Author's note:

Things are progressing now even more. And what's this? Salvation for someone? Could it be?

Probably not.

tell me how I did with the big parts in this one. You'll know them.

A blue glow arced between the pylons of the machine, making the air around them hum with arcane energy as the object deep below the surface of the earth was dredged up. Those working the machine had had brief fears that the powers would have some kind of adverse effect on the artifact, but they had found that the thing was actually quite resistant to the arcane. They had even had to increase the amount of power being used to pull the thing up. Apparently it was much more stuck in the molten soup of the planet than they had thought.

Most of the mindless zombies had been transported back to the ziggurat, their manual labor being no longer required. It was now much more sparsely populated, both by the undead and the Grimm. There had been many attacks, but all had failed spectacularly, most of the Grimm never even came within a hundred feet of the machine, let alone the mechanics or mages who were regulating its functions.

The progress of the retrieval was coming along fairly well, but the fluid of the mantle beneath the crust, in which the artifact was buried, was unpredictable, and required diligent monitoring to avoid dragging the mysterious object through any pockets of greater heat or pressure where it might become damaged. Chances of that were fairly low, but it was always better to err on the side of caution.

One problem that had arisen was of the local population becoming increasingly curious of what they were doing there. The most adventurous of the population were starting to creep closer, observed by shades the entire way. Most were driven back to their homes by the Grimm population, but as that had been thinning out as well, more and more ran the risk of getting through. Naze had decided to do nothing about this. If they saw the operation, no action was to be taken. If they made to approach, however, they would be stopped, and instructed to return to whence they came.

If still they persisted, more drastic measures would be taken. What those measures were had not yet been specified.

Of the large organizations to take interest in his operation, the two largest were the White Fang, stinging from the loss of their most prominent leader, and Ironwood's collection of individuals from both his army and his academy. Both seemed to have been probing the area cautiously, Ironwood's airships making their way slowly towards the site, and members of the White Fang creeping through the forest floor, scoping the area out.

Naze was sure that the White Fang would seek to disrupt what he was doing, no matter what it was, so he had made no attempt to grow relations with them. Instead, he merely let them convene and plot against him, keeping an ear on them the whole time.

The faction that he was more concerned about was Ironwood's people. The man himself was coming on his airships, and there was something of an uproar from the native Faunus population, more specifically the White Fang. He had not yet said anything to the public about Naze's roll in the capture of Adam Taurus, but he would soon. As a consequence to his not announcing the selfless act of the undead, Naze had not instructed Yang to make any sort of address about the operation. The people of Menagerie stewed in growing fear of what the undead were planning, and Naze felt no obligation yet to tell them.

Yang sat in her seat, an empty sheet of paper on her desk and a blackboard full of notes ahead of her. She had been too distracted to take them, though. She had the strangest feeling of apprehension, and of what was almost a fear. Something big was coming, but she just didn't know what.

A pencil hit the floor behind her, and her head whipped around fast enough to make the bones of her neck pop. She looked for the source of the noise, and found it to be one of Cardin's team mates. He had been twirling the pencil in his fingers, and it had slipped out. She let her head turn slowly back to the board, feeling no relief from knowing the source of the sound. That hadn't been it. Something was still coming, just around the corner, she knew it. She could feel it.

Something touched her arm, and she almost jumped out of her seat when she felt it. Instead, she wiped her head around again, finding Ruby giving her a concerned look. "Yang, are you alright?" Her sister's voice was concerned, but there was an undertone of something else. A malicious something. She didn't want to believe it, but the certain indescribably edge in her sister's voice was undeniable. Whatever was about to happen, her own sister was a part of.

She put on a fake smile and said "Yeah, of course! Why, what's up?" The question was sincere, although she knew she wouldn't get a good answer. Her sister would lie to her straight to her face, and she wouldn't even bat an eye. She knew it. Ruby gave her a furtive look, then said "You've seemed nervous and jumpy all day. Why? Is there something wrong with Naze, or anything big coming up, or-" Her innocent-seeming questions were cut off when Yang said rather loudly "I don't know, is there something coming up?" The words were confrontational, and her tone reflected that.

Ruby looked immediately taken aback, and Yang felt regret at using such harsh language with her dear sister. A cough came from the front of the room, and Yang turned to see Professor Oobleck staring at her over the edge of a coffee mug. "If you ladies have something to discuss, I would recommend that you do it outside of class, and avoid wasting my and your classmates' time." Ruby bowed her head, nodding and saying "Yes sir." Yang, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at the teacher. It might've been her imagination, but she could've sworn she had heard something in his voice as well.

"Now, back to the lesson. The effects of the…" Yes, there was definitely been something in his voice as well. Her eyes widened, and she looked around at all the faces in the class. They all looked away from her as soon as she tried to see them. Some looked back at her, confused or concerned expressions on their faces, but Yang knew better than to trust them. They were all in on it. Every single one.

She looked back over to her sister, and saw the same thing. Everyone around her was aware, and probably cooperating with whatever this looming terrible event was. She tried to remain calm. If she were alive, her breathing would've quickened, and she would've started sweating buckets. But, as it was, she sat there, stock-still, trying to control the raging emotion that was making her soul quiver. She failed.

Yang pushed herself out of the seat, sending her chair toppling and nearly upending the desk that she was seated at. Eyes all around the room went to her, but she knew that they had been watching all along. She felt a huge pressure, like a wave was crashing down on her, and knew that she wouldn't be able to deal with it. Without saying a word, she started walking towards the door. Oobleck called out to her, saying "Ms. Xiao Long, please get back in your seat!" but she ignored him. She had to get out, before whatever was going to happen happened, and she would be completely overtaken by it.

Another voice rang out, and this one was far more difficult to ignore. Ruby cried "Yang, come back!" but without pause, she kept on walking. She had to clench her fists closed to keep from turning back, but she continued to walk. The door hung open behind her as she walked into the hall, feeling an immense sensation of relief. She was away from them, and their lying, and their plotting. Without knowing where she was going, she started to walk. She made her way down the hall, enjoying the feeling of being alone, before Ruby's voice came again, worried and almost desperate. "Yang, just talk to us!"

At first she thought the voice was in her head, nothing more than her imagination, but the series of footsteps echoing off the walls of the well-furnished halls told her otherwise. She turned, and found not only Ruby, but Blake and Weiss running towards her as well. Some part of her wanted to take confidence seeing them like that, concerned for her wellbeing, but that part was powerless against the vast majority of her brain that screamed they meant her harm somehow. None of them had their typical weapons on them, that was clear, but they could still have other armaments stashed away in pockets or up sleeves.

She took a few involuntary steps back as they grew closer, and wrestled with the urge to run. She was utterly torn. One part insisted the only way to be safe was to flee, and the other that they wanted to help. Both parts however, were overshadowed by the looming threat of whatever was to come. That horrific, imperceptible event that would bring an end to everything. It was clear from the glint in her teammate's eyes that they knew what was coming, and that they were even ushering it forth.

Her heels braced against the floor, and she stood her ground. She was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what. There had to be something going on. Ruby was the first to meet her sister, and looked up into her suspicious eyes with nothing but concern. "What's wrong? Please, just tell us! We can help you!"

Yang blinked. The signal in her eyes was gone, as was the edge to her voice. She was her sister, innocent and pure as the driven snow. But that was impossible. She couldn't possibly have imagined the whole thing, could she? Certainly there would've been some hint that none of it was real. She took a step back, and her eyes unfocused as she turned her attention away from her friends as she felt the air around her for that looming threat. It was still there, but somehow different, like it had been lessened.

Blake stepped over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and saying "Yang, please, just talk to us. We're all worried about you. Just tell us what's the matter." Her words seemed sincere at the surface level, but below that, the malicious edge was clear. Yang could practically feel the knife in her back already. She didn't know what anybody was planning, but she knew that Blake did.

With one move of her arm, she batted Blake's hand away, sending her slightly off balance. After that, with another, more aggressive move, she lurched forward, grabbing two fistfuls of the girl's shirt and pushing her back so that she thudded against the wall. Then, with little exertion, she lifted the girl off the ground so that her feet weren't even able to touch the ground. The startled cries of her friends were drown out by the sound of her own yelling. "What's going on, Blake? What are you going to do?" It was clear by the look on her friend's face that she didn't know how to react. Yang felt some confidence from this, knowing that she had caught the conspirator off guard. Blake started to speak, saying "Yang, I don't know what you're-" but Yang cut her off by bringing her off the wall towards her and slamming her into it again. It wasn't hard, but it was enough to wind the Faunus. "Answer me! Come on!"

Ruby and Weiss started to pull at her arms, and she suddenly felt a shift in the air. The encroaching threat seemed to disappear, and she was suddenly shocked at what she was doing. Stepping back, she dropped Blake back to the ground before tripping over her own feet and falling to the ground on her back. Blake's eyes were locked with her own, even more shocked than Yang was. Weiss was trying to help Yang up, and Weiss was looking at Yang with an expression that was too chaotic to place. It certainly seemed that there was blame in there, though.

Blake was picked up off the floor again, much more gently this time, and once she was back on her feet, she looked down at Yang, who hadn't tried to get up yet. Her eyes were a mix of many things, like Weiss's, but the most obvious was pain. "Why… why did you do that?" she asked, her voice almost breaking.

Yang's mouth worked, but no words came forth. She was ashamed, and she had no answer. She had thought that Blake was going to do something. That was all there was to it. "I thought… I felt…" She tried to explain herself, but she couldn't. The shame, embarrassment, and worry were all too much. With slow, deliberate movements, she dragged herself up off of the floor and to her feet. "I need to go." She mumbled almost too softly for them to hear. Ruby's face became even more confused, and she started to follow. "Yang, no! You have to tell us-" Her voice stopped, and Yang knew that Blake had put stopped her, she could hear her clothes rustling.

Yang plodded off, still aimless, but now with a goal. She thought hard, and contacted Naze with some difficulty. When she finally did, she didn't get the response that she had expected.

Naze finally managed to wrestle his paranoia out of his mind, and reestablish dominance over himself. It had been most of the day that he had struggled with it, not a large expanse of time for a lich. The effects of this could be felt throughout his organization, though. Work had slowed, and the ever-present thrum of activity that only the most sensitive were really aware of had faded considerably. All of his minions with enough intelligence to have feelings had been aware of his issue. The backlash from it was great, sharing some small part of his overpowering fear with all of them.

He had tried to mitigate the effect, but not all of his people had been saved. As soon as he had regained the full usage of his faculties, he had set about taking stock of the damage. As many of his people were in the ziggurat, most of his assets had remained unharmed. Those who were operating the extractor had been shielded from the effects of the surge. And, though she likely didn't consider it so, Yang had remained on the outskirts of the telepathic wave on account of her distance. She had even received the effect on a considerable delay. While it might've been better if she had been affected when her friends asleep, she had done next to no real damage. Certainly she had damaged her relationships with her friends, but that was inconsequential in comparison to the things that she could've done.

What she could've done was actually attack someone, which would create a kind of stigma against the undead. He had to make sure to shield her from the effects of the control loss in the future. Of all the people who needed to keep their wits about them in order for the living to not see them as monsters, Yang was one of the most important for that.

Her voice rejoined into the chorus of many that always spoke in his head, and she asked him "What the hell just happened?" Her thoughts were muddied and unclear, making somewhat difficult to understand, but he was able to divine them fairly easily. He responded by saying "An unfortunate mistake. I erred long ago, and you felt the ripple of that. There was no real danger, at least that you could detect. Think of it no more, I will attempt to protect you from it in the future. Your classes are done now, correct?" She replied with an affirmative "Yes." And Naze gave her another directive. "Come back to the ziggurat, there's another ambassadorial function for you to fulfill."

There was a short pause in which her thoughts were to herself, then, slightly annoyed, she replied "Alright, what is it?" Naze noted the annoyance, but didn't mind. So long as she fulfilled her duty, he didn't care. "Ironwood is coming to the excavation site, and I want you to be there. You will explain to him anything that he inquires about, as well as ensure that he doesn't tamper with the process. If he does attempt to interfere, then you will have the backing of the guards present and the mages who are handling the procedures. If possible, avoid killing him, and make sure that it is in undeniable defense. Is all of this understood?"

Yang understood, and said as much, and started to make her way to the puppet's room where a rune of translocation would take her back to the ziggurat, and from there she would go to Menagerie in the fastest semblance of public transport she had ever experienced. She had to leave her team mates first, though, and given their concern for her, it would be somewhat tricky for her to get away. Ironwood was approaching slowly, though, giving them plenty of time. She could take her time, if she wished, but if she waited too long, he would be forced to intervene.

A slight noise from his orb of control distracted his attention from his planning, and he looked to the orb, taking his focus to the puppet body.

The dead muscles cracked back into motion as he moved to open the door that a knock had just come through. He took a few stiff steps before opening the door, and finding Pyrrha outside the door, arms at her side awkwardly as if she didn't know what to do with them. He raised an eyebrow at her and said "Well, Pyrrha, this is a surprise. Do you want something?"

Pyrrha looked slightly taken aback by the direct way he spoke. "Oh, uh, yes, I would." Naze raised an eyebrow, waiting a brief moment before saying "Well? What is it?"

Pyrrha looked around the hall, first down one side, then down the other, making sure that there was nobody coming, then took a tentative step forward. "I think we should talk about this in private." Her voice seemed to suggest that she was worried, and her rat-like movements seemed to reinforce this. Naze raised an eyebrow again, and looked back into his own room. Did she mean to go into his room, or did she mean hers? His confusion was answered when she took a step towards her own room, motioning for him to follow.

He did, and as he stepped in, he found much of the room still in disorder from the tantrum that Nora had thrown, somewhat surprised that they had not cleaned much of it. Pyrrha walked to the middle of the room, than turned to Naze, saying "Close the door." He did so, and almost immediately Pyrrha turned on him, her demeanor changed. "Why did you leave out Solace in the discussion about Nora?"

It was clear that she was mad. Her brow had furrowed, and her nose flared as her eyes burned into his face. If she was expecting some reaction, however, she wouldn't get it. Naze just gazed back at her, his lips even curling into a small smile. "There are many reasons, girl. I wouldn't expect you to understand them, of course. I will tell you this; I have my reasons. It's a complex thing, balancing relations like this. I'm forced to say some things, and withhold others. It's all for the greater good, though. If I'm forced into a war because of this Paladin, I'll be forced to kill many people. If that happens, I won't have the slightest prayer of establishing peaceful relations again. If that happens, your Paladin friend will feel emboldened and justified in leading the living against me. Then I would become the most powerful threat that humanity has faced in recent history, and I know that I would be unable to shake that title. Do you understand my reasons now?"

Pyrrha blinked. She had not expected so much information. It made sense, but she didn't want to admit it. Something else came to her, and it made her even angrier. "Don't you care about Nora? Did you ever consider what would be better for her?" She spoke from the fierce defensiveness of looking out for her friend. She wanted to see Nora well again, and Naze had actively tried to stop that from happening.

Naze returned her gaze with his cold eyes. "No, I can't say that I do. It's funny how the eons do that, make you realize how most people are simply dust in the wind. I can't be troubled with the fate of one girl. Perhaps if you saw civilizations rise and fall, than you would understand."

Pyrrha gave him a funny look, then said "You seemed to care about Yang when she died. What's your explanation for that one?" Naze gave her a small smirk, and replied "She's useful to me. She serves a purpose. I wouldn't buy a tool if I didn't intend to use it." A worried expression stared to come across the girl's face, but before she could say anything about it, Naze held a hand up again "Of course, I wouldn't alter or mistreat a tool either. Such would be a very poor investment."

Pyrrha's eyes narrowed, and she fixed him with a wary eye. "Then why are you here? If you don't want to help anyone, and you already know as much as you do, than isn't being here just a waste of time?" Naze shook his head stiffly and said "No, I think being here has been quite useful. I've gotten a better feel for the people of this world, and that will make relations between our people far easier."

He put his gestured with a hand, as if indicating the things that he had told her. "You see? Everything I do has a reason. If you want to go to the Paladin, I can't stop you, but consider my words. Is the life of the one girl worth even the risk of that war? The war that you have no hope of winning?" Pyrrha looked back at him, wheels turning in her head as she considered what to say next. Naze waited, taking the time to check the progress of Ironwood towards the machine. He was still moving at the slow speed he had been the last time he had checked, about half an hour out.

Pyrrha spoke again, pulling him back to the conversation. "Well, maybe it does all have a reason, but I don't think that that's the way that diplomacy should be conducted. You're trying to gain standing by pulling strings. That's dishonest."

"I have trouble believing that you are that naïve." This response made Pyrrha feel taken aback. "All of politics is underhanded negotiating. Since entering the playing field, two separate individuals have tried to blackmail me into doing something they want. I dislike this, but I've tolerated it, and not actively searched for a way to get them back. I simply even the odds between us."

Pyrrha looked like she was struggling now to come up with valid reasons to distrust him. It amused him that she was still trying, and he decided to cut to the heart of the issue. "Why beat around the bush, though? It's clear enough that, on some level, you want to distrust me. I've seen it before. The fact that I'm dead disturbs you."

Pyrrha tried briefly to find another way to put it, then said "No, it's not that you're dead, it's that you bring others back. Death should be…" her voice trailed off, and she came up with another word "…peaceful. The rest earned at the end of a tired life. It seems like you disturb that, waking them back up, and making them continue what they did in life. It just seems wrong. They had their time."

Naze raised an eyebrow. "Really? "A rest earned at the end of a tired life"? What of a mass murderer? I don't mean to spill the secrets of the afterlife, but they get the same as everyone else. Do they deserve that rest? Many would say no, but I would say that that is completely fair. I would guess that you disagree. But my question would be; why? And what is the alternative? Someone sift through the billions upon billions who have died, and judge them? To what standards? I bring back those useful to me, and who would serve me. I force no one to work. If Yang wished to fade back into the void, I would allow her. The same right goes to all of my people. The only one who doesn't get that right, ironically enough, is me. But that is the price I paid to become a lich."

Pyrrha didn't know what to say now. She gave Naze an implacable look, mouth working a few times in an attempt to speak, but nothing came of it. Naze took this as a fairly reliable sigh that their conversation was over, and turned to walk away. Pyrrha made no attempt to stop him, and he exited the room he pulled the door closed, leaving the girl to stew in her own thoughts. Maybe she would consider his point of view a little more thoroughly from now on, and wouldn't regard him with such disdain. He knew this was unlikely, though. She had the soul of a Paladin, whether she knew it or not. If Solace didn't make a grab at her, than he was even more of a fool than Naze had initially thought.

He shook his head to himself, walking back into his room. It was probably a lost cause, trying to make the living understand his motives and methods. If there was anyone to understand, it wasn't Pyrrha. He needed more people like Ozpin in the population, people who would objectively look at each side of the situation. Ozpin was a good man, if ever there was such a thing. He was intelligent, at least, and fair.

Naze turned his attention back to Yang, letting the puppet fall stiff once it was in the room. Whatever Pyrrha chose to do with herself, he didn't care. Paladin or not, she wouldn't stand a chance against him if she got in his way.

Yang nodded, trying to set her sister at ease. "Yeah, it was something that I didn't have any control over. Naze promised that he would keep it from happening again, though." She turned to Blake, not able to look the Faunus square in the face. "I'm really sorry about that, Blake. I just couldn't…" her voice trailed off, and she shook her head, looking down at the floor.

Blake put a hand on her shoulder and said as comfortingly as she could "It's alright. You didn't mean to, and I'm sure that if you had been able to fight it, you would've. I don't blame you." Yang looked up, smiling. "Thanks. That…" She paused for a moment, collecting herself. "That means a lot." Her eyes flicked to the clock hanging on the wall, and she was reminded of her deadline to get to the site and deal with Ironwood. She didn't want to, but she had to leave. It was her job, and she had to do it.

She stood back up, rubbing the top of Ruby's head with an expression of regret. "I've got to go now, guys. I know, I have some homework piling up, and I would really, really love it if I could keep talking, but I've got a little work to do for Naze. I'm really sorry, but I have to get this done."

All of her friends gave her worried, somewhat regretful looks, but they all let her go. She hesitated on the threshold of the door, casting one glance back behind her and waving. They waved back, and Yang walked out, closing the door behind her. The walk across the hall was brief, just as it always was, and she found the door unlocked for her, as usual. She walked into the room, observing the stark change in tone from the hall. Naze's room was always dark, and the numerous bottles of chemicals seemed to give off a strange glow. But that wasn't what she was here for. She was here for the mark on the wall.

The chalk circles wove intractably in-between each other in a fashion that she knew was far too exact for her to ever reproduce, at least without some serious practice. She put a hand up against the symbol and started to reach out with her aura towards it. It was somewhat hard for her to activate the rune herself, but she could do it just fine, given a little time. She just had to find the correct wavelength.

After a few seconds, the energy from her surged into the rune, and space was torn apart momentarily, revealing the large chamber that Naze spent the majority of his time in. Yang took a quick step through, not wanting the portal to close on her. She didn't know what would happen if it did, but she had no desire to find out. Once she was through, the rift closed, and her eyes were drawn to Naze. He was sitting on a large throne-like chair, eyes fixed on the orb in his left hand. She didn't want to disturb him, and she was sure that he was aware of her presence already.

Instead, she simply walked towards the exit. She already knew how to get where she was going, and what she was supposed to do. In the halls she passed a few ghouls who were carrying massive stacks of books and scrolls, a few of which made greeting gestures or noises as they passed. Yang nodded to them as she walked passed, wondering who they were, and if she had spoken to them already. She didn't recognize them, but there was a chance that she had.

After turning a few corners, she found her way to the correct room, and indicated to the mage standing by the runes where she wanted to go. He nodded, then, with a loud crack, Yang found herself surrounded by tall trees, a heavy vibrating in her ears. She looked around, finding the workers of the extraction site all around. Grimm corpses of varying sizes were scattered around the clearing in various states of decay, the accelerated process making their bodies evaporate into the air around them. A few groups of zombies were hauling several of the corpses towards the rune that Yang was standing on, and Yang walked towards them, looking at the cadavers on their shoulders. The largest was a deathstalker, a single spot on its armor where it looked like a blade had been driven through, the hole surrounded by cracks. Its soft flesh beneath the armored shell was already starting to wither away.

She turned her attention away from this, and looked instead for someone who she might talk to in order to organize a welcoming party for Ironwood. There were not many undead in the area. Only ten or so guards, and a few mages to ensure the extractor was functioning, and the hauling teams. Deciding that it would be best to come off as capable, but not too freighting, Yang chose to get a few of the less powerful guards to accompany her. She imagined Ironwood walking down a ramp from his airship, and meeting her, with two guards standing at her sides. This mental image made her smile.

Thinking of his airship, she looked to the sky, and spied the large contraption suspended there, drawing closer at a very slow pace. She wondered what he was doing, taking so long, but shrugged it off. She would have extra time, then.

The two guards that Yang spoke to were happy to do as she asked, one of them even making a few lighthearted comments about the situation, and how he hoped that all their efforts would pay off. Yang agreed, and even felt her own heart lighten a little. It was strange how upbeat and positive the man was, considering his position. Yang reminded herself that the same could be said for her, and tried to get rid of the preconceptions of the guards that she had formed by watching them train.

With her assistants recruited, there wasn't an awful lot else to do. She had never been good at simply waiting, and death had not improved that deficit much. She paced back and forth, thinking to herself about the many things that permeated her mind. There was the recent incident with Blake, of course, but there was other stuff too. She had schoolwork to do, she wanted to find some way to make up her outburst, she wanted to try and learn a few new tricks with her budding magical abilities, and she wanted to speak to Naze about the combat situation she was in. She couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed.

When finally a call did raise from one of the guards "Something's coming down!" Yang looked up at the airship in surprise. It had drawn considerably closer, but it wasn't the ship itself that was docking. Instead, two Bullheads were descending towards them. She had her cohorts walked out away from the machine, hoping to indicate where they should land, and their efforts proved to succeed when both of the airborne vehicles touched down onto the soft grass around a hundred feet away from them. The hull doors opened, and Ironwood stepped out, followed by two kids who looked around her age.

Out of the second Bullhead came a group of people who looked like reporters, cameras and notepads in hand, looking around at everything around them with awe. Yang took a few steps towards them, saying loud enough to he heard over the engines "Hey there! Glad you could make it!"

The noise of the engine died down, and the small party reformed into one, the reporters sticking close to Ironwood and the two students at his side. Yang could tell that the cameras were already rolling, and put on her best public speaking face. She was sure that if they weren't going to every television in Remnant live already, than it would only be a few hours until it did. She took a few more steps, closing the distance between them, and held out a hand to Ironwood, saying "Hey! So, you want to be shown around, right? And I see you brought a few friends." She nodded to the cameras "Well come on, follow me, and I'll show you what's going on."

Ironwood took her hand somewhat hesitantly, then said "Yes, I am accompanied. If you don't, mind, I'd like to get straight to the reason I'm here, and simply skip the formalities." Yang nodded, saying "No problem, just follow me and we'll get started."

She started to walk back away from the Bullheads, towards the extractor and the guards. When she reached them, they joined her in step, and looked just as menacing as ever, as if daring Ironwood to try anything, even facing away from him. Yang trued around, walking backwards now, and started to talk to the group, saying the things that had been running through her head the past couple of minutes. "So, we have a fairly basic operation going here, not too complicated, so here's a quick summary." She pointed to the machine "That's the extractor. Like the name suggests, it's extracting something. The glow that it produces is arcane power, and it essentially shoots that way down into the earth, wraps it around the thing it wants, and pulls it back up."

Ironwood spoke up now, asking "What is it that you are extracting here, if I may ask?" Without missing a beat, Yang replied "We don't know yet. That's kind of why we're so interested in it, because it's going to come up to the surface anyways, we're just speeding it on its way. Once we have it, it will be taken and thoroughly researched. After that, it will probably be stored away."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow. "You have no idea what it is? None? Then how do you know how to get it, or what it will do when you do retrieve it?" Again, without missing a beat, Yang said "Well, we do know a few things about it, but nothing that could really help us get it out. All we know is that it's really powerful, and that it'll be a few days before we can get it out."

Instead of Ironwood, the next question came from one of the men holding a camera. He asked "How is this machine powered? You said something about "arcane power", but what is that?" This question did give Yang some pause. The concept of magic was a difficult thing to explain overall, let alone a specific one like arcane. "Arcane magic is… well…" She knew that she was flubbing, and looked to one of the mages working the machine for help. Even though there was still a considerable distance between them, he started to make his way over, shambling on top of old legs that hardly worked. "Arcane magic" he cried out in a husky voice "is essentially one of the most pure kinds of magic. It is made by everything, in small amounts, and can be focused to achieve a certain effect. While it's simple, it's also very hard to control. If you ever see someone using pure arcane magic, then they are a mage of considerable power."

Ironwood, and the reporters as well, seemed somewhat taken aback by this intrusion. None said anything, though, and allowed the old mage to continue talking. "This young one-" he indicated Yang "-could hardly be expected to understand well enough to explain. I'll come with you, and help her out, eh?" Yang nodded thankfully, and said "Yeah, thanks."

With that, the group started to walk around the machine, receiving information about various parts and functions of it. In the end, the sun was dipping down below the horizon before Ironwood was satisfied.

Cinder looked at the White Fang leaders as the broadcast ended. They had come to her as soon as Adam was gone, they had come crawling back to her, just as she knew they would. She was happy to accept them, provided that they pledge themselves to her again. No one dared speak, for none knew what to say. Cinder was the one to break the silence. "Well, that's interesting, isn't it? An operation on Menagerie, the center of the Faunus population. That seems a little convenient, doesn't it?"

The fear that came across their faces was obvious, and they all looked at her with suspicion. "What do you mean? Do you know something that we don't?" The woman who asked had a rather large pair of antlers emerging from her forehead, and two long ears on the upper sides of her head. Cinder looked at her with a simpering expression. "I can't say anything on the topic now. What I can say, however, is that it might be in your best interests to not allow them to get what they're digging for."

In truth, she didn't know what the object was, or what it would do, but if Naze wanted it, than she wanted it too. It had to be an item of immense power, and it there was power involved, cinder wanted it. She wondered what she would be able to do with it. Certainly it would serve her well.

The Faunus around the room shuffled uncomfortably, considering the idea of the undead setting up a device at their homeland was not one that they found very enjoyable. Their fear would be easy to make use of, and she fully intended to do so. She spoke again, making sure that her voice was as smooth and comforting as possible. "But take heart! I know a way that you could get rid of this installment, and get your beloved Adam back, all in one stroke. All you need is a little patience."

It was clear that she held the attention of everyone in the room with a vicelike grip, and it made her happy to do so. "If we wait just until this mystery object is uncovered, than there will be a brief moment in which we can strike. It will require all of your strength, but I believe that we can snatch that artifact out from under their noses. What do you say?"

The offer was risky, and they all felt nervous about making an outright enemy of the undead, but they needed Adam back, and they had fought too long without progress. If attacking the undead was what it would take to advance their cause, they would do it.

One by one, the Faunus around the room nodded, indicating that they supported this plan of action. A curling smile came across her face as she watched them. They would do well as her followers. And they would follow her. If they didn't, than they forfeited Adam, and she knew that none of them were willing to abandon their faithful leader. He was far too important to them in both a morale and a leadership role. They needed him, and she could use them. Maybe she could even gain a little power over Naze. The thought brought a larger smile to her face. She could hardly wait.

Pyrrha walked next to Jaune and Ren, lost in thought. She looked forward to talking to the Paladin. It seemed that he was much more forthcoming with information. She wanted Nora to be better, and for Solace to get more popular. If he did, than his goals of selfless sacrifice would become more common. Naze's words echoed through her head again, warning her about the war that could result. She wished that she could forget them, but she simply couldn't. She would ask Solace about it. At least with him she was confident that she wasn't being manipulated.

She looked over at Jaune. He had a determined look on his face, and it gave her comfort to see it. She took resolve from his confidence. She looked to her other side, at Ren. He had a blank, absent minded look about him, and Pyrrha felt her spirits drop again. Whatever was wrong with Ren was because of Nora. Jaune had confided in Pyrrha that Nora's effect was acting on him too, almost intoxicating him when she was around. As a result, he had been careful to keep his distance from her, and Pyrrha was always sure to enforce this.

It had been a nightmare getting Ren away from Nora as it was, and had required a huge amount of ingenuity and luck from both Jaune and Pyrrha. Their intricate plan to get Ren out of her arms had worked, though, and now they were heading, with Ozpin's blessing, walking through the streets to find Solace. They had been instructed to go to one building in particular, an old warehouse that had been rented out to the budding group. As the three of them came into view of it, Jaune stopped to take in the sight. Even with its run down exterior, it seemed to radiate something special. It was filled with hope, and warmth. How, none of them knew, but they could all feel it. Jaune looked over at Pyrrha, than nodded towards the building. "Well, let's go."

They all started walking again, crossing the street with brisk movements. It was seconds before they found the door to the building, and read a sign inlaid on the door. It said, in large, golden letters "Order of the Holy Light."

All of them drew some comfort from the name, for some reason. It just seemed welcoming. Any trepidation that Pyrrha felt about talking to Solace faded as Jaune pushed the door open and walked through.

The interior was less run-down than the outside had been, but it still did not look like a place that would be very fun to live in. All around the ceiling, bright lights shined down, illuminating racks of what looked like training weapons, most of which had very basic designs, and were made of wood. At the center of the room, the tall and immensely muscled figure of who was unmistakably Solace stood, a thick leather-bound book in his hands, reading quietly to himself. He looked like he didn't want to be disturbed, but there was also an inviting air around him.

Jaune called out, and Solace looked up from his book, a wide smile on his face. "Ah, you've arrived! Good, good." He motioned for them to come over to him, and they did. He led them to a table near the corner of the spacious room with several candles lit on it. The table was long, and there were enough chairs for twenty people. "Sit, and tell me what brings you here. Ozpin gave me a general outline, but not specifics."

Jaune proceeded to explain the situation, using Ren as an example the whole while. As he spoke, Solace's face gradually grew more grim, and it wasn't long before his chin was resting on his knuckles, shaking his head. Pyrrha also told him of the talk that she had had with Naze, and this made his face grow even darker.

"This is bad." He said in a heavy tone. "I should've expected deception like this from a beast like him." He leaned back, and thought for a moment. "Yes, I think I could purify your friend, but I will require time to prepare. As for the boy's plight with the girl, he is welcome to stay here, if he wishes. She will not find him here." He looked to Ren to see if this was agreeable. Ren nodded limply, his eyes unfocused. "Good, you're welcome to anything I have. It's not quite the monastery that I was raised in, but it will do. Humble beginnings."

Jaune got up, looking at the time on his scroll. "Oh, Pyrrha, we have to get back soon! Nora will probably be going berserk by now." Pyrrha got up to follow, but then stopped, saying Jaune "Why don't you go on ahead. I'd like to discuss a few more things with Solace. Wait for me by the entrance to Beacon, would you?" Jaune raised an eyebrow, than sighed, saying "Alright, but I don't know if I can handle it if I get caught again."

He started to walk towards the door, and Pyrrha turned to Solace again. "So, about the war that Naze told me about…" her voice trailed off as she worked to isolate the part that she wanted to know the most. "Would that really happen? Would you lead humanity against him like that?"

Solace sighed, than stood, turning away. He remained that way for a long time, barely even breathing, before turning and saying "If only you could understand the depths of depravity that he had reached to." Pyrrha cocked her head questioningly, and Solace continued. "He is a lich, and a lich is the worst kind of monster. He was a human, once. I don't know this through any personal knowledge, but I know it in the same way that I know once you were a crying baby. It is the only explanation. Anyways, my order stands to defend the natural purity of the human soul. He took that purity, and sacrificed it for power, and for life everlasting. But he gave up his humanity in the process, leaving him devoid of feeling. Now he is a husk, his breast as cold as ice. It is not only because of this, but also that he could bring this horrible fate to others, that I wish him destroyed. I will not sleep soundly until this happens, for I know that he has some insidious plan."

Pyrrha spoke up, saying "But he said that he wanted peace, and that he didn't-" Solace cut her off, speaking over her "Of course he did. He would have no reservation for lying! Nothing he says can be trusted, and none of those twisted by his ruinous grip can be trusted."

Solace sighed, then sat back down, waving towards the door. "Go, please. Bring me Nora in three days, I should be ready by then."

Pyrrha bit her lip. She had many things that she still wanted to ask him about, but he looked exhausted. She did as he asked, said goodbye to Ren, and found Jaune waiting outside of the door, arms folded. The two retuned to Beacon, not speaking the entire way. They didn't know if they could handle Nora for three days.