Hey peps! Here I am with a brand new chapter, I hope you will enjoy it. Thank you for your support and for the kind reviews. Also, Yang will appear in the next chapter, bye. Have a great read.
A Shattered Life
Chapter 8: Lords and Headmasters
The sun rose, tipped precariously only for a few moments on the horizon before making its daily routine across the beautiful pristine blue sky. At about nine o'clock, a young girl with red hair woke up. The sunlight danced across the room through a single crack in the curtain. "Already morning?" Ruby yawned and blinked twice, then she raised her head a little, and noticed a black coat that was on top of her, protecting her figure from the cold. "This is Geo's coat." She recognized it. "He gave me this because I wouldn't stop shaking from the cold last night." Ruby looked around searching for him, but she couldn't find him anywhere in the room. "Strange, I know he slept in the bed with me, I mean I remember his arms were wrapped around me, keeping me warm. Hehe!" She giggled as her face gained a light red color with that memory in mind.
"I should go look for him." Ruby got up from bed. She walked to a wooden desk near the closet and grabbed Crescent Rose. But after she did that, a certain object caught her attention, it was a picture of Geo with his mother when he was ten years old. The woman's hair was long and black, her dress was pink and she was holding her son's hand with a big smile on her lips. Ruby smiled and noticed there was something written in the corner of the photograph with very little letters, making it quite hard to read, but somehow she manage to understand what was there. "Tera, that must be her name." She said to herself. "I bet she was a good mom."
Ruby then turned around and made her way towards the door, but as she was about to place her hand on the door's handle, she stepped upon an object. She looked down and saw that it was a holster with a sword inside. "I can't believe he forgot to take his sword with him." Ruby grabbed the holster and released the blade so she could take a good look at it. The red blade has a narrow, straight cross-guard, creating the ideal weigh balance to allow for smooth and accurate swings with this blade. The cross-guard has an intricate dragon head in each side, this weapon is clearly meant to be taken care of with great dedication. "Cool sword, but it's more heavier than I expected." She made a few swings before returning it to it's place.
Suddenly, the door was opened and Geo came in with a trey full with food, catching Ruby by surprise who made a small jump backwards. "My god! You scared me Geo. Didn't anyone teach you how to knock?" Asked Ruby a bit upset.
"Haha!" Geo laughed as he found Ruby's reaction funny, causing the young girl to puff her cheeks and to look at him with an annoyed expression. "My apologies, I'm just not used to knock at the door of my own room. Besides, I thought you were still sleeping I didn't want to wake you." He replied. "Anyway, I brought breakfast for us." Geo walked to the bed alongside Ruby and both of them took a seat. The trey in his hands had a slice of chocolate cake, and a slice of strawberry cheesecake. "I have no idea which you prefer so take the one that you like the most."
"If you don't mind, I'll take the chocolate piece." Said Ruby as she placed the plate on top of her lap. She took a fork and started eating. The moist chocolate melted in her mouth, sticky fudge frosting was wrapped around her tongue. The bitter and simultaneously sweet smell of it put her in a serene mind state. "This is incredibly delicious." She smacked her lips together. With the rich deep shades of brown on every delicious layer this cake acts as a slice of happiness for her on a white styrofoam plate.
While she continued to eat, Geo focused on his strawberry cheesecake. He took a bite from it, and the strawberry succulence exploded inside his mouth, flooding the tongue with pure splendor, the cheesecake melted away in his mouth like butter, the taste is nothing short of heaven. "Not bad, not bad at all." Geo quickly finished eating, but when he placed the trey on the small table next to his bed, he saw Ruby giggling. "What is it? Is there something on my face?"
"You could say that." She removed a bit of frosting from Geo's face with a napkin. "So, I was wondering. Do you have to do something important today? Like some Lord business, because if not you could give me a proper tour of the castle, and maybe even meet your dad." Ruby said.
"Well, there's no training session scheduled for me today with Solomon, and professor Uzziel is busy working on one of his experiments in the laboratory, so I believe I have the entire day free to do whatever I want." Answered Geo. "But the part about meeting my father will be quite difficult to accomplish. I've seen a few military transport-ships landing on the docks and they seemed to belong to Vale. I also saw a old man with a cane heading here, I guess my father will be quite busy, but we can still try nonetheless."
"Sounds good." Smiled Ruby as she walked to the door, then she opened it. They left the room and Geo closed the door behind them. Ruby looked at the walls and it was clear this castle had some age, but despite standing for over two centuries, the place was well taken care of by it's occupants. "For a old castle, I must admit that you guys did an awesome job keeping it steady and clean." She said.
"It isn't easy I'll tell you that much." Geo said. "But our engineers do their best, and with professor Uzziel at our side, things are much more easier for us thanks to his inventions." They turned around corner, and for their surprise there were a lot of soldiers near the door that led to the throne room. "What's with the extra security?" Asked Geo intrigued as he and Ruby approached Sunny.
"Good morning you two." Greeted the medical officer while bowing her head. "It seems there's a important meeting happening in the throne room between Lord Aiden and some strange man called Ozpin that's from Beacon Academy." She answered. "But don't worry my Lord, both General Avala and Captain Solomon are inside, they will keep your father safe if anything bad happens."
"That's good to hear." The young Lord replied. "I guess, we will have to wait here a little if we want to head outside Ruby, I hope you won't mind."
"It's alright, I'm actually quite curious to know what they discussing in there."
"That makes two of us."
"So master Geo..." Sunny got close to the boy's ear and whispered. "I saw you two kissing last night during the dance, and I know she slept in your room, so I wondering if you two, well...had sex?"
"WHAT?! No." His face turned red. "You have a perverted mind, besides that's none of your business."
Sunny giggled. "You are not the first to say that."
While everyone was in the hallway talking with each other, Ruby managed to slightly open the door. "Geo look, that must be the man your dad is talking with." She pointed.
Geo looked at the stranger. "I recognize him, that's the guy I saw this morning, but I can't hear a thing they are saying."
Has they continued to watch the meeting. The ruler of Gwain who was in the throne room having a discussion with the Headmaster of Beacon Academy rose up. "I assure you I will do everything in my power to help those wounded soldiers, but I have to know what happened to them." Lord Aiden has a brown, straight hair that clumsily hangs over a strong, friendly face. Squinting black eyes, that set well within their sockets. He also has a beard that graciously compliments his eyes and cheekbones.
"Very well." Ozpin nodded. "The base was attacked by Grimm and they overwhelmed the area in a short amount of minutes, leaving only a handful of survivors." He replied. "But some men reported seeing three masked figures fighting alongside the creatures. Two were female and the other was male, there's little information about them but we both know who they work for."
"Salem." Said Aiden. "Why would she attack that specific base anyway?"
"Because without that base your town has no military support from the kingdom, making this place a easy target."
Lord Aiden laughed. "Hahaha! Easy target? Don't make me laugh Ozpin. My town is protected by the mighty Galeon and the Genesis cannons, she and her thugs can't get in, they would be immediately destroyed before setting foot inside."
"Don't be arrogant Aiden, she's a brilliant strategist and her allies are powerful enough to defeat your strongest warriors." He said. "I think it would be best if I took possession of the ancient relic, I can hide it in my school, that way she will be forced to deal with an entire kingdom."
Aiden's expression changed as he didn't like that idea. "You already know my answer about that subject Ozpin. The Casterwill's are the protectors of the sacred relic, the Maidens themselves gave us that task and I will not give it to anyone, not even to you old friend." He replied. "...I can't believe I just called you a friend, you only show up when you need something from me."
"That's not true, I have helped you in a lot of occasions." Said Ozpin. "At least consider improving your defenses because sooner or later she will come after you and your son, Geo."
"My son has nothing to do with this, he has no knowledge the relic exists."
Ozpin sighed. "The boy's eyes are unique, they are purple, he possess the ancient Semblance of the Casterwill's and you know that better than anyone."
"His eyes may be purple but he doesn't have a Semblance." Said Lord Aiden. "And I won't drag him to this war, his too young and I refuse to lose him like I lost my wife and my older son."
"Please, listen to me. If you let me take him to Beacon, I can train him and perhaps his Semblance will finally reveal itself."
"No!" Angrily shouted Aiden. "Leave!"
"Has you wish." Ozpin said.
When the Headmaster left, Lord Aiden turned to his Captain and said. "Solomon! I want you to seek more people that are willing to join my army, we must double the guard and place more soldiers on patrol around the wall."
"I'll do this at once my Lord." The Captain made his way to a door to his left and opened it. Then, while he was walking through the hallway, he took out his Scroll from the pocket. "I have news, Ozpin is here."
"How wonderful, maybe if he stays long enough he will die alongside that pathetic man." Replied the mysterious figure in the holographic screen.
"Won't he be a problem?"
"No, our plan remains the same. When Cinder gets there I want you to deactivate the cannons so my creatures can break through their gates and tear them apart." The figure said. "But remember I need the boy alive, only he can unlock the relic."
"And if Geo refuses?"
"Hahaha! I will show him the true meaning of pain."
"I like that."