With fond memories of their beach outing still fresh in their minds, Team RWBY tackled the rest of the week's lessons earnestly. Destruction, Conjuration, Restoration – or any others – not a single one posed too great a challenge for the group. After all, when one didn't understand, it was likely that at least one of the others would know the solution. Theoretical solutions were likely known by Weiss, who threw herself at books after dinner every night, while Ruby and Blake seemed to have a more instinctive grasp as to what they were doing. Yang, however, could sometimes come up with absurdly simple solutions to complex problems; often without realising that she had the solutions in the first place.
Their time at the Arcane University was coming to a close, however. Two weeks was hardly enough time to cover all the intricacies of magicka, even with half a term's worth of study backing it up. When they came into the now-familiar foyer of the Arcane University on the last Friday of the second week, they met a most unfamiliar – and improbable – sight.
There was Valeria waiting inside, in some rather thick, fur-trimmed purple-and-gold robes. Standing rather closely beside a statuesquely beautiful woman, whose fair face was framed by thick, voluminous raven hair that reached down to her mid-back. She wore jet-black robes, accented by intricate silver embroidery all down the front; a long cloak fell from her shoulders, held by a silver brooch in the shape of an imperial dragon emblem over her right breast. Her eyes were the same blazing gold as Valeria's own, which caused Weiss to wonder whether those glowing eyes were simply a mark of a powerful mage or something else.
She was scratching behind Valeria's ears, eliciting loud purrs from the normally stoic Archmage. Neither of them showed any sign of noticing Team RWBY; Valeria was doing her best to rub her forehead against the woman's hand and cheeks, blinking slowly as if in an euphoric trance.
"You know, it's rude to stare," the woman said, in a smooth voice that almost seemed to lure them in. Valeria snapped out of her trance, shaking herself like a cat that had been rudely disturbed from its favourite activity. "Any reason why you are?"
"Hm. Perhaps that was not the wisest of ideas, my dear. I rather liked that," grumbled Valeria, "Perhaps I should have stayed in the archmage's personal chambers, so that I could enjoy that some more before classes begin. But at the very least, these are my trusted students and not some strangers. And on time too, Miss Xiao Long. Perhaps you should make more of an effort to be punctual in the future, as this is genuinely a surprise,"
"Oh, but I try to not leave anyone Yanging for too long," she replied with a grin on her face, "That was a good one, right guys?"
Groans came from the rest of the team, while both Valeria and the woman beside her were completely nonplussed. "Geez, you guys all need to get a better sense of humour!"
"Is this what...passes for humour among the youth of this age?" asked the woman uncertainly, crossing her arms, "It would appear that what they consider amusing does not align with what we consider amusing,"
"No, I must say that Miss Xiao Long's sense of humour is...peculiar. It takes a very unique mindset to understand, much less appreciate," commented Valeria, earning an indignant "OH COME ON!" from Yang, and an approving nod from Weiss.
"I would dearly hope that is the case. Gods, I would think that mortals could not possibly regress that badly over a thousand years,"
Stunned silence followed that comment. Ruby and Weiss both gawked at the strange pale woman. Blake started to shrink behind Yang in a similar fashion to when they had first encountered Valeria, prompting Yang to be a bit more serious. The cat faunus' senses were often more attuned than the rest of Team RWBY's, and Yang had gotten used to the fact that if Blake seemed perturbed, something was usually not as it seemed.
"A...thousand years?" the heiress mouthed, stunned. The woman did not appear to be much older than any of them were. She had to be at most in her mid-twenties, given her youthful appearance. One of these days, she would have to find out exactly how these people managed to live for so long without any apparent aging.
"Seeing as these girls are your apprentices, perhaps you should introduce me to them,"
Valeria nodded, smiling. "Very well. Miss Ruby Rose, Miss Weiss Schnee, Miss Yang Xiao Long, Miss Blake Belladonna," she spoke, addressing each of them one by one, "This is Archmage Serana Volkihar of the College of Winterhold, Lady of Castle Volkihar. And as of yesterday, my betrothed,"
More silence.
"Wait," Yang chuckled weakly, "Let me get this straight. You're engaged to...this hot, hot woman? Damn,"
"That would be correct, Miss Xiao Long. Although 'hot' is likely the least appropriate of words that could be used to describe her, as her touch is likely as cold as ice,"
"And yours is likely the same. But it is a good thing that both of us are truly resistant to cold, isn't it?" Serana added, smiling wryly.
"Wow. If I didn't think Blake was nearly as good looking, I'd be jealous," mumbled Yang, flinching when said cat faunus slapped the back of her head. "Ow! I'm kidding, Blakey, geez. What's gotten into you?"
"Well, let's see," Blake said sarcastically, "Aside from you obviously trying to flirt with someone while your girlfriend is right beside you, with your teacher's fiancee, no less? Oh, absolutely nothing. Everything's just fine,"
Serana shared a look with Valeria. "Tell me that this isn't normal for your students, please. I'm not even trying to attract them, and Miss Xiao Long looks like she's going to have a lot of apologising to do later tonight,"
"Oh, she will definitely need to do much more than that, miss,"
Sensing that perhaps the group needed something more agreeable to talk about, Ruby spoke up. "So uh, Archmage Valeria? Congratulations! How long have you...uh, known...uh...Miss...Volkihar?"
"Only for something close to thirteen centuries, after she...rescued me from a stone prison deep underground," Serana answered for her fiancee, "But this isn't really the best place to stand and talk about personal details. Valeria, didn't you say that you needed me here to assess their magickal abilities?"
"Wait, assessments?" Weiss spoke, shaking herself out of her stunned stupor.
If there was one way to wake Weiss up, it was the threat of impending academic doom. Or, on the flipside, free additional marks; the more, the better. Now paying her fullest attention, she demanded, "I didn't hear anything about assessments!? This isn't fair!"
The 'assessments', as it turned out, was more akin to a huntsman's Aura activation rather than a written exam, much to Weiss' relief. The first assessment had each one of them flare out their magicka as best they could, while Valeria and Serana both noted down how much energy they could project. All inside a magickally-insulated room beneath the Praxographical Centre, both in case of a magickal backlash and for privacy.
"So, uh...did we pass?" Weiss asked uncertainly, not sure if the 'assessments' were actually assessable items in Beacon or not.
"Passing or failing has nothing to do with survival, Miss Schnee. I simply intended to check how far you have all developed as mages since starting your studies," replied Valeria, looking up from her datapad, "And given your results? Yes, yes, I would say you have...exceeded all expectations. My expectations were high, Miss Schnee, and yet you – and the rest of your team – have exceeded them. Well done, Apprentices – and Evoker Schnee. You have all started on the first step on the path to becoming true battlemages,"
"Evoker?"
"Oh, yes, Evoker indeed. While the other students in Beacon were content to simply learn only what I have assigned to them, you sought out to learn everything you could. You have far outstripped your peers in magickal abilities; that much is apparent from the readings that I have obtained thus far. That in itself is admirable, Miss Schnee, considering that your teammates and classmates are very quick learners – though I daresay that your alchemical work could use a little help, if the explosion in your dormitory in Beacon was any indication of your prowess. Or lack thereof,"
"Hey! That wasn't me!" she cried out indignantly, "Blake decided to add Fire Dust to a Flame Stalk!"
"Hm. In that case, then...Apprentice Belladonna, you must be more careful when selecting your reagents. Dust is highly reactive to begin with, and a Flame Stalk is hardly any less reactive. What made you think that an explosion was not imminent, had you mixed the two together? Fire Dust and a Flame Stalk, no less, when both of them contain copious quantities of fire essence?"
"I...uh...That was a mistake," Blake said sheepishly, having no excuses for the blast that almost demolished the room.
Valeria simply chuckled and shook her head. "Every alchemist makes mistakes at the start of their career, but do be more careful in the future. I recall the first time that I attempted to make an invisibility potion. Only the head of the drinker vanished, rather than the drinker's entire body. Suffice to say that there were many calls for a wayward necromancer to be caught that day when I tested it on a stray dog, as was the custom at the time for testing new potions,"
A mischievous grin lit up Yang's face. She could think of so many ways to prank people with that sort of potion! "That sounds totally awesome!" said the blonde excitedly, "Can you make some more of that?"
"As much as I would like to say yes, Apprentice Xiao Long, the answer is no. It is nearly impossible to replicate the effects of a failed potion. Even less so when the equipment available to us these days have all been enchanted to prevent these mishaps from happening too frequently. In any case, before you may call yourself true mages, every mage possesses a staff, as a conduit and battery for magicka. That is why I have taken you out of your classes for today, so that you may all begin to craft your own staff,"
Ruby's hand immediately shot up, less than thrilled at the prospect of having to use something else other than Crescent Rose as a weapon. "Miss, why can't we do that for our own weapons? Like, why a staff?"
Valeria opened her mouth as if to give an answer, but then immediately shut it, stroking her chin and humming thought. Why a staff? She had never really thought about it, given that most battlemages never had any reason to complain about what they had been raised to think as normal. After all, every mage for the last one and a half millennia used or carried a staff of some sort, herself included. Melee combat was viewed as uncouth and unrefined by most of them, after all. But given how most of the students in Beacon Academy had some form of shapeshifting weapon that was simultaneously a ranged and a melee weapon, she was now less inclined to believe that physical and magickal weapons were mutually exclusive.
"A very good question, Apprentice Rose," murmured Valeria, "If the purpose of a staff is to store and discharge magickal energies, then all that would be required is a storage crystal, in the form of a grand soul gem – and a conduit of some magickally conductive material, typically living wood, gold or silver. But I do not see any reason why the shape of the conduit should matter, as simply holding any part of the conduit should allow its wielder to channel magicka through it,"
"So...I don't have to put away Crescent Rose?" Ruby said hopefully.
"Truth be told, I am not quite certain. What you are suggesting – the combination of physical and magickal in a single weapon – is completely unorthodox. If you were to suggest such a thing to the Imperial Legion's munitions board, they would likely request healers to assess whether or not you have gone mad," Valeria answered, "But after what I have seen in Beacon Academy's classes, it appears that stranger things are considered normal. After all, combinations of ranged and melee weaponry of all shapes and kinds seem completely natural to you all. If you are willing to try and craft such a thing, Apprentice Rose, I am not averse to the idea,"
"Yay! Awesome! My sweetheart is going to get even more deadly!" cheered the little hooded reaper, "So, when do we get started? Right now?"
"As much as I would like to say yes, Apprentice Rose, the Arcane University does not have the facilities to manufacture physical weapons. I do believe, however, my dreadnought has the right equipment in its armoury,"
Before she could say anything more, the excitable girl zoomed out of the foyer, leaving behind a trail of rose petals in her wake. Valeria shook her head and chuckled in amusement. "Well, I suppose that answers my question as to whether or not she will come. Miss Xiao Long, if you could fetch your sister and meet myself and Serana back in the White-Gold Tower by lunchtime, I would be very grateful indeed,"
"You may look, but don't touch," Valeria sighed, knowing that the little speed demon would ignore her instructions and proceed to touch every bit of equipment in the armoury anyway. The moment that Ruby looked as though she was about to run off, Valeria flicked her hand lazily and latched a couple of conjured shackles onto the girl's ankles. "Apprentice Rose. Please do calm yourself down. Ah, Quartermaster gro-Shurgak. I had been looking for you,"
A tall, dark-green Orsimer swaggered towards them; dressed impeccably in a spotless naval officer's uniform, complete with medals and an ostentatious three-pointed felt hat with an outrageously large multicoloured feather on top. He bowed deeply towards Valeria and Serana, while giving only an almost imperceptible nod towards Team RWBY.
"Ah, fair lady! Good show. Let us conversate on...whatever it is that you must. Speaketh you on,"
While Valeria seemed completely unfazed by what the Orsimer had just said, Team RWBY was completely bamboozled by what they had just heard. Nevertheless, either the Orsimer was incredibly dull and failed to notice the strange looks that the girls were giving her, or he simply didn't care about them. The man simply stood at attention, waiting for the archmage to continue speaking.
"I seek an available foundryworker and forgemaster, and a supply of ebony ingots. My apprentices need weapons made,"
"A fine recess. I shall see if there are any amiable workers to persist you. Wait you for a minute,"
When the quartermaster disappeared behind a number of tall metal crates, Yang looked at Ruby and asked her in a whisper, "Did you get anything that he just said...?"
"Nope. I'm confused. Like, really confused,"
"It is rude to talk about someone behind their backs, Apprentice Rose, Apprentice Xiao Long," chided Valeria, shaking her head, "In any case, here he is again,"
There were two more people following him. One was a short, stocky dark-skinned man that seemed to be built entirely of muscle; the other was a burly Khajiit that possessed cybernetic legs and arms visible behind a baggy brown leather smock. Both bowed respectfully the moment they saw Valeria, though less deep than that given by gro-Shurgak.
"I see you have returned, quartermaster. Are these two fellows who I have asked for?"
The Orsimer nodded. "Exuberantly. Here are my confederates, Masters at-Tura and Ma'jhad. Is there anything else that Your Majesty seeks to require from the armoury?"
"That would be all, Quartermaster gro-Shurgak. Thank you; you may return to your duties now,"
"Anon us most soon again, for sooth,"
"Your Majesty? This one is ready to serve," the Khajiit spoke, his tail flicking from side to side, "What is it that you require?"
"I believe that my apprentices require a weapon to be made. A fusion between a magickal staff and a weapon, if you will. I am not privy to all the details, and thus it may be best if they were to inform you of their needs directly,"
"Ah. If that is the case, then this one is willing to listen to the young ones," Ma'jhad said, smiling widely, "This one is rather bored of making simple swords, hammers and rifles. There is simply no challenge in crafting mere razor-sharp blades. What do the young cubs have to show me that warrants the best forgemaster this side of the galaxy, hm?"
Taking that as a cue to show off Crescent Rose, Ruby lifted it from its resting spot on her belt. Ma'jhad's eyes lit up with glee as he watched the weapon unfurl into its scythe configuration.
"A battle scythe? This one is intrigued," Ma'jhad laughed. He hummed and observed the weapon closely, "Hmm. This one sees much. This one sees that the weapon is of a fair age, with its share of battle scars, but very well maintained. Its blade is sharp, but the weapon's balance appears to be too far forward. Ma'jhad wonders; what would happen if the young lady in front of him were to swing this into soft mud? Would she be able to retrieve it, or would she sink with it?"
"Hey! I can lift Crescent Rose just fine, thank you very much," she cried out, puffing up indignantly as she picked it up and manipulated it with ease. A slip of her hand, however, caused the sniper-scythe to slide forward a bit too much and slam into the ground; and she found herself being vaulted over the weapon by its sheer mass.
"This one believes his point has been vindicated," the Khajiit deadpanned, offering a hand to lift Ruby back to her feet after the girl landed with a loud thump. "This one also noticed that there is the trigger system of a rifle on the scythe's handle, and a muzzle brake on top of its blade. One seemingly designed for anti-vehicle rounds. A fascinating double use of a weapon. If Ma'jhad may guess, Ma'jhad would also guess that the blade can act as a monopod for when accurate fire is desired,"
Ruby's jaw dropped. This man knew exactly what he was looking at. The very first person that could tell what Crescent Rose was at a first glance; what it was, what it did, what else it was – and even how it could be used. Another bonafide weapons nut, right in front of her!
"You know, if Ruby is shocked by someone else when she's trying to show off her baby, that person's damn good," Yang said, grinning, "Okay. I'm game. Let's get some magicka batteries in Ember Celica. Let's see if I can make these into flamethrower gauntlets!"
A few hours later, Team RWBY finally received a thumbs-up from Ma'jhad. Their weapons had been completely reforged in some black, ultrahard alloy that the Nirnians called 'ebony', infused with significant quantities of powdered soul gems.
While Ruby was sad that she would have to redo the fire enchantments that she had put on the original Crescent Rose, she was ecstatic at having another weapons enthusiast to speak to. Especially one that had much, much more experience in crafting weapons from scratch. Ma'jhad, while curious as to why a mage would even need a rifle – and a war scythe combined into one, no less – did not ask any questions. Especially when he was permitted to take as much ebony as he needed.
"This one thinks that these weapons should be ready to slay any enemy that is unfortunate enough to cross your path," he purred, stroking the new war scythe, "But a masterpiece of a weapon such as this needs a name. It would be a shame otherwise, to allow a fine piece of craftsmanship such as this to be known by no name,"
Yang made a mock cough. "Well, Mr. Best-blacksmith-this-side-of-the-galaxy, you sure are full of yourself. Sure that title isn't the best in the universe?"
"What can this one say? This one knows he is the best. That scythe-sniper should be all but unbreakable now, and the blade should be hard and sharp enough to carve into even vehicle armour plating. The same goes for the spikes on your shotgun-gauntlets,"
"Well, there's that, I guess. You're not bad at making it better, but couldn't you have...you know, made it in the right colours?"
"The last time this one has checked, there was an invention called paint," Ma'jhad said, thumbing at the cans of paint on the spraying booth behind him, "But this one has no time to apply paint just yet. Function must take precedence before form,"
"Well, I, for one, approve of this," Weiss cried out happily. She held the new Myrtenaster in one hand, her face contorting in deep concentration; an intense field of bluish-white energy immediately enveloped the black blade of the rapier. She thrust it into a nearby test dummy, literally melting through the dense steel plates covering its torso with very little effort. "Energy projectors on the blade itself, beside the Dust ports? This is brilliant!"
"Why can't I have something like that?" Yang grumbled, now looking at her spiked gauntlets with a little bit of disappointment.
"This one remembers that Miss Blondie said that she wanted something to 'beat their faces in'. One does not simply beat in a molten face," replied the Khajiit with a nonchalant shrug.
"Fine. Guess it's my fault, then. Hey, kittycat, what'd the big kitty here give you?"
Silence.
"...Blakey?"
More silence.
"Oh come on, where'd you go?" Yang sighed, not noticing the faintly-shimmering patch of empty space beside her.
One that had a conspicuous ribbon-shaped object above where its head should be.
A/N
Proceedeth most urgentlike. Lord Rugdumph of Oblivion had the best lines of all the games xD And the fact that he's completely, utterly dead serious when delivering his lines makes it even better. It's like he genuinely believes that he's sounding like a refined nobleman, and not some foolish fop that's butchering the language every time he speaks! XD
So, after a quick break to Nirn, our group is about to return to Beacon Academy again. Let's see if things will change...