Hello everyone! Hope you guys are staying warm out there, especially if you're in Texas right now.
Ruby felt something jump into the bed next to her. The snout of an animal sniffing her face before giving a generous lick awoke the girl completely. She wiped away the sloppy kiss the puppy had given her before sitting up in bed. Dreizehn was hopping around on the mattress, wagging his tail as he greeted the girl.
"Hey Dreizehn," Ruby said half-heartedly, going to pet the top of his head.
Dreizehn didn't seem to recognise the poor mood Ruby was in right now. He was just happily squirming about, relishing the attention someone was giving him. When the dog sat in her lap, he continued, following up with more kisses and all the love a puppy could offer. It helped Ruby out a little, but not enough to pull her from this depression.
Ruby could hardly sleep last night because of what she saw yesterday. It was too much for her to deal with. She just wanted to leave and get back to the adventure. All of that gold could go to helping these people if they chose to return. With some of Ozpin's people working with them, they could get every slave out of this city.
The Reaper shifted her legs, planting them on the wooden floors, feeling a chill run up her spine. She looked around and saw a few others were beginning to wake up but were still sluggish. Jaune and Blake were completely missing, however. Their bags were gone as well.
Did they get up early?
It sounded like them. Ren and Jaune were usually the early risers of the group, with Pyrrha coming in last. Maybe this was one of the occasions where Blake happened to wake up around the same time as Jaune.
As Ruby stood up, the door to the room opened. Blake was coming in wearing her full kit. Judging from her appearance, the girl did not get much sleep last night either. Her eyes were bloodshot with bags beneath them, and her hair was a mess.
"Hey Blake," Ruby said, garnering the other girl's attention. "Where's Jaune?"
Ruby was concerned for him given what happened yesterday. She didn't know how Jaune was taking it since she hid inside the room most of the day. Between Weiss and the slavers, his mood should have been irritable at best.
Maybe Weiss should hold off? I don't want her to make things worse for Jaune.
"He's waiting for us outside the city," Blake explained, using her leg to keep Dreizehn at a distance. "So, we need to grab our stuff and meet up by the gate. I want to get out of the city as fast as we can."
...
Opening the outer doors to the inn, Ruby's nostrils were assaulted by the smell of smoke. There was a thick haze rolling through the city like a fog. People were scrambling back and forth in a panic, running water from whatever wells were open to another down the line. The sounds of people yelling orders filled the city streets.
Ruby looked towards the port and saw a massive plume of smoke rising from there. It appeared as though several buildings caught fire and were reduced to rubble. Though she wasn't sure the blaze had stopped by now. Ruby was surprised nobody had told the group what was happening.
"Whelp, it's not our problem," Sun declared, taking the lead of the group. He tucked his arms behind his head, interlacing fingers as he stretched. "Let's get out of here before someone tries to Shanghai me. I'll take the zombies over a buncha slavers any day!"
"I'm finding it hard to disagree with you," Ren expressed, grabbing his and Nora's stuff before following him.
Everyone began leaving the city, but curiosity got the better of Yang. As one of the guards was running past, Yang grabbed his attention.
"Yo, what happened," she asked.
"Slaves got out," the man replied windedly, not stopping to answer. "They stole a ship and burnt down the port!" He continued on his way, bolting past the group down an alley.
Really!
Ruby's heart leapt at the news. They had managed to get free! With a ship, those freedmen could go anywhere they want to. Ruby could cry right now if she wasn't already from the smoke; she was so happy.
Still, she wanted to do something about the slavers. They were going to continue their work when they were able to rebuild the port. Ruby knew this was only a temporary setback for the Lord. Unless his pockets were shallow, then he had the gold to launch a new project.
"HA," Yang laughed out loud, clapping her hands. "Serves them right!"
The others seemed to agree. Smiles stretched across their lips at the sight of the burning port. All of the ships docked out there were on fire as well. However, the presence of guards in the area made the group hurry up on their exodus from town. They might have been questioned as to their involvement if they stuck around.
[Valean Wilds]
Exiting the gates, the group stood on the precipice of the Pantan Swamps. The ecotone of it anyway. The large oaks belonging to Vale's northern regions were still heavily present. It wouldn't be long before the group would have to trek through mud and wetlands.
Ruby couldn't see Jaune anywhere nearby. There was a large clearing surrounding the outer gates, so he should have been spotted easily. Jaune tended to stick out in a crowd. Or, in this case, the outskirts of a city.
Blake gestured to the road they had planned on taking. "Jaune's waiting down the road," she said, beginning to walk down the path.
Nobody initially vocalised their concerns but chose to follow along. Ruby could see his hawk flying over a nearby treeline, so she was telling the truth. She expected Weiss to complain, but even she was silent about it. Though Ruby was beginning to suspect something was going on.
They entered the forest a few minutes later, keeping to the road. The sounds of the woods filled their ears, gently singing to the group as they walked. Along the path, they saw Jaune step out a few yards ahead of them.
*Crack*
The sound of tree branches snapping preceded a large creature pushing its way out of the treeline. It did so with such force; several smaller trees were toppled over in its rush to enter the clearing. The massive reptilian slid across the ground as its momentum was far too much for it to stop on a dime. Everyone aside from Jaune and Blake was quick to grab their weapons and prepare for some threat.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa, guys," Jaune called out, holding his hands up for them to hold back. "Calm down, he's friendly!"
Dreizehn didn't seem to care as he ran up to the monster growling and barking. The lizard hissed loudly, raising its brightly coloured feathered crest up as a sign of aggression. The puppy immediately reconsidered, turning and running back to the safety of Weiss. His whining and yelps were only quieted by the girl petting the pup.
"DUDE, NO WAY," Sun shouted, holstering his bo staff as he ran up to the lizard. "You found one of these guys?!"
Sun went up to pet the lizard as it finished its meal consisting of a deer. The last remnants of a hind leg slid down its gullet as the beast turned to the blonde. It appeared friendly as the boy held his hand out, allowing him to gently stroke the top of its head.
"Yeah, bestiary only called them subterranean giant lizards," Jaune explained for the rest of the group. "Not native to Vale, but there was only a little bit on them in my book."
Ruby hesitantly approached the lizard to inspect it. Like with Sun, the creature appeared to be socialised and didn't mind others coming to greet it. Though, its breath smelled terrible, causing Ruby to take a few steps away to spare her nostrils.
This is so cool!
"Yeah, they're from Vacuo," Sun added on, continuing to check out the animal. "Mountain men from the south domesticated them a while back, so people all over Vacuo use them like horses. They handle the deserts and canyons better."
Interesting...
Judging from the lizard's build, Ruby agreed. The long claws and fingers with the seemingly muscular arms were suited to climbing. It reminded Ruby of a stockier iguana in some ways.
"I thought you couldn't domesticate reptiles," Ren asked, raising an eyebrow. "Their brains aren't as complex as mammal's."
He's right... But you have to breed them a whole bunch, though.
"I dunno, they got some weird magic down there," Sun countered, waving off to the side.
"Druids, maybe," Nora suggested, going to pet the giant lizard. "I have an ability that can tame animals under my level."
"You're probably right," Blake agreed, stepping up next to them. "But you said they're subterranean? Is there a cave they live in?"
"Whole network of em," Sun chirped, enjoying the spotlight. "They run deep underground and all connect to a giant chamber under the desert. If you can find an opening, you can go explore. There are giant mushrooms larger than buildings, huge bugs, glowing plants, and lizards like these guys. The Mountain Tribes have a bunch of routes inside, so they make the best of it."
We have to check that out!
Ruby wasn't sold on Vacuo a few days ago, but it had to be on their list now. Dr Oobleck would want to hear about the expedition into the deep if they went. All of the monsters to fight down there and just having the chance to see it would be priceless.
Ugghh, there's so many places we need to go!
"What do you guys call the cave," Pyrrha asked curiously. She went up to pet the lizard as well.
"We used to have a name for the place, but we call it the 'Hollow' now," Sun replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Vacuo used to have more panache when it came to naming stuff, but usually it goes by big cave, big mountain, big rock, big lizard nowadays. We use Common instead of Vacuoun, so we just call these guys riding lizards."
Ruby chuckled to herself at that. Ancient cultures in Vale did the same thing. They always dressed up the names of locations and made them sound weird.
"Where did you get this 'thing,'" Weiss bitterly demanded.
Ruby turned to her and found the Ice Queen. The Nice Queen had taken a second off, and the ambient temperature of the area grew cold. It seemed like she had realised something, and it had deeply angered her.
The guilt was all in Jaune's face. Whatever joy remained was sucked out and replaced with anxiety. Jaune knew that Weiss knew, and it scared him.
"Ummm..." Jaune began hesitantly. "Well, I let him out of a cage and decided to follow me..."
"You stole him," Weiss corrected abruptly. "I'm guessing you were the one who burned the port down and set all the slaves free?"
"Yeah..."
Ruby felt a warmth well up in her chest. Even if he hadn't done it on her behest, she loved that he did so. He did the right thing, regardless of the consequences. If Weiss wasn't going to appreciate that, she would.
"It was Blake's idea," Jaune added on, pointing over towards the faunus. "I didn't want her to do it alone..."
"That doesn't matter," Weiss exploded, causing everyone to turn in her direction. Their expressions ranged from neutral to displeased at best. "What matters is that you broke into a warehouse owned by the Lord and stole property belonging rightfully to him! These weren't pirates or bandits capturing people and selling them into slavery! This city has deemed that slavery is legal, and one can own another person!"
"Weiss..." Ruby uttered, trying to get her to stop.
The others were beginning to grow angry with the Princess. Ruby was just trying to keep the group together as best as she could. If they all turned on her at once, then they could kiss any future everyone had together goodbye. Ruby didn't want that.
"What if the two of you had been caught," Weiss posed, gesturing towards the pair. "What if the guards decided we were all in on this and chose to arrest us? Both of you put everyone at risk! The Lord could have gone to the King who could have then gone to Ozpin and have us all thrown out of Beacon! The King could try to save face with the South and send us back here in chains! Did either of you stop and consider what the consequences could have been!"
"I did," Jaune snapped, clearing the distance between the two until he was standing right in front of her. The boy stared down at Weiss with a scowl on his lips. "And you know what, Weiss?! I didn't care! I don't care that it's a law or that it's some guy's property! He was keeping people as slaves, Weiss! So, fuck him and the law!"
Weiss was about to counter, but Jaune turned his back to her. He stomped down the trail, leaving her standing alone. The others didn't say anything and followed along. Though Ruby could see the disappointment in their sideways glances.
Great...
She turned to Yang for advice, but the blonde urged her along. The girl still had a smile on her lips, showing that she was going to handle this. Ruby wanted to do it herself; however, Yang was more confident in her charm than Ruby's.
[Weiss: Several Hours Later]
Stupid...
Weiss had been fuming for the entire duration of the walk. She didn't want to talk to anybody and was fine just being by herself in the back of the train. Not that the others seemed to care at all. Least of all, Jaune.
Right now, he was at the head of the group with Ruby at his side. The two were chatting away like nothing had happened. It irritated Weiss to no end. Seeing Ruby smiling and laughing at him made the girl grit her teeth. However, her brain's logical side told Weiss to stay back lest she fell into another outburst. So, sulking would have to do for now.
"You still brewing up there, Weiss," Yang asked from behind.
The two were twenty or so feet back in the line. Everyone else was bunched up as one, keeping them from hearing anything going on here. This meant Weiss was at the blonde's mercy. She didn't have anywhere to run since the others weren't going to defend her anyway.
"What do you think," Weiss grumbled lowly, not intending on giving her a straight answer.
"I'll take that as a yes," Yang said, walking up next to her so they could walk side by side. "It's 'cause of Jaune, right? You want to talk about it?"
What are you doing? Just leave me alone...
Weiss saw how everyone else was looking at her. Why would Yang be any different? Weiss wanted to tell her off and just be left by her lonesome so badly right now.
"We should have gone to Ozpin and told him everything that was going on down here," Weiss began, going against her initial wishes. "I could have used my family's connections to pressure the King to free those slaves. There are a hundred things we could have done instead of breaking into that warehouse."
The Schnee family was in control of an entire kingdom, after all. They had all the financial means to put Vale in a position to reconsider this policy. But no, people had to act irrationally and burn down an entire port! It likely put a considerable blow into the local economy on top of the damage those missing slaves would accrue.
"You're correct," Yang expressed emphatically. "But that doesn't make you right."
"Great," Weiss ejected, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "You're on their side too?!"
Of course, she tried to worm her way into my head to change my mind! I thought she was actually trying to help!
"Kinda sort of," Yang clarified, trying to calm Weiss down. "But come on, picture it from Jaune, Ruby, and Blake's point of view. They see something bad is going on, and they want to stop it if they can. Jaune and Blake are more practical about it since they would go to Ozpin about the town's problems and deal with the slaves personally. Ruby's an idealist who thinks she can change everything even if she really can't. If they chose to go along with your plan and petition to the King, that means they have to leave the slaves here. They're going to continue suffering without someone immediately stepping in to help. It doesn't sit right with them, and they can't let it slide, so what do they have to do?"
It irritated Weiss further hearing that argument. The worst part about it was how right Yang was. They looked at things from a different perspective but only considered the immediate situation and not the bigger picture.
"But it doesn't solve the problem as a whole," Weiss expressed with a sigh. "We need to work within the law to change things like that. If we could outlaw goods from the South, then there would be no reason to keep slaves. We could also have the King tell them to release the slaves, or they're going to do it by force! I could convince him that the economic benefits of slavery don't justify keeping children as chattel."
The ordinary people of Vale would likely agree with her. Sure, the bigots were a lost cause, but they were a minority compared to the rest. A few nobles on her side could easily persuade the King onto their side. If they were influential people among the court's notables, it gave more inertia to the idea.
Then there was always the trade guilds residing in the capital. They had more pull than many nobles, given they controlled much of the coin that flowed into their coffers. At least one guild agreeing with her would become a very painful thorn in their side.
"I get that, but the others aren't thinking like you do," Yang argued back. "You can deal with slavers how you want to, but what if they don't want to give up their slaves. Bailiff said the lords down here are banding together with the Church as the glue. If they can get enough guys together, they can tell the King to fuck off. What then? At least Jaune and Blake's methods can ruin them, so they're harmless at the very least. Can't hire mercenaries or guards if you don't have any cash flow. Then they have no option but to give up slaves and go to something else or risk a slave rebellion."
I still don't like it... The slavers are in with the kingdom, and that makes the risk too great to try.
"But, yeah, I agree with you on the risks," Yang continued reluctantly. "I would have kicked Ruby's ass if she went along. If we were going to try breaking the slaves out, everyone should have gone with and skipped town that night. That way, we could have more eyes looking out for us and use Ren and Blake to take down any guards or people who were unlucky enough show up."
At least she's making sense... Wait a minute.
"You just said it was too risky," Weiss pointed out. "Why would you have us all go there?!"
"Go big or go home, Weiss-cream," Yang casually expressed, gesturing upwards. "If you're gonna break the law, might as well do it the right way."
Ugh, she has a point... I still think we should go to Ozpin once this is all over.
The group continued following the road for some time. Now, they had reached a bend in the path, taking them left along a river. The sound of rushing water began filling Weiss ears as they neared its source. At least the noise would fill her head for the time being to break the monotony.
As they reached the corner, Jaune stopped in his tracks along with the others. Weiss caught up to find the problem standing right in front of them. It was currently tearing its way through a horse once belonging to a caravan. More corpses were scattered about the train, victims to the monster's hunt.
The beast in question was a wyvern. Its head was about three-fourths long as Jaune was tall, adorned with a crest of bone-like spines jutting out from behind its skull. In total, Weiss figured the monster was nearly fifty or so feet long. The beast was lined with thick brown scales with a reticulating colour palette much like a python. Its stomach had lighter scaling that was roughly white but appeared to be less durable than its back. The wyvern's wings were almost fifty-five feet from tip to tip, so the beast's slender body could obtain flight.
It may not have been a stocky creature, but Weiss knew how much muscle wyverns possessed. It was certainly enough to break the trunks of trees with a swipe. This one was probably one of the larger wyvern varieties that Weiss knew of, likely meaning it was several decades old. Possibly a young adult since they could live for about three hundred years.
"Guys, back away slowly," Jaune said, urging the group with his hands to shuffle back.
It didn't matter what Jaune said. The beast had noticed them. It lifted its massive head, lowly grumbling as an enormous crocodilian would. The group's retreat didn't appear fast enough to satisfy the creature, and Weiss noticed flames beginning to build up inside its throat.
"Shit-Shit-Shit-Shit!"
As the wyvern unleashed its fire breath attack, Jaune cast his shield spell. The sustained breath of fire slammed into the glyph, stopping the flames from scorching the group. The fire poured around the shield burning the ground as it cast off in all directions.
Weiss acted immediately, forcing her way to the front and casting another shield spell over Jaune's. Layering shields like this provided additional strength to the spells. It would keep Jaune's guard from breaking down due to magicka exhaustion and damage to the glyph.
The wyvern seemed to realise the fire breath was not working, so it stopped. With a reptilian screech, it unfolded its massive wings and took flight. The air displaced by a single flap nearly toppled over some of the group members.
As it ascended, everyone watched the beast disappear over the treeline, leaving the group flabbergasted as to what just happened.
[Jaune]
"Jaune, I thought your job was the scout in front of us," Sun irately questioned as he stepped to the front. "What the hell happened?!"
Everyone looked at him, wondering the same. They were now beginning to recover from the near heart attack that wyvern just gave them. Something that he understood since it gave him quite the fright as well. Running into a dragon was something barely anyone would expect on a bad day.
"I was checking out the path behind us to see if anything was following," Jaune explained, not making up excuses at all. "I was gonna swing back around and have the hawk go a couple miles ahead, but I didn't get to it in time."
Not omniscient guys...
"Sun, just keep an eye out and make sure it doesn't sneak up on us again," Yang demanded, trying to break things up before another argument took place. She turned back to the other blonde and the scene of the caravan, shaking her head. "So, what's going on here?"
In front of them was the remnants of a trading caravan like the one they took to Poncier. Likely, they had departed from Poncier early in the morning before the group had. Their horses and carts would let them haul their goods at a faster pace than Jaune could walk.
"Well, it looks like she was hunting and came across the caravan," Jaune began, examining the damage to the wagons. "I think she landed and took out the first cart and burnt the traders as they ran away."
The first carriage was knocked over, and the horses were dead, meaning they didn't have the opportunity to run before the wyvern killed them. The remaining traders jumped off the carts to run into the forest as Jaune would have done. Then the wyvern shot a wave of fire at them given the scorch marks on the ground and how burnt one side of the trader's bodies were.
"She," Yang asked, cocking her head to the side. "How do you know that?"
Before Jaune was able to answer, the giant lizard began eating one of the dead horses. Like an alligator, he started tearing pieces off and choking them down despite having eaten an entire deer earlier.
"Sexual dimorphism," Ruby chimed in. "Wyverns look different depending on if they're female or male. Female wyverns have those big crests, and males have feathers like Jaune's lizard."
"Nerds," Yang quipped before turning back to the scene of the crime. "So, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say we're in her territory. You think a nest is nearby?"
I hope not...
"If there is, it would explain why she's so aggressive," Jaune agreed, tracing his hand around one of the tracks on the ground. "She might not have gotten any food in a while, so she's trying to guard her kill. I don't think we should risk it and get out of here."
"I'm with you on that one."
"We should search the wagons and see if there's any gold," Blake interjected before the march could continue. "They're not going to need any of it..."
She's not wrong. They're dead, and we need the money. I wish we had time to bury these guys, though.
"Make it quick..."
Just as Blake was about to climb onto the carriage, her ears perked up, and she turned in the direction the group came in. A howl off in the distance alerted everyone to the wyvern's presence. Not a moment later, she reappeared from the treeline several hundred metres away.
"Guys, she's coming back," Sun shouted as he backpedalled, preparing his weapon to face the beast.
Jaune reacted immediately, using his telekinesis spell and hurling Blake into the treeline. The others got the clue and bolted in that direction. Ruby scooped Weiss up in her ability, carrying her off in a vortex of rose petals. Before the wyvern could use her breath attack, Jaune hopped on the back of the riding lizard and raced into the forest, narrowly avoiding the flames.
As they entered the tree line, Jaune leapt off the lizard, allowing him to run further into the forest with Dreizehn. The two would be out of the way as the group formulated the plan and wouldn't have to worry about their safety. Though, Jaune would love a pack of giant lizards with sharp claws and teeth right now.
"What's the gameplan Jaune," Sun harshly whispered as he used a tree for cover.
Everyone was planted a few metres back from the edge of the treeline. They would be safe from fire if they used the trees to block any flames but would be driven from cover if a forest fire got started. Just as Jaune planned, they needed to get the wyvern down on their level and tangled up in the trees. Doing that would keep the dragon from using her breath attack since she couldn't see her targets.
"Blake, I need you to use those arrows Ruby and I made," Jaune ordered as Blake began grabbing for her bow. "Hit the wyvern in the vitals. Those arrows should punch through her scales." He looked over to Weiss. "Weiss, use your ice magic to keep fires under control. If she uses another breath attack, try to put up an ice wall or shield to block it. Hit her wings if you can manage the shot." Jaune grabbed a dozen or so silver bullets from a pouch on his side. "Everyone else stays in cover until the wyvern's on the ground! Don't let yourself get cornered and run to a new tree if she hits yours with a breath attack."
"What about me," Ruby asked, pulling her scythe out. "I can use my ability to fly up there and hit her!"
She's right...
The Crimson Flash ability would let her moved in any direction as that vortex of rose petals. Jaune didn't know if she was invincible in that form, but she could reach the wyvern. With Crescent Rose at the level it was now, she could deal some serious damage if she landed the hit.
"Go for the wings," Jaune directed, ensuring she got the plan clearly. "Try to take the whole arm if you can. Don't take any risks. Wait 'till she's above us, then go for it!"
With that, everyone broke apart and moved into position. Jaune distributed a few silver oil vials to coat weapons, but that was about the extent of what he could do now. They weren't prepared to take on wyverns in the most efficient way possible. Jaune would have preferred ballistae with explosives attached to the bolt.
As everyone began preparing their weapons, Jaune got an idea as he watched Pyrrha oiling her spearhead.
"Pyrrha, let me use your spear," Jaune said, reaching out for the polearm. "I'm gonna use my telekinesis and hit her in the side with it."
The spear would cut right through the wyvern's scales with the silver oil. Both the polearm's level and silver combined were going to chip apart any resistances the dragon would possess. The added benefit of Jaune hurling the spear harder than Pyrrha could throw it would ensure he could skewer the beast.
"Go ahead," Pyrrha agreed, tossing him her spear.
Jaune poked his head out of cover to figure out where the dragon had ended up. Blake was doing the same, scanning the sky for the beast. Luckily, it was doing the same for them, flying low above the river as it patrolled the area.
With a nod, both Jaune and Blake ran out of their cover. Blake pulled back her bow, drawing the full length it was able to. Jaune cocked his arm, aiming right under the arm where the vitals would have been. Simultaneously, they each launched their projectiles at the wyvern.
Using his telekinesis, Jaune augmented the spear's flight path, propelling it faster than he had thrown initially. Blake's arrow had already hit its mark just behind the rib cage. However, Jaune's spear slammed into the side of the dragon, causing it to howl in pain. The beast jerked as the shock ripped through its body but continued flying still after the wound.
Unfortunately, this only served to alert the dragon of their location. It spun around, banking hard to make the turn so it could target the pair who attacked it. As it dove into strafing them, fire began building up inside the back of the wyvern's throat.
Jaune and Blake bolted into the treeline once again to find cover. Luckily, Weiss was there with her ice magic. With a flick of her wrist, a wall of ice rose from the ground, blocking the flames from catching the heroes. It could only withstand around a second of sustained fire before it crumbled. The dragon had already passed over the group as the wall fell.
This prompted Ruby to take action, activating her ability as she cocked back Crescent Rose. She morphed into a cloud of rose petals and ascended into the canopy. Jaune was barely able to catch a glimpse of her as Ruby chased after the dragon. The cheers of his fellow teammates made it challenging to concentrate on what the girl was going.
The dragon was attempting to climb higher up into the sky. It had no idea an amorphous cloud of rose petals persued faster than it could fly. Just as it turned to make another strafe attack, Ruby made her move.
She deactivated the ability, allowing her human form to return. With a single stroke of Crescent Rose, she drew the curved blade along the left side of the dragon. Her attack was just short of the joint connecting the humourous to the shoulder, hitting the flank. The scaly hide of the beast had no chance against the scythe; however, becoming rendered in a spray of draconic gore.
This was just enough to cripple the beast's ability to fly, sending it tumbling back to earth. Ruby was able to reactivate her ability and descend to where her friends were. Landing, she was met with congratulations from the team who gave her high fives for tearing the monster from the sky.
However, Jaune couldn't wait; he'd seen where the wyvern had fallen. They needed to pursue it and finish the fight before it was allowed to run off.
"Let's catch up to her, guys," Jaune commanded as he leapt onto the back of the giant lizard.
Yang jumped on, riding alongside him as Ruby used her ability to catch up. The three quickly raced to where they saw the wyvern go down, following the smashed trees and hole left in the canopy. There, they found a deep scar carved into the ground where the wyvern's body slammed into the earth.
The wyvern was still alive, attempting to recover from the shock of plummeting to earth. As the trio approached, it shook off the daze and roared at them. The booming screech the dragon let off ripped through Jaune's chest, sending his heart rate skyrocketing. He instinctively reached for Crocea Mors, entering the plough guard.
Both Yang and Ruby lined up next to him. Each was ready to take the dragon head-on, but none made the first move. It wasn't until the dragon limped its way over to them that they broke. Each ran off in separate directions to confuse the dragon.
The only one the wyvern followed was Jaune. His riding lizard circled around the dragon to keep out of its scaly maw, leaving him on his own. The others had yet to catch up, so they needed to play a distraction until backup could arrive.
Bearing its teeth, the wyvern snapped at the boy. He managed to roll past the attack, stabbing the beast in the neck with his sword. The blade pierced the soft underbelly, activating the enchantment simultaneously. A burst of cold damage ripped through the dragon, causing her to pull back from the blade.
Yang took the opportunity to slam her fist into the back right leg of the wyvern, nearly knocking it over. The blow was not enough to completely snap the leg, but it was quite painful. Ruby did the same, cutting the mid-thigh with her scythe. The thicker scaling on the wyvern's dorsal side saved it from taking as much damage as Ruby's initial attack.
As Jaune continued to manoeuvre his way around the gaping maw, he noticed Blake leaping from the trees. She had cloaked herself among the canopy to sneak attack the wyvern from above. The faunus clutched a dagger and longsword in either hand, preparing to use both simultaneously.
However, as Jaune noticed her, so did the wyvern. In a twist, she batted Blake away with her right arm, striking her across the abdomen and sending her tumbling into the trees. Several shouts were heard as Blake left Jaune's field of view.
The loudest was, most notably, Nora's.
The Barbarian came charging out from Jaune's left, sprinting in her heavy armour faster than Jaune could manage usually. She cocked back her hammer, slamming it into the wyvern's jaw with a scream of rage. The blow knocked the beast's head to the side but only disoriented it.
Ren followed up with one of his daggers, lodging it into the dragon's neck before leaping into the air. With a twist, the boy cocked back his right arm and slammed his palm onto the top of the dragon's head. The blow created a loud cracking sound from the point of contact, forcing the beast down temporarily. The strength he focused into the punch was not missed by the dragon.
However, they seemed to have succeeded in enraging the beast. With a reptilian screech, more flames began building up in its throat. It breathed a torrent of fire, causing those near the head to scatter. Jaune bolted underneath the beast as Ren and Nora scrambled to run. Unfortunately, they were unable to react fast enough as the dragon set its sights on them.
Before it could unleash another fire breath, Pyrrha charged in to save them. She braced herself under her shield, using the large disc to divert the flames. With her sword in hand, the girl shuffled slowly towards the dragon's maw.
However, Jaune noticed that the bronze began heating up with the sustained fire. Soon it was getting red hot, enough so that he could hear Pyrrha cry out in pain. Jaune acted immediately upon this, reached out with both hands and casting telekinesis once again.
He grabbed hold of the dragon's lower jaw and began forcing it upwards. He only succeeded in shifting the bone an inch, but it was not enough. Pyrrha couldn't move out of the way lest she be cooked alive by the flames. By now, Pyrrha's voice had grown even louder, signalling to everyone what was happening to her arm.
With a scream of his own, Jaune put every ounce of his strength into the telekinesis spell. Like when he fought the hobgoblin, he focused on the task at hand. Jaune funnelled everything he had into the spell, screaming all the while. He ignored the needs of his body to perform this single action. His nose became bloodier the longer the spell went on, but it didn't matter.
With a jerking motion, Jaune pushed the dragon's lower jaw up, shutting the beast's mouth. This offered Pyrrha the chance to get away and to safety.
However, she did no such thing.
Her eyes shone bright green, and with an enraged shout, she cocked back her left arm and shield bashed the dragon. This blow came with more force than what Ren or Nora delivered, causing the wyvern to recoil in pain. With a flicked of her left arm, the shield was tossed away, revealing her burned arm and the fragments of her arm length gloves.
Taking her kopis, Pyrrha charged at the dragon. Her body beginning to emit a green miasma as the ability activated. It didn't seem as though she was feeling pain anymore, using both arms like nothing happened.
Swiping once, Pyrrha cut a deep score into the wyvern's jaw. This slice was deep enough for blood to begin spilling freely. Everyone else, seeing this, charged in to help her.
Pyrrha moved like lightning. Jaune was barely able to keep track of her as she moved. Every dodge appeared as a blur, every strike was magnified to almost inhuman levels of strength, and her reaction time was nearly precognitive.
In short, she was kicking dragon ass like nobody's business.
Jaune could barely run out in front of the dragon to help her when Pyrrha leapt into the air off Jaune's shoulder. She cocked back her right arm and thrust her blade down at the dragon. The tip of the sword crashed through the top of the beast's skull as if it were glass.
With a final exhale, the dragon died right there with Pyrrha's kopis sticking out from the other side of the head. The Spartan stood there victorious with the dragon at her feet. Moments later, her ability deactivated, dispelling the miasma and returning the girl to normal.
With that came a noticeable side effect.
Pyrrha passed out, falling backwards with no attempt made to catch herself. Luckily, Jaune came to the rescue, picking the girl up so she didn't hit her head. He immediately checked her breathing and pulse, ensuring she did not have a heart attack.
"Hey-Hey-Hey, Pyrrha," Jaune exclaimed, trying to get her to say something. "W-What's going on?!"
The others rushed over to the pair. Weiss and Ruby were already breaking out the medical supplies for her burns. Pyrrha suffered some severe second-degree burns from the superheated shield on her left arm, but that seemed like the extent of her external injuries.
"It's okay, guys," Nora said, gesturing for everyone to calm down. "It's her 'Spartan Rage' ability. Whenever she uses it, it saps all her energy. Give her a couple hours, and she'll be up."
"Then we need to take care of this burn," Weiss declared, pulling out some pink-coloured healing powder. "I need someone to fetch me clean water, preferably boiled. Anybody else who's not injured should get to setting up camp."
As everyone scrambled to get it done, Jaune spotted Blake and Sun walking out of the woods. The girl was holding her left shoulder and in obvious pain.
I'll look at the dragon later; gotta take care of her...
Suddenly, Jaune felt a rush of energy slam into him. Everyone else in camp sensed it as well, recoiling like they were punched in the chest. Jaune felt his levels rise by five, sending him to level twenty-eight and unlocking a new ability.
Purify:
This ability can remove any impurities from any material, whether they be food, drink, or metals. This renders them in a poison-free, diseaseless, and pure quality with the added benefit of destroying curses.
Jaune and friends have hit a goldmine with this kill. Think of the materials they're going to get out of the dragon.
We also learned a little bit on the way Weiss thinks. She's not opposed to freeing slaves, but we have to do it through legal channels unless it's pirates or bandits. It's fitting given her background in royalty. As a monarch, she could do away with the practice, but since she's a normal person in Vale, she has to petition upwards to make things happen. However, as for her reaction to Jaune and Blake freeing the slaves, Weiss assumes people are going to act inside the law. Especially those among Beacon's ranks. As someone who values the rule of law obviously, and with her position as princess of an entire kingdom, it is very offensive to her. Combined with her habit of lashing out, it did not sit well with Jaune since he doesn't know her perspective.
Now, as for why the dragon was so easy to kill. There's nearly a dozen people running around and slapping the shit out of you. The fact you are both injured and likely scared since something knocked you out of the sky. All that's going to throw your focus off. Getting knocked around by Nora and Ren surely didn't help given the head trauma both of them inflicted.
Blake happened to be the unlucky one in this scenario.
Class: Paladin
"Gather 'round, Paladins!"
"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"
"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"
"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"
Level Twenty Eight
Strength 58 (+15)
Agility 25 (+2)
Defence 34 (+4)
Perception 39 (+4)
Constitution 55 (+13) + 25 = 69
Intelligence 58 (+10)
Charisma 30 (+4)
Willpower 21 (+2)
...
Abilities
Arclight
A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.
Active Debuff:
Turn and Face The Sun!
Longinuslanze Testament
A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.
It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.
In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.
Active Debuff:
Turn and Face The Sun!
White Hawk
This aethereal hawk shall be forever bound to you. As its master, only you may give direction to this bird of prey. Whether it be scouting the path ahead or distracting your enemies.
...
Purify
This ability can remove impurities from any material, whether they be food, drink, or metals. This renders them in a poison-free, diseaseless, and pure quality with the added benefit of destroying curses.
...
Passive: Magister's Lament
Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.
...
Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.
Monster Slayer
Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.
Armour and Weapons Smith
Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.
...
Gear:
Jaune's Breastplate
Level Seventeen
Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather
Minimum Stat Requirements:
Strength: 32
Agility: 16
Defence: 22
Constitution: 30
Eagle's Armour
Level Twenty Eight
Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather
Minimum Stat Requirements:
Strength: 57
Agility: 25
Defence: 30
Constitution: 39
Buffs:
This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.
This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.
Necklace of the Bulwark
+25% Bonus to Constitution
Spells:
Infusion:
This spell grants one the ability to infuse the desired object with materials ordinarily unable to be bonded together. The strength of the unaltered item determines how much of an effect can be added to it.
Be warned that stressing the target with too powerful additives can result in the atomisation of the material and, possibly, a sudden explosive decomposition.
Telekinesis:
Casting this spell allows you to move objects with your mind. Within a visible range, anything you can levitate is dependent on your personal strength and willpower. Once, cast upon, the item is subject to your directions and will perform whatever manoeuvre you are capable of imagining.
Be warned that this spell drains magicka rapidly.