"Really? No questions?" You were all sitting around a campfire. Qrow had a bandage around his abdomen, covering the wound he got in the battle against Tyrian.
Your father, while covered in scratches and bruises, didn't need any attention. And if it would go your way, he would've just been left in the village.
Jaune walked back and forth in front of the fire, visibly shaken. "Of course we have questions! This is just... a lot to take in."
"Sure, of course."
Ruby looked between you and Qrow. "So these... Maidens... They're powerful fighters that don't need Dust to use magic?"
"Yeah."
"And there are four of them?" Nora asked.
"Yup. Always."
Ren held one of his hands up to his chin. "Which means that, whenever one of them dies, the power transfers to someone - a female - that they cared about?"
"Whoever was in their thoughts last. Important distinction. Best option is someone we can trust. Regardless, their souls become combined, in a way." Qrow explained.
Jaune stopped. "And that's what you were trying to do to Pyrrha. The night the tower fell... you were trying to turn her into one of them!"
Qrow took a swig from his flask. "The previous Fall Maiden, Amber, had been attacked. She was young, inexperienced. And her assailant, who we now know is Cinder, somehow managed to steal some of her power, but not all of it. We were afraid that if we didn't do something, the rest would go to her as well."
Jaunes face turned into one of pure anger. "So you forced it onto Pyrrha!"
"We didn't force anything. We explained the situation and gave her the choice, and she chose. Y/n was there, he heard her." Qrow pointed to you.
Jaune hangs his head for a brief moment before getting up and walking several feet away from group. Qrow watches him go.
You slowly sat up. Ruby put her hand on your head to check your temperature. "That guy, Tyrian - why was he after me?"
"Well, you definitely painted a target on your back with what you did at Beacon. I told you having silver eyes is a rare trait. And the fact that you were able to use them seems to have upset some very powerful people. Not many people know about the silver eyes. Those that do aren't very happy that one has surfaced. That's why we've been keeping an eye on you in order to make sure you were safe. All of you." Qrow nodded his head in the direction of your father.
"Well, then, why not just travel with us? It seems like that would've been way easier." Ruby asked innocently.
Jaune answers her, loud enough to be heard, but with his back still turned to everyone. "He was using you as bait."
Qrow let out a sigh. "Look, I wouldn't put it like that - it's complicated."
Jaune turned his face back to Qrow. "What is all of this? Ruby and Y/n are being hunted, the schools are being attacked, all for what?! What is the point of all of this?! Will you just tell us what's going on?!"
Qrow stares at him, then slouches over with a sigh. "Would you sit down? You're stressin' me out, 'kid."
Jaune sits back down on his log and crosses his arms. Qrow starts to take another swig, but changes his mind before the flask reaches his lips.
Qrow took a long look at you. He then turned his head to your father. "Should I? Or do you want to do it?"
Your father shot a glance at you, he then looked at the ground in shame.
Qrow let out yet another sigh. "Well, Y/n is a little more special than we thought.. at least, that's what Ozpin said."
"Ozpin...?" You let out a cough. Apparently, starving, dehydration and sleep deprivation don't mix well together. To make it short: You caught a fever. A really bad one at that.
"Yeah, Ozpin. Your... 'semblance'. He said that it might not be a semblance. Considering the world we live in, it might be a blessing... or a curse. Your semblance allows you to gain strength everytime someone you love dies. But the more power you have, the more you'll lose control. Kazumi knew that. Chrome knew that. And yet... they still wanted to turn you into a fighter."
You held your head in pain. The talking didnt help your massive headache. Lucky for you, Ruby was there to help you.
"Here." She handed you a bottle of water. You took it and drank from it. It helped a bit, but you needed to see a doctor. Just like Qrow.
Nora raised her hand. "So, question! If Y/ns semblance is a curse, then who cursed him."
"Well, that's what Ozpin wanted to know. The person who gave Y/n that power, did they do it to make him suffer? Or were they trying to help? Honestly, they might just wanted to have a sick thrill watching a child fall into despair." Qrow looked at your face.
Jaune looked surprised. "Wait... you mean someone actually did that to him? But, who? The maidens?"
"A god. Not many people are super religious these days. This world's been around for a long time, long enough that people have created dozens of gods. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are actually real." Qrow put his flask away.
"They were two brothers. The older sibling, the God of light, found joy in creating forces of life. Meanwhile, the younger brother, the God of darkness, spent his time creating forces of destruction. As you can imagine, they both had pretty different ideas about how things should go. The older one would spend his days creating water, plants, wildlife. And at night, his brother would wake to see all the things that the elder had made and become disgusted. To counteract his brother's creations, the God of Darkness brought drought, fire, famine, all he could do to rid Remnant of life. Life always returned. So one night, the younger brother went and made something - something that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything."
Ruby gripped the hem of your coat tightly. "The creatures of grimm."
Qrow continues his story. "You guessed it. The older brother finally had enough. Knowing that their feud couldn't last like this forever, he proposed that they make one final creation... together, something that they could both be proud of, their masterpiece. The younger brother agreed. This last great creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. It would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. And most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow - the path of light or the path of darkness. And that is how Humanity came to be."
Ren shook his head. "But... what does this have to do with us?"
"Well, that's the kicker. See, the four gifts to mankind - knowledge, creation, destruction and choice - aren't just metaphorical. Each of them exists in a physical form, left behind by the Gods before they abandoned Remnant, and each of them is extraordinarily powerful. If someone were to collect all four, they'd be able to change the world. That's exactly what the enemy wants. The huntsman academies were created to train generations of Humanity's protectors, but they also serve another purpose - guarding the Relics. When Ozpin's predecessor founded the schools, he built them around the Relics to act as a fortress. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they would constantly be surrounded by trained warriors. The hope was that hiding them would keep mankind from using them against itself... and, of course, keeping them out of her reach."
"Her... you mean Salem?" Ruby asked.
"That's right. Not much is known about her. Quite frankly, that's not what matters. What matters right now is that she wants the Relics, and if she gets them, it's not going to end well."
"Alright. So, let's say we believe all this. There really is this crazy evil being behind these attacks, not just some thugs trying to become powerful. Why doesn't the world know? Why isn't Atlas going after them? Or Mistral?" Jaune asked.
"And why aren't we in more of a hurry to get to Haven? Shouldn't we be getting them a message? What if they're next?" Nora continued.
"The Headmaster over there saw what happened to Beacon. He's not dumb. He'll be on his guard. Besides, it takes time to mobilize forces like that. Do you really think they planned out that attack on Beacon overnight?" He pointed at Jaune.
"And to answer your question, it's the same reason we keep quiet about the Maidens. If the whole world knew about the Relics, about Salem, there would be chaos. There'd be another Great War on our hands, and this time, you'd have to fight." Qrow points at Jaune again, making him look away.
"Look, I had the same questions, too. But ol' Ozpin would always put his foot down. 'We can't cause a panic.' Heh, can't tell you how many times I've heard that. Salem's smart. She works from the shadows, using others to get what she wants, so that when it comes time to place the blame, we can only point at each other. She's trying to divide us - Humanity, and so far she's done a pretty damn good job." Qrow looked at the broken moon.
Ruby put your head in her lap, then her hand on your forehead. "He's getting hotter... but, if the gods... 'abandoned' remnant, then who gave him... this power."
Instead of Qrow, your father spoke up. "A deity. The most likely thing that gave him that curse is a deity. Not a god, but something very, very similar. However, depending on why he got that power, it might be a demon."
Ruby looked at you concerned. "Alright, so what should we do now?"
Qrow chuckled. "Heh. Honestly, I don't know."
You sat up again and let out a small laugh, which turned into coughing. "Isn't it obvious? If they plan to attack another school, then we return the gesture. I've got some bones to pick with few of 'em!"
Ren helped you up, bringing you to a sleeping bag. "You really shouldn't talk that much."
Ruby looked at you and sighed. "This is a lot to take in, and it all sounds crazy, but... I'm willing to do whatever I can to help because I trust you. But why couldn't you trust me? Why couldn't you just travel with us, instead of this secrecy, and, and--"
"Look, this has nothing to do with trust. I-- It's a long story, okay?" Qrow sounded rather depressed due to this topic.
"Seriously? Now you're tired of telling us stories?" Nora mocked him.
Qrow stares at the fire in silence before speaking. As he talks he kneels down, picks up a stick and pokes at the fire. "Did you know that crows are a sign of bad luck? Old superstition, but it's how I got my name. See, some people can absorb electricity and some people can burst into rose petals and some people are just born unlucky. My Semblance isn't like most - it's not exactly something I do. It's always there, whether I like it or not. I bring misfortune." He let out a bitter laugh.
"I guess you could call me a bad luck charm. Comes in real handy when I'm fighting an enemy, but it makes it a little hard on friends... and family." He looked at Ruby.
You tried to listen to more, but you slowly lost conscious. As the group continued to chat, you fell asleep.