Rage & Hope: A RWBY Story

Chapter Thirty Eight - Tyrian Callows

As the the four members of Team RNJR along with Aya continue out of Oniyuri, Ren suddenly senses something. Ren puts out his hand to stop the other four, eyes closing as he focuses. Somewhere close by, Tyrian Callows stalks them from the shadows. Ren draws his weapon. Ruby, Nora and Jaune immediately follow suit. Tyrian soon leaps high over the wall to engage them in combat. He immediately takes out his weapons in a seamless motion and, laughing eagerly, moves to attack Ruby. Ren intervenes, StormFlower clashing with Tyrian's claw blades. Ren attempts to both kick and shoot Tyrian, but he dodges. The two have a couple more attack and parries until Tyrian kicks Ren several feet away. Tyrian turns to go after Ruby again, who who rushed forward with Crescent Rose to meet him. Tyrian uses his blades to block the scythe and kicks Ruby backward. She easily remains upright and they clash again. Tyrian manages to land a strike on Ruby's right arm, causing her to cry out at the pain and him to laugh. She's doesn't break stride however and leaps back to take a swing at him with her scythe. He dodges and then lands a moving blow against the body of Crescent Rose, causing a red shimmer to cross her Aura in the area of the strike. Aya then fired energy blasts from her hands, but Tyrian dodges them. 

Aya: Why are you attacking us?

Jaune steps in at that moment and Tyrian climbs onto his shield and grins at him. Nora rushes in with Magnhild, but Tyrian just leaps from Jaune's shield to her hammer and up through the top story of a narrow, rectangular building. Holding himself up with his feet on wooden frames to either side of him, Tyrian looks down at Team RNJR.

Jaune: We're not looking for a fight!

Ren: Who are you?

Tyrian leans forward, drops from the tower, does a front flip, and lands on his feet in front of them.

Tyrian: Who I am matters not to you. Or you.

Tyrian then points to Ren, Nora, Jaune, and Aya. He then points to Ruby.

Tyrian: No, I only matter to you.

He points to Ruby, and the rest of RNJR turn to look at her. She tilts her head in confusion.

Ruby: Me?

Tyrian: You, you haven't the slightest clue, do you? Oh, how exciting this must be.

Ruby: What do you want?

Tyrian begins acting dramatically in response to her tone of voice.

Tyrian: Oh, the rose has thorns! My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me!

Nora: Well, what if she doesn't want to go with you?

He stares for a moment with his lips scrunched up before answering.

Tyrian: Well, I'll take her.

Jaune walks over and stands between him and Ruby, his shield held in front of him.

Jaune: We're not going to let you do that.

Tyrian closes his eyes and inhales through his teeth. His eyes slowly open, and he happily growls a single word with a dark grin.

Aya: I advise you to cease all hostile activity and leave. 

Tyrian: No. I don't think I will. 

Delighted that they're willing to fight, Tyrian moves fast to attack Jaune from behind.

Ren: Jaune!

Ren deliberately shoots Jaune's shield so that the ricochet hits Tyrian. Tyrian covers his eyes with his arm and then cartwheels onto Jaune's shield, using his claw blades to spin in the air against it. Ruby steps in to face Tyrian on his descent, but he just kicks her to the side. She regains her ground by using Crescent Rose to steady herself. Jaune takes a swing with his sword at Tyrian, but he simply dodges and kicks him away as well. Seizing the opportunity, Aya fires a barrage of energy blasts from her hands, but Tyrian proves to be an agile opponent as he quickly closes the distance. Aya retreats allowing Nora to attack.

Tyrian: Surprise.

He kicks Nora twice in the face before leaping backwards and upward onto a roof, leaving his coat behind, revealing a stinger.

Ren: He's... a Faunus.

Ruby: What is this about? The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?

Tyrian: Plastic soldiers and pawns. My heart and body belong only to our goddess!

Ruby: Cinder...

Tyrian: Hmph, only in her wildest dreams.

Tyrian then glances over to Aya. 

Tyrian: You must be the alien's little tin toy. How delightful!

Upon hearing this, Aya was taken aback as to how Tyrian knew this. Despite this, Aya remained calm. 

Aya: You do not want this fight. 

Tyrian: Walls have ears. Doors have eyes. Trees have voices. Beasts tell lies. Beware the rain. Beware the snow. Beware the man, you think you know.

As Tyrian says this, he begins to cackle. Aya glances over to Ruby and the rest of Team RNJR.

Aya: If you refuse to stand down, then we will use force. 

As Tyrian prepared to attack, a crow flies determinedly toward the fray while Tyrian kicks Jaune back and then Nora, and then Ren returns for more only to leap away again. Without missing a beat, Tyrian lets Ren be and goes after Ruby again. In quick succession, he delivers a right hook to her face and a left blow to her torso, causing red shimmers on her Aura on her head and chest respectively. Before Ruby could react, Tyrian to swings his tail to knock her back into the air. She flies back several feet and he rushes forward to meet her before she lands. While Ruby's still midair, he kicks her right in the abdomen, causing a large red shimmer over her abdomen and hips. The incoming crow turns into Qrow Branwen. In that moment, the tide of the fight was turned.