"Sacred Components," Elias repeats the words. "I've heard of them before." The swordsman doesn't seem happy about it. "And you say there are six?"
"Earth, Wind, Water, Fire, Spear, and Sword," Marco frowned. "It may just be me but two of those don't seem to fit."
It didn't make sense to Jaune either. The four elements made since, it was a common thing used it games and comics. But Sword and Spear didn't fit at all. Six was an awkward number to use, and there was no reason for those two weapons specifically. Why not for bows or axes? Or a shield?
"I'd agree," Merlin said. He seemed pleased at having their interest. "There is a reason for that. You see, the Elements were given by the God of Darkness, while the other two came from a less divine source."
"Less divine? You mean-," Elias' eyes darted around the library, landing on the glowing veins in the walls.
"Yes, the mountain was used. What great power it holds." Merlin looked around his library in admiration. "Very difficult to reach, as well as being very defendable. With such a power source, I, for lack of a better term, borrowed it."
"I suppose that's the same reason for your long life. You're a thief," Elias glared at him. Jaune wasn't sure what he was doing. Despite his anger, Merlin only seemed entertained. As if this were a show.
"That is partially true," Merlin said. "Though, the same could be said about you. I'm certain I've seen your blade before. Such a fine quality once, now rusted due to misuse."
"Does that mean there's no treasure?"
"There's plenty of knowledge I've gathered, if you count that as treasure."
"Enough," Elias snarled, looking absolutely enraged. "If you've done what I think you have, then you've violated the very laws of nature."
Merlin faced Elias, squinting at him. For a few moments he was silent, before his eye lit up in recognition. "That sword is Arthur's." His face turned confused, brow furrowing in deep thought. "But you aren't the Sword God, nor do you have the Blade of Light. Then why…? Are you his child?"
"I share no blood with that bastard!" Elias hissed. Jaune would admit to being slightly afraid of him at the moment. This anger, this hate was beyond anything he'd ever seen Elias emote before.
"Then you killed him," Merlin said bluntly, seeming amused. "Unsurprising, given how unlikeable he was. I disliked him as well," Merlin scowled as he seemed to remember something. "Did you know I helped him forge the Blade of Light? He was meant to be an ally, but he ran back to his kingdom as soon as it was finished."
"Don't speak as if you understand my hatred for him."
"Oh, but I do," Merlin said. "That sword was a prized creation of mine. A powerful weapon meant to help us kill the Apostle. Alas, he took it with him and never returned to honor our deal."
Kill the Apostle, the same one in the story Marco had told him? While Marco hadn't said how long ago it happened, he assumed a few hundred years ago at least. This guy had done something to extend his life, but the Apostle should have died long ago.
"You can't kill him," Marco shook his head, a look of dull shock on his face. "He's supposed to protect the world against whatever threatens it on behalf of the God of Darkness. He's unbeatable."
"No one's unbeatable," Merlin rolled his eyes. "No one but the Gods. Even then, they aren't infallible." He pointed to Jaune. "Now, Jaune, will you join me in our attempt to rid the world of the Apostle and Gods the by gathering the Sacred Components? We need to find the false god granted power over the fire element as well as the Sword God."
"You mean like Phoibos?" Jaune asked hesitantly. Killing him would be a good thing. He knew that, even if he was against murder.
"Who? Is that the Fire God?" Merlin seemed to stand up straighter, a glint of triumph in his eye. "Either way, they're only useful if they help us. My only goal is to rid the world of the influence of the real Gods. The God of Darkness has his creations here as a pointless test. We already have Monsters, and already kill ourselves enough. The Grimm are unneeded."
The Grimm? Jaune snapped to attention, his heart beginning to pound in his ears. They were created by this God of Darkness then? That… Had they been to Remnant as well? If so, why had the god left? Also, there were real gods?! He'd thought it was just that Phoibos had a massive ego.
"I have your attention," Merlin grinned. "Will you work with me?"
"Jaune, don't trust him," Elias warned.
"Will it get rid of the Grimm?"
"It will help," Merlin answered cryptically. "We'll need the Sacred Components to stand a chance against the Apostle, but whether the God of Darkness will leave this world without his influence is uncertain."
"What do I have to do?"
"Jaune!" Elias said.
Merlin grinned triumphantly, his eye glinting in the dull light provided by the walls. "It's simple. In my current body, I'm too old for the scale of battle that will take place. I need to possess a new body, yours would be the best. Together we can train your body and magic until we're strong enough to gather the Sacred Components. With the Earth God's help, and by taking the three components from the Ice King's seal, we'll be able to kill the Apostle and summon the God of Darkness back."
Possess him, like some sort of ghost? Yeah, Jaune wasn't going to do that. He only came her in hopes of finding out more about the voice. This guy hadn't been much help on that front and seemed more interested in dragging Jaune into his problems.
"Sorry, but I like not being possessed," Jaune tried to put on a strong front. "So, I'm going to have to say no."
Merlin's friendly demeanor disappeared with a sigh, four staffs appearing in a strap on his back. He pulls one from the backstrap, it comes out with a hiss.
"I would've preferred to work with you," Merlin's voice was genuinely sad. "But, If you won't work with me willingly, I'll simply have to force you. This is far too great an issue to simply ignore."
He dropped the staff on the ground, the clattering echoing through the vast space. It transforms into a giant flaming hound and charges straight for them. Jaune raises his shield as the beast pounces on him, slamming Jaune into the ground.
The warmth bleeds through his shield faintly, letting him appreciate how realistic its body is compared to the real thing if not for it being made of flames and how absolutely terrifying it is. His aura courses his sword as he swung wide, hitting the monster on its maw.
It does little to hurt the creature, barely making it move. Fire bubbles from its open jaw like drool, dribbling onto Jaune's face and sizzles against his aura. It leans forward, mouth open wide-
-Only to let out a howl as Elias' sword goes through it and leaps away. The blade is chipped with a slight amount of rust, but it's obvious how well crafted it is. The remains of what once a beautiful gold trails up the hilt until it reaches the cross guard, where its sheen fades into a golden-brown from years of lack of maintenance.
"As I thought," Merlin hummed. "It is Arthur's sword. You know, he'd be quite upset at its poor treatment. For all his flaws, he cared dearly for his weapons."
"You're using your sword?" Marco asked.
Elias had his jaw set into a grimace. He stood in front of the two protectively, gaze set on the wizard. Even then, Jaune could tell he was watching the hound out of the corner of his eye.
"You're my students aren't you? It's my job as a teacher to protect you," Elias' words are filled with conviction. He even shoots them a confident grin.
Getting to his feet, Jaune looked at Merlin. The wizard's face was blank, not showing any emotion. Already, another staff was in his hand, sparks jumping off it. When he throws it down, it bursts into light and grows into a sparking tiger. Lighting courses off it as it charges towards them.
The tiger roars and leaps, Elias barely catching it on his sword and redirecting it away from himself. Unfortunately, Marco is right in its new path. He rolls away, letting out a soft hiss as it brushes against him.
The hound pounces on Elias, who grabs it by its throat and slams it into the bookshelves. They ignite into flames, smoke beginning to fill the room. All the while, Merlin watches uncaringly, not having moved since sending his creations to attack.
"Impressive. You must have a strong earth affinity to not have been immobilized," Merlin said. Jaune figured it was a compliment towards Marco but wasn't sure.
The two creations realized Elias was the bigger threat and swarmed him, circling him just out of reach of his blade. Whenever they tried to attack, Elias' sword would simply touch them and cause their bodies to fade away until the were no longer being touched by the metal.
"Fascinating. You discovered a way to cancel magic."
"Something like that," Elias muttered. "Jaune, Marco, you need to leave now."
"We can't just leave you!"
Jaune disagreed with Marco entirely. Turning and running away was a tempting option. Realistically, they were only getting in his way. At best they could claim to be meat shields. That was the difference in strength between them and Elias.
Jaune checks Merlin's stats.
Name: Merlin
Level: 85
HP: ?
Attack: ?
Defense: ?
MP: ?
Element: Wind, Fire, Lighting, (?)
Oh, crud that was bad. Phoibos had only been level eighty-one if Jaune remembered correctly. Meaning this guy was probably stronger; a scary though, especially when Phoibos hadn't had the homefield advantage and willing to leave. Had their fight gone on it was more than likely Elias would've been killed.
"Listen to him," Jaune grabbed Marco's arm and pulled him away. If they stayed they'd not only be getting in the way, but they'd also be at risk of being targeted.
"Just because you're too afraid to fight, doesn't mean I am!"
Perhaps he was right and Jaune should fight. Crocea Mors was still on his waist, waiting to be used. Marco was younger than him, yet much less afraid than Jaune and willing to fight despite only having his small blades. Or not as willing to let his fear control him. His whole life, Jaune had grown up comfortably in Ansel with his parents.
He'd never struggled, never been in danger, never had to push himself. Not until he'd gotten here and been killed. Trying to help them had seen him betrayed, not managing to save anyone or done anything worth remembering. In all likelihood, Jaune would have died soon after having his aura unlocked.
If he hadn't been saved by Pyrrha, he would've been splattered across the trees. That was how weak and unskilled he was compared to everyone else at Beacon. The only reason he hadn't died more times here was because of his aura shielding him.
Marco, on the other hand, had spent his whole life fighting. He had no way to protect himself from being hit, having to dodge attacks rather than using aura like Jaune did. The sheer force of will he had was far greater than Jaune's as well. Had Jaune gotten grazed by the lightning as Marco had, he would've have cried out in pain. Marco had stopped himself from doing so through willpower alone.
Hardship made strength, so it made sense for Marco to have mental strength greater than his. If Jaune were to have suffered like that he would've had met that standard needed to overcome his fear.
But he hadn't and was weaker because of it. His experiences with death only served to make that fear even greater.
They arrive at the exit of the cave, only for a loud roar to come from the entrance. Massive teeth await them outside, grumbling coming from the howling wind. The wind dragon from earlier was blocking their escape.
It's a roadblock they can't get past, no matter what they try. While it had been big before, the dragon had grown larger while they were in the cave. Whether Merlin had done that purposely didn't matter. They were trapped inside, the sounds of paws tapping on the cave floor coming closer.
"We have to fight!" Elias drew his dagger. Face set into a snarl, he charged as soon as the flaming hound rounded the corner.
He does better than Jaune would've, immediately landing a hit and carving his dagger through the creature as he rolled out of its way. His success is short lived when the earth beneath him darkens, something shooting up and grabbing his leg.
Jaune's forced to watch, his face set in shock as Marco is pulled underground and silenced by the earth covering where he'd stood, leaving Jaune alone with the flaming hound.
With nothing else that he can do, Jaune turns and flees deeper into the cave. His eyes catch another hallway, one he hadn't taken much notice of when he'd entered. The faint glow of the walls seem to call him deeper, his aura feeling stronger the further he goes.
The snapping at his heels ensures he's unable to think on the phenomenon, adrenaline pushing all his thoughts to survival. Vision sharpening, Jaune realizes the hallway branches off multiple times, each branch leading to another room.
Then his eyes lock onto freedom, a bright light at the end of the hallway. The sight makes his heart soar with hope, only for it to be crushed as the earth shot up in front of him, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Then the hound is upon him, its jaws clamping around his leg, heat flaring against his aura. Panicked, Jaune kicked at it as he fumbled to pull out his sword. Slashing and hacking at it does nothing, the animal seeming playful about it having caught him.
Channeling aura through Crocea Mors seems to bother it, but it's ultimately pointless. He's soon back where he started, back near the entrance. To his horror, liquid flies out of the direction of the library, a wave of water that moves with purpose straight for him.
His target changes as he swings wildly at the incoming wave, only for it to slam into him without having been deterred at all. The force slammed into him, knocking the air out of him and causing him to gasp. A mistake, as the liquid poured into his mouth and lungs.
A sphere of water surrounds him, the water sloshing inside his body. Thrashing and clawing at the water, his attempts to escape are futile. Soon, darks spots appear in his vision, gradually blurring together until darkness is all he can see.
His hair's wet. That's the first thought that comes once he returns to consciousness. Then he realizes the rest of body is wet.
Jolting awake does nothing but make him notice he's not on the ground. No, he's in a sort of bubble, with only his head outside. His panicked mind doesn't let him notice Merlin at first. Only after a few moments of desperate thrashing does he recognize the wizard.
"Hello, Jaune."
His voice is calm and steady, but it terrifies Jaune. If he was in front of him, then he hadn't respawned. Hadn't escaped the man who had expressed the desire to possess his body. This wasn't good. Merlin didn't even look as if he'd gotten hit by Elias.
If he were possessed, what would happen to him? Would he respawn, or be lost forever? He'd probably never make it home.
"Merlin," Jaune rasped, his throat sore. The water hadn't been gentle when entering his body. "Where's Marco and Elias?"
"They're fine. I'm surprised you're not more worried about yourself. That's what it seemed like you would do. You might've been able to save him if you'd tried to."
Jaune didn't bother answering, scouring the room. To his relief, he sees Marco lying on the floor, not showing any signs of being injured. Elias, however, was a different story. His skin had bubbled on his left arm, the sleeve of his left arm having been charred away. Muscles twitched randomly, his mouth moving as he seemed to mumble in his sleep.
There was blood spilling from his skull, but it doesn't seem to be that bad. Merlin waits for him to take in the room. Jaune does this, clenching his fist through the thick water enveloping him.
This was bad. Really, really bad. He'd beat Elias, and even if he were able to fight he couldn't do anything to stop Merlin. He was going to be possessed. There was no way to change that.
"You remind me of the Ice King. Homesick, afraid, lacking the knowledge of how the gods behave. However, unlike him, you aren't willing to look at the bigger picture nor are you brave enough to look past your fear." Merlin sighed, touching the wall for a few seconds. The light makes his breathing easier, enough so that Jaune was able to notice. "Humanity can't truly thrive with the gods interfering with them. The Sacred Component's shouldn't have been gifted to Humanity," he let out a laugh at this. "Though, I suppose that's ironic coming from me."
Jaune put all his effort into escaping as Merlin approached, grabbing and clawing at the water. His movements are slow as his arms move through the thick water, the liquid seeming to fight against him. Calling on his magic does nothing, it being swallowed by the magic water and diluting it.
"Stay away from me!"
"I'll do my best to make it painless," he said, sounding pained.
"Screw you!" Jaune harnessed his rage as he struggled.
"I won't take any joy in this, but I need to stop the trail. Thousands will die if I don't. No one else can, and those who could won't. I'm sure you understand on some level."
Placing his palm on Jaune's head, Merlin courses something through his body. It's aura. No, not aura. His soul. It's wrong.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Merlin's soul is broken, searing into Jaune's own with fervor. It's sheer desperation that carves its way into him, Jaune barely able to remain aware. His conscious is repressed and overwritten by Merlin's own.
The remorse he feels is tangible. It's so strong that Jaune would emphasize with the emotion were it not for what Merlin was doing. His own fear fought against the invading soul with little effect.
Finally, after several minutes of fighting against the possession Jaune is defeated and his body possessed.
"ERROR. User is unable to be contacted. Respawn required"
"What?" Jaune's voice asked without him meaning to speak. His spine tingled, a sharp pain shooting up his spine and neck. With a sickening crack his spine snaps, jagged bone erupting with a flush of blood.
Jaune's body falls to the ground, dead before it hits the ground. As his soul leaves his body, another digs further into it, latching onto the piece and traveling with it.
Flashes of images fill his head. Where was he? Who was he? He wasn't sure, but the thoughts filling his head didn't seem harmful.
"You're a fool. It won't work with just you." A man talking to another man in blue robes. The man being spoken to wears a golden crown upon his head, a spear of such beautiful light that it hurts to perceive.
"No, but I must try. The world depends on it."
The image changes.
"Who are you, little wizard?" A tan man with golden eyes asked, plantlife erupting from the ground around him.
"Merely a traveler seeking aid." Jaune said. Wait, that wasn't right-
"Aid from myself?" The golden eyes seemed glow, a pure amusement glinting in them.
"If you would." Jaune spoke, though it wasn't his voice. "It will reach you as well if we do not."
"Reach me? You think their little test is enough to beat me?" The man roared. "I am Ozymandias, King of Kings!" He raised an arm, trees sprouting around him, springs rising from the barren earth, sand howling in the air around him. "Look upon my garden and despair at the beauty the Gods shall never know!"
The world turns white.
Snow as far as the eye can see, massive chunks of ice raining down. Grimm are everywhere, crushing soldiers with ease. Ashy black hair sways in the wind as the man below waves his hand, a massive Grimm dragon flying overhead and dropping dozens of smaller Grimm.
"We need to push forward!" someone yelled, but it was drowned out by the winds. "If we take more ground we might be able to help!"
Jaune (No, that wasn't right…) raised his staff, firing volley after volley at the Grimm, dozens falling with ease. Then
"Fall." Glowing red eyes meet his despite the distance between them. They'd failed, the eyes of that man the same color of the Grimm. Fitting, given his purpose.
"FALL BACK!" The order is given too late, hundreds of Grimm charging forward, their bloodlust filling the air-
The images faded until there were only voices.
"Please stop!"
"You've gone against the laws of nature. For such a crime, I shall end you."
"Hah! The dog can't follow me to my garden. Retreat or die, wizard. Either way, even with three of the Sacred Components he failed to best the mutt."
"I shall be retreating for now. Star Mountain is not meant to be touched by him. While there I'll need to hide it from the outside world. If I can harness its power…"
"This place is beautiful. Why can't others see it?"
"Wait, what are you-? Back off!"
"Yes, this blade shall be vital in ensuring our victory. Train harder than you've ever have before. We shall need the strongest force we can muster for the upcoming battle, Arthur."
"Are you going to try again? Have you not considered it being a pointless endeavor?"
"An aura user is on the mountain? So soon to the trial. Perhaps this is the chance needed for us to win."
None of it seems connected, sounding like utter gibberish as Jaune's sense of self returns, his aura seeming to sing. The foreign presence in his soul shirks away, fear pulsing through their connection. Jaune suddenly realizes why.
"You do not belong here. My mountain was once beautiful, but now you've leeched my power for your own goal, caught up in your arrogance that only you know what is right. I could not interfere with my brother's world, but here you are within my domain, attacking one of my creations. For your sins you shall be punished accordingly."
Jaune swears the voice is unbothered by the scream coming from the soul inside his as it was burnt away to nothingness. He could feel himself being watched, then silence as his soul travelled back in time.
This is gonna be a big favor, but would you guys' mind rereading the story and reviewing on its pace and how much seems to make sense? I feel like I've gone way too fast and that it seems much more like a broad outline than a proper story, so I might end up rewriting some chapters if you tell me what you don't like about them. I figure it's better to fix things up sooner than later, so I'd like to have an outside perspective tell me what needs worked on now.
How many arcs would you say have happened so far? On a related note, what would you say Jaune's development has been so far? When I originally wrote this, there was no plan at first, but now that I know more about what I want the story to be about, I have more of an idea how I want Jaune to develop in the story and the overall plot I want to write.
Also, would you guys be interested in some what if chapters? The ideas I have now are one about if Jaune felt obligated to beat Vincent back when he had to escape the capital (I might end up making this one a whole separate fic tbh), if he decided to leave the town without saving it and thus never meeting Elias, and what if Jaune accepted Merlin's offer.
Question of the Day: What do you think the rules of magic are in RWBY? I don't think we've ever gotten a full explanation. Plus, do you have anything to helpl me spice up my fight scenes. I tend to just write "swung" and "slashed" most of the time.
Reviews:
Chuck B. Winanaki – I don't think I did a good job in explaining, but pretty much its accurate as to what you thought. If they're a threat they can't find the mountain, but if they're not they can see it sometimes. With Jaune there's an exception to the rule. The wind dragon was a guard, meant as a second layer of defense if someone managed to reach that point. Once it discovered Jaune had aura, it retreated. Elias has a bit of a problem going through swords, though if Jaune had given it to him he would've taken better care of it. He was testing the range of the dragon, to see if the others could potentially retreat out of its range while he fought it. The trial makes no sense, but it's not supposed to. This world is essentially a giant playground that was used to test things before being left under watchful eyes. The Apostle was the victor, and we all know the victor writes history. Merlin bonking him on the head was more of him snapping him back to his sense. I don't think I communicated it that well. Imagine a reality marble with hundreds of Jaunes. Utterly terrifying lol. Phoibos is a jerk, but I'm trying to show the reason he managed to become emperor. Ivar is the spear demon btw. Phoibos just wants him to become the spear god, which will be explained in future chapters.
As always, feel free to review and let me know what you like.
See ya!