(A/N: Fighting to keep to my three a week but I still plan on doing just that even if it crosses over to the weekend. I should have everything in order, aka, have reliable transportation in the next week or so, which means we should be back in our usual routine then.)

XOXO

Mistral’s entrance, predictably enough, was busier than usual. Merchants and their escorts, whole caravans like the one we’d been a part of, and plenty in between. Naturally, not only was there a far heavier presence of the armed security and huntsmen, people were being let in quicker than usual, extra security set up on the other side of the walls for usual checks to be done in case of a sudden Grimm attack.

This area was already crowded enough; if Tyrian had come this way, it didn’t matter how much effort was being put towards looking for him. He’d either have to make a misstep and draw a ton of attention or they’d have to get lucky.

Which still hinged on that if being in their favor.

“We’ll be splitting off here.” I looked down from the wall, focusing back on Qrow who was thumbing towards the city. “We’ve got some things to take care of.”

“I understand. It was good working with all you; always good to see we have some young talent on the way.” Aero said, giving us a nod before looking past Qrow, eyes on me specifically. “And thank you for entertaining my daughter. I know she can get a bit talkative when it comes to huntsmen.”

That was one way to put it. After we left Minami behind, Pyrrha had found me every time the group came to a stop, her burning curiosity leading to countless questions, sharing things she either learned in books or from Aero himself, and more demonstrations of Glynda’s semblance.

It was…nostalgic in a way.

I nodded, letting Qrow wrap up the conversation before leading towards the gate.

“Can’t wait to get back to an actual bed.” Emerald yawned out, stretching. “We are finished up, right?” I nodded as we reached some of the security, a quick word and flash of a huntsman license from Qrow seeing us far ahead of the wait everyone else would have to sit through.

Despite the increased numbers and some huntsmen likely handpicked to be placed here by Lionheart, plenty of them were still the same people who turned a blind from some of the more questionable things we’d done after being thrown a little lien. No matter how bolstered the security got, it didn’t matter if some parts were refusing to their part.

And I’d have to double check on Lionheart himself.

“You good?” Emerald asked, stepping a little ahead to look up at me, as if trying to peek beneath my helmet. “You’ve been a little quiet.”

“Just thinking about something.” I admitted, giving her another nod, before glancing between all of them. “I’m going to be busy preparing something. If you’re going to join the tournament, make sure to have Qrow sign you all up in the meantime. Call me if you need something.”

At first, it was just going to be a little bit of extra training for Cinder and Emerald. Maybe a little fun for all of them if they enjoyed the experience. It would also be another good way to grow my own reputation.

But that wasn’t the case anymore. If he was here, it might just be the thing that helped me get to Tyrian.

XOXO

Drawings.

The first depicted a massive horde of Grimm large enough to trample through any up and coming settlement without a team of extraordinarily powerful huntsmen on their side and all the right preparations. Dark black lines ran through and connected the monsters, leading towards a roughly drawn mountain range just beyond a forest.

The second was of a cave full of apathy. Gathering in one place and simply waiting for any unfortunate enough to enter the range of their frightening effects was typical behavior for them. Conveniently typical; if they were as proactive as other Grimm, despite being some of the physically weakest Grimm around, humanity would not be where it was today.

And like the first image, shadowy black lines ran through them, tracing to the depths of the caves.

“Talon drew this?” Glynda questioned, standing just beside his office’s desk, looking out at the holographic pictures lighting up the room alongside him.

“According to Qrow’s report.” Ozpin said off handedly. “It seems he’s made time to pick up skill in the finer arts.”

“That is hardly the main concern here.” It wasn’t often Glynda allowed her composure to slip, but her bewilderment was overriding it completely, shock and confusion in her every word. Perhaps horror too. “I’ve never seen any Grimm like that…thing.”

“Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, the same goes for me.”

The third and final drawing was of a ball. Apathy, their long thinning arms hanging off certain points alongside their humanoid heads, and their dark forms were what made up that ball of Grimm. At the center of that hair raising sight was what resembled the eye of a nightmare, another Grimm they were lucky were rare.

And all those black lines that connected the horde came from it, produced by what appeared to be an even darker flame.

Something like that didn’t just pop up out of nowhere.

“Those lines, what are they?”

“According to Qrow the horde they were faced with was far from ordinary. In addition to apathy joining their attack, the Grimm were stronger than they should be.” As much as he would like to be able to say why, through mere drawings, no matter how detailed, he couldn’t say anything definitive about the events. “Based off these drawings it is at least safe to assume that this unidentified Grimm was in some way responsible for the abnormalities.”

Adjusting her glasses, Glynda looked from the pictures to him, brow furrowed. “And Talon was the only one able to see these connections?”

Aside from the Grimm itself and the alleged presence of one of Salem’s agents, that was the most intriguing part about all of this.

The unparalleled perception.

The ability to see aura.

Copying the semblances of others.

Those black flames.

He had never gotten the chance to see that final ability for himself, but he had heard what it was capable of and seen the aftermath of being caught in them.

The flames had, for a time, overwhelmed Salem’s inherent regeneration.

Despite the injury Salem herself inflicted, he was sure Talon also considered those very same flames the cause behind the nearly two years Summer spent comatose. Back then he’d been well within reach, that time spent exclusively on Patch with his family rather than the to and fro he’d been doing between it and the Branwen Tribe, but, understandably, uncooperative.

And now it seemed his eyes were capable of even more.

“Perhaps these Grimm were infused with aura-“ After so many years, he’d rather consider it an impossibility but Salem, long before she became so twisted, had always been persistent. Once upon a time he had been blind to just how far she took that persistence but now knew there was no line she wouldn’t cross to get her way.

“-or perhaps young Talon is capable of perceiving magic.” Another option he’d consider just as impossible. The Humans of today, Children of Dust, were incapable of such things, lacking the blessings of the Brother Gods. They were and would always be largely ignorant to magic, nothing less than the return of the Gods capable of truly changing that.

“Either way, the appearance of such a Grimm is troubling. Had Talon not been present I suspect things would not have gone well.” If there was any bright side to this report, it was that he was still willing to take an active role against Salem and her people in spite of everything.

He was sure if Raven had her way that wouldn’t be the case anymore.

“And he came out of it without any issues?” Glynda asked.

Though all of them would’ve been trying to discourage him to some degree. “Other than being left in a foul mood that, in Qrow’s words, leaves him looking like a copy of Raven, he handled the Grimm and helped fend off the horde without any injuries.” Ozpin assured her.

Glynda silently nodded, concern somewhat easing as she turned to look back at the hologram lighting up his office. There was plenty to be concerned about when it came to Talon. Ozpin was thankful his loyalty was not one of them.

His father, mother, siblings, Summer, Qrow, and Glynda; everyone he knew and held dear stood in opposition to Salem in some way, Summer and Ruby in particular, both all but guaranteeing that he could never be swayed to work for her in any capacity.

If that Grimm was a sign that Salem would be more active in the coming years, Talon would be playing a big part in whatever happened.

XOXO

That goosebump inducing coolness briefly washed over me, fading quickly as I stepped through the portal and back into my apartment in Mistral. Qrow, sitting over at the kitchen island, turned his stool, brow jumping up immediately.

“What are you planning to do with that old stuff?” He asked while I head over, rounding the island and placing everything down between us, the portal already gone.

My old black mask, just as thick as my helmet but only ever meant to cover up my eyes. It was worn down with some marks across it but still intact.

The old short sword Mom had given me as my first weapon. She’d been keeping it clean, its box shaped scabbard and the blade inside in pristine condition.

And finally, my old dark red cloak.

“Chasing Tyrian around has never worked. Even if we might be close, there’s no reason to assume that’s going to change now.” I said, lifting up the dark cloak. The giant black Rose emblazoned on the back. The tomoe shaped clip to keep it in place around my neck. I moved the hood, my eyes easily picking out strands of red, nearly black hair in and around it.

Summer’s or Ruby’s. Probably both.

“Its time to do the opposite.” I said, wiping away the dust that’d gathered on it over the years, carefully avoiding any of those loose strands of hair.

“You want to draw him out?” Qrow questioned.

“If he is here, he’s at least using the tournament to help go unnoticed.” And, assuming Cinder still would’ve been around, maybe he was the one to recruit her, either through a chance encounter or her possible participation in the tournament. “I’m betting on him watching it too.” Sure, these events might be good for keeping up morale when it came to the future talent, but they were putting a spotlight on every huntsman to be.

I’m surprised they hadn’t killed or tried to recruit Pyrrha long before she got to Beacon; even if she hadn’t been obvious about her semblance, those back to back wins that earned her the title untouchable brought her tons of attention. Maybe they were too focused on Vale at the time or assumed she’d be heading to Haven where they could easily have Lionheart get to her. In the end they did manage to use her reputation against the kingdoms as a whole during the fall of Beacon.

“You just love attracting trouble, don’t you?” Qrow sighed. “It’s not a bad idea but if anyone ever asks, I didn’t sign off on it.”

Attracting trouble was the reason for all of this. And I was going to make damn sure to draw as much attention as possible during the tournament.

After what I did to Salem, Tyrian was going to recognize me. I just had to hope he was obsessed enough to take the bait once he did.

XOXO

(A/N: Talon is 100% sweeping the tournament. Probably going to be earning the title untouchable himself if we're being honest. Pyrrha's future idol?

Oh yeah, magic. The MS and certain other things will be shedding some light on that soon.

Anyways, I dropped a log since its the first of the month so I'll keep my yapping over there today. Hope you're all having a good day and start this month off the way you want to.)