Illithid behind the Curtain: A change of Perspective (Patreon)

"That's the last of em!"

The bullhead door was closed and slapped once, the air vehicle taking off and flying off into the skies. Off to the side, Yang observed their neighbor with a contemplative air. She knew what he... Or she really was, it was never a big deal even when the truth came out. If she really wanted to hurt them, they could had done it at any time.

As far as Yang was concerned, that was the end of it for her. Even the casual displays of power while interesting, didn't change her mind. Take the other neighbors for example. For those who wanted to stay in Vale and weren't comfortable with everything happening, Aunty Em paid them a sum of gold to buy their property and wished them well. Those who stayed, were compensated for the changes and she promised to be a good landlord. The fruits of which were already revealing themselves.

The Grimm were being culled, slowly day by day by golems, elementals and themselves which was tedious, but needful apparently for what was to come. That alone was enough to make them on board for what was to come, but now apparently their neighbor had plans for more. Signal was being transformed, a crew of strange, short but stocky folk out of nowhere marching like an army towards it and the sounds of odd construction occurring for the curious, though some of them decided to help with that like Nora and Weiss. Also present were actual, armored knights and what looked like people that resembled her teammates in their movements, all cautious and liquid smooth. These had an odd symbol of a blue dragon tattoo or emblem on their bodies or shields and seemed to be filling in as an addition to the local town watch for now as well as for the defensive measures.

Speaking of which, she turned to watch her aunt as she raised her hands, power vibrating the air alongside other hooded figures as the earth slid up, becoming stone walls. A long, constant barrier as further down where they had worked, more would be constructing and adding other measures. Primitive ones, no electricity that Yang could see anyway. When asked, her aunt simply said that they wouldn't be weak to human error and left it at that.

A little ominous and dramatic, but wizards gotta wiz Yang guessed. One thing for sure though, this whole self-contained bit was more than what she expected for her home. And before it was over, she wondered if she'd recognize any of it as it used to be.

Her gaze flicked to her father, a water bottle in hand as he offered it to Aunty Em, who took it and drank with a grateful nod, Yang slowly slipped her shades down lower to peer at her father. More particularly, at his expression as she slowly cocked her head to the side and smiled like a shark.

=====

Blake didn't expect this.

That out there, were folks like her but more... Well, more. From the literal, lion-headed figure with a warhammer returning from a hunting party, to the blue-scaled draconic being in monk robes currently working with a class of volunteers, snarling out commands as they stretched and punched the air. It almost felt like home again, her eyes growing wider as the waters surged along the docks and what looked like a giant, one-eyed snapping turtle with a spiked shell and ship anchor on a chain emerged, dragging a net of fish behind it as it slung it on its back and marched.

The local faunus had taken to them happily, the regular people... Not so much.

Still... She watched as Lie Ren, assisting with the new construction passed out drinks, as a dice game between a human local, a sheep faunus and a burly, dark green skinned ominous figure began on a barrel, with the boundaries began to drop more and more.

She was smiling.

It was a start.

====

Weiss rubbed her forehead. At Signal, Nora had found her people. Short, hard talking, bone-headed people who apparently thought overwhelming force was a given, and not an option. The led figure-a Dwarf he called himself, was currently comparing hammers as he and his fellows all swarmed around her own.

"It's a hammer... Can hit things easily. But it feels so light!"

He let out a roar, smashing it into one of the rocks brought over and Weiss gaped as the boulder went flying out into the mist, out into the woods.

Hefting it again, the dwarf laughed. "But strong!"

"And that's not the best part!" Nora declared, taking it as she gave his hammer back before pressing a button. As it shifted into a grenade launcher, she fired them out, letting them explode in the air as the dwarfs gasped and clapped. And with a stern look, the dwarf spokesman turned to Nora and spoke.

"I've two ingots of adamantine. It's yours, if ye let us examine your weapon for a fortnight."

Nora beamed, blushing as one hand rubbed the back of her head.

"Aww, shucks! You don't need to do that! We're friends, right?" The dwarf blinked, staring at her as he spoke. "Friends?" The clan eyed each other, and Nora blinked back, looking sad.

".... Was I wrong?"

"NAY, LASS!" The dwarf roared and Weiss leaped, eyes wide as the dwarf slammed his hammer into the ground. "THANE BARDUR OF THE MOUNTAIN GRINDER CLAN NAMES YE-."

"Nora Valkyrie!" She said helpfully.

"-NORA VALKYRIE, DWARF-FRIEND! YOUR FOES ARE OUR FOES, OUR ALLIES ARE YOURS! KHAZAD-AD!"

As Nora joined them cheerfully, she sighted Weiss and waved happily.

"HEY PARTNER, LOOK! I MADE FRIENDS!"

Weiss sighed. Einzbern suddenly turned to the woods, sniffing as Weiss turned curiously. "What is it girl?"

She peered out into the forest and squinted... But there was nothing there.

Nothing, but an odd music that called to her and slowly, she turned from the construction site and entered the misty woods, Einzbern at her heels.

====

"So... You're gnomes?" Ruby asked, looking at someone with the wildest shock of white hair, bushy eyebrows and a mustache to rival Professor Port. Brushing his mustache with a hand, the Gnome twinkled in a good-natured manner, speaking with an odd accent.

"Oh ja! From Lantan, my good girl! Of course, our homeland is less... A, velcoming to newcomers nowadays. But an island stagnant in ideas is only foredoomed to failure! And so, I and my clan and their extended families decided to accept the offer! And who could resist? A new world, a new home! Endless possibilities and ideas, just over the horizon!" He peered at her closely and added. "But I suspect you know a little of that, yes?"

Ruby's eyes glinted as she looked about. The gnomes had set up shop by the woods and what would eventually be a volcano and wasn't that strange to think about? But what had caught her attention was the golems that strode, not of pure magic like the stone ones her aunt favored, but of iron and machinery. Much like how she saw the world and lured in, she didn't realize she was intruding until she met this person, who was kind enough to be helpful to her. Staring at one of the golems, some hunchbacked monstrosity with heavy claws that crackled with electricity, she shuddered with glee and cried out.

"Yes! I do! Oh, she's beautiful!" She vanished in a burst of red petals, prompting a startled 'my goodness!' from the gnome patriarch as she flashed from one shoulder to the other.

"Look at her! Look at her! Composite tesla generator, internal mana core generator-OH! You've already been including additions to use dust! And is that a reinforced adamantine claw?! I've only ever read about them in my aunt's library! I've wanted some for my baby for forever! She's so gorgeous!"

The gnomes' eyebrows vanished into his hairline and slowly, he began to smile.

"I think my dear, you and I are going to get along swimmingly."

====

Jaune was avoiding his team.

Wandering the tower, seeing the sheer potential and more, he felt more and more inadequate. Yang had done her best to boost his confidence and even had roped someone like Pyrrha Nikos to help a cheating nobody like him. But the more he went through classes, fought alongside his team, he wondered if this was how the dirt felt all the time.

He wasn't strong, he wasn't skilled. His strategies consisted of just tanking everything and that was easily overcome by stronger foes like Cardin. And more than ever, his families ancestral blade weighed down on him like nothing else.

Weak.

Useless.

"That's an interesting sword."

Jaune spun rapidly, eyes wide at the speaker behind him. A human... He thought, but pallid gray in skin and with eyes that literally glowed violet, fixed on him. His voice was harsh, rough but devoid of any sort of anger that might had accompanied with it, the lower face obscured and covered by what looked like a red scarf with odd designs stitched into it.

A tricorn rested on their head, and a heavy coat and garb that wouldn't look out of place in a history drama made up the rest as he approached and paused, five feet away as he cocked his head and spoke.

".... She likes you. Says you have promise, but no confidence."

Jaune blinked and suddenly stiffened. "Wait, you can hear Crocea Mors?!"

"Can you not?" Was the returning reply, the eyes having yet to blink as Jaune shuffled in discomfort before the odd figure asked.

"Why do you not have confidence?"

Jaune wondered for a moment, before suddenly confessing as his shoulders slumped. "Because I'm weak. Ok? I look at everyone, I see how much more awesome they are. And no matter what I do, or how hard I work? I'll never catch up to them. Someday, they'll be trouble and maybe one of them will get hurt, or worse if I can't keep up. I don't want to be saved by them."

".... You wish to stand by their side." The figure pondered, looking at him before adding. "And you wish to be worthy of your family legacy." Jaune stiffened in surprise and the person nodded to his weapon.

"She tells me much of you. How you, of all your family took her legacy to heart. How one night, you vowed to be worthy of her, to protect others even as your line did. You recognized that a swords purpose is not to be on a wall, but to be used. To help others... She recognizes you, Jaune Arc."

He never told the man his name and he found himself unable to look away as the man continued. "... And even now, she wishes you to hear her in turn."

"Who are you?" Jaune asked and the figure stood straighter, looming as he pointed at him.

"I am Azreal Blackstone, Warlock of the Pact of the Hexblade. And if you wish, perhaps the only one who can give you both what you want most."