Sup' everyone!
MAJMLYAI is on hiatus right now for edits. That means I'm going to work on TLWMGT and YGTUS at the same time. Those fics are easier to write, so my process should go more smoothly from now on.
Pushing open the heavy metal doors, Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha finally crossed the town. Here, they were met with more tunnel; however, this area was more open. In fact, it was a part of a natural cave system. The only stone carved out was the floor and some of the walls at this point.
It didn't fit in with much of the ornate work done in the upper levels. Jaune was confused by it because they chose not to finish the job. It didn't seem like the Old Valaens to leave something unfinished when it came to building. So, there had to be a reason.
"How are you guys doing on levels," Jaune asked, looking back at his teammates. "I got one just now."
Jaune had inched closer to level thirty during that fight. With how low levelled these draugr were, it was difficult to pile on the Exp needed to go anywhere. Honestly, up here, it was more worth their time to go fight hobgoblins. They were around level fifteen at least.
"I haven't gone up in a while," Pyrrha replied, stretching her right arm out. "The last time I levelled up was when we fought the wyvern. I only got two levels from that."
"Same for me," Ren added on. "I've been stuck at thirty-three for a while now."
That would put them around thirty-five...
"So, you guys hit the wall then," Jaune posed, lighting an oil brazier next to the door. "Slowing down?"
"Yeah, it's been difficult to find easy contracts that give lots of Exp," Pyrrha explained, walking alongside Jaune. "I've talked to Yang about this, and she thinks we need to start on harder quests."
They were suffering from diminishing returns. Hunting sabre cats and local predators wasn't doing it for some of the group members. They needed to aim higher if they wanted levels from individual quests now. Or they had to do more of the same just to keep their rate going smoothly. If not, it was going to take them forever to break past level forty.
"We don't have to do more dangerous quests," Ren replied to Pyrrha, lighting an oil pan on the other side of the hall. "We could do the same quests, but only for the money. Then use the time to study or whatever else we want to."
I actually like that...
"If we get a house, we can spend a couple months working on fixing it up or adding what we want onto it," Jaune suggested, turning to face the pair as they continued through the tunnel. "Once that's done, we could go nuts with our second year."
"Hmmm," Pyrrha hummed as she contemplated the idea. "I suppose we could use the break over winter to go on more challenging quests. If we go to Mistral, there are some trouble spots we could grind for levels."
"With the civil war going on," Ren pointed out, cocking his head to the side. "Maybe we should wait for things to calm down?"
Pyrrha paused for a moment of recollection. "Heh, I almost forgot about that," she amusedly exclaimed
"Really?"
"Yes," Pyrrha replied, running a hand through her hair. "When I was in Mistral, I would get daily briefings on how the war was going. Some member of my father's staff would find me, and we would spend hours going over it." She let out a relieved sigh. "I think being in Vale has kept me from thinking about it for so long; I've gotten used to the peace."
"Is that a bad thing," Jaune wondered.
Maybe she wants to live in that kind of setting?
"Oh no, I prefer this much more than politics," Pyrrha clarified with a blush. "Vale's an easier place to live. Here, I don't have to worry about the nobility or suitors. I can do whatever I want without having to be so self-conscious."
That's nice... I wonder if Weiss feels the same.
"I agree with you," Ren replied, nodding his head. "If there wasn't so many lunatics, Vale would be perfect."
"Hey, we're not all crazy," Jaune countered, pointing at Ren for emphasis. "Take my hometown, for example. We've got mages, alchemists, engineers, and pretty everything you could want. It's the picturesque colony right on the frontier. Everyone just does their job, and we all get along because we need each other to make the town work."
If there was a place to retire, it would be Bar. So long as you respect your neighbours, the townsfolk would likely welcome you with open arms. The town just needed more development, and it would be the crown jewel of east Vale.
"I think Nora would like that," Ren expressed, cupping his chin. "You said there was a lot of monster hunting around too?"
"That's everywhere in Vale," Jaune answered confidently. "You can't go two feet without finding something living in a cave."
Most of the creatures were low-level monsters Jaune and the group wouldn't have trouble with. Occasionally, something too big for the town guard to handle would come along. Then an actual adventurer would be called upon to deal with it. Or, if an adventurer already lived in town, they would handle it for free since they were given room and board in exchange for protecting the town.
"That does make Bar seem appealing," Pyrrha agreed with Ren. "Though, I think I would rather live in the city or close by. Vale has everything you could need, but in those small villages, you might not be able to come across certain goods for a while."
Understandable and true...
"You guys have those problems on Anima," Jaune replied with a question.
"Some places more than others," Ren explained, dipping his torch into another oil pan. "Mistral is a lot like Vale but bigger, so you can buy anything you want. However, everything between Argus and Mistral is another story." Ren paused, panning from side to side with a pink glow in his eyes. "Even living right on a trade route, sometimes you won't find what you need."
"Merchants not selling to the small towns," Jaune guessed. "Figures, since they can't really make a profit with bartering."
The only stuff they would sell is food or farming supplies. What does a village have use for anything else?
After travelling for a while longer, Jaune and the group came into a more open area. Ren lit an oil pan in the centre of the room, brightening the place and giving everyone a chance to look around. At first glance, this seemed like a transitional area from the town to deeper inside the city.
There were plenty of old wooden chairs or tables scattered around, indicating this was a gathering place. As the oil pan lit up, torches along the walls flickered before roaring to life, casting light through the whole room. With the added light, Jaune found remnants of market stalls and wagons alongside old cooking stations.
"Why is there another market so close to that town," Pyrrha wondered, looking around the room. "Seems kind of weird. You would want your merchants where people are."
"We've been walking for about seven minutes," Ren replied, turning over a box to reveal its contents. "So, it's about a mile from those doors... Maybe, they use this area as a dining hall for workers down in the lower levels?"
"That makes sense," Pyrrha expressed, sitting in a stone chair next to a pool of water. "Though, this area reminds me of an amphitheatre..."
"What do you mean," Jaune asked, walking over to where Pyrrha sat.
From their perspective, the pool of water sat against the left side of the room. It was about a hundred feet long and unknown how deep it was. Along the edge where Jaune and Pyrrha were, the stone had crumbled or became covered with dirt, leaving only this one chair. The walls did narrow to a squared point on the other side of the pool, giving credence to Pyrrha's theory.
The redhead got out of the chair and kneeled next to the pool, scooping some water out with her hand. "If we drained the water, it looks like a place where a stage and more chairs would be," Pyrrha explained, bringing the water to her mouth and taking a drink. "And the water's clean too, so we can make this our next campsite."
Nice...
As Pyrrha pulled back, something burst out of the water. The girl let out a fearful shout, falling on her butt as both Ren and Jaune went for their weapons. They each scrambled to battle with the creature, creating a line for them to fall back to. However, the water monster was, indeed, not a monster at all.
A large mammal had surfaced, hissing at the trio for intruding on its home. Its long-slender body was faced with a set of whiskers and small eyes on either side of its head. A large tail propelled the beast towards them as its tiny arms supported it on land. Once the group backed away, the marine mammal retreated back into the lagoon.
"What was that?"
"I think that was an otter," Jaune explained, putting away his sword.
"Otters live underground," Ren questioned with a confused look. "I thought they only lived in rivers or oceans?"
The trio gave each other a perplexed look with raised eyebrows. None knew the answer and suspected it could go either way. How it could have gotten down here was left up to their imaginations.
"Well, it must be safe if it's living here," Pyrrha concluded, dropping her bag next to the brazier. "All we need to do is clear out the rooms ahead and have a watch going."
No monsters around to try hunting him.
"Sure," Jaune agreed, shrugging his shoulders and dropping his bag. "Do we want to split up or go as a group?"
"We should play it safe," Ren insisted, dropping his extra gear. "Any items lying around might be cursed, so it would be best if we dealt with them as a group."
Good point... Just need to use Purify on everything we pick up.
"Works for me," Jaune chirped, grabbing his torch and heading to the frontier. "But have you guys ever dealt with cursed objects?"
"No," Ren answered confidently.
"I've never done anything with magic," Pyrrha replied shyly.
"Well, me neither, so this is going to be a learning experience for all of us," Jaune humorously expressed.
"Lovely," Pyrrha sarcastically remarked.
"I have read some about curses, though," Ren followed up, meeting Jaune and Pyrrha at the exit. "They won't immediately harm someone, but their effects are almost always felt later. Usually, after someone attunes to the item through repeated use."
"That's interesting," Pyrrha expressed with apprehension. "You wouldn't know it was cursed until it was too late. Kind of scary now that you think about it..."
"Yeah, Professor Goodwitch has only told me a little about curses, so they're really confusing," Jaune continued the train of thought.
"You learned that in her class," Pyrrha asked with an engaged expression.
"Not exactly..."
"What do you mean," Ren inquired further.
Well, time to tell them the whole situation...
Jaune didn't know of any reasonable time to bring them into the loop, so now would probably be the best setting for it. They were secluded from the others and mainly out of sight. While Jaune didn't want to tell Pyrrha now, she would learn about this eventually regardless of how it played out. Her standing among the Mistrali Empire could be helpful for all Jaune knew right now.
There was no reason not to tell the two what was going on with the box and Beacon's attack. It would also be suspicious if Jaune avoided the subject now anyway.
"You guys remember the battle at Beacon a few weeks ago," Jaune brought forth for them to recollect.
"Yes, but what does that have to do with curses," Pyrrha replied, cocking her head to the side.
"It's what those guys were there for," Jaune explained openly. "They wanted to steal some box, and Professor Goodwitch thinks it's all about a curse. Something that has to deal with a 'Black One.'"
Whatever good mood was in the air at that moment got sucked out from underneath the trio. Both Ren and Pyrrha stopped, taking the time to just comprehend what the whole point of the situation was. How people they knew were killed over a simple box.
"That's it," Pyrrha angrily probed as if insulted by the entire situation. "They killed people for a box?!"
From behind her, a draugr stumbled out of a room. Just as it attempted to grab at her, Pyrrha furiously whipped around and smashed her shield into its head. The hard metal plate burying itself into the stone doorway with the undead's remnants stuck in between.
I understand her anger...
"Yeah, it was hard to believe when Ozpin told me about it," Jaune continued without missing a beat. "But, that's what they wanted. Just a small jewellery box you or Weiss might have owned." He held out his hands, making the general shape of the container.
"And I've heard about the 'Black One,'" Ren added on despite Pyrrha's outburst. "Coco mentioned something about it. I didn't think the two were connected until now."
"Does Ozpin have any plans, or anything at all," Pyrrha asked, still bearing an uncharacteristic irritation to her voice. "Does he know about your Purify ability?"
As she continued, the redhead closed the distance between Jaune and her, putting more pressure on the boy for an answer. He backed into the wall, stopping as there was no other place for him to go. Only when Ren put a hand on her shoulder did she stop and relent her interrogation for a moment.
"Pyrrha, give him a chance to explain," Ren urged in a calm tone. Once more, a pinkish aura shone slightly on his body. "If Ozpin didn't tell anybody else, then it's a secret Jaune was supposed to keep."
I owe you one, Ren...
"And I'm telling you guys in case me, Weiss, or Ruby get drafted in to help deal with it," Jaune continued, stepping away from the wall. "All he's looking for now is information, but if he finds something, I don't know if Ozpin is gonna use us to track down leads. So, if I can keep you two and Blake in the loop, all of us can deal with it together." Jaune took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "But since I have this new ability, I can take out curses. Ozpin might decide to drag me into whatever plan he has."
I have a curse dispelling ability. Who wouldn't want to use someone with that?
"Heh," Pyrrha snorted, shaking her head in near disbelief. "Sounds like a lot of bad luck..."
"I think we can all agree with that," Ren expressed with a smile. "Just keep us informed then, Jaune. We both want to find those responsible."
Good to know... I wonder who else wants a piece?
"I'll tell you everything I learn..."
With that, the group continued carefully, walking in silence. It wasn't until a few minutes later, they came across some abandoned rooms. As a team, they chose to clear them out and search for what was inside.
Coming to the first door, Jaune pushed it open, and Ren tossed a torch in. With the sudden increase in brightness, the two draugr here were caught off guard. Pyrrha threw her spear at one and her shield at the other. Each finding their mark with the respective target.
The spear skewered one onto the stone wall, pinning him there for the moment. The shield clocked the other in the face, splitting it in half at the decayed bridge of his nose. When Pyrrha entered the room, she finished off the pinned draugr with a swipe across the neck with her sword, decapitating it.
"That's everybody," Pyrrha halfheartedly said, pulling her spear out of the wall. "Should we have a look around?"
Why not?
When Jaune entered the room, he immediately knew what its purpose was. The assortment of tools, a forge directly in the room's centre, the leftover metal tucked away. It was a smithy. The sight of which nearly made Jaune leap out of excitement.
"Finally," Jaune exclaimed, setting his torch on a nearby sconce. "It took us long enough to find one!"
Jaune immediately began digging through what remained here. Pyrrha and Ren did the same, carefully inspecting the remnants as to not break anything. The next few minutes were filled with silence as they searched the room.
The first thing Jaune checked was the anvil and tools. Using his ability to see enchantments, Jaune picked up the hammer, examining it for magic. Not finding anything on it, he discarded the mallet to search the rest. Yet, none of the other pieces contained magic.
Only the anvil had some latent magic remaining. Jaune figured it used to be enchanted but didn't stand up to the test of time. With the runes scratched off the anvil's side, there was no way Jaune was going to find a way to etch them again. It was damaged beyond reasonable means of repair.
In other words, not worth the weight.
That sucks... I got all excited for nothing.
"I found some gems," Pyrrha announced, turning to show the others.
In her hands were several small emeralds and ruby the size of a thumb. Those dark green crystals were perfectly cut and ready to be placed on a necklace or ring. The ruby, however, needed further refinement before it could be useful.
Jaune figured they were worth a couple hundred lien provided they find a jeweller.
"They match the emeralds on your circlet," Ren pointed out, taking one from Pyrrha's hand. He held it up to the light, further inspecting the quality.
"Oh, these," Pyrrha replied, taking one of the gems on her circlet. "Hmm, I suppose they do... Lots of Mistrali girls like to wear them. Emeralds are pretty popular."
Interesting...
"Trade item," Jaune suggested, taking the ruby. "The Empire was around back when this place was still going."
"That sounds right," Pyrrha agreed, opening the pouch on her belt and dumping the gems inside. "Usually, we use whatever gems fit our tastes, but there are always trends. Imperial girls wear circlets until they're married or braid their hair instead. It's been a tradition for as long as I could remember. I think my mother has hers and her mother's around my house somewhere."
That explains the circlet.
"There are also some books down here, too," Ren said, picking the intact ones off the shelves. "I can't read them, but they seem to be manuals on metalworking."
Hmm...
"Let me see," Jaune said, stepping up next to Ren.
Taking hold of the book, Jaune thumbed through a few pages of the delicate parchment. Ren was right about the book's purpose. They were meant for smiths to read up on when they were dealing with more exotic metals. Not something you would be using very often, but for master smiths, the knowledge would be ingrained in your mind by then.
"Is that Old Valean," Pyrrha inquired, looking over Ren's shoulder. "I've seen a few books in the library that look like this."
The text contained several features which separated it from modern writing. The most notable of which were the illustrations covering most of the page with the text confined to small blocks. These paragraphs would begin with initials with an elegant font that made it difficult to read even if you knew the language.
"Yeah, they're called illuminated manuscripts," Jaune explained, continuing to thumb through the book. "They used to write like this back in the day. I can pick out some words, but I'm not sure what they're saying either."
Ozpin would know how to read from these...
"Maybe we should take them to Alexandre," Pyrrha suggested, grabbing another book from the shelf. This one crumbling to dust in her hands. "He would know everything about them."
"We're going to have to visit him eventually," Ren added on. "With all of the draugr steel we're finding, he's the only one who will know how to work with it."
"He might even buy them once Dr Oobleck looks them over," Pyrrha continued, carefully pulling another book off the shelf.
"If he's a collector, I don't see why not."
I can't read them anyway. Alexandre will get more use out of them.
What was the point of keeping the books if you didn't know how to read the language they were written in? Jaune could spend the time learning Old Valean, but he could easily buy manuals already written in common. Alexandre would probably keep them as collector's items or use the directions to forge some new gear to sell. Not to mention the books were in such poor condition that Jaune wouldn't know how to maintain them. It would be irresponsible for him to toss the manuals in his chest and call it a day.
Dr Ooleck could take the books, translating and transcribing them while keeping the originals locked up safely. That would be the more appropriate option with these museum-quality pieces.
"Then we should come back later and grab them," Ren proposed, gently returning the book to the shelf. He pulled out his map and marked down where they found it. "And I'm sure that was everything... So, onto the next room?"
They shuffled out and back into the hallway. Locking this door behind them, they looked to the one directly across from it. Pyrrha went to grab the door handle, but something shocked her hand just as she touched it. The sting caused her to let out a yelp and jump away from the hatch.
"Ow," Pyrrha hissed, shaking her hand. "I think there's a seal on this door."
"Looks like it," Jaune agreed, kneeling down to examine the door. "I don't think it's a ward. Let me see if I can get it open..."
Placing his hand above the handle, Jaune funnelled magic into it just like Weiss directed. A white miasma coalesced in his palm before smothering the handle. The magic seeped inside the material, and the sound of a chain-breaking came from within.
"Okay, I think that worked..."
Ren grabbed a hammer from the smithy and used that to open the door. Pushing down on the handle, the hatch opened as if nothing remained blocking their entrance. Everyone still moved to the side of the frame in case it was trapped, however. It wasn't until Jaune had the courage to look inside he saw what was locked away.
Hidden in the chamber was a desiccated corpse sitting on a chair. His head turned down, nearly slumped off to the side. At his feet was a pile of loot from somewhere else in the ruins. Most of it consisting of gold and jewels with the occasional piece of jewellery thrown in there. Surrounding him was what appeared to be adventuring equipment.
"That's weird," Pyrrha blurted out. "It didn't look like anybody made it this far down."
"Maybe he came in through another entrance," Ren posed, entering and stepping to the side. "We don't know if there are any collapsed areas that lead to the surface. Given how much was taken from the upper levels, people have been down here."
What happened to him?
Jaune walked over to the corpse and began looking him over. He seemed pretty clean for a long-dead mummy. There was not a scratch on him except for the pool of dried up blood covering the chair and floor beneath.
His clothes were of high quality, alluding to him not being a simple treasure hunter. This person was a professional looking to delve into the ruins for some unknown purpose. Whether that be treasure like Jaune or to recover an artefact. They couldn't know.
"Look at his leg," Pyrrha pointed out, gesturing to a splotch of blood on his pants. "You can see the femur... I think he broke it and bleed out." She backed away and looked around for any obvious blood trails. "Here," she pointed to a dark patch on the ground. "He dragged himself inside and tried to bandage it."
Compound fracture on the femur? Guy didn't stand a chance.
"That makes sense," Ren admitted, inspecting the pile of treasure. "How did he break it? He must have fallen somewhere, or a draugr surprised him and smashed his leg." He lifted up a ring and inspected it in the light. "But he didn't have someone else to set the bone, so there was no way to recover.
A break like that would require even experienced adventurers to take a week off. A doctor would have to set the bone back into place, stitch it closed, and administer antibiotics or magic to keep infection out. There was no way someone could heal on their own if the above requirements weren't met. The flesh would mend, but the bone would not without outside intervention.
Someone with a high enough level could do it if they had the constitution, but those were a rare breed.
"Let me see if there's anything that will tell us who he was," Pyrrha said, grabbing the man's backpack and dumping out the contents. "Dr Oobleck can have his body sent back for burial."
As she rustled through the bag, Jaune and Ren went to sift through his loot. Most of the valuables he discovered could have come from the upper levels. It certainly explained how it seemed that area was picked over already. That seemed like the most obvious assumption to make.
"There's a lot here," Jaune stated, picking up a small golden ingot. "What do you think? Two-three thousand?"
"More, I think," Ren countered, picking up another one of the rings. "If these are enchanted, I would go with a thousand per item."
"Oooo, that one looks nice," Pyrrha commented on the ring Ren was holding. She craned her head over him to get a better look at it. "I saw a few others that looked like keepers."
Yeah, these aren't bad. Not much of a jewellery guy, but I can see the appeal.
If these are enchanted, I don't mind wearing them.
Jaune turned his gaze back to the corpse. The thought of looting what he had on him came to mind, but Jaune's conscience wouldn't allow it. Only if they were really in need of something would he choose to rob him. However, as he looked the body up and down, a chain whip propped against the chair caught his eye.
It was a whip meant for combat, boasting a small yet sharpened bludgeoning head at the end of the chain and handle. Though, the craft was impeccable. All over the chain and handle were these unrecognisable runes carved into the material. On the head, these symbols were connected by grooves that branched out like dancing flames with gold trim stamped inside.
Casting Purify on the whip before taking it into his hands, Jaune marvelled at how well built it was. Whoever made it got his respect almost instantly. The weapon was so simple but was a work of art.
"Hey, Ren, does Blake know how to use whips," Jaune asked, showing him the piece.
"I'm not sure," he answered, standing up to inspect the whip with him. "Why?"
"I was wondering if you knew," Jaune replied, holding the whip up to a nearby torch. "I'll have to ask the others and see if they know. Maybe they could take it as a backup."
Wait a minute... I've seen these runes before!
Jaune cast his Longinuslanze Testament and held the lance next to the whip. The symbols on either weapon matched exactly. They were of the same language, though arranged in different orders. Whatever they said was lost on Jaune.
Without warning, the whip crumbled into fine glowing ash. The kind you would find flickering off a campfire and floating off into the night sky. The sudden decay caused both boys to leap backwards, fearing something had happened. They each shared a confused expression, wondering what had come of the weapon.
That was weird...
*Ta-Thump*
Jaune felt his heartbeat in his ears. A pulse shot through his entire body, and his peripheral vision became filled with a blood-red haze. Then came the onset of extreme pain, the likes of which he'd never felt before in his life. So painful that he let out a blood-curdling scream.
The Paladin collapsed to his knees, crying as this pain spread all over his arms and just below his heart. Blood came pouring out from behind his chest piece and beneath his gauntlets. It spilt out onto the floor, painting the stone red. The boy's pain-induced vomit splattered against the pool as he fell forward.
What the fuck?!
It felt as though something was burning him alive. Someone was pressing a hundred hot irons against his skin at once, and there was nothing he could do about it. Every second that ticked by, the pain only grew worse. To the point, Jaune felt like he was going to pass out.
"OH MY GOSH, JAUNE," Pyrrha screamed, scrambling to provide him aid.
Both she and Ren were on top of him in less than a second. Ren was pulling at his breastplate, and Pyrrha stripped off his gauntlets to reveal his affliction's source. Each piece was quickly discarded to claw at the underwear beneath the armour. Those immediately tossed aside, leaving Jaune bare.
His arms were coated with blood, dripping off him in torrents. Below were the wounds he'd received, all glowing orange runes matching Jaune's lance. On the back of his hands and below the heart were a set of glyphs unrecognisable to anyone in the group. These marks were so hot, they radiated heat from the wounds, boiling the blood off.
[Ruby]
Dropping Weiss a few dozen feet from the large oil pan, she took a moment to regain her footing. Both girls could hear Jaune's screams from deeper inside the tunnel. To the Princess' horror, she was forced to listen to that for the first time, sending her into a panic. She immediately broke out into a sprint, charging into the tunnel without concern for what was down there.
Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay! Please be okay!
Ruby followed, pulling out Crescent Rose and preparing to cut anything down that got in her way. Her best friend was crying out in pain, and she needed to find out what happened. Then try to see if there was anything they could do to help. Nothing would get in the way of that.
Where are you?!
All of the worst thoughts were coursing through her mind right now. What if Jaune got caught in some trap and was impaled by a ballista? Or his arms got bitten off by some monster? Anything could have befallen him. That's what scared her the most.
Thinking about it nearly sent Ruby into a panic attack. Every step in Jaune's direction only caused a rise in her anxiety. It wasn't until they got a few feet outside of the room he was in that it peaked, yet Ruby still forced herself to push onwards.
She and Weiss burst into the room to find Jaune sobbing on the ground with Ren and Pyrrha over the top of him. The sight of blood pooling all around their feet immediately put the girls into action. They scrambled to tear Weiss' medical kits out of her bag to begin treating his wounds.
Oh god!
"What happened," Weiss demanded in an uneasy tone as she grabbed herbs for the pain. "Did something attack him?!"
Ruby grabbed bandages and sterile cleaning gauze to begin working at his wounds. Wiping the blood on his arm, she found symbols tattooed on his skin. Touching them felt as though she caressed a stove. Despite this, she continued cleaning off the blood on his arm to reveal dozens more marking his arms. By the time she reached his hand, the Reaper uncovered the glyph's emblazoned on his flesh.
"N-No," Pyrrha panickedly answered with a stutter. "He picked up a weapon, and it did that to him! I-It branded him!"
Was it cursed?!
The glyph on Jaune's hand was contained within a square with black ink shadowing everything outside its other features. Inside that square was what looked like a compass rose with eight points, four longer than the others, touching the square's corners. More letters in another obscure language were transcribed on each of these points, appearing more like elegant cursive to Ruby. Finally, a circle containing another symbol at the very centre of the rose—this one taking the form of two lines snaking themselves around a white dot.
It was something out of an occult book. Ruby had no idea what it was.
"ARGGGHHHHH," Jaune growled in pain, smashing his unoccupied fist into the ground. He thrashed around despite Weiss' attempts to keep him still. "Pyrrha, I think you're right about my bad luck!"
"I'm sorry," Pyrrha cried out, shielding her face out of guilt. The woman's cheeks turned bright red as she attempted to hide.
Jaune laughed through the pain at her reaction. The joke lost on Pyrrha, but hilarious to him. Ruby would have done the same if she wasn't so busy trying to put her friend back together.
Then suddenly, Jaune eyes widened, and he grabbed Ruby, throwing her to the side before he climbed to his feet. The Reaper turned, finding a draugr had wandered in and was going for the attack. Its arm cocked back, ready to bury a sword in someone's shoulder.
However, another weapon launched from in between them buried itself in the zombie's chest—the sound of a whip cracking as it found its mark. From the wound, a chain extended outwards, leading back to their rear. This attack causing a sizzling effect as whatever magic or material worked its purpose.
The draugr was only able to stand for another two seconds before it collapsed. As it fell, Ruby followed the chain back to its origin, finding Jaune had been the one to retort. The weapon he bore was glowing bright orange where those other runes were located on its handle.
What?!
Ruby scrambled to her feet to study the weapon. Before she was able, the piece crumbled in Jaune's hands, and he collapsed once more. Ruby was able to catch him before he fell at the cost of wrapping her arms around him. The blood on his body getting all over her shirt, ruining the good tunic.
"H-Hey, thanks for the catch," Ruby expressed in an enervated tone of voice.
"Oowwwww," Jaune groaned, further becoming dead weight as he lost the strength to support himself.
Ren came in from the side, allowing Jaune to use him as a crutch while they walked. Pyrrha grabbed all of their gear and went out first to clear the tunnel. Weiss followed, guarding their rear, yet kept an eye on Jaune the entire time. As one, they left this place, heading back to the upper levels to take care of their friend.
...
Ruby dunked a cloth into a pot containing freshly boiled water with herbs. Handing it off to Weiss, she worked at cleaning Jaune's brands with a delicate touch. Every graze became painful to the boy as those tattoos remained highly sensitive. As Weiss daubed the cloth, Jaune let out a hiss in pain, tightening his grip on Ruby's hand.
Ow-ow-ow-ow!
Squeeze any harder, and you're going to break it!
Ruby looked once more at the brands. Those smaller runes were randomly dotted all over his arms but not below his heart. If she didn't know better, they appeared almost like a swirling pattern as they grew close to the hand. Ruby only wondered if they were going to be permanent.
"So, you only picked up the whip," Weiss asked, going to soak the cloth in the healing solution. "Nothing else? You didn't cast Purify?"
"I cast it," Jaune croaked, wincing as Weiss pocked at his wounds. "God, this hurts!"
Yeah, it looks like that...
Too bad the herbs for pain did nothing to dull the sensation. Ruby had to guess this was magically related and outside the bounds of typical alchemical effects. If that was the case, she was feeling awful for Jaune right now. There was nothing in their arsenal that could help him. Not even the pain-relieving spells Weiss had.
"What if it's a really strong curse," Ruby nervously posed.
"That's possible," Weiss agreed with her theory. "It might have overridden the effects from an ability." She took a deep breath. "So, only Professor Ozpin would know how to deal with it."
Great...
"How are you feeling, Jaune," Ruby asked, looking into the boy's eyes. "Do you want to take the day off? We can stop here, and the others can clear out the tunnels behind us."
He nodded his head fervently. "Yep," he confirmed. "I think it's starting to go away, but I'm not up for doing anything right now..."
Good! I was gonna kick your butt if you tried!
Weiss brought out several rolls of bandages. She handed some to Ruby, already medicated with healing ointment. So, she started wrapping them around Jaune's arm at the fingers, weaving the bandage through for him to still have dexterity. Ruby then loosely coiled the cloth on his arms to let it breathe, tying it off just below the elbow.
"Jaune, what happened?"
The trio turned to find Yang and the rest of the group at the entrance to the camp. Ren and Pyrrha having gone back to retrieve them and all of their supplies. However, as each of them entered the room, they were granted the sight of Jaune shirtless with those brands. It immediately caused an uproar. They were quickly crowded by the group, gawking at the wounds or asking questions about the injuries.
"He picked up some sort of weapon, and it branded him," Weiss explained for him. "They don't appear to be major, but very painful."
As Professor Port entered the room, his expression fell and became very serious. The man cleared the distance between them to inspect the damage. His students began feeling very apprehensive about his demeanour now. It was unlike Port to act in such a way.
"Mr Arc, you found that weapon in the tunnel," Port asked, gesturing to the lower levels. The sight of those runes seemed to send a chill down his spine.
Does he know what these are?
"It was next to a body, Professor," Pyrrha explained. "I didn't get a chance to see if he had anything to tell us who he was."
"I see," Port mused, cupping his chin. "But Mr Arc, I do recognise that language. During my younger years, Dr Oobleck and I delved into many ruins. We've come across and documented their various languages and magics. These runes, in particular, we called Elder Futhark." He crouched and gestured to a 'ᚺ' rune among the various others. "This one being hagalaz or 'Hail'."
"Does that have any meaning," Weiss asked, trying to determine how the magic functioned.
"I'm unsure given the presence of other runes," Port replied, standing up from his crouched position. "However, Mr Arc, as an advisor of this expedition and your Professor, I would recommend we return to Vale at once. I don't know what magic this is, so I would urge you to be cautious. We may avoid any further effects revealing themselves if Professor Goodwitch is allowed to examine you."
Ohhh...
Ruby's heart sank. Jaune was being taken out of the adventure before it even started. She didn't even get to enjoy the actual dungeon with him yet! There was still so much to see. It was unfair!
"No," Jaune growled... No, snarled at the Professor. He rose to his feet, pushing Weiss off his arm. "I'm not going back! We've come too far to quit here!" His gaze turned to everyone else in the group. "We're nowhere close to the bottom. I can't..."
Jaune's expression softened, and he stopped talking. The boy looked around like something was off about the room. This sudden change in his demeanour became alarming to everyone, who immediately dropped their gear and prepared for the worst. Weiss and Ruby grabbed him and attempted to get him to sit back down, but he stood firm against their will.
"Why-why is it so bright down here," Jaune asked, looking at his hand and clenching it.
What's going on?
It had to be the effect of the whip on his body. Whatever magic it was using was messing with his ability to see. That meant Port was right, and this curse was taking a deeper hold on the boy.
"Hold on, Sun cut out the lights," Yang insisted.
The group put out their torches at once, and Sun turned a lever on the oil pan. This submerged the group in a pitch-black void where none could see. Only the sounds of people shifting around alerted anybody to where they were at. To Ruby, it was deeply concerning, forcing her to latch onto Cresent Rose.
"Okay, how many fingers am I holding up," Yang asked.
"Two," Jaune answered without hesitation. "Three... Now you're flipping me off."
Sun turned the lights back on, giving them the chance to see again. They all looked to Yang for some guidance as to what she was doing. The girl knew something and needed to share it immediately before Ruby lost her composure.
"He's got true darkvision now," Yang explained, gesturing towards the boy. "Whatever happened, that whip's letting him see in the dark."
She's right!
"Like vampires," Ruby exclaimed as she realised it. "They can see even in the absence of light. Not like faunus or other animals who need some light to see."
How's that happening, though. We need to get back to Professor Ozpin and tell him.
"Let me know when you sprout fangs," Sun jested, earning him an eye roll from some of the girls.
"All right then," Port interrupted, taking control of the situation. "If we are staying here, Mr Arc needs some rest and time to understand his abilities. That means the rest of us need to fortify this position." He turned to Ruby and Weiss specifically. "Ms Rose, Ms Schnee, both of you need to remain with Mr Arc."
I'm gonna say task failed successfully on Jaune's part. He's got the Witcher sight now!
The whip is modelled after the Morningstar from Castlevania and I can't think of any other weapon to give a vampire hunter. I originally considered giving Jaune Kratos' Leviathan axe from GOW but make it a fire axe instead of an ice one. After watching season 3 of Castlevania, I really didn't leave myself with a choice.
A lot of the major enchanted weapons are going to come from video games/other media where magic is common. I'll reskin them and give them different names, but it's going to be an obvious reference.
However, for a clear image of the glyphs on Jaune's hands, look at the story covert art.
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 Nine
Strength 60 (+2)
Agility 26 (+1)
Defence 35 (+1)
Perception 40 (+1)
Constitution 57 (+2) + (.25 x 57) = 71
Intelligence 60 (+2)
Charisma 31 (+1)
Willpower 22 (+1)
...
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
Bag of holding:
Magical satchel that connects to a pocket dimension. Can store up to seven-hundred pounds while maintaining the bag's original weight. Items must be able to fit through the bag's opening.
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.