"RUBY!" Yang screamed as she pounded the walls, shaking dust from the cracks. "Ruby answer me!" Yang gritted her teeth as her eyes flashed red. "Open up damn it!"
"Yang, stop!" Blake cried as she grabbed Yang's mechanical right arm. "I know you are worried, but keep it up and this whole place might come crashing down!"
"Blake's right!" Weiss said, jumping in front of Yang. "Besides, look at the wall. It's marked with one of those symbols. The only thing that will make it open is Ruby's blood. Save your energy!"
"I can't just leave Ruby!" Yang yelled.
"Slow down Yang!" Qrow said. "Your friends are right. There is nothing we can do right now. We just have to believe that Ruby is going to be alright. You of all people know just how tough she is."
Yang took a few deep breaths before her eyes returned to normal. "Yeah, yeah you guys are right. Sorry for freaking out like that."
"Seriously." Neptune gulped as he finally stood up. Everyone had, for the past few minutes, taken cover as Yang's punches rumbled the entire room.
Yang's face flushed with embarrassment. "Really, I'm sorry for losing it…"
"Well, what's done is done." Reigel said. "For now, our only option is to head further in and then meet Ruby partway."
Jaune frowned. "What do you mean? She's trapped isn't she?"
"I just find it strange." Reigel said. "Ruby could have been able to open the door again, but she hasn't. Therefore, I can only conclude the door can only be opened from this side. I don't get why this is so, but it wouldn't make sense to put a door like that there for it to lead to a dead end. I can only conclude that its purpose is to offer a quick way deeper into the ruins."
"True." Diana nodded. "There is no other point for a hidden door here otherwise. Thus, we should keep going, and hopefully reach wherever this entrance opens up into."
"A fair assessment." Shen nodded. "First however, we must find a way past the rubble blocking our path."
"Actually, it's more than rubble." Arslan said as she hefted a rock to the ground. "There is a portcullis in the way. We think that whoever was here last sealed the entrance in, and I don't see another way to go past."
"Great…" Nora sighed. "And let me guess, we can't exactly smash through it?"
"It risks collapsing the place even further." Ren nodded.
"Any other ideas?" Nora asked, arching an eyebrow.
Vanessa then walked up to the gate, pushing Nora out of the way. With a flourish, she unfurled her scythe, the blades pulsing with red energy. With a few quick slashes, the portcullis was sliced to pieces, the metal glowing red hot where the cuts were made. Vanessa sheathed her weapon before moving further into the ruins, Xade following slowly behind.
"Yeah, I guess that works." Qrow nodded as he followed suit, as did everyone else.
"Darn it…" Rub groaned as she sat up. It was a while before the rumbling stopped, most likely Yang trying to bust her way through. "Yang!" Ruby called, hoping her sister could hear. "Yang, I'm okay! Can you hear me?"
In the perpetual darkness, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her. Slowly, she fumbled for her Scroll. She turned it on, the device lighting up the area, though just barely. She could see that she was trapped within a very cramped space, with stone walls surrounding her. Ruby stood up, glad that she wasn't claustrophobic. However, it appeared that there was no form of reception, and therefore would be impossible to contact her sister. Ruby began to search the wall, hoping to find a switch, yet her efforts were in vain.
"Need more light." She remarked. While her Scroll did serve well, it wasn't strong enough to help her see more than two feet. As she mulled her options, she noticed a small torch holder right above her. As she reached for it, she smelled something; a strange aromatic odour from the torch itself.
"Could it…?" Ruby whispered as she rifled through her pockets for the flame Dust bullets she kept on her. Slowly dismantling the shell, she poured out the fine Dust powder within the bullet. Similar to her prior experience with the substance, Ruby coughed on the powder, and the Dust then ignited, lighting the torch. Ruby smiled, knowing that she had correctly guessed the presence of oil on the torch itself. She was genuinely surprised it was still in good condition.
"Now, where to?" She said as she looked around. Unfortunately, it appeared that was being decided for her with how the narrow corridor went only in one direction. Seeing no other way around, Ruby decided that for now, it was best to push forward, and hopefully meet Yang and everyone else further into the ruin.
"I'm going to be in so much trouble for this…" Ruby sighed as she kept moving, her eyes peeled for anything of importance.
The group moved through the depths of the citadel. Past the portcullis, there was nothing of great interest save for the myriad statues that lined the walls and certain areas in the ruin. Jaune immediately took an interest in them, especially at how their details were so well preserved despite decades, perhaps centuries of neglect.
As they descended through the different chambers, it was soon apparent how extensive the Grimm invasion in the past was. Claw marks were found in many of the walls, while some of the rooms appeared so badly damaged that it was unknown what purpose they served. True to Zeren's predictions, there were also plenty of traps, triggered by cleverly disguised pressure plates in the ground. Scarlet and Neptune had the unfortunate incident of nearly getting impaled by spears in one empty corridor, being saved only because Nicole had pulled them back in time.
Still, the various chambers within the ruin were truly marvelous to behold. At Oobleck's insistence, the group explored each one they entered, hoping also to glean any insights into what exactly would have been kept here. With his help, they trawled through various worn books and papyrus as best as they could. They took turns doing so, while the others explored the rooms themselves.
For example, in the sixth chamber that they found something of great significance. The room itself was circular in shape, with many different doors within. When Blake took a look at one, she discovered old weapons and armour within. Another room revealed a large stone basin with which were fitted with bellows, and the signs of burning could be seen. Strewn about were tongs, hammers and racks.
"An armoury and smithy." Blake said as she spotted an anvil. "I guess this was where they made their weapons and maintained them. They must have placed it here so that anyone further in could properly arm themselves before getting to the areas up ahead."
"There are probably others further in." Wesley said. "I don't see these guys leaving all their weapon facilities in one place. This was likely used for any of the warriors stationed up in this part of the citadel."
Past that, they entered another bleak looking room that was crowded with long tables and multiple chairs that had seen better days. A small fireplace was also present, with a few pots hanging over it.
"A mess hall." Sun said as he looked through one of the smaller rooms that was crammed with plates and silverware, though whatever food would have been stored here had obviously decayed long ago.
Diana explored an adjacent room filled with ceramic amphoras. She picked up one, uncorked it and took a sniff. Qrow and Wesley observed her as she put it to her mouth, taking a small gulp. "Wow…" Diana gasped. "I don't know what they did, but these guys knew how to make good wine."
Continuing from there, they reached a room where, hanging from the massive blackened ceiling was a huge globe cast from bronze. Extending from it were bronze struts that ended in smaller white spheres. Weiss found it strange at first, before she noticed a familiar model, one that appeared to resemble the moon.
"I think that's some sort of Orrery!" Weiss said. "Look; that is clearly the moon. So the big globe must be…"
"Remnant itself." Oobleck nodded. "And I can only assume that these extensions are meant to mark the stars in the night sky. Incredible! There were astrologers in this place!"
"So, they knew about the stars in the sky before we did?" Bolin marveled. "Wow."
A subsequent chamber they entered contained the most bizarre equipment that Yang had ever seen. Mortars and pestles were littered everywhere, while strange glass flasks were arranged in decaying wooden shelves. A small glow caught Yang's eye from a strange woven basket in the corner. Prying the lid open, she gasped as she beheld a large assortment of Dust crystals.
"Hey Weiss! Get over here!" Yang called. Weiss soon came over, astounded by what she saw.
"This is… No way." Weiss gaped. "They also made Dust here?"
"All this?" Yang frowned. "Looks more like a chemistry set than anything."
"Well, this place existed long before industrial technology." Weiss explained. "I guess this was how they fashioned Dust in the old days."
"Simply remarkable!" Oobleck said, scribbling down notes at lightning speed. "With that astronomy section previously, I think it is safe to say this was what we could refer to as a lab! This was where much of their learning took place!"
"Too bad most of these books are decayed." Reese remarked as she looked at the dried and frayed books and papyrus strewn on a nearby table. "I doubt we could get these analysed."
"And while there were some useful manuscripts, age has decayed quite a good number of the notes." Qrow remarked. "We haven't gotten any real leads on what we ought to be looking for."
"Perhaps, but this is the mere tip!" Oobleck explained. "I surmise that all their most important information and records are stored deeper in the ruin, the furthest from whatever invasion could occur here! We should head there post-haste!"
Suddenly, a squeal breached the silence of the place. Everyone jumped as Jaune fell down, his eyes staring wide toward a statue.
Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay Jaune, what did you do?"
"Uh…" Jaune said. "Okay, call me crazy, but I think the statue moved."
Weiss frowned, walking up to the statue in front of him and took a peek. She waved her hand at it and even poked it in the face. She sighed as she helped Jaune to his feet. "Okay Arc, I know things have been quite crazy, but please keep your nerve."
"I'm not kidding! I swear the thing moved!" Jaune retorted.
"Well, maybe it was just a trick of the light!" Weiss said.
"Or maybe the statue just looks really real?" Nora said. "I've heard sometimes artwork is made so well that they practically live!"
"Whether that is true or not…" Ilia sighed. "It wouldn't be wise to stay in one place for too long."
"Agreed." Qrow nodded. "We should keep moving."
Forgetting the matter entirely, the group moved further into the ruins, walking past a statue of a man wielding a sword and shield, his stern face appearing to watch the lights as they went past.
After many minutes of exploration, they took a break in a massive antechamber containing a massive table. This, Oobleck reasoned, was the main chamber where the residents gathered. Wesley, Qrow, Shen and Vanessa had taken a look around in the adjacent rooms, also confirming that this was also a crypt, evidenced by some of the mummified bodies they had found. Qrow had even reported what appeared to be an infirmary, still intact with apothecary jars containing preserved medicinal herbs. Blake took interest in this immediately, concerned still about Ruby's wound.
"Man, this whole place is huge." Nadir said as he looked at the statues around them, some of them now twice as tall as they were. "I wonder where their leaders gathered?"
"Likely somewhere deeper within the ruin." Blake replied. "I think there may be private quarters for them further inside. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there was actually a massive network like those caves under the mountain where people resided in."
"But if you look at it Ms. Belladonna, the facilities used here have been small. I estimate that those permanently stationed here numbered around a hundred or so." Oobleck explained. "And across the chambers, I have noticed plenty of things that convinces me that this was not just some outpost. This was, for a proper term, a research center."
"So what? They were scientists?" Yang frowned.
"I think the better term would be discoverers, scholars." Oobleck continued. "They may have made discoveries that now shape the world as it is today! Or perhaps as ways to help the world fight back against the Grimm."
"Zeren did mention of someone who had lots of private experiments." Yang nodded. "Um, who was he again?"
"Exarch Sildur." Weiss said. "If he was one of the highest ranked here, then perhaps his quarters are further inside the ruin. We should also look at the books lying around to see any mention of him."
"Yeah well, good luck with that." Sun moaned. "We have been trying to translate this one piece of paper and we barely got past the third sentence!"
"You'll be fine Sun." Blake chuckled as she drank some water. "We have all the time here later."
Jaune for his part however, did not pay attention. His entire focus was on the statues that flanked the entire room. From the very walls to several archways near the roof of the chamber, his eyes scanned every last statue. He still couldn't shake the fact that something about the statues made him feel off, that he; no they, were being watched.
"Calm down Jaune!" Nora playfully chided him. "They are just statues!"
"I don't know Nora." Jaune said. "They look really great, really life-like. It's actually quite unnerving."
"I'd call it good architecture." Weiss replied as she stood up to marvel at one holding a huge sword with both hands in front of it, complete with a full suit of armour that reminded her of her Arma Gigas.
Jaune sighed. "Maybe you are right. I'm probably letting the day's events get to me." Jaune now moved to take sip of water from his flask, stopping as soon as he realized it was empty. "Great…"
"I saw what looked like a water jugs in the previous room." Neptune said. "They are in really massive pots."
"Gotcha." Jaune nodded as he walked back into the previous room, a rather plain chamber whose purpose was rather unclear, though it was flanked all around by the same statues, including one that held two battle-axes by its waist. He spotted the pots as soon as he entered, opening one and then dipping his flask inside. Once it was full, he took it out and took a sip, breathing in relief as the cool water ran down his parched throat.
A grinding sound sent alarm through him, causing him to turn around quickly. His eyes darted all around as he attempted to find the source of the noise. However, the room appeared as it was. Jaune now eyed the statues, frowning as he studied each one.
Okay this is ridiculous. Jaune thought. This place has been abandoned for ages. I'm probably just imagining it… He capped his flask before returning to the group, passing by the statue holding the battle-axes at shoulder level.
He stopped, looking back toward the same statue again. Wasn't it holding the weapons by its waist before? Jaune shook his head slightly, thinking he may have been seeing things before. When he looked up again, the statue stood where it was, its posture unchanging. Jaune sighed to himself, thinking about how stupid he was for letting something like this worry him.
Then, the statue's head turned toward him, and his eyes locked with stone ones for a split second.
Jaune immediately sprinted back to the group, panic completely taking over as he ran, keeping his eyes on the statue. So caught up in it all that he didn't even see the person directly in front of him before the collision occurred. "Oww…" Jaune groaned, rubbing his head as he attempted to pick himself up. "I'm so sorr-" Jaune's voice caught in his throat as he saw who he had fallen onto.
Weiss Schnee moaned as she attempted to get up. Her hand suddenly moved to something that seemed to be pinning her down. As her hands grasped it, she opened her eyes to see what it was. Her blue pupils suddenly widened as soon as she saw her fingers around Jaune's arm, and that his arm was directly in contact with her breast. A moment of silence stretched between the two of them before Weiss suddenly blushed madly.
"AAAAAAAH!" She screeched before slapping him away. Jaune cried out as he hit the floor, covering his face with his hand. Weiss for her part immediately scrambled to her feet, her face still flushed.
"J-J-Jaune!" Weiss screamed. "What in the world are you doing you dolt!? First you send me to the floor and then you went and… and…" Weiss immediately closed her eyes and began to count to ten, attempting to calm herself down.
"Okay…" Jaune grunted as he recovered. "Okay look, I know that seemed pretty bad… actually it was. The point is that we have a bit of an emergency right now! The statues…"
"This again!?" Weiss screamed, thoroughly annoyed as everyone looked on in shock and bewilderment. "For god's sake Arc, you had better have a better explanation for that whole fiasco than the statues!"
"Really! I'm serious this time!" Jaune said in an attempt to defend himself. "Just calm down and let me talk, okay?"
"I AM CALM!" Weiss yelled as she turned her back to a statue holding a claymore. "But your insistence about these statues is slowly testing the very limits of my patience! This place has been abandoned for centuries! Nothing exists here to endanger us save for booby traps and your obviously possessive thinking that they are-"
Weiss barely finished before Jaune suddenly jumped toward her and knocked her to the ground. As the Schnee's brain imploded with fury at what she perceived once more as physical harassment, a loud clang along with gasps and grunting immediately transformed it into bewilderment. Looking up, she gasped at what she saw.
Jaune was down to one knee and had his sword braced with both hands as he pushed back against the sword bearing stone statue she had been standing in front of not too long ago. Had Jaune been a second slower, the statue would have sliced her head in two. The stone construct immediately broke its lock with Jaune and delivered another swift strike upon the flat of his blade, sending him down to the floor. The statue then turned the sword downward, raising the blade to impale him.
With a roar, Yang immediately ran forward and delivered a punch right into the statue's torso. The blast of Ember Celica instantly crumpled the statue, causing it to fall into stone pieces upon the ground.
Jaune gasped for breath as he stood up, while Weiss still stared with shock. "I… Um…" She didn't know what to say, resorting only to gape at what had just happened.
"You're welcome…" Jaune breathed.
"Uh, guys?" Sun exclaimed as he pointed upwards. "I think we spoke too soon there!" Everyone instantly looked up as the statues above them began to move. Those on their level also started moving, stepping off their pedestals and drawing their various weapons. From the doorways to the crypts and the rooms prior more statues appeared, their weapons drawn.
"I don't believe it…" Blake said, drawing her weapons as she saw the larger ones moving as well, shaking dust off themselves as they readied for battle.
"Okay, you know what?" Nora said as she drew her hammer. "I think Jaune was right about these things…"
"How are they moving?" Sage asked as he hefted his sword.
"Your guess is as good as mine kid!" Qrow said. "But whatever they are, they aren't friendly!" Instantly, a statue dropped in front of him, spinning round to strike him with a halberd. Qrow parried instantly before slicing through its waist.
All around him, chaos erupted as the exploration group engaged the moving statues. Blake drew both blades to parry stone daggers, while Reese and Nadir stood back to back as they blasted at the ones landing all around them. Sun found himself locked in combat with one equipped with dual swords while Shen grappled with one wielding a spiked mace.
"These guys are tough! They aren't just animated statues! They feel more like fighting trained Huntsmen!" Ilia remarked as she lashed her whip at the one she fought with. However, instead of avoiding it, the statue twisted its sword around it, slowly pulling her in. Ilia struggled to break away, but the construct was too strong. It the twisted the tip of its blade toward her throat, its free hand grabbing her vest.
Then, Ren fired a few rounds into the back of its head, blowing it apart and releasing Ilia. However, he failed to respond adequately to the one who approached right behind him, crying out as his Aura was damaged by the thrust of its spear. In response, Nora smashed the statue into tiny stone rubble before firing a grenade at a larger one.
"I think we may have just found the biggest trap of all in this place!" Yang said as she finished off her opponent. "Every single statue in this whole ruin is suddenly coming after us!"
"And the Faunus makes an excellent point." Vanessa remarked as her scythe decapitated her opponent while Xade twirled his urumi around them, slicing them into pieces. "They chose until we were deep enough before they struck. Whatever is animating them has ensured a tactical awareness in these statues." She turned as one of the larger ones raised its hand at her. Instantly, she vanished, causing the statue to hesitate slightly. Then, she reappeared by its feet, slicing it apart with a furious whirlwind of energy. "Yet, perhaps their sentience can be used against them…"
"Meaning to say, they can still be taken by surprise." Nicole grinned as she looked backward toward Wesley, who nodded in response. Nicole then disengaged from her opponent, spinning around and then punching through Wesley's. Wesley in return slid the blade of his weapon across that of his destroyed foe, swiftly decapitating the one Nicole fought with.
With this new revelation, the exploration team began to turn the tide. While they were formidable, also using the confined spaces to their advantage, they appeared unprepared for surprise and sudden misdirection. In addition, their single-mindedness in their fighting couldn't compare to the teamwork displayed by the student teams, which slowly began to overwhelm them. At last, Yang blew apart the leg of a larger statue, allowing Weiss and Blake to immediately jump up and take its arms off with Qrow finishing it with a shot to its head. It finally fell to the floor, crumbling into pieces.
"Well." Yang grinned as she dusted herself. "That was a thing."
"Indeed." Oobleck nodded as he studied the destroyed statues. "I have no idea why these things are capable of moving, but whoever built them was no ordinary craftsman. It may also explain how they are so well preserved."
"It also explains how the Grimm were defeated in their initial assault. That was completely unexpected." Weiss remarked as she sheathed her blade. She then turned to Jaune bowing slightly. "Jaune, I'm sorry about before."
"Don't worry about it." Jaune said as he took deep breaths. "I doubt I would have believed it even if I told myself."
"Save the blame game for later." Qrow said. "We should head down as soon as possible. Keep a sharp eye out. Now that they know we're here, there is no need for them to play the waiting game. I'm sure they'll ambush us any chance they get."
"Qrow speaks truth." Shen nodded as he brushed the gravel off himself. "Keep your eyes open, and be wary."
"Right." Everyone nodded as they prepared to move out. Just as Yang reached down for her things, she noticed some of the rocks on the floor beginning to move, along with the clattering of stone. Her eyes widened as all around her, the small stones and rubble began rolling across the floor. Everyone's jaws dropped as they beheld what was happening.
The statues that had been destroyed were now reassembling themselves. It was slow at first, almost impossible to discern. But then, the statues heads formed back, the facial features returning to what they once were as they rolled across the floor. Stone reattached to form arms, hands and legs that crawled or hopped back toward the reconstructing torsos. Even broken weapons reformed, sliding on their own back to their restructuring owners that put their own bodies back together. Within a few seconds, the group faced the stone guardians once more, who now seemed eager once again to do battle.
"So…" Yang spoke at last as the statues surrounded them again. "Anyone else got another idea?"
In the deepest part of the ruins, silence and darkness filled the air. Only the occasional falling of rock from the ceiling disturbed the quiet of this abandoned place.
Then, a grinding sound pierced the air as a section of the wall opened. The flame of the torch brightened the area once more, though only slightly.
Ruby stepped out from the secret passage as it closed behind her, breathing in relief as she realized the long ordeal of walking through cramped spaces was over, along with the steep stairs leading her further underground. She looked all around, unsure of exactly where she was. A passing glance told her that the room was huge. Paved stone formed the floor beneath her, and from the dim light of the torch, she could see an extremely wide bridge extending out over the darkness. She didn't know what lay in the shadows, but she reckoned the drop from the edge of the walkway would be something she could do without.
The next thing that caught her were the stone statues that flanked the bridge itself, towering at six meters in height. The four of them stood facing each other, holding massive weapons in front of them. Ruby now wandered over to the bridge itself, looking back at a massive iron door. This she reckoned connected this place to the rest of the citadel and would have been likely how anyone could enter this place.
Then, a statue wielding a sword turned to look at her, its stone body grinding at the movement. Ruby instantly jumped, drawing one hand back to grab her weapon as her eyes went wide. It just moved! How in the world did it do that? She thought furiously as she wondered next how she would fight something like that.
She held the stare with the statue's eyes for a few seconds. Then, the statue turned away, resuming its usual stance. Frowning in confusion, Ruby eased up as well, deciding that perhaps it was of no danger to her. "Okay then." She breathed as she took a few steps across the bridge. Then, her nose caught a familiar scent. She turned to see a small rectangular pedestal on the far end of the platform where the bridge began. She walked back toward it and saw a basin with it. Dipping her hands in, she touched a very lubricant substance that contained the same aromatic smell the torch had. Taking a chance, she slowly dipped the torch inside.
Immediately, the oil flared up. The flames now continued along the small oil duct that was hollowed out in the pedestal and into the rocky wall. Within a few seconds, lines of fire lit up the entirety of the room. Ruby gasped in amazement at the sheer size of the chamber as the darkness was finally replaced by light. Looking downward, she saw a massive courtyard that hosted training grounds, small storage rooms, an armoury and even what she could tell was a library, though there obviously were signs of wreckage and destruction, evidently caused by the Grimm invasion years ago. At the opposite end of the bridge, a massive arched doorway stood, flanked by smaller statues.
"Wow…" Ruby marvelled as she once more approached the bridge. She began to cross it, this time staring straight ahead at the door it led to…
…along with the skeleton that now lay in her path.
Ruby screamed and tumbled backward, dropping her torch in the process. Collecting herself, she stood up and walked over, wondering exactly who this person was. He was obviously a resident of the place and likely met his demise at the hands of the Grimm years ago. Its left arm wore silver armour and an intricately adorned pauldron while silver boots were on its feet. A single ring adorned with a square garnet was worn on the right index finger. Other than that, there were no signs of any other clothing, likely rotted away due to age.
As she closed in, she saw in the bony hands an extremely large and thick book. She crouched to study it closely, seeing the star emblem upon its cover. That one sight alone persuaded her that this book was right now something extremely important to understanding what exactly was hidden here.
"Sorry about this…" Ruby apologised to the dead man as she reached over and grabbed the spine of the book, taking care not to manhandle the skeletal fingers. She tugged at the book, noticing how tightly it was trapped within the skeleton's grip. Ruby thus decided to try and pry the fingers loose. However, the bones were stiff, forcing Ruby to use more effort. As she tugged, the fingers of the skeleton finally fractured, clattering on the floor.
"Oh boy…" Ruby gulped, hoping that at least she wasn't going to be cursed by something. Slowly, she moved the hand away and now hefted the book into her hands. It was heavy, and when she opened the pages she saw the numerous ancient words that were written. Her heart also sank the instant she saw how small the writing was, and the number of sentences on each page.
"Alright then…" She moaned, turning on her Scroll. "Time to get to work."
Then, a loud crash sounded and the main door was blown apart. Ruby instantly ducked down, shielding her head from the shrapnel. When she looked up again, her eyes widened at the sight of blonde hair.
"Yang!?" She exclaimed. At this, her sister looked up, equally shocked to see her.
"Ruby!?" Yang replied. "You're okay!"
"Yang, what happened?" Ruby asked as she stood up.
"Uh, long story." Yang tried to explain as the rest of their group funneled in, shooting at unseen foes in the room before. "See, the statues apparently are alive and they started attacking us! Even if we break them to pieces, they just fix themselves together again! We've been fighting and running from them for ages!"
"Yang? Some help?" Weiss said as she attempted to block the entrance with ice. However, the moving statues threw themselves toward the wall, disrupting its formation and allowing some to get through.
Ruby now moved to help, but then a massive sword obscured her path. She watched now as the four huge statues guarding the bridge began to move, bearing down toward the small group. Everyone turned and their jaws dropped as they watched the largest statues come at them.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Neptune said as one of them hefted a massive axe.
"Damn it!" Qrow grunted as Weiss's wall broke apart. "We're surrounded!"
Ruby now rushed past the sword, putting herself between them and the large statues as they raised their weapons. "NO! STOP!" She screamed as quickly, they swung downward. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact.
However, it never came. Curiously she opened her eyes to see the statues had paused in their attacks. Behind her, the ones that had broken through also appeared to have stopped in mid-motion. Then the big statues drew back, returning to their posts while the smaller ones stopped fighting altogether, turning away and marching back to the previous rooms.
"Huh?" Yang blinked. "Is it over?"
"Maybe?" Blake huffed.
"I think we are." Qrow nodded. "And I think I know just who did it." He now turned, as all of them did, to face Ruby.
"Me?" Ruby asked quizzically.
"Yeah." Qrow nodded. "Those statues… I guess they are the guardians of this place. They defend these secrets from falling into the hands of anyone else except a Silver-Eyed warrior. The only way they leave us alone was if we were one of them, or if we were friends…"
The whole group stared at Qrow, and then back to Ruby. Ruby looked at them sheepishly, realizing exactly now what her absence from the party may have caused. Her mouth now turned into an awkward grin. "Um, I'm sorry?"
Instantly the student teams descended upon her in a tirade of admonishments and reprimands for getting herself lost. Ruby immediately ducked her head down as she was yelled at from all directions.
"Oh come on!" She moaned after a few minutes of continuous yelling. "I didn't see that lock on the wall back there! It's not like I got lost on purpose, so give me a break!"
"We almost got killed in here!" Arslan screamed.
"We had to fight the entire way down!" Scarlet yelled.
"And don't even get to the part where those statues just ambushed us out of nowhere!" Nadir scolded. "We seal off the initial pack, and then others just come out from some other room!"
"Okay, okay!" Yang shouted above them all, silencing them. "Let's just forget about all that for the moment! We have a job to do here, remember? So let's get to it!"
Weiss now frowned as she saw what Ruby held in her hands. "Ruby, what is that?"
Ruby's eyes looked to Weiss before darting back to the huge book in her hands. "Oh, um. I found it. By that guy…" Ruby now gestured behind her. Weiss now stepped around Ruby, hissing as soon as she saw the skeleton.
"Ruby…" Weiss deadpanned. "Mind telling us who your new friend is?"
"I was about to get there." Ruby said as she sat down on the ground, opening the book and searching the first page, upon the center was a small wording which she believed to be a name. Using her Scroll, she translated the ancient texts, and true enough, what appeared to be a name surfaced.
"Nathanos." Ruby said. "I think that was his name."
"Wonder what he did here." Weiss said. "There aren't a lot of clues on his… body."
"He must have been rather high ranked though." Oobleck noted. "If he had access to this section of the ruin, he was probably an assistant to an Exarch."
"Or he was one." Qrow nodded. "What else does the book say?"
"I've barely translated this whole thing." Ruby sighed. "And the book is thicker than anything in the Beacon library!"
"You know, I'm all for helping to translate, but this time Ruby has got a point." Ren nodded. "The words are so small it's so difficult to even read."
"And sharing this isn't exactly possible…" Reese sighed. "Dear god, look at the font size and the number of sentences."
"You're telling me…" Ruby groaned. "How exactly are we supposed to understand all of this?" She now flipped through the pages, skimming through the words. As she did, the words began to glow.
"Uh, sis?" Yang frowned as the pages shone. "What did you do?"
"I don't know!" Ruby said as the words vanished. Then, more words appeared on the pages and this time, they were all in legible English.
"I am High Cleric Nathanos." Ruby read the lines out loud as they appeared. "If you are reading this, it would mean you are as I was, one born with Silver Eyes. As I write this, I feel my very life slipping away. I hope that my final records here will aid you as much as it can…"
Ruby now turned the pages, seeing that the whole thing was now properly translated to English. "He recorded all this…" She remarked.
"But how did he get the book to do what it just did?" Arslan frowned.
Ruby flipped through the pages, attempting to find out. As she moved to turn to the next one, Weiss stopped her. "Wait." The white-haired girl said, gesturing to the middle of the page. "This entry looks promising. Ruby read it."
Ruby cleared her throat and complied. "Noon, eighth day of the fourth month. Exarch Sildur's tests have been the talk of the entire citadel as of late."
"Exarch Sildur?" Yang blinked. "That's the guy Zeren was talking about!"
Ruby continued again. "His experiments with Dust and Aura; specifically that of our kin, have proven rather volatile. It was an impressive display, but without any ability to test it, we are unsure of its effectiveness. He intends to take a small squad to the mainland to see how it fares, including myself since I am the citadel's head scribe. I just pray it doesn't destroy the citadel on his way out. He can be very careless at times…"
"So that explains some of the Dust labs we saw above." Weiss frowned.
"Dust labs?" Ruby frowned.
"Yeah." Jaune nodded. "They were doing loads of things, like combining different types much like we did today."
"Ruby, keep going." Blake urged, to which she agreed.
"Thirteenth day of the fourth month. Exarch Sildur returned at last and confided his findings. His experiment proved successful in exterminating the Grimm. He did note however that to activate it properly required the use of our Aura. The council is debating the usefulness of this considering how restricted it will be. Still, it could be of aid to the fledgling countries. Might as well see where this goes…" Ruby finished, frowning as she read the final line. "So, they were working on some sort of special Dust?"
"Looks like it." Weiss nodded. "And I'll bet anything pertaining to that is locked behind there." She now gestured to the massive door opposite the bridge.
"Along with anything else that these individuals had done; records and notes." Oobleck nodded. "Ruby, why not read the last entry of the book? Perhaps we can glean what happened here."
Ruby nodded, turning the pages to the final entry. This time, the writing appeared sloppier, but was still perfectly understandable. "I fear that this is the final entry into this journal. We held them off for days, but the Grimm are far too numerous. They have already breached the citadel and are continuing down this way. We lost many of our warriors, and I myself have been fatally wounded. I intend to buy the others time to escape, while also ensuring the treasury is secured. The blood locks we fashioned will not be enough. Thus, I have made the decision to use my own gifts; infusing my very life into this book, and the citadel itself at the cost of my own individuality. I hope that in the future, one who may be trusted may return to acquire these gifts. I pray that it is you…"
Silence stretched between them as Nathanos's final words sank in.
"So that's how the statues move." Blake said. "It's whatever is left of his life force."
"I suspect that was his Semblance." Shen nodded. "The book must also have responded toward Ms. Rose's Aura, thus its current actions."
"Wow." Ruby whispered in awe. "That's incredible. I never heard of a Semblance like that."
"At any rate, I think I have an idea of what we are looking for." Qrow nodded. "Let's get to that big door. I'm guessing that's the treasury."
Everyone agreed, now crossing the bridge and approaching the huge door. Upon closer examination, they found the same star symbol upon the door.
"A blood lock." Weiss noted. "So, I guess we need Ruby's blood?"
"Doesn't seem to be another way in." Qrow said. "Alright kid, you ready?"
Ruby breathed as she held out her hand whilst also taking out Zeren's folding sword. "Go for it, but be gentle alright?"
"Allow me." Vanessa said. Ruby nodded, handing the blade to the Blood Huntress. Vanessa extended the blade halfway, gingerly taking Ruby's hand. Slowly, she made a small incision on the finger, Ruby wincing as it was done. A small droplet of blood spilled from the cut, and now Ruby slowly placed her finger onto the eye.
The shifting of stone now resounded through the chamber as the doors slid downward, opening up into an enclosed hallway. The group now entered, exploring the smaller doors that lined the sides of the room. Within them were treasures the likes they had never seen before such as gold ingots and coins. Others appeared as royal artifacts like jeweled scepters and circlets. Other rooms held hundreds upon hundreds of books that detailed the many developments within the citadel itself. However, it was the door at the very end that caught everyone's interests.
"That door feels different from the rest." Blake said. "It feels, important."
"I get what you mean." Qrow nodded. "Everything in here is some form of record or ancient object. But this one says something else…"
"Whatever it was, they were sensible enough to lock it up." Vanessa frowned as she eyed the door. "Xade has run a scan on it, but the only apparent way to open it is using a key. As to what that is, I know not."
Ruby came forward and now looked at the door, spying a small circular design in the middle. In the center of it was a small rectangular notch. "Wait…" Ruby frowned as she looked at the notch carefully. "This looks like…" Ruby then ran back down the hallway, not bothering with the looks everyone gave her. Qrow frowned as he walked back to the entrance of the treasury, stopping the instant Ruby came back in, this time holding a ring adorned with a garnet.
"Let's hope this works…" Ruby said as she slotted the ring in. It fitted perfectly in the slot. Inserting her index finger through the accessory, Ruby now turned it. She watched as the circular mark turned with it. Soon enough, the mechanism clacked into place. At once, a series of clicks sounded as decades-old invisible locks were released. The horizontal bar upon which the circle was engraved the parted sideways, leaving the door unobstructed. With a breath, Ruby now placed her hands on the door, opening it.
The light that flashed in her eyes forced her to cover them for a moment. However, she adjusted slowly, and when she finally regained her full vision she gasped at what she saw.
In the center of the room was a massive crystal suspended by four columns, similar to that in Zeren's book. The crystal itself glowed with a small silver light and had chains that draped down to the floor, while four small chairs encircled it. All around the room were stone shelves that were lined with smaller, similar crystals. In stone containers, a fine silver powder could be found.
Weiss now went to examine one of the crystals. "Hold on, this looks like Dust! But what kind? I've never seen anything like it."
"It's so pretty…" Reese said as she ran her fingers through the silver Dust powder.
Yang took a small crystal and held it up. She then sent her Aura through it, but got no reaction at all. "Seems like it's not activating though…" Yang said as she wandered back to her sister. Then, the crystal in her hands began to glow. Yang's eyes now widened at the crystal's reaction.
"Hang on." Blake said. "That Nathanos, do you think he was talking about this?"
"Perhaps." Qrow nodded. "I wonder if there are any clues in here?"
"Maybe this?" Oobleck said as he gestured to a worn book in his hands. Opening it, he translated the first few pages. "Well, I think this is of significance. The owner of this book was Exarch Sildur."
"What?" Ruby exclaimed as she rushed over, as did everyone else once they heard the name mentioned. Oobleck quickly translated more pages before holding the book up and reading aloud a page he believed of use.
"This is my final entry regarding this project of mine." Oobleck said. "It has been years of hard work and plenty of explosive results. However, I can say that the invention of this new Dust is finally complete. I have dubbed it appropriately as 'Silver Dust', especially considering that the important component in this process was the infusion of our power into the alchemic process."
"So, these crystals contain the power of a Silver-Eyed warrior?" Weiss remarked.
"It would seem so." Oobleck nodded before continuing. "All it requires for activation is the Aura of one of our kind, causing it to function as some form of explosive. I have personally determined the effects to be substantial in fighting the creatures of Grimm without causing damage to its surroundings; attested to how one small crystal wiped out an entire pack that was terrorising a village. However, the main issue lies in that the size of the crystal requires more Aura for it to activate, making the large one usable only with approximately four of us. Therefore, its only use is for the defence of the citadel. Thus, I have decided to attach it to the spire mechanism, so that if the time comes, we can use it appropriately. For now, I must see that it is finished."
Turning the pages, Oobleck stopped at what was likely the Exarch's final entry. "The Grimm have already breached the interior of the citadel. While they fought valiantly, many of our warriors have fallen. I have made the decision to bury all of our discoveries and to lock the treasury forever. Nathanos agrees; he says he will be able to buy us time while we make our escape. I entrust everything I know of the citadel and our culture to my Mithril Knight, so that in the future, should our progeny discover this place they can use what we have left behind. I pray that it will aid them well."
"So Exarch Sildur was responsible for all this." Ruby said as she looked around the room. "This is what Zeren wanted me to find. I'm sure of it."
"Me too." Yang nodded as she held up the crystal in her hand. "If these guys really did do this for the sake of Remnant, then I'm sure they would have wanted you to find it."
"This is truly a remarkable find!" Oobleck noted. "To think they would create a new form of Dust, one focused on battling Grimm!"
"Wow Ruby! You're people were truly an incredible civilization!" Nicole beamed, causing Ruby's face to flush with embarrassment.
"Such a bounty would be perfect for the Blood Hunt Order." Vanessa frowned. "However, if it is not active, then there is little point to it all."
"True." Reigel nodded. "There isn't much point if we cannot use it."
"Well, we do have a girl with silver eyes here." Wesley noted. "If what the notes states is true, then Ruby's Aura is able to activate these things."
"And there are hundreds of these crystals." Weiss noted. "I think this could become something that all of the kingdoms can use."
"Well, we can figure out the nitty gritties later." Nora said. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm bushed! So can we take a break?"
"I second that opinion." Sun nodded.
Suddenly, a beeping sounded. Everyone turned as General Shen took out his Scroll. "Report." He said curtly. Then, his eyes widened. "What? How many? Are you certain?" From the corner of her eye, Ruby also saw Xade walk up to his master, relaying something to her.
"This is confirmed?" Vanessa clarified, to which Xade nodded.
"What's going on?" Qrow asked.
"My fleet has detected a huge swarm of Grimm approaching the island." Vanessa said. "Their numbers are uncountable. Many approach by air, while it appears there are some sea dwellers serving to bring more of their ilk here. It seems they do not intend for us to leave with our discoveries."
Ruby frowned as she digested the information. Once more, it seemed Salem was hard-pressed to ensure that the discoveries in this place would remain buried.
"Qrow this is bad!" Shen said. "We have no way of breaking out! To fight back is suicide."
"Well we can't exactly stay here!" Yang argued. "Isn't there some way to get out of this?"
"We are just a small handful of ships." Wesley replied. "We can fight, but we will need a miracle to win this fight."
Ruby's eyes now darted to the massive crystal in place. "What about that?" She asked, causing everyone to turn to her. "Exarch Sildur said it himself. These things are like bombs that only target Grimm."
Everyone immediately seemed to realise what she was referring to, and the plan that was now forming in her head. "Wait Ruby…" Weiss said. "Are you suggesting?"
"I am." Ruby nodded. "If I can cause this crystal to activate, then maybe we have a chance. This thing is pretty huge, so I'm sure we can expect a wide area of effect."
"Ruby, Exarch Sildur said it himself!" Weiss retorted. "You need four people to use that thing! If you yourself use it, we don't know how that will affect you."
"She's right." Blake nodded. "Doing this could debilitate you, or…" Blake paused mid-sentence, knowing that here suggestion was something Yang wouldn't want to hear. Yang herself was speechless.
"I know." Ruby nodded. "It is crazy, and reckless. And I don't know if I'll make it out in one piece or at all…" She then took out Zeren's folding blade. "But even so, I need to try. If this is our best shot of making out of this alive, I have to do it…"
Silence remained among them as they contemplated this plan, knowing full well the risks involved.
After an uncomfortable few minutes, Yang now stepped toward her sister. "This plan is nuts. You know that right?"
"I do." Ruby said to her sister.
"Well, I don't like it." Yang responded. "I don't want you to do anything that you can't walk away from. But Zeren gave his life for you. He trusted you that much to make sure you got here. So that's why whatever you intend to do, I'll believe in you the same way he did." Yang now looked back to the rest of team RWBY, sending a silent question to them.
"We started this. Might as well see it all the way." Blake nodded. "Alright, I'll do everything to help."
"Same here." Weiss smiled. "The Grimm will probably throw everything they have toward stopping Ruby. I guess the best we can do is make sure they don't get close to her."
"If we can cover all the entrances, we might have a chance." Jaune said from behind them. "Even so, it's going to be rough."
"We are going to need more than just the fleets." Qrow nodded. "Strong fighters on the ground would be ideal."
"I think we have an entire ruin filled with immortal, sentient statues who can do that." Blake smiled. "Ruby should be able to get them outside."
"At least let us handle one line by ourselves." Vanessa said. "These monsters will feel the full extent of our wrath."
"A reckless plan, but our only one." General Shen nodded. "Very well, we must work quickly to organise our defenses appropriately."
"Is your tank thing working again?" Nicole said to Reigel.
"I'll make it work." Reigel replied. "I'll call Ignis too. Hopefully she has some toys to spare."
Ruby looked around to see that somehow everyone had agreed to this mad idea. Yang now placed an arm around her, giving her a warm smile. "Alright little sis. You made this idea, I suggest you get us to start it."
Ruby blinked in surprise as everyone now turned to her, eagerly waiting for her acknowledgement. Looking to Zeren's weapon, she hugged it tightly, as if praying for strength from the deceased Mithril Knight. When she looked up again, her eyes appeared to burn with a silver flame.
"Let's do this." She affirmed.
Author's Note:
Finally approaching the end. Just one more chapter to go. It's the longest one I've done... DX DX DX
As for the ruin, I will admit that Elder Scrolls Skyrim had a part in the description. But, if there is anything to improve on there, let me know.
Jdbl00d
