[Kingnoname1]

[Siu and Saffron]

Saffron was a little surprised that Siu insisted that she stay around to guard the older huntress as she piloted her drones. She supposed it made sense that focusing on your surroundings would distract you from however the visual information was relayed and vice-versa. Nodding Saffron stepped out of the car quietly, she wouldn’t be doing either of them any favours in the close confines of a car and kept a sharp eye out for any intruders. There wasn’t any she could see. Nodding along as Siu reported back her findings Saffron had to bite her tongue so she wouldn’t ask questions before her partner had finished their report. It was an unusual experience for Saffron, not being able to see the flow of information herself and it was frustrating getting everything second hand on top of basically having nothing to do. ’So the door could have been replaced since the attack, but if the caravan we ran into was fleeing from the attack here that wouldn’t give however is behind all this much time for repairs.’ Saffron suggested quickly, although it was clear from her downward cast expression upon further thought she didn’t think very highly of that idea upon rethinking about it. ’Or maybe they managed to hold the Grimm off from the door… or maybe the door was left open to allow survivors through.’ Saffron continued suggesting more ideas but clearly not happy with any of them.

‘But yea we can think about that stuff later, I’ll go on ahead as I’m probably the less conspicuous of us two.’ Saffron remarked as she pulled her thick cloak around herself and flipped the hood up over her blazing red hair. Now covered almost entirely by the brown cloak Saffron looked very similar to the survivors of the caravan Siu had seen as she set off positioned low to the ground, dashing from cover to cover. Saffron’s eyes kept frantically searching for any clues she could find but she still tried to limit her movements to avoid attracting attention and moved smoothly when she had to. As well as searching for clues with her eyes Saffron kept a sharp eye out and even took breaks to smell(?) the air as she leads Siu through the ruined keep, gesturing her partner to follow whenever she felt it was safe. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around but out of the corner of her eye Saffron and Siu could see a shadowy figure out of the corner of their eyes but whenever they got to where they thought they had seen it there was nothing other than soft sand. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any electricity or other signs of human activity above ground here or… people… but there is something off here. I think there is something out there.’ Saffron reported back clearly a bit shaken, her eyes looking down clearly searching for something.

‘Whatever it is it’s stalking us, I think it’s looking for a chance to strike when we are alone. We should move as a pair from now on, it’s already seen us so stealth isn’t that important now. I’m not sure if that means we should continue though. Saffron continued as she set herself up for the combat that was probably about the come, temporally stripping herself of her cloak Saffron placed several armoured plates across her body which all expanded to a full set of armour. Recovering herself with her cloak Saffron drew two of her hatchets and held them lightly in her hands as she walked towards the keep. If she was being honest with herself Saffron was desperate for whatever was out there to show itself as the fear of the unknown was starting to get to her. Force the fight on your terms. Identity. Analyse. Neutralise. Saffron repeated Atlas strategy maxims in her head. Saffron was clearly trying to use them both as bait to draw this new foe out as it was clearly not looking to engage straight away so the best Saffron could think of was ensuring the most advantages position when the fight inevitably erupts.

[Aurelia and Cerulean]

The small whine as the fallen Grimm starts to collapse into black ash is quickly overshadowed by the remaining Grimm roaring loudly as Noble Steed matches their charge crouching down low to maximise the crushing impact of their sheer weight. It was all for nought however as golden unicorn managed to clear the Beringel with considerable ease as the ape-like Grimm lowered its position. That was not all of its worries however as Cerulean’s blow hits home, his crescent blades slicing cleanly under the Grimm’s armoured shoulder plating leaving the creature injured but not dead. Having quickly broken the encirclement the four surviving Beringel’s resort to hurling whatever they can at Aurelia, Cerulean but most of all at Noble Steed resulting in a mass of dirt, tree trunks and boulders being flung at the three in quick succession.

Using the resulting chaos as a distraction two of the Beringels sort to outflank Aurelia and her semblance by using their superior mobility in the semi-dense forest to get around their targets. Just as before using their massive arms to swing through the branches these two Beringels catch up to Aurelia and lunch towards the huntress in training while in mid-air roaring loudly as they did. Cerulean, on the other hand, was left with the other two Beringels, including the one he had injured. They advanced slowly keeping up the barrage until then got within arms reach of Cerulean and continued trying to pummel the hunter into the dirt. Out of sight, the sound of cannon fire fell silent leaving the only sounds of snarling Beringels filling the forest.

Battle Data

Enemies

Beringel 1: Health, Leaping at Aurelia.
Beringel 2: Health, Leaping at Aurelia.
Beringel 3: Health, Advancing at Cerulean.
Beringel 4: Health, Advancing at Cerulean.

Attacks

Barrage of debris: 10% at all targets.
Mid-air collision: 8% at Aurelia.
Ground pound: 10% at Cerulean.

[ReaperJoe]

Aurelia cursed under her breath as Cerulean was knocked from her horse, but, on the bright side, she has her saddle back.  That being said, his instructions did not go over well with the knight.  What, and leave you on your own?  Not a chance! she thinks to herself.  That being said, she's in too much of a bind to actually be of much help at the moment. 

The Beringels start chucking whatever they can find at her steed, forcing Aurelia to focus her efforts on dodging.  Fortunately, Noble Steed is no slouch when it comes to agility, and it has the outright advantage in raw speed, so evading the debris is more than doable.  Unfortunately though, falling rocks and branches aren't the only thing she has to worry about, as two of the four remaining Beringels have climbed back into the trees and started swinging themselves from branch to branch in order to catch up with her and her steed, their powerful arms providing the locomotion necessary to catch up with the unicorn's raw speed. 

Thinking quickly, she sheathed her sword and pulled the trigger to convert Dusk into rifle form and flipped the switch to feed lightning dust into the rounds.  Trying to aim while simultaneously dodging debris is a bit of work, but if she can trip up one of the Beringels mid leap, it'll make her life considerably easier.  Taking aim at the beast to her left, she waits for it to make another jump to another branch before taking a shot.  It probably won't do very much damage, but that's not the point; Aurelia's hoping the force of the impact and the accompanying dust will throw the monster off balance and force it to crash to the ground, thus stopping it from continuing its barrage of debris and create an opening to escape once the other Beringel makes its move.

And make a move it does.  The Beringel leaps out at her, forcing her to bank left to dodge.  Hopefully, her plan works and the other Grimm is at least temporarily incapacitated, but if it isn't, she'll have to project an aura shield to protect her mount and keep from being knocked off herself.

Regardless, while she may be doing a good job of avoiding damage for the moment, she's not in a position to return any significant damage, and she won't be able to keep up this deadly game of dodge ball forever.  She needs a way to put these Grimm down fast without exposing herself to danger, but unless they stop moving, she's gonna have a hard time doing that.  She spares a quick glance in Cerulean's direction to check on his situation, only to see the other two monsters advancing on him slowly while pelting him with their own debris.

wait, slowly?

Aurelia spies an opportunity as Noble Steed's bank becomes a U-turn.  She pulls the second trigger on Dusk, causing the rifle to begin shifting into its lance form, and begins barreling back towards Cerulean, aiming to take out one--if not both--of the Grimm attacking him.  Honestly, she couldn't have setup a better opportunity if she tried, she just hopes she bought enough time from her own pursuers to get the lance-charge off.

Combat Data:
Aurelia: 85%
Noble Steed: 15%

Dusk:
Rifle Rounds: 9/10
Fire Dust: 15/20
Lightning Dust: 14/20
Ice Dust: 20/20

Attack Log:  1 Lightning Dust round at the Beringel on the left flank, preparing a lance charge.

[arcus_gray]

Cerulean couldn't really do much against a barrage of debris except cover up and try to be a small target. However, he could do something as they reached him and swung, from here he could do a lot. He opted to take advantage of his semblance. As the swing came Cerulean hopped slightly into the air and under his feet appeared the arms of a clone who lifted and vaulted him into the air above the Beringel's swing just as the swings crashed down and destroyed the clone, causing it to explode. With his first clone destroyed Cerulean was open to create another, which he did. That clone appeared in the air above Cerulean who rotated in mid-air to meet his clone foot-to-foot. Bracing for a moment Cerulean and the clone kicked off each other sending the real one hurtling back towards the ground, Cerulean twisted once again to be facing upright as he impacted and slashed down the healthy Beringel's chest with the momentum of the fall. Barely pausing he turned and lashed a kick into the wedged portion of Takif intent on using the leverage to rip the weapon free and hopefully deal a lot of damage in the process.

Cerulean Battle Data

Aura level: 90%
Clone explosion, both aggressive Beringels.
Falling attack, healthy Beringel.
leverage kick, Beringel with weapon embedded in shoulder.

[Kingnoname1]

[Aurelia and Cerulean]

Luck was with our huntress-in-training as although Aurelia's fire bounced off harmlessly from the thick bone plating of the Beringel, the two Grimm who had tried to catch the horsewoman alone crashed into each other as she banked left. For a few precious moments, Aurelia was without her demonic escorts and it was just enough for her to right noble steed and set off on her charge just as an outstretched paw stanched out behind the knight. Cerulean, on the other hand, had managed to trade well with the two Berignel's, the combination between the clone exploding and the fully-fledged huntsman wrenched his weapon free finally felled the creature. Even as the red lights faded from its eyes and it started to dissolve quickly into nothingness it's pack mates seemed to impossibly grow even more furious with the mostly healthy Beringel roaring and rearing up for a massive downward smash.

Only to be intercepted by Aurelia's charge. Lance hit hard bone but the sheer force behind the blow pushed it through into the Grimm's soft flesh. Managing to keep itself balanced as the Grimm's immense mass quickly managed to absorb the impact of the charge the newly pierced Beringal lowered it's head to be in line with Aurelia's and roared loudly in her face, showing the knight with a red liquid probably best left to the imagination followed by a chomp. The wounded Beringal's arms tried to wrap around both Aurelia and Noble stead to keep them close for the Grimm's coming feast.

Cerulean wasn't ignored either, however, the remaining two Beringal's who had been chasing Aurelia had seen the hunter kill one of their fellows and they were quick to try to avenge it. Learning from the moves Cerulean had already shown one went high and another low with their massive arm span outstretched hoping to limit the hunter's horizontal movement before stomping down hard with their feet curled up into fists. They weren't going to stop there, however, regardless whether they hit or missed the Beringal's would then launch themselves up into the canopy, watching the unfolding situation for a time with the home ground advantage if anyone tried to attack them.

Battle Data

Enemies

Beringal1: Health, Watching Cerulean for the canopy
Beringal2: Health, Watching Cerulean for the canopy
Beringal3: Health, Currently impaled on Aurelia's lance and trying to bite her head off.

Attacks

Chomp at Aurelia: 8%

Double stomp at Cerulean: 16%

[ReaperJoe]

Aurelia clicked her tongue when her bullet bounced off the Beringel, knowing that her best chance to avoid the pincer attack was rendered futile.  Still, she wasn't going to do nothing, and as the Beringels make their move, Noble Steed sticks to the plan and banks left.  In the meantime, the knight prepares a shield of aura with her hand ready to at least deflect some of the coming onslaught. 

However, luck seemed to have other plans.  The Grimm, mostly mindless beasts that they were, did not seem to accommodate for Noble Steed's agility, and instead of slamming into Aurelia, they instead slammed into each other.  That bought Aurelia the precious time she needed to get away and prepare her charge.  Pressing the trigger on Dusk to switch forms, she galloped straight for the beast about to try and pummel her companion as Cerulean takes down a Beringel of his own. 

Just as the lance fully extends to its 12-foot length, Dusk collides into the bone plating of the monster, shattering it and impaling the Grimm's soft flesh.  However, the monster's hardiness goes beyond its thick armor, as evidenced by its continued existence despite Dusk literally running it through.  It's weight forced Aurelia to lower her lance, which only helped the Grimm line its mouth up with her head.  The creature let out a savage roar, splattering the knight with viscera and gore, before going in for a chomp as its arms try to wrap around both the knight and her Noble Steed.

Unfortunately for it, Aurelia's armaments don't stop at Dusk.  Instead of finding helmet, the teeth of the Beringel are batted away by Dawn, Aurelia's shield.  At the same time, Aurelia begins feeding lightning and fire dust into the lance.  As the lance becomes energized, the constant stream of electricity courses through the Grimm as well, causing it to lose control of its limbs.  That's not all, though.  The heat from the fire dust would quickly boil the insides of the Beringel, causing its body to expand as its insides heat up.  For a few seconds, the Grimm would experience excruciating agony as the dust concoction works its magic.  Eventually, the energy running through the creature will overwhelm it, causing it to pop like a balloon.  Aurelia almost feels sorry for it.  Almost.

Combat Data:
Aurelia: 85%
Noble Steed: 15%

Dusk:
Rifle Rounds: 9/10
Fire Dust: ??/20 from 15
Lightning Dust: ??/20 from 14
Ice Dust: 20/20

Attack Log:  Blocking the Beringel's attack, feeding lightning and fire dust into it until it pops (however much is necessary).

[arcus_gray]

The moment his weapon was free Cerulean snatched it up and was ready to keep going, good thing he had too as the Beringel's removed his opportunity to dodge by penning him in and attacking from above. That's my move. he thought bitterly as he Brace Takif's staff on the ground with the blade up in order to catch the Beringel's feet before they came crashing down on him. When they jumped up into the trees he was thankful for the space back and immediately capitalized by creating a clone behind him. That clone then held Takif's staff like a Javelin and through it at one of the two Beringels as hard as he could in the hopes of catching it with the wide front-facing blade and have the flying weapon act like a sideways guillotine, regardless of whether the weapon connected the clone would dissapear shortly after the attack

[Kingnoname1]

[Aurelia and Cerulean]

The Grimm Aurelia was fighting had little choice other than taking the full brunt of the knight's assault directly. It's attacks deflected and it's armour pierced the Beringel let out a loud howl that quickly died as it's insides filled with dust. In a living target, their insides would be immediately destroyed by such exposure but the Grimm was not conventionally alive, maintained by dark energy, and despite the massive damage, it had sustained it kept up its assault at least for now. Aurelia's shield was hard pressed to keep the creature's maw getting any closer as it repeatedly beat down on the knight's defences each movement sending shockwaves through Aurelia's shield arm. Unfortunately for the Huntress in training, the Grimm had other avenues of attack. Its huge black arms reached up and sort to wrap up Aurelia's head into its strong grip. The Beringal's body had been filled with so much dust that the combined electric and fire dust was spilling out of its mouth onto Aurelia's shield and Noble Stead below but still, the creature kept coming.

Once again the forest was rife with the sound of cannon fire, far more rushed and regular than the pair had heard before but it wasn't something Aurelia and Cerulean had to deal for long as after the sounds of a larger and far less controlled explosion the forest once again fell quiet except for the local conflicts. The two Beringel's watching Cerulean from the trees howled as the final explosion erupted and it sounded almost gleeful. Almost casually swinging around the branch they where holding on to the Beringals managed to easily dodge Cerulean's javelin and even catching the weapon as it sailed above them.

With that those two Beringals departed through the canopy towards the sounds of the explosions, leaving the Grimm fighting Aurelia to fend for itself. If the departure of its fellows bothered the creature much it didn't show it if anything it only served the enrages the Grimm further leading even more strength to its already furious blows.

Battle Data

Enemies

Beringal1: Health Fleeing towards the caravan.
Beringal2: Health Fleeing towards the caravan, holding Cerulean's weapon.
Beringal3: Health Impaled by Aurelia but doing ok all things considered.

Attacks
Crushing Grip around Aurelia's head: 10%

Spewing Dust(eww) over Nobel Stead: 6%

[ReaperJoe]

With the Beringel impaled on her lance, there's nothing it could do to avoid the onslaught of the dust pouring into it.  Its demise is only a matter of time at this point.  However, so long as it persists, it's free to do as much damage as it pleases.  And since one of Aurelia's hands is busy holding up the lance while the other is holding the shield keeping the beast's maw at bay, the cavalier is likewise unable to stop the Grimm's attack.

Despite being impaled, electrocuted, and boiled from the inside all at the same time, to the point that it is literally vomiting dust onto her semblance, the Beringel tries to mash Aurelia's head into paste with its meaty hands.  Despite the situation, she can't help but admire the creature's resilience.  That being said, she isn't going to let it have its way for much longer if she can help it.

With what vision she has left, she looks for something to ram her opponent into and crush it once and for all, and spies a particularly thick tree.  Noble Steed, in accordance with its summoner's whim, charges toward it at full speed, seemingly unaffected by its slowly shattering form.  As it grows ever closer, Aurelia braces for an impact her prey can't possibly see coming and rears back her shield just as the Beringel rears its head back for another attempted bite.  At the last second, Noble Steed swerves hard to slow itself down while preserving as much momentum as possible for the attack.

What follows are X collisions:  the first is the lance tip against the tree, which results in splinters going flying as Dusk impales the tree like a hot knife going through butter.  The second is the Beringel's back against the tree, which causes its limbs to jerk back as inertia catches up to it.  The third collision is the the Beringel's head against the tree.  At the speed it was going, if it had a skull it would crack under the force of the impact.  Unfortunately for it, the Grimm's head faces another collision.  This time its Aurelia's shield flying into the Beringel's face, as she returns the favor and tries to crush its head between Dawn and the tree.

Finally, there's the last collision:  Due to Noble Steed's own momentum, it and Aurelia also collide into the tree.  Aurelia (and Noble Steed) was braced for it, as it was part of the plan, but nevertheless the knight slams into the bark, causing a bit of damage to return to both her and her semblance.  It was a small price to pay to finish off the Grimm, but it had to be paid, nonetheless.

Combat Data:
Aurelia: 70% (10% from Beringel, 5% additional from ramming tree)
Noble Steed: 7% (6% from Beringel, 2% additional from ramming tree)
Note:  Noble Steed looks like a sculpture about to fall apart, multiple cracks with light shining through

Dusk:
Rifle Rounds: 9/10
Fire Dust: 12/20
Lightning Dust: 11/20
Ice Dust: 20/20

Attack Log:  Ramming the Beringel into a tree and crushing its head between a literal rock (her shield) and a hard place (the tree)

[arcus_gray]

The reaction of the Grimm to the sounds of explosions did not inspire much hope and the Grimm leaving to the new group painted a pretty clear picture to Cerulean that the nearby groups defenses were starting to fail and the fear was drawing every nasty thing in the area to them. Dammit. Time to make a call. A quick glance to his companion revealed that she was handling things pretty well and with that a decision was made. Cerulean broke into a run to follow the fleeing Grimm. They would likely lead him to the most desperate group and hopefully he could inspire enough hope to make them less of a magnet for Grimm. As he broke into a run he leaped into the air and once again a clone appeared beneath him to vault him into the trees. As Cerulean gave chase the clone turned and nodded to Aurelia before dissapearing.

[Kingnoname1]

With a roar, the Beringal Aurelia was fighting finally succumbed to its injuries as the monsters head was crushed under the knight's furious attacks. The other two Beringal quickened their pace through the forest, using their massive arms to avoid most obstacles by swinging tree to tree the Beringal were able to keep ahead of Cerulean or even Aurelia and Noble Steed as they joined the chase. Luckily the Grimm were hardly quiet and their snarls and growls could be heard even when they themselves couldn't be seen which were occasionally accompanied by more volleys of debris. The growls and even the chase itself wouldn't last for long for as the Beringal's found the caravan a duo of blasts rocketed out and then a high pitched whine and then nothing as the Grimm were dissolved by cannon fire.

As the Huntsman and Huntress-in-training move to investigate the blasts and the caravan, in general, they find it in much better condition than the last caravan they had passed. No obvious fatal casualties and teams of people working to restore functionality to their vehicles. The largest team by far was working on the singular large cannon. A great golden weapon with various animals carved all around still gleaming in the fading sunlight despite the mud and grime which almost complete encased it. This was obviously the weapon which had been laying waste to Grimm including its latest two victims Beringals who were fleeing the Huntsman as much as they had been attracted to the fear of the Caravan. Although given the destructive powers at their disposal perhaps the fear wasn't that justified.

Even looking at the people it was rather clear the people were dealing with the attack better than the last caravan, no wailing or accusatory stares and the Hunters approached and instead they were more or less welcomed with open arms. 'Hail, you must have been what drew those blighters away long enough for us to get the cannon back and running again. She may look pretty but she can take a beating apparently but... maybe not that much of one.' A loud female voice boomed out of the crowds working on repairs who quickly parted to allow the woman space to move towards Aurelia and Cerulean. They did need a fair bit of space, she was a very large woman with messy black hair, dark skin and eyes hidden behind a heavy visor who was carrying as much fat as muscle and plenty of both but the scorch marks on her heavy clothing and grime stains throughout her hair and skin made it clear she was as hard at work as the others before the Hunters arrived. 'I am Elder Rose and despite our circumstances, we are still obliged by our ancient customs to offer travellers welcome, travel with us for a bit. The blighters have stirred up a real tempest and it's no time even to be travelling in pairs.' Elder Rose called out again not quietening her voice as she continued to walk closer to Aurelia and Cerulean, that maybe just be how she talks.

[ReaperJoe]

There was definitely a bit of relief when the form of the Beringel began to dissipate into mist, but Aurelia doesn't have time to dwell on it.  Retracting Dusk back into a sword and sheathe, she wrenches her weapon free from the tree and whirls her semblance around to assist Cerulean with the remaining two Grimm.  However, it seems he's handling himself quite well, forcing the beasts into a full retreat.  Well, they were either retreating or heading to--

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the forest.  To be more accurate, she finally noticed that a particular sound had disappeared while her attention was focused on the fight in front of her.  The caravan! she thought worriedly, driving the crumbling unicorn into a gallop as quickly as possible.  There's something else that can draw Grimm away from a fight, and that's an abundance of negativity.  If the caravan's defenses fell and panic set in, then--

Aurelia's shocked out of her thoughts again by a thunderous duo of blasts, and she watched as the Beringels she and Cerulean were chasing after were obliterated in short order.  Stunned, she unconsciously slows Noble Steed to a canter, then to a trot, then finally to a simple walk as she closes the rest of the distance to the caravan.  They're fine? she can't help but wonder to herself.  The caravan undoubtedly faced a larger threat than the pair of Hunters did, yet the number of casualties seemed to be minimal, if not outright zero. 

Yet, despite seeing it, she still had trouble believing it.  Taking down a single Beringel can be an ordeal on its own:  they're fast, they're strong, and they're durable.  They're not like the standard Creeps and Beowolves that can be killed in one or two shots and only dangerous in numbers.  Yet this caravan managed to fend off--nay, kill an entire troop of them. 

Aurelia's eyes were drawn to a gleaming golden light, which revealed the apparent source of the cannon fire that resounded through the forest only moments before.  Looking at it, the only word she could think to describe it was "beautiful", even caked as it was in mud.  Was that it, though?  Only one cannon fended off all of those Grimm?  She recalled how quickly the Beringels floated through the air amid the trees, easily outpacing even her semblance.  And yet, a single cannon nailed both of them one after the other, killing them in a single shot.  That's not technically an impossible feat, but it's still...

"...Incredible," Aurelia mutters softly.  Too incredible, almost.  She recalls what Sam had said at the mission's start, that the Dustsmith may have gifted weapons to some of the caravans.  Wordlessly, Aurelia pulls out her scroll and (making sure the flash is off) takes a photo of the weapon and sends it to Sam with a quick message.

ALumen:  Please tell me this isn't what I think it is.

It was then that she heard a booming voice amidst the crowd, and she turned to see a large woman approaching them.  Looking to Cerulean and giving a quick nod, Aurelia retracts her helmet and has her semblance step forward.  "Hail," she begins, using the same greeting as her counterpart, "We're just glad to see your people managed to get out of that relatively unscathed."

After Elder Rose introduces herself and makes her offer, Aurelia quickly responds.  "A pleasure, Elder.  I am Aurelia, and this is Cerulean.  We appreciate your offer, however, as you said, the Grimm have been rampaging across the savannah.  Unfortunately..." a brief memory flashes in her mind, the sight of the previous caravan, torn asunder by the horde of Grimm, "your caravan was not the only one attacked.  There are others in need of aid, and we can't afford the luxury of safety right now."

"That being said, we're severely lacking in information. This may be a bit direct, but could you tells us everything that happened before the Grimm attacked?" 

[arcus_gray]

Keeping to the agreement he made with Aurelia, Cerulean opted to let her do the talking and instead begun patrolling the immediate area, keeping an eye out for any more potential attacks or signs of other caravan's in need of help.

[Kingnoname1]

Rose was clearly annoyed at Aurelia's refusal and muttered something under her breath about young people and how they don't respect the old ways. She almost immediately turns around to head back to her caravan but stops when she hears Aurelia ask a question, with a long drawn out-breath turns her head to respond, to Rose Aurelia may have shirked her responsibilities as a guest but that doesn't mean Rose could shirked her responsibilities as a host. 'We were having our Tribesmeet, a gathering of all the caravans to discuss things that affect all of us, important that shouldn't be discussed through communicators. There were... arguments... disagreements... emotions rose. Next thing we know the blighters are there in numbers we had never seen before, held them back for a night but we knew we wouldn't survive another.' Rose began, physically sagging as if the retelling of the story leeched her energy away. A younger man came out of the crowd and unfolded a chair for Rose to sit in. She did so in a huff as if to imply she didn't need the assistance at all.

'I don't know which caravan tried to make a break for it first but I don't blame them. Not only because I think anyone of use would have done the same if we had thought about it first but they didn't get very far but they did create a gap so us coming after had more of a chance. It didn't take long for the blighters to catch up with us but thanks to a few recent upgrades we got at the start of the tribesmeet we got out. But like I said the roads have gotten more dangerous since then, so tell us where you are going? Perhaps it is on our way and these lands have seen enough blood for a while. Rose finishes with another heavy sign, there is a distinct aspect to the exhaustion which Rose is experiencing which Aurelia and Cerulean quickly recognize, her aura is completely drained.

There is no response from Sam at least for the moment.

[ReaperJoe]

Aurelia listened quietly and respectfully as Rose told her story.  This may be the biggest source of information they'll get on this mission, and Aurelia wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.  That being said, it was clear that even retelling the tale was taking its toll on the elder.  In order to put her more at ease, Aurelia dismissed her fractured and crumbling Noble Steed, so that the two may converse on equal footing.

On the surface, the story was, frankly, relatively mundane as far as Grimm attacks go.  A large group of people with negative emotions flying about attracting a horde of Grimm that they're unprepared for is not necessarily an uncommon tale to hear.  There may even be a few students at Beacon who went through very similar experiences.  However, leaving Rose's story at that would be terrible investigative work, and there's more than a few discrepancies that need to be addressed.

The biggest discrepancy is the timing of the attack.  This "Tribesmeet" was a scheduled event taking place at what Aurelia would assume to be a preordained location.  If that were the case, then the caravans would have most likely had preliminary patrols around the area to wipe out the Grimm.  If they did that, though, then there shouldn't have been any Grimm in the area, and any attack should have been seen from miles away in the savanna, which would have given the tribes plenty of time to evacuate.  Yet instead, they were overwhelmed.

Then there's another timing issue:  Rose said the caravan received upgrades at the start of the meet.  While she didn't exactly say what those upgrades were, but after glancing over the great, golden gun, Aurelia could probably hazard a guess.  Furthermore, Rose specifically attributed those "upgrades" to her caravan's successful survival.  That's really convenient timing, as far as Aurealia thinks.

Aurelia recalled the last caravan and the elder's words as they departed.  That group hadn't accepted the gift of the "golden man", and they were nearly annihilated.  Yet this group had survived, relatively unscathed at that, and they had something the other caravan didn't. 

Could the attack have been staged?  If the Dustsmith knew about the Tribesmeet, it's theoretically possible.  He could have offered his weapons to the tribes, posing as a benevolent force, and stirred up controversy.  That controversy could fuel negative emotions and resentment, which would draw the Grimm.  If a massive horde came, then the caravans who didn't have the proper firepower would get wiped out, while the ones that accepted his "gifts" would be spared.  It'd be an incredible way to ensure loyalty, as it would both wipe out opposition as well as ensure the loyalty and continued support of those who accepted his gifts.  After all, they wouldn't have lived without his interference.

Of course that theory has a few holes in it, namely how the horde came into existence.  She can only hazard guesses at the moment, but perhaps further examination into Rose's story might yield more insight.

"Could tell us more about what happened during the Tribesmeet?  A horde of that size is generally drawn towards large amounts of negative emotions.  Most of the time, its the fear of the horde itself that draws them, but from what you've told me, it was something else that called them," she asks the Elder, carefully considering her words.  Aurelia is concerned with the origins of the Grimm attack, of course, but her true objective and mission is still apprehending the Dustsmith and the destruction of his weapons.  If her suspicions are correct and the Dustsmith was at the Tribesmeet and was the source of the unrest that drew the Grimm, then perhaps she could figure out which other tribes took the Dustsmith's "gifts".  Of course, asking about the cannon outright might tip them off, and that's not a hand she wishes to play just yet.

When asked about their travel plans, Aurelia responds, "We intend to travel to the next plume of smoke, where another caravan may still be fighting the Grimm.  I can't exactly stop you from travelling with us, but I can hardly recommend it.  Even I can tell that last battle exhausted you."