A guttural roar behind has her shrieking in terror, then pain, as a immense talon pierces her chest. Grasping at it futiley, she yells in fear and pain as she lifted off the floor. Qrow groans in dismay as the dust settles and he sees the beast behind her.

A huge pitch black scaled body is covered in segmented bone armour. Along its spine runs a series of sharps spikes, leading into a long banded tail with a barbed end. Two broad wings sit folded atop it's back, and four legs connect to a long, lithe body. An alligator like head with dark red eyes regards the prey it has lifted on one of its claws. Opening its mouth a deluge of dark blue liquid spews forth all over the weakly struggling deer faunus. With a horrifying cry she shrieks in utter desolation as her skin and flesh sloughs away under the acidic assault. With a disturbingly pleased sounding rumble, the now dead woman is flung into the air and snapped up in a reptilian fashion by the Grimm, her entire body fitting with its fanged maw, before sliding down its sinuous throat with a few bobs of its head.

"Oh fuck." Qrow says plainly, dropping a hand to his headset radio. "Drake, I need back up." He calls out.

"Damn. We're coming." Tai-Yang says affirmatively on the other end. "Try and stay alive, you useless tit."

"Fuck you too, Tai." Qrow says with a chuckle, eying the beast warily.

"How many?" Glynda's calm voice interjects.

As the dark beast strides slowly in the room, its malevolent gaze pierces the shuddering forms of the White Fang - who all seem to be completely oblivious to Qrow's presence - and Qrow himself. With an odd, barking holler it calls into the night. A few moments later and an answering call can be heard in the distance.

"At least two." Qrow says with a grimace, unsheathing his weapon and readying himself for combat. "Rose," He calls out specifically. "We have a Drake problem."

Rose stands, pulling her hand up to her headset. Her teeth still ache from the jarring sensation, and her ears hurt from the sudden changes in pressure. The huge thudding she had heard having grown closer and more insistent. Now as she looks up, almost losing her balance as a gigantic black form lands silhouetted and visible by moonlight, Rose feels fear burn hotly in her stomach. She clutches the precious file of information tighter to her side, in a vain attempt to shield it from harm.

"Uncle," She says softly, staring into the hateful emerald blaze of the Grimm's eyes. "you have no idea."

When the beast growls lowly she feels the reverberations rattling her very bones, flaring its wings and baring a gigantic maw of sickly gleaming teeth.

Izhar had joined its brethren in the hunt, and Rose held no illusions as to who was the prey.

FAVOURITE~REVIEW~FOLLOW!

Hey all, this is a very special authors note.

Three months, nearly fifty thousand words, over fifty six thousand views, five hundred follows, three hundred and fifty favourites and two hundred thirty three reviews. I can't express how overwhelmed I've been with the positive response to this story. When I set out, I had a basic plan for the story and the goal of improving my writing. Now, this story has one of the most sizeable followings in the entire RWBY fanfiction community. I fully expect this chapter to tip it over into the top twenty five for favourites for the entire site.

For a story that is only a fifth of the way complete, that is a joyous prospect. Thank you all so very much for being so supportive, I am deliriously happy (if a little bemused) that you all enjoy my little tale so much.

Everything so far has been a wild ride and I am excited to see where it takes us.