Nice and relaxed weekend for a change. No medical disasters at all

Cover Art: Z-ComiX

Chapter 77

"How can I help?"

Such innocuous words, but dangerous in their own right. Was she really planning on going against the Collegium? The answer wasn't as obvious as it seemed. While she wanted to go against them and free Cinder and Adam from the Sanctum, what Lady Arc was proposing felt more like a civil war. One that could come at a very bad time given the Grimm outside.

She needed allies, though. Both Cinder and Adam agreed on that, and with the Collegium's ability to change memories at will, she would never survive on her own. They could even make Yang forget about her! That was too much. Ruby stared the older woman down, took a deep breath and asked again.

"How can I help…?"

"The bigger question is, how can we trust you?" Juniper returned. "You're an Arcanist of the White. You may well wish to help, but there are members of our alliance that would balk at having you anywhere near them, let alone knowing their names."

In case she was a spy. They wouldn't trust any Arcanists. Ruby bit her lip, wondering if it would matter if she argued at all. If she were in their shoes, she wouldn't trust a friendly Arcanist either. She wouldn't trust anyone from the Collegium.

"I am already in danger though," Juniper said. "You know my face and name. I've no choice but to trust you." Her eyes narrowed. "Or kill you." Fire leapt to Ruby's hands, burning across her fingertips. Juniper saw it and smiled, holding her empty hands up in surrender. "I will not, however. If you seek to prove yourself, prove yourself to me and I shall work on convincing the others."

If that was the best she could get, it was what she'd have to do. As long as whatever she had to do wasn't too dangerous, that was. "Alright. How do I do that?"

"What we need most is the method of how this memory alteration is done…"

Ruby pulled a face. "How am I meant to get that!?"

"You're not. At least not immediately. Find out who would have the use of it instead, try to befriend or earn their trust, or even work your way into that position yourself if you can. Once we can prove it exists, the rest shall fall neatly into place."

Who would use it…? It would be people further up the Investigator chain, wouldn't it? The people who took Emerald aside and `talked to her` and the people who brought Ren into the White to tamper with his mind. I'm already a junior member of the group who does that. Does that mean Port knows about it? He might just.

"Use me as your contact." Juniper said. "You're free to come here as you wish but tell my servants nothing. Their ignorance is innocence, and some may even be on the pay of the Collegium. To them, I am a grieving woman who locks herself away in anguish over the loss of a husband and son. Let them continue to think that."

And if she were caught, only Juniper Arc would be in danger. I guess we're the only ones risking our lives here. At least she knows she'll just have her memories changed if she's caught. I'll be thrown in the Sanctum. Was she meant to tell Juniper what she was? Knowing she was a Wildmage might convince her Ruby wasn't working with the Collegium.

Or it might lead to panic and fear. It wasn't only the Collegium who would turn on Wildmages – the average people also distrusted them. There was no reason for anyone to know but Blake and Yang. Ruby kept quiet and nodded her head, agreeing to help.

"Good. Keep an eye on my son as well. They need to keep using the spell on him and you may be able to find out about it through watching the changes he goes through."

"Do you want me to try get him out?"

"Where would you bring him? My home would be swarming with Arcanists if he were to go missing. The only hope is to cure him entirely. I am not sure how much hope I hold," she admitted. "Even if we can prove this is true, Jaune is inside the Collegium. They won't let him go easily."

/-/

Ruby presented her Arcanum back at the gate and was welcomed inside without issue. She had come straight back from the Upper Quarter without visiting Yang. What her sister would say if she found out about the changing memories, she both wasn't sure and didn't want to find out. It also didn't seem fair to give Blake false hope about her father.

I bet they used it on him as well, though. He used to support Blake in the Shadow Arcana but suddenly stopped and condemned it. That definitely sounds like someone tampered with him.

In terms of finding out how, she had two real options. Watch Jaune like a hawk and try to catch someone using it on him or work her way up until she was trusted enough to know the secret anyway. One of those paths was safer than the other, especially since they probably weren't going to be changing Jaune's memories in front of her or anyone else any time soon.

Approaching the White Cathedral, Ruby let herself in and crept up toward Lady Goodwitch's office. Gingerly, she knocked on the door.

"Come in," the soft tone came.

The lady of the white was busy at her desk as she so often was, quills and ink spread across it along with documents and the remains of what looked like a sandwich eaten for lunch. The woman looked up, spectacles drifting to the tip of her nose. She pushed them back up and offered a tired smile.

"Ruby. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Um. I wanted to know if there was more investigating work I could do."

Glynda leaned back in her seat. "Oh? Didn't you just finish some for Lord Port?"

"We're finished on the Azure members and their research. Lord Port said there isn't anything else he can give me just yet, but I thought you might have more. Or know someone who does," she added.

"You're awfully keen for work today. I hadn't realised you were quite so diligent."

"I like the money." Ruby said honestly. And selfishly. "Pyrrha wants us to go out into the city together and we're eating each night, but she's lending me money and paying for the food. Plus, I need money more than most people since I don't have any family wealth to fall back on."

She wasn't sure if such a mercenary outlook would appeal to Glynda or not, but it was at least true. That would alleviate some of her concerns, Ruby hoped. Sure enough, the woman chuckled and shook her head.

"I had forgotten about your circumstances for a moment. Or rather, I hadn't considered beyond the loss of your family. I can see why you would want to make a name for yourself quickly; you'd almost have to if you wished to create the Rose House anew here."

House Rose, huh? Not exactly what she had in mind but a good excuse all the same. Ruby nodded. "It's why I wanted to become an Arcanist so quickly. I need to stand out or I'll be forced to marry into another House and watch mine dissolve."

"Hmm. While we normally prefer Arcanists to give up their noble concerns when they enter here, I can understand why your situation is a little more… difficult. Well, if it pushes you to be so ambitious then I will not complain. There is some work I can pass onto you. There always is, unfortunately. This is a little more… intense than I would normally trust to a new Arcanist. However, you're in a unique position of guaranteed innocence on the matter."

"You mean with the Grand Arcanist!?" Ruby gasped.

"Indeed. As I said before, your position during the attack was corroborated and guaranteed. As were many of the Initiates, but they are still untested and cannot be trusted with this. There is one other we trust – he was absent during the attack, sent out on a vital task by the Grand Arcanist himself. He's an Investigator, one of our best, and Ozpin's most trusted assistant. He has been singlehandedly seeking the one responsible for Ozpin's murder, and I fear he will run himself into the ground without help."

This person sounded important. Important enough to use the memory alteration for sure. Ruby tried not to let her excitement show. "Who is it? Is it someone I've met before?"

"Unlikely. The best Investigators spend a lot of time outside the Collegium, outside the city of Vale entirely. Their tasks are often more dangerous, hunting Rogue Arcanists and dangerous Wildmages."

Ruby stilled. "W-Wildmages…?"

"You needn't worry about that." Glynda waved a hand and missed her point. "His work now is focused solely on finding the one behind the attack on the Grand Arcanist. He will be working out of Vale now as a result. Take this."

Glynda paused to write a letter, stamp the inside, seal it in an envelope and then stamp that shut with an entirely different waxen seal. Then, she whispered something, and Ruby felt the threads of magic drifting into the wax. Some spell to make sure the recipient would know if it had been opened, maybe? Ruby took the letter gingerly.

"He lives outside the Collegium. He is eccentric but believe me when I say he is one of the finest Arcanists the White has. His skill cannot be understated. I have written the address on the front of the letter. Deliver it to him and wait for him to read it. The letter details that you shall be assisting him."

"Okay. Should I go right now?"

"It is late for now. Rest, eat and make your way to him tomorrow. Midday is your best bet as he keeps unusual hours." Glynda tapped her desk with her finger to draw Ruby's eyes back. "I shouldn't need to tell you that this must remain strictly confidential. The news of the Grand Arcanist's death will be released soon. Even when it is, revealing that you are working to find the killer will only place you in danger."

Ruby nodded, having figured that much out herself. A Wildmage was stronger than the average Arcanist, but she had a feeling that someone who could kill the Grand Arcanist wouldn't have too much trouble with her. That had to be either an incredibly powerful Arcanist themselves, a Wildmage, or a group of people working together.

Is it possible there's another Wildmage here and they're using me as a distraction? What if the bells hadn't just been going off to her at all? What if Ironwood and all the Specialists were right and there was a Wildmage killer on the loose?

If so, she didn't want to draw their attention.

"No one will find out from me!"

"Good. Remember that you are an assistant only but do try and learn something from the experience. You may well become an Investigator yourself if you do, and perhaps you will assist a Grand Arcanist one day."

"You?" Ruby asked without thinking.

"I do believe I've said before that I have reclused myself from consideration. I have too much work to do in the White to try and rule over the Collegium. Still, the decision may be taken out of my hands entirely." Glynda smiled bitterly. "We shall see. Until then, I bid you good luck and good night."

Bowing her head, Ruby took that as the dismissal it was and left.

/-/

Hurrying back to her dorm, she shoved the letter under her pillow where it would be safe. Working under a proper Investigator was both a worrying and exciting prospect. On the one hand she'd get even closer to seeing what the White really did. On the other, this was someone specially tasked and skilled at finding Wildmages. What if he identified her?

Ruby shook her head. She'd faked it in front of Lady Goodwitch and the Grand Arcanist, so she could do it in front of this guy as well. The bigger question was what they might find about the ones who killed Ozpin. She wouldn't mind finding out if that was someone responsible for Menagerie or not. Glynda didn't seem to want the position at all, so she really didn't think she did it.

Hiding it away, she pulled on a fresh set of white robes and hurried off to the tavern where she'd promised to meet Weiss and Pyrrha again. The two were already deep in conversation when she arrived, though they both looked up and smiled when she hurried over and sat down with a quick apology.

"Late working today?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah. I finished up in the Archives and now have some other work to do for Glyn- Lady Goodwitch. I'm going to be out in the city tomorrow."

"Doing what?" Weiss asked, ever curious.

"There's an Arcanist in the city I need to deliver a letter to and help with some work."

"He doesn't live in the Collegium?"

"Apparently not." Ruby shrugged and sipped her ale. No one asked their ages when they were Arcanists. Maybe they assumed the stuffiness of a noble would prevent drunken escapades. Maybe it did. "She did say he was a little eccentric."

"There aren't rules against living outside the walls once you're an Arcanist." Pyrrha pointed out. "I don't think that alone is worthy of being called eccentric."

Ruby shrugged. "She said it. Not me."

"Even if people are free to do so, most live inside." Weiss said. "An Arcanist has everything they could ever need in here. Why give that up?"

"To raise a family?" Pyrrha suggested. "You don't see many children here."

"None." Ruby said.

"W-Well, I suppose that makes sense. Young children running around with magic everywhere sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen. Still, to be called eccentric I expect there's more reason to his decision than being a family man," Weiss said. "Be careful with him."

"Weiss, I doubt he's going to be a nutcase if Lady Goodwitch trusts him."

"You never know."

Ruby rolled her eyes. She'd only heard he was eccentric, not insane. Besides, she saw nothing wrong with wanting to live outside the controlling walls here. Weiss was too impressed with it all to see it for what it was. Even after they played with her head to try and make her kill my illusion.

"I'm impressed with how much work you're doing," Weiss said to her. "If you keep up that kind of rate, I'll never catch up."

"Ruby was just like this as an Initiate as I recall." Pyrrha said. "Pushing you and her to try for the rites."

"You'll catch up." Ruby said. "I don't see why you don't just try again last week. You know the trick to it all now."

"They'll change it for me, obviously." Weiss made a show of huffing, like she was talking to a dull-witted child. "You can't seriously think they'll put me through the same trials, knowing full well that I've seen them before, and then crown me an Arcanist when I pass them. I want to be prepared for any new tricks they throw my way."

New tricks, huh? What kind of tricks could they really give her? The rite would still have to be based around the same things. Maybe they could do something horrible and replace the last illusion with a real person she had to harm, but that would be pointless. Weiss would kill them assuming it was an illusion and then suffer a breakdown once she realised the truth. That wouldn't test conviction at all.

"When are you planning to do it?"

"Two days from now." Weiss said firmly. "I've already spoken to Lady Goodwitch and she's agreed to arrange it."

"Same place?"

"I'm not sure. She said to meet her in her office, so maybe. Maybe not." Weiss gripped her hand into a fist and said, "I'm confident I can do it, though! I have the flame net down even better than before, and this time I'm prepared for any traps. I've been looking into how to combat illusions as well."

That was a lot of preparation. Ruby hummed, impressed. Even though she was an Arcanist, she hadn't really learned anything new yet, just picked up jobs and started earning money. Maybe it was Weiss who would eclipse her at this rate.

"Hey Pyrrha. Have you learned any new spells since joining the White?" Ruby asked.

"Hm? Well, not new, but I am being taught some. Why?"

Just her, then? "I feel like I've gotten more work since becoming an Arcanist, but I'm not actually learning anything. I thought there'd be all these cool secrets opened up to us. New spells, grand magic, tha kind of thing."

"Ruby, you doofus!" Weiss chastised.

Pyrrha, however, simply laughed. "I know what you mean. It was the same for me when I earned my Crimson gem. Of course, there was a lot of combat magic being taught there so I did learn a few new spells, but the main thing I learned is that becoming an Arcanist means people stop holding your hand."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're expected to go out and learn on your own," she explained. "As an Initiate, magic is taught to you – spoon fed, as my old instructor used to say it. The Collegium does everything it can to help you grow strong. Once you reach our level though, that stops. You're expected to work on your own. If you want to learn new magic, you should go study it. That's what I was told."

"Where…?"

"The library isn't a bad place to start."

"The Archives?"

"No. There's a common library for all Arcanists by the north-west wall." Pyrrha said. "Then there's a smaller but no less valuable one inside the White Cathedral. I've not had much chance to look over that myself, but if it's anything like the one in the Crimson, it will be filled with material useful to the Arcana. Of course, there are some jobs that need more magic and you can be taught some there."

"Jobs like yours?"

"Hmhm. I'm going out to fight Grimm, so my instructors need me to know how to defend myself. It might be that your job just doesn't require the same. If you're using intelligence and reasoning to decide who or what to investigate… well, that doesn't need any magic. Does it?"

It might need mind magic, but not at her current level. If she got higher, she might be taught it. Or she could try and get hold of Emerald's old notes. I doubt they'd be advanced enough. If she had a working way to alter memories, she'd have already used it on her mother.

"Why are you interested?" Pyrrha asked.

"Eh. You know, just eager for more cool spells." Ruby deflected with a laugh.

"I can always teach you some…"

"Focus on Weiss," Ruby said. "I can study on my own and we want Weiss to be an Arcanist, too. Besides, I don't want to take advantage of you like that."

"It's fine. Friends should help one another."

"Then help us both once Weiss is done. I've got to meet Mr Eccentric tomorrow and work for him anyway, so I might not be around. You make sure you're an Arcanist by the time I get back. Kay?"

"As if it's that simple!" Weiss complained. "But fine. I shall."

/-/

Come midday, Ruby was letting herself out the gatehouse again, so often that the Arcanist working there didn't even ask to see her Arcanum. He recognised her. The guards did as well, waving tiredly, nearing the ends of their shifts and longing for a break. It was a misty day with limited sunlight and cool air. Ruby tugged her fur lined cloak around her neck, blocking it out in a way few Dredgers could.

Despite the weather, the Upper District remained busy, with nobles coming and going, pausing to look at dresses and jewellery in the few overpriced stores available in the quarter. The letter in Ruby's hand didn't direct her to any such building. It was addressed to the Merchant's Quarter, a whole tier lower.

"Why would an Arcanist live among the merchants?" Ruby asked out loud.

Cost was an obvious factor, the homes there being significantly cheaper, but Arcanists were from the noble families anyway, so money shouldn't have been an issue. Maybe he was from a once-merchant family like Weiss'. One that didn't care for the snooty attitude of those higher up.

Things were a lot busier down in the merchant's quarter. The stalls had already been up since early morning, but now people were hungry come the lunch hour and business was booming. Ruby no longer had to jump the beams across the top of push her way through the crowds. They parted for her now, people moving aside with respectful bows of the head or nervous glances. Children pointed to her excitedly, only to be shushed and drawn away by their parents.

It was strange to think that parents would have drawn children away from her before as well, but out of fear they might catch something or that she might kidnap and eat them like the filthy Dredger she was. It was amazing how much a set of clothes could change.

Ruby followed the address away from the open air markets and away from the ledge looking down into the slums. It took her to the backstreets tucked against the wall leading back up to the nobles, where many tall buildings stood side by side, slammed together like a child playing with building blocks. They weren't pretty by any means, but they were stable and solid, tall with triangular peaked rooftops and glass windows shuttered with pale wood. The second floors protruded out over the first and even their front doors, supported by painted beams to shelter the entrance.

Despite being narrow, their tallness probably meant they had more floors than the average building. Given their location close to the wall, she figured the wealthier merchants would live in them. One or two had been converted into stores with the ground floor dedicated to baked goods or confectionary.

Ruby's stomach grumbled at the smell of them, but she pushed on, eventually coming to a green-doored tall building without much in the way of ornamentation. While other homeowners had done their best to add a touch of colour or personality with flowers and paint, this building looked barren. Not abandoned – the outside was clean and there was a dim light from one of the windows – but plain. Neglected. Checking the address one last time against the number stamped in bronze on a post beside the door, Ruby reached out and knocked.

After three whole minutes and no response, Ruby knocked again. Harder. She knew someone was inside because she could see the smoke coming from the chimney. If they weren't in there, they were going to burn their house down. Balling her hand into a fist, she thumped and thumped on the door.

"Alright! Alright!" The voice from within was hoarse and choked, gravelly as if its owner had just woken up. "I'm coming. No blasted patience in this city." She heard a hand slam on the other side of the door, but it didn't open. "Who is it?"

"I'm from the Collegium. Lady Goodwitch sent me with a letter."

"Tch. Push it under the door."

"She also said I had to be here while you read it. I'm going to be your new assistant."

"My new what-now? Ugh. That nosey old bint. Give me a second." A deadbolt slid crustily across and several other chains unlocked from within. It sounded like he even had a wooden bar blocking the door. All the while, he continued to mutter and grumble. "Could have warned me before sending someone over. Snotty old broad can't stand not knowing every move I make. Guh." He yawned and the door finally cracked inward. "Alright. Alright. Hand me the letter and-"

Dishevelled black hair. Red eyes. Stubble. The man looked nothing like an Arcanist of the White, not from his appearance or his clothes – a cross of grey leather and cloth that looked closer to a gambeson than robes. He even had a knife strapped to his left hip, long and curved, halfway between a knife and an arming sword.

He had stopped speaking on seeing her, looking down on Ruby's frustrated face with wide red eyes that only continued to grow. Suddenly, he remembered he wasn't breathing, gasped for air and staggered back inside. He reached out to steady himself on the nearest wall, struck a pot and knocked it to the ground. It shattered everywhere, and yet he didn't once look away from her. All the blood had drained from his already pale face.

"S-Summer!?" he wheezed, voice small and choked. "Is… Is that you…?"

Man it's cold over in the UK today. Brrr. Dog seems to have no understanding of this and still drags me out to throw ball for her several times a day. On top of her two walks.

Next Chapter: 21st February

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