New chapter time! Just a heads up for both this chapter and the next few: They are going to be really dialogue and character interaction heavy. After writing a two-chapter long fight scene, it's important to focus on the characters instead of the action. I know that dialogue dumps can be poorly done, and I know I have a pretty poor history when it comes to them, but I figure by this point if people were willing to look past the mess that was the original version of chapter 9 with the awful infodump then they can stick with a few awkaward lines of dialogue.
Anyways, I have finals coming up so the next chapter may take a few weeks to come out. Or it might come out in like a week because I'm procrastinating and avoiding studying. Who knows? Anyways, here's the latest chapter of Silver Spectre. I hope you all enjoy, and please feel free to leave a review. Even just a three word review saying "I enjoyed this" or "This is awful" helps because it lets me gauge people's opinion on my work. Constructive criticism helps, but just normal criticism works as well.
A groan escaped Weiss's lips as her eyelids fluttered open, sunlight glaring right into her icy-blue eyes. The white-haired heiress let out a string of soft curses as she tried to shift about to fall back asleep, but soon gave up on the endeavor when she wasn't able to find a comfortable position. With a sigh, she rose up and blearily checked herself and her surroundings.
She'd been sleeping on a bedroll on the hard ground, which explained the soreness in her back. Her armor and weapon were nowhere to be seen, which left her quite anxious. She wore a simple blue tunic with tan breeches that were somewhat threadbare. Her right arm was tied up in a sling, but the dull throb she felt from her shoulder told her trying to remove it was a poor idea.
The white-haired noble had been sleeping in a large tent with a bedroll in the center of it. Nearby, a small and simple table was set up with numerous substances atop it. Weiss recognized a few of the substances as herb-based medicines commonly used to numb patients, which she supposed explained why she felt so exhausted.
Aside from that there wasn't much in the tent. A small stool was between her and the table, but it went unoccupied. She could dimly hear some commotion outside the tent she was staying in, but she didn't feel eager to go and check it out. Instead, she rose shakiy to her feet and winced when she put a bare foot down on a sharp rock, letting out an undignified yelp of pain in response.
The sudden noise drew attention from outside, but Weiss hardly cared as she hopped on one foot while gritting her teeth together in pain. A wave of annoyance washed over her as she glared down at her feet. Not only had they taken her sword and armor, but they stole her shoes as well? What kind of savages would do such a thing?
"Weiss? Are you up?" A familiar voice asked hopefully as a silver shape slipped into the tent, bringing with her a soft glow that provided Weiss with a much needed sense of security.
"I'm awake, Ruby. Where are we?" The ex-heiress questioned rhetorically, but Ruby answered anyways.
"Well, remember those people you helped save back in Kuroyuri? They kinda brought you back to their camp. They don't seem that bad, and they treated your wounds, so that's nice. But..." The girl led off with an unsure look in her eyes.
"We don't know what they want from me." Weiss finished for her. Her mind was starting to clear up as the sleep was shaken from her system, allowing her to remember the fight against the Nuckelavee alongside those two warriors and her subsequently passing out. They hadn't been hostile, but Weiss could hardly say she trusted them.
"Yeah. Be careful, Weiss. You've been out for a few days, so I've been listening around. No one's said what they're going to do with you, but it's clear that they helped you for a reason." The spectre cautioned. The white-haired woman's eyes widened at that. She'd been asleep for days? Before Weiss could respond however, a slightly less familiar head poked through the tent flaps and lit up on seeing her.
"Hey, you're up!" The orange-haired warrior cheered upon seeing her standing. Weiss struggled to remember her name but nothing came to mind. "We were worried for a bit there that you weren't gonna make it," She joked with a wide grin, stepping into the tent with a smile. Weiss took the chance to look over the girl now that she wasn't actively fighting for her life.
The orange-haired girl was short, around Weiss's height. Unlike Weiss, her body was much more muscular. Not to say Weiss wasn't muscular, but her body was more toned while this girl's was more bulky. She could see abs beneath her simple pink tunic with defined muscles on her arms. A simple leather skirt contrasted with her intimidating physique, but Weiss supposed it added charm to her appearance.
"Do you remember me? I'm Nora. Cute, big hammer, helped you take down that monster in Kuroyuri? Ringing any bells?"
"Yes. I remember you. You and that man helped me. Thank you," Weiss bowed her head, only to raise it at Nora's loud laugh.
"There's no need for thanks. I told ya back there, didn't I? We were just repaying the favor! To you and to that bastard!" Nora reassured her with a smile. "You got pretty banged up after the fight, though. We took you back to our camp to try and heal you, but you were asleep for the past three days!"
Weiss winced at those words. That meant Ruby had been all alone for three days. It was bad enough that she had to leave the girl alone when she went to sleep normally, but to abandon her for three days was awful. Nora saw her expression and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Cheer up, ok? You managed to take down the Scourge of Mistral! Sure, Ren and I helped, but you did almost all of the work. We just took the credit at the end!' She joked to try and cheer up Weiss. Icy-blue eyes softened at her words but her pale lips were still curled downwards into a scowl. It wasn't fair to her, but Weiss couldn't help but be mad at herself for getting hurt and leaving Ruby alone.
The spirit seemed to realize this and spoke up to wave off her guilt. "Weiss, it's okay. I had plenty to entertain me." She tried to reassure the woman, but Weiss only spared her a passing glance that slightly raised her frown. Nora didn't notice and stepped back, cocking a hand on her hip.
"Sorry to ask you this so soon after you woke up, but do you feel good enough to walk? Our boss wants to speak with you."
Weiss looked around and shrugged, wincing as she moved her right shoulder. Nora gave her a concerned look but Weiss held out a hand to tell her she was fine. Once the pain had passed, she straightened up and shook her head.
"Someone took my shoes, and I can't find the rest of my things. Where are they?" Nora blinked in surprise at her question before her eyes shot open.
"Oh shit! I was supposed to give you those back! I'll be right back!" The orange-haired woman exclaimed before taking off out of the tent and sprinting away. Weiss and Ruby shared a stunned look right as Nora burst back into the tent, panting slightly and carrying a familiar rapier and a pair of boots. Slung over her shoulder was Weiss's satchel, the sight of which caused her to suck in a breath nervously.
That bag contained her personal journal; the one filled with notes on necromancy and ghosts. If Nora or anyone else had read it, then they'd be able to figure out she was a necromancer. Given Nora's reaction to her, she assumed they hadn't, but the teal-eyed woman could simply be a good actor.
"Thank you," Weiss spoke as she took her things out of Nora's grasp with her left hand. Sheathing her rapier on her belt first, the mage slid on the boots and slung her satchel over her good shoulder. She shot Nora a questioning look to which the girl responded.
"The rest of your stuff is with your horse. We tied him down in the middle of the camp. We can go get it after you talk to the general." Nora explained before stepping out of the tent, shooting a glance over her shoulder as she did so. "You coming?"
Weiss spared only a moment to look at Ruby before nodding and stepping out into the sunlight. She squinted as her surroundings brightened under the midday sun, holding up a hand to try and shade her face. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she quickly made out Nora standing a short distance away from her, beckoning her to follow. As Weiss did, she observed the camp she'd been staying in.
Countless tents were set up haphazardly in a large clearing against a cliff face, with hard-packed dirt preventing any trees from taking root. Large tents blew slightly in the breeze as men and women hurried about, wearing mismatched armor bearing no discernable crest to show their loyalty. The smell of food wafted from a few large tents, while from others came the clanging of a smith's hammer striking metal.
As Nora led her through the camp, she caught sight of a few soldiers looking at her and whispering among themselves. Whether it was awe in their eyes or fear, Weiss could not tell. Her attention was drawn away from their faces when she saw movement in the middle of a large open area in the middle of a circle of tents.
A girl with scarlet red hair deflected a blow from a wooden sword with a large shield. She countered with a series of jabs from her practice spear, pushing her opponent, an effeminate man with red hair covering one eye, backwards. Another fighter roared as he came in from behind, brandishing a large training sword. Weiss didn't catch the rest of the exchange, but the loud grunt she heard could only have come from the big man.
Nora stepped to the side and held open the flap of a large tent, Weiss felt doubt creep its way into her veins. Her left hand found the hilt of her sword as she cast an unsure glance at Ruby, but the silver-eyed girl shrugged as if to say "You decide what's best." Sighing to try and find her resolve, Weiss stepped forward into the tent and let her eyes adjust to the light.
Unlike her tent, this one was much more decorated. The walls bore intricately stitched symbols that Weiss recognized as ancient Mistralian. Two tables ran along the sides, filled with candles and important-looking documents. Weiss could sense the candles were enchanted to prevent them from setting anything but themselves ablaze, A short, knee-height table occupied the middle of the tent. Four velvet mats surrounded the table, and a large map enchanted to be able to alter itself to its surroundings sat atop it.
Nora moved to the right of the table, where the archer who had helped her kill the Grimm in Kuroyuri stood. She couldn't remember his first name, but she knew his last. Ren. The same as the woman who was supposed to have the book. To the left of the table stood another figure; a tall, tan, Vacuoan man with dark brown hair and milky white eyes wearing maroon clothes.
Sitting on the other side of the table was an intimidating man. He was almost as tall as Junior or Bane had been, and was easily more muscular than either of them. A green jacket covered a black undershirt while a large bronze sword hung from his back. His complexion was olive-skinned and his hair was in a well-maintained buzz cut. His dark eyes lit up upon seeing her and he rose to his feet, towering over her even more than most people did.
"Weiss Schnee. I'm glad to see you are awake," The large man's voice seemed to be deep enough to shake the ground, and Weiss could do nothing but gulp in fear. Junior and Bane had been physically intimidating but had lacked any talent or skill, making up for it with overwhelming strength and sheer hatred in Bane's case. But this man had both strength and skill given by the way his eyes scanned hers to try and spot a weakness.
"I see you know who I am. May I ask who I am speaking to?" Weiss questioned with a raised eyebrow. The man chuckled at her words before rising to his feet and offering his hand.
"I am Yatsuhashi Daichi, general of the Oniyuri Rebellion. I believe you met my subordinate, Lie Ren, when you helped him kill the Nuckelavee," The giant introduced himself as she shook his hand. Weiss felt his aura with her own and found it to be similar in size to her own, albeit slightly smaller. Still, he was clearly an accomplished warrior.
"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Daichi." Weiss respectfully greeted before taking a seat opposite him, sitting cross-legged on the mat. Yatsuhashi grabbed a kettle of tea sitting on the table and poured two cups, handing one to her and taking the other for herself. "Might I ask what it is you wish to speak with me about?" She bluntly asked, cutting straight to the point.
Yatsuhashi seemed amused at her straightforwardness and took a slow sip of tea before speaking. "First and foremost, I would like to offer you my most humble and eternal gratitude for your actions in the village of Kuroyuri. Not only did you save my men, but you also managed to slay the Scourge of Mistral and avenge the countless souls who perished before the beast."
As he spoke, Yatsuhashi bowed deeply until the tip of his head was pressed against the floor. Lie Ren was likewise bowing deeply, while the as-of-yet unnamed man and Nora simply gave her respectful nods. Weiss felt a slight sense of pride well up in her but quickly squashed it in favor of figuring out what was expected of her. Now wasn't the time to be arrogant.
"I must say that my reasons for helping your men weren't entirely altruistic. I had my own goal to accomplish in Kuroyuri." Weiss explained when she felt an awkward heat creep up the back of her neck. Ruby giggled next to her, likely finding her embarrassment funny. Or maybe she was thinking along the lines that Weiss was simply getting the recognition she deserved. The ghost tended to view her in a more heroic light than she herself did.
Yatsuhashi nodded as she spoke before continuing. "I understand. Still, the countless widows, widowers, and orphans the monster left behind may be able to find peace now that it has been slain. And the region of western Mistral owes you a debt of gratitude. You will likely be a hero sung about for generations." The giant praised while Nora nodded in agreement behind him. Ren smiled at her next to his friend while the other man was unreadable.
"Indeed. The Nuckelavee destroyed my home, along with many others, ten years ago. Not a day went by where I did not think about it. But no one, not even the king's men, could kill the creature. But you succeeded where many others failed. You should be proud." Ren lauded her.
"Yeah, you were so cool! I always assumed most nobles were pretty selfish and didn't care about us commoners, but you were willing to stick up for a bunch of strangers!" Nora cheered with a bright grin.
"You must have been strong to take down such a powerful Grimm." The brown-haired man stated matter of factly. Weiss felt her embarrassment grow while she noticed Ruby just sending her the biggest smile, which caused her own to grow in response. The spectre had been dour as of late, but it seemed her mood was beginning to brighten.
"I... thank you. But I doubt that is all you had to speak to me about?" Weiss questioned, causing Yatsuhashi to lean forward and sigh. He nodded in response to her question and began to speak.
"Yes. There is an offer I'd like to make. But before that, you said you had business in Kuroyuri. May I inquire as to what it is you hoped to achieve there?" The giant of a man asked.
Weiss's suspicion rose when she answered. "Why do you want to know?" The blind man stepped forward upon hearing the aggression in her tone but was stopped when the large general held out a hand to halt him.
Yatsuhashi chuckled deeply at her words. "Well, you can imagine my curiosity when an Atlesian noblewoman rumored to have fled her house arrived in a ruined Mistralian village bearing the cloak of a Valean scholar. We tried asking our informants about you but they simply said you had been heading to Kuroyuri."
The ex-heiress flinched at his words. Both at the reminder of the home she had fled from and how far the news had spread and the knowledge that she'd had people spying on her while she journeyed through Mistral. It made sense in retrospect, but she hoped none of them had any way of passing the news back along to her father. "That's not enough of an answer. Why should I tell you?"
Ren answered for him. "As we said, we owe you, Ms. Schnee. If your goal is one we can aid you with, we are willing to help. Even if all you require is an escort back to Kuroyuri, there is not a soul in this camp who would think to refuse you such a thing."
Nora nodded along eagerly. "Yeah, we kinda owe you big time. You saved us and did our job for us. It'd look bad if we did nothing in return."
Weiss let herself relax as they spoke, casting a glance at Ruby to try and calm her nerves. She didn't like answering questions, but she supposed the help she would get in return outweighed the price of her privacy.
"Very well. I'm traveling in search of a book that I need for my research. From what I know, it was last in the possession of a bookbinder in Kuroyuri named An Ren." Weiss cast a brief glance at Ren as she said the name, noting when she saw the brief look of surprise and pain flicker across his face. "I presume you knew her?"
Ren nodded sadly. "She was my mother. And I have a feeling I know what book it is you speak of. Something about ancient languages from Vacuo, correct?"
Weiss smiled widely. "Yes, A Treatise on the Ancient Languages of Sanus. Do you have it?" She asked eagerly, leaning forward with hope shining in her blue eyes. Ren's face darkened, as did everyone else's in the room's. "I see. What happened to it?"
"The same thing as everything else from Kuroyuri. Taken by the king." Nora spat out in a bitter tone. Weiss quirked an eyebrow at her words.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Yatsuhashi straightened up and answered instead. "It is a long story. Tell me, how much do you know about our cause? Are you aware of why the Oniyuri Rebellion exists?"
Weiss turned her attention back to him and shrugged. "Information is scarce outside of Mistral, but I suppose I have a better understanding than most. After the destruction of Oniyuri at the hands of the Grimm, you all gathered together to try and force them out and break away from the Kingdom of Mistral. Why does it matter?"
"You have the wrong story. It wasn't the Grimm who destroyed Oniyuri." The blind man spoke in a quiet voice barely above a whisper. Weiss turned to him in surprise, but Yatsuhashi simply nodded along.
"Fox is right. The blame for Oniyuri's destruction lies with King Lionheart, not the Grimm." He declared with a furious look on his face. Weiss's brow furrowed as she shared a quick look with Ruby, whose confusion matched her own.
"How?"
"Oniyuri was conceived as a solution to a problem that had been affecting Mistral for decades. The kingdom is vast, and the territories in the west are far different culturally from those to the east. Since the seat of power rests in the mountains, there is little influence in the vast forests on this side of Lake Matsu." Yatsuhashi narrated.
Ren picked up where he left off. "Windpath and Kuchinashi help spread influence to the north and south of the capital, but there was nothing but villages and towns out in the west. Oniyuri was created to try and act as a connection for the nobles of the city and the commoners out in the wilderness."
"It was supposed to help fix all of the problems," Nora explained sadly. "It would centralize power in the region and help to drive out bandits and Grimm while also being close enough to the capital that they could still trade with them. Everyone agreed that it would be a good thing."
"Then why would King Leonardo destroy it? And how come none of the other kingdoms heard about it?" Weiss asked incredulously. She'd never met the man, but from what she'd heard Leonardo Lionheart was a shining example of nobility and virtue. He'd faced many difficulties after ascending to the throne for being a faunus, but between just rule and powerful military victories he'd won over the people despite his heritage.
"The culture in western Mistral is very different from that of the capital. Some of the king's advisors warned that Oniyuri may act as the first step in the region breaking away from the rest of the kingdom, and the fool panicked. He refused for history to remember the first faunus king of Mistral as a spineless coward who refused to act as the kingdom split itself in half." General Yatsuhashi summarized.
"And so," Ren continued," He set out to stop Oniyuri from being built." As he spoke, the black-haired man's hand clenched into a fist. Weiss gave him an empathetic look.
Fox, the blind man, softly spoke. "At first, it was simple things. Tariffs on goods being exported to the west. Higher taxes on nobles who supported the plan. Refusing to allow the use of the army to protect the city from Grimm while it was being built. Nothing direct, but subtle attacks that dragged out the process."
"But when that didn't work, he went with a more direct approach, am I right?" Weiss guessed.
"Bingo. All of a sudden, every mercenary in Mistral was being hired to do tasks elsewhere right when bandits started robbing our supply convoys. No one was ever able to prove it, but everyone knew he was paying the bandits off to harass them." Nora crossed her arms against her chest and rolled her eyes.
"And that wasn't even the worst of it. Since soldiers stopped patrolling the region, Grimm attacks began to increase. Some were even lured to the construction site by battalions that quickly vanished once they neared the city." Ren recollected.
Yatsuhashi's face went stony. "But that was not enough to stop us. We foolishly persisted in our endeavors, naively assuming he would give in once he saw our determination to achieve our goal. Because of our shortsightedness, countless died."
Weiss felt a thousand questions try and escape her lips, but one rose above all the rest. "Why? What's the point of going that far? Is King Lionheart really so paranoid?"
Instead of voicing her thoughts, Weiss simply asked a single question. "What happened next?"
Yatsuhashi scowled. "Since ordinary bandits failed to stop us, he sought out a stronger fighting force. And so he hired the Branwen Tribe to burn our city to the ground."
Weiss felt her mouth dry at that. Oniyuri had been destroyed ten years ago. According to Yang, Raven Branwen had left her family behind several years before that. That meant the woman had likely been in charge at that time. Knowing now that she had formerly been a member of the Valean Royal Guard meant she could predict the outcome of that fight.
"They struck just before sunset, when everyone was at ease and their guards were lowered. Before the people of Oniyuri could muster a force to drive out the bandits, over a third of the city had been burnt to the ground." Ren recounted as his eyes bored a hole into the ground. "Spirits were low as the despair finally caught up with the people. They realized how pointless the entire endeavor was. They were ready to give up."
"But no one could've predicted what happened next." Yatsuhashi declared in a horrified whisper, his eyes swimming with memories. Fox put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, patting his back. "Not the nobles of Oniyuri, not the Branwen Tribe, and not King Lionheart. No one was prepared."
"The second-largest Grimm horde in a century." Weiss breathed. She'd read about it countless times over the years. "Only the one from the end of the Great War was larger. And Oniyuri had just been left defenseless. Gods, it would've been a massacre."
"It was. I remember being shepherded into a stronghold erected in the center of the city. There, we held off the horde for a day. But when the Nuckelavee arrived and slaughtered what little remained of our defenders, we were forced to flee." The giant of a man clenched a fist. "Countless people died fleeing, my father among them."
"Gods... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-" Weiss apologized, but Yatsuhashi held up a hand to stop her.
"There is no need to apologize. You have helped avenge him by killing the beast that killed him. My only regret is that I was not there to see its death throes for myself."
Ren's gaze seemed stuck to the floor, but Nora put a reassuring hand on his arm before speaking. "After that, the horde broke apart, scattering. Some of the Grimm went near the capital and were wiped out, while some went on to destroy the nearby villages. Some were able to hold out, but many were too small to survive. And some never even got the chance to fight."
"Like Kuroyuri," Ren muttered bitterly. "The Grimm arrived in the dead of night, the Nuckelavee among them. What was a bunch of hunters and miners to do against an abomination like that?"
"Shit." Weiss heard Ruby mumble next to her. She almost chastised her, but the curse word summarized Weiss's feelings on the topic. Lionheart had accidentally created a situation that allowed the Grimm to thrive before doing nothing when they rampaged throughout the region and trampled any villages they happened upon underfoot.
"King Lionheart knew that the other kingdoms would be angered at his actions. He had avoided taking military action against Oniyuri to prevent them from growing angry, but after it fell he threw caution aside. He ordered the army to scour the ruins of Oniyuri and any surrounding village and take anything of value, locking all of it away in a vault underneath Haven Palace." Fox explained.
Weiss's eyes widened. "Then... that's where the book was taken?" She guessed, receiving a nod in response from Ren.
"I saw a soldier carry it away with my own eyes. I remember considering trying to take it back, but I had only been a kid at the time, hiding in the bushes while soldiers ransacked his home after it had been devastated by a monster."
"Why? What was the point of looting the villages? I doubt King Lionheart is so poor he had to resort to banditry to fill his coffers." Weiss mumbled bitterly, but Nora just laughed.
"It wasn't about money. It was about sending a message. 'This is what happens when you mess with me'. Well, that and to stop the spread of information outside of Mistral."
Yatsuhashi nodded along, before speaking up. "After Oniyuri fell, many of the refugees banded together. As they struggled to survive in the harsh wilderness, they gathered more and more people from the surrounding villages."
"We were all brought together by the same circumstances, all suffering the same issues and bearing the same pain. One doesn't have to be an expert in history to know that such an event leads to only one outcome." Fox explained with a frown.
"You banded together to get revenge," Weiss stated.
Nora winced at her words and shook her head. "Not really. At first, the Oniyuri Rebellion was called the Oniyuri Liberation Force. We were just trying to rid the region of the hordes of Grimm leftover from the city's fall."
"Then I presume King Lionheart has something to do with your current name and objective?" Weiss asked, receiving four nods in response.
"Yeah. Surprising as it may be, a man as paranoid as he is doesn't take it too well when a group of people he's wronged start amassing weapons and organizing themselves. He immediately labeled us as rebels and launched a military campaign to wipe us out. At first, we tried diplomacy, but after a few months of our messengers being executed upon arrival, we decided to stop trying and just fight back. In an ironic twist, the Grimm hordes kept us safe by slowing them down and giving us time to flee and prepare. Ever since then, we've been at war. Ten long years."
Weiss pondered Nora's words with a frown. She'd always been taught that the Oniyuri Rebels were a group that unjustly blamed Leonardo Lionheart for failing to protect their city. As rare as it was, sometimes large settlements and cities were lost to the Grimm. She'd been led to believe that Oniyuri had been a tragic accident, not a deliberate attempt at oppressing a people.
A small part of her mind taunted her by wondering if other groups were as nuanced. What if the White Fang wasn't as evil as she'd been led to believe? What if Blake had been right to be a member? What if she had always been in the wrong? She quickly banished those thoughts from her head, recalling her experience with the frenzied lieutenant she'd faced. No just organization would allow such a man into a position of power.
"So Mistral not only is indirectly responsible for the fall of Oniyuri, but also censored their involvement in it? Despicable!" Weiss hissed out through clenched teeth.
"Indeed. Which brings me to the reason I wanted to speak with you." Yatsuhashi spoke in a deep, rumbling tone. He sipped from his cup of tea, finishing it and setting it down with surprising gentleness for his size. "As I said, the Oniyuri Rebels are in your debt after you helped kill our greatest foe. We will gladly help you try and recover the book.
Weiss raised an eyebrow at his words. "I thought you said that it was locked in a vault underneath the royal palace?"
Fox nodded. "It is. But we have spies and sympathizers in the capital who have helped us to sneak into it in the past. We'd have to wait for the right chance, but if we could smuggle you into the city we could probably recover the book in three or four months."
The Atlesian noble felt her jaw drop at his words. "Three or four months?" She screamed in her head. "Just for a chance to get the book back?" "Is there any other way to get it back?" She asked desperately, but Ren shook his head sadly.
"No. You could try going to the capital and asking to take it, but I doubt they'd let you have it. More than likely, they'd restrain you and sell you back to your father." Weiss flinched. "Or worse. We are willing to help you recover the book, but we can't rush things otherwise we risk losing our entire information network in the capital. I'm sorry."
"It's fine." The ice-blue-eyed girl sighed dejectedly. "I suppose I will accept your aid."
Yatsuhashi raised a hand to get her attention. "Actually, that was what I wished to speak to you about. Given your display against the Nuckelavee, you have proven yourself to be a skilled warrior, something we are in dire need of. I would like to offer you an alternative option."
Weiss could guess where he was going but prompted him to continue nonetheless. "And what would that be?"
"Both I and the other general of the Oniyuri Rebellion have agreed that it is in our best interest to hire you as a mercenary for a brief time. Your skills would be helpful to our cause, and from what Ren has told me you are a cunning strategist, a trait that is always in high demand in a group such as ours."
Weiss was perceptive enough to know that he was hiding something else with his words. "All of that sounds good, but why is it you really want me to join you? You're awfully eager to get me to side with you, and while I am by no means weak I know my own abilities well enough to know that they aren't the reason you want me to join."
"Well then, allow me to shed some light on the situation." A voice from behind her spoke, startling Weiss. She turned around to see a woman wearing bronze armor walk through the tent flaps. Her scarlet hair was pulled back into a long ponytail while her emerald eyes bore into Weiss as though she was sizing her up. A golden tiara held her hair in place while a sash the color of her hair was tied around her waist.
"Ahh, General Nikos. I was wondering if you'd arrive." Yatsuhashi spoke up from behind her. The new arrival, apparently a general in the rebellion, smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I was busy sparring with the mercenaries and thus didn't notice our honored guest had woken up." She said with a small bow before turning to Weiss. "Lady Schnee, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Pyrrha Nikos of Argus, as well as a general of the Oniyuri Rebellion." The redhead greeted politely, offering a gauntleted hand to Weiss.
The ex-heiress shook it, marveling when she felt an aura even larger than her own. This girl was talented! She couldn't have been much older than Weiss was yet possessed greater skill than her, and she was considered a prodigy! "The pleasure is all mine, General Nikos. You said that you would be willing to explain why you wish to recruit me?"
Pyrrha smiled diplomatically at her before stepping back. "Yes. But while we do so, I would ask that you take a walk with me. A stuffy tent is hardly the place you would want to be after having spent the past three days in one. Allow me to give you a tour of our camp while we walk." She offered, walking towards the entrance to the tent.
Weiss followed tentatively after her, slightly unsure of herself. She'd known before even speaking to either general that they'd attempt to recruit her, but she was curious as to why they seemed so eager. Her skill with magic was high for someone her age, but an older mage could be even better than she was. She was a skilled swordswoman, but that didn't seem to work.
Her two prevailing theories as to why they were so eager to recruit her were equally bad. First in her mind was the thought that they might be planning on using her to drag the Schnee family, and by extension Atlas, into their war. She may be estranged, but she was a Schnee. The second idea was worse. Had they seen what she'd done in Kuroyuri and realized she was a necromancer?
She'd never find out sitting here, however. Weiss nodded respectfully at General Daichi and the others before turning around. She gave one brief look at Ruby, who gave her a gentle smile that washed away her trepidation, Weiss stepped forward and out of the tent, approaching the tall woman dressed in bronze.
"So, what did you want to speak about?"
Man, I think the first time I mentioned the Oniyuri Rebellion was back in chapter 1. Checkov's gun and all that. Whatever. The idea for the Oniyuri Rebellion came to me when I was rewatching Volume 4 with my brother when I got to the episode where they visit the abandoned city. I thought the idea of a city where people who wanted to break away from the main kingdom to be cool and not an often explored concept, so I ran with it. I expanded on the idea of Oniyuri before coming up with the idea of a rebellion coming out of the ashes of its destruction, then promptly combined that with the idea I had for a fantasy Whiterose AU I had running around in my mind. The ideas meshed well in my mind, and from there I expanded the world until I felt so restless about it that I had to write a Fanfiction. And so I wrote the first chapter.
So yeah, the whole Oniyuri Rebellion thing has been something I've planned for a while. I feel like most of the characters I've chosen to be important members make sense. Ren and Nora are from Kuroyuri, which was destroyed in its wake. Yatsuhashi in canon is from Mistral, as is Pyrrha. Fox is the outlier but he's here because Yatsu is so it works out. As for why Pyrrha and Yatsuhashi are generals in an army even though they're like 18-19 and 20-21 at this point is because of both pure talent and a lack of other characters I could use to replace them. Oh well, they're cool.
I really enjoyed throwing a twist on the canon idea that Weiss tries to get Pyrrha to join her side by making the girl in question work to get Weiss to join her instead. It's a fun little detail I hadn't even noticed I was writing until I thought deeper about it. Also, I would like to apologize to anyone who I've ever thought badly about in my head because they misspelled Pyrrha's name. Writing it is living hell and I was wrong to think otherwise.
Some light hints at shipping this chapter, but expect more soon. I've somewhat pushed the Romance into the background of this Adventure/Romance fic, but it'll get its time soon enough. Speaking of soon, don't expect the next chapter soon. As I said at the top, I have finals this week so I will likely not be writing very much.
Feel free to leave a review offering constructive criticism about how I could've written the dialogue better or how I could've made the story better. Or just leave a review talking about why I'm writing Fox wrong. I never read the books so IDK how to write the man. But reviews at least somewhat related to my story, regardless of whether their constructive or destructive, praising or scathing, three paragraphs or three words, help. I am inspired to try and be a better writer thanks to all of you, so please help me try. Have a nice day, and I'll probably see you all after finals!