The light needs the dark

Qrow followed leons while trying not to curse at how uncomfortable the trip was for him. qrow could tell that despite the calm front leon was putting on the boy was likely scarred from the experience. it was not uncommon for people to have similar reactions after being put into a traumatic situation and if that signs age was any clue leon had been in this mindset for a good minute. this required a delicate touch , and qrow knew he definitely wasn't the right person for it but he was the only one here.

Leon was also aware of how badly getting dropped off the deep end fucked him up mentally but knew his current mindset kept him alive for the past three weeks. 'it's ironic really , the mind is one of the most resilient things around and yet so easily damaged. i might need therapy after this , what a pain.' he thought as he entered the large room he had been living in. it took qrow a bit longer since he needed to crawl but he made it as well. the room had a huge pile of rather unclean pillows in one corner and all of the looted stuff in another.

Qrow noticed that and grabbed one of the pillows to sit on as leon put the sword next to him as he sat. "how long have you been here kid?" qrow asked breaking the silence. leon shrugged "about twenty two days give or take a day. not sure how time works since it wasn't explained by my parents before ..... it happened" leon said growing silently briefly at the end. qrow didn't point it out "how did it happen?" qrow asked but leon shook his head. "i don't know i went to sleep and when i woke up everyone was gone and there were monsters outside." he said honestly.

"It was hard to kill them at first , i had never killed anything before you know but it helped they turned into smoke afterwards. got easier the more i did it too." leon said with a far off look. qrow looked surprised "you've killed grim already?" he couldn't help but ask. "grim? is that what those black monsters are called?" leon asked curiously. qrow nodded "creatures of grim or just grim as they are usually called , they have hunted people for as long as people have existed." he explained.

"i see and why do they have different forms?" leon asked curious. "that's actually one of the things no one knows really , myth says the god of darkness made them as a soulless form of life but no one is actually certain why they look different." qrow said honestly happy to try and draw leon out of his shell. it certainly helped that leon was starved for human interaction and was metaphorically clinging on to the first person he had seen. "god of darkness?" leon asked confused since the god who sent him definitely didn't seem to have anything to do with darkness.

"Yeah , one of the twin gods along with the god of light who created the world apparently." qrow said before taking a sip from a metal flask. "kinda early to get drunk isn't it?" leon teased. qrow snorted out a chuckle "nah , i'm sure its evening somewhere." he said shamelessly. "how old are you anyway? might have a place for you to go if you aren't too old." qrow said and watched leons eyes light up. "really?" he asked hopefully. qrow nodded "i'm four." leon said honestly and watched qrow let out a depressed sigh.

"Thought so , most four year old wouldn't have lasted so long you know." qrow said seriously. leon nodded "my father always said i was too smart for my age , it helped these things on my back aren't for show." leon said stretching out a leathery black wing to show what he meant. "i was curious about that , do you know what animal you have traits for , because i have no clue?" qrow asked interested. "dad said he was a horned ape and mom said she was a tailed bat , they told me i was a hybrid of the best of both." leon said seriously.

"Hybrid type huh? that's pretty rare from what i understand , only heard of one other a while ago , deer and lizard if i remember right." qrow said taking another sip from his flask. "got any idea what you want to call this hybrid type? the other guy called his kirin." qrow asked curiously. leon gave him an "are you serious" look to which he just laughed. "yeah i guess that was pretty clear already , still demons usually aren't considered in a kind light." qrow said honestly. "you need darkness to have light. who says i can't be a demon to grim?" leon asked with a fanged grin.