Here we go


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Dishwasher1910

Book 8: Chapter 10


A ship was pulling away from the Mirage Isles.

We hadn't seen it happen, but we heard the commotion. The clash of blades and the screaming. Thinking it the Greycloaks having come for us at last, we'd streamed out weapons drawn, only to find hordes of pirates watching curiously as the crew of a single ship made a break for it, attacking and cutting down several Greycloaks at the docks.

The fighting was swift and fierce. The Greycloaks killed more than they lost but were eventually forced back. Some dove into the waters to escape harm, swimming under or around to climb back up onto the Mirage Isle's decking. Others were cut down; killed or left injured and clutching their wounds. All in all, the crew lost about a third of their members in the assault.

The response from on high was swift. Trumpets blared and torches were lit at the top of the western spire. We moved further back into the mass of people in the tavern area, many of whom huddled away from the docks so as to make their association with the rogue crew as slight as possible.

"They're going to reach the ship," Yang said.

"Yeah." Adam crossed his arms. "But they'll not escape."

The crew that had broken through scaled up the ladders on the side of their vessel and hauled the anchor, raised the sails and turned her out to port, away from the docking. Greycloaks led by Vernal streamed down the path leading around the western spire, but it wasn't quick progress. They had to cross rope bridges in an orderly fashion and the treacherous path was three people wide at best. By the time they reached the wooden deck, the ship was pulling away.

Vernal stepped to the edge of the dock and watched them go. Turning to another Greycloak, she said something, and the man nodded and pointed his hand upward, shooting a single blast of flame up into the mid-morning sky.

The response from atop the spire was immediate. Fireballs, lightning, blasts of ice, wind and so much more. A coruscating wave of spell fire tore down toward the ship, raining elemental magic on and around it. The shots weren't perfect, but the quantity of them, and the consistent barrage, ensured that several struck their mark. The mast was caught and toppled. The sails fell and tangled on the deck. Flames struck the hull and caught, licking at the wood as they spread across the entire ship. Even from a distance, I could see people jump off into the water and try desperately to swim back to the docks. The ship began to list and fall onto its side, but the barrage didn't cease.

"They never stood a chance," Blake said sadly. "Nowhere to hide and no hope of outrunning the spells."

"Some are swimming back," Yang pointed out.

"I wouldn't expect a warm welcome if I were them…"

The words proved prophetic, for while those who could swam desperately back to the Mirage Isles, Vernal wasn't interested in securing them. She barked orders to the Greycloaks, who arranged themselves on the docks. Those that had bows, crossbows or ranged attacks. Bowstring were drawn taut and magic was summoned.

On her command, the barrage struck down into the water, staining it red. Again and again, bolts and arrows flew, sticking into bodies which would float listlessly on the surface. Some reached the docking despite it and we all heard their screams and cries for mercy as the Greycloaks set upon them, slashing and stabbing or, in one case, using a spear to push the unfortunate soul back out into the water and keep him away.

A few moments later, a black shape crested the water and bit down on the poor man, dragging him under with an agonised scream. Of those survivors still in the water, those that hadn't reached the Mirage Isles to be killed by the Greycloaks, the Grimm made short work of. Drawn by the negativity and the fear, they feasted on the pirates. Before, the pirates in the tavern area would laugh at any who fought or fell in the water. Now, they watched with sombre silence, knowing it could be them the next time. That the only thing that separated us from those dying here was Vernal's mood.

"Evil," Ruby whispered. "That's just evil. They're… They're enjoying it."

The Greycloaks were. It was obvious from the laughter and the cheer – the way they would make sport of killing those who reached out for aid. Every single one of them was likely hooked on the thrill of Exp and the glorious rush of levelling. To them, this wasn't about discipline or following orders. It was about gratification. Hedonism.

Their own weren't spared it, either. Those with light injuries were helped to their feet, but some were dying or badly wounded, clearly too weak to stand and likely to be out of action for a week or more, maybe even a month. To a one, Vernal walked to those and drove her twin blades down onto them, killing them where they lay and reaping the experience. Their bodies were stripped of their cloaks and weapons, then rolled off the deck into the water, to be feasted on and torn to shreds by the Grimm and other carnivores and scavengers in the water.

Once the massacre had been concluded, Vernal turned to look over us all, all the hundreds watching in silence, and smile threateningly. Then, she had several of her people stay and made her way back up the western spire with the others, returning the status quo.

Like so many others, we turned away from the carnage and did our best to ignore the sinking ship, still visible, and the Grimm feeding on corpses. And, in the distance, on those desperate people still alive and trying to reach the isles. They wouldn't. And there wasn't a damn thing we could do about it. I had to physically unclench my jaw. The ale tasted bitter and foul.

"It was a doomed effort from the start," Adam said. The captain had chosen to sit with us today, the better to fill us in on what the scuttle among the pirates was. "No one wanted to be the first. The ones to test the Greycloaks. But we all knew someone would crack sooner or later."

"Are you saying they were ordered to risk their lives?"

"More… encouraged." Adam shrugged one shoulder. "We all knew they were desperate to make a break, so some of the other captains donated supplies so that they could try it sooner. We knew even a failed attempt would provide useful information."

"At the cost of their lives," Ruby said unhappily.

"Yes. Make no mistake, they were going to try and make a run for it either way. All we did was enable them to make the attempt sooner. It's not kind, but there are a lot of captains looking for a way to get them and their crews off the Isles."

"Do they know about Salem?" Yang asked.

"No. But you'd have to be a fool not to be able to read the signs at this point. Greycloaks aren't killing us and their own out of the goodness of their hearts." Adam tapped his flagon on the table. "There's a meeting tonight. Midnight. Any and all are invited, though the more famous captains will be chairing."

"A pirate meet and greet?"

"A council," Blake said.

"I wasn't aware there was any governing structure here," Weiss said. "Isn't that what you told us?"

"It's not an official thing," Blake explained. "Most of the time, a council is called to deal with someone who has gone off the deck. Someone who attacks his fellow pirates, or a newcomer who is getting too uppity and threatening to break the status quo. Stuff like that doesn't happen very often. When it does, crews have to band together."

"I take it that's an unusual occurrence," I said.

"Of this size, yes. Like I said, a council isn't an official term. It just means you're meeting on grounds of a truce to hash out a deal. When that's just a couple of crews working together, that's a meet. When you're looking at big numbers? That's a council."

"What's the difference? Apart from numbers, I mean."

"A typical meet might be three or four crews – and their captains will all meet and talk. It's personal. Face-to-face. A council is where you have representatives. There might be a hundred captains here, some of big ships like Adam's, and some of cutters with only eight or ten people. You don't want every single person round a table arguing or nothing will get done. So, the ten or so biggest and most respected become representatives for everyone else. They meet, discuss, and whatever is decided, it's generally considered decided for everyone. You don't go against what a council decides."

"Sounds complicated," Ren said. "How are the decisions enforced? What's to say people won't ignore what is decided?"

"Nothing, really." Blake shrugged. "Like I said before, the Mirage Isles is a lawless place. Mostly, they look after their own affairs. If someone goes against a council decision, they might be killed off, but if it's a relatively minor action, they might get away with a beating, some vandalism or just the cold shoulder and a loss of respect and trust. It really depends on what is being decided and how important it is."

"Something like this is big," Adam said. "We're looking at every crew in attendance and some of the biggest names calling the shots. What is decided is going to affect every single person on the Mirage Isles. Going against this, well, it's the kind of thing that'll get you killed. Council is going to come down hard on anyone who ignores this."

"Are you on the council?" I asked Adam.

"No. I'm respected, but these are the big shots. The dangerous ones. The council is taking place tonight. Midnight. Everyone is invited, but we'll be expected to stay quiet and let the council talk. Also to keep eyes and ears open for Greycloaks."

"They'd be brave indeed to try and mingle with the pirates after what they just did," Weiss said.

"I'm beginning to think bravery might have less to do with this than insanity," Pyrrha remarked. "The actions of those down there didn't exactly seem sane to me."

"That's why we'll be handling this at night," Adam said.

"Is it dangerous for Blake to be there?"

"Not anymore. The Greycloaks have made themselves the bigger problem. At this point, Blake could announce her lineage for all to hear and I don't think it would matter. No one is going to be telling the Greycloaks anything."

"Would her name help at all?"

"No." It was Blake who answered Pyrrha's question. "My parents are dead and my influence, what little I had, is gone. Right now, I'm nothing more than a strong Assassin. Useful, but not politically powerful." She looked over us and shrugged one shoulder. "I think the best thing we can do right now is play along. If they come up with a plan for us all to escape, so be it. It benefits us as much as it does them."

There were no arguments. And, as the day went on and the guard on the docks changed, there were no more attempts to test the Greycloaks' lines. Of the dead, no one said a word. Life was cheap in the Mirage Isles.

/-/

With food supplies low, the pirates had taken to fishing to bolster their stock, and several of our guildmates were doing the same, down on the decking's edge with rods, nets and their own skill at times, the tavern rationing stale bread to throw out as bait to draw the small fish to the surface, and the larger ones who hunted on the smaller.

I had no real skill at fishing, so stuck to the rooms with Weiss, Ruby and Blake, the latter of whom was fast asleep in one of the hammocks. I was trying to do the same but couldn't fall asleep. Instead, I listened in to Ruby and Weiss chatting away.

"I don't see why we can't open a portal back."

"Distance for one, Ruby. Not even Miss Goodwitch with fifty Mages assisting could open a portal outside of the Kingdom. The closest landmass from here would be the east coast of Mistral."

"And that's not possible?"

"Not without at least a hundred Mages capable of working together and maintaining focus, not to mention a singular experienced one to tap into and guide that power." Weiss sighed. "I doubt you would find many Mages among the pirates here. They all seemed to have been recruited up into the ranks of the Greycloaks."

That seemed accurate enough from what I'd seen. Mages really were at a premium, and from what I'd seen them do, I could understand why. Low level Mages were relatively weak, and even high-class ones could be taken down if an opponent got close, but their sheer potential for support was unmatched. Summoning fog to obscure an approach, opening portals and blasting away hails of arrows with wind. Their versatility was worth more than their raw strength.

"Do you think we'll get off here?" Ruby asked nervously.

I frowned in my hammock.

Weiss sat taller at the table. "I'm sure we will. We've been in far worse situations than this, and our goal here isn't to defeat Raven. We just need to get off the island."

"That didn't go so well for the others…"

"That was only one ship. If every ship moored here was to try and leave at once, the Greycloaks would have no hope of sinking them all."

Safety in numbers. Bu virtue of giving the Greycloaks too many to aim at. It was the same kind of tactics birds and fish used, moving in shoals or swarms so that their individual chance of survival was higher. I could see it working here too, but only if people committed to it. That seemed unlikely. How could you convince people to accept that they were nothing more than a screen to ward off attacks? Even if half of the people escaped, that was still a fifty per cent chance of death.

And, of course, there wouldn't be enough food for those who got away. Maybe something could be worked where all the food was kept on one ship that would be screened by others, but these were pirates. No one was going to trust to that, and the Greycloaks were aware of it. They were only providing enough food to last a day. A day and a half at most. By controlling the flow of supplies into the Mirage Isles, they ensured no mass escape could take place without an attack on their supply depots first.

Whichever way you looked at it, Raven was provoking a battle.

"Do you think she's drawn the pirates back to make it easier for Vale to land? If they had decided to attack?"

"Perhaps. The pirates have always defeated them on the sea before. That wouldn't help Raven reap all the Exp, so maybe this is her way of evening the odds."

"In that case, when it's obvious that Vale isn't coming, she's going to go ahead with the ritual…"

"Yes. That's likely the case."

"How long would it have taken for a fleet to reach here?"

"I don't know, Ruby." Weiss sounded frustrated, but not at her friend. "Longer than it took us for sure. You have to marshal a fleet, deal with logistics – not to mention all the supplies they would need as well. The bigger concern is Raven's spies and whether she is in contact with them. They might already have revealed Vale's intention not to attack. In which case, she could be beginning the ritual right now."

My muscles tensed. I think everyone's did, for Ruby and Weiss both waited in silence. There were no screams, no oppressive presence or storms building. All things we'd come to associate with Salem's presence. Given how powerful she could be, I had a feeling we'd have noticed her summoning. There was also the means of it to think of.

How was Raven going to create the necessary negativity?

Killing her own people probably wouldn't work. They were psychopaths at best. Minds lost on the lust for levels and the brief explosion of power and strength that came with it. I didn't think their deaths would be sweet enough for Salem's tastes. Nor, however, would a slow starvation of the pirates below. Raven would need something bigger.

A battle would do it. If Vale had attacked, she might have been able to use all the bloodshed as fuel for Salem. But with Vale not lifting a finger, that isn't going to happen.

I wondered if Ozpin had thought of that; if their decision to hold back hadn't been just as much out of fear of summoning Salem as it had been of Raven and the Greycloaks killing an untold number of people.

All the thinking was beginning to hurt my head. I wanted to get out there and fight. Not to the death, but even a simple spar would have been enough. I was feeling cooped up and impatient, which had to be what all the pirates were going through as well. The cave we'd taken as our quarters was far too claustrophobic.

I wonder how Ellayne is doing. Ugh. Probably angry at me again for leaving without telling her. At least I have an excuse this time. I smiled at the thought of her stamping her foot and stabbing her finger into my chest. Hopefully, Hazel would keep an eye on her. They'd be okay. Velvet will have probably taken the chance to clean the Lodge now that we're out of it, though she'll be just as worried about us. The teachers will have probably questioned her by now. At least Velvet knows why we left, so she can tell them the truth.

Vale would be preparing for the inevitable assault as well. Either from Raven or from Salem. Fortifications would be being built, evacuations of nearby settlements. I hoped Ansel was among them. Oddly enough, I found myself worrying about my horse too, even if I knew the concern would be one sided.

I hope you made it back to Beacon, girl. Or I'll be cracking someone's head in Kingsport.

With nothing else to do, I settled down and let Ruby and Weiss' muted conversation lull me into a slumber. Sleep was slow to claim me, almost reluctant, but it eventually did.

/-/

I woke to Blake shaking me. "It's time."

The others were either awake or waking up and quickly pulling on their weapons. We'd all slept clothed, not having had the time to pack any bags to chase after Blake. Adam was nowhere to be seen, nor was Yang or Pyrrha.

"The council?" I asked sleepily.

Blake nodded and I swung out of the hammock. We hurried from the cave as one and into the tunnel, following the bright light from the moon that shone through the entrance. Coming out onto a rope bridge, I had a moment to marvel at how beautiful the Mirage Isles were in the moonlight, the sun's light reflecting off the rippling waves, before my eyes were intrinsically drawn down to the decking below.

The tavern was awash with torchlight, illuminated around the edges but darker in the centre, where only fitful torches fluttered. Nothing in that was unusual for it felt like some pirates never slept, but what caught my attention was how quiet it all was. The clutter and clack of drinks was there, but for once I could hear the gentle sloshing of the water against the decking. Sound which was normally drowned out by raucous laughter, revelry and off-key music.

I hurried after the others as they crossed the rope bridge and stopped at a rickety ladder, each of us taking turns to scale down it. Across another section of wooden decking we went until we came to another ladder and scaled that, eventually reaching a pile of barrels set up as a staircase, which we could take down to the bottom level.

We were challenged at the entrance by a wall of bodies that watched us cautiously. Their eyes strayed above our heads but not, I felt, to our names and Classes. They were looking for cloaks. On seeing none, they parted and let us through, into the mass of bodies, some having claimed tables and others standing, kneeling or claiming barrels to prop themselves up on.

Ren spotted Yang on a second-floor area – some more decking spread out atop several wooden poles with another ladder leading up to it and a small elevator pully system for drinks. It was too small to fit a person on, even Ruby. We crept over and up, coming to a large table that Adam and his crew had claimed. They made way for us, letting us sit down on seats while they hovered back by the thin wooden walls, sitting on barrels, chests and wooden crates. Although nods of greeting were exchanged, words were few and far between. All attention was focused down on the bottom floor, at a large table sat in the centre of it all, around which ten people sat.

It was my first sight of the bigshots, the pirates which held the most influence within the Mirage Isles. What surprised me most wasn't the fact that four of them were female, but that they were all – to a fault – old.

Really old.

The youngest had to be fifty.

I'd have thought elderly pirates would be replaced once they can't fight. Are they that high level, or do the pirates value experience and leadership more than individual ability? Either seemed possible, but Adam was young. Was he the exception to the rule, or were these ten the outlier? Whatever the case, they certainly held enough respect here. Adam didn't challenge them. Because of how quiet the audience was, their voices travelled. I could hear them even sat down a floor higher and a good thirty metres away. They raised their voices anyway, the better to let it carry.

"Troubled waters are upon us." The tallest woman, a huge faunus with bulging muscles, laid an axe down upon the table. "A grand council called. A crew dead in the water."

"The balance has been upset," one of the men agreed, placing his own weapon, a rapier, down flat on the wood. The action was mimicked by the others, who all drew and laid their weapons down in sight. "The unwritten rules have always been simple; those up top do not seek to limit those below."

"Cease with the flowery words and posing," another spat. "We all know what it is we deal with, as we've known would happen for years. The cloaks take their control. Abuse it. Enough posturing."

"What I believe the esteemed gentleman is saying is that we're all aware of the situation we are in," a well-dressed and equally well-spoken man said, leaning back with one foot up on the table. "I doubt there is anyone here who doesn't agree the Greycloaks have overstepped their bounds and that they must be dealt with. Let's not waste time belabouring the point."

Several tables echoed with the sound of flagons striking on wood. I looked around, confused to find that Adam and Blake were doing the same.

"It signals agreement," Adam whispered.

The council accepted the noise with several nods, the one who had first spoken bowing her head as if to say she understood their frustration. "Very well. I suppose there's no need to convince anyone here to act. We all saw what happened to poor Captain Almond and his crew."

What happened to them, you allowed, I thought. A necessary action, but a cruel one.

"It's clear the Greycloaks aren't playing games, and even clearer they're not interested in opening up the Mirage Isles after the week is through."

"My spies have reported strange activity up top."

"You have spies?"

"Had." The man who spoke slammed a fist down on the table. "He was found and killed last night after sending the last message down. Prisoners have been collected and the blood games-" Here, several people muttered angrily. "-have come to a stop. Greycloaks whisper nervously and she has not been seen."

"They are planning something."

"Aye. Something they seem to want us to stick around for."

"All the more reason to be gone, I say. How distracted is the bitch herself?"

"Can't say. My spy is dead, and his words only claimed she was not seen of late. Cloistered away preparing for something. Only Vernal sees her. That I know of."

"Vernal acts as her eyes and ears, then. And her hand."

Raven must have been preparing for the ritual, then. Not good. The prisoners, whomever they were, were no doubt planned as sacrifice. Raven's lack of attention could serve us well, but only so long as it lasted. Against one ship making a run for it, she might not bother to intervene, but if everyone here acted…? Raven might consider that important enough to stop herself.

"Let us lay our daggers on the table, gentlemen. We all know what must be done. The Greycloaks must either be destroyed in their entirety-" Shocked whispers and fearful murmurs. "Or we must secure supplies and deal with the Mages above, then escape."

Clattering of mugs echoed that statement and I joined in, tapping my wooden flagon against the table. I wasn't sure if they knew how high level Raven was but attacking her just wasn't an option. Unless we could leave them to do it as a distraction, that was. If they kept Raven busy while we escaped, I'd be fine with that.

"Our path seems clear," the biggest woman said. "The supplies rest atop the west spire. The only hope we have is a full-scale mutiny."

Angry clattering and shouting.

"Calm." One of the men raised his hand and the crowd became silent. "There is agreement among the ships. A rarity for us, but a sign of how perilous the waters are of late. A desperate assault is unwise, however. The spires are made so that the few can hold off the many. We would be cut down by spell fire as their best hold us at the gates."

"Scaling the cliffs might be possible."

"Dangerous, and easily seen from the east spire."

Ideas flew back and forth between the captains, some dismissed as soon as they were said and others requiring more debate. It was oddly polite for who they were, though I imagined that too was a rarity, something driven by the necessity of our current situation. As time passed, those in the crowd became more frustrated. The progress was there, but slow. They'd only really agreed that we had to do something, and that this something involved an attack to get back the supplies needed for travel.

That was nothing we hadn't come up with on our own within twenty minutes. It wasn't moving us in any real direction. The problems were twofold – that the Greycloaks had the higher quality fighters, and that their position was defensible. Not just the high ground, but fortified and accessible through numerous dangerous routes, all of which offered limited ability to defend oneself.

Our ranged Classes, be they Archer or Mage, would be left shooting up a cliff, while the Greycloaks could peak over the edge and fire down onto us. The mountainous paths left little room to dodge – and if a fireball took out a rope bridge? Well, that was the assault over before it could begin. And we knew Mages were on the parapet, because they were there to deal with any ships that tried to leave.

"If the problem is the Mages, then we might have to deal with them," Weiss whispered to Adam. "Is there any way for you to suggest that?"

Adam looked over to the Mage and asked, "How?"

"I could open a small portal to the spire if I had a line of sight to it. I wouldn't be able to keep it open for long or make it very big, but it could fit a small group through."

Nodding, Adam stood. He cracked his flagon down on the table three times. The sound resounded out across the decking, silencing all, including the ten at the central table. The way they looked over told me there wasn't some custom for three-strike interruption, because they glared Adam's way. He'd just flat-out cut in.

"I have a Mage among my crew who is capable of opening a portal," he quickly said, before tempers could rise. The proclamation cut through the annoyance, leaving the council of ten with curious, interested expressions.

"Is that true?"

"It is." Adam gestured and Weiss rose, letting those nearby see her Class.

"Girl." It was one of the old women who spoke. "You are able to direct and control a poral?"

"I am." Weiss' voice was clear and confident. "It would only be for a short time, and I would need line of sight to where it is." That prompted some worried expressions, and with good reason. Getting her sight to the top of the spires was all but impossible. "Or I would need to have visited the location before to have a strong understanding of it."

"Such is useless, then."

"I could open a portal onto an upper walkway. As long as one is visible."

"If nothing, it would cut the distance to climb, and the chance of discovery." Adam spoke clearly. "Alternatively, she could open a portal behind Vernal's reinforcements, allowing us to cut off their retreat."

"We'll need to deal with that bitch either way," one of them said. "Might as well have the option of surrounding them."

"Both options hold merit," the faunus woman said. "Both delivering a small strike force higher, one that can climb the last distance and kill or distract the mages, and then a larger party to portal in behind Vernal, cutting off her retreat." The woman looked to Weiss. "Can you do that, girl?"

"I can. It would be easier if you have any Mages who would let me draw on their power, but even on my own, I'd be able to open a portal for a small time. Maybe two or three minutes."

"Not a return journey, then. We'd best be prepared for it. Adam, see your Mage prepared. Any other Mages out there who wish to lend their aid, make contact with Captain Taurus. You do more moving out numbers around than you do with spells."

"We're agreed, then?" one of the men said. "I propose the assault as planned; one party to be delivered to an upper walkway, their goal to ascent the remaining distance and kill or distract the Greycloaks who would launch spells down on us. A second to await a portal behind Vernal's reinforcements. A third to man a decoy ship in an attempt to escape, and the rest to assault the Greycloaks who come to deal with it. Once the assault begins and Vernal is dispatched, the second party shall come in behind and cut off their retreat. At this time, the infiltrating party must strike and silence the Mages above. If possible, they are then to open the gates, allowing our forces entry."

"From there, we secure the bridge between the east and west spire and deny all who seek to cross. Our purpose is to raid and empty the storehouses on the west spire. With the spellcasters silenced, it will be a simple matter to transport them down to the ships. From there, we torch the bridge and depart, leaving the Greycloaks to starve." He raised his voice. "Does the plan suit?"

Mugs, flagons and tankards rattled and clanked against tables, chairs and decking.

"Then the attack begins at noon tomorrow, when the sun is at its highest. Make preparations and be ready. Any Captain not taking part shouldn't expect to get any supplies. You'll be coming away with what you can carry."

More than risks or threats of punishment, that would ensure compliance. No one could sail without the supplies for their crew, and I very much doubted anyone who had risked their lives for it would be in a sharing mood.

"It's too simplistic," Yang hissed. "They're not accounting for anything going wrong."

"That's because nothing can go wrong," I replied. "If it does, we're screwed. This is desperation. I guess we'll need to adapt on the fly if something does happen."

"And if Raven appears?"

"Then we avoid her." It was Adam who answered. "You're forgetting one thing. The people here aren't united. They aren't allies and there is little loyalty between them. While they may work together when needs be, everyone is in this for themselves. If Raven appears, it will be a matter of avoiding her ire and leaving others to be killed by her. Our only goal – the only goal of every captain here – is to get their crew and their vessel off the Isle safely. Everything else is secondary."

Down in the centre, the council shook hands and reached for their weapons, sheathing them once more. The action felt telling, as if they were saying with their actions that the peace ended here, and that each would betray the other if they thought it might suit them best.

"Can we trust them?" Weiss asked.

"No. And that's precisely why we can trust them. Because we know they'll try to stab us in the back if they get a chance. We're not going to turn our backs on them at all."

I looked to Blake, unsurprised at the cynical words. "How likely are they to try and kidnap Weiss?"

"For her ability to open portals, and to provide wind for a ship? It's almost a certainty." Blake looked to Weiss. "You've made yourself a target by speaking up."

"Hmph. I have a few tricks in mind for if that happens."

"We'll leave someone with Weiss either way," I said. "Blake is obviously the best to infiltrate the spire. I'm not going to be any use at stealth." Not with my abilities. "So I guess I'll be in the assault team on Vernal."

"Keeping your emotions out of it, I hope."

"Of course."

Blake didn't look like she believed me, nor did anyone else. I couldn't deny I'd enjoy nothing more than to knock that bitch down a foot or two. Preferably at the neck. I wouldn't take any risks on it, though. The plan was flimsy enough as it was.

"I should go up with Blake," Ruby said.

Yang and I both winced. Ruby saw it.

"You can't hold me back! I'm light enough to climb and fast enough to cut those spellcasters down before they can raise the alarm. There's no one else in our group who can do the same. At best, it's going to be me, Blake and Ren. We need every person possible."

"Ruby is correct," Ren said. I had to imagine it was his inability to feel concern for the Reaper that let him say it. "The risk is high, but no higher than it would be anywhere else. Ruby will be safer up top where there is more room for her to use her unnatural Agility score."

"If she takes a single hit," Yang began.

"I'm more likely to take a hit in a huge melee then I am an ambush," Ruby pointed out angrily. "The Greycloaks won't even be looking our way. And I can run away if Raven appears. I'm not going to go and fight her!"

"Fine." I gritted the word out and looked away from Yang when she turned in my direction, shocked. "We can't afford to hold anyone back. And I guess I'd be the worst hypocrite if I said Ruby's Class should prevent her from fighting."

"You would. Thank you. I won't let anyone down!"

Yang scowled. "If you see Raven, you run. Got that?"

"Yes!"

"No fancy shit, Ruby. You see her. You run."

"I will. I will."

"Same goes for you, Jaune," Blake said, glaring at me. "Vernal, Raven or anyone else. No running in, no getting into a pointless fight to the death and no heroics."

I refrained from pointing out that we wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her. It felt petty. Not to mention that had our situations been reversed, and it was someone I cared for in danger - like Ellayne - then I'd have been out there just as quickly, trying to save her on my own. It was easy to blame her for this, but deeply hypocritical. Instead of firing back, I nodded, accepting her words.

"That goes for everyone," Pyrrha decided. "Even if Salem is summoned, we run. Even if we have a chance to destroy Raven's weapon, we run. This isn't our fight and we're not supposed to be here. Let the pirates do the fighting and dying for us. We just want those supplies."

"Agreed," Adam said. "I shall attack the Greycloaks on the docks and get the ship ready to sail. The moment we get enough supplies on board, I'll raise the flag. That's your cue to get out of there."

"Right." I looked around the table. "No heroic last stands. Right?"

Every single one of them nodded back. "Right."

Now. If only the fight would be as easy as the planning.


Pupper still being not eating. Worry is big, but I'm doing what I can. At least she's energetic still, so I'm hoping it's just a stomach bug on her part. We'll have to wait and see, I guess. Still waiting on the vets to find anything, since it's been a bank holiday here for Easter, and they haven't been working, etc.


Next Chapter: 29th April

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur