Chapter 3: Where All Roads Lead

Bang. As the trigger was pulled back, a lone Creep fell forward on the desolate plains below. Black ooze sept from where it had been shot through the head, as its lifeless body faded away.

Bang. Bang. With each shot, another creature of Grimm fell. Moss Creedo glanced down at her handiwork with a grim satisfaction, nodding as she watched the bodies disintegrate. Though she had feared them once, now the Grimm were no different than the wild animals - or Faunus - that were hunted for sport back home.

She was just old enough to remember a time before the Faunus War. Where she lived, it was not an uncommon sight for bandits, soldiers or hunters to wander through the streets, casually murdering Faunus in broad daylight. The most sadistic of them would hang their victims' heads outside their doors as a sort of cruel trophy, alongside stuffed deers and bulls.

When the war had ended, those men had been made to pay. Not that it made much difference for Moss - her Faunus trait was far easier to hide than most. As a result, she had been one of the lucky few who didn't have to live in fear of being hunted in their own homes.

She'd had her own problems, of course. Her compound eye had made her the target of bullying for many years - including from other Faunus, who mocked her for having a rare, 'ugly' trait. And due to a deformity, she'd been born with only one eye possessing the enhanced vision of an insect, resulting in further mockery.

She'd become a Huntress in the hopes of finding the strength to stand up to those who had belittled her. And standing atop the cliff, her rifle in hand, she felt as though she had achieved that power - even if things had not gone quite the way she'd hoped.

Moss found herself thinking of Harriet, that young woman who seemed to be Salem's top emissary. She was a Faunus as well, and if she remembered correctly, the two of them were the same age. And yet, she radiated such strength and confidence...could those have come from her service to her master?

Whatever that 'Salem' is doing, it must be good for the Faunus, too - that's why Harriet's helping her. It was a reassuring thought. And Harriet had always been so nice to her - even sparing her and Storm from punishment after their recent failure.

Behind her, her partner Storm was busying polishing his arm gauntlets, while Psycha and Locke stood next to Bubble, Psycha's mechanical avian. The two seemed to be arguing about something trivial. It was a sight that had become very familiar to Moss, and she found some small comfort in the fact that no matter where she was, some things never changed. PLSM was still a team.

"Well hello," came a shrill, young voice from nearby. "You all seem like you're making the most of your free time." Moss turned to see the Cion twins - Caroline and Corrine - walking toward them, smug grins etched on their faces. She felt a sinking sensation in her chest.

"Shut the hell up," Psycha growled, not looking in their direction.

"Ooooh, scary," the left twin giggled, waving her hands mockingly in the air. "You know, if bad attitude could kill a Huntsman, I bet you could take out all of Ozpin's men by yourself, lady!"

"Aww, don't bully her," the right twin murmured, twirling her fingers sadly, causing small rocks at her feet to levitate in the air. "It's only natural to get mad when you're too weak to do anything."

"Good point," her sister agreed. "Anyway, we're here to give you some good news - it's your lucky day! Harriet is getting ready to head to Mistral. We'll be going with her, but so will some of you!"

Locke frowned, slowly putting his hand on his sheathed blade. "...Mistral? What about it? Y-you guys aren't planning on attacking Haven Academy, are you?"

"Not your business - or ours, really," the right twin replied.

"Boss' orders," added the other twin.

"Heh, whatever it is, if it's half as fun as beating the shit out of all the Grimm here, I'm in." Cackling, Storm rammed his gauntlets together, sending sparks of electricity flying in all directions. "Just point me at someone, and I'll show 'em a world of pain!"

The left twin sighed, and rolled her eyes. "...Is this the best Harriet could find? A bunch of idiots and barbarians?" she muttered.

"Unfortunately, I don't think you'll have that chance, mister," the right twin said sadly. "Miss Maroon asked for two of you - Locke Silverstein and Moss Creedo. Psycha Ozmov and Storm Columbus are to remain at base until further notice."

The manic excitement faded from Storm's eye. "...Bah," he spat, turning away from the twins, all his interest gone.

"Huh?" Locke blinked. "Why us, specifically?"

The left twin scowled. "Do I have to repeat myself? It's not your business!"

The right twin glanced over Locke. "...Maybe their stupidity also makes them deaf," she suggested.

"Probably. Anyway, the point is, just follow orders and you'll be fine. If Harriet wants you to know anything, that's when you'll find out." The girl paused, and for a single moment there was silence.

Then an unpleasant frown formed on her youthful face. "...Well?" she hissed. "Don't just stand there! You don't want Harriet to chew you out for being late, do you?" She turned away. "Come on, sis. If they can't keep up we'll just leave them behind."

"Okay." The right twin happily followed her sister as they began to walk away.

They want…me to go with them? Moss was surprised, but at the same time felt slightly flattered that Harriet had chosen her to help out. This could very well be a chance to get to know the rabbit Faunus a little better.

Still, she felt bad about leaving Storm behind. It was strange - now that she thought about it, this would be the first time she and her partner would be separated since they first met back at Shade Academy. Moss silently wondered if the oafish, brash Huntsman would be alright without her guidance.

"Now wait just a damn minute!" Psycha's enraged voice broke the silence as the twins stopped in their tracks. "What about me, huh?"

"...What about you?" the left twin grumbled, the disdain palpable in every word that came from her mouth. "Harriet doesn't need you, so you're staying here. Can you not understand even something so simple?"

The right twin frowned, staring at Psycha with mild curiosity. "You're weird," she murmured. "Did your parents never teach you manners?"

Psycha opened her mouth, and Moss braced herself for the stream of profanity that would inevitably pour out of her team leader's mouth. Thankfully, it was broken by the sudden sound of whirring blades, getting closer and closer. Everyone turned to see a small, sleek air carrier descend from the crimson sky, with a single figure aboard.

"Now, now, you two," said Harriet with a weary smile, as the aircraft lowered itself onto the ground. "You can't expect their cooperation if all you do is belittle them. My apologizes for dropping in unexpectedly, but I thought that you girls might appreciate the surprise."

"Ooooh, it's so pretty!" the right twin laughed.

"A mk-II Alberich model, huh?" her sister muttered. "I didn't think we'd get one so soon."

The rabbit Faunus chuckled. "Well, we may no longer have General Fox with us, but we still have our fair share of...benefactors. And that number continues to grow. Acquiring a specimen like this one is child's play." She gestured toward the entrance. "Now then, since I've spared you all the pain of having to walk...why don't we be off?"

The twins nodded in unison, and followed her aboard the carrier without another word. After a brief hesitation, Moss joined them, taking a deep breath as she turned to face her teammates. Locke was staring at Psycha with a look of uncertainty, as if he were asking some silent question. Not getting any response, however, he gave up and ran up to the others with a sigh.

"Be careful, Storm," Moss called out to her partner as the carrier began to lift off. "Please don't destroy more than you have to."

"Heheh," he chuckled, scratching his head awkwardly. "Uh, I'll try! See ya soon, Moss - you'll see just how strong I've gotten when ya get back!"

The metal door closed on them with a loud thud. Within the confines of the carrier, the lights had been turned off, and shutters covered every window. Lost in the darkness, Moss only felt the rumbling of the aircraft as it slowly rose into the air, before flying away.

"...Bah," Storm sighed as the Alberich soared off into the distance. "Why couldn't they have brought me along, huh?" he lamented. "I'm not tough enough?"

Psycha remained silent, staring at the ground while Bubble rested peacefully behind her. The voices of the twins continued to ring in her ears, over and over again like some pestilent virus she couldn't get rid of. "What do they think gives them the right….?" she muttered under her breath.

"Eh? You say somethin', leader?"

"What in the hell gives them the right to talk to me like that?!" she screeched. Her palm suddenly ignited with her Aura as she curled her hand into a fist. Behind her, Bubble screeched in surprise as its mechanical body began to rapidly fluctuate in size. Finally settling on the size of a slightly overgrown eagle, it flew toward its owner and settled itself on her arm.

Psycha scowled, turning her gaze to to where the carrier had vanished into the distance. "You stay here," she told Storm. "Screw what your worthless shit of a partner said - break some things. Hell, break everything. Any distraction that's big enough."

"Hey, hey, don't call Moss a-"

"Shut. Up," she hissed, "and just do what I say, dumbass. Make sure I can get away and follow after them. After that...whatever. Run and hope you don't get caught or killed, I guess."

Storm looked bewildered. "You're followin' them? But they told us to stay and wait…"

"Exactly. They think we won't be of any use to them….Well, they're probably right about you, but not me. They're going to see that if I'm on their team, nothing can stand in their way." At the snap of her fingers, Bubble rose and flew to a spot in front of her, before growing back to full size. The avian flapped its enormous wings and screeched.

"I'll show them just how useful I am," Psycha murmured. "I'll show all of them."

Today really wasn't her day.

Summer looked up at the Huntsman mission board, scanning the holographic screen for any noteworthy postings. The guildhouse was unusually empty for the time of year, with only a few other Huntsmen wandering aimlessly around the room. A minute passed as she waited for the system to update, hoping that something new would pop up. No such luck.

Despairing, she re-read the existing board posts: Security needed for Dust transport to Atlas. Creep infestation in village north of the Emerald Forest. Mostly small jobs, all of which already had several Huntsmen assigned to them. Most of them were at a higher rank than Summer anyway, so it wasn't like she was needed there.

In other words, she was dead out of work. Great, she sighed.

As if on instinct, she pulled out her Scroll. Flipping to the 'Saved Calls' section, she began to play the message she'd already listened to at least five times.

Qrow's face appeared on the Scroll's surface. "Hey, Summer," he said, a troubled look on the Huntsman's face as he tried to force a smile. "Uh, so I don't know when you'll get this, the reception out here is pretty crappy….but I just wanted to let you know that I won't be back for a while. Well, I guess you already knew that might be the case, but…"

His voice trailed off. His face turned to the side, and he seemed to be looking at something close by. After a moment's pause, he gave a faint nod and turned back to the camera. "Look, the point is, I'm gonna be in Mistral for...well, however long Oz wants to keep me there. There's a lot of shit going down right now, and trust me, I'd really love to fill you in on it, but...well, you know what he's like…

...Anyway, just wanted to give you a little update. I'm sure you'll be fine on your own but, knowing you, you're probably panicking for no reason, right? Raven and Tai'll hopefully be back by the end of the month, so just hang tight for a bit and then the three of you can hang out! I'll come and join you guys...eventually." An awkward pause. "Uh. A-anyway, see ya later, partner!" The message ended with an abrupt cut to black.

Despite everything, Summer smiled. Qrow trying his best to be affectionate was always funny, no matter how awkward he ended up looking in the process. And it was nice how he still called her 'partner' even after Beacon - then again, that word had a slightly different connotation for the two of them now…

Still, a cute recorded message from her boyfriend could only keep her spirits up for so long. Summer had bills to pay, and she couldn't exactly rely on the pension from Beacon anymore.

There had been a worrying decrease in incidents that needed Huntsman attention in the past few months. From from a certain angle that was good, of course, but from Summer's point of view it just meant that she was in danger of getting evicted by the end of the year. At this rate I won't even be able to eat three meals a day, she lamented.

She felt bad immediately. Compared to most people in the world, she may as well be royalty. Outside of Vale, threats of technological terrorism had been brewing ever since James Ironwood's appointment as General of Atlas. Crime rates in Mistral were the highest they'd been in years. And despite increased activity of the White Fang group, Faunus discrimination was as rampant as ever.

That last part made her think of Harriet. Her old friend-turned-enemy had fought for Faunus rights in her own way. Ways that Summer could never empathize with, perhaps, but the fact remained that she'd worked for what she'd believed in with all her strength. And she was indeed strong. Even when the two had fought in Vacuo last year, Summer's power hadn't been enough to best the rabbit Faunus.

I'm really not that strong, huh… Summer thought dejectedly. Even after all her training, she couldn't defeat her old rival. She was even one of the few Huntresses to go through the full four years at the Academy without unlocking a Semblance. And I'm supposed to be some hero that's supposed to save the world? Now that was a terrifying thought…

"...Summer?" A vaguely familiar voice from nearby caught her attention. "Is that you?"

"Hrm?" Confused, Summer turned toward the source of the voice, and her eyes widened in surprise. For a few seconds, she could hardly believe who was standing in front of her at that moment. "Latte?" She glanced in disbelief at the older Huntsman. "What are you doing here?"

Latte Adel grinned, walking over to his friend with his hand held up in a friendly gesture. "Oh, you know, just checking out the sights here in Vale. Haven't visited this place in years! How's work, huh? How's the team?"

Summer laughed sheepishly. "W-well, not as good as I'd hoped...and as for Team STRQ, everyone's out of the Kingdom except for me right now. To be honest, it's pretty relieving to see a familiar face around here."

"Glad I could be of help, then," Latte replied, exchanging an enthusiastic high-five with her. "That bar Marge works at should be around the corner here, right? Why don't we grab some drinks and get caught up?"

Summer acquiesced, and the two of them made their way to Club Malachite. Marguerite, Latte's old teammate from Atlas Academy, waved to them as they approached. "These are on the house," she chuckled as she passed them their drinks. "You guys probably need it, anyway. Just don't tell the boss, alright? I reeeeeeally don't wanna get fired…"

"Your secret's safe with us," Latte said with a reassuring grin. "She's going pretty well, all things considered," he remarked as Marguerite drunkenly strolled away. "Did I ever tell you about the first time she shot someone in a nightclub? By accident, I mean."

Summer didn't particularly want to know - though it did sound interesting. "Anyway, why are you in Vale, Latte?" she inquired. "Shouldn't you be at home with your family?"

"As a matter of fact, family's exactly why I'm here," he replied. "Part of it, at least. I figured I'd go on a trip around all the Kingdoms, bringing home some specimens of fashion from all the different cultures of Remnant. For Coco, of course – gotta make sure that kid's got as good of a fashion sense as her dear old dad, you know?"

"Th-that's…" Summer laughed, sipping her martini and wincing at the familiar sting of alcohol. Excessive? A little overboard? "…that's some dedication," she said. "Um…I can definitely respect that."

"…Well, that," Latte shrugged, his smile fading away. "And that tin-headed general back in Atlas dumped a giant job on me out of the blue, to investigate some incidents all around Remnant. This little trip just seemed like a good cover-up."

Figures. Summer had had a feeling there would be more to it than just a fashionista's whim. Wistfully, she thought about how much Lien the guild must have paid Latte to go on such a large-scale mission. "Well, um, good luck with that," she replied. "I'd ask, but I don't know if you're allowed to give details."

Latte laughed bitterly. "It's not like I'm 'not allowed', but…." His voice trailed off. "Well, I guess it can't be too important – according to General Ironwood, it probably has nothing to do with Salem, at least."

"…" Summer was quiet. At first, she felt no reaction toward Latte's words. Finally, she reeled back in surprise, almost choking on her drink. 'W-wait," she spluttered. "You know about Salem too?"

"O-oh, sorry!" Latte blinked in surprise, grabbing her shoulder and saving her from clumsily collapsing to the floor. "Right, right…now that I think about it, I guess it's not a surprise you didn't know. But yeah, I've known about Salem and all that for a few years now. I was a Warrior candidate, just like you."

"Warrior…candidate?"

"Huh? You don't know what…well, I guess that's to be expected from Oz." The older Huntsman downed the rest of his beer. "He and his order like to pick out potential 'Warriors' – Huntsmen and Huntresses who get the really dangerous jobs, the ones that actually matter – from among their students. You and I were picked by Oz and Onyx, and apparently that Psycha girl was Thane's pick. I'm surprised even Ozpin wouldn't at least tell you that much, but…from what I knew, you were a bit of a special case. Something about your 'silver eyes'…."

Summer looked down, noticing that her hands were shaking. "I…uh…don't really want to talk about that," she muttered.

"Fair enough," Latte shrugged. "Hmm…" His eyes lit up as if illuminated by some bright flame. "You said you weren't busy, right? Why not join me on my little mission? I could always use an extra pair of hands!"

"Huh? But I don't even know what your mission is…"

Without warning, Latte pulled a small object out of his pocket, slamming it onto the counter with a flourish. "You will in a moment," he grinned. "So, a question first – you know what this is?"

"Uh…" Summer blinked as the stared at what he had placed in front of her – a charred, misshapen lump of metal, that looked like it had once been an emblem of some sort. It looked vaguely familiar to her. "It's like…a rock? No wait, it looks more like some kind of crystal."

"Something like that," Latte replied. "My employers think it's some kind of Dust – but not one that's on any of the records - probably man-made. These little things have been found at the sites of a bunch of strange phenomena across Remnant lately. A power plant malfunction in Atlas, a spontaneous high tide on a Menagerie beach, et cetera…thankfully no one was too hurt, but I guess the Council got paranoid. And there's definitely some sort of connection."

"Like what?" Summer asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Hell if I know," Latte shrugged. "The incidents all seem to caused by some unnatural shift in gravity, so our best guess is that these crystals are some kind of enhanced gravity Dust – which, of course, would make whoever's behind this kind of a big problem."

Sighing, Latte glanced at his Scroll. "Feels like I've been wandering all over the damn continent searching for answers," he grumbled. "And all I seem to get are more questions. By now, there's been at least one phenomena in every major nation in Remnant…well, except for one…"

Suddenly, a thought popped into Summer's head. She spoke without thinking. "Mistral," she blurted out.

"I…" Latte stared at her in shock. "Y-yeah. Mistral's the last place that hasn't been affected yet. I was actually planning to head there tomorrow. How'd you know?"

"I don't really know," Summer admitted. In her mind, however, she replayed Qrow's message for the umpteenth time. According to him, something big was going on in Mistral. Meanwhile, strange phenomena were happening everywhere in Remnant except Mistral. Could there be a connection…?

Latte just shrugged. "Lucky guess? Maybe good luck's your Semblance," he said jokingly. "In any case, what do you say? You don't have to, if you've got something important coming up."

"Hmm…" It seemed like a good offer. She was desperate for work, after all, and this seemed like almost too good an opportunity. The company would be nice, too… Still, Raven and Tai would be coming home soon. Maybe waiting to have them back would be a better idea…

I'm sure you'll be fine on your own, Summer remembered what Qrow had said in his message, in an almost mocking tone. But knowing you, you're probably panicking for no reason, right? Despite herself, she felt a tinge of annoyance at her boyfriend. "Maybe this'll show him," she muttered under her breath, her mind made up.

"Uh, you ok?" Latte asked nervously. "Your face looks kind of scary…"

"I-I'm fine!" Summer forced herself to smile. "I'd like to take you up on that offer, if you don't mind."

Internally, she imagined the flabbergasted look on Qrow's face at seeing her in Mistral. That'll give him a nice surprise, she decided. Now she just had to decide on a snarky one-liner to greet him with…

"Well in that case, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Latte grinned as he tossed some Lien onto the countertop. "Be at the airport by six in the morning, alright?" Getting to his feet, he walked out of the bar, waving back at Summer as he left.

Marguerite soon returned. "Didn't I tell him this stuff was free?" she grumbled, even as she hastily pocketed the Lien. The redheaded barmaid let out a drunken burp as she smiled at Summer. "Ughh...well, my ol' leader might be a lost cause, but ah leash he's nice, don't ya think…?" Summer nodded in silent agreement.

"If you want my advice," she continued, "ya might as well not bother with any of 'em. None of this 'save the world, super-secret mission' crap. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy your life, y'know? Savor all the good times - 'cause y'know what they say about good times, right?"

"...Yeah," Summer replied. "Good times never last."

"Is this the place?" Tai asked through gritted teeth.

"We should be getting close, at least," Raven replied, gazing off into the distance. "Just a little further and we'll be there."

Tai hoped his partner was telling the truth, because he was freezing his ass off. A thundering blizzard roared all around them, pellets of thick snow pelting them, seemingly from every direction, like a hail of bullets. Even in a thick, hooded jacket, he had to squint to prevent snow from shooting right into his eyes. Is it always this bad in Mantle? he wondered.

He took a deep breath. "Hahhhh…." Concentrating, he felt the Dust contained within his body begin to ignite, spreading a slow, dull warmth throughout his muscles. This was how he'd kept himself heated - and as far as he was concerned, alive - for most of the trek, but he'd had to do it sparingly. It was never a good idea to risk overheating, otherwise the cold would be the least of his problems.

Meanwhile, Raven simply walked ahead of him, unflinchingly moving at a steady pace. Makes sense, Tai reasoned. She and Birdy grew up around all this snow, after all. She must be used to it.

Eventually, the snow began to clear. As Tai pulled his hood back, relieved to be breathing air without pellets of ice entering his mouth, he saw that Raven had stopped dead in his tracks. "This is it," she announced.

"Huh?" Tai looked around at the now unobscured scenery. He realized that they'd just passed through an old gate of some kind - a row of tall, metal spikes stood behind him, with a small entrance space that they'd walked through.

And in front...he had to blink to make sure what he was seeing was real. There had certainly once been a village of some sort here...but no longer. Piles of wood, metal and cloth lay in messy heaps as far as the eye could see. Even under the thick blankets of snow, Tai could still see the cakes of black ash below. Whatever life had once flourished in this settlement had clearly been gone for many years.

"This is...Valhalla?" Tai muttered.

Raven nodded. Though she had her back to him, he could tell she had a solemn look on her face. "Though our tribe was nomadic by nature, they had set up camp in this village around the time Qrow and I were born. As for where they are now...even I don't know."

She turned, and to Tai's shock, he saw that the dark Huntress seemed to be holding back tears. It was a state of vulnerability that she'd almost never shown before. "I...For the longest time, I was certain they were gone forever," she murmured quietly. "To find out that they've been alive - that my father would be alive after all this time...I should be happy. But I never imagined things would go quite like this…"

"I-It'll be alright, Rae." Tai attempted to reassure her. "But, why come out all the way out here? You told me all about your uncle and what happened here all those years ago, but I don't really see why'd you drag me here just to show me the place…"

"...I want to check something," Raven replied after a pause. "One thing I've always wondered about was why our tribe remained in this one area for so long. I'd always assumed it was because of the untouched Dust mines in the vicinity, but…" She trailed off, and turned her head as she walked away. "Come. I'll show you."

Feeling apprehensive, but not one to deny a request from Raven, Tai followed after her. As they walked, Tai noticed a structure - or what was left of it - off in the distance, that seemed taller than all the others in the camp. "Is that - was that…?" He couldn't quite find the words.

Raven nodded. "The chief's abode, yes," she replied. "That was where my father lived. It was more than just a fancy tent, however. It…" She stopped in her tracks, and her eyes widened. "Wait...something isn't right." Without waiting for a reply, she began to run toward the chief's tent.

"Huh? What're you-" Without finishing his question, Tai ran after her. As he approached the site, he saw what the problem was. In the centre of the clearing, a jagged pillar of undistilled Dust had emerged from beneath the frozen-cold ground, elevating the tent several feet above the rest of the camp. Tai could tell that it was made of raw crystals due to their fluctuating colour - they had not yet solidified into a specific element. As for the tent itself, it seemed to levitating above the pillar, flipped upside-down, as if in a permanent state of limbo.

"What happened here?" he wondered. "W-was it like this the last time you were here?"

Raven shook her head. "...No,," she said through gritted teeth. "And it seems unlikely that a rupture of this magnitude could be natural. Someone was here before us, and though I can't tell what their motive was…" She clenched her fist. "Uncle Luka. This has to be his doing!"

I-Isn't that jumping to conclusions a bit? Tai thought, glancing at her worriedly. After all, disturbances in the underground Dust veins weren't unheard of - in fact, major ruptures in their flow had created many major Dust deposits and mines. That didn't explain the upside-down part, though. "Let's investigate a little bit," he suggested. "Maybe we can-"

He was interrupted by a loud growl from close behind him, and he turned around in surprise. An enormous Grimm, towering several heads above a Beowolf or Ursa, had been following them, and was now leaping at Tai with murder in its eyes. Crap! He raised his arms to defend himself, wincing in pain as the beast's claws dug into his Aura, straining to pierce his flesh.

Glaring into the creature's monstrous visage, Tai got a closer look at its muscular, ape-like features, and the rows of sharp fangs that protruded from its salivating maw, hungering not for meat, but for slaughter. A Yeti Grimm! He'd heard of these beasts before, but only in legends and fairy tales.

"Hraaah!" With a grunt, Tai pushed the Yeti away and swung at its head with a soaring uppercut. To his dismay, the beast was barely fazed by his attack, simply spitting out several of his teeth making what could have been a sneer. Snarling, it lunged at Tai head-first with unexpected speed, knocking him backwards.

Raising its massive fist, the Yeti prepared to strike him again, and Tai was still recovering from the previous hit. He weakly raised his arms and closed his eyes, bracing for impact. However, it never came.

"Huh?" Opening his eyes again, he saw that Raven had intercepted the beast. In her hands she held a crimson sword - not Shadow Mobius, her katana that had been shattered during the battle of Vacuo. This new one had a much larger blade, being almost twice the length of its sheath, and an upgraded rotary chamber to store more Dust blades than before. With a battle cry, Raven forced the Yeti back with her weapon.

"Thanks," Tai panted as he got to his feet. To his dismay, Raven's sword hadn't quite been able to pierce through the beast's thick fur. "I thought your new toy was a little sharper than that," he said jokingly.

"A sharp edge isn't all that matters," his partner replied. Flipping a switch on the sword's chamber, the blade began to glow a bright blue, crackling with electricity. As the Yeti charged at the Huntsmen for another attempt, Raven swung her sword to intercept it.

This time, the sheer force of the swing combined with the energy of lightning Dust was enough to penetrate its flesh, cleaving the beast's arm off like a knife cutting through butter. Howling in pain, the Yeti fell over onto its side, its huge body tumbling through the snow.

Tai and Raven ran over to finish it off, but the beast was quick to leap back to its feet, smoke rising from its stump. Using its head and remaining arm, it continued to fend off their combined assault with stubborn tenacity.

Even so, its loss of an arm had created a glaring hole in its defenses, and Raven was quick to exploit it, stabbing the Yeti's exposed right side with several swift motions. The Grimm reeled back, struggling to recover, leaving its chest open for attack.

Channeling a surge of Dust into his left fist, Tai summoned all of his strength as he threw at a punch into the Yeti's body. There was an explosion of energy, and black ooze flew everywhere as its stomach burst open from the impact. Growling, the beast fell backwards, its body disintegrating into the air.

Tai sighed in relief, wiping his brow. "That sword really is insane, huh?" he asked as Raven sheathed the blade. "As if you weren't already the strongest one on our team. Are you going to give it a name?"

"I wouldn't consider that my main priority right now," she replied, giving him a weary smile. "And...my apologies, Tai. That Yeti Grimm must have attracted by my negative outburst back there. It was careless of me."

"There's nothing for you to apologize for, Raven."

That reply did not come from Tai, but someone nearby. Both of them turned in the direction of the voice, and saw a giant man dressed in black, so tall he practically towered over the smaller tents in the camp, walking toward them with an unflinching gait. As he got closer, Tai realized the mysterious man had the same pitch-black hair and red eyes as Raven and Qrow. Where did he come from?

Raven immediately tensed, and Tai could practically feel the murderous intent radiating off of her as she swiftly pulled out her katana, pointing it at the man. "...You," she hissed. "What are you doing here, Fenrir?"

"W-wait, Fenrir?" Tai stared in disbelief at the man. He was staring at them with a stoic expression on his face, though he could see some sort of conflict - or a disturbance? - in his eyes. "This the other guy you fought at Vacuo, right?"

Fenrir calmly raised his hands, his expression unchanging. "That occurred a year ago - I hope we can leave those events behind for now. I did come with any intention to fight - that, I can promise you."

"As if your promises mean anything," Tai retorted.

"Perhaps. But your...teammate here - my dearest cousin Raven - seemed perfectly ready to accept that our family was still alive when we first informed her. Perhaps deep down, she always suspected the truth?" A tiny smile appeared on his face. "But I assure you, I had no reason to lie then, and I have no reason now."

"In that case," Raven replied cautiously, her hand still firmly on her sword's handle. "Why are you here, Fenrir? If Luka and Ragna are with you as well, then whether you intend to start a fight may no longer matter."

"Not at all. Those two are far away, following their plans as usual. However, I did come on my my father's behalf. He asked that I take the two of you to the chief of the Branwen tribe in Mistral - Thoron Branwen."

Those were the magic words. Raven finally lowered the blade. "...Father?" she murmured, sounding bewildered. "But why would Luka want us to meet him? Just what is he planning?"

"To change the world," Fenrir said simply. "And whether people will see it as change for good or ill means nothing to him. And that," he added, gesturing to the pillar of Dust. "is but one of his 'experiments' toward that goal. But come with me, and I will tell you more of what I know."

"And how do we know this isn't some trap?" Tai asked angrily. Who does this guy think he is? Does he seriously believe he can just show up and ask something like that?

The giant scowled. "I might have allied myself with my father for now, but I have not one ounce of love for him. And her father despises him even more than I do. That is why…" His gaze remained on Raven as he spoke. "...if you still seek to defeat Luka Branwen...why not take this opportunity?"

Tai still wasn't buying it. All of this Branwen nonsense had seemed fishy from the beginning, and now it was just getting more and more complicated. He loved Raven, but he felt like she had become far too invested in all this - too much for her own good. And now, he had a feeling they were nearing a breaking point - a point from which there was no turning back.

Forget about it, he wanted to tell her. Forget all of it. Let's just go home, back to Summer and Qrow. We can continue being a team, the way it's always been. That's all I want.

But he was too late. "...Very well." Raven nodded, putting her sword back in its sheath. "I'll trust your words - for now. Show me where my father is, and then...well, I'll simply have to see what fate has in store for us."

"I'm glad to hear that," Fenrir replied. "Our tribe has taken up camp in Mistral, near the Forest of the Devil's Whisper. Now then, the two of us can-"

"And what about Tai?" Raven interrupted him.

"...What of him?" The giant frowned at Taiyang, glancing him over as though he were some hideous insect. "He is not one of us. He is not part of our family. Why should you associate yourself with him and those like him?"

"He is part of my family," Raven insisted. "Because I choose to see him as one. So I ask that he come with us. I believe we both deserve answers."

Fenrir hesitated for a moment, but ultimately sighed in resignation. "Very well." Reluctantly, he turned to Tai with a scowl on his burly face. "At the very least, I will give you the choice as well. Do you wish to become a part of this tale, Huntsman? "

Tai wished for no such thing. He had never wanted much - he sought to fight Grimm, save the innocent, and become not just a Huntsman, but a hero. But more importantly, he wanted friends that he could rely on and hang out with. The other members of Team STRQ had been those friends, and with them he had formed unbreakable bonds. At least, he had thought they were unbreakable.

It was true that he had questions. About 'Salem', the four relics, whatever was up with Summer's silver eyes, and now the whole matter with Qrow and Raven's family. But did he really want them answered? Sometimes, he wished he could just forget about it all, and return to being blissfully ignorant.

But that wasn't an option anymore. And if Raven was going to get involved, he knew he had to be there for her. That was what friends - no, what partners were for.

"Alright," he heard himself say. "Take us to Mistral."