Here we are at Chapter 102. Let's see if the gang can keep Khazhak away from death's door and get him back on his feet. I do not own RWBY. They belong to Roosterteeth. I only own my OCs. Here's chapter 102. Enjoy.
Chapter 102: A Big Newcomer
"We have to get to Argus as quickly as possible," Reaper says.
The group are all back on the flat-bed, with Yang driving through the wilderness. Khazhak lies in the center of the flat-bed, unconscious and with bandages wrapped around his torso.
"I don't know how, but as we were treating his injuries, his lightning suddenly popped up and sealed his wounds to stop the bleeding. That's the only reason he's not dead yet, but if we don't find proper help soon..." Qrow trails off, unwilling to finish the sentence as he watches Ruby sitting next to Khazhak, holding his only hand, her eyes bloodshot from all the crying she did earlier.
"Who was that guy? How was he able to defeat Khazhak? I've... I've never seen him lose a fight before. Especially like this," Blake asks.
All eyes eventually turn to Voshkie'ahk, who has her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, a solemn look on her face.
"You know who that was, don't you, kid?" Qrow asks.
"That... was Kamir'ahk Shiryu... He's our older brother," Voshkie'ahk admits.
The whole group is stunned by this revelation, "...What?" Porphyrius mutters.
"But... Brother never told us you two had an older brother," Lloyd notes.
"That's because we thought he was dead, among other reasons... Kamir'ahk was our older brother. He and Khazhak were trained by our father, but Kamir'ahk was always stronger than Khazhak. Once upon a time, he looked up to him... But, there was something dark, something twisted inside of him, and as his strength grew, so too, did that darkness. His semblance drains away the life force of any living thing he comes into contact with, and his strength increases the more life force he drains, similar to your semblance, Yang. He started to become hungrier for power, and his mind began to change. Our father tried to train him to overcome those desires, while our mother tried to show him love and care that would warm his heart... But it didn't work, and one day... he went too far..." Voshkie'ahk says, and turns around, undoing some of her clothing and dropping it to reveal the long, nasty scar across her back. All are shocked to see such an injury on her, even more so when they figure out who did it. "He attacked me one day, and left this scar on my back," she says, and fixes her clothes. "He broke one of Father's most important rules: never tun your blade upon an innocent; especially an innocent family member. Since then, I'd have nightmares of that incident, and I was so AFRAID of him, that I couldn't be anywhere near him. Khazhak hated him with a passion from that day forth. That was the lasts straw for our father. He disowned and banished Kamir'ahk from our home, believing that the outside world would kill him. Apparently, he was wrong. And that mistake came back to destroy us years later," she explains.
"But... why did Khazhak never tell us about this?" Reaper asks.
"And how come you never told me about how you got that scar?" Qrow asks.
"Because our father swore us to secrecy. He made us swear never to tell another soul about Kamir'ahk. And so we did... You have to understand, Khazhak loves you guys. You're his family, but he idolized our father. He wanted to be just like him... but he never got the chance to. Khazhak always keeps his promises, and he just couldn't break his promise to our father... even if it made him sick to death in keeping this from you all. Plus, we honestly thought he was dead, and so it wouldn't have mattered much, until now. And to make matters worse, Kamir'ahk also possesses the Dragon Spirit, with his dragon partner being Tiamat and Bahamut's brother, Nidhogg," Voshkie'ahk explains.
"Nidhogg?" Weiss asks.
"Nidhogg was very proud, more so than Bahamut, and bloodthirsty, but he deeply loved our kind, and would do anything to ensure its survival. Some of us believed that his love became more like an obsession. He was another dragon that performed the ritual to bind us to our descendants, though our connection to him dissipated after a great many years, and we assumed that he had perished. To see what has become of him, to attempt to kill one of his own without hesitation; I cannot imagine what could make him do such a thing," Tiamat explains, and Voshkie'ahk repeats those words to the group.
"Well, what about Bahamut? Is he..." Ruby says, finally joining the conversation.
"Tiamat says she can't sense him. She's not saying he's gone, but that their connection has been severed somehow, most likely because of Nidhogg," Voshkie'ahk says.
"So, what, he's back for revenge about being kicked out?" Yang asks from her bike.
"No... he's working for Salem. He's the one that killed our mother, and set fire to our home, and he tried to kill Khazhak. Salem knew about the power of the Dragon Spirit, and now we know how she found out," Voshkie'ahk says.
The group take a moment to think about this. To learn that Khazhak has an older brother that's not only stronger than him, but is also working for Salem and wants him dead. If things weren't bad before, they are now.
"Celadon mentioned his grandchildren, but he only ever talked about you two. I guess he pulled on over on me as well," Maria mutters.
"Khazhk wanted to tell you all about Kamir'ahk, he truly did, but he just couldn't break his promise to Father. It would be like betraying him, and he just couldn't do that," Voshkie'ahk says.
They all stare at the unconscious Khazhak. If there were any feelings of anger at this secret being kept from them, they quickly went away at seeing the state he's in, and the look of sadness of Ruby's face.
"I don't care about that stuff right now. All I care about is making sure Brother pulls through. We can worry about the other stuff later... It's what he would do," Lloyd says.
The group go silent now, but the silence doesn't last when suddenly, Blake's scroll starts ringing, getting their attention.
"Wait, it's Jaune!" Blake gasps.
Yang stops her bike, "What? How?" she asks.
"Jaune, is that you?" Blake picks up the call.
"Blake! Oh, thank god you're okay. I've been keeping an eye on your group's scroll signals since we made it to the city," Jaune says on the other line.
"The... city?" Blake asks.
They look ahead, seeing a clear path to the top of a rocky hill. Yang drives to the top of the hill, and her eyes widen at the sight before them.
"Guys... We made it. We made it to Argus," Yang says.
Out in the distance is the port city of Argus, with a few tale buildings and a large stone wall for protection from any Grimm or bandit attacks. The group quickly make their way inside the city, getting past the wall without any issues. Yang then parks and locks her motorcycle inside a garage on the other side of the wall to keep it safe. Lloyd carries the still unconscious Khazhak on his back. The sight turned a few eyes towards the group, but they either turned away soon enough, or the group played it off by saying he was drunk. Luckily, his tattered cloak helped to hide his bandages. They look around, only for a very hyper pancake queen to spot them.
"Cute boy OZ!" Nora yells before she tackles Oscar to the ground.
"Are you all okay? We were so worried," Ren asks as he and Yang hig each other.
"It's been... well, it's been rough," Yang says, trying to sound better than she felt.
"That's an understatement," Weiss notes as Blake and Jaune hug.
"Wait, who's the old lady?" Nora asks, pointing at Maria.
Jaune and Ruby then hug, "I'm so glad you're all okay," Jaune says, but then notices the look on Ruby's face. "Ruby, what's wrong?" he asks.
Ruby says nothing, but looks back at Team KEPL as they approach, with Lloyd still carrying Khazhak. Team JNR show shocked faces at seeing Khazhak in such a condition.
"We need a place to stay so we can treat his wounds. We'll explain there," Ruby says.
Jaune nods with a serious expression, "Don't worry, I got a place," he says.
…
As it turns out, the place happened to be the home of Jaune's older sister, Saphron Cotta-Arc. They meet his older sister there, along with her son, Adrian. In her house, Jaune and Saphron stand in her guest bedroom, where Khazhak is currently asleep in the bed, his wounds having been properly treated now. Saphron is a young woman with wavy, dirty blond hair and blue eyes. She wears an orange top with a beige vest, light brown trousers with orange stitches on each side, and dark brown boots. In addition, she wears a wedding ring on her left hand and a bootlace necklace around her neck. She is carrying her son in her arms. Adrian Cotta-Arc is an infant with short black hair and brown eyes. He wears a white and blue long-sleeved shirt with denim overalls and white socks.
"Listen, thanks for letting us use the guest room for Khazhak, and sorry for the trouble," Jaune apologizes to his sister.
"Jaune, it's okay. Huntsmen and huntresses like you guys risk so much for people like us. It's the least we can do," Saphron says.
"Thanks, sis... It's just... It's hard seeing Khazhak like this," Jaune laments.
"So, is he the guy? The one you told me about in your letters?" Saphron asks.
"Yeah, this is Khazhak Rairyu. We didn't exactly hit it off well when we first arrived at Beacon, but he helped me figure some stuff out during our first semester. Or beat some sense into me, really. He was probably the strongest student at Beacon, and he was smart and experienced. He had his own way of doing things, but I respect him a lot. After Beacon fell, he helped me with my training. I learned a lot from him. That's why it's just so shocking to see him look so... defeated. I've never seen him lose a fight before. I just hope he pulls through," Jaune explains.
Saphron puts a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure he will, if he's as strong as you say. Just so you know, he is more than welcome to stay here as long as he likes until he wakes up and gets back on his feet. The rest of your friends too," she says.
"Thanks, Saph," Jaune replies.
"Come on, let's give Khazhak some peace and quiet so he can rest. I'll go downstairs into the kitchen to whip you guys up some sandwiches," Saphron says, and the pair leave the room.
Downstairs, while Saphron and Adrian are in the kitchen, Jaune meets with the others in the living room, which has two couches, a round coffee table over a rug, and a large bookshelf behind one couch. The girls are sitting on the couches while the guys stand around the room.
"So, tell us... what happened to Khazhak?" Jaune asks as he stands with his teammates.
Teams RWBY and KEPL look between themselves before they start the story.
…
Khazhak's eyes fly open, looking around and finding nothing but darkness around him. He stands up, finding his prosthetic arm missing, and feeling a dull, stabbing pain in his chest. Fighting through the pain, Khazhak slowly starts walking forward, trying to find something amidst the dark void.
"Great, I'm either dead or unconscious... What-Ruby!" Khazhak remembers what happened to him.
"The girl with the Silver eyes is still alive. I would worry more about myself if I were you," he hears a familiar voice as the darkness spreads away, revealing Bahamut lying on his side before him, appearing injured just as he is. "It seems death has yet to claim us... for the time being," Bahamut notes, groaning in pain.
"Bahamut-argh... what happened to you?" Khazhak asks as he kneels next to him, still holding his chest.
"Nidhogg... He drained me of much of my strength, just as Kamir'ahk Shiryu did to you," Bahamut explains.
"Is Ruby alright?" Khazhak asks.
"She is safe, as are the others. Your older brother left when the others stopped him before he could deal the final blow to either of you. But, it seems he did his job," Bahamut says.
Khazhak breathes a sigh of relief, "At least she's okay... I never thought Kamir'ahk would still be alive, and working for Salem no less. What's more, I thought Voshkie'ahk and I were the only ones left with the power of the Dragon Spirit," Khazhak says.
"Jinn said that only the Ryu siblings possess that power, she never specifically said you and your sister. Of course, I, too, thought my brother had been lost to the sands of time. It seems we have both been proven wrong," Bahamut says, as he tries to stand up, only to fall back down onto the ground with a painful growl.
"What's wrong?' Khazhak asks.
"That battle drained away much of my strength. What's more, after our brothers left, I forcibly tapped into your semblance in order to use your lightning to seal up your wounds to stop the bleeding. Such a task requires more strength than you realize, especially in my current condition," Bahamut explains.
"You can do that?" Khazhak asks, finally sitting next to Bahamut, mostly do to his own sorry state.
"I prefer not to, but desperate times call for desperate measures, as you humans say. Unfortunately, it will be some time before I regain the rest of my strength. The same can be said for you. That battle damaged both of us in more ways than one," Bahamut says.
Khazhak stares out into the darkness, "I failed again. I failed to protect Ruby again, and this time, it nearly cost me my life. It's ironic, when it comes to taking life, I have no trouble in that regard, but when it comes to safeguarding it... it is an entirely different story. I was never able to defeat Kamir'ahk in the past... and I still can't now," Khazhak notes, laughing bitterly.
"In war it is easy to take a life, it is harder to save it. But the fact remains: you did save Ruby Rose from your brother. You didn't fail in that regard," Bahamut tries to cheer him up.
"...I think that's enough talking for now. I need to get back to the others, so can you let me wake up now?" Khazhak asks.
"I'm afraid it's not that simple. That blow you took should've, in all purposes, killed you. It is only through the power of the Dragon Spirit that you survived. You must remain in this state for a while so as to help speed up the healing process for your body. If you force it too quickly, it will undo any progress you have made," Bahamut says.
"I can't just sit here and-argh-do nothing!" Khazhak tries to stand up, only to feel more pain in his chest.
"Unfortunately, you don't have much choice. Kamir'ahk did a lot of damage to you, as my brother did to me. We must... be patient," Bahamut says, trying and failing to get back on his feet.
Khazhak grits his teeth in anger before sitting back down, "Tell me about your brother. About Nidhogg," Khazhak asks.
"Nidhogg was like myself, strong and loyal to the survival of our race. His power could leave entire forests devoid of life, hence the name 'Dragon of Death'. But, he was also incredibly proud, and his anger had no bounds. I may have been known as the 'Dragon of Destruction', but at least I knew there were lines not to cross. But Nidhogg, he would cross any line to achieve victory. We were at odds at times, but during the war, we put our differences aside to protect our kind. Of course, that didn't end so well. I still do not understand why he would ally with the very creatures that were responsible for our kind's ruin. Perhaps the isolation from the rest of us drove him mad, or he truly believes that this is the only way to keep our race alive. There's just... something different about him now," Bahamut explains.
"So I guess we both have screwed up brothers. What about our sisters?" Khazhak says.
"As far as I know, they are both still alive, but I cannot connect with Tiamat. It seems Nidhogg has severed my connection to her," Bahamut says.
"Voshkie'ahk was always afraid of Kamir'ahk after he hurt her. After I... after I failed to protect her years ago," Khazhak says.
Bahamut moves his head closer to him, "So... that is the part of the past you were having a difficult time admitting to," Bahamut says.
Khazhak nods, "I used to look up to Kamir'ahk, before he started to go nuts. After that day, I never wanted to see him again. We may be related by blood, but he is no longer my brother. But now I have another question: how did he get so strong with the Dragon Spirit?" he says.
"He may have been training with it longer than you have, and may have completed the tasks necessary to unlock more of its power," Bahamut says.
"Does that include growing a tail out of his ass?" Khazhak asks.
"Yes. Whenever you use the Dragon Spirit, the more you master it, the more your body becomes more dragon and less human. More advanced levels of the Dragon Spirit allow one to grow limbs of dragons that humans do not possess... for a time at least," Bahamut explains.
"...And what about that one technique he used? He said that I haven't unlocked any of the Dragon Spirit's secret techniques. What was he talking about?" Khazhak asks again.
"When one has mastered enough of the Dragon Spirit's power, they gain access to unique skills that they normally wouldn't be able to use. These secret techniques come from the true heart of a dragon, and as such, contain incredible amounts of power. These techniques differ between each individual who possesses the Dragon Spirit. They are the first step into unlocking the full power of the Dragon Spirit," Bahamut explains.
"And you didn't tell me about this because?" Khazhak asks.
"Because you were not ready for such power. You still are not. To use such techniques as your current level would most likely leave you dead or close to it. If Kamir'ahk survived using such a power, it would seem that his control over the Dragon Spirit is far greater than yours. At your current level, you are no match for him," Bahamut explains.
"Then we need to get me to the point where I am a match for him," Khazhak says.
"You are not ready. If you force it any further, this power will kill you," Bahamut retorts.
"But then how can I-," Khazhak begins.
"Well, it would seem that fate has saw fit to summon me. It seems things have truly grown so desperate in this time," a third voice suddenly rings out from the abyss.
"Who's that?" Khazhak mutters as he gets onto his feet, ever sense within him saying that something is approaching... something far, far powerful.
…
Ruby and the group have just finished explaining to Team JNR about what happened to Khazhak. Luckily, Saphron and Adrian are still in the kitchen, so they didn't really hear them. Of course, the three are still wrapping their heads around what they have just been told.
"Khazhak... has an older brother?" Jaune asks.
"Yeah, and as we said, he's working for Salem, and is after Khazhak," Yang replies, sitting on one of the couches.
"And he's also responsible for killing my mother," Voshkie'ahk mutters.
"But... why come after him now?" Ren asks.
"We don't know. Maybe because we were out in the open and not at one of the academies. Maybe because Salem might've had him do some other stuff before sending him after Khazhak. Either way, he knew where we were and came right at us. He must've been tracking us not too long after we left Haven," Porphyrius says.
"And he has the same power as Khazhak, but stronger?" Nora asks.
"Yes, and that would explain how Salem learned about the Dragon Spirit. Khazhak was just lucky that he survived the encounter. Honestly, I've never seen him lose it like it," Weiss says.
"That just goes to show how much he hates Kamir'ahk," Reaper notes.
"But, what if he finds out that Khazhak survived and comes back to finish the job? You said he's been tracking you guys. What if he finds out that we're all here?" Jaune asks.
"Then we need to find a way to get to Atlas before then, and make sure we take Khazhak with us," Blake says.
Just then, Saphron and Adrian return from the kitchen, "Um, I'm sure whatever it is you guys are talking about is important, but I'm sure it can wait until after you've all had something to eat. Jaune, think you and your friends could help me out?" Saphron asks.
"Oh, sure, no problem," Jaune says.
Right after he says that, the front door opens and a lady walks in. The lady is a young woman with short dark brown hair and eyes. She has a single smooth bang that goes down her forehead and in between her eyes. She wears a dark navy collar shirt with a light-blue cardigan, dark-gray jeans and red sneakers. She also wears red glasses and a wedding ring. In her arms are a pair of grocery bags.
"Oh, everyone, this is my wife, Terra Cotta," Saphron introduces her wife.
"Hello," most of the group wave to her.
"Wow, quite a party you got going on. You weren't kidding. I brought the rest of the food. Hun, could you give me a hand?" Terra asks as she heads into the kitchen.
"Sure. You guys look after Adrian while we work," Saphron says, handing her son to Weiss and Yang to play with while they make the food.
The two girls quickly start going goo-goo-gaga over the baby, much to their boyfriends' chargin.
"Aw, you're so cute. Look at your little face!" Yang and Weiss swoon over Adrian.
Reaper and Porphyrius glance away and groan, while Lloyd chuckles at them, "Face it guys. You can't beat the cuteness factor," he jokes, making them glare at him.
While Team JNR finish up making the food, everyone else is in the living room.
"Um, you sure it's okay for us to stay here?" Ruby asks, finally joining in on the conversation.
"Of course. We're happy to house huntsmen and huntresses like yourselves. You all risk so much for us. It's the least we can do," Terra says, sitting next to her wife with Adrian in her arms. "And Saphron already told me about your friend. Don't worry, he's more than welcome to stay here until he's recovered enough to move around again," she says.
"Thank you, Terra," Ruby says.
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened exactly?" Terra asks.
"It was Grimm, when we separated the train cars, we were still fighting them. After the train crashed, we made our way on foot here and were attacked again by a lot of them. Khazhak got injured in the melee," Yang lies.
"I see. I'm sorry about asking. Though, I must admit, I was surprised to hear an elite huntsman like yourself had students with you. Are you sure that's... legal? Given the situation?" Terra asks Qrow.
Ruby nudges Qrow to get him back into the conversation, "Um, sure, it's supposed to be an extended training mission. Things can get really dangerous at times, but that's why we have them. To help prepare these kids for when they become professional huntsmen and huntresses. Things got a little crazy, but Khazhak will pull through. He's the toughest of the bunch. He'll be alright," Qrow says.
Team JNR bring in sandwiches, and everyone sits around the table to eat after such a long journey, enjoying the food. The married couple smile at them, but then Terra's scroll starts ringing, earning s frown for her. Saphron nods her head to take it and she takes Adrian off her wife's hand.
"Excuse me. I'll be right back," Terra says and goes upstairs to take the call.
"Is everything okay?" Lloyd asks.
"Oh, yeah, it's fine. Terra's a technician for our city's relay tower. Unfortunately, the military's radar system is stationed there too... Guess what's been on the fritz and who's getting falsely blamed," Saphron coos at Adrian as she talks to the others.
"Me," Terra whispers from the stairs while on the call.
"So, while your friend is recovering, what are you guys going to do tomorrow?" Saphron asks.
Porphyrius finishes his sandwich, "Well, the plan is to get to Atlas. Figured we'd try the military base here first and go from there," he says.
At hearing that, Team JNR gain worried expressions on their faces.
"Yeah, um, you see, we tried that, and it... well, it didn't go so well," Jaune says.
"What do you mean? It can't be that bad, right?" Yang asks.
"Oh, you'll see," Jaune says.
…
"It cannot be..." Bahamut says as he managed to lift his head now.
Khazhak and Bahamut watch as an extremely large, snake-like form flies around them in the darkness, slowly being illuminated in the small light in Khazhak's mind. Soon enough, they see that the new presence is much large than even Bahamut, with two pairs of large bat-like wings on its long back, and a head with a pair of frills on the sides of its head and large horns on the back of its head. Its eyes glow myriad of colors as the creature stares at them.
"What the Hell is that?" Khazhak mutters.
"How is this possible?" Bahamut mutters in shock.
The creatures voice echoes deeply in the void, "I am... Midgardsormr..."
And that's the chapter. The gang finally make it to Argus and meet up with Team JNR and meet Jaune's older sister, Saphron, and her family. However, it sounds like getting to Atlas will be more difficult than they first thought. Meanwhile, now Khazhak's got another dragon in his head, one far older than Bahamut and more powerful. Will the gang make it to Atlas? Who exactly is this Midgardsormr? (Yes, this is the same one from Final Fantasy 14 like Bahamut, so I do not own the design) Until then, please Read and Review.