Chained in Servility

Chapter 6

Raven's eyes widened as they walked up to Beacon, shiver a little as flurries sputtered them. "I never knew buildings could be this big..." She'd seen the tree-tall buildings from the airship, but to actually see them up close... It was breathtaking. And Beacon's CCTS tower rose above all of them, a testament to the unity of the four kingdoms after the war.

Qrow nudged her and she nodded as she followed him inside. The heat was welcome from the cold outdoors. The vaulted ceilings made her look up and Qrow grabbed her hand, dragging her to the indoor stadium. The huge room opened before them, packed with numerous other hopefuls to enter into the school. The strict standards meant only a handful of people would be admitted every year. Raven squeezed her brother's hand.

"We'll be fine, Rae. These guys are chumps compared to us." He smiled at her and she took in a breath, nodding.

"Yeah." How many of these guys could say they had about three and a half cumulative years of active combat on top of another four years of intense training? This was going to be as easy as sleeping.

However, she felt eyes on her and she looked at Qrow who gave a small, tense nod. Somebody was watching them, but they were hardly surprised. It wasn't everyday that members of the Branwen tribe waltzed into a Hunter Academy. At least the tests were open today when they usually required pre-registration.

They settled down into the stands and Raven quickly found her attention drifting. These kids were skilled in theory, but they were far too reliant on drills. They were stiff and unrefined in the ways that mattered most. If they'd been fighting, she would have torn any of them apart in a matter of seconds. Their complete lack of real-world experience would have resulted in their deaths if they'd been with the tribe on an actual mission. This test really was child's play....
--

"That was boring." Qrow stretched and Raven folded her arms as she leaned against the wall.

"You were right; I had nothing to worry about." She really couldn't believe she'd been worried. They absolutely passed with flying colors (Branwen puns). The looks on the teachers' faces had been princeless after just a short spar. The only one not to react had been the headmaster. He must have been the one watching them earlier.

Almost on cue, the man in question walked over and Raven tensed. She caught Qrow doing the same. He offered them a smile, but something about it felt fake. Those eyes... Studying, probing, planning, reading... This man was a puppet master of the highest degree. It reminded her of her grandmother in all the worst ways.

"Good afternoon, Miss Branwen, Mister Branwen." So fake! She felt Qrow tense more beside her and she squeezed her hands together. The man paused and took a sip from his mug, studying them carefully.

"I'd like to personally thank you for trying out for Beacon. Your entrance exams were some of the finest I've seen since I became headmaster." SOmething about that statement seemed off to Raven. What it was, she couldn't quite quantify, but...

"Normally, I must talk this over with staff, but I believe the decision would be unanimous. I would like to extend the offer of full-ride scholarships to the both of you.I assume neither of you nor those in your time have any idea of the true cost of attending the best Hunter Academy in the world." Raven glanced at Qrow who shrugged. The headmaster was correct on that front. They were still getting used to having to pay for everything, so they really didn't have any idea.

"You're correct about that, Headmaster Ozpin; we don't and we would appreciate the kindness." Raven offered him a polite smile and dip of her head. Even if she didn't understand the true magnitude of his offer, just from how he spoke, it was no doubt a big thing. She hated the fact that they had to rely on someone else for survival like this, but they were well out of their comfort and knowledge zone.

Ozpin returned the smile, though the sheer unreadability of it made her skin crawl. Just who was this man? There seemed to be something magical—

Qrow's head whipped to face her, eyebrows raise.

Ozpin's smile just grew more and he took a sip from his mug. "It is quite unusual for members of any tribe to leave like this especially the Branwens. I do have to wonder what drew you to Beacon of all places." Raven's skin crawled again and she found herself muted. How much did he know about them? Most outsiders just dismissed them as bandits, yet the way he spoke implied implicit knowledge...

"Anyway, as you two have nowhere else to go, I can allow you to stay in one of the vacant first-year dorms. You'll be allotted the usual student stipend of five hundred lien a week for your food, but I can extend it a little more for any necessities that you would need for the first two months." He moved on as if he'd never made the observations. Raven took a breath in and nodded, trying to go with the flow he had set.

She offered another polite smile—though far less certain than before—and a small nod. "We would be very grateful, Headmaster Ozpin. We do have lien, but it's dwindling." The ho-tels had been more than expected and the airship tickets had cut into their limited funds even more. Having the necessities covered with few limitations was an absolute blessing. She still didn't trust the man on a personal level, but she couldn't deny they needed the support.

Ozpin gave a small nod of approval, eyeing his mug and Raven put a hand over her mouth despite everything. He chuckled and returned his attention to the twins. "Assistant Headmistress Glynda will see you to your dorm after we finish all of the entrance exams. For now, you can watch or wander the main campus grounds."

"I don't trust him." Qrow flopped on his bed and Raven nodded her agreement as she ran her brush through her hair.

"I don't either. He has some sort of magic and it seems powerful beyond measure. It has nothing on Grandmother's abilities." The tribe had only three elders with any sort of magic anymore. Before Salme had destroyed the fountain, they would have gotten their bird forms the previous spring but...

Comra had inherited her magic from the tribe's previous healer since there was enough to be passed on. However, it was dwindling fast and would likely dry up within the next five to ten years as long as she was frugal with it. She didn't have her bird form, though, since it seemed as if someone could only have one type of specialised magic...

Raven sighed and shook her head, splitting her thick hair as she brushed it. "We need to be on our guard around him. He seems to be planning something for us. What it is, I don't know but—" She stopped when she heard the sound of Qrow's soft breathing. It had been a long day and the weeks-long journey from the tribe through the bitter temperatures hadn't made it any easier. She knew that they were on the same page when it came to the headmaster at least...
---

So yeah, this is the end. I realise this fic could be a lot more robust, but I accomplished what I wanted to. I wanted to give insight into the tribe and show why Raven and Qrow are the way they are. I also wanted them to interact with Ozpin and show a little fish-out-of-water stuff.

But honestly, this killed me to write. Seeing Qrow and Raven before everything went to shit hurt a lot. I hope I hurt at least a few other people in the process too :D