So, this chapter is going to be a bit weird. Well, it's more that it's a single big moment split into two chapters – and even a little info dumpy at times – but it's important for both the story and the lore. You'll see why as you read it.

Chapter 19

"Huntsmen?" Cinder asked. "That certainly makes sense. I never saw them myself, but then I'd been a Wildmage for but days when I was abandoned here. I'm sorry I couldn't have warned you about those in advance."

"If you didn't know, you didn't know. Do you think it was a bad idea to trust Blake?"

Cinder had been relived to see her back alive and not in custody. She listened patiently through Ruby's re-telling of the trip to Vale, chiming in occasionally with questions but otherwise letting her explain the tenuous agreement with Blake, the encounter with the huntsmen and her frantic escape.

"I'd call it reckless if trust was actually involved, but it's not. At least, I hope not…"

"No." Ruby scowled. "Blake didn't say it explicitly, but she mentioned a risk that people who took down Menagerie might be here in Vale. If that's true, it's not hard to imagine what they'd do to someone they thought was an Arcanist from Menagerie."

"Hunt you down and kill you. And in doing so, revealing themselves to your little watcher."

"Yeah. She didn't want me to be an inside agent – she wanted me to be bait!" Even if Blake didn't mention that, it was obvious from what she didn't say. That whole excuse of her wanting an Arcanist to figure out the truth and be approachable was bull. What Blake really wanted was the traitors to out themselves by killing the weak little Initiate from Menagerie. "I think she has a way to track this Arcanum."

"It would make sense. She found you too quickly during your surge, and from your story the huntsmen – who are professionals at such things – required the bell towers to do so. That she was able to find you at all speaks of some locational or tracking enchantment." Cinder regarded the Arcanum warily. "Can you remove it?"

"I don't think so. I have to know what I'm looking at and all the Arcanums are magic anyway. I'd be worried about removing the things it's meant to have. The brand and the spell that ties it to me. If that's gone, a lot of Arcanists are going to be asking difficult questions as to how."

"And for now, it's not bad for her to be able to locate you."

"Yeah." Ruby sighed. "That too. If she needs me alive, she'll try and keep me alive."

"In that case, I think you're wise not to trust her but still to use her," Cinder said. "Whether you like it or not, if she provides a way to successfully conceal your surges, she is valuable." Her fingers drummed on her knee. "Though be sure she does not think herself too valuable."

Blake had seemed genuinely afraid of her, which only made sense after finding out the person you'd intended to get killed in your place was someone who could pop your head like a grape with the flex of her mind. She won't betray me for now, but once her goals are met, she might try letting the huntsman take me. They'd be able to…

It was something to keep in mind.

"Do you know anything about Menagerie?"

Cinder chuckled softly. "I expected that question. Unfortunately, what little I know is what I've read here. It was an island Kingdom whose Collegium was relatively new, historically speaking. Only two hundred and fifty years old."

Only…

"It was heavily, though not entirely, occupied by faunus, and I did read that their Collegium was considered something more radical than the others. No doubt they felt they had something to prove and decided to dabble in things considered… not illegal, but questionable to the other Collegiums."

"Like what…?"

"Again, I don't know. The books made mention of radical and often frowned-upon magical research, but hardly detailed what that might be. They might have been wrong, too. For all I know, it could be biased writing as an attempt to discredit the Menagerie Collegium. Though… given the fact they've been destroyed, I find that unlikely."

"You think they were wiped out because of their research?"

Cinder hesitated to answer for a moment, frowning at the back wall. "I really can't say," she eventually said. "I want to say yes and it's what I personally believe, but what is my opinion worth when I've been locked in here for so long? Unfortunately, this isn't something you can ask anyone in the Collegium either. You are expected to be the foremost expert on all things Menagerie."

"Yeah." Ruby sighed. "So I've got no idea and I don't want to ask Blake because I can't trust what she says."

"The library. It's your only hope – though you may want to wait until you're a little more proficient at literature. Although…" She brought a hand up to her chin. "I wonder if you could bring books in for me to read."

"Smuggle them?"

"No. Too dangerous if you're found. But if the books were of little danger, say, readily available information on Menagerie, or recent history, then I don't see why the Sanctum Guards here would be against you bringing it in. I could do the research for you in that case." Cinder tilted her head. "Your call to make, of course."

"It can't hurt to ask. The guards already know I volunteer here. I'll just say an inmate is bored of the books here and wants some outside – and I'll let them see what books I bring when I do. If they say no, they say no."

As long as the books weren't forbidden, it shouldn't be an issue. Even if they contained detailed information on how to use magic, it wouldn't make a difference with how they couldn't access their powers in the Sanctum.

"Very well. Bring me what you can, and I shall delve deeper. Perhaps there is something yet to be found as to the fall of Menagerie."

"Do you think it's true?" Ruby asked quietly. "Do you think Vale might suffer the same fate?"

"With the complete lack of information I have, I simply don't know." Cinder frowned and looked out the window. "But for what it's worth, I'd say the fact you haven't been attacked despite proudly bearing the mark of Menagerie should be sign enough that if it is planned, those involved are not yet here. You're safe."

For now.

Ruby swallowed.

"I'll get you those books."

/-/

Weiss was bouncing uncharacteristically come morning. To be fair, so was everyone else, in a moment of complete un-noble behaviour. The food hall was filled with excited chatter and people eating so fast they almost rivalled her for barbarism. Almost. Ruby still heaped fried eggs up tall and moaned happily as yolk ran over her lips.

If nothing else, she swore she'd eat like this for the rest of her life.

The fact Weiss didn't tell her off was proof how distracted she was. Cutting into her own pastry, Weiss dipped it in some preserve and munched quickly, constantly looking toward Coco and Yatsuhashi, who would be taking the initiates to their destination once breakfast was over.

Neither of the Wardens were oblivious to the impatient looks they were receiving. The hulking figure of Yatsuhashi ate doggedly with his eyes closed, ignoring it all, while Coco had decided to be a tease and take her sweet time eating, pausing to chat with people and driving everyone wild.

It was finally time to see the various Arcana in action.

"Can you believe the day is finally here?" Weiss whispered. "I can hardly contain myself."

"I thought it was a noble lady's responsibility to always be in control of her emotions?"

"I… ah…" Weiss floundered. "Tell me you're not as excited as I am!"

With all the drama of her being a Wildmage to pick through, it was hard to remember the last time she'd been genuinely excited at the thought of learning magic. Even if the rules didn't apply to her anymore, she still wanted to know more.

Ruby tried for a serious scowl but couldn't manage it. Her excitement broke through.

"I knew it!" Weiss accused.

"Okay, I'm eager to see it as well." She giggled. "I think everyone is here. Well, I was excited for all of them but now that I've seen the Crimson Arcana in action, I'm less interested in that one. It didn't do so well against Jaune."

"I'm sure that's the difference between an apprentice and a master, Ruby. You can't judge an entire Arcana on a single Arcanist. I bet they can do some incredible things."

"Thinking of donning the red cloaks?"

"Me?" Weiss scoffed. "No. Can you imagine that with my hair?"

It was such a stupid reason to not pick an Arcana, yet Ruby did for a second imagine it and had to smother a laugh. "Yeah, that'd be bad. I don't think `fighting Arcana` really fits you either."

"Exactly. Using magic in self-defence is all well and good, but to dedicate your life to wielding it as a weapon? You only get to pick two Arcana. I can't imagine wasting half my potential on something achievable by learning a weapon."

"And it's not like the other Arcana can't fight," Ruby echoed.

"Exactly. While I'm certainly interested to see what they can do, a crimson gemstone isn't gracing this Arcanum." Weiss indicated her coiled-snake Arcanum. Different from the snarling wolf's head of her own. "Other than that, however, I'm open to being impressed by anything. You?"

"Same." The Crimson Arcana sounded a little more reasonable for her – especially since it would take her outside the walls at times – but did she really want to commit herself to combat? Staying in the Collegium forever wasn't a part of her plans, and fighting wouldn't improve her and Yang's lives. "I'm kinda interested in the healing."

"The Emerald Arcana? I admit that's interesting, but I've heard the amount of study required is ridiculous. There's so much bookwork before you get to work on a living creature – which makes sense, I admit. I'd hardly want someone making changes to my body without the proper experience."

And just like that, the Emerald Arcana wasn't sounding too promising. Not just for the book work, but how dangerous it sounded. I don't have fine control over my magic. I barely have any control. Weiss is right; using Wildmagic on a person's insides is asking for trouble.

"Hm. I don't think the brown arcana sounds any different…"

"Amber," Weiss whispered. "Don't want Coco on our backs again."

Creating new magic sounded interesting and exciting, but Coco had made it clear there was just as much in the way of rules and research involved, and it wasn't like Ruby could follow any of those. It would be like working in a job she couldn't ever do but having to pretend to stand there doing all the steps. Not just boring, but soul destroying.

With three Arcana already down, Ruby bit her lip. What if there weren't any Arcana that fit her?

"Alright. Alright." Coco stood, laughing loudly. "You can all stop glaring at me now, it's time-"

Chairs scraped back. Everyone stood.

"Huh. Looks like you're all eager to get started." Her head cocked to the side and she smirked. "Ah, to be young and full of energy. Doesn't it bring the nostalgia back, Yatsu? Were we ever so young and free-spirited?"

"You make us sound old now," the giant of a man said, standing. He addressed them. "We shall soon take you to the orientation display. Coco has a few words to say first, however."

"I do?"

Yatsuhashi sighed and whispered something into her ear.

"Oh, right! Ahem. So, we'll soon be going to orientation. This is an all-day event, so there won't be any lessons afterwards. The Arcanists are giving up their free time to display for you. As such, you're expected to be polite and attentive. They'll be doing demonstrations and answering questions for about six hours – and trust me, there aren't that many Arcana, so don't rush around or you'll miss things. Take the time to watch the display, ask questions, listen and have a good think. It's not a race to run from one section to another."

"What else?" she asked, tapping her chin. "Ah, yes. There won't be any specific order of things, so if one display is too crowded, you should go and check on another and then come back. Yatsu and I aren't going to be leading you from one to another. It'll all be outside, and you'll be free to walk from Arcana to Arcana as you wish. Finally, keep in mind that you're not making any decisions now. This is to get you thinking about what appeals to you so you can start tailoring your lesson and study plans to that end. You're free to change your mind and encouraged to do so at this stage."

"That same option won't be free to you after you choose an Arcana," Yatsuhashi interrupted. "Once you accept to study an Arcana, you are locked into it. Do not make any decisions lightly." He grunted. "In fact, do not make any today at all. Decisions made in haste end poorly."

"Questions?" Coco asked.

"What if we miss an Arcana?" someone asked.

"If you miss a display, you miss the display. You'll probably be able to ask an Arcanist from that Arcana to talk to you about it another day if you're polite. Or you can read up on it in your free time. It's not like the information is hidden. Doing it all at once like this is just convenient for the Collegium." Coco waited for the man to nod and put his hand down. "Anything else?"

Ruby raised her hand. "Is every Arcana available to any student?"

"There aren't any restrictions on gender, ability, age or such if that's what you mean," Coco replied. "If you're hyperactive and can't concentrate, then the Amber Arcana probably isn't the best bet for you, but they're not going to turn you away. Mastering any Arcana is possible, but you might be more physically or mentally inclined to one over the other."

"In the end, however," Yatsuhashi said, "The choice is yours."

"What he said," Coco jerked her thumb in his direction. "Pick what appeals to you, not what you think will be easiest. Anything else?"

There didn't seem to be any more questions, or rather if there were, they were pushed down by the eagerness to see everything happening. Coco still waited another minute or two, making Weiss grumble under her breath.

"Looks like we're all sorted. Alright, kids. Follow us. And remember, best behaviour."

Every initiate crowded in behind Coco and Yatsuhashi, leaving Weiss and Ruby to take up the rear. Petty rivalries were forgotten, even Malneux pushing past her without so much as a sneer, eyes focused ahead. They were brought out of the food hall and turned quickly to the left, wrapping around the side of the school building and then going behind it, off toward where the individual Arcana buildings were.

Do we get to visit each building? That could be fun.

The answer to that became a quick no, as the large fields behind the academy building were filled with numerous ringed off areas with coloured pennants Ruby assumed represented each Arcana. Robed figures stood within and around them.

Those in the centre were protected by rope-barriers from which hung more coloured scraps of cloth, forming a barrier to keep initiates out. They must have been the ones doing the displays. There were other Arcanists around the outside, however. They might have been to prevent anyone getting close or to answer questions.

It's like the apprentice fairs, she thought. The annual event held outside the walls where youngsters would line up and be judged by various craftsmen and, if they were lucky, might be taken on as indentured apprentices, living and serving their master in a position akin to a slave, but with the promise of learning a valuable skill at the end of a period of service, usually ten years.

For those living in the slums, it was one of the few ways out and the apprentice fairs were hotly contested. Not that anyone ever thought the scrawny and boyish girl who looked as frail as a twig worthy of being chosen. Every year so far had been her left among the rejected, skulking dejectedly away back to the slums. It got worse as you got older, because the masters wanted young and attentive students.

Forget it. They don't matter anymore. I'm here.

"Get at it then," Coco called out. "But don't cause any trouble or we'll be the ones getting told off – and believe me, I'll make sure I get my revenge."

A few of the Arcanists nearby smiled indulgently at that. As well over a hundred initiates surged forward, they held their ground, smiling happily and welcoming the interest and barrages of questions. Few of the Arcanists she'd met before had been so patient. It made sense they'd send their most friendly, however. Even if this was the Collegium, it was still an apprentice fair in some ways. They wanted to attract the best and brightest students.

"Which should we go see?" Weiss asked nervously.

"All of them," Ruby answered.

"Obviously! But I meant first!" Weiss' anger barely lasted, and she took Ruby's sleeve, dragging her bodily to the least populated display. "Let's just avoid the crowds. We'll get more one-to-one time with the Arcanists that way."

That sounded like a good idea. There were plenty of Arcana areas available, but the rest of the initiates mostly did as expected and ran to the closest – or the flashiest, which happened to be the Crimson Arcana where two Arcanists were duking it out in a duel. Ruby had to admit she was interested in that, more to see who won than to join it. They're showing off as best they can, and the combat Arcana is always going to look the most fun.

Weiss took them through the weaving rings toward the back, which were naturally much less populated. There were a few initiates who had the same idea, but where the Crimson Arcana at the front had around sixty people tightly packed around it, the one they made their way to had only eight. It just so happened to be the Emerald Arcana, which had a much smaller display with them allowed quite close to the display.

"Welcome, initiates." A large man with a round belly and a friendly smile greeted them. He reminded her of an innkeeper who had spent too much time with his food. "Always glad to see interest in the lifegiving Arcana. My name is Ambrose, master Arcanist of the Emerald Arcana." He flashed his Arcanum, which featured only the one gemstone. Obviously, it was green. "Unlike many others, I've chosen to dedicate myself to only the single Arcana, making me a master in the art that few can match. Of course, that also makes me the best to talk to aspiring Emerald Arcanists as well!"

It probably did. He was passionate, outgoing and much nicer than the other Arcanists they'd dealt with. Again, it was all intended to draw them in, but Ruby could admit it worked.

Arcanist Ambrose had them wait around the roped-off area as they brought in an injured Newblood who they introduced and explained had suffered a wound in training. The Newblood was made to sit on the table in the centre and show them a bloody but not-too-deep gash in his side. Had it been deeper, they'd have likely healed it and not made him wait.

As Ambrose talked about the wound and how it was but a light representation of what they usually faced, another Emerald Arcanist came up and held her hands around it. Chanting under her breath, she brought forth a faint cloud of green light that must have been ice-cold to the touch, for the Newblood hissed sharply and shivered.

Ruby watched with awe as the wound slowly but visibly knitted itself shut.

"And just like that," Ambrose said, "This Newblood is back on his feet and ready to go."

Ruby joined in the applause alongside Weiss and the other spectators. It wasn't overly flashy, but seeing that happen before her eyes was still, for lack of a better term, magical. I wonder if I can heal. Theoretically, I should be able to, but making a human body work again must be harder than just hurting someone in the first place.

"Now," Ambrose said. "Give unto me your questions!"

"Do the spells change based on the wound?" Weiss asked quickly.

"Indeed they do, my dear. A light wound like this requires a light healing spell to knit the flesh together. A deeper wound might need a spell to clean it first, then another to ensure there are no contaminants in the blood. If bone or muscle is cut, those should be healed before the flesh is, and finally you would finish it with the same spell shown here."

"Does that take long?" someone else asked. "Is it slow? What if you don't have time?"

"A fine question, young man. There are times when the patient does not have time, and in those cases, there are greater spells that can combine the effects – alternatively, we can employ multiple Arcanists to handle each individual aspect at the same time, working together on someone. It is more a risk to do it all at once, but an experienced Arcanist such as myself can do so safely."

"However, I only would if the patient required it. Slow and steady is preferable where the life is not at risk." He laughed jovially. "Sadly, we can't show you anything like that here because it would require leaving some poor soul in agony just to show off! That, or we would have to harm someone or an animal ourselves, and there are few among us who would wish to inflict pain just to make for an exciting show. Our work may seem simple and unassuming here, but if you should walk our halls, you will see just how exciting it can be. Stressful at times," he admitted honestly, "But there is no Arcana more satisfying to the soul than our own."

I wish I could do that, Ruby thought, clapping at his words. A few more questions were asked about how they trained, what it was like being a part of the Emerald Arcana and how long it took to study. Ambrose answered each quickly and with confidence, and even invited them to speak with him again at the Emerald Arcana facility should they ever wish to know more.

"We're not so closed and secretive as the other Arcana," he said. "Should you ever be badly injured, you will be coming to see us anyway. Ask if you can see me. If I'm free, I'll always be happy to talk further about us."

Weiss and her left with bright smiles.

"He was friendly," Weiss said.

"Hm. I liked him. I think they're sending people like that."

"Oh, I'm sure," she replied, "But that was still interesting. I may even take him up on his offer to visit the Emerald Arcana again. It only makes sense to be sure of what we chose, right?"

"Sure. Tell me if you do. I'll come along."

With the display at the Crimson Arcana ending, Weiss suggested they double back and watch it now that almost everyone else had. The plan worked and there was only them and two others remaining. They watched as a spar took place between two Arcanists – and they were much better at it than Malneux's stooge, dashing about the arena casting bright and flamboyant spells that churned up the ground, launched fireballs, created barriers of ice and more.

It may have been staged. It was hard to tell, and they were definitely going fast enough that it might not have been, but having grown up around life or death fights, she knew that a real fight was often finished in a matter of seconds. Even Jaune and Leon had only fought for about two minutes tops, and that was how it usually went. If one side proved stronger, the other would either lose or find a way to escape. This bout went on for a solid ten minutes.

Still, it was exciting to watch. Ruby and Weiss applauded them when they were done.

"What does the Crimson Arcana do?" Ruby asked when the woman in charge offered to answer questions. "I know they train to fight, but who do they fight?"

"A promising question, cadet. All too many want to learn how to fight and don't ask that. I'll tell you what we're not – soldiers. The Collegium does not get involved in warfare. Instead, we act as guards and protectors of other Arcanists, and the first line of defence against Rogue Arcanists who would imperil good and innocent people. We also fight the Grimm whenever they might encroach on our lands. Though we fight, ours is always to protect, never to attack."

Except for Wildmages, who she didn't mention but would have lumped in with Rogue Arcanists.

The Crimson Arcana was out of the question. Luckily, Weiss didn't seem bothered with her suggestion to check out another one. The Amber Arcana were talking animatedly to enraptured students as they used magic to animate a statue. Already knowing a little about that from Coco, Weiss and Ruby made their way over to a pavilion surrounded by dark blue flags instead.

Arthur Watts, the first official Arcanist she met and the one to enrol her, had sported a gem of that colour. More than that, the Grand Arcanist had a blue gem. Red, blue, white and black from what she recalled.

"Welcome to the Azure Arcana," an elderly man greeted them and a few others, spreading his arms wide. "The Arcana of Secrets."

Ruby's interest was piqued. "Secrets?"

"Quite so. Where other Arcana interest themselves with learning new spells, the Azure Arcana focused on deciphering the world's mysteries – answering questions unanswered and delving deep into the workings of magic itself."

"Isn't that what the Amber Arcana does?" Weiss asked.

"Not quite, young lady. The Amber Arcana does indeed seek to understand magic, but only for the sake of creating new magic. We seek greater understanding – to further the knowledge of humanity. Where does magic come from? Is it a finite resource? What determines whether a person can or cannot use magic? There are so many secrets in the world that have gone undiscovered, and it is our responsibility, and our passion, to discover all of those."

"What spells do you do?" someone asked.

"We're not quite as outgoing with our magics as the other Arcana. Our spells tend to be a collection of what is most useful, so we don't limit ourselves to any one facet." The man chuckled. "That said, I'm sure you're all interested in what makes the Arcana special, so I will say that we have a speciality for spells focused around discovery, tracking, identifying and revealing both individuals and information. We are explorers first and foremost, always on the forefront of new discoveries regarding our world."

The display they showed off was much less exciting than the others, at least visually. The Arcanist had an initiate in the crowd write a number on a piece of paper and hide it behind his back, then used a spell to read out what that was from a distance. It wasn't big or showy, but Ruby leaned forward even so.

"That's a little disappointing," Weiss muttered. "I expected more."

For once, Ruby couldn't agree.

That could be useful. If you can see things that are hidden, you could spy on someone easily. And if you can make yourself see far away, you can know when the guards are missing. It's the perfect Arcana for sneaking around with.

That likely wasn't their intent, but it was how she saw it. A good Arcana for a thief.

"Do you get to choose what you explore?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked surprised at her interest. The kindly old man looked pleased, eyes sparkling.

"Within reason, yes," he said. "There are rare occurrences where we might ask people to focus on a specific task, but those are very rare and mostly crisis situations – imagine, for instance, that a magical earthquake was ravaging the land. We might be ordered to pool resources to investigate that, but such hasn't happened in my lifetime."

"So, I could pick what I wanted to focus on?"

"For the most part, yes. Our members are encouraged to be individualistic. They may work in groups when common interests align, but more often than not, we work alone. The only exception might be if you wished to research something potentially dangerous – like raising the dead, or how to remove magic from Arcanists. Such would be considered dangerous research and you would be told to stop." The man leaned in. "If you wish to know whether an interest of yours would be allowed, feel free to ask me now."

Wildmages.

That… That probably wouldn't be allowed, but it was what she wanted to look into. The Azure Arcana probably had all the best sources of information – making it the quickest route to understanding what she was and what being a Wildmage meant. More than that, if she got to work mostly alone, then no one would question what she was doing. She couldn't say that, though.

There was another thing she wanted answers too, however. And quickly.

"Menagerie," she said instead. "I want to know why Menagerie fell."

If the Grimm were involved as Blake said, what went wrong, who was behind it and whether the same might befall Vale. The Crimson Arcana might be the ones to face those people, but only if an Arcana like the Azure found them first.

And at the same time, I could look into Wildmages and find out what's happening there. I bet these guys know more about Wildmages than the other Arcana.

"Ahhh." The Arcanist smiled sympathetically. His eyes moved to her Arcanum. "I can see why that would be important to you. I can tell you now that we would happily accept such a direction. Our own Arcanists are looking into this as we speak, but more are always welcome."

"If I did," she said, "Would I be able to leave and go to Menagerie?"

"Once you were granted a gemstone, yes. All Arcanists who reach that level of mastery are allowed to come and go as they wish, so long as you make the Collegium aware – both your current Collegium and, if one exists at your destination, you would need to register there as well. For Menagerie, that would no longer be an issue." He smiled. "I see the hunger in your eyes, my dear. Perhaps I shall have the pleasure of teaching you in the Azure Archives."

"You might," Ruby said.

Weiss drew her aside after. "I didn't realise you wanted to find out about Menagerie," she said, almost sadly. "I never considered it…"

"I didn't bring it up," Ruby said with a little shrug. "Don't worry about it."

"Do you really want to be an Azure Arcanist?"

"I don't know. We've only seen a few Arcana. There are loads more." Some of them were of particular interest. "I want to see what the white and black ones do." Find out what the Grand Arcanist had up his sleeve.

Blake flashed through her mind.

"Oh, and the Grey Arcana. Or whatever it's called. The dark grey one."

"Grey?" Weiss asked. "I've never heard of a Grey Arcana." She turned and looked around, taking in the various coloured flags that dotted the field. "And I don't see any grey flags either. Are you sure you didn't mistake a black or white gemstone for grey?"

She hadn't. Blake's had been misty and dark grey.

"I might have done," she lied. "Let's go see what the white Arcana is, then."

Weiss was only too happy to oblige.

/-/

The pointed cough drew the Grand Arcanist's eyes away from the window. He turned to regard the woman stood behind him, as stern as ever, bright green eyes flashing behind her spectacles.

"Glynda." He smiled. "My apologies. I was distracted by all the excitement. You know how it is when the Arcana finally have a chance to compete for the new intake of initiates. So much energy and passion in one place. It's hard not to be drawn into it."

The way she rolled her eyes said it was his problem and his alone.

"We found our Arcanist, sir."

"Truly? You found Tyrian?" Ozpin smiled. "Wonderful. Where is he?"

"Dead."

The smile fell. "I see." The Grand Arcanist drew back his chair and sat. "That is regrettable. I assume that he chose to fight you. I'd prayed it would not come to that."

"He didn't fight us, sir. He was dead when we arrived."

Ozpin went still. "Tyrian was one of the finest of the Crimson Arcana. Though I know not why he chose to go rogue, he would not fall prey to some bandit or beast in the wilderness. Was that where you found him? How did he die?"

"He was in the outskirts, sir. We were able to trace his Arcane Brand thanks to his signature in the Scriptorium. That persisted, but when we found him, he was already dead. It appears he tried to make a home for himself there. A small hut. It was destroyed. Burned down. I expect by himself in efforts to defeat whatever attacked him."

"And that, Glynda?"

"Not enough evidence, Ozpin. The Guards noticed tracks, however."

"Tracks?"

"Both human and animal. The human tracks may have come later, however. His Arcanum was missing and that could only be taken away if he had died. Scavengers, no doubt. The animal tracks…" Glynda hesitated. "I don't want to say Grimm."

"And yet…?"

"No mere wolf or bear could kill a Crimson Arcanist."

"I see." Ozpin linked his fingers together and balanced his elbows upon his desk. "A tragedy, then, but one that ties up our loose ends. Grimm have always existed in the outskirts, we know this. Tyrian, for whatever reason, must have let his guard down. Perhaps exhaustion over trying to evade us. Whatever the case, he was unprepared and fell to the Grimm."

It was an unsatisfying conclusion, as accurate as it might be.

"Do you really think a single Grimm could kill him, Grand Arcanist?"

"My heart says no, Glynda, but my mind tells me even I could fall to a pickpocket if I were to be caught off-guard. It could well be that Tyrian was attacked while asleep, at which point all the knowledge in the world matters little."

"Or he was attacked by too many. There have been rumours of activity, sir…"

"Rumours, Glynda?"

"From the guards in the farms. With your permission, I wish to investigate further."

"Granted. Naturally. Please keep me informed of any developments."

"Thank you, sir. Also, I heard the bell towers while I was outside the walls. Has our little problem been dealt with?"

Ozpin sighed. "I'm afraid not. It was indeed our Wildmage again, but the huntsmen were unable to capture her thanks to the intervention of another Rogue Arcanist. One that they claim lacked Arcanum or Brand or any distinguishing characteristics."

"Another?" Glynda huffed. "What Arcanist would work alongside a Wildmage?"

"A desperate one, I fear. We did come away with some small information, however. The huntsman who engaged the Wildmage said that her face was masked, any detail all but impossible to make out in the dark and with spell fire flying around, but the voice and figure suggested a female. Not a young man as first thought."

Glynda stiffened. Though he didn't say it, it had been her to say it was a boy. "I may have been mistaken, sir."

"It's no concern. The huntsman agreed the difference was not immediately obvious. Only when he straddled the Wildmage and heard her voice – before the intervention of an Arcanist, that was. There was also another, though neither Arcanist nor Wildmage. A street urchin similarly concealed and hooded who fought to distract the second huntsman."

"A relative?" Glynda pondered. "Someone who doesn't understand the danger, clearly." She sighed angrily. "We should have the huntsmen seek to capture this person if possible. They may prove a useful hostage for the Wildmage's surrender."

"My thoughts exactly. I've already passed such instructions on. And to deal with this new Arcanist. They have made their allegiance in this matter clear and shall be dealt with as such. One who can shirk the Arcane Brand is too dangerous to let live as it is…"

"I agree." Glynda nodded. "Very well then. With your permission, I shall take out a new escort and begin scouting the outskirts. I'd like to take a few of the Crimson Arcana with me if that is acceptable. If the Grimm are active, I would prefer we were prepared."

"Take what you need, Glynda. Return to us safe."

"Thank you."

As the door closed behind her, the Grand Arcanist turned back to the window and watched over the orientation display in the distance. Young initiates taking their first step upon the road to becoming Arcanists. It had been a long time since he'd stood in their shoes. A long time indeed.

"How times were easier back then…"

The second half of the reveal of Arcanas will take place next chapter. While I did initially want them all to be in this one, I quickly realised how ridiculous that would be – having to squeeze each one down to about 500 words at most. It feels more organic to give them each some proper time.

So far we have (at least explained):

Crimson Arcana, Azure Arcana, Emerald Arcana and the Amber Arcana.

Next Chapter: 8th December

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur