(A/N: We've done it, people, I repeat, the mission has been completed. 5 for motherfucking 5!)
XOXO
Current Day
Mistral
XOXO
Dull clangs filled the forest.
Left, right, stab. Shifting my weight, I kept my weapon close, fending off the first two slashes with its broadside and moving my head out of the stab's path, all while prepping an attack of my own. I stepped in and swung. I caught nothing but air, dark black locks racing past the corner of my vision. I followed them and stood my ground against another flurry of attacks.
This time, however, as she moved between slashes, I pulled back for a swing, avoiding rather than blocking them.
KSSSHHHK!
The crimson blade shattered against my far larger one. The miniscule opening that presented was closed in a flash, my opponent leaping back as she returned her bladeless sword handle to the sheath at her waist. Before she could land, I raised one hand, taking aim at her with my weapon as if preparing a javelin and chucked it forward.
She twisted her body, narrowly avoiding it.
Click.
The instant her feet hit the ground she spun around, a fresh yellow dust blade ripped from her sheath. With quick slashes and last second blocks, she parried and redirected the six different blades my sword had split into. With a thought, no, more like intention, the semblance second nature to me, I brought them back, the flying blades trapping her in a relentless assault.
Few could fend off, let alone stand their ground, against such a thing.
Forcing one of the blades to slide off her katana, she ducked low, sprinting away, the surrounding trees and foliage used as cover. I sent my blades after her. Branches and leaves were sliced apart but the pursuit came to swift end, her trail lost among the dense greenery.
Of course, mom was built different. It'd take far more than that to ever land a clean hit on her.
I brought my blades back, the main center piece floating near me, pairs on opposite sides of the small clearing we'd been fighting in, and a final blade high above, prepped to be rocket down at a moment's notice. Left, right, above; wherever she chose to attack from there'd be a blade to intercept.
A faint cool breeze blew through, rustling the vegetation around me.
I knew mom. Skilled or not, she wouldn't rush headfirst into a disadvantageous situation which meant-
A blur, from straight ahead, shot out from the trees. My blade from above shot down, burying deep into the dirt. Pieces of a stick, cleanly cut it two landed around it. A distraction but for-
The ground vanished, a shuddering cold beginning to consume me. My main blade flew into my hand before the familiar sensation swallowed me whole. I fell out of the dark portal she'd conjured up, twisting around in time to block a quick heavy slash from her. The swing brought us down to the ground, my distant weapons already rushing over. Something she was all too aware of, every swing of the now yellow blade accompanied by similarly colored sparks that struck past my weapon.
Abandoning a two handed hold on my weapon, I raised my free arm in the path of her blade.
The hardened aura disk I'd formed over it shattered.
Her blade, barely losing any speed, continued forward. And, in turn, shattered against my now metallic arm, the skin there now matching the metal handle of my sword. Left wide open, my one handed slash struck true, the blow to her stomach sending her back. A gloved hand placed to the ground, she slowed her skid, stopping just shy of slamming into a tree.
She rose to a full stand, bladeless katana returned to her sheath as her eyes met mine.
"Are you sure about this?" She questioned, voice low.
I nodded.
"Tsk." Sword ripped from its sheath once more, a new blade in place, she sliced open a dark, swirling portal with a glow that matched the blackened red of her aura. "See me back at camp."
Order given, she stepped into the portal, the ominous thing dissipating behind her and leaving me alone in the forest.
A growl came from behind me, a pack of beewolf's stalking forth.
Or not.
One lunged.
With its claw an inch away from reaching my head it stopped dead in its tracks, floating in the air. I raised my hand, the rest of the pack following suit. Bit by bit I curled my fist, their snarling turning to pained growls and whimpers. The outer bone of the few with armor splintered and cracked, before, as I fully clenched my fist, distinct snaps filled the air, the limp group hitting the ground and beginning to dissipate into that scentless dark smoke all Grimm were reduced to.
All these years and dear old mom's mean streak hadn't eased up at all. She could've at least waited for me to gather up the rest of my weapon before leaving like that.
Then again, I dropped this news on her out of nowhere.
XOXO
"Hey, Talon, could you help me with this?"
"Talon! Thanks for yesterday."
"Talon! Got time to join us for a hunt today?"
Raven lifted her mug by its handle, staring in the dark brownish-red liquid within.
Ten long years.
She seen much. Come to blows with impossibilities. Discovered the truth that so few had ever known. Most who knew what she did were in the ground by now. A pointless death their only reward for getting involved in something far bigger than themselves.
She knew what dangers lurked in the world.
"Tsk, that busybody probably thinks he's the center of the world."
Raven glanced up from her cup. Arms crossed and frowning, Vernal stood beside the entrance to her tent, adjusting the flap of its entrance to get a look outside. That condescension of hers was a front for many things, envy just one of them.
The tribe was a place of equality. True equality. Those with strength stood at the top, few, if any responsibilities, assigned to them and far more luxuries afforded to them. Those who lacked that strength, whether it be to a lack of talent, old age, or other circumstances, handled the day to day labor and followed far stricter rules regarding the distribution of supplies. In exchange it was the strong who was expected to handle their defense and all other combat related tasks.
Any who shrunk away from their part, chose to be dead weight, or questioned the dichotomy was an enemy. A traitor that had no place here.
A way of living that she could actually understand.
But not one that Talon fully grew up in.
More greetings and requests were dropped on Talon as he drew closer. The repair of weapons, washing of clothes and dishes, and countless other mundane things that would be a waste of the strength he brought to the camp. Barring those closely related, none dared to try and shoulder one of the tribe's fighters with such work. Talon was the exception. Many of said fighters questioned and poked fun at him for entertaining such things but that didn't change the facts.
They all respected him. From the clumsiest of their cooks to their most experienced fighters.
He had a good life here.
Vernal stepped aside, flap pulled with her, Talon stepping in a moment later. After giving Vernal a nod, he wordlessly came over, that giant bandaged broadsword he'd put together over the years unstrapped from his torso and propped against one of the wooden beams supporting the tent before he took a seat across from her.
He didn't bother with the still steaming cup of tea set up on the small table, only staring at her.
Those ten years were at their most prominent when looking at him.
The little slightly chubby faced boy from back then had been replaced by a tempered fighter. His long dark hair, far less plentiful than her own, was held in a high messy ponytail, his lengthy bangs framing much of his sharp face. His once curious gaze had narrowed over the years, those dark red eyes of his carrying none of the friendliness the tribe had come to associate with him.
And that gaze, changed by the cruel reality of the world, hadn't wavered at all.
Stubborn brat. Raven thought. As much as he grew that look hadn't changed in the least. From the very first day she started his training, he'd always had a persistent determination to him.
He was leaving.
There was no point in a discussion regarding that.
"Your word." Raven said. "Give me your word that you won't involve yourself with anything to do with Ozpin."
"Well, I can't really do anything about being related to you, uncle Qrow and-"
"Don't be smart with me."
Talon's gaze didn't fall away but he finally reached for his tea. He traced the handle for a moment before bringing it up.
Raven rose up to a kneel, her cup set aside, and seized his wrist. "Say it, Talon."
"I-" This time he did waver, gaze dropping away from hers. But, after he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, that silent determination hadn't gone anywhere. "I can't do that."
This fucking idiot.
Leaving was one thing. Tai and Yang were a long way from Mistral and it'd been over a decade. She'd always know it'd be a matter of time before he, whether through his own choice or due to Qrow's scattered check ins on Talon, decided to head out in search of them.
They were family.
"Vernal." Raven said without looking up, meeting his stare with a glare. "Leave us." The tent's flap moved, Vernal's quick steps steadily fading away until silence remained. "I don't know what foolish ideas are going through that head of yours, but you should know better. That pointless fight isn't worth your life."
"I can't run away and-"
"Running is the only option, you fool." Raven interrupted him. "You know what she can do. What she can come back from. Her strength isn't something any of us can do anything about."
"We can't be sure." Talon said. His eyes darkened, those symbols within them spinning to life. "I might have a chance."
Maybe there was truth to that. His semblance, the Sharingan he called it, was one of the strongest she'd ever encountered. As much as she trained him to go without it, she'd never neglected forcing him to make the most of it. To teach him to squeeze out every last drop of strength it had to offer.
Maybe that was where she went wrong.
His semblance was special but for them to have seen the same world defying horror Salem was and gamble his life on a maybe?
"You're a fool." Raven muttered. She released his wrist and dropped back to sit. "Do you have a plan at least?'
"Headed to Mistral's capital first. Uncle Qrow has told me a good bit about the place." Talon shared. A good place to gather information, especially in the seedier parts of the city. If nothing else, at least he wasn't sprouting some nonsense about going to Beacon and throwing himself at Ozpin's feet.
"I see." Raven said, finally lifting her cup for a drink. Talon did the same.
The drinks passed in silence. There wasn't anything more to be said and they both knew it.
Even so, once both their cups were emptied and they stood up Raven found herself beckoning him over. He'd grown tall. Taller than her and maybe even Qrow. It'd been a long while since she last saw the two side by side.
She reached up, bringing his forehead down to hers. "If you need me…"
"I know." He reached around, hugging her. "I love you too, mom."
He was an idiot for even considering the possibility of going up against Salem. She hadn't thought he'd share in the same sort of idiocy Qrow kept himself drunk on, that fool still working for Ozpin after all this time.
But she'd still keep an eye on them wherever they went.
She wouldn't let that foolish hope they both shared in lead either into an early grave.
XOXO
(A/N: Keeping it vague for now, only really hinting at Talon being something of an anomaly among them, but the tribe will be a major focus in the far future, or at least that's the plan. I want some very specific characters involved when its time for plot involving the group to show up. If there's any part of the story that can be considered AU, it'll be certain things involving them. Don't worry, I'm not changing the fact that they're pretty much bandits but they'll actually have some plot relevant history.
A lot of stuff is actually alluded to in this chapter through both their P.O.Vs but you should have questions, especially involving important events that've taken place. The story will be answering them when the story answers them, not me. So don't ask. I mean you can but don't expect a real answer.
And just for clarification one more time: The chapter before this was a cold open that focuses on an out of context scene in the future, meaning it takes place far ahead of this chapter. I don't think its a technique that's used often on webnovel but I've seen it in more traditional books and I wanted to try it. Only way to know what does and doesn't work for me and improve as a writer.
That aside, link for those who want to read ahead:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
Thanks for everyone that's here. All the support has really helped me keep writing even when my discipline was lacking.