Chapter 8: Hellfire and Ancient Tongues

Ruby's Perspective

"My, there seems to be a surplus amount of guards these days." Yang comments as we stand in the center of the marketplace.

"I've got to keep my eyes open in case any dragons come…can't let Whiterun end up like Kynesgrove..." A guard murmurs to no one as he stumbled his way past us, his eyes ringed by bags. At least he has been faithful to that cause…

"Maybe what happened at Kynesgrove influenced the Legate of Whiterun to send more men." I reply to Yang, staring at the back of the retreating figure of the sleepless guard.

"Maybe…" She comments, looking disdainfully at the guards hitting on the woman on the right side of the market place, who runs a small cart.

I was alerted by the Imperial soldiers who formed up and started marching towards the front gate. Maybe they have orders to move on. They've been here for a week already… Almost as if the gods of this land answered my question, flaming chunks of rock started to fall from the sky. Fear paralyzed me, my spine tingling, arms rigidly by my side, eyes plastered to the flames crashing from the heavens. It was as if Talos himself ripped open the sky and went to punish the Imperials for ignoring him.

But that was before the battle cry arose. Within minutes of the beginning of the fallout, blue clad men threw themselves over the walls that surrounded Whiterun. Dead Imperials fell from the walls head first, the impact alone was enough for them to reach Sovngarde. The shrieks of burning women and men drowned out the clashes of steel and wood. Fire continued to rain from the heavens. Talos was not done punishing the Imperials for their heavenism, it seemed.

"We have to get out of here or else the Stormcloaks will see us as enemies!" Yang shouted to me, as she grabbed my hand and dragged me back to Jorrvaskr.

Over the cries of the dead and dying and of the fighting, a single voice, as old as time itself cut through Whiterun. "Fus… Ro Dah!" It was like the shock wave from an explosion, and Yang and I were far from its epicenter. A sword flew from the fight and landed at my feet. The blood from the lives it stole stained the blade. But it was the blood of the one who wielded it that stained the handle.

Yang pulled me to the doors of Jorrvaskr, but I couldn't be tempted to enter. My legs refused to stand. I sat on my knees, hands folded haphazardly in my lap, before the doors of the great mead-hall of the Companions, who couldn't be bothered with the city they were sworn to protect burning outside them. And the people they talked to and the friends they made burned with the city. I watched as Imperial after Imperial fell as the Stormcloak advance pushed through the marketplace.

Once again the words as old as time rang out, forcing me onto my back. "Fus… Ro Dah!" I saw the man who uttered it. He was dressed in a humble assortment of armor, but the aura he gave off was one of a god. Did Talos descend upon Whiterun to assist the Stormcloaks? I realized I was wrong as the Stormcloak warhorse forced its way up to the mead-hall. The man looked over at me, looked carefully at my face, then nodded as if confirming something. He quickly turned from me and stabbed an Imperial in the gut before twisting the blade and withdrawing it with a shout. As the Stormcloaks carried on, he hung back long enough to nod again, as if to tell me to stay there. It was no longer a mystery who this man was. He is the Dragonborn of legend. And also the man we traveled with to Whiterun those many weeks ago. He returned to Whiterun, this time with a desire to capture the city. At least Heimskr will be free to worship Talos…

The Dragonborn forced his way up past the Statue of Talos and made his way to Dragonsreach. Within a moment, it seemed, he stood before the doors of Dragonsreach, this time to take Whiterun as opposed to save it from dragons.

Many minutes past. I grew tired of sitting there waiting like the Dragonborn seemed to want me to. What is he even doing in there?! As quicker then I could grow too tired, he emerged from Dragonsreach, Ralof by his side. They walked into the square with the Gildergreen, before splitting off, Ralof to Windhelm and the Dragonborn over to me.

"So, Blake was correct in saying that you two were in Whiterun, I'm glad that you survived the battle." The Dragonborn said.

"You saw Blake? Is she okay? We last saw her three weeks ago when we went from Windhelm to here, so Yang and I could join the Companions." I said to him, questions and information pouring from my mouth like it was a water spout.

"Well, she was fine until I nearly killed her, but I assume she was doing well before that." The Dragonborn said, nonchalantly.

"That's goo- wait what? You tried to kill her? Why?" I interrupted myself and interrogated him.

"To be fair, she was trying to pickpocket me. The only punishment for thievery when a guard isn't around is death." The Dragonborn said.

"Pickpocket you? Blake? I don't think she could do something like that…" I respond, thinking over all the things that I have seen Blake do in our time together on the same team.

"Well, whether by choice or not, she's now a member of the Thieves Guild. To be honest I was quite surprised at the fact myself, considering I was holding a dagger to her neck." The Dragonborn said.

"She said she wanted to go to Riften to help us get money…" I say to him, reiterating what Blake told Yang and I those long three weeks ago.

"Well clearly she has her own way of doing that. Now then, what do you say we head inside?" The Dragonborn asked, gesturing to Jorrvaskr.

"Follow me." I say politely, leaping up and holding the door for him.

"So, this is Jorrvaskr, the famous mead-hall of the Companions." I said to him, gesturing with my right arm at the scene inside. It was merely Yang wolfing down all the food around her at the central table.

"I...see." The Dragonborn said, slightly taken aback by the scene before him.

"Ignore Yang, she is just hungry." I jokingly say.

"I have never seen a woman down so much food so fast...even some of the mightiest Nord warriors couldn't compete with her…" The Dragonborn said, still in awe.

"Make that very hungry." I laugh at my own joke.

"Now then, who do I speak to in order to join?" The Dragonborn asked.

"That man is Kodlak. I'll show you to his quarters." I say, walking off and beckoning for him to follow with a wave.

"You know, it's kind of odd to have a child show me where I need to go, but, I can only assume it's nothing special where you come from." The Dragonborn said, making his way over to me.

"Where I'm from I went to a school at a younger age than I should have specifically because of my skill level. So no, it isn't too weird where I'm from." I tell him.

He chuckled slightly, then continued to follow my lead to Kodlak's quarters.

Upon arrival, I knocked on Kodlak's door. He told me to come in. I motioned for the Dragonborn to wait and went in to talk with Kodlak.

"Ah, , what is it you need?" Kodlak asked.

"I have a man who wishes to join the Companions. I know him personally and I can say that he is very skilled with a sword." I tell Kodlak, not wanting to let it slip that it's the Dragonborn.

"Really now? I would like to see him then." Kodlak said.

"Okay. I'll get him and be right back!" I cheerily said.

"Come on in." I said to the Dragonborn, with my poking out of the door.

I quickly moved out the way so the Dragonborn could step inside. When he did, Kodlak's face lit up slightly.

"Ah yes, I've heard of you, you're the Dragonborn, correct?" Kodlak asked.

"Indeed I am, it's an honor to meet you, Harbinger." The Dragonborn said.

"No need for formalities here, boy! Now please, take a seat." Kodlak said.

With that, the Dragonborn sat down across from Kodlak, the two of them were about to begin speaking again when Kodlak turned to me.

" , could you excuse us for a few minutes? I would like the remainder of this conversation to be private." Kodlak said.

"Yes, sir." I told him politely, walking out of the door, but not before smiling at the Dragonborn encouragingly.

After a few minutes of leaning next to the door, the Dragonborn emerged from the room and began walking back towards the door that lead upstairs. I quickly caught up with him.

"How'd it go?" I asked excitedly.

He didn't answer, he just kept walking.

My face falls to sadness. "You didn't make it?" I asked, very sadly.

He didn't respond again, I took a look at his face, and it was a stone cold expression that one makes before a fight.

"Oh." Was all I said as I stopped in my tracks, still in his wake.

He shoved the door open and walked up to the ground level of Jorrvaskr, I followed him after recovering from my minor state of shock. I caught up to him at the top of the stairs, not that it was any challenge, because he was just standing there. I was about to ask him what he was doing when he made his way over to the main table. He walked over and stopped right next to Yang, who was still wolfing down food. Instead of getting her attention like any normal person would, he slammed his fist into the table, getting not only her attention, but the attention of everyone else in Jorrvaskr.

Yang swallowed what she was eating. "Got your panties in a bunch, Dragonborn?" She joked.

He met that joke with a stone cold stare, clearly he wasn't in the mood.

"Yup. You certainly do." Yang said, sobering up quickly.

"Kodlak has ordered that you and I fight, and if I win, I become a Companion. Let's go." The Dragonborn said, making his way out to the yard.

Yang followed him, but waited for me to catch up before walking out the door.

"Did he say anything about this to you?" She whispered to me.

"No, he didn't say much of anything." I whispered back.

"Are you two going to keep whispering to each other? Or are we going to fight?" The Dragonborn asked, sword drawn.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Yang said to him, waving his threat off.

"So," Yang cracked her knuckles "With, or without gauntlets?" She asked him.

"Hah! Trust me girl, you'll need all the help you can get. Now, a question for you. With, or without Thu'um?" The Dragonborn asked.

"Thu'um?" She asked him, butchering the pronunciation.

"Allow me to demonstrate." He said, smiling. He looked to the sky and said "Fus… Ro Dah!" Just him saying it to the sky forced me to get low to avoid being blown over.

"So? With or without?" He asked again.

"Whichever. I can take you." Yang said, smirking.

"Thu'um it is." The Dragonborn said, getting in a fighting stance.

Yang opened her gauntlets and started to charge, but was forced back by the Dragonborn's "Thu'um". Yang leapt up and pushed the assault, punching shield and weapon hand alike. The Dragonborn slashed at Yang, but caught her left gauntlet instead. Yang then punched him with her right hand. It barely even staggered him. He laughed and bashed Yang with his shield. She put her arms together in an x and stopped most of the force, but it staggered her. The Dragonborn tried to push this opening, but Yang stopped him in his tracks with a well placed punch. Yang pushed the assault but was thrown into the air once again by the Dragonborn's Thu'um. Yang got up again, but slower than last time. The Dragonborn closed the distance and tried to stab Yang to end it, but Yang rolled out of the way and punched the Dragonborn in his lower back, knocking him forward a bit. He quickly turned and bashed Yang. She only had one hand up this time. The shield hit her in the face. Yang leapt up and threw a massive punch that the Dragonborn that knocked him over. "However hard you hit me, I'll hit back harder!" Yang taunted him. "Let's test that!" The Dragonborn taunted back. He then shield bashed her right out of the gate, but Yang hit him with the same force that he hit her with. He slashed at her head, but she dodged. However, a single strand of blonde hair fell to the floor in slow motion. Yang looked at it with horror in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with fury. "Wh-what happened to your eyes?" The Dragonborn asked. Yang's eyes were a blood red color, in contrast with their normal lilac color. Yang threw punch after punch at the Dragonborn, but they all hit his shield, seeing as he hid behind it. When Yang jumped into the air to strike him with a big punch, the Dragonborn stepped out from behind his shield and said a new set of words "Fo… Krah Diin!"and as Yang fell back to earth, she was covered in the same ice that I was when I went through Yngvild. She stood there, moving immensely slower because of the ice. "I apologise for this, Yang, but I really want to join." The Dragonborn told her with a smile on his face. He pommel bashed Yang on the head, sending her tumbling to the floor. "I guess I win." He said, staring regretfully at the incapacitated form of Yang.

"Go on down to Kodlak, I'll watch over Yang." I told him as I walked over to Yang.

"Alright, and I must say, your sister is quite the fighter." The Dragonborn said, looking back to Yang.

"I'll let her know that you said that." I told him, smiling slightly.

"I've fought stronger though…" The Dragonborn said under his breath as he walked away.

I looked back at him covertly. Should I tell Yang that as well? I laughed under my breath. No, I don't want the Dragonborn to die…

The Dragonborn had been apart of the Companions for a couple months now, and he has raided the Dustman's Cairn with Farkas -Yang has yet to forgive him for that one night when he was drunk- and attended a special "initiation" ceremony. During that time we, being Yang, Blake, Weiss and myself, planned to meet up in Whiterun a few months after we all settled in to our respective groups. Today was the day we all meet.

"How long is the cart from Riften? It's already 5:00 in the afternoon!" Yang complained, shivering from the cold. "Are the winters here always this cold?" Yang complained after she shivered, inadvertently causing her to shiver again.

"Because it's winter, it might take longer. We've been here…" I paused to think. "Maybe three months." A guard walked past us "Excuse me. What's the date?"

"I believe it is the 12th of Evening Star, 4E 201." He replied, stopping to answer, but continuing after doing so.

"So, it's Evening Star, which means that it is in the middle of winter." I explain to Yang.

"Lovely." Yang said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, and freezing in the wind. "I should've brought more furs…" Yang said, pulling her two layers of bear pelt closer to her.

"Why do you need two bear pelts? I only have one and I'm alright. Plus, you have those two large heat producers on your chest." I said jokingly, causing Yang to blush.

"At least I have some." She fired back.

"Yang!" I said, hurt breaking my voice up, as I covered my chest.

Right as I was about to insult her back, Blake walked up.

"Hey, guys." She said nonchalantly.

"We've been waiting here for a while." Yang said to her, shivering. Yang looked closely at Blake's attire. "How are you able to only wear that suit of armor?" Yang asked, incredulously.

"Oh this?" She looked down at her armor "It's surprisingly warm." She comments.

"Sorry about the question, Yang is very cold." I say to Blake, apologising in the place of Yang.

"You bet your ass!" Yang complained.

"Huh, you'd think with those two…" Blake stopped to motion breasts "That'd she'd be warm." Blake said with surprise.

'You shouldn't have-" I was cut off by Yang.

"Ruby, here already pointed that out!" Yang angrily commented.

"Let's wait for Weiss in the Bannered Mare. That way Yang can be warm." I say to Yang and Blake.

"Works for me." Blake answered.

"I want to be warm so bad." Yang commented.

"Alright it's settled. Let's head up to the Bannered Mare." I say, standing up and opening the door to the Bannered Mare.

"I was right in front of the place and never knew?" Yang asked, flabbergasted.

Blake and I laughed. Yang, however, did not.

Once we were all warm, we looked around the main area.

"Did Weiss ever show up?" Blake asked.

"I haven't seen her all day, have you Yang?" I asked Yang

"I have not." Yang responded.

"Where is Weiss, then?" I asked Yang and Blake.


/AN: Sup Guys! Sorry for the shorter chapter length this time, but I've got some important information regarding the story and future uploads. So, first of all, I'm now back at school, so depending on how much homework I get, My friends and I may not be able to work as often. Secondly, Chapter 9 probably won't be posted for a while due to my friends taking a break from the story and we're only just now getting back to work. And finally, I have a question for you guys: Would you like to see what Team RWBY is up to during these time skips? They would be fairly short side-chapters and mostly be re-tellings of Skyrim quests, but if you want to see that, just let me know. OK, update over. Please enjoy and I'll see you guys when I upload the next chapter!