I won't run when the storm clouds come,
I won't turn away, cuz if your eyes on the ground,
When the night come's 'round,
You only see the stars...when they fall like rain.
XSRA's Flame Chapter 14: Dragon at the Docks
Skyla POV
"Come on! How can we find him in a city this big?" I complained as we walked down the street in search of Xera.
"Skyla, you are the one who wanted to find him in the first place." Allix responded.
"Yeah, we haven't even searched downtown yet. Give it some time." Rex joined in.
"Fiiiiiiine, but we're stopping at a café for a snack." I said, stopping in front of our usual café.
After buying a few coffees and some food, we continued our search to find our team leader.
"It's getting dark guys, do you want to head back soon or wait 'till nightfall?" Allix asked as we snacked.
"Let's give it a little longer, besides, we still have a little while before the last airships go back to Beacon." Rex stated while eating some meat-lovers pizza slices.
*BOOM!*
"What. Was. THAT?!" I screamed, trying to find the direction the explosion came from.
"It sounded like it came from the docks!" Allix said, pointing toward a growing cloud of smoke emanating from the direction of the docks.
"Well let's go then!" I yelled as I started running toward the explosion, teammates in tow.
Xera POV
(An Hour Earlier)
We were sitting on a roof top overlooking the docks and massive containers of dust.
"So, what did I miss?" Sun asked while approaching us from behind, carrying a bunch of apples.
"Not much, nothing's happened yet." I responded.
"Okay, cool. Here I stole us some snacks!" Sun exclaimed, seemingly proud of what he accomplished.
"Do you always break the law without a second thought?" Blake spoke up, eyeing the apples in Sun's arms.
"No…but when I do, I don't feel bad about it, if that's what you're asking."
Our little chat was interrupted by a bullhead flying overhead, shining a search light across the docks trying to find a safe location to land. When it landed, the bay door opened and out stepped a couple White Fang members.
"Oh, no." Blake mumbled, a hint of disappointment in her tone.
"You really didn't think the White Fang was behind this, did you?" I asked in a knowing tone.
"I guess deep down I knew…I just didn't want to be right." She responded.
"What's the hold up!?" Yelled someone from down below.
A man with a white suit and black pants stepped out of the bullhead. He was wearing a bolo hat and holding a cane. The man approached one of the White Fang members, who was holding large cables.
"This isn't right. The White Fang would never work with a human, especially not with one like that!" Blake said before jumping off the building, stealthily running behind a few crates for cover.
"Well, I guess were going to have to fight them. You ready?" Sun asked.
I nodded as we waited for Blake to make the first move.
She approached the man from behind and held a Blade at his throat, too close for an aura shield to protect.
"Nobody move!" Blake yelled, causing most of the White Fang members to stop what they're doing and draw their weapons.
Blake tugged her bow off, revealing her cat ears and continued, "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum!?"
"Oh, didn't you get the memo? You see, the White Fang and I are going on a little business venture together." The man said, hardly seeming fazed by the blade pressed against his throat.
"Well, what if I put a stop to your little operation?" The cat-faunus threatened.
"I wouldn't call it a little operation…" He said just as two more bullheads flew in overhead, equipped with guns and dropping off even more White Fang members.
While she was distracted, the man shifted his grip on his cane and the tip popped open, then pointed it at the ground underneath Blake's feet.
"Blake! Look out!" I yelled just as an explosion emerged between the two, throwing Blake backward.
3rd Person
Blake rolled and got up onto her feet, dodging more dust flares coming from the man's cane. She used her semblance to get up close and take a few swipes at him with Gambol Shroud, but none of them landed.
"And…Good-Night!" Sun yelled as he planted both his feet into an unsuspecting White Fang member's face.
He turned and noticed he was now surrounded by more enemies, so he pulled out a red bow-staff and spun it around in a skilled manner, stopping the twirl and pointing it at one of the members.
Just as he was about to charge, a black blade flew through the air, knocking out the legs of the unsuspecting members around Sun. While all of them were on the ground, dust shells were shot into their defenseless bodies, knocking them out cold from the sudden impacts.
"Way to start the party without me Sun." Xera stated sarcastically, catching his boomerang and transforming his other weapon back into blade form.
"Fashionably late, I see. Not bad, but you can use some work on your entrance." Sun responded with a chuckle.
Xera and Sun fought off more waves of White Fang members as Blake tried to attack the cane-wielding man to no avail.
"You're not half bad kitty, but you're going to have to do much better to match me!" He yelled as he shot another flare toward the cat-faunus, sending her back a few feet from the impact.
"Well, it's been fun! But I really need to get going, so…good bye!" The man exclaimed as he fired another flare toward the still recovering Blake.
Just as the explosion was about to reach its mark, Sun jumped in front of it and spun his bow-staff at blinding speeds, making a make-shift shield and deflecting the dust flare.
As the smoke cleared, Sun ran in and attacked, sending a flurry of bow-staff strikes and shotgun blasts from his weapon. The man deflected the assault and found a slight window, striking Sun across the chest and knocking him back a bit. As he was about to follow up, Blake appeared in front of him yelling, "He's mine!" as she sent a barrage of slashes into him.
Xera finished off the rest of the White Fang members and turned to see a bullhead take off with a crate of dust attached to it.
"Oh, no you don't!"
He reared back his arms and threw his boomerangs at one of the bullhead's wings, both blades aiming for the same spot. The swords sliced through the metal and sent the vessel crashing down into the water surrounding the docks.
Catching Annivia's Talons, Xera turned just in time to dodge a volley of machine gun fire from the second bullhead. As he ran, the asphalt of the docks broke and shattered as the ground behind Xera was ripped to shreds.
He turned and took cover behind a large crane, avoiding the barrage of bullets coming from the vessel overhead. The machine gun fire halted as it tried to find its target again.
At the other side of the docks, Sun and Blake continued to fight against the man with the cane, appearing to be having trouble getting through his defense.
Sun was thrown back as Blake ran in, taking a few swipes at his chest, landing one but the other was quickly parried away.
She ducked under a swipe just as Sun jumped above her, smashing the butt of his staff into the man's head. He staggered back a bit, trying to recover but instead, received a flurry of slashes from Gamble Shroud.
Thinking quickly, he looked up and noticed a hanging container above his opponent's heads. He shot the cable holding it up and watched as the massive box crashed down into where the two were standing.
Blake rolled backwards, dodging the container and Sun dove forwards, ending up at the feet of the enemy. The man looked down, smirking as he aimed his cane at the downed Sun's head.
"Hey!"
A girl in a red cloak yelled from the top of one of the buildings, a massive scythe in hand.
"Oh, Hello Red! Isn't it past your bedtime?" The man yelled back, apparently he knows the cloaked girl.
The girl looked back for a second, distracted by something. The man took this moment to shoot a flare at the girl, colliding into the unsuspecting girl's body and throwing her backwards. Just as the smoke cleared, a ginger-haired girl with a large bow and pigtails jumped down the building, landing, and creating a small crater from the sheer force of the impact.
Two more bullhead flew in, dropping off even more White Fang members and targeting their new enemy. Behind the girl, were 9 floating swords, almost like she was controlling them.
She threw her arm forward as her blades shot out, taking out the members in front of her with ease. The swords started spinning in front of her body, creating a shield to block the line of bullets shot at her from the bullheads above.
"These kids just keep getting weirder." The man said as he escaped into another bullhead, taking off, and leaving the docks.
"Dang, he got away!" Blake said as she noticed the bullhead flying off.
"It's fine, we'll get him next time." Xera said, now standing next to her. The bullhead that was targeting him from before was now distracted by the girl with the floating blades.
"Whoa, check her out!" Sun exclaimed while staring at the girl, feeling slightly impressed.
Just as he said that, the girl held out bother her arms in front of her, circling her blades around a slowing growing green ball of energy. The ball grew larger and brighter, and then she thrust her arms forward, shooting an enormous beam of energy into one of the bullheads, slicing it clean in half. The debris of the vessel landing in the water next to the dock with members of the White Fang jumping out and swimming away from the docks.
"Are those strings? She's controlling the swords somehow, but no human can do that, unless..." Xera thought as he watched the girl shoot her swords into the side of another bullhead, pulling it down to the ground with sheer strength.
Two more bullheads appeared overhead, both seemingly equipped with large canons, taking aim at the girl below. She barely had time to put out her shield before being impacted by a stream of rockets fired from the vessels, throwing her backward into the building behind her.
"We need to help!" Xera yelled as he reared back his arm, ready to throw his blade.
Just as he was about to release it, the wind picked up all around them, whirlwinds of air lifted crates and fallen debris all over the place, sending them in every direction. The sky darkened and lightning struck, lighting the sky for a brief second as a large shadow appeared behind the clouds.
*BOOM!*
A blazing ball of fire pierced through the layer of dark clouds above, hurtling toward one of the bullheads at unbelievable speed. Before the vessel could react, the ball of fire impacted the top of the ship and sent the bullhead into a dive straight into the water.
The second bullhead starting to fly off, trying to avoid the same fate his fellow vessel suffered. But before it could even move a few feet, a large beast plummeted from the clouds, colliding with the vessel and slicing the entire body in half.
The remains of the bullhead crashed into the docks, impacting the ground and creating a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, the clouds in the sky parted and the storm died down, the wind stopped and the beast stood in the fire of the crash site. Gold and bronze scales covered his entire body, littered in scars and old battle wounds. Two large wings extended at both sides and a long neck protruded forward, connecting with a fierce looking head and spikes all along his back. The head was like a serpent but covered in heavy scales, his maw was filled with rows of large teeth as sharp as blades. Glowing eyes seemingly made of pure fire stared at the teens in front of him, mainly one in particular.
"Xera Stark, I have been searching for you for quite some time now. And here you are." The beast bellowed in a thundering voice, shaking the ground as he spoke.
"How do you know my name?!" Xera responded, gripping his weapons feeling slightly threatened.
"I knew your mother, Xera." It responded.
"How can you possibly know her, she's been dead for years." Realization struck Xera as he remembered a story his mother once told him when he was younger.
"Wait…no way. Vulderak?!"
"Indeed, it appears she has mentioned me before."
"But…why are you here?"
"I am here to warn you. Something is coming Xera, and you're the only one powerful enough to challenge it."
"What do you mean? How am I the only one who can fight it?"
"Your power exceeds your own understanding…you will realize your true potential soon enough. And when that happens, I will train you."
"My true potential? What power do you think I possess?"
"When the time is right, you will know."
And with that, Vulderak took flight and soared into the clouds again, disappearing from view.
Xera POV
"Power…what power? How do I fight something if I don't even know my true strength?" I thought as Vulderak flew away.
"Xera! What was that all about!?" yelled a familiar voice.
I turned and saw Skyla running up with the rest of my team.
"He was…an old friend?" I responded, not fully believing what I was saying.
"That…that was a dragon! I thought they were all extinct, but you just so happened to know one!" Allix exclaimed, extremely confused.
"That thing was a dragon?! He was huge!" Rex joined in as he followed Allix.
"You called him Vulderak, correct?" Blake asked.
"Yes, my mother told me a story about him and apparently, she even befriended him." I answered.
"Vulderak was the name of the dragon that saved humanity from extinction, back when they first discovered the properties of dust. How is he still alive?" She responded curiously.
"I'll explain later, but for now…I think some people are here to see you." I gestured toward three more teens approaching us.
"Oh, that's my team. I'm not entirely sure why they're here."
"Blake! Do you have any idea how long we've been searching for you?!" asked a girl in white.
The girl in red was also there, she seemed perfectly fine despite taking a direct hit from a dust flare.
"Yeah, we've been searching Vale for the entire weekend. Where have you been?" The cloaked girl asked.
"Come on guys, let her explain. I'm sure she has a perfectly good explanation." A girl with blonde hair spoke up.
Blake sighed and looked at her team, "Okay, first of all, I want to tell you guys that I'm no longer associated with the White Fang, I haven't been sinc-"
"Stop right there." The girl in white interrupted.
"Since you've been gone, I've had some time to think about what happened. And I've come to a decision…" She said.
Blake looked a little worried, and so did the girl in the red cloak as they waited for her to continue.
"I don't care!" She exclaimed, causing the girls in front of her to relax.
Blake started to tear up a bit and brought her in for a hug.
"See, I told you they would understand." Sun said, giving Blake a double-thumbs up.
"But, I'm still not too sure about you." The girl in white said as she pointed a finger at Sun.
"Wait, who are you guys anyway?" Skyla spoke up, interested in who the other girls in front of us are.
"Oh, well this is my team. I'm Blake Belladonna, this is Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long." She gestured to each one as she named them off.
"Yeah, and we make up TEAM RWBY!" Ruby yelled in excitement.
"Woah, calm down sis. We still need to know their names." Yang said, grabbing hold of Ruby and stopping her from jumping up and down.
"Right, well my name is Xera Stark, this is Skyla Xerious, Rex Tyro, and Allix Stowe." I gestured toward my teammates as each one waved as their name was said.
"And we're TEAM XSRA!" Skyla cheered.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you, but we really need to get going, the Beacon airships leave in less than 15 minutes." Weiss informed.
"You guys go on ahead, I'm going to head into town and find a place to stay. Besides, I was thinking about enrolling into Beacon tomorrow, maybe I'll see you around." Sun said as he waved us good bye.
"Bye Sun, thanks for helping us." "See ya Sun, I hope we see you around Beacon!" Blake and I exclaimed toward the monkey-faunus as we walked off with our teams.
"Hey, has anyone seen Penny?" Ruby spoke up.
"No idea, was that the girl with the floating swords?" I asked.
"Yeah, that's her, but I don't see her anywhere."
"I'm sure she's fine. She can definitely take care of herself in a fight." Blake said, reassuring Ruby that her friend was probably safe.
All of us walked back to the Beacon airship, barely catching the last one before it took flight towards the academy.
I stared out the window, watching the buildings fly by as the school came into view, "I need to find out what Vulderak was talking about, what power, what kind of abilities do I have? Gah…I hate not having any answers. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out."
BOOM! Chapter 14 done and done. So, I tried making the docks scene from the show, but just a little more epic, also tried incorporating fighting (Not one of my strong categories), and introduce Vulderak (I tried making that part dramatic). Yeah, I think I did okay, please let me know what I can improve on. Anyway, I just wrote the past few chapters, so it's Sky's turn now, she's going to right chapter 15...be prepared for whatever she comes up with. Enjoy life guys, and Favorite, Follow, REVIEW, keep being awesome. I'll cya guys later!
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P.S. Lyrics from up top are from Klangkarussell - Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain) [Paris Blohm Remix] on the Proximity YouTube Channel.
Cya