Hey all! Happy May everybody! We made it! 2021 is getting closer and closer. Maybe we should all head down to the pub, grab a pint, and wait until...
Oh wait, we can't...
Welp, have a silly story instead to pass the time!
Blake rasped and gagged as her throat, pinched shut seconds before, fought to feed her lungs much needed oxygen. While her wounds bled, and she laid across the ground a black blur in the corner of her vision made her jump. Her hand lashed out only for her wrist to be caught in a vice. Cursing, she pulled.
Wait, her magic! Adam's block was waning! With drunken fervor she grasped at energy around her and formed shadows into twisted spikes, aiming them at her assailant.
One nearly pierced Ren's skull before she halted her spell. The pink-eyed boy managed somehow not to flinch nor react beyond his grip tightening on her wrist slightly. "Thank you for stopping that," he said in his usual monotone. His lips twisted in a slight smile and he eased his grip. "I'd prefer keeping both eyes, if it's the same to you."
Baffled by his presence and intoxicated by the sudden return of her magic all Blake could manage was to stare and nod.
The battle wasn't over, however, and the clash of steel against steel jarred her from her delirium. Her head turned slowly, still laboring for breath, and she went slack-jawed seeing Nora obliterate the ground at Adam's feet. Chunks of rock sailed through the air and he leapt back to avoid another spine-shattering swing.
Right into Jaune's waiting shield. The redhead wheezed as a kite shield smashed into his back and threw him forward, sternum caught by Nora's hammer, then thrown several yards through the air. He'd hardly landed before Pyrrha jumped onto his downed form, blade held at his throat as she kicked his weapon away.
"How did…"
"We saw their forces moving and followed," Ren explained calmly. He splayed a hand over the wound in her thigh and gave another reassuring smile. "We've dealt with his reinforcements outside. You're safe now."
They couldn't have come in a moment sooner. Grunting as she pushed herself to sit with her good arm, she watched Ren's hand as she felt a warmth spilling over her wound. Green light poured from his palm and spilled across her thigh, seeping into the wound, filling it and her with a pleasant chilling sensation. Like a seamstress' needles she could feel her flesh stitching, biting the inside of her cheek and managing to keep from squirming at the odd feeling.
The soothing chill brought welcome comfort and Blake stared openly at her exposed thigh, clothing and flesh ruddy with dark blood but now free from open wounds. Only a light pink scar remained where Adam had stabbed her; the limb was tender, as she learned too quickly by trying to rise on her leg, clenching her teeth and settling back as Ren's gently touch began to mend her arm as well.
Nora joined them with Ilia cradled in her arms. Her friend mumbled something incoherent, eyes half-lidded and head bobbing. Blood dampened a patch of hair along her temple and Ilia hardly noticed when she was set down and likely would have fallen if not for Nora's support.
"I think she's concussed, Ren. Blow above the temple, in and out, feeling nauseous." The redhead caught Blake staring at her and flashed a brilliant smile. "She's going to be okay though, don't worry! Right, Renny? Tell Blake!"
"Your friend will be just fine. Although I can't heal a concussion away," Ren explained as he worked. "I can close the wound. The rest will come with time."
Finally finding her voice again Blake nodded. "Thank you. Both of you."
She still didn't quite understand how they'd been found, or how they'd dealt with the White Fang outside without giving themselves away. Come to think of it there was a lot she didn't understand about current events. Where had the Hunters she'd traveled with all gone? Vincent was obvious, his severed head several yards away somewhere. Buried in rubble perhaps. Were the twins dead as well? What of Hera? Blake couldn't say she cared for the lot but she hadn't wished them any ill will, and certainly not death. Not to discredit Weiss' friends but they weren't exactly veteran Hunters. If they had managed to best the White Fang's troops outside of Alabaster, then those people couldn't be responsible.
Blake already knew who had slain the Hunters. He was currently pinned beneath Pyrrha's boot, writhing on his stomach now as Jaune worked to bind his hands at his back. Adam was fearsome to be sure, but to slay four Hunters on his own? Magic or not they knew how to fight, presumably knew each other as well, judging by their time together.
Holding onto fleeting hope that the others were still alive she dragged herself to Ilia's side, taking Nora's place and setting a hand on her friend's back. Ilia stared through her before her eyelids fluttered and her gaze focused. She looked green and more than ready to pass out.
"Blake…?"
"We're safe, Ilia, it's okay. They're friends." Nora nodded vigorously while Ren smiled. Erstwhile enemies turned friends by an unpredictable series of events. Not even a month ago Blake never would have expected to be speaking cordially to Hunters, much less count herself among them. She still didn't, not really, but these few among them she could gladly consider comrades.
Ilia didn't share her sentiment and drew closer, leaning over and laying her head across Blake's shoulder. For her own part Blake allowed it, wrapping an arm around her friend to keep her steady, all while Adam unleashed a string of curses that if she was honest were thoroughly creative. They did nothing to free him of his bonds however, and Pyrrha's blade to his throat gave him pause, albeit briefly.
"Go on then, kill me. Give my kind more reason to hate you."
"We aren't going to make you a martyr," Jaune said brusquely. With his offhand he grabbed Adam's bindings and hauled him to his feet. "And we're not going to kill you either."
"Our job is to stop you, not judge you. Your fate is for our superiors to decide," Pyrrha added.
"Is that so? So that's it? You hand me off to your masters and wash your hands of things? Do you suppose that makes you innocent?" Adam laughed bitterly. "Do you think the organization will just pretend you didn't have a hand in my death?"
Beside her Ren rose to his feet, both to hold Nora back and to chime in. "We face dangers daily, as is our job as Wardens. We won't be cowed into inaction because of idle threats."
"There's nothing idle about them, scum. If my head rolls then you can bet that hundreds of your own will follow. Or we can avoid all this unpleasantness and you can release me now." Adam tilted his head and smiled at Blake. "Hand her over to me as well and I'll even let you four live."
"I think you need to stop talking."
"I think you need to consider your options, bitch," Adam snapped at Pyrrha. "Unless you're too arrogant and believe you've won?"
Disarmed, bound, and seconds from being run through Blake wouldn't call Adam a victor. She didn't expect him to grovel or beg and knew his threats to be little more than idle, but what was he talking about? He was alone, his troops outside incapacitated. More could lay in wait, sure, but he couldn't hope to suppress all of their magic. Without Magi of their own even a sizable group of fighters would be child's play.
Yet he seemed so certain of himself. Adam pulled against his bindings and sighed loudly, like an impatient man made to wait for a carriage rather than one being led to the gallows. Angry at being captured, perhaps humiliated in his defeat, but not concerned for his fate. Jaune pushed him in the back and Adam was slow to react, taking only a handful of steps down the road before stopping.
"I think that's enough of this. I'll give you today, Blake. You can thank your little friends for that."
Adam swung his head and smashed against Jaune's face. The blonde staggered back and kept his grip until Adam twisted, wrenching himself free and making to run. Pyrrha reached to catch him, the closest besides Jaune, and instead brought her shield to the fore as a spike erupted from Jaune's shadow.
"The next time we meet I won't be as kind!" Adam, torn free from his bindings, retrieved his discarded sword. Nora leapt at him and her hammer crashed into a wall of shadow, forced back as spikes erupted from the face. "As for you four I'll be sure to take my time with killing you."
The wall retracted and black mist began to rise, swirling around Adam and obfuscating their view of him. Finding a dagger nearby Blake hurled it into the storm and cursed as the vortex knocked it aside harmlessly. Sneering, Adam turned, as though to walk away. The shadows coalesced, growing heavier, thicker, and concealing him entirely.
With a small puff of air, they dispersed. Adam was gone.
"Damn it!" Jaune cursed, nursing his face. He and Pyrrha hurried to the spot where Adam had stood and scuffed the ground, searching for any traces of the man.
They wouldn't find him. Yuma had no doubt already ferried Adam outside of town by now and there was no telling which direction he had gone. Chasing was hopeless, if not idiotic. They'd spread out and if Adam did linger then he'd pick them off one by one. Just had he had done to Vincent, and likely the others as well.
Of course he'd had an escape prepared. What were they even thinking trying to fight him? Ilia groaned at her side and Blake frowned, pressing her hand to Ilia's cheek and wiping away sweat and grime. Nora offered her waterskin and she accepted it readily, holding it steady so her friend could sip.
He's gone though. He's gone and we survived. Worse for wear but alive. The knowledge that yet more of their friends remained among his number sullied any would be victory. With Ilia gone there was no intermediary between her and the White Fang any longer. No guarantee that the others could be saved. That sobering fact tarnished her momentary relief in an instant.
Recognizing that giving chase was futile Jaune shook his head and approached them, sheathing his blade and handing off his shield to Pyrrha. Crouching before them he offered her a reassuring smile, and Ilia a less than certain one when she inched away from him. "If she's concussed then we shouldn't ask her to walk. I can carry her if you'd like?"
Blake might have offered to undertake the duty herself if not for her still tender leg. Instead she eased Ilia forward, smiling sympathetically as her friend clung to her arm. "He's a friend, Ilia. They're good people, I promise. They won't hurt you."
Years of fighting mankind had created plenty of nasty habits to form, shying away from anyone not a Faunus not the least of them. Blake wouldn't have faulted Ilia for refusing even if she needed the help and she was certain the others wouldn't either. To their collective surprise she nodded, releasing her hold on Blake and allowing Jaune to lift her onto his back. Pragmatism won out and she laid her head on his back, face pale against his dark grey tunic.
Pyrrha offered her a hand and she took it readily, shaking her head at an offer to be carried as well. Her leg was sore, but she could walk on it, albeit slowly. Assuming no one minded a middling-paced journey, she should be fine on her own.
Questions were left unanswered. Blake didn't know why Alabaster had been abandoned, or why exactly the Hunters had led her here. She didn't know how Adam had come to learn of her being here, or how he and Vincent had crossed paths. As her mind worked to piece together frayed ends, they made their way towards the gates at a leisurely pace. There was little the group could do for the town now. If its citizens were gone and alive, they would return of their own accord, albeit with some repairs to be done. If not… Well, Ren was one man and no healer could mend the dead.
"We don't have horses, unfortunately. And it seems the few that were outside ran once the blasts began," Ren said. "We left our packs just beyond the town. There's food and some changes of clothing, if you'd like something new. You and Nora may be roughly the same size."
"You can't have the yellow pants though, those are my favorite," Nora grinned, slinging her warhammer over one shoulder. Not that Blake intended to argue, she couldn't care less what she wore, but the ease with which the redhead swung her oversized mallet made acquiescing easy.
"We're to report back to the city once we're finished. I don't doubt Ozpin will want to hear of this."
"Pyr's right. A whole town is empty and we've got no idea why." Jaune shifted Ilia and looked to Blake curiously. "Speaking of… Why are you here, exactly?"
"My party was sent here to investigate a disturbance. That was the official story anyways. I don't know why I was really here." Though she was beginning to form ideas. Blake nodded back up the main road towards the now littered town square. "You may have seen the leader back there. I don't know where the others are."
She wasn't wholly desensitized to death. Just accustomed to it. Grimm, combat, natural cases. She'd been exposed to loss enough that she knew how to handle it, or at the very least, snuff out the feelings that accompanied the event. It helped, in some morbid way, that she'd hardly known or cared for the people she'd been with. Callous, certainly, but it was the honest truth.
The others didn't share her aloof nature, and as Jaune's face paled to match Ilia's, Pyrrha lowered her head and closed her eyes, lips working a silent prayer. She couldn't begrudge them for it. As far as they knew her group had been honest to goodness Hunters just setting out to perform their assigned task. Not, if her suspicions were correct, leading her to the slaughter.
As sound as her theory was it still left too many questions. Blake teased them as the group paused by the gates, Ren inspecting the trail of sodden cloth before looking to her for an answer. She smiled wryly and shrugged, letting him and Nora clear the way before prying open the town's gates.
If her group had brought her to Alabaster to hand her over to Adam that still didn't account for everything. Why evacuate the entire town? Doubtless because they never would have allowed for the White Fang to come into their walls; they hadn't been the most willing of tributaries. If they evacuated the townsfolk to arrange the meeting, then what story was given to convince them to leave? Impending Grimm attack? They would just demand Hunters be sent to protect them. It didn't make sense. Nor was it clear how Adam and the Church may have come to a deal to begin with. While she wouldn't put it past him to arrange something to get her back it seemed like a leap.
Why not just attack her and the others on the road? Why bother striking a deal?
There was the sobering realization too that, if her theory was correct, Ozpin and the others had deemed her no longer valuable and were willing to use her as a bargaining chip. Her membership was admittedly tenuous at best but she'd have expected a little more loyalty than that.
Outside of Alabaster now they moved down the main road to the bridge. Remembering her own steed Blake signaled for them to stop and moved gingerly down the slope, relieved to find her mount still tied to a tree, grazing calmly among the grass. With Nora's help they unfettered the animal and led it back to the road. In a unanimous decision Ilia was placed in the saddle and Jaune took the reins, opting to spare his back and Ilia the discomfort of resting against plate.
Another realization, less sobering but nonetheless important, occurred to Blake then as they traveled the road. Turning back to Pyrrha she slowed her already middling pace. "You mentioned you were returning to the city…?"
"We're supposed to report on our missions," the redhead confirmed. "And now we'll need to report what's happened as well." They didn't know. They should though; Weiss had spoken to them about accompanying her, hadn't she?
"We can't go back, not yet." Ilia needed rest and she would get it aplenty, just not in a bed as Blake might have hoped.
"And why is that?" Pyrrha asked, neither angry or skeptical, merely curious.
Blake was positive Weiss had told them what had happened. Yet as she recounted events the group's bewilderment grew exponentially. Their attack by Wardens, their meeting with Ozpin and the other senior members. The subsequent reveal of an apparent splinter group within the Church, operating wholly without Ozpin's knowledge.
Except Blake was now dubious of that as well given her own situation. She kept her reservations private for the time being.
Even so she didn't need to share her own misgivings for the others to draw similar conclusions. Her untimely separation from Weiss and their own missions prevented them from assisting her as well. To Blake's knowledge she'd left with Glynda Goodwitch and Raven. Hardly instilling much confidence, that duo. One was perhaps an enemy and the other a questionable ally at best.
They were stopped now and the looks of consternation on everyone's faces mirrored how uncertain Blake felt.
"It's possible that this is all mere coincidence," Ren pointed out after a silent spell. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions."
"It is awfully convenient though, I'll admit. We're all sent elsewhere while Weiss is made to undertake the mission on her own. Although I can't say I fully understand why she alone would be sent."
"I can't believe Ruby was captured! Again!" Nora screamed. The horse kicked with a start and Ilia groaned atop it, clutching her head and curling up. Ren soothed the concussed girl as best he could while Jaune clamped Nora's lips shut with his fingers.
"And you believe Wardens are responsible? As in… Our own people?"
To Pyrrha's question Blake answered with a nod. "I know what I saw. Weiss does too. Two men in snow white cloaks." Cloaks, she noted, that the group was not wearing themselves. They had mentioned they were Wardens themselves, hadn't they? "Are you Wardens now too?" she asked, deciding to clear that up.
"We are. It was a hasty decision, but one Ozpin assured us was necessary. He and the others fear that Merlot's machinations were merely the start of something larger." Pyrrha peeled back the collar of her jerkin to reveal a vaguely familiar mark on her neck. "These grant us strength, although if I'm honest I've yet to notice much difference."
"If something is about to happen however then it's necessary for us to be prepared. We should thank the Archbishop for his prudence."
Nora nodded, prying Jaune's hand from her lips to do so. "Ren's right. They're thinking ahead, we need to be ready for whatever comes next."
"Even if it means they're hiding something from us…" Jaune muttered, for Blake's ears and hers alone.
"You can bet they're hiding things from us. In fact, I promise they are. There's a lot we learned on our mission before, things you four need to know." Blake walked to the horse and took the reins from Jaune. "And you're going to have to wait to report back, I think. We need to go help Weiss and the others."
Blake didn't expect an ounce of resistance to her proposal and was pleased to find none. They had a way to go before they were even remotely close enough to help. If they went to Galloway like Weiss said, then that's three days from here. Maybe two if we had horses. But they didn't, and with Ilia in her current state they couldn't make a swift journey anyways. Three days then. Zorander keep her. Hopefully they can last that long.
Until then all they could do was travel. Battling fatigue and a growing sense of dread Blake led the horse, walking abreast with the others as they made headway down the road.
"Tell me…" she began after a pregnant pause, looking between the expectant faces around her. "What do you all know about magic…?"
/+/+/+/+/+/
Meticulous, with practiced patience and a steady gaze, Weiss sifted through the remainder of Merlot's spellbook. She read each passage, she read between each passage, and once she was certain she'd scoured a page's contents she returned to it and read through it again.
They had sent the book along for some reason. Not combat. The plan was to exfiltrate Yang and Ruby without fighting the Wardens inside the estate. Battle was a last resort, one which would come with the complications of Grimm and civilian casualties. By that train of thought then the book before her had to provide some means of escape, some method of stealing away their prize, Yang, without inciting a battle.
If such a spell remained in the leather-bound book then it had eluded her thus far. Merlot's extensive knowledge of their craft was astounding, the combinations of runes daunting, and the spells themselves, so painstakingly recorded, complete with explanations, theoretical drains on the caster, so impressive in its scope that she'd have lauded the man were he not so deplorable. Yet for all the book's content, forty-three pages in, Weiss had yet to decipher what it was she needed from it. Her fingertips grazed the yellowing page of another sheet, eyes dancing over spells for conjuring quicksand, inducing a targeted hailstorm, and manipulating trees. Captivating spells, but unless she planned to fight, worthless.
"What am I supposed to be looking for?" she asked herself for what felt like the hundredth time.
The next page contained spells for waterwalking, a spell to form a shield of solid stone, and a summoning spell, much to Weiss' surprise. Runes, curved around the interior edge of a glyph, to summon an 'ethereal hawk'. Likely used as a messenger if she had to guess. Handy if she needed to relay a message to those beyond the estate's walls… If she knew the runes on display.
Which was another issue with the spellbook. Weiss let out a lengthy sigh and kneaded her eyes in the heels of her hands. Unlike other classes of magic where one only needed the mental image of a spell and the willpower to make it manifest, runes required specific characters. It was versatile and nigh impossible in its breadth. If you missed so much as a single stroke or made a mark bend left when it was meant to go right, the rune would fail.
At best nothing would happen. Sometimes however the spell would explode in your face. Runic magic wasn't something many people used both because of its cumbersome nature and its relative weak potency compared to "purer" classes.
It was all Weiss knew. So finding runes she didn't recognize was demoralizing, if not outright frustrating. Were so much not contingent upon her success she'd have summarily dropped the book in a drawer and returned to it at a later date. She didn't have the luxury of time, nor did her friends, and so she leaned forward in her chair, chewed on her lip, and doubled down.
Ten pages in, when her frustration had begun to peak, Weiss began noticing a shift in the contents. Much of the spells - all of them really, had been either elemental or purely utility in their nature. On the subsequent page, another headed by Merlot's curving script, the section titled "Sealing and containment" piqued her interest. For all intents and purposes this would be the material that the Church rightfully ought to have kept for themselves. She was surprised Goodwitch had even allowed the book to be passed along.
Unless she didn't know. Between Raven and Roman, and hells, even Qrow if she was honest, Weiss could see someone slipping the book to her without permission. With a wry smile she began to read over the first page and right away she found promising notes.
Wards? He knew how they were constructed. She marveled at the details before her, licking dry lips and leaning back to satiate her thirst on honeysuckle-infused water. The sweetness made her blanch. The welcome quenching sensation brought a pleased sigh. It makes sense. He used runes, after all. At one point or another he very well could have been a Warden.
It would explain how Merlot knew which towns to attack and which to avoid, and the barrier he erected in their initial confrontation outside of Ambrose. If she was honest it was an obvious and natural leap in logic to make given what they had seen. All of it was laid out before her; the runes necessary to erect a protective ward, the relative magical energy, quantified, required to maintain it, and superfluous notes on strength, efficacy, and interestingly, how well they held up against spells.
Wards were designed to keep Grimm from entering the city. Weiss had assumed at first that they functioned by way of concealing negative energy from the beasts. Then she'd learned the truth, how Grimm sought out magic, and the paradigm shift that followed changed everything.
Wards weren't made to keep Grimm out, not specifically. They were used to protect against magic, to conceal it. That Grimm became blind to a Magi's telltale signature was a useful byproduct of the barriers.
Doubt crept into her mind once more. If her assumptions were correct, then the Church's main prerogative wasn't to defend against Grimm but to conceal and defend itself against magic. Why? Magi were few in number comparatively speaking, with regular citizens far outnumbering their own. Most joined the Church itself and served in some capacity, rendering their spells as a tool of the organization. The Magi who didn't join still needed to adhere to strict guidelines, lest they be persecuted by the Church, or even the kingdom itself. Magic wasn't allowed to run rampant and yet barriers, presumably, were erected at areas of great import to protect against it.
Grimm wasn't their primary concern. Magic was. Another conclusion that really should have been forgone if she was being honest with herself. Maybe she just hadn't given it enough thought before.
A faint prickling pain began to fester behind her eyes. Little more than a buzzing sensation, a gnat hovering by her ear, it grew into a throbbing headache. In the mere seconds it took for the furor to blossom Weiss grit her teeth and leaned back from the book, nursing her temples in a bid to chase it away. In with a faint whistle, out in a hiss, she focused on breathing, squeezing her eyes shut. It lasted only a few minutes as it often did, subsiding and fading with a mere whimper. Stress induced, as she often imagined, which made sense given the gravitas of things.
Once opening her eyes no longer brought on a bout of discomfort she returned to her studies. Barriers, containment fields, seals to bind doorways shut, it was all here. Fascinating though it may be Weiss spent precious little time devouring the information on those pages. Those could come later, assuming she'd have a chance.
The prize she had been seeking was a few pages thereafter, although Weiss wasn't entirely certain it was her end goal.
For all his intellect Merlot had little patience for subterfuge and misdirection. That or he'd arrogantly assumed no one but himself would ever see his notes. So, when Weiss found a page labeled 'Bend Will' she stared at the runes scrawled onto paper, racking her brain for familiar details. She had seen them once, she was certain of it, and she could place them too. Yang had shown them the "collar" which Merlot had affixed her with, the very same spell that enabled him to manipulate Yang's behavior, to an extent. The Dimuran had seemed to develop a resistance to it after a time but the spell should still be intact. Watts, assuming again, could use that if he had some knowledge of the spell itself. The more Weiss studied the runes however the less certain she became of that conclusion. It was a spell meant to control, obviously, but was it only Yang?
Therein lay another problem with her magic system.
Weiss gathered the book in her hands, drank the remains of her mug, and sauntered over to the bed. Pausing briefly to draw her curtains closed and bury an orange dusk sky behind a blanket of deep violet, she settled into the four-post bed, propped herself up with pillows, and began to decipher the runes as best she could.
Unlike elemental spells which relied on the strength of its spell, and no elements truly cancelled another out, runes had exact opposites. Seals could be undone with the proper contradictory combinations. Spells could be cancelled if your opponent recognized your spell in time.
By the same token a Magi with the proper runes could release a seal, or in this case, a spell to control, by utilizing the right runes. A key for a highly specialized lock as it were.
Yet for the life of her Weiss couldn't say with certainty that the spell outlined before her was specifically for Yang. Try as she might she couldn't recall the runes which appeared on Yang, having only scored a precious few moments to admire the seal weeks earlier. That had to be it though. Merlot had clearly developed a means to both seal a Grimm and control Yang. The latter had to be what was on display now, the former within the book's final few pages.
A knock at her door made Weiss hastily conceal the book beneath the covers. Another butler whose name she didn't know entered, asking if she'd be joining her aunt for dinner. Engrossed in her discoveries and wary of another verbal lashing, piteous as it was from Lady Lavender, she declined. Thankfully dinner in bed was allowed and she thanked the man, sending a greeting along to her unwitting hostess.
Only once the butler left did she retrieve the book again, drawing her knees up and resting it across her thighs to cover it from any sudden interruptions.
This had to be it. Raven intended for her to free Yang from her bindings and in turn enable her daughter to fight back. Weiss wasn't sure she was a fan of the connotations there; to release the spell on Yang would mean getting close enough to both activate and undo the seal. Wardens would be watching to make sure nothing untoward happened.
But if she managed to release Yang? Her friend's raw power eclipsed Weiss' own and she was, presumably, more accustomed to fighting people than Weiss herself. That could very well enable Ruby to fight back too without fear of consequence.
Purpose reignited, Weiss settled in, skimming the final few pages before returning to the one labeled 'Bend Will'. If nothing else she would memorize the runes in preparation for what was to come. A few of them she recognized, precious few, while others were alien.
Had this been in preparation for a test back home she'd scold herself for cramming as she was, but that was all she could do. There was no telling how long she had before Watts and the others made their move.
Whether dinner came or not was irrelevant. If Lady Lavender wanted an audience with her niece, then she would have to wait. A singular, all-encompassing thought consumed Weiss and commanded her absolute attention, and would for the remainder of the afternoon.
Time to study.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"Girl, I do hope your sister is as sly as you think she is."
"She'll be okay, I know she will. So long as you hid the medicine like I asked."
Peach smiled, something between bitter and sympathetic. The wrinkles on the woman's face were more prominent than ever nowadays and she looked every part of the fifty odd years she claimed to be. All fifty spent in service of the kingdom, brewing medicines, studying new remedies, and perfecting the art of healing magic.
If anyone could disguise a bolstering potion without tipping off Hunters, people who had themselves some knowledge of apothecary, it would be Peach. Ruby could only hope the woman's skills and ingenuity hadn't begun to slip in her elder years.
"I did exactly what was asked of me and then some. Even if that deplorable man should test the medicine he won't notice anything amiss. He'll believe it's for an upset stomach and nothing more."
She meant Arthur Watts. Proctor, or Warden, or clergyman for all Ruby knew. Aside from occasionally seeing the lean man occasionally roaming the cathedral's halls she had next to no knowledge of him. What he did for the Church, his specialty, or even his relation to the rest of her superiors. Ozpin was the de-facto head of Vale's branch of the Church of Remnant, and Glynda Goodwitch served directly under him. She knew of those who trained them; Oobleck, Port, Ahmar and Azalea, they were but a handful of the veteran Hunters whose jobs it was to instruct Initiates.
Watts was a mystery to her. As were many people within the Church, Ruby admitted, but few were so close to Ozpin and yet so enigmatic.
Regardless, what was done was done and now she could only but wait for results. Sat with Peach in her room, working a random scarf in her hands until the threading threatened to come undone, Ruby watched the door anxiously for someone to burst in. If they were discovered, then Yang would probably be rushed into her "surgery". Watts would expedite the process and her sister, she feared, wouldn't survive the ordeal. The last she'd seen Yang she could barely hold her head up let alone protect herself.
Which left her with plan B. Ruby would find a way to undo the collar that inhibited her magic, steal whatever she could find that was remotely weapon-like, and rush to Yang's aid. Whether there were two Wardens or twenty didn't matter; after being apart from her sister for so long nothing on Remnant was going to keep them separated for long.
"Miss Rose, you shouldn't worry so much," Peach said. She placed a hand on Ruby's bouncing knee and smiled. "Your sister is rather tenacious from what I hear. She'll be fine."
"Yeah… I know she's tough, and she's probably been through worse." Considering who's custody she'd been in prior to their reunion Ruby didn't doubt it. An unpleasant chill raced down her spine and she drew her shoulders together. "I hate to think what he's doing to her."
"For whatever it's worth I'll be right here to help. I'm afraid I'm not much use in a fight, but I promise I'll make certain you two make it out together. This is all my fault after all."
"No it isn't!" Ruby, shocked by Peach's somber tone, left her own nerves be. "You helped us in Ambrose, remember? And you're helping us now!"
"True, but I'm the one who brought up concerns about your sister's condition. If I hadn't said anything then perhaps Arthur wouldn't have taken you two. Ozpin may have wanted to work with Yang, but it wouldn't have been as ghastly as this."
"You couldn't have known. And besides, it's like you said, Yang is strong! She'll be right as rain once she gets that medicine, and then…"
Then what? Yang would be ready to fight so Ruby had to be too. That meant finding a way to remove her collar first. Her nails dug in against her neck as she tried to pry the leather garment off, huffing when it refused to give. Yang will be ready. I'll make a distraction somehow, magic or no magic. We can do this.
They could, somehow. Ruby still wished Weiss or Blake were here with her. Any of their friends would make this infinitely easier.
For now, all she could do was wait. Wait and hope that the medicine worked, or that her collar would come off, whichever came first.
"Whatever happens next, dearie, we'll make it work. I promise you I'll do whatever it takes to make this right." Peach rose from her chair and Ruby followed, looming over the stout woman despite her own height. "I need to get going now but I'll be nearby and ready should anything come to pass. Be safe," she urged gently, placing her hands-on Ruby's arms and smiling up at her. "Watts will be made to answer for what he's done here, as will the others. If I know Ozpin then he'll be sure of that."
Revenge wasn't quite her cup of tea and Ruby wasn't interested in it. She just wanted herself and Yang gone, freed from this place and allowed to be with their friends. All the same she returned the smile and nodded, sharing a hug with the healer before waving her off.
And that was that. Left to her own devices again and with little else to do Ruby pushed the chairs back against the wall, swept discarded clothes under the bed. She could imagine her dad yelling at her about not cleaning her room properly, how he'd have to dig the clothes out later to be washed. The image brought a wistful smile to her face and a sense of longing bloomed in her breast. She and Yang had to go see their father again, and their friends. They still had a lot of ideas, plans and fun activities in store to make up for years of separation.
Clinging to the promise of a happier future with her sister Ruby cleared a sizable space in the bedroom. With her toes digging into plush carpet she began to stretch, jog in place, and practice shadow boxing.
Yang had always been the brawler, not her. That didn't mean she couldn't try to be ready.
For now, she'd rely on the medicine to have some effect. That didn't mean she'd remain idle however. Even if she had to somehow pummel the Wardens with her bare fists she'd do it if that meant getting Yang back. Anything besides laying down and accepting their fate.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"Miss Branwen, please, sit down and relax already."
"Yeah, Rae. Wearing a hole in the grass ain't gonna make things move any faster." Qrow uncorked his flask and chugged a mouthful of whiskey. Or was it scotch? Hells, he didn't remember anymore. Licking bitterness from his lips he slouched forward on his stump. "We've got until tomorrow morning, don't we?"
"If the reports are to be trusted, yes. That largely depends on what Roman was able to discover." Goodwitch turned to the lounging man, sprawled across the grass as he attempted to doze. Frowning, she walked over and nudged his ribs with the toe of her boot. "You did manage to confirm that much did you not?"
Grumbling, Roman lifted his hat from his face, blinked sleep away, and smiled. "Of course. What do you take me for anyways?"
"A conman, a cheat, and a coward," Raven quipped as she continued to pace. "Also, a horribly cheap host. Your choice of ales is dreadful."
"Most people don't break into my manor to drink, so forgive me if I'm never prepared for your sudden visits." With a scoff Roman pushed himself up, frowning as he plucked blades of grass from his jacket. "Perhaps one of these days you'll send proper notice so I can arrange something finer? Perhaps some snake venom?"
"The information," Goodwitch repeated. "You're absolutely certain they're planning to perform the operation tomorrow?"
"Hundred percent. Neo overheard some of the goons moaning about having to stick around for another day. Two prissy little things." At his side Neo pulled a face and made talking gestures with her hands before throwing them in the air. "So, at the earliest they'll start tomorrow morning, and tomorrow night at the absolute latest."
"Schnee is running out of time. We should just go down there now and find Yang."
"Funny. You never seemed to care before."
Raven stopped, then turned on her heel and stormed over to Qrow. "That's because I didn't have the luxury of caring! This is different!"
"Now suddenly you care, huh? Funny." Unphased by Raven's looming, Qrow took another drink before rising slowly, smiling down at his sibling. "After fifteen years you decide to be a mother?"
"Watch your tongue, Qrow, unless you want me to pull it from that thick skull of yours."
"Sorry, just havin' a hard time believing you want to be a parent now," Qrow drawled.
"I'm the only parent she's got left! Tai's a coward, and Summer is gone!" Raven shoved her brother's chest and stepped closer as he stumbled. "And like fuck I'm leaving her fate to a drunken wastrel!"
"Summer might be gone," Qrow snarled. "But she's still a better mother than you'll ever be."
"Is that right? Are you so sure?" Raven smiled, flashing her teeth, black scales glistening in the dancing flames of the fire. "I'm here, aren't I? Where's your dear Summer, hm?"
"That's enough!" Both twins looked towards Goodwitch as the woman shouted. "Cease your bickering, you infantile buffoons. If you insist on dredging up whatever this is then do so in your own time, after we've accomplished our goal. Can I trust you're able to set aside your squabbles until then, or shall I dismiss both of you here and now?"
They were his nieces; Summer had trusted him to keep an eye on Yang and Ruby. Not Raven, and as much as he liked Tai as a friend the guy had become as helpful as a paper boat. Exhaling, and maybe enjoying the way Raven's face scrunched at the alcohol on his breath just a bit, Qrow stepped back and held up his hands.
"Fine. But we're not done, Raven. When we're finished here -"
"I'll be gone, don't you worry, dear brother," she sneered. "Then you can go back to being the neglectful guardian you've always been."
"Pot, meet kettle," Roman mumbled.
"Shut up!" Raven and Qrow both shouted.
"Just do your job and I'll do mine, got it? I've got family to save down there," Qrow pointed to the distant estate, a small, faint flame burning in the vast emptiness of night. "And I'll be damned if you get in the way."
"Try not to die, brother of mine. I'd so hate to have to bury you just when we were starting to get along again."
To that he could only roll his eyes, more than content to let Raven storm off, which she did. "Edea's teeth..." he grumbled, rubbing his face before returning to his stump.
To see Raven so agitated was promising. It meant she was genuinely invested in this, in saving Ruby and Yang. It was much more than he had expected of his sister and a welcome surprise at that. Shame she's got to be such a cunt while she's here…
Raven went back to pacing. Goodwitch returned to their makeshift camp, sitting on the ground and sifting through papers. Some of the crazy doctor's notes if Qrow remembered right. What he wouldn't have given to get a hold of the depraved bastard himself. Proud as he might be for the girls having triumphed, he felt the slightest bit cheated, denied his own small taste of revenge for what had been done to Yang.
He supposed he'd get plenty of chances once they were in the estate though.
And to think Watts is down there. How the hells had one of Ozpin's closest managed to pull this off under their noses? The how didn't matter much in the end. Yang and Ruby were captured. Watts was responsible. And Qrow was more than keen on turning the smarmy prick into a new sheath for his greatsword. We're gonna have a chat when I get back, Oz. Our security is shit.
But that, much like going down to rescue the girls, would have to wait. So much waiting and no action. Qrow liked to think of himself as a patient man to an extent. His patience was wearing thin long before night had settled, and when Raven had first brought up the idea of a night raid on the estate he'd nearly agreed with her. Common sense prevailed however and so here they were, sitting on a hilltop a mile or two away from Galloway, forced to twiddle their thumbs and wait for a signal from Weiss. Some indication that she knew where in the estate Yang was being held. Where they were keeping Ruby. Anything.
Yet as the night wore on, Remnant's lone moon, pieces of its celestial body floating free from the main mass, no signal came. Not that Qrow knew what they were even looking for. A spell? A messenger? Maybe she'd enact some crazy cosmic event like breaking up the rest of the moon. Nevermind that such a feat was impossible for the little icy princess.
As exhaustion wore him down and he took to leaning against his stump, his tattered cloak draped over himself as a blanket, he began wondering if the stars weren't twinkling to convey a message, or the occasional firefly wasn't a creation of the kid's.
It was driving him mad not knowing, and increasingly apparent that they wouldn't be able to act until tomorrow morning at the earliest. Sleep beckoned, his eyelids weighing down and threatening to close. All the alcohol probably wasn't helping him either.
A firefly drifted towards him and hovered before his face, silently buzzing, a green dot swirling around in the dim light. Maybe this was Weiss' signal? Heh, chasing a firefly to rescue his nieces. Maybe he'd had a little too much to drink? He could imagine it now: rushing down the hillside, stumbling over himself, giving chase to an insect just trying to escape his intoxicated escapades. If nothing else, it would piss Glynda off. That was always worthwhile.
The sky brightened. At first Qrow thought someone had relit the campfire, eyes drifting towards the smoldering pit to his right. Logs, burned up and turned black, rested in a pile of soot and ash. Confusion lasted a split second as a loud, concussive blast in the distance reached them, slapping him in the face and jarring him awake like a bucket of ice water.
"What the hell?!" Roman exclaimed, flailing as he sat up in his sleeping roll. "Are we under attack?!"
No. Not them. Slack Jawed, Qrow rose from his spot and walked to the edge of the hill and stared down at the estate, watching as a great pillar of flame finished spewing into the sky, dispersing as tendrils of orange and red fanned out, filling the already dark sky with a heavy cloud of smoke. Beside him Raven was grinning broadly, eyes wide as she watched the fire shoot skyward.
"That's it! That's my girl!" Raven roared, drawing her fire blade. "That's our signal!"
You've got to be kidding me.
She wasn't. Before anyone else was remotely ready Raven drew her second sword and jumped from their campsite, landing some twenty feet below and sliding down the slopes before racing towards Galloway, streaks of red and green leaving a fading trail in her wake.
His sword was in hand before Goodwitch even ordered for them to move out. While she worked on getting Roman's ass in gear - Neo was already jumping in place, no doubt eager for combat, Qrow followed his sister's example and took off down the hillside.
/+/+/+/+/+/
Weiss unburied her head from her pillows, wincing as her ears still rang. Thank gods she'd had her blankets on otherwise she'd have been showered in glass. Stunned, she gingerly moved her blanket off and used it to brush aside sharp shards, mindful as she stepped around broken panes and towards her blown out window. The telltale glow of flames died away and she felt lingering heat kissing at her face, the air around the entire estate unseasonably warm.
More pressing than that was the continued, loud crackling of flames and the crumbling of lumber, weakened by fire and collapsing in on itself. One of the buildings on the estate's grounds was up in flames and from her window Weiss could just make out Wardens rushing to tend to the inferno, white cloaks stark against the poorly lit landscape.
Another pillar of fire erupted from somewhere within the building and forced them back, the roar of flames not unlike that of a dragon. How?! When?! Her mind raced as her feet followed suit, hands fumbling to get her boots on. Without her rapier in tow she settled for Merlot's spellbook, throwing open her bedroom door and running to the nearest stairwell.
/+/+/+/+/+/
"Fuck, that feels good!" Yang grinned, rolled her neck, and cracked her knuckles. Fire erupted around her and she ignored it, savoring the heat, hair dancing as updrafts toyed with it. The roof of the building was gone, as was the entire first floor. Hells, most of the building was gone. "Nice medicine, prof. Hit the spot!"
For the first time in nearly a week she took a healthy gulp of fresh air, eyes sparkling as she gazed up at the night sky. It was stunning, really. An ocean of stars, each as beautiful as a priceless gem, infinite in number. She missed that. Gods did she miss it.
Black mist spilled from her wounds and she raised an eyebrow as a figure in white stood at the top of the stairs. Their arms raised and she smirked, waving her hand and sending a wave of flames racing up after them. One of the twins, their hood falling back, scampered fitfully to avoid being engulfed in fire.
Yang couldn't be happier. Even as she climbed the stairs and five figures clad in white stood around her, varying spells prepared, she felt a sort of drunken excitement she hadn't in a long time.
These people hadn't just hurt her. She could take whatever they dished out, she was fine with that. They'd hurt Ruby too though, hadn't they? They'd fucked with her sister, ruined their plans, and for all she knew, hurt their friends too.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!" Yang raised her arms and flames swirled at her feet, expanding and forcing the Wardens back further. Magic brimmed inside of her, threatening to burst free of its own accord. She was almost keen to let it. Instead, Yang drew the magic in, held a hand aloft, letting flames gather in her palm, turning blue. "Sorry for the delay, but I'm proud to say…" The orb exploded and showered blue sparks over the area, incinerating grass on contact and anything else in its path.
"Wildfire is back!"
Hey... Hey reader, d'ya get the title of this chapter? "Fireworks"? Fire works. Yang can throw fire again!
I'm way prouder of that stupid pun than I have any right to be. This was a fun chapter to write. Perhaps not the epitome of fine literature, but fun.
Chapter 50 is going to be... Hoboy. Stuff be happening! Lotsa stuff! You ready? I'm not. This is one of those chapters were you plan it out, draft it, and go "My story lives or dies on this hill."
But I'm sure it'll be fine. Totally fine. No worries. Nooooone at all.
And the next won't have quite so many breaks either. A lot of things needed to come to a head before 50, not the least of which was Yang getting a little pick me up.
Get ready for some pewpew next chapter! :D