Chapter 66

"I can never be forgiven for this." Professor Leo Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven Academy clasped his head in his hands and wept. What he'd done, it as beyond horrible, it went beyond even nightmarish. And all because the terror she had bestowed upon him. He saw no way to triumph, all he could do was safeguard his own life.

It was sad, pathetic and unseemly. But it was all he could do now.

"Oh stop your whining you wimp," Raven Branwen admonished him from where she sat on his office windowsill, her arms crossed, "You've done what you had to do to survive, there's no shame in that. More strength in that and knowing when to fold and securing a future for yourself than fighting a losing battle and dying meaninglessly."

"Is that what you tell yourself to get to sleep at night Raven?" Leo scoffed at her through a sob, "..No Raven, there is no strength in this. Only pitiful cowardice. I'm afraid, so terrible afraid of her."

"As anyone with a working brain should be," Raven mused uncaringly of his plight, "So you betrayed the old lying wizard and got a bunch of no name loser hunters killed, big deal, they'd all die some day anyway Leo, stop being a little girl about it."

He was a fool to even entertain the possibility of Raven Branwen showing a hint of sympathy. Not that he deserved it mind you. But, the tough front she showed, was only a facade to hide the woman who was just as cowardly as he.

It must be nice to have a semblance that let you go practically wherever you wanted, and the ability to turn into a bird and fly from danger. That ability wasn't just as simple as becoming a bird. It made the grimm themselves think of her as a raven, and as such consider her an animal and not a human, and thus not something to attack.

'You're just as pathetic as me Raven, you can only boast of strength because of strength because of a lucky semblance and a gift from the man you betrayed.' Leo thought venomously.

"Get it together Leo," Raven told him, sauntering over towards him, hips swaying, "You've chosen your side, don't be so pathetic about it."

Did he think she didn't get it? He betrayed everything he stood for, but in the end, he'd at least be alive. She'd much rather be anywhere but here right now, but she had to set things up.

One misstep and even being the Spring Maiden wouldn't save her. Pathetic little mewling cunt that Cinder Fall was, she had real power backing her. The silver child was nothing, but the green haired one had a powerful semblance that was quite the problem to deal with.

On top of that. Arthur Watts, Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart. A line up of powerful people. Hazel was one who she'd be hard pressed to defeat alone even as a maiden, and Tyrian Callows was a fanatical beast who even made her own heart race. Watts was the weakest of them all, but with an intelligence that made him capable of planning around even the most capable of fighters.

Cinder Fall was far from being the most dangerous of Salem's lackeys. Especially with that little pet they brought along.

Raven withheld a shiver as she remembered the gargantuan titan of a draconian grimm they'd brought along with them. It towered even over Cobalt Stone in size.

Tomorrow night would be when she'd see how things truly would go.

Herself, Vernal, Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai, Tyrian Callows, Arthur Watts, Hazel Rainart, Leo Lionheart and the ancient legendary Nidhogg Grimm, a grimm that had plagued the world for over five hundred years and had reached the pinnacle of Grimm evolution.

Versus

Ozpin in an untrained child's body, her brother, her daughter, Summer's daughter, the inept Arc boy, the Valkyrie girl, the unfeeling Mistralian boy, the Schnee chit and Cobalt Stone.

No matter how she looked at it, even without her and Vernal backing Salem's group, Ozpin's little gathering was far outgunned.

If only that boy had spent his time devouring grimm and huntsman alike, he may have become strong enough to turn the tide. But he'd rather play house with the little chits and listen to the foolishness of her brother and Ozpin.

It was a shame too, he had so much potential. And had been a good ticket to avoiding any truly unpleasant afterlife that came after. But it seemed he'd managed to anger Salem somehow if she was specifically sending the Nidhogg along to kill him.

Well, not that Cinder and her little posse actually knew he was with Ozpin's group. She'd managed to worm out that the last they'd seen of him, he'd been in the deserts of Menagerie.

'Perhaps he'll live?' Raven considered the possibility, idly playing around with the name plaque on Leo's desk. If he was smart, he'd be able to flee once his friends started dropping like flies. She could always keep her options open like that, with his new ability to shrink in size given to him by Ozpin, it would be easy for herself to harbour him away.

She could just take him with her if so. She was sure his rage would be burning for revenge. She could easily needle her way in, help him hunt powerful grimm with her own power as the Spring Maiden, let him grow, help him achieve his human form once again and let him slate his lusts upon her and any other female that caught his eye.

Salem may have been unkillable, but that did not mean she was the strongest. With the power of the most ancient grimm, and that of the four maidens, Cobalt may possible become too strong for even Salem to contend with and thus be left alone.

'That's all assuming he's smart enough when things go down though.' she mused. His potential and future usage were amazing, but she'd never pick him above herself. If her existence was put at threat because of him, she'd much rather help put him down than go down with him.