So, I overused the word "Arcan-" last chapter (Arcana, Arcanum, Arcane Brand, Arcane Academy). I've mentioned before how I wish I'd thought of that at the start and cut down. I'll be trying to say it less from now on, both for my sanity and yours.
I might just be switching Arcana out for the colour or even referring to it as a "School of Magic". Yes, it's a little ret-conny, but meh. There will also be instances where it's just removed – like people casually referring to everyone from a certain Arcana by the colour. E.g. "He joined the Crimson." or "He studies with the Crimson." Rather than saying "Crimson Arcana" each time.
As mentioned on other stories, no updates on Christmas week from 23rd Dec – 29th inclusive. Updates continue from normal after that.
Chapter 20
"Welcome to the White Arcana," the woman standing tall and imposing at the front of the display announced. Dressed in long and flowing robes of purest white edged with gold, she cut a beautiful and elegant figure. It was as much due to the colour as anything else, white offering much more in the way of a solid base for decoration than robes of red, blue or black. "We represent order, stability and diplomacy. While other Arcana strive to attain mastery of grandiose spells and fickle secrets, we focus on maintaining and protecting the order of our world, and of our Kingdom."
Weiss cocked her head to the side, seemingly as confused as Ruby was. She asked, "What does that mean in terms of magic, Lady Arcanist?"
"You're asking what spells we learn? What benefits we promise to our members?" The woman laughed. "We do not limit ourselves as those of the Crimson and Emerald would. With us, you might learn the secrets to binding a foe…"
In the display area, a man whispered a mantra and thrust a hand out toward his opponent, another volunteer from the White Arcana. Strands of white light shot out from his hand, expanding quickly into a woven net of pure light that pinned the man to the floor, the edges of the net binding with the ground.
"You might also learn how to escape from such."
The captive closed his eyes and spoke beneath his voice. The bonding points of the net shattered into motes of light, allowing him to stand tall once more.
"You may learn protective magics of the most powerful nature."
The first sent a fireball at the second, which must have been more a traditional spell than one reserved for the Crimson Arcana. Regardless, the second summoned a shield of shimmering white light in the air that didn't reflect, but instead dissipated the magic, causing it to ripple and waft harmlessly into the air as steam.
"But more importantly," the one in charge said, "You will learn how to avoid such confrontations. Entreat with important individuals, sway the course of politics and work toward a universal goal of preserving our way of life." She held her arms out wide. "For the White Arcana does not focus itself solely on the collection of power or knowledge, but the achievement of a goal."
"Keeping things as they are," Ruby said, bored. "Is that all it is?"
"All?" the woman asked, one eyebrow raised. "I admit it must sound uninteresting to those who live in peace because of our work but know that the Treaty that allows the Collegium to exist in the first place is due to us. The laws that protect us from being conscripted into conflicts were our creation. It is the White that maintains peace between Collegiums, that monitors and organises action against Rogue Arcanists and much more you cannot learn until you are members. Without us, it is no exaggeration to say that the Collegium would not exist."
"I thought the Crimson Arcana dealt with Rogues," Weiss said.
"They deal with combat, my dear. They are valuable and trusted allies who thrive upon the field of battle, but it is we who direct them."
"Meaning they're your stooges," Ruby said.
The Arcanist frowned. "It is not a leader-follower dynamic but a trusted alliance between Arcana as we fight toward a common goal. If it helps, you might think of the Crimson as the ones who deal directly with criminals, while we root them out in the first place. Of course," she said, smiling brightly, "We have other claims to our fame – for instance, did you know that the White was the first that our current Grand Arcanist obtained?"
Weiss' eyes widened. "He was White first?"
"Indeed. Grand Arcanist Ozpin is the greatest of us – and he began as a humble White Arcanist."
"What did he do after?" Ruby asked. "If you're allowed to say…"
"It's common history, my girl. The Grand Arcanist focused his attention upon the white until mastery and, like many of our brethren, chose after to branch into the Crimson Arcana. White and Red is one of the most common dual combinations in the Collegium. Our work is similar and naturally compliments."
"Because once you spend years rooting out rogues, you start to want to fight them as well," Weiss guessed.
"That's right. We teach self-defence and combat as a matter of necessity, but it can sometimes be frustrating to have to wait for the Crimson to react. The most passionate of us would rather wade in ourselves." The woman flashed her Arcanum, and true to form she had two gems – one white and the other red. "The white meshes well with other colours, too. Healers with the Emerald and trackers with the Azure."
An Arcana dedicated yet again to dealing with Wildmages was out of the question. Ruby feigned interest as Weiss asked more questions, but quickly tossed it away. Was it really necessary to have two schools of magic dedicated to the task? On top of the Sanctum itself? The amount of resources they were throwing at it was staggering.
"Is it just dealing with Rogues?" Weiss asked.
"Not at all. I mentioned diplomacy before and that's a large part of what we do. It's not uncommon for White Arcanists to be sent along with nobles and even royalty, and there hasn't been a peace treaty or alliance in the last century that wasn't watched over and accounted by one of our members. We act as mediators in conflict, speaking with White Arcanists of other Collegium to avoid heightened emotions ruining a treaty. We also act as adjudicators in matters of state that the King does not with to get involved in. We are neutral in such matters, so our word goes. Naturally, we also have spells to assist us in that, from simple scrying to truth-telling."
"You can interrogate people?" Ruby blurted out.
"No, no. Nothing of the sort." Laughing, the woman missed Ruby's obvious relief. If she could have told the truth, then the Grand Arcanist could have as well when she lied to him. "It's more that we can, with a small ritual, cause an object to glow different colours as someone speaks degrees of lies, truth or half-truth. It's a slow process and not much use in the field, but if there is a big legal case or dispute between noble families, we can be called on as ultimate purveyors of justice."
"I thought the Collegium didn't involve itself with noble affairs."
"We don't. We do not dispatch justice, only enable it. Even should we find a noble guilty of a crime, it is up for the other nobility and the King to punish them. More often than not, we're used as a threat," she admitted. "If two noble families are feuding and one believes the other is lying about the cause, they might suggest bringing in a White Arcanist. That's usually enough to convince the other side to stop."
"Interesting," Weiss said, standing just a little taller. "It sounds like a versatile Arcana."
"We pride ourselves on that. In an ideal world, everyone would have a grounding in the white before attempting any other school – that way, we could be assured that every Arcanist works towards the goal of preserving our way of life and the peace."
"Yeah," Ruby failed to hide her lack of enthusiasm. "That sounds like fun."
The Arcanist frowned at her. "It's not for everyone, I will admit. There are some who prefer the immediate gratification of magical prowess of large spells."
"Don't be rude, Ruby," Weiss snapped. "I happen to think it a marvellous goal."
"Then perhaps we shall see you don the white robes, my dear. I hope so."
A fresh batch of Initiates came up to listen, pushing Weiss and Ruby away as the Arcanist smiled and began her speech from the beginning again, gesturing toward the ring where the two volunteers started anew the demonstrations. There were other White Arcanists around the ring explaining the same to other Initiates. It didn't look as popular as the Crimson, but it was getting interest.
Weiss' too.
"Don't tell me you're actually thinking of it," Ruby whined.
"What? Joining the White Arcana? I don't see why not – it looks versatile and cerebral. More than just using magic to solve all problems. And working toward protecting the Collegium and the Kingdom. Doesn't that sound exciting?"
"No?"
"Maybe not for you but I happen to think it an admirable goal."
Admirable wasn't how she'd put it. The White Arcana basically wanted to keep things as they were, which meant the nobles lording it over the merchants lording it over the farmers lording it over the Dredgers. Vale might have been a great place to live if you weren't at the bottom, but once you were, you got to see how much of a shithole it could be.
I don't want to keep things like they are. Vale should change.
For that alone she'd dislike them, but knowing they were also chipping in on hunting down Wildmages? Fuck 'em. "Don't join them, Weiss. They're stupid."
"Ruby! I didn't criticise your interest in the Azure and I could say much the same about them! Secrets for the sake of secrets. Mysteries and whatnot. Foolishness."
Ruby hunched her shoulders defensively. "Don't you want to know why magic works? Don't you want to know where it comes from? Why only certain people can use it and why some people become Arcanists and others become Wildmages?" The burning questions in her gut. "There's so much to find out!"
"Why bother?" Weiss asked haughtily. "Magic does work. Some people are born with it and others aren't. I don't need to know how or why it works to use it, and I don't see the appeal in dedicating my life to the pursuit of so selfish a goal. I want to look back on my life and say I worked toward something I could be proud of, like protecting Vale and the Collegium."
"Protecting it from what?" Ruby hissed. "Itself!?"
"If that's what it takes. Why are you so angry? Am I not allowed to have a differing opinion?"
"I… I just…"
Ruby's words ran dry and she looked down at the floor. Really, what right did she have to try and make Weiss do what she wanted? Just the urge to not have her as an enemy. But even if Weiss joined the White or Crimson Arcana, it wasn't like she'd instantly be a foe. It wouldn't matter so long as she stayed hidden.
"Sorry," she grumbled. "I was… passionate?"
It must have been the right thing to say because Weiss' face softened. "I guess I am as well," she admitted. "It's the mood getting to us both." With a smile, she laughed it off. "I suppose it was inevitable we'd have differing opinions – we're not much alike. Even if we do end up in different Arcana, however." Weiss looked nervous. "Would we still be friends?"
"Yes. Of course!"
Weiss smiled, relieved. "Then it matters little, doesn't it? Let's just enjoy ourselves and see what the rest of the show has to offer. How about the Black? Do you think it's the opposite of the white?"
"Not unless they stand for war, chaos and Rogue Arcanists…"
/-/
The Black Arcana did not in fact deal with chaos or war or fighting at all. After the tension of the White, it was almost a relief to find that the Black School of Magic was focused on something rather simple.
"You make stuff?"
"That's right." The man who led them into the display area was jovial and excited. Unlike the others, there weren't Arcanists casting spells on one another and Initiates were allowed to walk around the tables, upon which lay numerous trinkets. Rings, bucklers, quills and more. "Our focus is how to imbue objects with spells, either tying spells into them, enhancing them or adding other benefits."
"Fascinating," Weiss said. And it was. Not in any grand way, but curious and interesting enough for Ruby to nod along. "Can you give us some examples?"
"Of course. Take this for instance." He picked up a quill and a pot of ink. Without unscrewing the ink, he began to write on a parchment, and black markings were drawn behind. "A quill that does not require itself to be dipped in ink."
Ruby stared at the pot. "The spell is on the pot…"
"Oh? You have a good eye, Miss. Or should I say a good nose?" He laughed at his own joke. "It's actually a bit of both, but you're right to say the more complicated spell is on the pot." He unscrewed the cap and lifted it up, showing a small sigil on the underneath. "This is tied to the spell on the quill, and acts as a conduit of sorts. It recreates the act of dipping so you don't have to. Naturally, the ink does run out, but it's more convenient to refill it than dip every thirty seconds."
"How hard is it to put spells on items?" Ruby asked. If her Wildmagic could be used to do it, she could give Yang ways to protect herself, not to mention have a veritable arsenal of equipment for herself.
"Much harder than it looks, I'm afraid."
Crap.
"You need to account for mass, intent and a hundred other variables. For instance, in this case the question of how much ink you want to come through, how to make it stop when pressure is removed from the quill and how to prevent it spilling. Another example of our work you'll be more used to it your bathrooms."
"The automatic privy?" Weiss said. "You created those?"
"Not me specifically, but it was a joint venture of our Arcana. Not our most glamorous work, I'll admit, but certainly one of the most appreciated across both the Collegium, Vale and even the other Kingdoms. No more lugging copper basins and heating up the water for a bath."
We still do that in the slums. Dirty river water laden with waste heated over charcoal or wood. It was a slow and arduous process.
"What happens to all that water after it's used?" Ruby asked. "I've seen it go down the hole in the bottom and then through a spell of some sort. What happens to it?"
"We keep things as natural as we can. There's a secondary outlet that the spells all connect to, which pumps the dirty water downriver. That way it can wash out to the ocean and isn't wasted or sent to flood land."
Ruby's excited faded. "You dump it in the river…?"
"Of course. It's where the waste would go without our intervention. People would wash and relieve themselves in the river, or dirty water would be poured out onto the streets – again finding its way back to the river. We're not tampering with anything."
She supposed he had a point. It wasn't like they were making it worse…
"Wouldn't that make the water unsafe?" Weiss asked.
"Oh, we don't pump it out here," the Arcanist said. "The river water flowing through the Collegium is crystal clear. We bypassed the Upper and Merchant's Districts so the water stays clear there as well. The spell work starts at the end of the Merchant's District."
Meaning that the river was clean and clear water all the way to the Slums, then became full of waste and shit and everything else. Ruby's eyes hardened. If it weren't for bleeding off her Surges, she had the feeling she might have lost it right there.
I always thought the river was unusually mucky. It's because all the waste from the three Districts above is pumped into it right at the point it starts for us. We're drinking and bathing in their used water.
No wonder so many people got sick.
"Our work is focused on making life easier for everyone," the Arcanist said, missing her reaction. "That way, we both advance our craft and remind people why we should be valued. We also earn money for the Collegium, making us the wealthiest School of Magic. Though we don't flaunt that much," he said, laughing. "To be honest, most of the lien goes right back into our other projects. We're a busy lot."
"It sounds interesting. Doesn't it, Ruby?"
"Yeah." Ruby tried not to scowl. "Interesting."
"The Black Arcana is often a secondary one," the man admitted. "We don't get many Initiates, but we do get plenty of people coming here for their second gemstone. The Crimson like to make weapons and armour to help them, while the Azure like their own tools. It's the same for the White and Amber, and while we do make some healing trinkets for the Emerald, we naturally donate those to the healers free of charge. They help look after us all, so it doesn't feel right to make demands of them."
"That's generous of you." Weiss said. "I don't think the Black will be my first choice, but I might consider it for a secondary. It sounds versatile."
"It is the most versatile, my lady. There's not an Arcana existing that couldn't benefit from our magic in some way. You're limited only by your imagination and the hard work you're willing to put in. The Arcanum are also our work," he said, pointing to their crests. "Though hundreds of years before my time, naturally."
The sigils and the brands. Likely the bell towers that had detected her surges were the work of the Black Arcana as well, and they might have been custom build to find her. Could the Sanctum also have been created by them?
If so, that mean the Crimson, White and Black were her natural enemies.
Is every single school of magic going to be working against me? Even the Azure would probably use their skills to find me and the Amber would develop spells to work against Wildmages. The only one left is the Emerald, but I bet they'd refuse to heal me if they knew.
Ruby leaned back, though couldn't quite help but to stare longingly at the various trinkets. Her fingers were itchy and not in a good way. No. If they can put spells on those, they can put some way to track where they go on as well.
She'd have to resist the urge. For now.
It was worth looking into later depending on how valuable some of those things might be.
"What did you think of that one?" Weiss asked when they moved away, letting fresh Initiates excitedly take their places. "I didn't think I'd find it as interesting as I did."
"It looks like fun…"
"But?"
What could she say? That she hated it because of one man's uncaring nature toward the slums? He was hardly alone in acting that way. "But not for my first," she deflected. "I think it's something fun to do after I master a different school."
Weiss agreed with a smile. "I feel the same way. In fact, I would wager a lot of people choose that as their second for monetary reasons. You use one Arcana for something you wish to do and the second to either earn lien or bolster your first. Although, the work does look a little menial. It's interesting, but I'm not sure what my family would think of it…"
"Why?" Ruby asked. "It's making magical stuff. How is that not impressive?"
"I shouldn't be surprise you would show interest in such peasant tasks, Rose."
Ruby turned with a sigh. "Malneux…"
"That's Lord Malneux to you, Rose," Martyn sneered. "And allow me to explain for Lady Schnee what she was trying to say. The crafting of trinkets, no matter how pretty or functional, is work best left to the peasants. Of course, they can't hope to craft artefacts like the Black Arcana, but even so, such is best left to… lesser nobles." He adopted a surprised expression. "Oh, never mind. Perhaps you're perfect for the role after all."
"Was that supposed to be witty?"
"What are you doing here, Lord Malneux?" Weiss asked, stepping a little in front of Ruby.
Hey. I can look after myself…
"I'm here to peruse the various Arcana, much like yourself. Why I have deigned to lower myself to speak to someone like Rose, however, is to pass on an ultimatum." He stood taller and tugged on the mantle around his neck and shoulders, a length of cloth that reached down to mid-bicep on either side of his Initiate Robes.
Weiss stared. "You've already selected your focus? How reckless."
"Not so, Lady Schnee. My path was one I had chosen long before attending the Collegium. My father was Red and White, and so I shall be the same and bring honour to the family. Regardless, my message is to Rose, not you." He fixed his eyes on Ruby. "Stay out of the Red and White Arcana. I have little interest breathing the same air as you and would rather you not sully it."
"We could breathe different air," Ruby said. "All you need to do is suffocate and die."
"How crass. Regardless, it's clear you and I will not see eye to eye, and I would not change that. Let us make it easy on ourselves and avoid interaction entirely. You may choose your Arcana as you wish but refrain from encroaching on mine."
"You can't just claim two schools of magic!" Weiss snapped. "That's-"
"Fine." Ruby pulled Weiss' arm. "It's fine. I don't have any interest in those two anyway."
"Even so, he shouldn't act like he has the right to make such demands."
"What is the issue if Rose agrees?" Martyn asks. "I'd say we shake on it, but I doubt either of us would enjoy that much." He nodded his head instead. "Next time we duel, we shall do it as Arcanists proper and I will have you admit your defeat."
"That's fine with me."
Martyn snorted and stormed away.
Weiss hissed, "Are you an idiot? He's asking for a duel later while boldly saying he's going to join the Crimson. Are you mad? You might as well offer to tie both hands behind your back while you're at it."
"It's fine, Weiss. I don't intend to fight him and if he's far away, then isn't that a good thing?"
"I suppose. Hah. So, it seems to me like your interest lays with the Azure. Is that where you intend to go?"
It wasn't a decision to make quickly, but Ruby nodded anyway. None of the others called out to her in the same way and the Azure Arcana also had advantages that would come in hiding what she was. The Crimson and White were out of the question for obvious reasons, and that cut down on a third of the choices.
The Arcana aren't what I thought they'd be. Green, Red and Black are basic and just focus on a certain aspect – healing, combat and making stuff – but the other three are more… professions? It's like they're working toward goals and not particular magic.
Of those, the white felt the most political, which was another reason not to get involved. They wanted to maintain the status quo, and that was the last thing she'd dedicate herself to. More than anything, what had excited her most about becoming an Arcanist was the mystery of it. The amazing impossibility of magic.
"I think I'm going for Azure."
"And I believe I will choose White," Weiss said, missing Ruby's wince. "Though I don't want to make the choice yet. I don't believe it will impact our living in the dorms until we master our respective Arcana, so we'll still be roommates. We'll just have lessons in different parts of the Collegium."
"Yeah. We can spend time together otherwise."
"I'd like that," Weiss said, looking relieved. "Do you mind if we split up here? I want to go ask some more questions of the White, and I can tell you're not interested."
"Sure. I wanted to talk to the Azure more."
"Perfect. Meet back here in an hour?"
"You're on."
/-/
"I thought you would come back," the Azure Arcanist said, watching her with a curious smile. "I sensed the thirst in you."
"Thirst…?"
"The thirst for knowledge. Answers. Every one of us has it in one way or another. That burning question inside us that yearns for an answer." He chuckled and looked over the display and seeing the other Azures handling the Initiates easily, drew Ruby aside. "It differs from Arcanist to Arcanist. Some want knowledge for power and join the Crimson. Some want it for political nuance and join the White. The Black is those who crave wealth or recognition, while the Green yearn for knowledge to right the wrongs done upon them or others. The Amber crave it to have their names remembered as they create spells. All fair reasons," he said. "But we. We are different."
Ruby licked her lips. "How so?"
"We don't crave knowledge for fame, power or wealth. We crave it simply because we want to see the answer. Because living in ignorance frustrates us." The Arcanist placed a hand upon her shoulder and turned her to stand beside him, looking out over the Initiates running around. "They see us as bookish researchers wasting our time trying to pick apart things that don't need to be toyed with."
Weiss' words came back to her. "I don't need to know how or why it works to use it."
"To us, however, they are the ones wasting their limited time in this world. What use is a repertoire of spells for no purpose? What is there in creating a spell and throwing your name on it? Fame? Recognition? What use are those when we die? In fact, what happens when we die?"
"I don't know. What does happen?"
"I don't know either," he admitted. "But I'd like to."
"Is there anyone researching that? What happens after death?"
"Almost certainly – though I dread to think how they might go about it. Not through killing anyone, that is for sure. Our rules are strict on what is and isn't allowed. But the point I am making is that everyone who joins the Azure Arcana has something they are looking for. Some answer. Some question."
The Grand Arcanist joined the Azure too. He had Red, White, Blue and Black gems – and according to the White Arcanist, he'd started there and then moved to Crimson, which meant he chose the Azure afterwards, after becoming the Grand Arcanist and being allowed to have more than two gemstones.
Had he been looking for something? What burning question did he have, and had he found it?
Ruby found herself curious.
"That's a good look," he told her. "The curiosity inside. It's agonising, isn't it? Not knowing."
"Yeah." Wildmages. Menagerie. The Sanctum. Cinder. Surges. So many things she wanted to know and that continued to elude her. He'd hit the nail on the head; it was agony not knowing the answers. "Yeah, it is. Would I get answers in the Azure?"
"You would be empowered to find your answers. Our school is the Azure Archives, a repository of knowledge solely collated and kept for our benefit. None outside the Arcana may read those tomes." He chuckled. "None can. Only those who join can even see the words upon the pages. There is much information there, my dear. The pursuit for answers is often a co-operative venture and we don't jealously hoard our knowledge from one another. It matters not who finds the answer, only that it is found."
Lots of reading then. That should have put her off, but funnily enough, it didn't. Would the Archives have answers on Wildmages? It wasn't guaranteed, but if there were going to be any in the Collegium, it would be there.
"Can I ask you some questions?"
"Of course. I shall answer those that I can."
A hundred or more came to mind but most couldn't be asked. Anything about Wildmages and the Sanctum was out, as was asking about Menagerie since she should know how it fell. Suddenly faced with the possibility of asking anything, her brain tossed up nothing. So typical. In the end, she sought a topic, any topic, and asked the first to come to mind.
"Why is there no Grey Arcana here?"
"The Grey-?" He looked surprised for a second. "How did you-? Ah, Menagerie, of course. You did tell me you hailed from there." His smile returned. "The Shadow Arcana is one that was specific to Menagerie. A School of Magic focused around misdirection, concealment and lies. Quite the interesting set of skills from what little I read, but the Collegium here was unwilling to accept or adopt it."
Menagerie only? Lies and deception certainly fit Blake. "Why wasn't it allowed?"
"I cannot say for certain, not being the one to have made that decision. It would have been the Grand Arcanist who did – and he did not outlaw it. I apologise if I gave that impression. He simply chose not to let it take root and become an official Arcana here. I expect there might be numerous reasons, from the message it sends to the public and nobles to the difficulty in controlling such people."
"What do you mean by message?"
"How the public perceive us," he explained. "We stay out of conflict and politics to make sure no one believes us all-powerful, and if we were to accept an Arcana that focused on lying? People might believe us untrustworthy. It is why certain things are forbidden even if they are not inherently dangerous, like necromancy. People would be horrified by it and so it is outlawed."
"Necromancy wouldn't be dangerous? It sounds dangerous…"
"Animating a dead body does not make it anything more than a dead body. I expect you could frighten people, but in terms of combat? You'd be better off paying someone with access to muscles and an unrotten skeletal structure to swing a sword." He laughed. "You'd get further than being wailed on by a boneless, skinless, cadaver."
Horrible to imagine, but she could see his point. If they could summon the elements, conjure huge blasts of air and make nets out of light, then what use did you have for a slowly shuffling dead person? On the other hand, cloaked figures roaming graveyards for body parts would quickly turn everyone against the Collegium.
The Grey – or Shadow Arcana – could have been the same. She already didn't trust Blake but that was due more to what she'd done than the colour of her gemstone. On the other hand, could you ever trust someone whose very spells were about lying?
"Did anywhere else study it?"
"Not officially. The Mistral and Atlas Collegium have some of their own Arcana native to them, but the Shadow never left Menagerie. A different people, a different culture. I personally think nothing for or against it, and certainly have no issue with Menagerie." He bowed his head. "May they rest easy wherever they are now."
"Y-Yeah."
He let go of her. "So, will I have the pleasure of teaching you in the Azure Archives? Or do you need more time to make your decision? It is well if you do. You have time before you must fully dedicate yourself."
"No. I want to join."
Secrets. Questions. Mysteries. Even without being a Wildmage, it was what she wanted. Power and fighting were all well and good, but she didn't want a life of combat. Healing was too dangerous with her wild magic, and creating spells was meaningless when hers didn't work the same way. The White Arcane was out for obvious reasons and the Black… well, the wealth would be nice, but it sounded like lots of research, and she was again unsure if her wild magic could even work as they intended it to. No one wanted a bathtub that actively tried to drown you.
"Excellent. I'm most excited to have you. If you wish it, I can provide you an Azure mantle now."
He drew out a piece of cloth similar to what Martyn had worn. It was really more of a shoulder cloak that only reached down a few inches past the shoulder and went all around the body. A hole for the head was where it could be pulled on and off. It was a deep, rich, blue.
"It won't mark you as an official member of the Azure Arcana, nor grant you access to the Archives, but it will announce your intention and make it clear to your teachers in which way you wish your education to be tailored."
Ruby took it and pulled it over her head. It was light. So light she didn't really feel it. The dash of colour on her otherwise grey Initiate robes was a nice touch, though. No doubt Weiss would be coming back to the dorm with a white one.
"I will look forward to welcoming you to the blue Arcana, my dear."
"Ruby," she said. "Ruby Rose."
"With a name like that, I'm sure the Crimson weeps."
She giggled. "Wait, I never asked your name!"
"Ah. I had wondered if you would realise that." He laughed again. "I'm not offended, don't worry. The Azure Arcana cares little for pomp or ritual. That gets in the way of our research and no one has time for that."
No complaining about her manners? Best. Arcana. Ever. "So, what do I call you?"
"Robert," he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. "Robert Merlot. Though most in the Azure Archives simply call me Doctor Merlot."
Any prizes for guessing what it is he researches? Probably not.
So, I tried to limit the "Arca-" words here. Hopefully it was a little less agonising to read as a result. Okay, just checked ctrl – F and there's still 99 instances of "Arcan-" in the story. Going to go back now and shave some of those down.
Got it down to 80. That'll do, Coeur. That'll do.
Next Chapter: 15th December
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur