So, very random but I was chatting to a friend on Steam last night, basically explaining why the reason I've not been on to play any games is a) too busy and b) my internet croaked for two whole weeks. And we were just having the usual chat until I asked him "What you up to?"
"Oh, I'm in hospital."
"Shit," I said. "U okay?"
"Yeah. My wife's just gone into labour."
I'm like… wtf, isn't there something you should be doing other than chatting to me on steam or something!? No, I don't have time for Mordhau, and neither should you! Fml. In the end, I gently reminded him he should probably get in there and offer some moral support.
I legitimately cannot imagine being in that spot and thinking "Hm. Now is a good time for steam".
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Dishwasher1910
Book 9: Chapter 2
"Sun!"
"Jaune. Ha!" The bronze-skinned figure of Sun Wukong turned in my direction and his face lit up. He moved over with a laugh, offering a hand in what I could only call a warrior's handshake. Our wrists connected and our hands linked. "Good to see you." His eyes roved higher. "And I see you've finally accepted what you are."
"Not like I can hide anymore, but why are you here-?"
"Why wouldn't we be? You know what our tribes stand for." His voice dipped. "Salem's return threatens us all and the Tribes of the Ashari won't stand by and let her continue what began in Vacuo." In a louder voice he added, "Besides, asking us to miss a party like this? That's just rude."
Sun had changed little to my eyes. Still the tall and athletic Monk who had aided us in Vacuo. He was leading a tribe much larger than what he had been before, one some thirty thousand strong, but he somehow still looked just as relaxed. I wasn't sure how he managed it; I'd cracked under the pressure of leading just eight people.
The tribes had spread out around the south-east corner of the wall, the one connecting to Beacon rather than Vale. Ozpin had decided they couldn't come within the walls until closer to Salem's arrival because it would send the wrong message to the other refugees. While I could see the logic, I felt sick at the thought of people who had come to our aid being forced to sleep in the rough.
Sun dismissed such fears when I raised them.
"This is how we've always lived our lives. As far as we're concerned, we are within the walls. Our walls."
Vacuo, the wandering city. The tents, stilts and fabric walls were being erected before our eyes, and while I'd seen them before many in Beacon had not. Students and guards ringed the walls, watching with awe as a veritable town of brightly coloured cloth was erected. With cooler days and warmer nights than they were used to, they probably saw Vale's climate as a holiday.
There were few who felt brave enough to come down in person and most of those were Heroes. We'd been the first, being comfortable with Sun and the tribe, and others had taken our example in stride, mingling themselves. To my discomfort, I'd heard some troubling conversations. People questioning whether the tribes would be any use, being composed mostly of Labour and Solider Caste. Others saying that rather than to come and help, they'd come to eat our food and hide behind our walls.
I couldn't help but think the reaction from the refugees and the other citizens of Vale would be the same. Even if they knew I could fight, they saw me as the exception to the rule. They had no idea that Vacuo existed on the same terms I did, or that they'd been perfecting it long before I tried. Most Labour Caste here were stronger than the Soldier Caste of Vale. Ours had been through a war. Sun's tribe had lived its whole life travelling across the desert fighting Grimm for survival.
They deserved more respect than they received, and I had the uncomfortable suspicion they wouldn't get it until the Grimm were upon us.
"We're glad to see you here," Blake said. "Will your people be alright outside the walls?"
"Vale has plenty of wildlife. Right?" When Blake nodded in answer, he grinned. "Then yeah, we'll do just fine. We brought plenty of supplies with us and even if Vacuo has a lack of rivers, we're used to fishing on the coast. Can't be that hard to put that into practice here."
"I'm sorry we can't let you in…"
"Don't sweat it. Seriously. Being stuck inside those walls is gonna be claustrophobic enough when the time comes. We prefer being outside. And don't worry about what some of yours are saying, either."
My face fell. "You heard them?"
"Idiots," Blake said, shaking her head.
"Yeah, I heard. Like I said, don't sweat it. We're used to that and more."
"You shouldn't be," I interrupted.
"No, we shouldn't. But we are. We don't care, though. We spend every day wondering if it'll be our last on Remnant, wandering the desert and protecting the temples. Let the idiots talk. We've got more important things to focus on, and everyone will bleed the same at the end."
He deserved better and I still felt bad, even if I could understand his reasoning. Sun wasn't thick-skinned, he just literally didn't care what people thought. Still, for the aid he would bring, he deserved a hero's welcome. I could only comfort myself in knowing he'd get it in time.
"Come on," Sun said, waving his hand toward us. "I asked some pals to set up my tent while I handled business. We can chill inside and talk business."
"Should Ozpin come for this?" Pyrrha asked.
"Nah. We don't hold any value in ranks or power. Your word means more than his to us."
"Why?" Yang asked. "Ozpin is the headmaster of Beacon."
"To you, maybe. To us, he's just a guy. We've never met him. Never dealt with him. I don't know him anymore than I do anyone stood on your walls. But you lot? I know you. The tribe knows you."
We were led to a large tent that might have been octagonal in nature, or maybe ten sides. It was a rough circle with flat planes at any rate, and each of those was fixed into the ground by the thin wooden poles they'd used in Vacuo rather than ropes. Those were driven down into the wet ground with a lot more ease than the hot sand of the desert.
I had a feeling the refugees would somehow be angry about that. They still lived in squalid tents and huts arranged around campfires, and yet in a single night the assembled tribes would have a community that was both quicker assembled and more comfortable than their own. They only had themselves to blame of course, but they wouldn't accept that. Don't be like that, I told myself. Those people are scared and don't understand what's going on. It's not their fault they're acting like idiots.
My less than charitable thoughts aside, the interior of Sun's tent was spartan indeed. Several rugs were folded together with some cushions, a few jugs contained either water, wine or some other beverage, and he had some wooden crates stacked on one end. Rather than seats, Sun brought out the rugs and spread them down, creating a large area for us to sit cross-legged in a circle on. He then cracked open one of the jugs, pouring out what I realised was lemon-flavoured water for each of us.
It was refreshing. Bitterly so. We had a moment to laugh and talk about that before Sun brought our attention back to the matter at hand.
"These are all the reinforcements that are going to come from Vacuo. We left the infirm and those unable to fight with as small a guard as we could get away with at one of the oases. They'll have constructed Vacuo – the proper Vacuo – and we travelled north-east to reach you."
"What about the temples?" Weiss asked. "Aren't you bound to protect them?"
"It's our hope that'll become irrelevant if Salem falls."
"Can she fall?" Pyrrha asked. "I've never seen any indication she can actually die."
"That's what I wanted to talk about," Sun said. "I've brought thirty-five thousand in total. It's a drop in the ocean, I know, but we're all warriors through and through. There's not a one of us here who isn't prepared to bleed and die for her demise. Despite what your people think, we haven't brought any… I suppose you call them civilians." In a low voice, he whispered, "I wouldn't bring any to a warzone."
"They're probably safer in Vacuo," I said.
"They probably are. That was our first clue something was wrong. The Grimm stopped attacking."
My eyes widened. "Across all of Vacuo!?"
"We've seen the same," Weiss said, leaning forward. "Despite all those people outside the walls, we've not had a single Grimm attack. Negativity and fear must be at its highest level ever, but there's nothing. Though… I didn't realise it was outside our Kingdom, too."
"It is. After days and days of no Grimm appearing, we started to get suspicious. We made our way to the coast – more Grimm spawn there – and eventually found some traders to talk to. They had news from Mistral confirming the same, and rumours of the Grimm laying siege to Vale."
"You thought we were already under siege!?"
"At first," he said, "But we obviously figured out that wasn't the case by the time we reached Vale and found your evacuated villages and the notices."
Yet they still came. They had come to Vale with thirty-five thousand people expecting to find a city either under siege or fallen, and they had obviously planned to attack the Grimm from behind whatever the risk to themselves. I considered myself brave, I considered everyone in the Guild to be brave, but I didn't think I could do something like that so knowingly.
"Ever since then," Sun went on, ignoring our shock. "I've been hearing more and more rumours. We picked up a few of your own refugees on the way and escorted them here. They had more news. Something about Salem having been wished into a Class."
"Yes. It was Raven." I explained the story of our final battle with Raven and the wish that had brought Salem into our world. Sun listened intently, showing neither anger nor pleasure and instead looking more and more lost in thought.
When I was done, Sun brought a hand to his chin and hummed. "I'm not sure what to make of it."
"None of us are," I said. "Ozpin is trying, and I can ask him to get in touch with you-"
"He won't," Sun said. "No offence, but if the guy is as important as you say then he has an entire city to prepare. If he can afford to take the time out of his day to talk to me, he's not working hard enough. Same goes for anyone in charge."
I wanted to say Ozpin had taken the time to talk to me but knew it would only prove Sun's point. I wasn't just `any old person` now. I was the key to possibly one hundred thousand runes weapons. It was in Vale's best interests for Ozpin to keep me focused on the task at hand. I could stretch that and try to force a meeting with Sun, but it would only take Ozpin away from something else. Something that lives might depend on.
It wasn't my place to choose where he should prioritise his time.
"Besides," Sun continued, "I want to ask about how she acted once she was brought into our world. You're best for that, Jaune."
"I'll answer anything I can."
"Great." Sun smiled. "First things first, her Class. What Skills did she show?"
"I'm not sure." I looked to Ruby for help, but she shook her head in the negative. "Ozpin seems to think she is a spellcaster and I agree," I said before Sun could chip in. "She didn't use a weapon and although she obviously has ridiculously high Stats, being able to catch swords mid-swing and outpace Raven, that was just raw stats. The big things she did was summon and create Grimm and cause the walls to buckle and fall to pieces around us."
"Creation and destruction. Fitting…"
Weiss gasped. "You think the `Goddess` Class is tied to actual divinity!?"
"Huh?" I looked to Weiss. "What do you mean?"
"Creation," Weiss said. "Ancient religions usually believed that their God – or Gods – created the world from nothingness. It's the concept that everything has to begin somewhere. To go alongside that, they usually had either a facet of the same God – or another God, Goddess or Demon – who acted as the counterpart to the creator. The destroyer."
"How does that help us?"
"It doesn't," Sun said, "But everyone's Class is at least a little tied into what they can do. Even if Vacuo and you are proof that anyone can fight given enough experience, it doesn't change the fact that a Warrior is better at swinging a sword than an Archer. If the wish from Raven was to literally make Salem a part of our world, then that means Salem is now bound by our laws. Her Class might have been created out of nothing since we've never seen a God or Goddess Class before, but it'll have been chosen because it fits what she can do."
"That still doesn't help us," Ren said. "In fact, it makes it worse. Gods are known for being both omnipotent and invincible. Well, at least in some cases. I've heard old stories of Gods being trapped in kettles, but I somehow doubt our salvation will be in crockery."
"If she were an actual Goddess, yes," Sun said. "But the wish was to bring her into our world. She's a Goddess class, not a Goddess." He leaned back and sipped his lemon-water, and I could see the faint traces of a smile on his face. "Do you remember how she acted in the temple in Vacuo? When Jaune attacked her?"
"She went ballistic," Blake said. "He used that Purify ability…"
"No, before that. When he flung a sword at her."
Before…? It took me a few seconds to actually realise what he meant. Less so for Yang.
"During the fight with Weiss' mom and Watts," she gasped. "Right. He distracted Watts by chucking a sword at Salem's back. She yelled out and… white light? I remember a blinding light. It stunned everyone."
"I remember." It had been a stupid move on my part. "I hit her, but it didn't do any real damage."
"No, but you hit her. That's telling."
"How?" I asked Sun.
"You already said that she has speed and power enough to avoid being hit, and she had even more when she was being summoned. She could literally re-write the world based on a wish. Do you think she couldn't have stopped you hitting her if she really wanted to?"
"I took her by surprise. She didn't see it coming."
"And every point before and after that? Salem could fly. Why did she bother hovering around in front of people if she could just turn intangible and be invincible?"
"There was her aura," Ruby whispered. "None of us could move. Except Jaune."
"But he could still move," Sun pointed out. "And Salem knew that yet still didn't back away or take any measures to protect herself from him. Why?"
"Because… Because she didn't think he could hurt her?"
"Close," Sun said. "But it was because she knew he couldn't hurt her. Knew none of us could." The Monk tapped his head. "Think about it. What happened when Jaune did sink a blade into her?"
"Bright light," Yang said again. Her eyes lit up. "Shit, you're right. A bright light pouring out from her body. No blood, no guts, no organs or anything. She's, like, what? A being of pure energy? Something that doesn't actually have a form?"
"That's my thought," Sun said. "She sure as hell wasn't human, and she as good as said she didn't come from our plane of existence. That's why she never cared to feel worried about anyone; no one had the ability to harm her."
"I'll ask again," Weiss said. "How does this help us?"
"Because now, that's changed."
"Our laws," I said, realising Sun's point. "Salem is now bound by our laws."
"What laws!?" Nora groaned. "Stop talking in metaphors!"
"The law that if you cut someone's head off, they die," Sun said, silencing everyone. "The law that you need your eyes to see. That you need to breathe. That you have a heart, a heartbeat and blood pumping round your body."
"Blood, guts and organs," Yang whispered. "Stuff to actually cut through this time."
"In theory," Ren warned. "This is all a lot of theory to base our decisions on."
"True," Sun allowed. There was no way any of them could know for sure and we all knew it. "But it holds with one thing I noticed in Jaune's story of how Salem acted on the Mirage Isles. Something she never saw the need to do before." He grinned. "Do you know what that is?"
I shook my head.
The others did as well.
Ruby, however, spoke. "She defended herself…"
"Heh." Sun winked at her. "Bingo."
"What? What do you mean?" Weiss became agitated and glared at both Sun and Ruby, unhappy to be out of the loop. "Explain, one of you! Salem has always defended herself. Why, she almost killed Jaune for attacking her."
"That was more retaliation," I mumbled, rubbing my chest. "Even after, she didn't act any more afraid around us. She was angry because I dared to attack her, not because it did anything. And my Purify Skill only stopped her attack. It didn't harm her." I had to investigate that more, I knew, but there just hadn't been any time. Time spent researching my Skills was time not spent equipping people who would be relying on my weapons and Runes to survive.
"Jaune's got a point," Yang said. "Salem is a bitch. What's to say she didn't just want to hurt him for the sake of hurting him? It fits. You remember how she let three of us fight against Tyrian? There was never any fear we might harm her."
"What changed in the Mirage Isles, then?" Pyrrha asked.
It was Ruby again who answered. "Salem broke Jaune's sword."
I remembered. She caught it between a finger and thumb, then snapped it in two.
"Could that just have been to drive home how helpless he was?"
"Maybe." Ruby shrugged. "But she also dodged Raven's attacks. She never let anything hit her, and that would have done even better to make it seem hopeless. It's the first time Salem ever exerted herself to not be hit." Ruby let that sink in. "And the only difference was that Salem had been brought into our world by Raven's wish."
A vulnerability. A long shot and a small chance, but one I wasn't quite willing to deny just yet. The others caught on at the same time, looking for once a little more hopeful about their chances. Maybe Ozpin had already figured this out – it would explain why he wanted tens of thousands of arrows launched at her. Even the strongest Class with the highest Level could die if you hit them enough times. It was just a question of applying that force.
"You think she can be killed, then?" Blake had a hand on one of her daggers and I felt the unreasonable urge to ask her not to try and assassinate Salem. I held back, knowing she'd be right to call me an idiot if I did.
No one was dumb enough to try and sneak up on her before the battle – and in the midst of the siege where she might be distracted enough for that to work, I had no right to tell Blake not to take any chance made available to her. The lives of everyone on Remnant depended on this.
"I think that Salem is cautious of that fact," Sun said. "Why else would she go out of her way to avoid damage for the first time ever? Even if she was cut and bled, it would be enough to tell you she can be killed. Better for her to keep that illusion of invincibility."
"Attacking Vale isn't a good way to do that."
"No but letting everyone build up for an attack on her is worse."
"She wants to kill us before we become a threat to her," Weiss realised. "But then why give us two months? Why let Jaune escape with that message? It just gives us time to gather our forces."
"And time for her to gather hers."
Weiss gasped.
Ren groaned. "The Grimm." He slapped his forehead. "They're not missing, they're moving. Salem didn't give us two months to prepare, she's bought herself two months."
"This… This is a lot of assumptions," Pyrrha said.
"It is, but it makes sense," Ren continued, looking at us all. "Think about what we can do in two months. We can gather reinforcements into one place, fortify and get a little training in. We can't give birth to ten thousand more troops and raise them to be combat ready. Salem can. She can create more Grimm. This two-month wait is worth more to her than it is to us."
"But all the reinforcements," Weiss said.
"Put the humans all in one convenient spot," I finished. "Because if Salem really is worried about us being able to kill her, she would want us all on the other side of a million Grimm. Right? Not an army from Vacuo attacking her from behind when she might be vulnerable."
"If this is true, then Ozpin and the others need to know."
All eyes fell on me. "You're the best to get in contact with him," Weiss said. "I could talk to Ironwood, but he's been busy every day and I'm not sure he'll have the time. Miss Goodwitch trusts you enough to let you into Ozpin's tower."
Standing with a brief nod, I let myself out the tent. They were right; this couldn't wait.
/-/
True to Weiss' prediction, I was fast tracked into Ozpin's tower without being told to wait or talk to someone else. A part of me knew it was only because of the strategic advantage I presented, but as long as I didn't abuse the ability, I could ignore that.
Inside, I found Ozpin and Ironwood engaged in a meeting, both talking over a map. They looked up as I entered, and I could see a small amount of frustration in both of them. Not wanting to waste their time, I immediately recounted what Sun had said to us.
The two listened.
"If this is true, it grants us more of an opportunity than we first realised," Ironwood said. "Did you suspect, Ozpin?"
"I hoped," the Sage said. "But `suspect` is perhaps too strong a term. Even now, we cannot be sure, but I see no harm in passing this information on to the King. If nothing else, it should serve to bolster morale. I would be way of dictating our strategy around it, however. If your friend is wrong, Mr Arc, then we might expend too much of ourselves in trying to strike against someone who cannot be struck."
"With all due respect, sir, if Sun is wrong then we're doomed anyway. If Salem can't be struck down, then nothing we do will stop her."
"There is still the matter of Raven's `Seal` Rune. Is there not?"
"It didn't affect Salem."
"By your friend's own words, Salem chose to defend herself against it. That is something she has never done before."
I had no answer.
"The boy's Runes could be useful," Ironwood said. "Have you put him to work researching them?"
"No. I have him equipping the garrison."
The Archmage hummed. "Do you believe it is the best use for him?"
"I cannot say. While I would love nothing more than for Mr Arc to develop a Rune of Killing Salem, there is the simple fact that such a Rune might not exist, or that she may be easily killed by steel and magic just as easily. If we waste what time we have and nothing comes of it, we lose out. At least making equipment for the garrison, we can be assured of some results." Ozpin inclined his head to me. "I mean no criticism of your skills, Jaune. Only that the answer may not be out there."
I nodded back. "I understand, sir."
Finding a Rune to deal with Salem would be convenient if it worked, but my efforts to create one useful against Raven had only resulted in the Frost Rune. It worked in a sense, even against Salem, but it wasn't the be all and end all that we needed. And, of course, if Salem was vulnerable then it went without saying that she wasn't going to march into our walls to face us. She'd be standing behind an army of Grimm.
"What about Salem gathering her forces?" I asked. "Would it be better if we attacked before she can?"
"I fear that ship may have sailed," Ironwood said. "Literally. The first to reach her would be the oceanic Grimm if she is operating out of the Mirage Isles. Good luck us transporting an army across an ocean she controls. And if she is a spellcaster as Ozpin thinks, we'll truly see the depths of those abilities on the open water. At Atlas, we consider ourselves masters of naval combat, but I would not dare risk our Kingdoms against her."
"It's no use then," I said, feeling crushed. "The things we've figured out…"
"May well be of use, Jaune, do not doubt that. I intend to focus all our attention in the siege on trying to strike a blow against her, no matter how small. If she bleeds, we will know with certainty that she can be killed."
"If that happens, I wouldn't mind giving my life to bury her in Ironwood," the Archmage said. "You've given us something to think of if nothing else." Ironwood laughed heartily. "Well done, Mr Arc. And be sure to pass that praise onto your Guild as well. Ozpin, our Constructs may well be the perfect tool for testing her. They do not care for their own survival, only for accomplishing the objective. If we tell them to give their lives to wound her, they will."
"I had hoped to use them on the front lines, James. To limit casualties."
"You know there will be losses. This is the final battle of our age, perhaps of the world."
"I know." Ozpin sighed. "Of that, I am painfully aware." Looking to me, he managed a weary smile and motioned me closer. "Feel free to share with Glynda, James or I anything else that you discover, even if it's but a theory. Our time is spent fortifying the city, but we can consider points raised while we work, even if acting on them is not always so simple."
"Is there anything from Mistral?" I dared to ask.
Their expressions said it all. Their frowns said I shouldn't have asked, but their eyes answered the question. There was no news from Mistral. No reinforcements coming. They would defend their own lands.
"Nothing as of yet," Ozpin said in a vain attempt to keep the matter inconclusive. "Only time will tell for sure. In the meanwhile, I think it would be best to continue making advanced weaponry for the garrison. Should you have any ideas for Runes, feel free to investigate them, but I must ask that the equipment be your greatest concern. Even if we have other Blacksmiths who can forge weaponry, none can make it as quickly or as high quality as you. We have over a hundred and fifty thousand Labour Caste members to equip. Every Blacksmith in the city working every hour of every day won't be able to fulfil that."
"I get it. I'll keep working." Bowing my head, I took a step back. "If I may be excused?"
"You may. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Mr Arc."
/-/
The following day dawned bright and early and, after a hearty breakfast together, we split off to our assigned tasks, the rest of the Guild outside the walls to build fortifications, and I to my forge, where I was surprised to find Winter Schnee waiting for me.
"Mr Arc," she greeted. "I'm not sure if you remember me."
"Weiss' sister. The Archmage's Sentinel."
"I see that you do." Her lips tugged up but a little. It didn't do much to make her appear any less stern. "Weiss told me a little about the revelation of you being a Blacksmith. She even asked me for advice on how to fix the issues between you and your Guild."
"She did?"
I'd never heard.
"Sadly, I was not sure how to go about it. I suggested you talk it out. That hardly matters now. Ironwood spoke to me about your meeting with him and Ozpin last night. He would have come himself, but he's busy finalising the floors on the CCT."
"What is it-?" I blurted out.
Winter raised a single eyebrow.
"If you're allowed to tell me, I mean…"
"I suppose there is little harm in it. The CCT is the Construct Control Tower; to answer the obvious question that follows, you met a Construct when you came to Atlas. She saved you on the White Fang in your fight against Merlot."
"Penny-!?"
"Indeed." Winter crossed her arms and resigned herself to an explanation. "Penny was a Construct created and controlled by Ironwood. She is an artificial being. You are aware of the unique properties of Ironwood? As in the material created by James Ironwood, not the man himself?"
"Absolutely not," I said immediately. "I'd never heard of it before Atlas and I've not heard anything about it since. Weiss acted like it was a closely guarded secret."
"That would be because it is."
"Oh…" I winced. "W-Well Weiss hasn't told us anything she shouldn't-"
"Weiss knows nothing of it either," Winter said with an amused smile. "But I appreciate you trying to cover for her. I won't go into the specifics, but Ironwood is a material that somehow crossed between both wood and metal, hence the name. It has numerous anomalous properties, but one of those properties is that it is, in some small way, alive."
I didn't miss the implication. "He created life!?"
"Possibly." Winter said the word with an odd lilt. "It's no more alive than a tree is. We expect it is alive but not sentient, and tests performed on it seem to agree. Simply put, if it is alive then it's no more `living` than a plank of wood. But that is still a matter of importance for the Constructs. They are formed with a core of Ironwood, and it is this that Mages can channel magic through."
"And that brings it to life properly?"
"In a sense. You have to understand that Penny is an exception, something born from both the Archmage's personal connection with Ironwood and his immense power. Every other Construct is a mindless automaton that cannot even move and operate on its own. Without the direct control of a Mage, they are little more than statues born of magical energy."
"There's a reason we don't go to war using golems created from rocks and rubble; such magics are beyond even Atlas. I won't go into the specifics because I'm not sure you or I would understand them, but the easiest way Ironwood has been able to explain it to me is that magic requires concentration on every minute detail. In creating a wall of mud or rock, they need only concentrate on driving force downward to drive rock up, and then to shape it. Making a golem move, however, would require them to concentrate on every single movement – from the elbow joint to the wrist, to the knee, neck and hips. We do this in real life automatically but controlling a golem would require a Mage to do all of that consciously. Imagine if you will have to control your breathing and blinking."
It would be almost impossible. Like Winter said, I had the feeling there was more to it than that, but it was a simple enough example to understand. "And these Constructs are different because of the Ironwood used in them?"
"Yes. Being alive, even in a small way, the Ironwood does some of the work for the Mage. We know that trees can breathe – in a sense – and the Ironwood similarly has the means to sustain its own life. It takes care of the little details, allowing the Mage to focus solely on where and how to move. The Construct Control Tower aids with that. It goes without saying that while a Mage is seeing through and acting out the life of a Construct, his body is defenceless. The tower protects them, but being made of Ironwood itself, it also allows them to be surrounded by the material. Like the roots of a great tree, this lets their consciousness flow under the city to the individual Construct." Winter waved a hand. "Again, I'm using metaphors to escape the complex magical equations that even I do not understand."
"I get it. Roots of a tree is good enough." That explained why it was being built in the city, then, and from Ironwood. As for Penny, it wasn't a specific answer, but Ironwood literally coming from Archmage Ironwood was as good a reason for any as to why Penny was different. "What happens if the Constructs die?"
Winter smiled. "They cannot. They lack organs and structure. They can be torn asunder, but in that case the Mage would experience a magical shock – something we cannot understand, but which is not fatal – and would then wake up back in the CCT. He or she could, from there, delve back into the Constructs and take control of a new and freshly created one, which would then go join the front lines again."
Allowing Atlas a near limitless number of troops. As long as they were willing to trade Mages for melee. Penny certainly hadn't used any magical spells in her battle, though the creation of those weapons might have counted. Still, it wasn't fireballs. Penny had gone into melee.
That's still better than Mages on the walls. Mages get tired, injured and killed. The Constructs can keep on coming again and again. It was why Ironwood willingly offered them in a testing charge on Salem, I realised. Because they didn't matter. No one was going to be hurt if they fell.
"Did Ironwood tell you to explain all this to me?" I had to ask.
I appreciated the knowledge – and I knew the Guild would love having their curiosity as to the CCT sated – but I couldn't imagine the personal Sentinel to probably the most important man in Vale right now, bar for the King, would have nothing better to do than talk to me.
"He did," Winter said, surprising me, "But not solely to fill you in." Turning away, Winter whistled once.
There was a brief pause before a small portal drew open just outside my forge, the corners shimmering and tearing at the air. The blast of cool air from the portal suggested the other side was indoors, or all the way back in Atlas, but I doubted that.
I was only marginally surprised to see Penny step out, a huge smile on her face. One I now realised, with the benefit of hindsight, was completely inhuman. It wasn't cruel or wicked like Salem's, more that she tried too hard to show how happy she was. It stretched too far and didn't waver, nor, I noticed, did her eyes blink.
"Salutations Jaune. It is a pleasure to see you in fine health."
"H-Hey Penny." Not a real human. I ignored it. "It's good to see you as well. Winter was just talking about you."
"I know. The Archmage has made me aware of his decision."
"I wanted to explain a little before revealing her," Winter said. "This is Ironwood's decision based on what you told he and Ozpin last night. He would have spoken to you at the time, or himself today, but his time is taken up."
"I can imagine. His spells could probably handle all the fortification himself if he had the time."
"Yes. He could craft all those spike barricades from his Ironwood, and even weave it through the walls to strengthen them. Alas, he is but one man. He suffers from exhaustion as easily as you or I. Perhaps even more so," Winter grumbled. "Anyone and everyone want him to deal with their problems."
As his sentinel and – as someone to even my oft-oblivious eyes – someone who had some feelings for him, I could understand why Winter looked so frustrated at that. The Archmage was probably working himself to the ground every day, then getting up on the barest amount of rest to do it again. How many days had he spent building a tower now? All the while using his breaks of magical exhaustion to attend meetings with Ozpin, the King and probably his own forces? Too many if Winter's expression was anything to go by.
"Does it have something to do with Ironwood?" I asked. "Something he didn't want to bring up in front of Ozpin?"
"Yes. James and Ozpin are friends and allies and he asked me to impress upon you that he is not questioning Ozpin's methods or asking you to divert from your work. He is asking if you might find the time in your free hours to do a little work for him on the side."
My aching body and mind said no. My lips said disagreed. "Sure. If he thinks it'll help."
"Excellent. Penny?"
Penny stepped forward and brought her hands to her chest. To my eyes, it appeared she was undressing herself, but I had a feeling she wasn't and didn't panic. That knowledge didn't prepare me to see someone who looked very much like a real girl pull open her own skin with her fingers.
There was no gore. If there had been, then I think even with how inured I was to violence, I might have been sick. Cutting someone down was one thing; seeing someone tear their chest open with their bare hands was another. Penny's insides were as Salem's, however. Light. In Salem's case, it had been a mix of white and gold. Penny's was green. Bright green. The… energy – I had no better word to call it – looked wet to the touch and flowing like water, but it couldn't have been because it stayed in place.
"Is it safe to touch?" I asked.
"It will not harm you if I do not wish it to," Penny replied.
Winter coughed. "I think that answer is not as indicative as he would like…"
"Oh." Penny smiled even brighter. "I do not want it to harm you, friend Jaune. You may reach inside me if you wish."
Good job Yang isn't here to hear that.
I'd admit to a certain childish curiosity as I poked at the luminescent light. My finger went through it and it felt ice cold to the touch, yet it didn't make me shake or burn me. It was as if it felt cold but wasn't. As if my mind was being tricked. It coiled around my fingers, but I could pull through it with ease.
"Go deeper," Penny said. "My chest. Focus on my chest."
"Really glad Yang isn't here," I mumbled, following her instructions.
There, buried deep inside her, my fingers brushed against something familiar. Something metal.
My entire world exploded.
It was alive. It lived. It breathed. It was metal. It sang. It burned. It hurt. It rejoiced. It liked me. It wanted me. It thought I was like it. It thought I was the same. It called out to me. It grasped me. It couldn't grow. It was hungry. It wanted – It wanted -
My heart was burning. My chest was aching. The scar that Cinder's sword had left as it ran me through began to pulse.
Began to shift.
I tore my hand free and fell with a startled scream. My heart was racing now, beating so hard I could feel it against the palm of my hand. That… That had been intense. It was hard to explain, and I wasn't sure I understood the feeling even now. It was like being the only human alive in the world and then suddenly finding another, not knowing what to make of it but feeling such an instant connection that it hurt.
My body felt woozy and my head was spinning.
"Jaune?" Winter was on one knee beside me, a hand around my back. I wasn't sure when that had happened. "Jaune, are you okay? Penny, go back. Return to Ironwood. This was a bad idea and-"
"No!" I cried out like a baby, hand outstretched. "Don't go!"
Penny froze, unsure which set of instruction to follow. I took the distraction for what it was.
"I… I was startled. I've never felt anything like this, and it was probably Ironwood's magic giving me a headache. I'm a Blacksmith and I tried to understand it too quickly. I'm okay." I wasn't, but I pushed Winter's hands away and staggered to my feet. "Ironwood wants me to do something with it, doesn't he? It's living metal. He wants to know if I can enhance it. Or sculpt it."
"Both," Winter said, confirming my thoughts. "If you could, it would be one more person capable. Can you do it? Can you apply Runes to it? Forge with it?"
"I wouldn't feel safe doing it to Penny without testing," I said. "But… But I think I can. No." I shook my head. "I know I can."
Steeling myself, I stared at the sliver of Ironwood I could see pulsing in Penny's chest. Deep inside my own, a similar piece of metal, though one born from a sword found within a Dungeon, pulsed back. Same, they seemed to say without words. We are the same.
I tore my eyes away and back to Winter, presenting as strong a façade as I could.
"I need some Ironwood. Raw Ironwood. As much as you can get me."
Taken to using italics for Ironwood the `material` and non-italics for the name.
Jaune has a very unusual reaction to the Ironwood in this chapter, and Sun raises some points about how Salem acted in the last battle in the Mirage Isles. I originally intended to just leave that and see if people figured it out on their own, and while some did I'm sure, I realised that if I didn't have someone say it, then some readers would be confused and upset when it "mysteriously" turns out that Salem can now actually be wounded.
Raven's wish did change things. It wasn't entirely useless.
Next Chapter: 1st July
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
