Chapter 1 - The Qrowing

Why was it that people fought tooth and nail for their sacred possessions any time I came to kick in their door? They could just spare me the effort of having to drive my feathers through them by dropping dead. I mean, it'd be cleaner than the mess they made when they're punctured multiple times, and it was naive to believe they actually had a chance.

Xayah rolled her eyes as soon as she came to the realization that she asked herself this question every single time a fight started. The sardonic gesture repeated itself when she saw someone try to get the jump on her from out of the corner of her golden irises. One second they were in the air with an axe over their head, and the next they were pinned to a worn down wall with three feathers protruding from their body. Unfortunately, the grim spectacle did little to deter the rest of the sellswords that were swinging wildly at her.

The employer of this band clearly didn't understand that if you wanted quality, your purse would have to have quantity. These people looked like they barely learned how to pick up a sword yesterday and the Vestayan rebel almost felt bad. Almost.

Another flick of the wrist and four more were added to her kill count. The idea of such a counter was pretty morbid, but when you spent most of your days alone, it tended to give you something to look forward to. Plus, Xayah was never one to concern herself with what others thought of her. She wasn't trying to impress anyone.

The crimson-winged revolutionary threw one last glance over her shoulder to make sure she had gotten everyone outside of the old temple. Satisfied with the lack of movement from the dreary yet placid forest around her, she headed inside.

The two wooden doors creaked violently in protest as they were pushed aside. Xayah immediately bit her tongue to stop herself from cursing at the thought of her presence being given away. To make matters worse, there wasn't much cover inside save for some overturned shelves and tables which meant places to hide were limited. The only saving grace was that the area was devoid of all light except for an eerie red glow that was casted along the walls.

Xayah"s eyes naturally adjusted immediately to the darkness, and upon counting to twenty without anyone coming to check on the entrance, she decided to move forward. Her path lead her through two more empty doorways and a long hall. The red glow remained, with the intensity of it increasing as she traversed deeper into the temple. It was almost as if it was threatening to capture the monument from the inside out.

The short exploration soon paid off as Xayah entered a large chamber. Part of her expected to come up empty once more, but despite being wrong, she wasn't exactly thrilled. Waiting in the chamber was the source of the red glow, which looked to be a large circular portal. Where it lead to and why it was here was unknown.

That wasn't all though, there were multiple robed figures sprawled out all over the ground. A cursory glance revealed that there was seven of them, and the smell was assurance that they had recently been slain. A shame if Xayah was being honest, she always enjoyed showing 'mages' that their control over arcane power was obsolete compared to nature. Death, no matter from what cause, was fitting for them.

Certain that there wouldn't be any more fighting, the Vastayan began to search for the relic that had drawn her there. She had seen an artifact from her people being handed off in a back alley while passing through the capital city of Ionia. As much as Xayah hated being around those that ruined her homeland, most people who robbed from her people resided there. That meant if she wanted leads for people to enact her revenge on, she'd have to pop in every once and awhile.

The breadcrumb trail had ended at this temple. It was no surprise that they would use one of the religious places from her people's past for whatever disgusting desire they had. In doing so they had desecrated the forest around it, draining it of any life or color for miles. All for some meddlesome portal.

Xayah continued to search for the artifact, but after five more minutes of looking, she continued to come up empty. It also didn't help that she had the eerie feeling of something observing her. It definitely wasn't someone, she would've caught them with her enhanced senses. Not only that, but everything in her mind was telling her that she was prey. What some would consider a sixth sense was indicating that running was the only option. That made her angry.

She wasn't naive, and she knew when she was in over her head. A room full of dead people was something she was confident she could handle. The only other thing present was that portal, and that made the choice to destroy it very attractive.

The feathers that made up Xayah's large wing stiffened as she drew four feather daggers. She'd pierce the support structure around the arcane entrance and cause it to collapse. It was clear what she was looking for wasn't here, so the only option after would be to leave.

Xayah took one last deep breath to try and shake the ominous feeling that had gripped her when she entered this room, but it was futile. The magical daggers in her hand began to leave her fingers before being abruptly launched in a different direction. Just as they were about to be thrown, a piercing white light flooded the room causing the winged marksman to miss her shot entirely. Instead the enchanted quills embedded themselves into the wall behind her target.

When all vision returned the first thing Xayah noticed was the sound of heavy panting. Her golden eyes followed it to the portal, and she almost gasped in shock. The crimson gateway to the unknown was destroyed, and instead there was a human standing in its place. He seemed heavily injured and exhausted, but it took a lot more than that for Xayah to drop her guard. The portal could've been a summon, and he was what the mages were looking for. If that were the case, this would end here and now.

The human's mouth began to move and she was ready for the worst, but all that escaped his lips was a weak whisper.

"Behind… You…"

It could've been a ruse, but she decided to heed the warning. Large white claws were immediately sidestepped, causing the sound of a powerful blow against stone to fill the room. Those claws belonged to a creature that distinctly resembled a werewolf. It was tall and lanky with a mask of bone that shielded its glowing eyes. There were several spikes made from the same material protruding from its body, and Xayah quickly discerned that this was what had been observing her when she entered the room.

Executing a nimble back flip to create some distance between her and the creature, four more feather daggers were summoned and deftly thrown. Those projectiles embedded themselves into the creature's body, but it didn't seem to care. Before it could make its next move, Xayah mentally called back the lethal quills. The feathers that had been lodged into the monster immediately returned to her hand, causing enough pain for the black werewolf to fall over and begin to disappear into a dark smoke.

There was no blood pouring out from its wounds, nothing. That would've easily been the most off putting thing if it wasn't for the fact that the monster's presence felt empty. It was much less like there was something there and more like a void that was taking something away. Xayah could sense no emotion, no signs of life, just nothing.

Refocusing on the large chamber around her served as a reminder that someone had come out of the now destroyed portal. He was on the ground, and Xayah quickly dashed over to see if he was still conscious. Soft breathing assured he was, and the Vastayan immediately began wondering if she should kill him here and now. Intentions weren't known, and this could be a loose end that would cause trouble in the future.

He had warned her of an enemy though, and that alone saved her life. Despite the fact he was human, something felt righr about keeping him alive since he had done the same for her. However, if he was an issue, she could always kill him later.

Deciding to show mercy, Xayah scooped the human up in her arms, quickly forcing herself to not drop him. To say he was heavy was an understatement, and the large sword on his back wasn't helping matters. She had already committed to letting him live though, and despite this place being from a past Vastayan civilization, it was seriously giving her the creeps. So with no shortage of annoyance, Xayah carried the human outside of the temple and into the now colorful forest.

Destruction of the portal seemed to have returned the life that had been drained from the surrounding area. The creatures of the night sang happily, as if they were celebrating their return home. Soon it was almost as if nothing had ever happened to this portion of nature, and there was something inspiring about that. This was another notable thing this human had done, however it was something Xayah was about to do, so he got no extra points for that.

It wasn't too long before a suitable area for a fire was found, and the extra weight in the woman's arms was put down with a little too much excitement. She wasn't going to carry him for a second longer than necessary.

A pang of hunger soon struck reminding her that it had been some time since her last meal. Materials were quickly gathered and a fire was started. The warm orange flames danced to and fro as they were given life. Xayah contemplated waking sleeping beauty who was now basking in the glow of the hungry flames, but she figured he'd be fine if she disappeared for a few minutes.

Satisfied, Xayah headed into the surrounding trees in search for dinner. A few minutes later she returned with several berries and two rabbits that were unfortunate enough to have crossed her field of view. A large rock was moved toward the fire and she took a seat before getting to work preparing her next meal. Plucking one of the many deadly quills from her wing, Xayah began to skin the rabbits. It wasn't glamorous work, but there was no glamor in starving.

As the task was continued, Xayah made sure to mentally thank the spiritual energy that was nature for allowing her to continue to sustain herself. Her father had always taught that the Vastaya should at least do that when they hunted for their food.

"If it wasn't for nature's generosity, none of us would be here," he'd say with a smile before they ate.

Xayah missed him, she missed him a lot. It had been a few years since that fateful moment when she had returned home from visiting a nearby village. Everyone was gone, with not even the slightest trace of the thriving clan that once resided there left behind. All that was left in its place was a temple in an eerily similar situation to the ruin she had just found the portal in.

Removing the last of the skin from the second rabbit, Xayah brought herself back to the present with a hefty sigh. While foraging around for food earlier, she had found two decent sized sticks which were subsequently sharpened and stabbed into the ground near the fire. Now the rabbits were impaled onto them so they could cook without having to be given too much attention.

An involuntary yawn escaped the Vestayan's lips as she searched for something to occupy her easily bored mind. Xayah didn't have to look far as her eyes fell on the sleeping figure on the other side of the flames. Several cuts marred his body, cuts that had long since been closed by dry blood. The clothes he wore weren't quite in tatters, but they had definitely seen better days. He turned in his sleep, giving a better view of the scruffy hair on his jawline.

More pressing matters filled her mind as she tried to discern what him coming out of that portal meant. She had expected something malevolent, and he was human so maybe that's what he was, but at the same time he had saved her with a warning. Maybe he had been too tired to kill her, but wanted the credit? That seemed a bit plausible, she was Vastayan after all. People would kill to get their hands on her feathers. However, it didn't make sense. That decision hinged on her choice of pulling him out of the temple. She could be long gone, leaving him to die.

Xayah had never been one to leave things to chance, so she took this opportunity to relieve the human of his weapons. Beginning with the obvious one, she took the sword that normally rested on his back and hid it behind the large rock she had been sitting on. It wasn't much of a hiding place, but he'd still have to get past her to get it. Sleep wasn't something she was planning on tonight, so she wasn't too concerned about getting snuck up on.

Next she decided to pat him down to make sure he didn't have any other deadly things on his person. The first thing that was found was a flask in one of his shirt pockets. Xayah immediately unscrewed the top and smelled the contents expecting water, but was surprised when the strong acrid scent of alcohol filled her nose. The smell reminded her how long it had been since she stepped into a tavern. Too long.

Weighing her options, the Vastayan rebel took a swig. Just like its scent, the liquor was strong, and Xayah soon felt a familiar warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. She never was one for taste, but she had to admit that the flavor was an enjoyable one.

Now, was it smart to go around drinking things that belonged to a random human? Absolutely not. Did she regret it? Absolutely not.

After wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, the flask was closed and placed next to where Xayah was previously sitting. She did save his life after all, a little alcohol was peanuts compared to that.

The search for weapons stopped there as the smell of something burning filled the air. Xayah's attention was quickly shifted toward the rabbits that were cooking. A curse in her native language soon left her lips as she noticed that one was beginning to burn.

Well that doesn't make any sense.

It really didn't, Xayah was never careless when it came to cooking things. She prided herself on knowing exactly how long something would take, and the task would always be in the back of her mind. On top of that, the rabbit that was burning was placed slightly further away from the flames than the other one which was still not done cooking.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, the Vastayan rebel removed the slightly burnt animal from the area around the fire before returning to her seat. This was going to be a long night.

Xayah awoke the next morning with a start, practically jumping from her resting place. Dawn would be arriving shortly, and the crimson-winged woman had a few choice words for herself for dozing off. Thankfully traveling alone had made her a light sleeper, so if something had tried to sneak up on her she would've been more than ready.

The human that had been brought along with her was still sound asleep, something she didn't expect to change anytime soon. Leaving him here and going on about her business was more than tempting, but curiosity had already sunk its obnoxious fangs into her. Who was he? Why was he summoned? Was he someone to fear? What's the significance of the portal appearing in a Vastayan temple? Once Xayah got her answers she wouldn't bother looking back.

In spite of her prediction, the unconscious man began to stir. He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. Xayah watched as he took in his surroundings, his gaze seemed to slowly evaluate everything.

"Water," was the first thing he said when his crimson eyes made contact with her own.

Xayah responded by tossing the flask she had stolen earlier at him. The man shrugged before he drank, coughing when cold water went down his throat.

The man gave the Vastayan a look that can only be described as an expression of betrayal.

"What happened to the liquor?!"

"I dumped it," she replied plainly.

"Why?!"

"Didn't you just ask for water?"

It had pained her to do so, but Xayah had indeed replaced the alcohol with simple water during the night. She figured that one of them would need some, and as always, her hunch was correct.

"And here I thought I had woken up in the afterlife with a beautiful angel watching over me," the human remarked sarcastically.

The Vestayan simply rolled her eyes at what she figured was somewhat of a compliment. She took note of the fact that he wasn't hostile, so things were off to a good start.

"Turns out that I made it to Hell after all, and what I thought was an angel is actually a harpy," the man continued from his previous statement.

That caused a devilish smirk to appear on Xayah's lips, "I can make your life a living Hell, human. If that's what you're looking for that is."

His facial expression soon matched hers, "what makes you think it isn't already?"

"Fair point."

They remained in a staring contest for a few moments, not a single thing getting between them or a single syllable uttered. Xayah wanted her answers, but was unsure of the best way to get them. Well, the best way to get them where the end result had them both walking away.

A sigh from the human broke the silence as he began to speak once more. "I guess it can't be helped," he said as he stood up and reached for his back pocket.

Every muscle in Xayah's body tensed, winding up like a cat that's about to pounce. She had forgotten to conduct another search for weapons, and she naturally thought about the worst outcome.

However, instead of pulling out a weapon of some sort, the man brought forth another flask that was identical to the one filled with water. He took a swig and soon a smile was on his face.

"It's the simple things in life," he beamed.

There's no way, Xayah thought before she swiped the container out of his hands and took a swig of her own.

It was the exact same alcohol.

The sun wasn't even up yet and this guy was drinking. Speaking of, the look of betrayal that he had before was back. A comical look that almost made Xayah of all people snicker.

"Don't look at me like that," she said flatly as she put the flask in a pouch she wore at her waist. "I saved your life, this is the least you owe me."

"That flask is basically my life, so as far as I'm concerned you just committed murder," he took a second to think, "or at least abduction."

Does he always have a response?

Whether or not he was being serious about alcohol being his life, Xayah couldn't tell. However, she seriously didn't have any intention to return his flask. She already lost out on one container when she replaced it with water, she wouldn't miss out on another.

"Are you seriously not going to give it back?" he asked as if reading her mind.

"That depends on whether or not you give me what I want."

He seemed to think about that for a moment, "and what exactly do you want?"

"Answers."

Everything was silent for a moment, neither party even bothered to take note of the sun that was beginning to rise.

"Okay, shoot," the man finally replied.

"Where did that portal lead to?"

"Umbra."

"Where?"

"The continent of Umbra."

Xayah stopped for a moment, running the continents of Runeterra through her mind. Never once had she heard of 'Umbra'. Either he was being serious, or he was making the mistake of playing games. Nevertheless, she decided to move on to her next question.

"Who are you?"

"Qrow," he replied quickly and easily. No doubt it was his name.

"Were you summoned through the portal?"

"No."

"How are the Vestaya connected to the portal?"

Now it was the human's turn to ask a question, "the what?"

"Don't play dumb, you weren't surprised when you saw me. You know what Vestaya are."

"I've only heard you referred to as Faunus my entire life," he defended, "and I don't know how or if they are specifically connected."

Xayah once again evaluated his words, searching for any hint that he was lying. He'd have to be really good if this was a bluff. Her acute hearing thanks to her animal-like ears would've sensed any hitch or difference in his voice. His crimson irises never wavered from her stern gaze.

Faunus wasn't a term she was familiar with, but she also wasn't entirely familiar with humans in general. She had been in Ionia most of her life and had yet to explore the other continents completely. It's possible that wherever this human came from had coined a different term. She had to admit though, it sounded better than freak or sub-human.

Silence returned as the sun continued its climb and a soft breeze flowed gently throughout the forest. The sounds of the previous night were being replaced one by one by those of a new day.

The man now known as 'Qrow' ran a hand through his messy black hair before he spoke, "so, is it time for my shot at 21 questions?"

"No," Xayah answered flatly as she looked in another direction.

"Why? It's only fai-" he half-protested before cutting his sentence short. "Oh, I get it. You're going to leave me here."

The pointy ears on Xayah's head stiffened up slightly at how quick Qrow had figured her out. It wasn't like she was trying to hide it, but she also wasn't making it apparent either. He was smarter than most, or just more observant.

"At least tell me where I am so I'm not completely lost," he reasoned.

"Ionia," was the simple answer.

"Where?" he asked, using the same amount of confusion Xayah had when she asked about Umbra.

"The continent slash island named Ionia," she said again, making eye contact once more.

"Never heard of it," Qrow shook his head slowly, "where is it on the map in relation to the other continents of Remnant?"

Remnant?

"Surely you're not that stupid, it's in the top right of all the maps of Runeterra," Xayah replied, almost exasperated.

"Oh shit," Qrow came to a realization out loud, "I'm not on Remnant am I?"