Blades Of A Rose

Chapter 43: Punished

A/n: Well guys, I'm working on a NORMAL schedule FINALLY. Anyway, I just want to thank all of you for helping me continue this story. So, Thank You. I'm also in a good mood because I just got a new personal record for a 5K run. Anyway, Enjoy.

3rd POV

Tyrian pulls his tail back. Dust Caliber began to point at Tyrian.

"As I live and breathe, A sword with a mind of its own." Tyrian said in surprise

Ruby gets up and sets Crescent Rose on its end.

Tyrian chortles.

"I guess you should know my name now. my name is Tyrian. And I'm afraid that I'm not going to let you get away. My assignment from Her Grace was to retrieve you. So, that is what I must do. One does not upset the Queen.

"Queen?" Ruby said, questioningly

"Salem." You all heard a familiar voice say

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby said, surprised "Who is Salem?"

"Hmm, I think we've had enough talk now, don't you?" Tyrian said

Tyrian assumes a crouching position.

"Took the words right out of—" Qrow was then interrupted by Tyrian

Tyrian rushed Qrow before he can finish voicing the thought and the two fight. A roof gets damaged and Tyrian uses the bullet capability in the gloves of his wrist blades. Ren and Nora join in, but Tyrian easily gets them away. He moves to chase them, but Qrow intervenes.

"Don't come closer!" Qrow said

The two men continue to fight.

"Fine!" Ruby said

She then takes Crescent Rose and resheathed Dust Caliber on her back to the top of a building and waits for an opening to shoot Tyrian. However, both he and Qrow move too fast for her to get a clear shot. Tyrian manages to use his tail to disarm Qrow. This slows things down enough for Ruby to repeatedly shoot at him from the roof, but Tyrian just deflects each with his tail. Qrow switches to punching Tyrian in the face. With a final kick, he is successful enough to beat Tyrian down and casually move to retrieve his weapon from where it embedded in a wall. Tyrian waits until Qrow has his back turned before striking, but Qrow merely leaps on top of his own weapon and activates its scythe mode. The two continue to battle, their fight taking them to a rooftop. They appear evenly matched until Tyrian descends into the building and uses his tail to drag Qrow down, too. This is enough to make Ruby decide to no longer stay back. Just as she reaches the building, Qrow comes out through a wall, his body and his weapon bouncing. The weapon lands with its blade in the ground, and Qrow perches atop it. Red flickers of damaged Aura move over his body twice. Tyrian comes out of the floating dust and grime inside the building, purple flickers moving across his body. As the two begin to strike again, Ruby jumps in between and deflects Tyrian's blades with Crescent Rose.

"Ruby!" Jaune shouted and tried to go to her

Ren holds Jaune back from moving forward.

"Do you wish to be taken?" Tyrian said

"No! But I won't stand by and watch someone get hurt!" Ruby said

'I will not allow her to be taken' You thought to yourself in the Blade Works

Both Qrow and Ruby move in to attack Tyrian and the three clash. His eyes purple again, Tyrian almost gets her with his stinger, but Qrow blocks it.

"Ruby! What did I say?! Get back!" Qrow said

"This is my fight, too!" Ruby replied, disobeying him

She attacks Tyrian while he's still locked blade-to-blade with Qrow, but his legs arch away from the swing of Crescent Rose.

"No, it's not that. It's—" Qrow began to say

Ruby attacks again, and Tyrian moves to her. He flips and sends her back with a two-footed kick. She slides closer to the building and gains her ground, but the wooden beams near the roof have been shaken up too much and a heavy one breaks and descends upon her. Qrow slices it in half so it falls in pieces to either side of Ruby without touching her. She smiles at him in gratitude and affection, and he raises his head from his stance to look at her, only to gasp in pain as he is immediately cut in the abdomen by Tyrian's stinger. Tyrian chuckles while everyone but Ruby takes a beat from the unexpectedness of it. She, however, immediately cuts off the stinger from the rest of Tyrian's tail. It bounces, spurting purple liquid, to the ground. Tyrian reels back and cries out from the pain. Standing, he whirls to face Ruby, infuriated.

"You bitch!" Tyrian shouted in pain

He takes a step or two forward but is off balance. Nora, Ren, and Jaune all move to block his path to Ruby and Qrow. Tyrian takes a few awkward steps, not engaging.

"She'll forgive you." Tyrian said to himself

He runs away. Qrow, who had still been upright with his weapon at the ready, collapses to one knee and clutches at the wound, panting heavily.

Ruby rushes to his side "Uncle Qrow! Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. He just grazed me." He said

He pulls his shaking hand away to show the blood on it. The other three arrive at his side.

"Who was that guy?" Pyrrha asked

"How did you get here?" Ren asked

"Why are people after Ruby?" Nora asked

"And why was Dust Caliber acting like it had a mind of its own?!" Jaune asked

"Uncle Qrow? What's going on?" Ruby asked

Qrow breathed heavily and clutched his abdomen again "What's your favorite fairy tale?"