Beacon Academy…
"GASP!"
Professor Ozpin woke with a start, pupils dilated and heart racing. Immediately he shot out of his bed and rushed for the window of his clocktower bedroom. He felt something. Something he hadn't felt in centuries. Magic. True, ancient, and powerful magic. Not like the withered shell of sorcery he retained, dwindled to near nothingness following his constant reincarnations and gifting of powers.
This was something he hadn't felt since his first life, as Ozma the Hero. What is this power? Have the Two Brothers returned? He thought to himself as a plethora of questions filled his mind. Why would they have returned? The four relics were still in their vaults, unless Atlas has fallen out of the sky and he hasn't been alerted yet. Could it be the maidens? They have long since lost track of Spring, and half of Fall is still in whomever ambushed Amber. But unless the Maidens were blasting their powers at full force, he wouldn't be able to sense them.
Extending his meager magic might out, he sensed the disturbance came from the Emerald Forest before dissipating. A little too close for comfort. The short lived burst suggested it was some kind of magical event or explosion, but he had no idea what the specifics were. Pulling out his scroll he immediately went to his emergency contacts and called Glynda.
The scroll ringed for several uncomfortable seconds until a tired Glynda Goodwitch answered the phone. " *Yawn* Hm-what? Professor Ozpin?" It was not often that Ozpin saw Glynda without her glasses and her hair down. The woman often sought to maintain the pinnacle of professionalism, but it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2am so it was to be expected that she was asleep. "What's going on? Why are you calling so late?"
"Glynda there is a situation. I need you to gather Bart and Peter and meet me in my office as soon as possible, ready for combat." Ozpin immediately commanded, already moving to get himself prepared.
Glynda's eyes widened at how out of the blue this was, but she knew better than to ask questions in the face of an emergency. Steeling herself, Glynda's face adopted her professional facade and nodded. "Understood Professor. We will be there as soon as possible."
The Headmaster hung up the scroll, not wanting to waste time with goodbyes or other pleasantries. Retrieving The Long Memory, his personal cane and current magic staff, Ozpin let out a silent prayer that tonight wasn't going to be the end of the world.
"RAAAGH!" Arlene howled out as the Ebony Blade bisected an entire tree. "Damn them! Damn those Psijics and all their kin! I swear to all the Princes, I will sink their entire damned island, even if I have to destroy the whole world to do so!" Arlene swung wildly again, tearing another tree asunder as fire continued to spray from her mouth.
Arlene was seething. Never before had she experienced such a monumental failure. She had victory, true victory, within the palm of her hands, only for Quaranir and his fellow monks to steal it away from her. Not satisfied with felling those few trees, her blade moved to hack down another evergreen before her sister's voice cut through the air.
"Arlene!" Serana hissed out, loud enough to get the Dragonborn's attention, but still carrying the barest restraint of volume as not to further alert the surrounding wilds of their presence. "You will calm down, or I swear I will make you calm."
Aqua-green magic crackled in her hands, the tell tale sign of a calming illusion spell. This was not a threat, but a promise. Serana had traveled with Arlene for more than enough time to know that letting her run wild was a mistake. They were in an unknown land, with unknown threats, and unknown inhabitants. Letting Arlene turn into a force of destruction would not help their situation at all, and this would not have been the first time the vampire had to stop the worst parts of her counterpart's nature.
Glaring at her sister in all but birth for several seconds, Arlene finally relented, accepting Serana's words. Taking a deep breath in, Arlene began to perform the meditative techniques the Grey Beards taught her. While she hated the mute monks and their Way of the Voice, their lessons were still useful for reigning in her impulsive, draconic side. Holding the air in her lungs for a few seconds, then releasing it with a slow exhale, Arlene felt her pulse slow, and her pupils shifted back to their normal, orange shape.
Content that her partner was in control of her emotions, Serana let the magic fade from her fingers. "Now then, I suggest we take a look at our surroundings and figure out where we are before any talk of vengeance and destruction." Serana chided.
Arlene sent a weak scowl at Serana, before nodding her head. They were obviously in some kind of heavily forested area. Surrounded by large deciduous and conifer trees, some easily hundreds of feet tall, Arlene could tell that they were in some kind of temperate climate, similar to Cyrodiil or High Rock. If this land followed the same seasons that Tamriel did, it would probably be near the tail end of summer as the temperature was not too hot, but the leaves retained a vibrant emerald green color.
Looking up once more at the single, broken moon above them, Arlene could only give a resigned sigh. "Well I think it's rather obvious we're not in Nirn anymore." She moved to once again examine the local flora. "Do you think we may be in some plane of Oblivion?"
Serana shook her head. "No, I doubt it. This place is just too… normal. Planes of Oblivion shift and twist to match their master's will and desires. But there's no rivers of magma, no floating rocks and celestial portals, no towering spires of books that lead to infinite knowledge. It's all just… normal."
It was then that several howls pierced the night sky, the unmistakable call of a wolf.
Head snapping towards the source of the noise, Arlene requipped the Nightingale Bow, knocking an arrow as she said to her partner, "Perhaps we have stumbled into Hircine's Hunting Ground?"
As if the world itself chose to answer her question, burning crimson eyes appeared all around the two vampires, and out of the darkness four werewolves leapt at them. Arlene was about to loose her arrow as the lycanthropes lunged, but hesitated for a split second as she saw what they looked like. Arlene was intimately familiar with Lycanthrope physiology, having been one for several months, and on more than one occasion sleeping with a particular redheaded huntress. These werewolves had fur that was pitch black, almost like tar, and were armored with bony spines and plates that covered their arms, legs, and head. Arlene had never before seen such mutant children of Hircine.
The hesitation quickly fled as the bone-werewolf pounced right for Arlene. With a release of her fingers, Arlene loosed an ebony arrow that flew right for the creature. The blackened arrow bored through the bone skullcap of the werewolf, piercing right through and into the creature's brain. The werewolf then immediately fell to the ground dead, body starting to dissolve. Arlene then looked down on the creature in surprise once more, though this time it was a more ambivalent, disappointed surprise. Was that really all it took to kill it? As the corpse then vanished into smoke and dust, Arlene realized that these were no true werewolves, only poor parodies of Skyrim's greatest hunters.
Wishing to be done with these beasts, Arlene loosed two more arrows in quick succession. The first arrow lodged itself into the knee of the nearest faux-werewolf, crippling it and stopping its charge. The second flew right into its throat, tearing its way through the creature's spine and exiting by the nape of its neck. With a wet gurgle the werewolf dissolved into the darkness.
The remaining two wolves charged for Serana, youth overtaking caution as they hungered for the taste of flesh. Serana didn't even give a second glance as she fired a chain lightning for the beowolves. The smell of ozone filled the air before it was replaced with the scent of burning fur and flesh as the electricity tore through the two creatures, exploding them from within.
With the faux-werewolves disposed of Arlene moved to examine the vanishing bodies. "Hmm. Not even a challenge. They're an insult to the form they steal from." the dragonborn spat out.
"I wonder what they are." Serana mused as she kneeled down and examined the black particles floating away. "It's almost like they're some kind of bastardization of werewolves and death hounds. The disintegration easily marks them off being anything natural. Daedra perhaps?"
"Whatever they are, this forest seems choked full of them." Arlene grunted as she helped her sister up. "Come on, we should keep moving. Look for some kind of civilization."
Beacon Academy…
It took only 15 minutes for the Professors Goodwitch, Port, and Oobleck to make their way into Ozpin's office, fully armed and dressed for battle. Glynda's eyes had slight bags under them, and she lacked any of the makeup she would normally wear, but such frivolities were not needed in the event of an emergency. Dr. Oobleck was disheveled as ever, already sipping fresh coffee from his thermos, while Port looked ready to fall asleep standing.
"Professor Ozpin." Glynda spoke up first, approaching the Headmaster who was standing by his window overlooking the Emerald Forest. "What's the situation, sir?"
Professor Ozpin did not immediately respond, taking a slow sip from his coffee first, mulling over what he was going to say.
"There's been a security breach within the Emerald Forest." He began. "I've detected a burst of energy that implies intruders may have passed our security perimeter."
Glynda immediately scowled. Not many people would be willing to test Beacon's security. The Emerald Forest and Forever Fall Forest actually formed a sort of natural barrier of grimm that would keep most large scale bandit or criminal organizations away, in addition to providing hunting grounds for their students to learn. While the institute itself housed some of the most powerful huntsmen in all of Vale. The only ones who would actually be so brazen and attack would be those that work for her.
"Hmm, most disturbing news." Dr. Oobleck mused. "And so close to the start of the newest school year. Sabotage perhaps?"
"Oh ho, well they must be rather poor saboteurs if they were detected already." Port added on.
"Do you want us to go investigate and confront these trespassers, Professor?" Glynda asked, cutting off their inferring.
Ozpin slowly put his mug on his desk and shook his head. "No Glynda, we all shall go greet our newest guests. Should the worst arise, I want to be there myself to deal with it, rather than remain in the tower." Ozpin's normally calm, but gentle demeanor was replaced by a stoic face ready for battle.
Glynda had never seen Professor Ozpin so serious. "Is this threat that serious?" She asked in an almost hushed, disbelieving tone.
"Potentially." The headmaster succinctly replied, already making his way to the elevator, his teachers falling in line behind him. "Brothers willing, we shall see tonight through."
Arlene crouched low on a thick tree branch. Many of the trees in this forest were old, with heavy branches that could easily support her weight and thick foliage that hid her from sight. If there was anything she missed about Valenwood, it was dense treelines such as this. There was something about wild nature that set her bosmer heart at peace, a sense of comfort that humans would find in their settlements and cities.
Not to mention that dense forests were a guerilla fighter's wet dream. There were so many places to set pitfall traps, snares, and ambush points. While many of the other races of Tamriel often mocked the Bosmer for their size and preference for stealth, there is a reason that attempting to annex Valenwood had been a significant hurdle for many would be conquerors. While Valenwood often lacked a large scale, professional military of their Imperial neighbors, the scores of master hunters, archers, and woodsmen could wipe out half a legion before a single open battle could occur. Every invader thought they had the biggest stick until the trees started speaking Bosmeri.
Regardless, Arlene continued her vigil as needed while Serana hid on ground level. They had been walking around for the passed 20 minutes, and as they haven't seen any signs of civilization yet, Serana decided to take a break and do a bit of experimentation.
Patiently waiting, Arlene eventually found her target. Unlike the previous shadow animals, which were werewolf in shape, this shadow was bear-like in shape and size, similarly covered in bony protrusions and armor. Reaching into one of her pockets, Arlene pulled out a pebble she had picked up on the ground and chucked it at the bear. As expected, the rock bounced off the bear's armored head, causing it to roar and look for the offender. With that, Arlene dropped from the tree, making as much noise as she possibly could, getting the attention of the bear.
The shadowbear saw her and gave chase. Arlene knew that bears were often much faster than most people though. Her encounters with the various ursine predators of Skyrim taught her much in that regard. Without a second pause, Arlene raised her hands and aqua-green magic formed between them. As the bear lunged at her, she extended her hands, casting the Harmony spell. The Harmony spell was one of the few Master level magics that Arlene knew. It would calm down any creature and human within a massive range, and she also knew a few tricks taught to her by the College to make such illusions work on Daedra, the undead, and automatons as well. Arlene and Serana were pretty sure the shadow creatures would fall to spell. If not, they could always kill it.
The spell exploded and the aqua colored magic enveloped the shadowbear. The bear slowed its charging pace, until it eventually stopped in front of Arlene, tongue lolling out and panting like some kind of large dog.
"Hm." Arlene mused, petting the shadowbear on the head. "Hey Serana, it worked!" she called out as the vampire princess reappeared from her hiding spot, waiting in ambush just in case something went awry.
Serana walked up and began to examine the creature. "You know, the fact that your charm worked doesn't really specify what this creature is, since you can pretty much charm anything."
Arlene shrugged. "Well it's at least good to know illusion spells work on them. Can get through this forest without having to carve a path of black sludge."
"Right." Serana simply responded before heading to the rear of the animal. "Strange. Doesn't have any genitalia, male or female. Reinforces my idea that these creatures are made magically rather than naturally."
"Means it's mostly likely a daedra then." Arlene noted.
All Daedra were technically genderless. While many of them had masculine or feminine features, or chose to fully manifest as male or female, Daedra were immortal beings formed within Oblivion and could take whatever form they chose. When killed, their souls would be sent to the Void like all others, only to eventually return to their realms of Oblivion to be reincarnated. As such, Daedra don't need to breed like mortal races do. If a Prince needed more followers, they would simply create more.
"I agree. But I wonder what Prince would've had a hand in the creation of such-" Serana's hypothesizing was cut off as she and Arlene both snapped their heads to the East. "You hear them as well. Four figures, humans, judging by the sound of their foot falls. Do you think they were attracted by the bear?" Vampires, as is required by super predators, had extremely powerful hearing in addition to their other enhanced senses.
Arlene requipped Goldbrand by her side should the need for battle arise and nodded. "Most likely, it was pretty loud. Judging by their speed they're attempting to be stealthy. What do you think, diplomacy or violence?"
"Pretty early to contemplate killing them, don't you think?" Serana raised an eyebrow. "Obviously locals. Perhaps hunters chasing this creature."
"Or soldiers who detected our arrival." Arlene warned back.
"Either way, we won't know until we talk to them. I vote talk."
Arlene thought about their options for a brief moment, before agreeing with Serana. "We don't know where we are, so at the very least having a guide will be useful."
"Worst case we just kill them and be on our way." Serana shrugged.
And so, the two women waited for the approaching group as they slowly made their way through the foliage. Arlene didn't know what to expect while waiting for these unknowns to show up. And she very much so didn't expect the first person she saw to be a rather fat, stout man, with short cut white hair and a thick mustache, wearing a kilt and some kind of blazer, and wielding a double headed axe that had some kind of pipe on its butt. Following him was a lanky fellow, with frazzled green hair, spectacles, and some kind of button up tunic hastily put on, wielding some kind of collapsable club. Arlene couldn't but feel some of the tension in her body deflate when she saw these two.
"My my! Well hello there!" The portly man bellowed out. "You two wouldn't happen to be the intruders we've been look- Oh my goodness! Look at that Bart! They've tamed an Ursa!" The man then ran up to the shadowbear, seemingly losing interest in the two vampires, who looked at each other in confusion. "Remarkable! How did you get it to be so docile? Drugs? A semblance? Please you must show me! Being able to so easily capture a live specimen would no doubt make my classes far easier to teach!"
Arlene's brain had frozen as she literally had no idea how to respond to his strange man.
"Peter please!" The green haired man named Bart called out before turning to the two women. "We must do introductions first, before research into scientific endeavors! Greetings! I am Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, of Beacon Academy! That excitable fellow over there is my colleague, Professor Peter Port! And who might you two ladies be, and what are you doing here?" The man spoke at a rapid pace, which would have thrown the two Volkihar daughters off if they didn't have enhanced senses.
Arlene shook her head, regaining control over her wits before responding. "I'm Arlene. This is Serana, and we're a little bit lost. I don't suppose you know where we are?" Arlene answered.
"Well that won't do." a new voice spoke out, male, calm and collected.
Trailing behind Port and Oobleck were two new figures, one an older man with silver hair, a cane, and a green themed attire, and the other a rather attractive blond woman with a white blouse, black pencil skirt, and a purple cape. In her hands was some kind of wand, which set Arlene on edge. She surmised she was probably some sort of mage.
"I am Professor Ozpin. Headmaster of Beacon Academy." The white haired man introduced himself, before turning to his companion. "This is Professor Glynda Goodwitch, my assistant and combat instructor. As for where we are, we are currently in the Emerald Forest, outside of my academy. Now, if you don't mind answering Peter's question, I am rather curious as to how you tamed that grimm as well."
Arlene frowned, annoyed that her question wasn't fully answered. "I did not mean the name of this forest, mayfly. I was asking for the name of this realm. As for the grimm, as you call it, it was a simple charm spell, nothing impressive."
That was a lie. They didn't need to know that Arlene could cast Master level magic. They were unknowns, the less they knew about them the better. However, those words alone seemed to send the faces of the ones called Ozpin and Goodwitch into shock, while Port and Oobleck were confused.
Ozpin was the first to snap himself out of the stupor. "Apologies. If by realm you mean kingdom, then we are in the kingdom of Vale. If you mean world, then we are in the world of Remnant." Ozpin answered completely seriously. "Now, by spell, do you mean a kind of semblance, or do you mean true magic?"
Arlene bit back a snarl. Two sentences in and she made a mistake already. They seemed shocked by her declaration that she used magic. Which meant that magic was either rare or didn't exist here. That would've been a terrifyingly powerful card she could've kept close to her chest that they now knew about. And she had no idea what a semblance was to try and play it off as one. A lie was always stronger the closer to the truth it was. And trying to lie about something she had no information on was inviting failure.
Serana seemed to realize this as well, as the two vampires shared a glance. It was brief, but it conveyed an important message, what do we do? Serana decided to shrug, deferring to Arlene's leadership. And despite being a champion for the Daedric Prince of deception, Arlene decided to do something she hadn't done in a long time, tell the truth.
"Aye, the name of the world is what I was referring to, though I've never heard of a realm called Remnant before." Arlene crossed her arms and sighed. "And by magic I did mean magic. I have no clue as to what a semblance is. My companion and I hail from the continent of Tamriel, on the world of Nirn. We were caught in a trap by our enemies, and were cast here by a powerful spell. Been wandering this Emerald Forest of yours ever since."
"Amazing!" the one called Oobleck practically screamed. "Interdimensional travellers!? Please, you must tell me about your world! What is this Tamriel like? Do they all dress like you? What is your structure of government? What is the favored cuisine?"
Before the doctor could continue to bombard them with questions, Ozpin seemed keen to cut him off. "What Bart is trying to say, is that it's unfortunate such a thing has happened to you, and that won't do. If you wish, I would be more than willing to call in a bullhead and take you to my academy, where we can discuss your story at length in safety."
A free trip back to the nearest settlement, and an easy way to get some basic information on this planet. The latter was far more important right now. She and Serana could easily sneak or kill their way out of this forest, but knowledge on their new location was paramount. After all, knowledge was power, and she was uncomfortably ignorant right now.
"Alright, Professor. I agree." Arlene simply responded.
"Before I do call for our ride, I don't suppose you could reveal your face and tell us your full names." Ozpin asked as he pulled out some strange glowing device from his pocket.
Arlene had actually forgotten she was still wearing the Nightingale hood, it was almost a second skin for her. Pulling off the cowl and hood, she revealed her face. Piercing orange eyes that glowed in the dark, soft, tan skin decorated with tribal elven face paint in the shape of branches and horns, and two long, pointed ears betraying her elven descent. Luckily none of the humans there seemed to be taken aback by her appearance, which gave Arlene hope that there may be elves of some sort on this land.
"My name is Arlene Volkihar, and this is Serana Volkihar. Adventurers by profession." Arlene gave a slight bow of her head. Of course, the two of them hadn't really been adventurers since they left Skyrim a little less than a decade ago, but that wasn't something they needed to know.
Out of everything Arlene had seen tonight, the bullhead was by far the most impressive thing she had seen. Not only was it a technological marvel that rivaled that of the dwarves, but hundreds of applications for its usage were running through her mind as they rode over the forest. They were like steel dragons. Arlene had long since discovered the uses of riding dragons for bypassing enemy defenses, and well as calling upon them to rain devastation from above. Bullheads like these would make castle walls all but obsolete. No point in spending gold and years of time on something you could just fly over. Add in skilled mages or siege engines on one and you had mobile artillery.
When the group arrived at Beacon Academy, the area was more familiar to vampires. The academy was made up of many tall sharp towers with pointed arches and flying buttresses. In fact the architecture did seem to be reminiscent of High Imperial architecture from the reign of Tiber Septim. For now she put it off as just a cosmic coincidence. The main tower itself, which had an impressive series of open arches that revealed several floating, green orbs, contained Ozpin's office, as well as the lighthouse-esque beacon for which the school was most likely named. Arlene wasn't too impressed by the tower, having found the White-Gold Tower of the Imperial City far more impressive.
Now that they were deemed not a threat, Port and Oobleck were told to return to their rooms, the latter far more reluctantly as good doctor all but demanded to stay in order to learn of Arlene and Serana's world. After a quick elevator ride up to Ozpin's office, another invention of the dwarves these people were able to replicate, they two vampires found themselves sitting across Ozpin, with Glynda standing beside the headmaster. Glynda, still suspicious of the two women, was still on guard, while Arlene allowed herself to casually relax in her chair and Serana maintained a polite, upright posture.
Ozpin began first. "Now that we are in a far more comfortable environment, I don't suppose we could start with a demonstration of your magic abilities. You claim to be able to use magic, but in this land, magic is only a myth and fairy tale."
While circumstantial evidence supported Arlene and Serana's story, he needed proof to see if they were the ones the burst of magic summoned, as he could not sense magic if they were not actively using a large amount of it.
This immediately caused Serana's brows to slightly furrow, as she subtly cast Detect Magic. Such a spell was normally useful for identifying magical traps or items, and Serana immediately detected two magical sources, one from Ozpin and the other from something beneath the tower.
"Strange you say that magic doesn't exist when you yourself are a wizard." Serana jabbed at Ozpin as her eyes narrowed on him.
Ozpin did not seem to be taken aback by the accusation while his assistant was more obviously shocked that Serana knew this information.
Arlene couldn't help but smirk as she sat back, crossed her legs, and clicked her tongue. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ozpin. Just starting this conversation and lying already." Arlene gently chided. Arlene then held her palm open, facing the ceiling, as an orb of fire appeared in it, which then shifted to a floating sphere of ice, then a crackling ball of electricity. A simple demonstration that even a novice of destruction magic could do. "Both Serana and I are mages, with Serana being the more powerful between us."
That was a little more than she would normally reveal, but being aggressive with the truth after catching your opponent in a lie would usually make them feel guilty about it. She at least kept the important parts hidden such as the fact that Serana was a master of all of the known, and a few forgotten schools of magic, while Arlene was a master of illusion and conjuration.
"Being mages, we are also able to sense magic as well, and I can feel it coming off of you, and whatever it is you have beneath the tower." Serana added on as well.
If Ozpin wasn't shocked before he was now, surprise now clearly etched on his face. Arlene made sure her smirk didn't widen any further as Ozpin had to take a moment to collect himself.
Meanwhile, Ozpin took a sip from his coffee, despite it having been on his desk since he woke up and had cooled off, hoping it hid the flash of fear he felt when they mentioned Amber. Arlene's and Serana's statements confirmed that they were the source of magic he sensed in the forest. Or that the source of magic he sensed deposited them in the forest.
And there was no way that anyone outside of his inner circle would know about Amber beneath the school, while the skills that Arlene showed off obviously appeared similar to those of a maiden. For the first time in a long time, Ozpin didn't know what to make of the two people in front of him.
But they had power, and at the very least didn't seem loyal to Salem. They were too ignorant of the world, too willing to cooperate with him, and lacked the selfish cruelty and malice her pawns normally emitted. No, they were something new, something which could end the stalemate he and Salem had going on. He needed to get them on his side.
"My apologies, it was not my intention to try and deceive you." Ozpin began. "You see, magic is a very rare thing in Remnant. Only myself, the one below, and a handful of others in the world have the ability to use it. This however, makes us targets, and of course discretion is the better part of valor."
Ozpin took another sip of his room temperature coffee to give Arlene and Serana time to digest what he had just said before continuing. "And unfortunately, this would make you two targets as well." Ozpin kept a neutral face as he saw Arlen frown but a fraction. "But, I would be more than happy to give you a place to stay at Beacon, to get your bearings and learn of this world of ours, as well as to stay hidden from any untoward threats."
Arlene and Serana didn't seem to have much of an outward reaction to his offer, but Glynda on the other hand seemed flabbergasted. "Ozpin! Are you sure?" She openly questioned. "We have no idea who these women are! No offense of course." Glynda hastily added on as she turned to the two vampires.
"None taken." Arlene simply shrugged, as they truly had no idea who they were.
"That may be true Glynda, but they are strangers lost in a land they know nothing of that could very easily seek to destroy them." Ozpin chastised his subordinate before addressing his guests once more. "I can provide shelter, food, and money, since I assume you don't have the local currency, as well as access to our library and staff of professors to learn all you wish of Remnant."
Arlene returned a well practiced smile that she often used with politicians and nobles. "A rather generous offer. But what do you want in return? No one in any world is so charitable, professor. But, luckily for you, I have been a sellsword in the past, and I would be willing to do so again." Killing things in exchange for food, money, and shelter was the bread and butter of adventuring life after all.
"Hm, I was going to wait to offer you this, but I suppose now would be as good a time as any. Fortunately, I don't need you to be a mercenary. I have a much safer vocation in mind. How would you like to teach at Beacon, perhaps teaching magic to my students?" Now Ozpin did not trust Serana and Arlene in the slightest, and he knew that they didn't trust him. But they could be a powerful weapon against Salem. And their mastery of magic in addition to his own waning powers made him more than a little bit desperate to secure their aid.
Ahh yes of course that's what he wants. Arlene cackled internally. So you want our magic power. Well, hate to break it to you Ozzy, but you'd need to offer a lot more than a roof and warm meal if you want that.
"Teaching?" Arlene gave an artificially surprised reaction, before shifting into a practice frown. Every false emotion on her looked genuine. "Hm, I suppose I could, but I will not teach magic to anyone here. Such a thing would throw your world into chaos. If you truly are a wizard, then you understand that if given away irresponsibly, magic can result in the death of millions or even the destruction of the whole world. But, I get the sense that you know this already, which is why you and the other mages are hiding."
Ozpin's lips tightened as he said nothing. He knew that lesson better than anyone alive.
"But..." Arlene continued. "I would be willing to teach something less… volatile. I'm a better scout and ranger, so how about I teach that?"
Ozpin let a small sigh escape his lips. It's not what he wanted, but he would have to make concessions. At the very least, Arlene seemed open to working with him. This would be enough. He could start their relationship here, overtime build trust, and in the future convince them to share their secrets.
"That is agreeable. I can make you the newest professor for pathfinding and wilderness survival. What about you, Miss Serana?"
Serana immediately put up her hand and shook her head. "No thanks. I was a teacher once already, not exactly interested in doing it again."
Serana often thought that being the headmaster of the College of Winterhold was far more trouble than it was worth. For all of the intelligence that mages were supposed to have, many novices and neophytes had more confidence than common sense, and making sure the school didn't blow up was surprisingly difficult.
Ozpin gave a small smile that hid his disappointment. "Fair enough. Now then, to the next order of business. Tell me do either of you two have your auras unlocked. Or for that matter, know what an aura is?" He knew they probably didn't have an aura, so this would be a gift to indebt them to him, and help grow their trust in him.
Arlene internally scowled at once more being blindsided by a topic she knew nothing of, but externally kept her smile. "No, could you please enlighten us."
"Aura, my dears, is an ability that everyone has. By unlocking it, it creates a physical manifestation of your soul that imparts a variety of benefits. When trained, Aura can provide a defensive shield to protect you from harm, it can increase your physical strength and agility, and even accelerate the healing of minor wounds or allow you to detect the aura of others." Ozpin taught. "As a gift, I would be more than happy to unlock your auras for you. Call it a sign of good faith."
It was Arlene and Serana's turn to raise their brows in surprise. That… that was a powerful thing.
"In addition…" Glynda added on. "Unlocking your aura would set you on the path to discovering a Semblance, essentially an ability that is unique to you." To demonstrate this Glynda used her telekinesis to lift Ozpin's coffee mug.
"And everyone in this world has it?" Serana asked, the archmage inside of her already trying to understand the magical theory behind such a thing.
Ozpin responded this time. "Those who wish to train to become huntsmen and huntress, like those who study at this academy, as do soldiers and policemen, and more undesirable parts of the world's underbelly. Typically civilians do not unlock their aura, as the power comes with a certain set of responsibilities and expectations."
Made sense to Arlene. Didn't want to have normal civilians running around with enhanced strength and magic powers.
"That is truly interesting." Serana mused. "A completely undiscovered branch of magic in this world. Or perhaps it would fall underneath conjuration or mysticism." the archmage wondered aloud.
"Maybe it could be mysticism, since pretty much anything that's uncategorized goes in there." Arlene added onto her musings. "But this Aura seems to have a it's own set of rules and limitations. It should be made its own branch of magic, Soul Magic or something." she shrugged. Magical theory and organization was not her favorite class.
"I'm sorry, but auras and semblances aren't magic." Glynda cut in.
Serana only scoffed and looked at the professor as if she were an idiot. "Anything that has to do with manipulating the soul should be considered magic. Regardless, we can save this debate for later. Arlene, would you like to accept the headmasters offer and get your aura unlocked?"
Arlene turned to her sister and cocked an eyebrow. "Are you volunteering me for this?"
Serana shrugged and smiled. "Come now, you're used to being a guinea pig, aren't you? Besides better you than me. If it goes wrong, I have a better chance of saving you."
Arlene frowned as she had told Serana never to speak about Brelyna's experiments on her. Sighing, she stood up. "Alright Ozpin, I'll do it. Hit me with whatever it is you need to hit me with."
Standing up, Ozpin put one hand on Arlene's shoulder. He began to glow a bright, emerald green as he spoke, "It is in sacrifice, that we achieve unity. Through this we become the protectors of all, guardians of yore and shackled to fate. I release your soul, and by my shoulder burden thee." As Ozpin finished his incantation, Arlene's own body began to glow a bright ruby red, signifying it worked.
Arlene looked in the aura around her with constrained awe. She knew it worked because she felt lighter, the fatigue from the fight she was in in her last world almost immediately faded. The color around her, the deep ruby red, reminded her much of the color of the amulet of kings once worn by the dragonborn emperors.
"You know, your incantation doesn't really put my mind at ease." Arlene said as she finished examining her body.
Ozpin shook his head. "There is no need to worry. Incantations to unlock aura are merely reflections of the soul of the person doing the unlocking."
"Hmm." Arlene gave a noncommittal grunt, but then committed Ozpin's mantra to memory. Who knows when that information would become useful. "So what do you think, Serana? I'm not blowing up or anything. Though I can't seem to get that soul armor you mentioned up."
"Maintaining your aura as a shield does require some training." Glynda answered. "Something which we will rectify before the start of the school year." Like any loyal 2nd in command, Glynda seemed to have dropped the resistance to allowing Arlene and Serana to stay, and instead had focused her mind on enforcing Ozpin's decision.
Serana, seemingly content that the unlocking of Arlene's aura wasn't some kind of off brand soul trapping or mystical trap, allowed her own aura to be unlocked as well, her color being a fiery orange that matched her eyes.
"Now with that all settled, why don't we all retire for the night. It is, after all, rather late. We can continue our talks about the histories of our worlds in the morning. I'm sure Bart would throw a revolt if he weren't here for that talk. Will you two require separate rooms?" Ozpin asked with a smile that things seemed to be falling into place.
"A shared room will be fine, thank you." Arlene gave a polite response.
"Very well then. Glynda, if you would please escort these two ladies to one of the empty staff rooms?"
"Of course, Professor Ozpin." Glynda gave a curt nod, before turning to the two vampires. "Now, if you will please follow me."
As his guests left, Ozpin couldn't help but smile at his fortune. Two magic users. The Maidens alone controlled a significant portion of the balance of power between him and Salem. With these two on his side, he may finally be able to over power his former wife. Despite everything, Ozpin allowed himself a small flame of hope that long since been extinguished. He needed to have them on his side, whatever the cost.
The walk to the staff dorms was relatively quick, and Arlene and Serana's room was opened up by Professor Goodwitch's glowing device she called a scroll. Arlene assumed this was because it had the ability to fold into itself to become smaller, in the same way one would roll up a paper scroll.
After a warning from Glynda not to leave until morning, as the two vampires had no scrolls of their own and would not be able to reenter the room without aid, the two women entered their newest domicile. The room itself was rather large, somewhere about 15 feet (4.5m) x 15 feet, with a single king sized bed in the center, a single desk and chair placed against the wall, and a private bathroom.
As soon as the door closed, Arlene and Serana waited a few seconds for Glynda to leave before moving. Once they were sure she was gone, Arlene immediately looked to Serana and pointed to her ear, a simple hand signal they had developed.
Serana nodded and cast the Silence spell around them, creating a bubble where they could speak with one another, but no one outside of the bubble could listen in. Arlene knew that their privacy was suspect. She did not know what kind of scrying spells or strange listening devices Ozpin could have placed in this room.
Once Serana was sure that no eaves could be dropped on them, she turned to Arlene and said, "He's playing us, you know that right? He wants to use us for his own gain."
Arlene immediately let her polite facade fade and her face split into a savage grin. "That much is obvious. You saw what he was trying to do. He wanted to corner us, make it seem that if we didn't ally with him we'd have to fight against the whole world alone."
"He wants to make us dependent on him." Serana agreed. "Trying to implant the idea that only he could protect us. His usage of his assistant was also rather clever."
Smirking, Arlene nodded her head in agreement. "He offered us sanctuary when he knew Goodwitch would object. By ignoring her genuine surprise and suspicion, he was able to make himself seem more magnanimous. A clever ruse, but too bad for him I've used that little trick myself."
"Every word he spoke was measured and careful. He underestimated us because he didn't know us, but he is obviously very experienced at this game, Arlene. He will wise up eventually." Serana had some concerns, but felt they could handle Ozpin should things go South. "Regardless, what do you want to do? I'll follow your lead, but are you really going to take up a teaching position here?"
Arlene smiled as she sat down in the office chair next to the desk. "Why not? Ozpin's offer is generous, no reason not to accept his hospitality for now. We are after all, in a strange land and sorely lack information."
"What about Tamriel?"
Arlene's smile faded into a frown. "Well that all depends, do you think you'd be able to get us back?"
Crossing her arms, Serana pursed her lips, thinking about all she knew of magic before answering. "All honesty? I doubt it. Quaranir used an Elder Scroll to send us here. Not even Alduin could resist magic of that power. Unless there are artifacts on this world that can rival the Scrolls, which considering their lack of magic I doubt, then we'll be stuck here."
Arlene was silent for a few moments, contemplating her plans and her future, before she simply shrugged and resumed smiling. "While I'm annoyed I can't destroy the Psijics, I did say I was growing bored with Tamriel, didn't I? Dominion was about to fall, Tulius had the Empire secure, Alduin, Miraak, and Haarkon were all dead. Not really too much left to do. But here? It's a new world, a new challenge." Arlene's grin became savage once more. "A new board for me to play with. I wonder what I'd be able to do here. What kingdoms I could topple, rulers depose. It's all just so much fun to think about."
"You were right, a month was far too generous odds for you. Truly, despite being a vampire, you are Boethiah's chosen." Serana shook her head. "Your addiction to the game of thrones aside, be wary of Ozpin. The magic I sensed within him is old. Very old. It would not surprise me if Ozpin is an immortal that has been playing the game for centuries."
Arnele scoffed. "Harkon and Elenwen both had centuries on me as well, but they are both dead now." Arlene then extended her hand and reached into her pocket dimension, pulling out a chessboard complete with all of the pieces set up. She placed the gameboard on the desk and wondered out loud, "I wonder who my opponent will be here."
"Is it not going to be Ozpin?"
Arlene tapped her chin, contemplating. "Perhaps. If he stands against me, he'll be the next entry on my list of dead immortals. But the way Ozpin reacted to us, to what we could do, what we knew. It was subtle but it was all there. Fear, desperation, hope. Why would he feel those? It's because he's fighting something else. A threat powerful enough that he is practically begging us for aid." Arlene smiled as she picked up the black queen piece. "And I think that person would be a much better opponent than some senile, old wizard."
A/N 6/13/20: Guess long chapters are going to be a theme for this fic. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed so far. So Arlene and Serana seem to have found sanctuary in Remnant, while Ozpin believes he has found a new ally. Who will be able to outwit who as the two sides begin a game of manipulation and intrigue?
Review Responses:
Haxorus knight: Arlene is a sort of nightblade like that, focuses on stealth but uses magic and weapons to supplement. Pranking not so much, unless you consider the unlawful overthrowing of governments a prank.
Hamilton406: I'll be honest, I felt a little bad reading your comment since I had it planned she was going to become a teacher. BUT, she is not a sheep that's following Ozpin's orders, but a snake that's looking for opportunities, so hopefully it'll still be fun to follow.
Guest: Ozma and Salem are going to have quite the time dealing with Arlene. And that is certainly a theory.
Projectshadow06: Thanks, yeah that is the reason why I made this story, since I was getting bored reading Imperial/Nordic good guys saving the day. Arlene was actually originally going to be a dunmer before I switched to a wood elf. And while she hasn't been a strict follower of the Green Pact since she left Valenwood, she is also a champion of Namira.
JackWhitenight: Thanks!
And with that, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, continue to stay safe, and I'll see you in the next one!