The Cosmic Cycle
"We create our fate every day we live."
Henry Miller
Chapter 7
When the Water Meets the Leaves
When she awoke from her strange dream of water and ash, it was to her body feeling like burning lead. Her arms and legs barely responded to her commands, moving at a snail's pace. She felt as if someone threw her into a human-sized dryer with the aches and pains that ran through her body; her shoulder most of all if the constant burning she felt from it was a clue. The only exception was the pleasant feeling of something cool and wet placed on her brow. The sound of rain could be heard pouring down from above her, its sound like background static. It threatened to send her back to her dreams.
How did she end up like this? She tried and failed to remember what could have caused this, her brows knitting together in dulled frustration. Mentally backtracking, she looked at everything she did up until she blacked out.
Amber remembered leaving the town of Maple three days ago on horseback, having stopped a few times a ways off the roads that she wouldn't be noticed by any passing thugs who didn't have a discerning eye. It was a rather bland trip between there and the next town with no Grimm or bandits and thieves to be seen, with the plan of stopping at Vale for a few weeks before moving on to Vacuo. She was two days off from getting to Acre when a storm started rolling in, and she encountered a little gi-.
The sound of flames and lightning.
Adrenaline, anger and fear.
A malevolent glove and an insect.
Her eyes snapped open and she lurched forward with a gasp, the wet cloth on her head falling off as her adrenaline kicked into overdrive. Wild eyes wandered around the area, expecting to find herself tied down by the three who attacked her, with the intent of holding her captive, but instead finding herself in what appeared to be a log cabin on a large king-sized bed with a quilt blanket. There were no windows except small holes placed close to the ceiling, allowing the smoke out from the fire in the center of the small home.
"Welcome back kid." A gravelly voice said from her left. Amber whipped her head around, and found herself staring into dull red eyes.
"Qrow…" She spoke quietly. All of the adrenaline running through her veins abruptly vanished, and fell back into the bed she was laying on; belatedly finding her head being cradled on an incredibly soft and fluffy pillow.
"Easy there Amber." He admonished gently, putting a hand on her shoulder when she struggled to sit up. He cracked a lopsided smile. "You've had a heck of a rough time with things today. Just relax."
Amber nodded, willing her body to calm down. Ultimately she managed to get her quick breathing under control after a few minutes. She laid there, letting the sound of the fire and the rain soothe her addles mind while she worked to get it together. Lightning cracked, pulling her out of her thoughts and looking towards Qrow.
"How long was I out?" She rasped, voice rough.
"About six hours." Qrow shrugged. "Long enough that I can't get a signal in this storm to call for pickup. Gotta wait till it ends, so for the time being we're stuck."
Amber winced. "I'm sorry…"
"It's not your fault kid." Qrow sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Neither of us saw this coming. Don't beat yourself up over it."
She only nodded lightly in response, knowing it was impossible to help but feeling a bit guilty all the same. Qrow sighed deeply, looking at the ground and muttering to himself. Both sat in silence, ruminating on past events, though Amber held more questions.
"…What happened?" She asked. "The last thing I remember is that woman pointing a glove at me. Next thing I know there's a small, insect-like grimm coming out of its palm and I'm blacking out."
Qrow's hands clenched tightly, and though he tried not to show it Amber noticed his eyes narrow imperceptibly. Having him come by every now and then to check up on her and give her updates gave her enough of an idea of the hunter's habits, not to mention why he drank himself halfway into his own grave.
"Qrow, tell me what happened." She ordered, the roughness in her voice gone; replaced with a stern tone. The man sighed, slumping forward slightly in his seat with his head inclined. Reaching over, he grabbed a wooden bucket she hadn't noticed that was filled halfway full with water and handed it to her. Raising an eyebrow in question, she slowly sat up, realizing just how exhausted she was, taking it from his hands and looked into it-.
And nearly dropped it at the sight of her reflection; choking at the dark scars that ran all over her face. Her normally brown complexion was dull and pale, whether from the sickness she felt or whatever they did to her she didn't know.
"The three who attacked you did something that allowed them to steal your powers." Grow sighed deeply. "They used some sort of weird ass glove and…well, if what I saw from your attacker is any clue, then they tried to steal a part of your soul."
Amber's eyes dilated at the admission, her mind trying and failing to comprehend. The water in the bucket rippled as her hands trembled; only stopping when large callused hands were firmly placed over her own.
"Amber, look at me." He spoke gently. "Deep breaths, alright? You're fine. Whatever they did to you, we fixed. You're the way you were before all this happened, just with some scars. You're okay. Breathe."
Amber nodded, barely hearing him as her vision began to blur from the building moisture in her eyes. She took deep breaths, clearing out all outside noise and focusing on the sound of her heart, which was beating a mile a minute at this point. She looked inward, trying to find the source of her soul. It responded after a moment, giving her an image of a pulsing orange and yellow ball behind her eyelids. A small white light lay unperturbed in the middle, just as she remembered it all those years ago when she first got her powers.
'Everything's fine.' She thought, her body slowly unwinding. Her cheeks burned when she heard Qrow sigh and fall back into his chair, not even realizing that he left his seat. She gave him a sheepish smile "Sorry."
"Hey, don't worry about it; you had every right to freak out." He said offhandedly. Amber couldn't help but giggle at him. The man always had a habit of downplaying something all nonchalantly, usually to put on airs of being cool.
Her thoughts froze when she registered his words.
"Wait, 'we'?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, noticing she was still holding onto the bucket and placing it on the floor. "Is Professor Goodwitch or Ozpin with you?"
"Not exactly…" Qrow shook his head and explained the situation. "This guy came out of nowhere and dealt with them. looked like he wasn't putting that much effort into it either. Handed them their asses and took back your soul with this odd water. What makes it really weird is his abilities. Was beyond any semblance I've ever seen before."
Amber's brows furrowed the further he went, and by the end she had more questions than answers.
'A man coming to our defense isn't all that strange, but everything he did leading up to my soul being returned to me? More than unusual; which is saying something coming from me…'
Both sat there in silence and contemplation. Amber herself didn't know what to think. They saved her life, not to mention if he knew about her powers and wanted them for himself, why would he give it back to her? Did he need her alive for some plan?
She shook her head. It wouldn't do to let her mind wander to unwanted places. Her best option was to see this man for herself before placing judgment.
"Did you catch his name?" She cut into the silence, snapping Qrow out of his musings with a small jerk.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Said his name was Jonas, and if what he says he is can be believed, then he's the 'Indomitable Warrior of Vale'."
Amber blinked at that. She had heard the stories of their exploits throughout Vale; both the normal and supernatural. Strange things seemed to follow the warrior like a plague.
Guess that included her now if he really was him.
It would make it so much easier if it proved to be true. Having someone like him covering her back, and having some background knowledge on the guy would be a major weight taken off her back. But for the time being it was best to err on the side of caution.
"Is he still here?"
"Yup. Said he was going to stand guard in case your attackers tried to make another attempt." He replied blandly. "Honestly, I'm just glad he's out of our hair, though its still pretty likely he might try to set something up out there, but hey. Least I'm close by in case that happens."
"...Wouldn't that technically let him do what he wants?"
"...Fair point." He admitted. After a second, he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Take it you want to talk to him."
"It's the only way to get a good idea about him, unless you have any suggestions."
"Torture?" Her glare was enough of an answer to that statement. Qrow raised his hands in surrender. "I'm joking. But in all seriousness, be careful. We have no clue what he wants from us."
She barely quelled the urge to scoff. Yes, she got it, she needed to watch out if they tried to pull something. He didn't need to point it out! She made mistakes occasionally, and yes, she wasn't as experienced as him by any stretch of the word, but she wasn't some danger-prone child that needed to have an adult looming over them in case an accident happened.
Well…until now anyway.
"I know." Amber nodded, suddenly glad for the assistance. She grinned slightly in amusement as Qrow sighed again, possibly out of habit, before moving to exit the building. The cacophony of rain picked up as the door opened, and she belatedly realized just how much the rain was pouring.
A bout of vertigo came over her, causing her vision to swim as she placed a hand over her mouth when she began to cough and retch; belatedly realizing just how horrible she felt without something occupying her mind. Did they three who attacked her cause this, or was she left out in the rain too long? Eventually they subsided, and she leaned on the bedpost with a groan, placing an arm over her eyes. She stayed like that, listening to the sound of the rain in a vain hope that it would calm her roiling stomach down until she heard the door open. Shifting her arm, she saw firstly how soaked Qrow was when he came back in, dripping from his hair and clothes all over the floor, only for her eyes to freeze upon her person of interest as he followed behind him, feeling a tingling sensation roll down her back.
It felt similar to-
No, it couldn't be. Dreams were dreams.
But then why was this sensation so familiar?
A dark blue, dust encrusted and gold embroidered long coat that was lightly armored on the shoulders covered over scale mail that ran most of the way down his similarly colored, lightly armored leggings, leading under his gray-armored boots and leather gloves that ran up to his elbows and knees. All of his clothing was suspiciously dry too.
Though what stood out to her the most was his face. Though it looked average and about her age, there was something in those stormy blue eyes of his. It was like they were speaking of an age belayed by the appearance of his body.
To her slight surprise he seemed to be relieved to see her conscious. His brows furrowed when his eye wandered towards her scars before pushing it away, and replacing it with a small smile.
"Hello." He greeted amiably, inclining his head in an informal bow. "I don't know if he told you, but my name is Jonas Everblue. Apologies we couldn't meet under better circumstances."
"I'm Amber Tawny, and likewise." She grinned tiredly in response. She moved to prop herself up on the wall, wincing slightly when the pain in her lower back started to act up again. A set of hands lightly grabbed her from behind, and she yelped quietly as the brown-haired man carefully moved her so her back was placed carefully on her pillow, which had somehow been moved without her noticing to lean on the wall.
"Easy now. You've had a helluva day." Jonas scolded with no small amount of kindness in his tone, leaving her a bit stumped. "You still need to rest."
"I know." She responded dryly. "I feel like I got ran over by a group of Ursa."
"Not too far off methinks." He chuckled wryly. Both her and Qrow raised a brow at the odd dialect. Some people from eastern vale tended to speak that way, but the timber in which he spoke was noticeably different. Jonas blinked at their reactions before it dawned on him after several seconds, and he gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, where I come from most people tended to speak with that accent and wording."
"No no, its not that, Its just...I've never heard it before."
"...Yeah." He replied quietly, eyes becoming pained as he stared skyward with longing. "There uh...there aren't very many of us left who speak like that."
"Oh crud." She groaned, mentally smacking herself upside the head for her lack of tact. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Its quite alright. You know next to nothing about me or my history, so questions like that are only natural." He soothed, giving a sad smile before shaking it off and holding a hand out towards the floor. She went wide-eyed when a wooden chair appeared in a flash of light next to Qrows before the man took a seat. Amber looked towards the old crow, getting a shrug in response before her eyes wandered back to him."Right now though I'm more worried about you. How are you feeling?"
"Its nothing to worry about.I think I'm in pain, but I think." She gave a small smile. It slowly fell from her face when the man's visage went serious.
"It might be more than that I'm afraid." He cryptically replied. "Tell me, do you have any flu-like symptoms?"
"Err...yes?" She answered, eyebrow raised.
"Did you have them before your encounter with your attackers?"
"No..?"
"Lastly, and sorry if I happen to bring up bad memories by asking this..." He expressed regret before continuing. "Did you always have those facial scars? And was your complexion always that pale?"
"No." She replied irritably.
"...Well crap." He muttered under his breath, barely legible to the other two people in the room. "Was hoping it wasn't that."
"Hoping it wasn't what?" Amber asked with unease creeping into her voice. Qrow moved in his seat, sitting in a way that would let him stand and immediately take a fighting stance if the brunette became hostile.
"Demonic magic."
Both of them froze, though the man either didn't notice or decided to press on despite.
Jonas rubbed a hand along his neck, eerily reminding her of Qrow's habits. "By the look of it, whatever they used on you left behind some of its taint; if what you confirmed for me is accurate. The scarring on your face is also another factor, since unholy magic is known to pale ones skin tone, and leave behind markings like that if one is attacked there. Though it might be better to describe it as a type of infection I suppose."
Her face went chalk white, and from the corner of her eye Qrow wasn't too far off from that either, though giving a grimace instead; Glaring daggers towards the door. Much to her chagrin, he wasn't finished.
"Being stuck for prolonged periods of time in that state can lead to excessive irritability, paranoia, and insomnia; along with a whole host of other symptoms I'd rather not get into. Luckily for everyone here you don't seem to have too much of it in your system yet, though it can grow if left alone for too long. You haven't gotten that far having been recently afflicted with the crap though, so it should be relatively easy to remove it."
"S-so you can get rid of it?" She internally scolded herself for stuttering. Jonas confused her when he gave an apologetic look before nodding.
"Yeah, but it ain't gonna be pretty." He said. The man reached into his coat, pulling out a square flask with a brass cross stopper. She was puzzled by the blue liquid inside, which dimly glowed in the mans shadow with a pale light.
"I saw you use that on that black-haired chick earlier." Qrow stated. "Mind filling us in here?"
"This-" He began, shaking the contents of the flask. "-Is holy water. Its able to remove any traces of that malignant presence from your body. Also makes you immune to it for about five hours before it wears off. The thing is..." Jonas frowned. "Well, you kinda have to drink it."
"...Why are you making that face?"she asked with no small amount of apprehension.
"Well..." Jonas gave her a sheepish smile. "See, when you drink it, most of the crap is going to be expelled rather...violently. Small amounts usually just make you cough it up, but considering how you look, and if how you're feeling is accurate...its probably gonna make you puke."
Both Qrow and him watched as her face twisted into a horrified wince, taking on a pale green hue.
"Is there any other alternative?" She said meekly.
"If there was, believe me when I say that I would've used that as the first option." He gave her a sad look of understanding. "Only reason I know about any of this is because I had to do it to myself at one point."
"Wha-"
"Only finish that question if you really wanna be burdened with the answer." Jonas shuddered, eyes looking haunted.
She thought it best to drop the matter and leave it at that.
"And how do we know this is the same stuff you've used on the other chick exactly?" Qrow questioned arms folded as he leaned back on his chair. "For all we know this crap could poison her."
To Amber's amusement the brunette sighed exasperatedly, putting his face into his hands. After a couple seconds he stared at Qrow with no small amount of annoyance.
"If I really wanted to do that, why wouldn't I have simply killed her when you were preoccupied with the gruesome threesome? I doubt any of you noticed me at the time, so it would've been rather easy to complete without any interference."
"Fair point, but what if-"
"Oh for gods sake." Jonas groaned. "Will it convince you if I take some of the bloody thing?"
Looking to both of them and receiving nods he rolled his eyes before summarily pulling the stopper and downing a quarter of the bottles contents. He let the bottle fall to his side and sat there for a couple of minutes. Nothing but silence reigned during that time, with no noticeable symptoms appearing.
"That good enough for you?" He dryly asked with a raised brow, holding the bottle out to her. Once she grabbed it from his hand, he immediately reached over and chucked the contents of the wooden bucket into the corner of the cabin before holding the object towards her. "You're probably gonna need this."
She made a face as she took it from him. Staring into it, she mentally considered whether or not there were other alternatives she could take, to no avail. There was never anything in the old texts on how to deal with a situation like this, what with having a part of her soul stolen temporarily and apparently having her body tainted by dark magics. If what he said was true, then it could be removed fairly quickly but…
Did she really need to throw up to do it?
It could have been a lie, and it wouldn't be far-fetched what with all this talk about demonic magic.
The only thing that made her think otherwise was both his body language, which looked to be completely relaxed. Like he had nothing to hide. If he was lying to get her to drink it, wouldn't he have looked a little more tense about it? And his face...the complete sincerity his expression held disarmed her. She couldn't think that he lied to her, despite her minds continued urging; though if he was telling the truth, then that was the evil magic talking.
All three sat there in silence, one on guard with their new acquaintance, who was currently looking at her with sympathy.
Amber sighed, slumping forward before steeling herself and swallowing the rest of the flask; being careful not to spill a drop to stop herself ending up having to do this more than she needed. Her eyes clenched shut. Seconds passed, and they slowly opened when no effects promptly showed. She looked towards Jonas.
"Are you sure it's-"
*Gurgle*
Her eyes turned to pinpricks as she summarily turned green. All words failed her, and the bucket was in her hands in a mere second when she felt something slimy slowly crawling its way up her throat. Both men winced as she heaved, a thick, black ooze making its way out of her mouth. To everyone's disgust, though hers was far greater in her opinion, the gelatinous mass twitched in the wooden pail, pushing her to force out more of it in rapid succession.
"That was what was inside her!?" Qrow nearly shouted, though she wasn't paying all that much attention. Tears streaked down her face as more came pouring out of her.
"Yeah, that's demonic magic for you. Despicable stuff really." Jonas replied grimly. To her eternal relief the last of the...thing left her system after what felt like forever. She breathed deeply, simply savoring the air without that evil sludge blocking her throat. A hand lay gently on her shoulder, and she looked up; finding Jonas standing over her with a handful of tissues. Taking them, and nodding in gratitude, she cleaned herself up; tossing the remnants into the bucket.
He pulled out another bottle from his jacket, and she watched with a small amount of curiosity as he poured it over the refuse. To her horror the mass quietly screamed, dissipating into a black smoke wherever the water made contact with it. Eventually all of it turned into gas, scattering about through the holes in the building through an unseen wind.
Though it wasn't immediately noticeable, she did feel a bit better. The fever she was under had abated slightly, and her body felt a good deal less sore; no longer feeling any discomfort whenever she moved her fingers and limbs. Even the headache that had built up from when she woke had calmed. She looked towards their benefactor, who for all intents and purposes, despite everything insanely unnatural that occurred, looked completely relaxed as he returned to his chair; as if he dealt with events like this with shocking regularity.
Just who was this guy?
"Alright, now that that's dealt with, I'd recommend taking the time to rest for the day. If this is anything like the time I contracted it, you're going to need time for recuperation, which can take a few days depending on how bad it was." Jonas looked towards Qrow. "I don't suppose you've managed to contact your associates?"
Qrow raised an eyebrow. "No luck unfortunately."
"You know how long it'll take for them to send help once you're able?"
"About two or three hours give or take, since we aren't that far off from Vale. Depends on if they run into any Nevermores or Gryphons mid-flight."
"Then I'll keep watch for the duration of the storm. Once it clears out and you're able to call for aid, I'll be on my way."
Her eyes widened. He was leaving so soon? She still had so many questions! The guy was a literal enigma to her, and with everything he did, not to mention what she heard he dealt with along his journey, she wanted to get to know him a bit more.
The man handed Qrow a couple more bottles before he started to move towards the door. Her hands clenched at the blanket, and the words came pouring from her mouth before she had a chance to stop.
"Wait!"
Both men jumped slightly at the shout. Qrow stared at her with eyes slightly widened in surprise. Even Jonas seemed to have been startled by her, blinking as he turned to face her fully with a raised eyebrow. A fierce blush broke out on her cheeks, and she stuttered for several seconds. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and looked towards the object of her interests.
"Sorry, its just..." She petered out for a moment before regaining her momentum. "...Can I ask you a few questions?"
The man blinked, seemingly dumbfounded by her outburst. Just when she thought he might say no a small, sincere smile grew on his face.
"Alright." He allowed, moving back and sitting in his chair. "What do you want to know?"
Amber looked down towards the sheets, getting her thoughts in order.
"How is it you know how to deal with things like this?" She looked up at him, staring at him directly in the eyes. Her own were filled with curiosity. "I've sure as hell never seen anything like it before, and I really doubt anyone else has either, so how do you?"
"Believe it or not, things like this are pretty much the norm for me." He said. The man froze for a moment, and proceeded to look at the ceiling as he scratched his chin. "Well, up until several months ago anyway. I still come across it often enough to notice when supernatural events are happening, so its not too different from what I usually deal with on a daily basis."
All she could do was gape. From the way the man was acting he didn't even consider it to be a danger. By his tone, he seemed even playful, despite the fact someone literally tried to steal her soul!
Who WAS this guy?!
"Ooookay then..." She quietly murmured. "Why do you seem so relaxed though? From what I was told they nearly stole a part of my soul right? How can you be so calm about that?"
"Would you believe me if I said that wasn't even in my top ten list of weirdest things I've seen?"
"Yeah, I don't think I could." She admitted with narrowed eyes. The man laughed, looking unsurprised at her reaction.
"What if I could prove it?" He gave her a cheshire grin.
"It would have to be pretty outlandish." She looked at him with an incredulous look. Jonas smiled at her, unnerving both her and Qrow, before he raised a hand and covered both of his eyes. Both looked on confused, wondering if the man had finally gone mad; or already was if one considered what he was spouting.
Jonas lowered his hand.
Both of them froze.
Because what both of them saw what something familiar to them on a personal level. It was the one thing they never expected to encounter from an unknown; let alone a male of all people. Something that was only ever wielded by four individuals at any one time. It was like looking in a mirror whenever she activated her powers as a maiden, the energy pouring out of her eyes and streaming off into the air.
Only this was colored two different shades of blue rather than orange and yellow.
"What..." was the only thing she could say, though it was barely heard.
"I've become rather intimate with magic over the last decade. Honestly wasn't all that hard to learn." Jonas shrugged. "Of course, this is only the first stage out of the four for physical magic manifestation."
"First stage?" Both of them said. Jonas simply grinned and nodded.
"Yep. The first stage appears when a mid-to-high level apprentice manages to hit the first quarter of all magicians maximum potential, though it usually comes out the color of their elemental affinity. Stage two-" The blue energy began to expand until it covered the entirety of his body, giving off a glow that surrounded him similar to ones aura. His jacket and hair started to flutter in the non-existent wind. "-Is the halfway point; usually reached when one attains the rank of Mage. It looks exactly as you see it with me."
His eyes abruptly turned a solid blue, making Amber gasp while Qrow put a hand on his hilt as he analyzed the situation with further depth. Jonas smiled all the while. "The third stage covers ones eyes in a magical film, again of their affinity. It's obtained by mid-rank Wizards, though often that can take decades to achieve since growing your mana pool can take a pretty long time to grow at this point; including those with a natural affinity to magic. Its just that rare...though not as much as the last one."
She watched nonplussed as he closed his eyes again, only for him to open them a second later; showing that his iris and pupil had returned, only his iris had taken on a snow white hue. "The last one is so rare that its usually achieved once every three centuries or so. The color of the sclera usually matches the color of your affinity, though I'm not too sure about the iris; still trying to figure that out." He gave her a knowing smile. "This level is only attainable by one who reaches their maximum potential. They've managed to open their pools to the maximum size a human being can achieve. Those who manage to get this far are often called Arch in the magic community."
"'Arch'? Really?" Qrow flatly replied.
"I didn't choose the name!" He retorted indignantly. Quietly he turned around and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in. When he let it out, the glow that surrounded him slowly began to vanish, and when he opened his eyes much to her relief they had returned back to normal. "But yeah, what I just told you is a crash course on a non-magical beings magic capacity."
"Er-wait-" She said confusedly. "'Non-magic beings'?"
"Well, were creatures who aren't able to use magic as naturally as breathing, unlike magical beings." He admitted. "When we open ourselves to it were building a natural resistance that allows us to refine and contain the wild magic that floats in the air. If we tried to take it in when we haven't done any of that we'd die or drive ourselves insane."
"Wait, hold up, why are you telling us all this?" Amber asked, her mind a bit overloaded. The man literally knew next to nothing about them, yet he was freely giving away information–which in her opinion would have sounded like wildly spun tales were it not for him revealing his own magic–without so much as a moments hesitation.
Jonas gave her a small, gentle smile as he spoke with no small amount of kindness.
"Sweetie...I know what you are."
She felt the blood in her veins go cold as her stomach dropped into her legs. Her mind stopped functioning, and she absently heard the sound of a blade being drawn. Qrow pushed the edge of his great-sword against the mans neck.
"Let me ask a question of my own then." He said sharply, pressing his blade even further against his leather gorget. "Who the hell are you working for?"
"Not a soul but my own." Jonas replied, completely uncaring. Subtly he arced a hand up palm first, and to Amber's eternal interest a glowing purple circle with an eight-point star and a series of scribbles appeared for less than a second. The light-show quickly faded, though a purple glow remained on his hands. Jonas flicked a finger forward, and she watched in awe as the weapon was abruptly yanked from Qrow's tightly clenched hand and into Jonas' waiting one, much to the former's immense surprise.
"What the h-"
"I have a great many abilities, weapons, and items at my disposal Qrow." Jonas stated, unimpressed. "Let me be straight with you; had I truly wanted to hurt you both going full throttle, you would've already been dead in a multitude of ways. Being turned to ash, cleaved in half, frozen, shot, or exploded. And those are just off the top of my head!"
Chills ran up her back at his boast, and his disinterested expression only served to amplify the feeling. If what he said was to be believed, not to mention how easily Qrow was disarmed by him, what were their chances of surviving if he actively came after them with the intent to kill? The bead of sweat that ran down Qrow's brow told her of the tenuous situation they were in.
Jonas meanwhile eyed Qrow's weapon with great interest, turning it this and that way while looking at all the parts that made up the blade.
"How did you manage to make the segments fall into each other when you retract the blade?"
"...Really? You're asking that after you've put us at a disadvantage?" Qrow drolly asked, his expression more tired than disbelieving.
Amber felt the same way. The guy had a habit of jumping from being deadly serious to aloof and silly at the drop of a hat. Either he was flat out insane or he really could floor them that easily.
Was it wrong she was hoping for the former?
"Like I said, I'm not really your enemy." He replied like he was asked about the weather. "Doesn't answer my question either."
The huntsman sighed, massaging his glabella. He answered him in a flat tone. "When its not in use, the edge and flat split from the middle. This lets the blade fold in on itself. Doing that allowed the segments, which are decently thin, to slide into the opening next to one another through a black carbon-fibre rod in the middle that extends or contracts from a hidden button on the hilt."
"Really?" Jonas said in interest, giving the aforementioned area a more thorough glance. "Must've been a pain to design. How'd you manage that length with so little space?"
"Bit of a misconception actually. The hole runs down between the gears."
"Ahh, so the weapon-shifting runs on two separate mechanisms then. Intuitive." He complimented. "And what are these two tubes?"
"Shotgun barrels."
"Must be an expert in close range fights then."
"Something like that." Qrow grinned. Jonas smirked in amusement, and abruptly chucked his weapon back to him; much to his surprise.
"Already trusting me not to attack you?" Qrow questioned.
"Not really." He denied. "I just know if you attacked me right now, my partner would be rather disagreeable."
"Partner?" He stopped at the wide-eyed and gaping expression on Amber's face. The hunter went rigid when he felt a warm breath wash over his head. Looking slightly over his shoulder, he couldn't stop his own eyes from widening in shock at the sight of what looked to be a gold and blue fish dragon that was about as tall as him, and currently had its tail end phasing through the wall behind it.
The beast stared at him with glowing blue eyes, a deep growl briefly passing by in its throat before it went around him; somehow managing to float in the air, hovering next to the man protectively.
"Heya partner." Jonas said jovially, and much to the bafflement of everyone in the room running a hand over its head; which it quickly leaned into. His visage rapidly turned serious. "Find anyone making their way here?"
The beast merely shook its head while giving a deep grunt. Jonas' eyes narrowed in thought.
"...Alright." He said after a couple of moments. "I'm sorry to ask more of you Draco, but would you kindly keep an eye out for the time being?"
The newly named Draco gave a small roar of acknowledgment, taking to the air and phasing through one of the walls while the other two occupants stared on dumbstruck.
"What. Was that?" Amber asked after half a minute.
"My dragon, Draco." He answered with a large toothy smile.
"Looked a helluva lot like a Grimm if you ignore its colors."
"He's not a Grimm." Jonas amended, seemingly miffed. "He's one of my guardians, though I call him Draco for the sake of simplicity. Aids me in battle whenever I summon him."
"But where did he-?"
"Magic." Jonas grandly cut in, arms akimbo. Though it wasn't appropriate for the mood, Amber couldn't stop the giggles. The way he was acting was beyond hammy. The man grinned at her reaction and gave her a wink, to which she lightly blushed. Eventually the moment passed, and now that she had calmed down she was able to think things through a little more clearly.
'Did he do that just to calm me down?' She idly wondered for a moment, eventually asking another question on her mind. "Jonas…h-how did you know I was a Maiden?"
"Is that what you call yourself?" He replied with curiosity, making her jaw drop. "Huh...wonder where that term came from?"
"Only women were ever able to use magic, kid." Qrow answered. He couldn't help but wonder if all this was a dream from getting smashed. "How'd you not know that?"
"Yeah, I kinda assumed you learned about us through the story of the maidens." Amber quipped. He scratched the back of his head as he cracked a crooked smile
"its a long, long story." Jonas chuckled uncomfortably. "Not one I'd like to tell under the current circumstances if you don't mind. But in regards to your first question, I have to ask…When I came into the room, did you happen to feel anything odd?"
"Huh? Oh, um..." She replied dumbly. Only one thing was notable thinking back on it, and even then she didn't think much of it. "Just a tingling sensation running down my back."
The man gave a smile in reply much to her consternation. She recalled the memory again to look for the answer, bit It was only after ten or so seconds that it finally clicked.
"...No way."
"Very much 'way'." He laughed.
"Wait a sec, you mean that's how you knew she could use magic?" Qrow pried.
"Pretty much. Though admittedly the feeling can differ for others; like me for instance. I...well I get a weird feeling in my eyes." Jonas grinned, inwardly sniggering at an inside joke neither of them knew about. "Something to note though. Not everyone is adept at sensing another magic user; it varies from person to person."
"You really can't tell anyone else Jonas. This is important." Amber pleaded.
"You think I hadn't clued into that myself?" He retorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Until now I hadn't met another individual who could wield magic like I can, and just as I finally found one they're laying in a heap on the edge of death with their soul broken in half. You really think I'd want to go off spouting about my abilities right now after what occurred today?"
"...Okay, good point." Amber sighed with relief, feeling as if some of the weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Qrow looked to have some of the tension leave his body as he watched on. A blush returned on her face at Jonas' laughter. "It's not funny!"
"Its a little funny. Frankly I'm amazed you didn't think of that yourself as soon as you learned about my magic."
She simply grumbled in response, looking away with puffed cheeks in embarrassment and annoyance much to his continued amusement. Minutes passed in silence while she wandered in her mind.
"Hey...you said something about apprentices, mages and whatnot. What did you mean by that?"
"They're differing ranks in the magical order." Jonas explained. "From what I can feel, you yourself are at the level of Apprentice with your mana capacity. Though I must admit, if that lightning bolt that came down from where you were was your doing, you must have incredible mana control."
"Um...I'm sorry, 'mana control'?" She inquired.
And for the first time since their conversation began did he look truly confounded; his faced twisted in confusion. Qrow and Amber stared at one another, wondering what was going on and what 'Mana Control' was.
After a bit he glanced at her worriedly. "Alright, how about 'Mana Pool', or 'Mana Capacity'? Those ring any bells?" Both she and Qrow shook their heads in the negative. Sweat started to build on his brow. "How about 'Magic Instability' or 'Magic Degeneration'?" Again they gave a no in reply, and he began to look on the cusp of a panic attack. He asked in a quiet voice. "...'Primary Elements'?"
He cradled his head in his hands when they stared at him blankly, looking as if the end of the world was nigh. The stranger took deep breaths in an attempt to clear his mind, and after half a minute he looked at her as if she were an enigma.
"Right, I seem to be missing a great deal of information." He concluded. "Can you to inform me on what a 'Maiden' is exactly?"
Amber blinked, staring at him before looking towards Qrow for a split second. All she got was a shrug in response.
She gave him a tired grin. "Its a long story."
Meanwhile…
The sound of thunder rolled by while Ozpin sat in his desk, knee-deep in his own personal hell that was legal proceedings for hosting the Vytal Festival in Vale for the coming year. Such an honor hadn't been received in over a decade, what with the ongoing decline in Vales economic front. With imported goods coming in from Mistral, Dust and technology from Atlas, and unerring Hunters from Vacuo, this left Vale in a tenuous position since they couldn't keep up.
This also meant that often times Vale happened to host the most hunters due to the lack of work being forwarded to them from outside the kingdom, but even that could become a danger. Deterioration of ones skills was inevitable without anything challenging, and with the growing army of hunters in the technologically driven atlas and the hardy from Vacuo, in a generation or two the continued growth of Vale-grown hunters would become moot, which would put the kingdom in danger if an actual challenge happened to make its way here.
Hosting the festival here was something he hoped would ease some of the damage. He wanted the students of Beacon to win of course as any headmaster would, but the losses some of them would undoubtedly face would help to push them into growing stronger. And even if they left Vale to look for more work in the other kingdoms, at the very least they'll be that much more prepared for it despite them leaving Vale that much more destitute.
The sound of a lightning crack brought him out of his hypnosis. He stretched in his seat, and winced as his spine cracked back into place. A groan passed his lips, and he slumped on his desk. There had to be a better way to solve this problem than dealing with all of this loathsome paperwork!
The moment was cut short however, and Ozpin went ramrod straight at the sound of the elevator arriving at his floor. His body relaxed slightly when his deputy headmistress stepped out, though from the look of her stature…
"...You certainly look out of sorts." She lightly commented, noting the over-stacked table. Small groans could be heard whenever he shifted his weight. He gave her a tired grin.
"Yes, well, small pains for better rewards I suppose. Such is the oath of a hunter." Ozpin answered. "To its credit, I've recently received a call from the council."
She was unable to hide the grimace on her normally stoic exterior, much to her boss's enjoyment. "I take it there were a great deal of veiled insults thrown at one another?"
"Surprisingly not the case this time." He amended lightly, getting a raised eyebrow in response. "I was notified that my request for the Vytal festival to be hosted in Vale in the coming year was accepted."
All she replied with was a small "Oh.". Surprise was clearly etched on her face. Eventually she managed to get her bearings and regain her usual frown. Her eyes narrowed. "I assume there were conditions involved?"
"As always." He shrugged. "As I expected, while they will pay for the festivities, were required to pay any and all fees for the running and maintenance of the coliseum itself."
"What?!" She half-shouted. Ozpin had half a mind to cover his ears. "Are they insane?! The costs of running the Amity Coliseum is enough to cover everything else a hundred times over! Why would-"
"Glynda, I've been asking for the competition to be hosted here for years." Ozpin dryly cut in. "They finally decided that if I wanted the competition in Vale so badly, I could fund everything related to its function."
"Don't they realize that this is for the benefit of Vale?" She asked incredulously.
His expression remained neutral. "I imagine they did, but my continued nagging left them with a viable excuse they could use against me in court to not have to pay a single lien."
Glynda growled, quietly throwing insults that, in his opinion, should never be uttered to another lest they cause heart attacks or ulcers. A sigh eventually passed her lips, her head slumping forward in resignation. He felt much the same way honestly. "This is going to put a heavy dent in our budget for the next few years."
"Indeed. I have been making a draft of certain changes to get ahead on that." He reached into one of his drawers, pulling out a small bundle of papers packed to the brim with small yet still legible writing and handed it to his colleague. He was anything if not efficient. "Peter will have his live Grimm examinations toned down significantly-"
"Thank the gods."
"-While Bart will face a significant drop of artifacts received on loan from the local museum. Field trips will sadly have to be died down in favor of lessons related to those subjects."
"Is that wise?" She asked him worriedly. As much as she might look like a teacher just barely tolerating your continued existence, she truly did care for her charges. He would have cracked a smile if the situation weren't so serious.
"Sadly yes. It's not what I want, nor what some of the more amiable students would want, but if we wish to still have Beacon running by the end of next year we'll need to cut costs on certain necessities. At the very least, having the event hosted here will help our hunters to grow enough to mitigate some of the damage."
"Refusing to back Port and Bart's hobbies is a good start. I understand that much. But surely there are others that we can cut funding on?" She opposed. Ozpin gave her a long look.
"...I'm not losing my coffee supply."
"I wasn't referring to your caffeine!" She replied irately. "It's the only thing that keeps both you and Bart, who arguably has a worse addiction to the drink than you do, in some semblance of control!"
"Then by all means." He said tonelessly. "If you can come up with your own outline to cover the costs of running beacon for the next few years that gives us a viable option while still creating proper huntsmen, I will gladly sign off on it."
"If that's what it takes." She grumbled, quietly muttering about more paperwork being added onto her load. Ozpin inwardly smiled. While she detested paperwork as much as he did she was leagues above him in dealing with it. She had a way of finding loopholes both unwanted or otherwise in highly condensed contracts, as well as creating her own that often leaned more in favor of the school while still maintaining the appearance of equal footing. It was moments like this that reminded him how glad he was to have signed her on as his deputy.
"I take it there's a reason you came here other than to hear me talk?" He regained her attention as he returned to his arduous task.
She nodded, her visage turning serious. "We received a message from Qrow a few minutes ago before we lost the connection in the storm. It's…it's not good."
Ozpin froze in his writing, but didn't look up.
"How so?"
Glynda chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds.
"...The fall maiden was attacked before Qrow could get to her." She had his full attention now, his eyes meeting hers with a shine that would've made lesser men uncomfortable. "From what he learned, her soul was torn in half."
Ozpin stared at her in silence, quietly processing the ramifications of such an act. He didn't need to guess who it was that attacked them and caused such an atrocity. Not not only have their enemies managed to locate one who was constantly on the move, they even managed subjugate her and ripped her soul in twain.
'So shes finally begun to move.' He whispered in his mind. Ozpin focused towards her. "What is her status?"
"Surprisingly, up and about. Though she does appear to be tired if the picture Qrow sent me is any indication."
"...Shes managing to operate on half of her soul?" He asked with no small amount of shock.
She shook her head. "From what Qrow was telling me, a passerby came to their aid and managed to recover the other half from her attacker through a means he had no knowledge of."
Now that brought a raised brow to his face. He had never heard of one who could manage such a thing in the past, and he had read up on a lot of the script that was maintained from headmaster to headmaster in the last four-hundred years; something he was immediately brought up to speed on when he took the position. There was never any mention of repairing the soul in any of what he read, though he'd need to double check to be sure.
"Did they happen to get the name of the individual?"
"Jonas Everblue. And if what he said is to be believed he is also the indomitable warrior."
Ozpin mumbled to himself. The warrior's history was an active interest with everyone in the order due to the problems he faced. His solutions to them were borderline supernatural from what everyone was informed of, so they couldn't help but wonder who the individual was. He looked toward her.
"Has he taken any photos of them?"
Glynda nodded, handing her scroll over to him. Leaning in, he found himself staring at the figure of a young man barely in his twenties. From the angle he noted the armor both on the arms below the shoulders and underneath the coat and his armored boots and legs; all of which looked to have been carefully crafted for the most coverage while keeping as light as possible. This showed he had combat experience, though to what degree he couldn't say without more information.
"Any other information on them?" Ozpin took a sip from his coffee.
"He's currently sitting in the middle of a conversation between them all, and promised to message us back when he's able to reconnect through the storm." She shifted her glasses, which Ozpin noted since she only ever did so whenever she was anxious about something. Her eyes stared directly into his. "What really worries me is that somehow, this man figured out she was able to wield magic."
"So our theories were correct then." He said quietly. His volume quickly returned to normal. "Do we know if any of the other maidens were attacked at any point?"
"No, we've looked into it." She denied. "There's something else Qrow mentioned however. If what he said is true, then the powers he wields are as strong as all four of the maidens put together."
His eyes widened minutely, though to anyone else, they would've thought he had a revelation.
"You're absolutely certain of this?"
"Ozpin, during the entire conversation between him and I, Qrow had not once pressed the wrong key in a drunken typo like he normally does. I think he's been sober for all of their chat."
Gently, he placed his pen onto the table and stood, walking towards his clock-tower window. A long, extended silence reigned in the room with a terrible intensity; enough to make even his colleague slightly uncomfortable.
"Ozpin, are you alright?" She asked with a hint of concern.
"...The game has changed completely." He announced, his voice echoing throughout the room. Swallowing silently, Glynda nodded. "If what he said is to be believed..."
He turned, staring at her with an intensity that would make the most experienced veteran stop and stare.
"We may be looking at one comparable to the hermit himself."
Meanwhile…
"So, to put it simply...some random old dude in the middle of nowhere was taught the meaning of living by four girls who, for some reason, decided to meet up at the front of his house out of pure happenstance. And somehow, after said events, he split his powers into four pieces and gave it to them." He received a nod. "And as an added bonus, said powers jump from host to host; whether or not its at random or by the previous hosts choosing by keeping an individual, who has to be female, in their mind at the time of their death. Do I have this right?"
"Yup." Qrow replied, popping the p. "Pretty incredible right?"
"Well, its…in the top ten, that's for sure."
"Whoa, wait a second, you mean this isn't the weirdest thing you've heard?" Amber asked disbelievingly.
"Seven words; the Crimson and Corruption, and it's denizens." Jonas blandly replied.
"Do we wanna know?" Qrow questioned, perturbed.
"Probably not. Though to be fair that's probably my bias talking." He grinned a tired grin.
"So then why did you look so confused when we didn't understand any of the words we were saying?" Amber asked.
"Mostly because I was amazed that none of you maidens had accidentally blown yourselves to bits at any point throughout the generations."
"...'Blown up'?" Qrow looked at him with no small amount of concern.
"Well normally, if you don't have proper control of your emotions when you enter the rank of apprentice, let alone the latter end of it like where Amber and presumably the rest of the maidens are, when their emotions run wild they kind of...explode. Rather violently at that. Depending on the size of their mana pool and how much they still have contained within them at the time of detonation, the radius can span anywhere from a small section of a two story house to several city blocks."
"Are you sure about that?" They looked at him skeptically.
"Absolutely, though I do have a theory for why that hasn't happened if you're up for hearing it." Receiving nods he continued. "All things considered, the old man was an Arch. A reclusive one to be sure, but one who was highly knowledgeable. Now while I get most knowledge of magic's been lost to the annals of time, I think he realized just how dangerous it could be if it were left alone, what with his own experiences with it, so the good moneys on him putting in a safeguard to make sure instability would never occur; in the form of splintering off a small portion of his own soul in a new form of magic of his own creation to regulate and control it for you."
"Wait, what?" Amber stared at him, wide-eyed.
"Well, how else would succession occur? When a magician dies their magic, capacity and everything else goes with them, so it shouldn't be possible for him to just hand it to you normally, nor pass it down or stop an untrained individual from going boom. It's the only logical explanation; when it comes down to magic anyway."
"So basically what you're saying is what we already know; magic, magic and, oh hey would ya look at that, more magic." Qrow cut in.
"You'd be surprised at how often magic is the answer." Jonas laughed. "Honestly with half of the shit I've seen on this world, my first assumption is 'Was this a magic-related event' if the answer isn't obvious from the get go."
A comfortable lull took over the room as the two started at him, unbelieving. He couldn't blame them, especially after their reactions to the magical definitions he spouted earlier. If his theory held true, they wouldn't have needed to care since they'd already have the control of an Arch due to the fragments.
It also presented an interesting opportunity. Since it appeared through her status that her magic was held in a separate container, what would happen if she grew her own all the way? She'd hit a point beyond anything he had already reached in terms of raw power. And with the inherent skills in wielding it?
That was a very scary thought; more so if their magic goes along with the succession.
He figured he'd keep that to himself for the time being, at least until he made sure. With the power being given at random at the time of death, the question remained on the people in particular. It was pretty unlikely they'd be as restrained with their abilities as he was.
Step back and observe. See what they and the world of remnant do first before coming to that conclusion.
Despite the nagging feeling in his head at any rate.
'Bloody M.E.P. Clause.'
Jonas stretched in his seat, giving a small yawn before letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Well, at any rate I think I'll hop outside again for the time being." He finally spoke with a dreary sigh, breaking the calm. "Your friends will be here soon, if the tapping I heard coming from Qrow's scroll is accurate."
"You heard all that?" Qrow said with a raised brow.
"I'd make a pretty lousy survivor if I didn't my friend." He smirked at him as he stood.
"Wait, one last question." Amber quickly cut in, grabbing his attention. "Where do you intend on going after this?"
"Well really I've been wandering around for the most part, hopping from place to place. Already found quite a few amazing things already." He quipped with a knowing grin. "I'll eventually make my way to Vale, though I have no clue how long that'll be. Probably a few months yet, though that's dependent of whether or not I can take a break for once and catch a ride on a train."
"Mind paying a visit to Beacon when you get there? My boss would want a word with you." Qrow asked.
"Sure, why not." He shrugged in reply. "I'll send an unorthodox message when I get there. Just gotta think up a good one."
"Uh-huh." Qrow grunted. "Just don't kill anyone."
Jonas grinned on his way to the exit. "It was a pleasure talking to you both. If either of you need me, don't hesitate to come get me."
The rain poured on him as he walked out the door. The cacophony worked to soothe his rattled nerves. Though he believed he hid it well enough from them with his acting, underneath the mask he was just as terrified of what he saw occur on that pathway.
If they manage to figure out he has the same powers as these maidens, would they simply come after him? Or was there something specific they needed the four of them for? Something they neglected to mention? Not that he could blame them. He was an unknown who started spouting apparent secrets In any case, it looked like the relaxation he was hoping for was dashed for the time being until he dealt with their enemy; whoever that might be. Shame too. He was looking forward to simply exploring the world before retiring somewhere nice. Lord knows hes earned the right to it.
Making it to the guard-house he made; which was simply a roof propped up on wooden support beams, he sat himself down on its wooden floor. Making a cursory glance at his surroundings for a second, he returned to his thoughts.
Luckily this time he had the luxury of being able to plan ahead. His foes likely didn't know of his magic or knowledge of the supernatural, so he'd be able to spot them easily if they tried to pull any stunts. However, that was only for the supernatural. When it came down to the worlds current state in technology and the like; well, he was pretty much hopeless in that regard.
He really needed to get a scroll of his own and just browse the internet for information on Remnant. Its history, technology, sciences; whatever he could find really. Its racial disputes at least were apparent to him, but he's likely only seen the bare bones of it so far.
Jonas sighed as he scratched the back of his head irritably. Being this far out from the capital, which seemed to hold the tech and info he needed, wasn't doing him any favors. Despite having been here for over seven months at this point, he had learned very little during that. And usually it was from word of mouth. That's not to say he was being negligent. Rather, the problem lay in the lack of any reading material this far out
He'd have to start making a beeline straight to Vale. Fortunately he had his wings and magic to make the trip somewhat bearable, but it might be better to see if he could finish making the upgrades to the hoverboard he'd been building over the months. It might fly quicker than he could on his own, not to mention it'd be a damn sight more discreet than his wings would be. It would probably hamper him more than it would help in terms of Faunus racism; no offense intended to them.
…
Now that he thought about it, was there any real need to be discreet?
An interesting idea passed through Jonas' head that made him grin. He pushed the thought into the back of his mind. Couldn't let his mind get away from him at such a bad time. One thing was certain however.
Whatever plan he chose to take, he was gonna need a helluva lot of Lien to get it going.
And maybe some backup too. Wouldn't that be surprising.
'Wonder if there's any Demon Altars around here?'
Well, this took a bit to make.
Apologies for the length of time it took here, but I had to make sure to craft Amber properly, since she's mostly just a plot tool meant to die in canon.
I think the hardest part for me in writing right now is fleshing the characters out and making them appear more human.
Not to mention my word usage.
But anyway, I'm getting carried away.
Next chapters an interlude. Just a heads up.