Chapter 37, The Tragedy of the Gods of Opara
With a gesture of Rueben's hand, the blinds then closed, darkening the room. The only source of light beaning down over the Headmaster from the very center of the Classroom itself. He the stood up before his students.
"It is said that most impotent lesson in becoming a Knight is History itself." The Headmaster decreed to them.
"Can anyone tell me what is history."
Pyrrha raised her hand into the air. The Headmaster shifted his gaze to Akara's prodigy, seemingly impressed at seeing her take the incisive. Though he would expect nothing less from her. Qrow had taught her much of the lessons one would learn in fighting school. The ones that were deprived from many of the other students during the war.
He could only hope that she would be able to help her fellow students in that regards.
"Yes, Miss Nikos." He asked, curiously.
"History is everything that has happened before us." Pyrrha proclaimed to the Headmaster.
The headmaster gestured a nod of his head.
"That is Correct." Rueben said.
"Well said Miss Nikos."
Pyrrha smiled.
"History is the past itself, all that has come before us." The Headmaster continued.
"Though there is more to then that. History in of itself is not just the past. But is a Knight's greatest teacher. Not only does it teaches us of those before and their greatest triumphs. It also teaches us of our enemies themselves."
Headmaster Rueben tapped his cane over the floor. There was then three separate flashes of light behind the Headmaster before revealing three separate types of Grimm. The standard Grimm soldier, the infiltrators and the Grimm slasher Rueben turned to face the three magical replicas.
"The Grimm are the greatest threat to the realms and the Kingdoms." The Headmaster insisted to them.
"A curse that had been pustuled upon us by the Dark Lord himself."
Seeing the magical replicas of the Grimm brought a feeling of anguish and dread over Pyrrha, who stared in shock and awe. Her body trampled with fear. The memories of that very night long ago flashed before her eyes. All the Death. The destruction.
"The beings that you see now are the but a few that you all will face on your quest." Rueben claimed glancing back to them.
"This ones appearance does resemble that of a standard trooper and their tactics do resemble such. But be warned, despite their appearance, the Grimm can be very dangerous. Especially in large numbers."
The words of the headmaster caused Pyrrha to narrowed her eyes, trying to hold back her tears. Her breaths coming in sudden gasps of breath.
"Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha paused, glancing to her teammates, who had noticed her seeming panicked.
"You alright?" Auron asked, curiously.
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes, nodding her head.
"Yeah... I'm okay." She insisted to her.
Auron then turned back to the Headmaster.
"Professor Rueben, if I may." Auron proclaimed to them.
"You said that the Grimm are a curse from the Dark lord."
The Headmaster once more gestured to the prodigy a grin.
"A fair question, Mr. Tarith." The Headmaster insisted to her.
"In fact, that brings us to our next subject."
With another tap of his cane, the Grimm replicated by his magic then disbursed.
"If we are to understand our Enemy, we must go back to the beginning," The Headmaster proclaimed to them.
"To the Time of the Gods themselves."
Raising his staff, he shot a beam of his magic into the air. Pyrrha and her friends glanced up at the bolt of magic as it shot into the air before disbursing into a bright flash of light that engulphed the classroom. Pyrrha and the other shield their eyes from the bright white essence.
Openings their eyes, the class found themselves in a void of white light. Lowering her arms, Pyrrha and the others glanced around the void. Only to see there was nothing else.
"Where are we?" Keith asked, curiously.
The five then turned forward, where they saw Headmaster Rueben standing before lowering and holding his cane before him. He then turned away facing out toward the void.
"Before the time of man, there were the Gods." Rueben insisted to them.
Raising his staff, the Headmaster's once more used his magic. With a wave of his staff, there came several flashes of light which revealed several stone statues of the Oparian Gods themselves.
"Beings of great power who possessed the ability to create worlds and life itself," Rueben said.
"And the greatest and wisest of the Gods all was mighty Martanus himself."
Rueben raised his cane pointed it to the small space between the statues. There was another flash of light that revealed a large muscular figure with a long beard and hair, wearing silver Steele armor while holding a large sword. Pyrrha stepped forward, gazing up at the statue in awe.
"The God of Creation?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
Rueben nodded his head to her.
"Indeed." Rueben proclaimed them.
"It was he that created the worlds themselves, who molded man in his own image."
With a gesture of his cane, the statues faded into dust which was wept away in a gust of wind. The dust then reformed into the statues off to their right, where they saw Martanus and the gods surrounding a small circle of dirt at the center of a circular temple.
"From his very temple, Martanus and the other Gods created both man and Faunus from the very purest of earth." Rueben continued to say.
From the dirt a figure resembling a man then emerged from the dirt. Pyrrha and her friends were in awe at the sight they were witnessing. The Day that man was created was well known throughout the Realms of course. That it was the Gods that had created man in their image. But seeing that day for themselves, seeing how man had come to exist, was truly a sight.
"Dude..." Keith said, running his hands through his hair.
"You guys seeing this?"
"Yeah." Auron said with a nod of his head.
"This is incredible!" Pyrrha said, stepping forward to the statues.
Blake glanced to her curiously.
"Pyrrha?" She asked.
It was at first that her words could not be heard by Pyrrha. She was too enthralled at seeing the events of the past unfold before her eyes. The stories that her parents had always told her when she was little.
"I'm sorry, It's just..." She said.
"Just what?" Blake asked, curiously.
Pyrrha shook her head.
"It's just... I grew up hearing about the Gods." Pyrrha insisted, looking back at Blake.
"My parents used to tell me about them when I was little. That they were these great beings that we worshiped long ago."
Pyrrha walked up to the statue of the great Martanus. She gazed up at mighty god of Opara with awe and admiration.
"I just... I can't believe that it's all true." She said.
Blake raised an eye brow to her, smirking. Though for the short times she known her, it really didn't seem like much of a surprise. The passion she had for becoming a knight was apparent to her. Even know, seeing her eyes light up in such a way at the Gods.
Pyrrha and the others gestured a nod of his head. Though were all to enthralled by the sight.
"Martanus saw man as his greatest creation." Rueben proclaimed.
"To him, they were all his children. And thus he and the Gods granted us the greatest gift of all."
Pyrrha turned to the Headmaster.
"What?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
Rueben then shifted his glance to the young women, smiling pleasingly to her.
"Freedom itself." Rueben proclaimed to them.
Turning back to the statues of the Gods, The headmaster once more changed the depiction of the statues with his staff. From a gust of magical essence, the depiction of the statues changed to evolution of man's world. From farming to constructing the walls of the walls of their Kingdom itself.
"Martanus had granted Man Kind the freedom of choice," Headmaster Rueben proclaimed to them.
"To choose ones own path and decide their fate. To rule themselves however they see fit. They had also granted certain ones with the gift of magic and semblances."
Statues of people with semblances and full magic then appeared before the class.
"Those that would become the Knights and sorcerers of their perspective Kingdom." Rueben proclaimed, turning back to Pyrrha and her team.
Like a child at the museum observing the fossil remained of an Eagan, Pyrrha continued to observe the statues. She was so amazed and enthralled at seeing the events of the past playing out before her eyes.
"I never knew the Gods cared so much for us." Pyrrha claimed.
Rueben narrowed his head, nodding to her.
"The God's compassion for their creations is much greater then you would think." The Headmaster proclaimed, shifting his gaze back to the statues.
Pyrrha shifted her eyes up at the statue of Martanus. While it was true that she had been told when she was little that the Gods crated man in their own image. That they were the ones who had given them the gift of magic itself. But to see the tale playing out before her eyes were truly a sight.
"In the years that followed, Man had prospered throughout the realms," Headmaster continued with his lesson.
"And as the Gods had been so generous to us, so too did man show the Gods such gratitude. Worshipping them and showing them the same love as they have."
The magical essence of the elder man revealed a depiction of man bowing before the Martanus and the other goods.
"That is... all but one."
The statues one more faded into magical essence once more before disappearing completely. The void of light from which they where stood, was swept away by darkness. Pyrrha and the other students glanced around the void.
"What's happening?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
The students shifted their confused and startled gazes back to Headmaster Rueben.
"Professor Rueben?" Pyrrha asked, curiously.
The elder wizard only stared ahead into the darkness with a stern expression.
"Not all the Gods look upon man with the Kindness of eyes," The Headmaster proclaimed to them.
"And there was one who despised his brother's creation. Who saw man as the greatest threat to him and the God's rule."
His magic, mimicking the appearance of the dark arts, formed another stone statue. Though this one much different from Martanus and the other goods. This one depict a tall figure wearing black and red armor, with long dark red hair and goatee, and eyes and silver eyes. The figures menacing gaze toward Pyrrha and the students had sent a chilling feeling down their spines.
Pyrrha gazed up with a look of shock and awe.
"Is that...?" She asked
The Headmaster gestured a nod of his head.
"Xarcronus, The God of Darkness." Rueben proclaimed to them.
"The Dark Lord." She said with in a whispering tone.
"As Martanus and the Gods brought prosperity to man, he was the one who brought death and destruction to all the Realms." Headmaster Rueben proclaimed to them.
"And it was he that had brought upon Man kind the curse of the Grimm."
Pyrrha continued to stare up at the Dark Lord in awe. Blake, Auron, Hanako and Keith stepped forwarded next to her, their gazed fixed upon the one who had began this war all those years ago. Pyrrha glanced down to Rueben.
"But why?" she asked, curiously.
"Ah, a fair Question, Mrs. Nikos," The Headmaster said.
"In part, while Man pledged their elegance to Martanus and the other Gods, Xarcronus was reviled and fear for his cruel ways. But also out of his fear of we would become."
"What we would become?" Blake asked, curiously.
"What are you talking about, professor?" Auron asked, curiously.
The elder headmaster once more raised his staff, changing the depiction of events to that of the Kingdoms armies battling one another. Statues of armored knights and wizards doing battle over an open field. Their swords clashing against their opponent's. Spells casted by the wizards on both sides.
"The Dark lord believed that Man was growing too large and stronger," Rueben insisted to them.
"Through the wars they waged upon one another was a display of their power. He believed that in time, Man would rise up against the Gods and overthrow them. Seeking the power that they wield. He thought that Man should be dealt with and should serve them inside."
Pyrrha frowned in disbelief at what Headmaster Rueben was saying. The depiction then changed to Xarcronus confronting Mertanus and the other Gods of the matter the danger presented by Man's growing power.
"Xarcronus pleaded with Martanus and the other Gods that man should be dealt with." The Headmaster said.
"That Man should be reminded that they were their true rulers and that Man should serve them."
"Let me guess, Martanus didn't like this." Auron proclaimed to them.
Rueben shook his head.
"That is correct. Mr. Tarith," The Headmaster proclaimed to them.
"Martanus dismissed the warnings of his brother, believing that his creation would do no such thing. Nor would he force man to be enslaved to them."
Martanus and the Gods decision to disregard Xarcronus's false warnings of Man caused Pyrrha to sigh. She was both relieved and grateful to the Gods.
"That's a relief." She said.
"Indeed, though despite the other Gods denial of his claims, it would not spare us from the curse he would bring upon us." Headmaster Rueben claimed.
"If the Gods would not dealt with Man and their growing power, then he would remind humanity who the true rulers of Opara were."
The students then witnessed the events chance once more. It was then they saw Xarcronus, standing atop a ledge, overlooking the many pools of Xoria.
"And to do so, he would form his own creation from the pools of Xoria," The Headmaster proclaimed to them.
"Being born from the shadow of man. A creature driven only by it's desire for destruction..."
They then witnessed Xarconus casting a spell over the pools. From the pools of dark essence, several dark beings emerged. A claw hand reaching out to the surface above from the pool as the others emerged like the rising dead. Beings that Pyrrha and the others recognized as the Grimm themselves.
"He created... The Grimm." Rueben proclaimed to them.
Pyrrha and her friends were in awe of the sight.
"By the Gods!" Pyrrha said in awe.
"And as they had done for thousands of years, the Grimm laid waste to all the realms," Rueben proclaimed to his students.
"Spreading death and destruction to every corner of Opara. Binding man to their master's twisted rule."
Gusts of dark magic swept passed Pyrrha and the other students. Glancing back, they saw the blacken essence form into depictions to horrify to describe. Sweeping through villages, Towns and Kingdoms, slaughtering innocent people in the thousands. Most notably, a mother holding her child in her arms, shielding her from the sword of the Grimm standing over them, about to strike them down. Pyrrha felt her heart break.
She glanced away, cupping her hands over her chest. The suffering of those people at the hands of Xarcronus and the Grimm was something she knew all too well. And it was far too painful to see. Those that are unable to fight back and despite the efforts of the knights and all the armies of themselves, they could not be saved. It pained her to see innocence suffer.
A sentiment that was also shared by Blake, who felt herself shocked and horrified. Narrowing her eyes, she was reminded of all the suffering she had caused through the years. The things that she and the White Fang and committed against people, all for the sake of vengeance for the wrong doings of the past. They were no better the the Grimm themselves.
Auron came up next to them, gazing upon the statues, not out of fear, but anger and contempt. Seeing the death of innocence and for what? Out of a Gods unproven fear that Man would overthrow the Gods?
"So all these years, all these deaths, it was because some God thinks we should be their servants?!" Auron said.
"Yes, I'm afraid." Headmaster said, nodding his head.
"This is... wrong!" Pyrrha asked, shaking her head.
"How could the Gods allow this to happen?"
The Headmaster turned to face the direction of the other statues.
"Ah, Martanus and the other Gods did not favor the actions of his brother," Rueben proclaimed to them, creating a depiction of the Gods confronting Xarcronus.
"Martanus and the Gods went to their brother, demanding him to call off the Grimm's attack. When he refused, Martanus was forced to confront his brother."
The depiction then changed to the Gods doing battle against Xarcronus.
"A great battle took place over the barren realm of Xoria," The Headmaster decreed, the depiction chanced to Martanus.
"Though they were many, the Gods fell to Xarcronus's power. Till it was only he and Martanus standing. The battle between the brothers were fierce. But in the end, it was Martanus who emerged victorious."
Martanus delivered a killing blow to his brother, who fell into the blacken abyss below.
"Though at a cost, as Martanus was fatally wounded from the battle," Rueben insisted to them.
"An what was worse, the curse that he had casted upon the Realms continued to remain. Even without their master. And so, he sought out one that would be worthy to wield his powers. So that Humanity could continue the fight against the Grimm. A knight who posses the truest of hearts."
The Headmaster shifted his gaze to Pyrrha, who knew what that meant.
"And the rest, well, you all already know." The Headmaster said, as the final depiction of Martanus passing on his powers to a certain worthy Knight.
There was a sudden flash of Light, Pyrrha and the other students found themselves back in the classroom. Pyrrha and her friends glance around to see they were sitting in their dark classroom as if nothing ever happen.
"So you see now, what are the true intentions of the Grimm." Headmaster Rueben said, tapping his staff over the floor.
The Blinds to the Classroom then came open, welcoming the light of the day back into the room.
"There is much that History itself can teach us." Headmaster proclaimed to his students.
"And from these lessons we must learn and carve out our way to our destinies. Learn from their mistakes and the tragedies of the past and the heroes before us. Otherwise, we would lose our way."
The Headmasters words were ones to ponder and to do so wisely for both Pyrrha and Blake. Shifting their eyes to the side, the two of them thought of their own destines. Ones was already laid out before her and had spent her whole life preparing for. The other fearing that she had already lost her way.