A/N: After watching part of the 2015 Chinese Historical Drama "Nirvana In Fire" (琅琊榜Lang'ya'bang) I was exposed to Dao Lang's songs, including "守候在凌晨两点的伤心秀吧" ("2AM Vigil at the broken-hearted show bar" would be a rough translation?) and "西海情歌" (Love Story of the Western Sea) which began to inspire me to put another event in my mental history of the RWBY verse… This is just posting a bit to check how the concept flies, whether it flies at all. If I ever complete this on FFN instead of elsewhere, it would likely be up to about a third or more of the length of Romance of the Three Kingdoms given the sheer number of events and inventions in this period (largely by Susan but also by others).
Note that "Timing of Heaven, Favour of the Earth, and Harmony of Man" is my version of the Chinese phrase 天时地利人和, less literally taken to be "At the right time, in the right place, with the right people" (Methinks my version is cooler)
The Kingdom of Slate is one of many city-states in this time period. It is located near the south central coast of the continent which would later be divided between Vale and Vacuo. Oh, and if you can't figure out which team is referred to in the Summary (Eclipse of the Frozen Rose) then you need a brain check.
Summary:
Six hundred years before the time of the Silent Empress, the one erased by Empire revisionists, the mother of Nod, and the contemporary of the legendary team later referred to as "Eclipse of the Frozen Rose", there was another who was blessed with the Timing of Heaven, Favour of the Earth, and Harmony of Man. Historians would come to debate whether it was the half-legendary figures of Storm Queen, Dust Goddess, or Silent Empress, or some mix thereof, who inspired many creation legends. However, just as certainly as the Silent Empress would be told as the Yellow Emperor… let's just say that having only a few speakers of a language (Japanese) in that time meant that through lots of conversions, "Susan's Testament" became the basis of a certain Shinto god… and let's not even get started with the four daughters of the Dust Goddess and where THAT story went.
If there were only two legendary figures the Silent Empress idolized and sought to emulate, the Storm Queen and Dust Goddess were the entirety of the list.
Preview Chapter 1: The Cavalry's Arrived!
September 29, 883 AG (After Grimm), AKA 30 BD (Before Dust)
"Lady Electra! The Slate royal procession has been ambushed by an army with mixed banners from the neighbouring kingdoms' mercenaries assaulting their shield dome!" The scout shouted as he rode up to the caravan. They had spotted the Spring Hunt procession about half an hour back when the distant pickets for the caravan reported on the situation. Being in open country meant that they could afford to split the forces to have distant pickets without fear of attrition from Grimm attacks.
The girl in charge of the convoy frowned, her steely grey eyebrows moving together in thought of what might have happened during their trade mission to the west. More importantly, she was wondering why, if hostilities had begun, they weren't ambushed within their neighbours' lands. Raising her voice, she called "If they go down Slate's economy follows them. We cannot let the trusted families of other cities take over what is ours by birthright! First Cavalry, embark First Arbalests and ride with me! First Repeaters, follow at jog! First Spears, follow at speed walk!" The cavalrymen moved up to the arbalest users and transferred the heavy crossbows that were the source of the other unit's name to their backs. Then they spurred their horses to a gallop while the disarmed foot soldiers ran after them, following Susan's mount as she approached the ridge line over which the battle should be raging… and by the sound of clashing steel and the screams of wounded, it was.
Unlike the kingdom of Vale to the far northeast and Vacuo to the distant northwest, and the kingdoms beyond those two representatives, Slate was not in the northern Hemisphere of Remnant. Therefore, what the northern dwellers might reckon to be autumn was spring for the inhabitants of Slate and its neighbouring kingdoms. Also unlike the northeastern or northwestern kingdoms, Slate actually had winters with snowfall instead of being pretty much semi-tropical for much of the year. At least, that was what the history books said. In actual fact winters had been recorded as getting overall longer and colder for as long as records existed, and had been the case since about 20 AG. If the myths and legends about human civilization before the Grimm appeared were true, then this was a consequence of nature reclaiming most of what had once belonged to it.
"Cavalry, dismount and spin up the bows, then give your horses drinks! Arbalests, fire from the ridgeline at the backs of the flanking enemy cavalry!" Susan shouted at the ridge top as the riders caught up, the infantry only a bit behind them. She had spotted the enemy wheeling to prepare a charge. Her own squadron of forty armored cavalrymen rode up next to her and dismounted, moving the heavy crossbows off their packs and winding the steel bows up. They were ready just as the infantry arrived, and the riders watered their horses from their saddle water skins (not the same as the ones for the men). The armored riders remounted while the crossbows took aim and fired toward the backs of the enemy. The repeaters arrived after the first group of enemy cavalry was struck down. "Repeaters, cover the Arbalests from any enemy push! Cavalry, form wedge and wait for my order to charge!" the spearmen were still a ways back "Repeaters, once we charge, follow with half the Spearmen and clean up in our wake. Arbalests are to cover the repeaters and be defended by the other half of the Spearmen from any counter-charge."
The second volley of arbalest bolts shot out and took down more enemies, sowing actual confusion this time throughout the enemy ranks on their side of the encirclement since they registered the losses this time, just as the enemy cavalry charge broken upon the hastily redeployed shield-wall of the Slate Royal Guard. The shield bubble blunting incoming impacts wouldn't hold out much longer if the rippling of weapon hits being exchanged across the barrier was any indication… "Cavalry, charge with me. Arbalests, fire toward the left side! Repeaters, suppress their counter-charge against the hilltop and follow us if the countercharge tries to hit us in the side or rear! Men, go straight through and then turn once we are clear, to avoid us being flanked or bogged down! CHARGE!" Susan shouted, before motioning forward and activating, then extending her own Aura as was her way of fighting.
Most Aura-capable people fought by being a one-man or one-woman army. Susan Electra's calling, however, was more of a support role. Still, the girl led from the front for the simple reasons of morale and need for more practice for her skills anyhow, a crackling electric (hence the family name) wake forming ahead of the wedge as she flexed her power, leading before the lances of her riders to debuff the enemy before the charge hit home. Forty-one horses in a wedge formation stormed down the slope toward the enemy encircling the Slate soldiers.
Just before impact, as the wave of static charges hit the enemy line and began to strike mercenaries into spasms, Susan had a rather uncouth thought about her younger brother. I swear, if I get home after this pitched battle and learn that the damned brat has gained more favour while I'm out doing real work for the family, I'm going to consider throttling the little shit. The thought passed quickly, but she really should have paid more attention to it, given it would be a constant theme in her life, more or less, for the next twenty or so years.
Then her lance struck its way through a man before her horse stomped another into the ground and rode over him, keeping from flipping over the enemy soldiers almost purely by way of her rapidly decreasing Aura. And then there was noise, and lots of blood, and screaming.
Adam Stone's knees weakened slightly as he blocked an overhead strike on his axe, before slamming the flat side into his opponent's chest to make some room while trying to fill in the circle where the spearmen had pulled out only seconds ago to brace against a cavalry charge. With a change of hands holding the axe he brought it down for a finishing blow that his opponent couldn't dodge due to the press of people. Still, he was tiring after almost half an hour of continuous battle, and he knew he wouldn't last too much longer.
Then the enemy ranks suddenly thinned as the ground trembled from the thundering hooves of another cavalry charge, and Adam braced himself just before he quite realized that the cavalry unit charging by before his eyes wore the armor designs and flew the banner of one of Slate's more notorious merchant families. He must have seen that banner depicted a dozen times in complaints in the last year alone. The minor nobles of the outlying counties were upset that they weren't able to collect escort fees anymore from caravans now that the main guilds of Slate had one of their members transfer from the mining and weapon-making industry to security, so the minor nobles weren't able to muster as many troops as they used to. The merchants were alarmed that one of the clans was gaining so much military power, despite it having been their idea in the first place.
The reprieve was brief though, for the chaos and shock from the cavalry's passage seemed to not have propagated very far. Moments later Adam was back in the melee, without the intimidating, oppressive press of enemy bodies on the other side this time, which meant a great morale boost.
He didn't even have time to register the enemy losses to the arbalests far to his right, or the repeating crossbowmen advancing with spearmen support in the wake of the cavalry. Breaking up the only counter-charge on the hill had been easy enough thanks to the volume of the repeaters' fire and terrain advantage, and then they advanced with the tower shields of the spearmen covering the crossbowmen as they fired through the gaps. Then the cavalry under the Electra banner came back around and destroyed the morale of this flank of the enemy, before dismounting and continuing the battle on foot as swordsmen, each surrounded by a sparkling halo that numbed any opponent that it came into contact with.
The girl who looked somewhat out of place among the soldiers was more than recognizable enough to Adam. After all, a prince had to be aware of his city's notable people… Susan might not be considered an eligible bachelorette in Slate, but she was known as a certifiable genius. "Susan, right now your men are about the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life." He grinned as her apparently ally boosting Aura recognized him as a friend and gave him a sparking glow. It didn't make him feel any stronger, but if it compromised the defences and attacks of his enemies… it was more than good enough for him.
Susan was beginning to feel the fatigue of keeping her Aura blanketed over this many people for two full charges keeping their horses from tripping and improving their damage output. After all, she was only twelve, though admittedly large and strong for her age. "Easy there Prince Adam, is Ben old enough for the Hunt yet?" She asked as she blocked a hit on the handle of her spear, detached from its lance base, before running the attacker through. The younger royals weren't old enough or the Hunt yet, but Ben might be at age nine compared to his brother's fourteen. Well, technically they were half-brothers, but given their mothers were twin sisters…
"He should be near the barrier casters." Adam answered as she blocked a hit for him and he cleaved his axe into the man's body.
"Then he should be safe. Please don't speak of me or my troops like that, Prince Adam. People will get the wrong idea if they focus on you finding my men beautiful."
"HA!" Adam shouted. Given Susan's current preoccupation, she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a laugh or an exclamation of effort during a move.
"And don't forget, given what I could get away with thanks to my inventions… it would be a real embarrassment to the Stone family if rumours were to spread." Translation: For camaraderie and socializing with my weapons users, builders and testers, I'm more than uncouth enough to be an embarrassment to hook up with even in rumour. I have no idea what you might be thinking saying that to either a bunch of men—which might actually not be so bad—or a girl who probably slept more times in the past five years on the workshop chairs than in a real bed. Therefore, shut the hell up before you land me in trouble for embarrassing the Stone dynasty. I can't afford to lose any more influence at home to my brother, because I'm too smart for my own good when it comes to inventions and engineering, while he's better at the social side, and I can't afford to be pulled off the inventing. If you land this huge an amount of trouble on my head I might not be heiress much longer.
"You mind telling me what I should know?" He had seen her at a few social events where she'd been polite enough to those around her but not really gotten to know her anyhow since she'd always been a bit reclusive, polite enough but not a gossiper by any stretch of the imagination.
"AH!" Susan didn't quite dodge the attack of an Aura-user who's sought them out in time, the strike of the curved blade he wielded gouging into her right shoulder pauldron as she spun out of the way, drawing blood. She grit her teeth and countered with a spear thrust form her left hand, knuckles whitening on her sword as the enemy tore the blade out, scrapping a chunk off her shoulder pauldron but not so much from her Aura-reinforced flesh.
"WHAT THE HELL!" Given what I could sense, her Aura should easily have withstood that attack, even with his Aura boosting it! Adam let loose on the opponent, because no one struck someone of importance to Slate on his watch without consequences. Such was the duty of a royal, especially given much of Slate's hopes were pinned on the Electra family's propensity for inventions.
Susan focused on something else from the moment she and Adam chased off their opponent… along with killing about thirty other mercenary grunts who tried to intrude on their Aura-boosted brawl. Without any boosting like Susan's tactic of choice the grunts didn't stand a ghost of a chance trying to interfere with the three superior fighters. She'd noticed the enemy were retreating… "CAVALRY, MOUNT HORSES!" She blew on her horse whistle sharply before saying "Oh hey Ben…"
"Don't try to distract me, young lady, take it off and let me see what I can—" Around this point in his fussing (medic training induced all sorts of odd habits) Adam finally processed her words and looked around at considerably lower than their head level. "Ben?" He mentally rolled his eyes as Amber ran off while he was ostensibly distracted.
"I've been stabbing at people's legs." The younger boy said, looking almost comical in his bloodstained and damaged armour, holding a buckler awkwardly and wielding a short stabbing sword as he ran up to his brother/cousin "Why won't you believe me when I told you that I should fight?"
Adam groaned "Auntie's going to kill me… You need to learn the damned responsibilities of a crown prince, Ben, and one of them is to leave the fighting to the combat-capable people!"
Ben on the other hand, since the enemy were retreating, was more intent on something else "Who's your new lady friend, Adam?" He'd overheard their mothers and father discussing starting marriage interviews for Adam sometime soon.
Adam frowned, if he was talking about Susan then he was way off "What lady friend?"
"You know, the sparking girl who's getting on that horse there right now?"
"Gods dammit!" He couldn't even chase after the crazy girl given Ben had to be babysat just in case the enemy retreat was fake or they took advantage of the aftermath of battle to kidnap him. At least the wound seemed to have sealed enough to stop visibly bleeding as far as he could see, and it wasn't all that deep…
"CAVALRY, PURSUE TWO HUNDRED METERS!" Susan's shout rang out before the horses were urged to a thundering gallop, the soldiers who hadn't lost the wooden extensions reattaching their spears to the lance bases. This flexibility of equipment was presently unique to Slate's Merchant Cavalry forces, under patent by the Electra family.
"She's two years younger than you."
"Yes, and in case you didn't notice, her voice is still cracking."
"Guess she'll get pretty tall then, Auntie will like that."
"I know your mother should like it, at least." Adam said of his mother's older twin, while contemplating what they should do about this attack.
Slate wasn't exactly the most popular kingdom around, since its ruling house was viewed as an anomaly for its Enatic-Cognatic inheritance system. However, they held out well enough in this hostile world due to the power of their military, an effective administration, and constant innovation. The question was who might be interested in assaulting them this way. The spy network hadn't turned up anything funny in the duchies from what he could remember, no unrest among the nobility other than regarding the growing power of the Electra family's militia. The crown had approved the militia as long as it was under a certain size with no attempts to exploit loopholes, and unlike most merchants the Electra family were really very honest businesspeople at least in appearances…
Then his thoughts turned to how they would react to the help from the merchants. The Electra family, despite lack of respectability for switching to Enatic-Cognatic in the previous generation, was considered quite important within Slate by the rulers due to producing the girl Adam had just fought beside, considered this generation's brightest inventor and a pretty good tactician to boot. Now they would need to add notes on the Electra family's troops being more than good enough for a fight.
Adam had a feeling that his parents and aunt hadn't nudged him in her general direction like they had with several other major merchant houses' daughters or young duchesses largely because of the Slate royal family history. However, that hesitance to broker marriages would more than likely change with this event. Oh how Adam wished it wouldn't…
…
Wait, that wasn't a diplomatic way of putting it and would be a justified reason for a woman to smack him silly. Then again if he voiced his opinion on her looks he'd probably have to punch himself in the face for stupidity, given she wasn't as pretty as the ladies-in-waiting or even most of the servants in the Palace. AHEM! Curtail such thoughts, young man, they are exceedingly rude! At the very least give her intellect she'd be alright to hang out with and they could wait until the older generation stopped fussing over him, then part ways.
Even then, the political mess that would come with Susan associating closely with the princes would be immense. The other merchant families were already leery of the Electra family for imitating the curiosity that was the Stone dynasty's inheritance system. The Stone dynasty had also already restricted that family's business ventures as a show of good faith to appease the other merchant houses regarding the Electra raising their own militia. If the Electra family gained more influence there was a real risk of unrest among the merchants. That would be dangerous… but they couldn't let the Electra Militia rescue the Royal Guard without suitable rewards either.
Maybe that was why this attack even happened, with many mercenary banners to disguise the faction attempting to promote unrest. It would be a lot easier than herding Grimm (though admittedly that was easier than herding, say, cats) to steer the Stone family into inevitably causing some unrest. Adam would need to speak about this with his parents and aunt later.
A/N: The biggest threat to mankind was, is, and almost always will be… humanity itself.
You may notice that the Stone and Electra families' positions changed sometime in the next 600 years, at least some members of the Stones declined to working class, while the Electra family ascended to the top tiers of the oligarchy from where they are now. Slate and its surrounding kingdoms also ceased to exist somehow.
REVIEW!