Raven was looking to the sky over their temporary encampment in Mistral. She was deeply unnerved as five Griffons landed unloading Ten Large Beowulves alongside Summer, Cinder and Sleipnir. Summer frowned as she blew down the gate with a small blast of magic, she could feel the magic pulsing from further in one of the things that Salem taught her on how to use the magic within.

Summer sighed as she saw Raven, the magical power was emanating from her. Summer lifted her hand “You know I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to this Raven, we were friend once upon a time but now you are in my way. Your whole tribe is.” Her hand glowed as she fired large bursts of magic turning every member of the tribe to ash save Raven herself..

Summer then pulled Raven over to her in the silver glow, Raven growled “What are you going to do to me!”

Summer frowned “I’m taking your powers, by killing you.” Before Raven could say word, Summer punched into the Bandit Chief’s chest and ripped her heart out. The powers of the Spring Maiden coursed into her body, she tossed Raven’s lifeless corpse to the ground.

Cinder smirked “You are brutal, you killed her without even the slightest of hesitation.”

Summer frowned “When you are truly driven, you get rid of what is directly in your path. I needed the power of the Spring Maiden to get the Relic and she had it, I was not going to risk her getting the Relic for me.” Summer clicked her fingers, bolts of lightning struck igniting the structures. Summer frowned as she jumped on Sleipnir “We need to get close to Haven Academy without being spotted.”

It didn’t take long before they got to the outskirts of the city of Haven they got off Sleipnir in an outcropping and walked into the city. They made their way to Haven Academy, it’s blue tiled roof and wooden walls was reminiscent of a more traditional time. The pair walked towards the Headmaster’s office, they entered to see a blonde Lion Faunus sitting behind a wooden desk.

Summer walked up to him with a smile as silver trails flowed from her eyes “Headmaster Lionheart, Salem sends her regards. So if you don’t mind taking the newest Spring Maiden to the Vault, we have already got what want from Beacon.”

Lionheart panicked “O-okay, I’ll take you to the vault.” The nervous Lionheart guided them through the old fashioned hallways, when they were taken into the Grand Hall which was a massive space with a statue flanked by two stairways was in the middle.

They approached the statue and Lionheart activated the Elevator, the group descended into a massive chamber where a stone platformbabove a large chasm. Several circles glowed blue in the presence of the Spring Maiden, as they landed Summer walked towards the Vault as Lionheart followed her with Cinder at the back.

The orange door’s floral pattern glowed blue as she approached, the door opened revealing a realm of desert. A golden lamp with blue liquid inside floated, Summer walked towards the lamp and took before exiting the realm. Lionheart looked to them “I-I c-can g-go n-now, r-right?”

Summer shook her head before turning to Cinder as she pointed at Lionheart “Kill him.” Cinder’s eyes glowed orange as Lionheart began to run only to be hit by a blast of Cinder’s powerful fire magic. He didn’t even get to scream as his body was turned to ash.

Summer than teleported them out of the vault, Cinder frowned “It seems Ozpin didn’t ward Haven the same way he did Beacon.”

Summer frowned “He couldn’t without it being suspicious. Now let’s get back to base.” They arrived back at the castle, Summer gave the lamp to Salem as they entered the meeting room.

Cinder frowned “So Summer what is the plan now?”

Summer frowned “Vacuo, we will head for the academy and get what clues we can gather from there.”

Meanwhile in Atlas, Diane had returned to her father's ship. Diane frowned as she walked through into her father’s office. She created a field of silence around the room, Diane frowned “Salem has already got one relic and may even have all of them except ours. I can make a replacement for it and give the last one to her.”

Ironwood's eyes narrowed “So we will betray Ozpin and give away what he entrusted us with?”

Diane growled “We have a greater duty to the people of Atlas then to him, we can’t let our people suffer in an attack in which they will get the relic! We can settle this peacefully.”

Ironwood smiled “You are right, we have a duty to Atlas. Very well, I’ll speak to Fria and we’ll take the staff out of the vault, I almost forgot that in trying got stop the enemy.”

Diane nodded “I’ll be waiting at your office in Atlas Academy. I’m surprised you don’t use that more often.”

Ironwood frowned “Too far away from a ship, I need to be able to act fast and get myself out there. I am not the sit down and wait for my troops to do the work type of general.”

Diane left her father’s office, she exited the lager ship and took a small shuttle to Atlas Academy. It was a solid metallic building with rigid corners, she was glad she chose to go to Beacon. This building was as cold and uncaring as the snow around it, Diane entered the building with stoic determination ignoring the metallic cold hallways and the students who didn’t pay her much heed.

Diane entered her father’s office and saw he father’s desk with a purple seat, a solid reinforced glass window behind it that was designed to be able to stop even a griffon at full speed ramming into it. Golden stars were all over the floor in patterns, she remembered the day when she watched the stars with her father. They would have to do that again sometime soon.

Diane waited for her father to arrive, he entered the office a couple of hours later helping a thin elderly woman, she had spiky white hair and dark blue eyes. She was wearing a dark blue dress. Diane frowned as she clicked her fingers “If you told me she was like this then you could have asked me for help.”

The wrinkles fades from the woman's body, muscles that were weak started to glow as their lost strength returned. The slightly confused look in her eyes vanished, Diane smiled “Pinkamena Diane Ironwood Pie at your service.”

The woman laughed “No need for formalities, I’m Fria the Winter Maiden. Never get old, it’s not fun.”

Diane frowned “I don’t think I can and if I do I can always halt it. Speaking of which.” She clicked her fingers “Now you won’t either.”

Ironwood pressed a button on his desk opening a secret elevator shaft “We should get going and take the Relic before they get here.” They entered the elevator, Ironwood frowned “Any elevator can get down here but all require a password for it. Don’t want too many people getting to close to the vault.”

As they go down, the arrive on a long metal platform with glowing cyan lines that form a rectangle. The platform they walks is very slim and widened nearer to the vault door. Pale blue crystal structures towered over the metal blocks they were attached to. Long white planks float over in front of them as they glow recognising the Winter Maiden.

Fria approached the door, the rectangular pattern glows white as it sinks into the floor. Diane looks at the Relic before her hands glow as she forms a complete replica and with a click of her fingers the two swapped places. The fact that they didn’t fly towards the roof said that it worked, Diane levitated the staff into her hands “Now to give this to Salem’s group when we meet them.” Ironwood nodded, they couldn’t support Ozpin if it meant endangering the people of Atlas.

Author's Note

Salem and Summer's faction is soon going to achieve one of their major goals.