I'm going to be running a few polls on my profile in the next few weeks. The one that's up right now is gauging people's interest in a prequel fic focusing on Summer and Raven and how they took on the Nevermores. It was explained in chapter 35 of A Rose's Scales. but I believe it could warrant a full story. Not as long as this or A Rose's Scales, but it would be something. This poll will run for three to four weeks. The next poll will come after that, but mentioning the specifics now could be spoilery.

Also, someone approached me WAAAAAY long ago about a 'reading fic' for A Rose's Scales, but since then has disappeared off the face of the planet without doing anything. I won't do it myself, because I believe that defeats the purpose, but the position is open. If someone is interested in writing it, please let me know. (It's a chance to choke me out without doing anything illegal)

Back to Reversal now. Once again, I feel like I have to say I might as well be Jaune in real life…


Ruby's head hurt. Apparently sleeping for two days straight after staying awake for five days in a row wasn't a good idea. But she definitely could have been in worse shape. Maybe Cerise lending her energy while she was forging Máni Bláto helped keep her sane and somewhat conscious. Now though, she couldn't really concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds.

So instead of training with someone or helping Yang with her rehab, she had a stack of books and old fashioned scrolls in front of her. Ruby knew she wouldn't be able to remember even a quarter of what she read, even with Cerise' help. If anything, her bionic eye would record all of it and it would be of use later. The one she currently had open was a record of the construction of the walls around Aroughs. From what she could see, and without being there to inspect the walls herself, the city could hold off a level five Grimm attack with just the walls, if there wasn't too much air support anyway.

She sighed and rolled up the scroll. Reading was getting hard again. Some words were flowing into each other. Ruby looked over her shoulder to her dragon. "Never let me stay up that long again."

Cerise lightly growled. Agreed. Hopefully we'll both be back to normal tomorrow morning.

Ruby looked elsewhere around the clearing of Oromis' hut. Yang was bent over backwards and Oromis and Aaron watched her attempt to go through Rimgar. None of them really liked the 'yoga on steroids' when they were first learning it from Aaron, but it turned out to be good exercise. Now Yang was trying to get her flexibility back. As Ruby watched, Yang's legs gave out and she fell flat on her back. She lay like that for a few seconds before slamming the back of a fist into the ground.

Yang really wanted this. Ruby couldn't blame her. Yang didn't have the use of her legs for a really long time. While she rarely outright admitted it to her little sister, Ruby knew that Yang hated that she had to use the exoskeleton. She hated that she had to rely on someone else' work just so she could move. Now with her legs back, she wanted to get back to normal. Apparently she asked Aaron and Velvet if they could magically enhance her muscles, but both refused. The artificial growth would hurt her in the long run.

Ruby took her eyes off her sister. She had 'reading' to do. She picked the largest book off the pile and looked at the spine. Domia Abr Wyrda. Dominance of Fate. Ruby quirked her eyes. That sounded more like an action movie back on Remnant rather than a history book. Still, the name sounded familiar…Aaron probably mentioned it at some point, not that Ruby could remember anything well at the moment.

She opened the cover and her shoulders slumped. Small print words stretched from one end of the paper to the other. It might as well have been a textbook. Heck, it was a hand print textbook. How long did this thing take to copy? The thing was thicker than most required books at Beacon.

Ruby shook her head and started recording the pages. Her bionic eye slowly copied every word and stored it away for later use. Sure, if her bionic eye was ever corrupted, all of it would be gone, but at least she'd be able to answer any questions Oromis threw at her, even if it was cheating. She didn't exactly have the energy to care at the moment.

This continued on for several pages. Ruby flipped the pages when her eye told her it had all the text copied. She didn't pay attention to any of the words flashing before her eyes. There was probably some useful information in there. Hopefully her eye would take keywords and translate those to actual conversation.

Cerise hummed behind Ruby. The Rider looked back to her dragon and saw Cerise standing up and looking toward the sky. Ruby followed her dragon's gaze and saw Vert flying in with Nalia right behind him. This was actually the first time she saw Vert after he left Oromis' hut that first day. Apparently the elves had been hard at work on his wing.

The two green dragons landed on the cliff and Velvet dismounted her dragon. Cerise walked to her mate's side and they rubbed their heads together. Velvet waved at Ruby. "Could you help me get his armor off?"

"Sure thing." Ruby stood up from the tree she lay by and walked to Vert's right wing. "It getting any better?" she asked as she unhooked the first straps.

"Very." Velvet smiled as she removed one of the jet engines from Vert's side. "Of course, his muscles are severely underdeveloped. It'll be a while before he can keep up with a horse."

"Wait…why a horse?" Ruby looked at Velvet with her mouth slightly open.

Velvet looked her way and failed to hold back a laugh. "Ruby, are you sure you should be here right now?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Ruby reached up and removed the paneling from the front of Vert's wing.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were on something."

Ruby gave a sideways nod. "Well, my dad calls lack of sleep being 'high on air,' so I guess this could be a hangover from that."

Velvet laughed openly this time. "I never thought I'd hear you say anything like that."

"You learn something new every day." Ruby competed the paneling and set it by the jet engine. She turned to Vert. "Want your guns off too?"

Please. Vert nodded. I don't get out of this armor enough.

"Got it." Ruby started unhooking the armor piece that held the minigun on Vert's right side. There was something in Vert's voice that sounded a little too excited…then again, sleep hangover. Ruby set the large piece down next to the others. She looked over to Vert's other side and saw Velvet had already cleared that side.

Thank you for your help, Vert hummed. He flexed his right wing. For once, it moved fluidly, no creaking and every joint rotated like it should. But size wise…a twig wouldn't even be a good description. His wing muscles were needles. Vert didn't have the same ability as Yang did to move in the brace. His wing was in a fixed position for nearly all of his life while flying. It never got to build up muscle in the first place.

Ruby turned her head back to Vert's. "Can you fly at all?"

Without answering, Vert whipped around and jumped off the cliff. Cerise yelped and nearly ran to the edge of the cliff, but she didn't jump off. Ruby's jaw dropped as she watched Vert rise in the air. The green dragon turned around in the air, then roared back at those on the cliff. Cerise returned the gesture. Vert returned to the ground seconds later. His mate was literally on top of him in a second in a rare full body hug.

Ruby turned to Velvet. "Did you know about that?"

Velvet beamed at her dragon. "He was working on it all day yesterday. I lost count of how many times he fell, but he always jumped right back up. He really wanted to surprise Cerise with this."

"I can tell." Ruby looked back to the two intertwined dragons. Cerise had wrapped her neck beneath Vert's and their heads rested side by side. "Okaaay, back to my tree? Leave these two alone?"

"I thought you'd never ask." The two Rider's left the cliff side and tried to ignore the feelings rolling off their dragons. Ruby looked over to where the other three Riders stood. Aaron and Oromis stood in front of Yang, who rested her hands on her knees. She raised one of her hands and stuck a thumb up. It looked like whatever they were done with their little session.

Oromis looked at the two walking from the cliff. "Ruby, Velvet, please join us," he called. Ruby ran off to get her stack of books and scrolls, then followed the others into Oromis' hut.

Ruby sidled up next to Yang. "I didn't see all of that. How's your back."

"Terrible." Yang shrugged but she still put on a smile. "But I can feel it, and walk around. Terrible is an improvement."

"So you'll still need your armor for a while?" Ruby's shoulders slumped.

"Hey." Yang turned serious. "There's nothing more you can to. You've already done more than enough." One corner of her lip twitched upward. "But when I don't need it anymore, we're blowing it sky high."

"Don't tell Nora. She'll want to blow it up herself." Ruby laughed to herself, paused, then looked over to Velvet. "How is Nora, anyway?"

Velvet took a seat by the large table near the center of Oromis' hut. "She's…not well. The healers are trying something different today. Hopefully that will have some effect."

"If I may have your attention," Oromis spoke calmly as he sat down at the table as well, "we have several things to discuss."

Ruby sat down between Yang and Aaron. "What do you have for us?" She set her reading stack on the table in front of her.

The elder Rider looked among the younger ones. "Have you decided who among you will be the leader of the Riders?

Ruby hesitated as she flicked her eyes around. Aaron and Velvet took themselves out on day one. Yang said she'd throw in her stake if Ruby was unsure. Considering she hadn't talked with the others about it, Ruby felt she didn't have the authority to claim it. "Right now, it's between me and Yang. We haven't had enough time." Yang looked out the corner of her eye at Ruby. She gave a small nod that no one would see unless they looked for it.

Oromis nodded. "I had assumed as much." He cast a glance at guy next to Ruby. "Aaron has brought to my attention that our homes may not be as different as we previously thought."

The Remmartians exchanged a look. "This isn't the same…planet in two different points of time, is it?" Yang asked.

"That's not possible." Aaron shook his head. "The constellations here match none from anywhere on Remnant. From what I know, the night sky is different on each planet."

"Our worlds are linked due to the creatures you call Grimm." Oromis took a small book from the pile, one that Ruby didn't make it to.

"How is that possible?" Velvet asked.

"Aaron wasn't the first one to discover the spell." Ruby shrugged. "Who says the one who got him the scroll was the first to know it?" She felt her mom clawing toward the edge of her mind, just like she did on Ruby's date with Aaron.

"That is my belief as well." Oromis opened the book and held it so the pages faced the other Riders. An eerily familiar red eye took up half a page.

Ruby's head hurt even more as her mom forced her way up. They need to know! They ALL need to know!

Mom, why is this so important?

Because Remnant could be destroyed if she's not stopped!

Wait, what?

Just say what I tell you. Don't deviate.

Okay, just lay off the claws if you can. The pain in Ruby's head lessened as she listened for her mom's instructions. "That's Salem's symbol."

The crowd turned to her. "Uh, Ruby, who's Salem?" Yang asked.

"I don't know. I'm just saying what mom's telling me to." Ruby half lidded her eyes and rested her head on a hand as her mom spoke. "She's the…Grimm Queen, and a Grimm herself? How's that possible?"

"I am not sure it is." Oromis looked at Ruby with a look she couldn't place. "Salem was a Shade that used wild animals to attack several southern cities months after our pact with the dragons."

"Wild animals?" Yang asked. "Giant black wolves and bears?"

"Yes, and Lethrblaka. Those were the only ones that do not have an animal form in Alagaësia."

Ruby listened to her next instructions. "Mom says that Salem is somewhere on Remnant, but they don't know where…" She blinked. Things weren't adding up.

"Who's we?" Velvet asked.

"Ozpin and Goodwitch for sure…The headmasters of the other three academies…Maybe Qrow?" Ruby shook her head. Mom, what's going on? She listened to her mom's next words, not really understanding. "Apparently there are relics buried beneath the four academies. Salem's after them, and if she gets them, she could destroy the Kingdoms in a day…"

That time everyone exchanged a look. "That's…ominous," Yang said.

"Is there anything else…your mother knows?" Oromis asked.

"…Just that Salem has abilities beyond a Semblance, and the sooner the Queen's dead, the sooner she can actually get a good night's sleep." Ruby's head slumped as her mom withdrew to the part of Ruby's mind she normally lived in.

Velvet sighed. "Looks like we know what we're going to do when we get back to Remnant." Aaron shifted in his seat, but didn't say anything.

The ground shook twice, signaling the return of the two other dragons. "Now," Oromis closed the book with the red eye and pushed it to the side, "there is something you all need to know that is of the utmost secrecy. To my understanding, Yang and Aaron are the only ones who know this."

Yang's head shot up. "This about Halcyon's heart condition?" Ruby looked at her sister. Yang never explained her dragon's heart condition after she revealed it in Tialadrí hall.

Oromis nodded. "In a way." He looked out a window of his hut.

One of Glaedr's eyes filled the hole in the wall. Galbatorix has been gaining strength since he led the attack on Vroengard. As you know, this should be impossible by normal means. However, he has the hearts of dragons on his side. From us, he steals his strength. Without our aid, Galbatorix would have fallen to the elves and the Varden in his first year as king.

Yang stiffened up. "He has them? How many?"

We believe hundreds. Glaedr's visible eye narrowed and the ground shook with the force of his growl.

"What?" Ruby looked between the two. "More eggs?"

There are only three eggs in Alagaësia. Glaedr's eye shifted to Ruby. The rest of the dragons live in their Eldunarí.

Ruby blinked, confused. "Their what?"

Unlike with most creatures, a dragon's consciousness does not reside solely within our skulls. There is in our chests a hard, gemlike object, similar in composition to our scales, called the Eldunarí, which means "the heart of hearts." When a dragon hatches, their Eldunarí is clear and lusterless. Usually it remains so all through a dragon's life and dissolves along with the dragon's corpse when they die. However, if we wish, we can transfer our consciousness into the Eldunarí. Then it will acquire the same color as our scales and begin to glow like a coal. If a dragon has done this, the Eldunarí will outlast the decay of their flesh, and a dragon's essence will live on indefinitely. Also, a dragon can disgorge their Eldunarí while they are still alive. By this means, a dragon's body and a dragon's consciousness can exist separately and still be linked, which can be most useful in certain circumstances. But to do this exposes us to great danger, for whoever holds our Eldunarí holds our very soul in their hands. With it, they could force us to do their bidding, no matter how vile.

Ruby straightened up. This was news to her. "So Halcyon's heart condition?"

Yang crossed her arms. "Shattered. Been that way since the Nevermores ambushed us in the Emerald Forest. We were hoping that Oromis and Glaedr would know enough to heal it, but…apparently it's not as easy as healing a broken bone."

Velvet looked over at Aaron. "Did you know?"

"Only about the existence of the Eldunarí." Aaron met Velvet's gaze. "It's not my or Nalia's place to explain this. The only reason we told Yang because it was an emergency. About the ones in the Traitor's hands, I had a good feeling, but I didn't know for sure."

Ruby ran her hands through her hair. "Why couldn't you have told us sooner? I can see so many situations where this would have been helpful."

Another growl came from outside. To protect us from you, Nalia said. Ruby's jaw dropped and she looked out to where Nalia lay. I mean no offense, but after what happened in the North Sanus Mountains and Fort Castle, can you tell me you wouldn't carry Cerise with you everywhere you went? It may feel like a good idea at the time, but what if something happened to the bag in a battle? What if it was stolen? You would hand Cerise over to someone with hostile intent, and there would be nothing you could do about it. Nalia's growl died out.

That is exactly what happened here, Glaedr continued. We were captured and he forced us against our allies. Those who gave their Riders their Eldunarí are now slaves to Galbatorix.

Ruby clenched a fist. That word choice had to be intentional…but it worked. "How do we free them?"

"By killing Galbatorix." Oromis' eyes darkened. "But I fear that some will be too far gone. It is not a simple task to break the mind of a dragon, but the damage is hard to repair."

"I'm sure the same thing could have been said about me four years ago. We can do it."

"What about fighting him?" Yang asked. "We can't exactly fight hundreds off at the same time."

"Hit him hard, hit him fast." Ruby paused. "Does he have all of the Eldunarí under his control, or could some still be resisting?"

"He has not had enough time to break the minds of all the dragons." Oromis shook his head. "I would be surprised if he has over half of them under his control."

Ruby's spirits soared. "So we could get some of them on our side?"

Oromis hesitated. "There is that possibility. But those who do not answer to Galbatorix will more than likely be in a deep slumber, or be mad with grief. Many will have both conditions. It will not be easy to gain their support."

"We have to deal with their minds," Velvet started. "Is there anything else we will have to worry about?"

The Eldunarí retain their energy, Glaedr stated. They can supply Galbatorix with as much strength as it used to when tied to a body.

"How do we counter that?" Ruby asked.

"The same way we always do," Aaron said. "Outsmarting our opponents. Hitting them before they know we're there." He shifted where he sat. "If that's possible with that many eyes watching us."

Oromis placed his hands flat on the table. "Actually, there is a way you may be able to add to your own power." All eyes turned to the elder Rider. "Know that this technique is not taught to the younger Riders. If it were to become known to a spellweaver of evil disposition, he or she could wreak vast amounts of destruction, especially since it would be difficult to stop anyone with access to so much power."

The younger Riders exchanged a glance. "What are you talking about?" Ruby asked.

"Tell me, what is the cost of magic?" His eyes flicked between his students.

"The amount of energy that it would take to do the task with your bare hands," Velvet answered.

"And where does the energy come from?"

"Us and our dragons if they lend us the energy," Yang said.

Oromis raised an eyebrow. "Only those sources?"

Aaron leaned forward. "Are you saying it's possible to take energy from others?"

"Yes." Oromis nodded. "You already know the process. You must enter the consciousness of an animal or plant, which all of you have proven capable in doing. From there, you can use the energy from it to cast a spell, or store it in a gemstone."

Ruby blinked. "Whoa."

"That could have come in handy at least a hundred times." Yang shook her head. "Drain the Grimm, use their energy against them."

"Maybe even kill them outright," Ruby agreed. She looked down at the ruby that held her cloak in place. She hadn't added any energy to it since she received it. Having all that extra energy could be useful.

"You must tread carefully with that line of thinking," Oromis warned. "You can all the energy from anything alive, and kill it. This can be said for animals the size of ants to your dragons. Feeling something else die is not an experience that I would recommend."

Ruby shivered. "Neither would I." Her mind went back to Fort Castle. Sorry Moss.

"Well," Yang leaned back in her chair. "We're in a forest. Might as well store up."

"Before you do so, there are exercises I want each of you to go through." Oromis stood up from the table. "You are all still inexperienced and have much to learn. I would see you leave Ellesméra in a position greater than you expected you could achieve."


"You ready to get going, Nalia?" Aaron asked as he approached his dragon.

I am. Nalia stood up and sniffed the air. I believe the storm I smelled earlier will pass just north of us.

"The wind too? You know how bad that can get here."

Nalia hummed in thought. I am not sure at the moment. The air is still now, but it could swirl anytime.

"Well then, let's get back to Ellesméra before then."

Agreed. Nalia crouched then immediately stood back up. Actually, I believe you may have other plans.

"What?" Aaron quirked an eye at Nalia.

"I, uh, think she's talking about me," a voice said from behind Aaron. He turned around to see Ruby standing a few feet away, her cheeks a light shade of red.

"Ruby. Can I help you?"

Ruby trailed a foot in the dirt. "I was wondering if you'd like to walk back together?"

Aaron blinked and looked Ruby over. "Are you sure? You seemed pretty out of it during Oromis' lesson."

"I've got it all recorded." Ruby waved Aaron off. "Just a history on the Broddring Kingdom and how it interacted with the elves and dwarves. History is Weiss and Blake's area, not mine. Besides, it's not like I'd be in any better situation with Cerise." Ruby pointed a thumb at her dragon. "She's just as gone as I am."

Cerise growled from where she lay. I heard that!

Aaron smiled. "Fine with me. But if you pass out along the way, I'm not carrying you to your treehouse."

Ruby stuck her hands out in front of her. "Fine with me. That's more of a Cerise thing anyway." She turned to face Ellesméra. "I take it you know the way?"

"I made it last time…after getting a little lost."

"Hold that thought!" Yang called. She jogged over to Aaron and clamped a hand around his right arm. "Sorry sis. Gotta borrow Aaron for a moment." Yang pulled Aaron's arm and led him away from the cliff side.

"Yang, what's this about?"

"Don't talk." Yang tightened her grip on Aaron's arm, making him feel a drain on his wards. She dragged him to a tree and threw him up against it. Her eyes glowed red as she pinned Aaron to the tree. "Listen up. We all know you've had your eyes on Ruby for a while, and somehow you missed that she's looking at you too. I'm going to give you two all kinds of crap in the future, but know I'm being dead serious now.

"Ruby is and always will be my baby sister. I will protect her as such even when we're both centuries old. If you dump her, cheat on her, or break her heart in anyway, you will have hell to pay. If abuse her, I'll give it to you back tenfold." Yang's eyes narrowed. "And if you force yourself on her, I don't care what hole you hide in, I don't care if you're the King of Alagaësia, I will find you, and I will rip your balls off, shove them down your throat, and tear you limb from limb, and beat you to death with your own skull. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Aaron grunted through the pain. "But Cerise gets the first shots at me."

Yang blinked rapidly, her eyes returning to lilac. One more blink and her normal smiling face returned. "Fine with me." She pulled Aaron away from the tree and pushed him toward Ruby. "Go get her, lover boy."

Aaron nodded and rubbed his arm on the way back to the cliff edged. How did he feel that through Aura and wards? Yang probably had some spells of her own that allowed her to do that. Also, how do you beat someone to death with their own skull?

"She give you the talk?" Ruby asked as Aaron got close.

"Yeah." Aaron looked over his shoulder and saw Yang mounting Halcyon like it was any normal day. "She scares me. Guess I can expect the same from your dad?"

"Probably." Ruby shrugged. "He would have interrupted us last time if he couldn't get to you before." She started walking alongside the cliff.

"What's he going to do when he finds out about this?" Aaron rubbed the back of his neck.

Ruby cocked her head. "Do you have insurance? Or a will?"

"Would he go that far?"

"Yes." Ruby walked a few more steps in silence. "If you hurt me, so I think you're good."

"I'm slightly comforted." Aaron sighed. Is this what it was like for everyone on Remnant, or were Yang and Taiyang just over-overprotective?

"At least you don't have to worry about Zwei. He likes everybody."

"That he does." Aaron paused. "So, that's your new weapon?" He pointed at the red box on Ruby's hip.

Ruby's eyes shone brighter than the sun with a level of alertness they hadn't shown all day. "Yep!" She drew the box and extended it to its rifle form. "Máni Bláto. A customizable, high impact sniper rifle, a massive scythe, and a claymore, all in the same convenient package."

"Claymore?" Aaron studied the weapon cradled in Ruby's arms. "Do you mean the type of sword or the explosive the Valan military uses?"

"What do you think?" Ruby flicked another switch and the weapon folded in on itself, leaving a rose red blade in its place. "Do you really think I'd allow that level of explosive anywhere near my baby?"

"With you and Rhunön working together, I'm sure you could find a way to take down a Goliath with a single Dust round."

"I'm not a miracle worker. I'd need a gun as big as Cerise to do that. In the meantime, I'm happy with being able to do this." Ruby kicked a rock off the ground and into the air. She pointed her sword at it, and fired a single Dust round, nailing the pebble in midair. Birds in the frees above flew away. Ruby screeched and jumped in place. "That was the first field test! I mean, that was short range, but it works!"

Aaron couldn't help but smile at the sight. A long time ago, he would have shaken his head and tried to ignore it. But Ruby's antics had grown on him over the years. Happiness really was infectious.

Ruby stopped jumping and held her natural hand to the side of her head. "Okay, that's enough of that. I don't suppose that anti-concussion spell would work on this?"

"Probably not. I think it's just exhaustion. That's what you get for ignoring sleep."

"Awww," Ruby groaned as she folded her weapon back into the small box. "I don't suppose we can keep it quiet for a while, can we?"

"Sure thing." Aaron focused on the road ahead, trying to make as little noise as possible. While he didn't personally know the effects of staying awake for several days straight, he knew lack of sleep made sounds seem much louder than they actually were. That gunshot must have really hurt Ruby.

After about a mile of comfortable silence, Aaron felt something brush against his fingers. It disappeared for a while then came back a few minutes later. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Ruby and saw her cheeks were almost as red as her cape. A quick peek downward revealed her hand flitting between her side and his hand. Oh yeah. That's a thing that happens on Remnant.

Aaron wasn't exactly sure what to do. When did this usually happen? Would now be too fast? He kept his eyes straight forward and tried not to think about it. But when he felt Ruby's fingers close in again, Aaron naturally trapped them in his own hand. Ruby gave a light squeak and stumbled a little, but she kept walking.

Maybe this was too fast. Ruby was not in a normal state of mind. Looking back, she or Yang could think Aaron was taking advantage of her. As he was about to let go, Ruby tightened her grip. A slightly more obvious glance revealed a deep red flush over all of Ruby's face, and her lips curving upward…It was probably better to go with it now and hope he wouldn't be killed in the morning.

"What are you going to do with Crescent Rose?" Aaron asked as they approached the city.

"I'm going to repair her. Duh." Ruby freed her hand and started making huge motions. "She's my first weapon, and she's still good. She can still kill Grimm with the rest of them. I just need to figure out how to use both weapons at the same time."

"Not going to donate her someplace?" Aaron immediately regretted his choice of words.

Ruby stopped in her tracks and glared at Aaron. "I'm hoping that was an attempt at a joke. If Crescent Rose is hung up on display anywhere, it will be at home on a custom rack where I can keep an eye on her every day."

"I meant as a training weapon for Signal or Beacon."

"Better, but no. I don't trust students with my baby. Once they have their own weapons, they'll realize how much they need to care for their weapons."

Aaron threw up his hands in defense. "Sorry I asked. Forget I said it."

Ruby's shoulders relaxed. "I can do that." She looked ahead on the trail. "Incoming horseman."

Aaron followed Ruby's gaze and saw a single horse galloping at full tilt toward them. The horse and its rider stopped a few feet in front of them. "Ruby Shadeslayer, you have an urgent message from Farthen Dûr." The elf held a yellowish envelope out toward Ruby.

"Thank you for this." Ruby took the envelope and the elf rode off. She turned the envelope over in her hands. "Well, it's Blake's handwriting."

"I'm guessing reports on the Underground Highway. They weren't going to do anything too crazy without dragon support."

Ruby shrugged. "Probably." She used a finger to open the envelope and took out the piece of paper from inside. In less than a second, her eyes bulged and her mouth dropped. All the color drained from her face. Her lips quivered, but no sound came out.

Aaron walked around Ruby and read the paper over her shoulder. "Weiss captured. Need you back ASAP."

"Barzul," Aaron swore.

"Weiss?" Ruby let the envelope fall and used her now free hand to cover her mouth. "How did…why…how long ago?"

"At fastest, it would take a week for the message to get here from Farthen Dûr."

"A week?" Ruby's legs shook beneath him

"This isn't good." Aaron ran his hands through his head. "She knows everything."

Ruby's jaw dropped. "Is that all you care about?" She yelled. "You hear that someone you know is captured, and you're worried about what they know?"

"Of course not! She's my friend. We might not see eye to eye all the time, but we have each other's backs." Aaron grimaced and turned away. "They torture freely here, Ruby. All sides. The elves aren't that bad, but they'll do whatever's necessary to get the job done. I don't want to think of what the Traitor will allow."

"…How bad?" Ruby whispered.

Aaron turned his head back. "It could make what the Nevermores do to you look like a massage."

Ruby gasped and took several steps back like she was punched in the gut. Her eyes glazed over into a thousand-yard stare and tears formed at the corners. She clenched her eyes and shook her head. Her mind pressed against Aaron's. Everyone, pack up. We're leaving. Weiss has been captured. We need to act fast. Velvet, make sure Nora's looked after. Yang, check if Yaela's coming with us, and if she is, make sure she's ready. Ruby turned to Aaron. "You tell Oromis and Glaedr what's going on. I'll inform Queen Islanzadí."

"Got it." Aaron turned his head skyward. You hear all that, Nalia?

I'm on my way, Nalia mentally growled. The Traitor will pay for what he's done.

Aaron walked to where he thought the nearest clearing was but stopped a few steps in. "Ruby." He turned back and ran to his teammate. She threw him a questioning glare. "We both know the only way to convince Oromis and the Queen that we need to leave is by saying how much Weiss knows, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So they'll ask how far we're willing to go to protect that information." Aaron didn't elaborate.

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying they'll ask if we'll be able to kill Weiss if it comes to that?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Then why should we ask for their blessing to leave? There's no way I can kill her."

"Politics." Aaron spat out the word. "If we want any of the elves' support in the future, we can't disrespect them. The same thing if we don't want the Riders to fracture into Remnant versus Alagaësia, or worse, elf versus human."

"We're Riders! Last time I checked, we don't answer to any one nation."

"But for now, we are guests here. The Riders have no leader, so we report to Oromis and the Queen."

Ruby groaned and pulled on her hair. She slumped over and held her head in her hands. "So we're going to have to swear that we can kill Weiss if necessary?"

"Most likely."

Ruby stood up to her full height and looked Aaron in the eyes. "It won't come to that," she swore. The area took a light red hue. Both Riders looked up and saw Cerise hovering directly over them. Ruby jumped from the floor to her dragon in a flash of rose petals. Cerise turned around and flew toward Tialdarí hall.

Aaron once again ran for the nearest clearing. It would be easier and quicker for Nalia to land and take off than more Aaron to use magic to float up there. At the moment, every second counted.


Like I said, Jaune in real life...Also, Yay! Operation rescue Weiss!