Now for part II. This chapter will be more serious than the last one, and will have swearing. I'd like to thank redscarfninja for helping to edit and enhance this chapter. You're the best beta I could ask for.
O Fortuna
July 7th, X779
"What!? You're saying someone is behind all of this!?" The Chief exclaimed with a shocked expression.
Maribelle nodded. "Yes, I believe someone is controlling those Vulcan. Most likely a dark mage." Maribelle informed.
The Chief let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't believe someone would do something like this…"
"No worries, my students and I will take care of them." Maribelle said simply.
The Chief nodded. "Very well, but if you see the stuff they have taken from us, would you be so kind as to return them? We lost a lot of valuables to these brutes."
"Of course," Maribelle said with a nod before turning towards the forest where the last Vulcan ran off. "Kagura, Rubina, come. We have much to do," she beckoned.
Kagura and I start following her. We follow the foot prints the Vulcan left behind to the edge of the forest. We were lucky they were still there.
"Wait!" We suddenly hear voice from behind us.
We turn around to see Risley running full speed towards us. She eventually reaches us and stops. "I *pant* can help *pant* you find the *pant* Vulcans." She manages to get out.
"Is that so? Why did you not tell us sooner?" Maribelle inquires.
A sheepish grin makes its way onto Risley's face. She let out a small chuckle. "I've been tracking where they have been going for the past week, and I found the cave where they retreat to," she explained. "But, I didn't have the power to doing anything." She then pointed at us. "But you guys do. And if you let me come with you, I can lead you to where they are."
"Hmm." Maribelle contemplated. She then let out a sigh. "Alright, fine. But only if you do exactly what we say. If there is any danger, you will not hesitate to get as far away from us as possible. Understood?"
Risley nodded.
"Well then, lead the way." Maribelle said.
Risley started walking in front of us and we started to follow.
"So, Risley was it? How long have you known about this cave?" I inquire.
"Well, I've been watching where they have been going for the past week. After each raid I would follow them further and further. I eventually found the cave they have been going to, which was yesterday actually." She then let out a small chuckle. "That's why I was late to dinner last night. I followed a retreating Vulcan, the same one that was running from you guys, to a cave."
"Well I must commend you for your stealth skills and finding the enemy hideout…" Maribelle complimented, which got a satisfied grin from Risley. "But that was incredibly reckless of you. What would have happened if the Vulcan turned around and spotted you?" Maribelle then scolded, causing Risley to flinch. "You were putting your life in danger with no way to defend yourself. Next time you do something like that, make sure you have someone else with you."
"Yes, ma'am…" Risley wilted.
Kagura let out a giggle at the sight and I joined in as well.
"Hey, stop laughing at me!" Risley shouted with an irritated expression on her face. "Just remember who is leading you to the cave."
"I'm sorry, it's just seeing you wilting like that was pretty funny." I let out.
Risley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, just because you're a teenager, doesn't mean you can make fun of me." she pouted grumpily.
A teenager? She thinks I'm a teenager? I know I'm a little tall, but am I really that tall?
"Teenager? Rubi isn't a teenager. She is eleven, like me." Kagura replies.
Risley face faults. She quickly gets up and she had a shocked expression on her face. "Eleven!? How can someone a year younger than be so much taller than me!?" She exclaimed, her voice conveying the shock that was present on her face.
"Hey! I'm taller than you too, ya know? And I'm younger than Rubi." Kagura points out.
Risley makes a dismissive hand gesture. "Tch, well I figured you hit your growth spurt earlier than me. But you…" She points to me. "Are way too tall for an eleven year old."
I feel myself sweat drop. "Am I really that tall? I just figured that I hit my growth spurt early, and I was going to level out at average height."
"Actually, Rubina, you are quite unusually tall for your age." Maribelle chimes in.
Oh great, I'm freak of nature now, and my teacher confirmed it. Perfect.
"You really think so, Shishou?" I ask in voice laden with uncertainty.
She nods. "Yes, Rubina, most girls your age are about Kagura's height. Not even I was your height at your age," she confirmed, then made a contemplative noise. "If I were to guess, I would say you are the size of someone three years older than you, believe or not."
So basically, I'm the same size as Erza then…
Maribelle puts a hand on my shoulder. "Do not worry though, that just means you will be taller than most women. It could even work to your advantage in a fight." She said with a small simile and a wink.
I let out a sigh. "Well I'm not complaining or anything, but I always wanted to be tall I guess. At least I know that desire will come true…"
"Yeah, well, lucky you." Risley pouted. Her face then grew excited. "The cave is just up ahead now. We are almost there!" She exclaimed in excitement. She then began sprinting, and we followed in kind.
After a few minutes of running through the forest, we eventually arrive at the mouth of the cave. It wasn't small, with it being at least twenty feet tall, and forty feet wide. The inside wasn't completely pitch black because I could some weird type of glowing crystals faintly lighting the cave that would otherwise be dark without them.
"Here it is! One bad guy cave!" Risley exclaimed in a showman voice.
I let out an impressed whistle. "That's a pretty big cave…" I say in slight awe.
"Yes, it is the perfect place for someone to hide in." Maribelle adds.
"Uh-huh…" Kagura agreed.
Maribelle steps in front of us. "Right, let us get on with this. We have a mystery to solve." She then started walking towards the cave. "Kagura, Rubina, be on the left and right of me. Risley, stay behind us. If we encounter something, run away, and out of the cave. We do not need you getting hurt." She explained while walking.
"Right." Kagura and I say simultaneously. I catch up to her and start walking on the right of her. Kagura did the same, but on the left.
We entered the cave, with only the strange glowing crystals lighting out way. "Shishou? What are these crystals?" Kagura asks. The pale green light from the crystals were lighting her curious face.
"I think these are naturally forming lacrima because I can detect a very faint magic signature emanating from them." Maribelle explained.
She was right. I was also feeling a faint energy emanating from the crystals.
"Although, they would not be very useful, because I suspect these crystals cannot hold much magic power." She continued, then grabbed a crystal and after a few seconds, it exploded into a very fine dust. "As I suspected, they do not hold much power. If they could be refined, then maybe they could be useful for something other than lighting." She finished as she wiped what remained of the crystal off of her hands.
The cave was huge and slightly damp. I could smell it in the air, but as we continued along, the cave was getting narrower until it was only about ten feet high and eight feet across. It was very quiet, quiet enough that I could hear the faint sound of water droplets hitting the ground and the faint noise of our breathing. If it wasn't for the glowing crystals, I would be very spooked. I hate pitch blackness.
We eventually run into a split in the cave.
"Well, it looks we got a predicament on our hands." Maribelle let out.
"What now Shishou? Do we explore both paths?" Kagura asks.
Maribelle shakes her head. "No, that would take too long, and the culprit might escape during that time," she explained. "I suggest we split up. I will take the left path, and you will take the right path."
"But, Shishou, what if we run into the person responsible?" I asked with concern.
Maribelle looks at us with a small smile on her face. "If you see the culprit, I have confidence you two can handle them," she said with a hint of pride. "But if there are more than one, however, do not engage, and wait for me. Is that clear?" She questioned seriously.
"Yes, Shishou." Kagura and I both say.
Maribelle then started walking down the left path, her form eventually disappearing.
"Ok, Risley, get behind us. If we see anyone, get as far away as possible. We don't want you to get caught in the crossfire." I command.
Risley nods and we start walking through the right path.
"Do you think you think we'll run into anyone?" I hear Risley ask.
"Hopefully not. Kagura and I haven't battled another mage before. Mostly just bandits and various creatures." I respond.
"I'm sure we'll be fine, Rubi. Maribelle has trained us well and I'm sure we can take almost anyone." Kagura said confidently.
"If you say so…" I say uneasily.
I hope we don't find anyone at all, but if we do, I hope they aren't a very experienced mage.
We continue on walking for another five minutes, until we reach an entrance to a larger, more open section of the cave. The crystals in here were much brighter and I could see much clearer now.
"Wait, I think I hear someone!" I whisper loudly.
We find some rocks to hide behind, and we crouch down so no one could see us.
"I'm gone for one day, and you morons couldn't even do what I ask?!" Comes a gruff, male voice.
"Uh, sorry Master, but those girls were very strong!" Comes the voice of a Vulcan.
"Ugh! All of you are useless!" The man shouts angrily.
I look over the rocks slightly to see who we were dealing with. One was a forest Vulcan, most likely the one that ran away yesterday. The other was a man of average height. He has short, messy brown hair, with some stubble on his face. He was wearing a brown duster coat with a dark colored shirt and pants underneath. On the hand I could see, were four rings. One for each finger.
"How am I going to get Fortuna with you failing me every time!?" He continued.
The mind controlled Vulcan started cowering. "Sorry, Master! But we don't know what that is. We stole every shiny thing we could find." It said in panic.
That only made the man even angrier. "Did it ever occur to you that Fortuna could be disguised?" He said lowly, his voice conveying fury.
He keeps mentioning this thing called 'Fortuna'. It must be some type of valuable artifact.
The Vulcan scratched its chin. "Uh, no Master. You never told us what it looked like. You never even told us what this Fork Tuna is…" It said in a dumb tone of voice.
"It's Fortuna, not Fork Tuna you moron!" The man yelled, causing the Vulcan to flinch. "It's the S-class treasure I've been searching my entire life for! It is the object that is said to bring tremendous luck and fortune! Imagine how rich I could be!" He ranted.
Wow, I could see why anyone would want it. If this Fortuna thing really did grant luck, imagine how many times I could win the lottery. Even though mages make pretty good money once they make S-class, it would still be nice win a lot of money like that. But if this thing is so special, why is he controlling Vulcans to do his dirty work?
The mystery man made a sound of frustration. "The only reason I was using you idiots instead of a dark mage, and being so patient despite your constant failures, was because Vulcan attacks attract less attention from powerful mages and the council," he explained, growing more frustrated. "But now that some wizards have arrived I will have to lay low for a while and wait for them to leave. I can't attract any more attention."
He then closed his eyes and his face became one of concentration. "Unless… you were followed here!" He exclaimed as his eyes shot wide open. His head suddenly whipped towards us, and he spotted me.
"Shit!" I whisper under my breath as I duck behind the rocks.
"You can come out you insolent brats! I know you're there" He yelled angrily.
I look to Kagura and she nods. "Stay hidden, Risley, we'll handle this." I command quietly.
Kagura and I stand up and walk out into the open.
The man had a dangerous smirk on his face. "Well, it looks like the brats who are ruining my plan are here," he said in a condescending tone. His eyes then narrowed. "Unfortunately, you heard my plan and saw my face. I can't allow you to live." He said in a dark tone.
The Vulcan then took a step forward and we reach for our swords in response.
The man puts his arm out, and stops it. "I'll take care of them myself. These little brats have already shown they are competent enough mages to take on you idiots." He said cockily.
"I suggest you turn yourself in, treasure hunter, otherwise you're in for a bad time." I say calmly in the best threatening voice I could muster. Of course, only being eleven, I don't look very scary. So I spark some lightning around my body.
"Oh, the cute little kitten is trying to be tough," he goaded, then let out a laugh. "Unfortunately for you, you're just a kid. You will be no match for me." He said with a cocky smirk.
"Very well then. We warned you." I say before joining Kagura in a combat pose. She had her sword out and was in her slashing form. I pull out my own sword and grip it with both hands.
"Oh, it looks like you two have blades," the man said in the same cocky tone. "Come at me then. Let's see if you can actually use them." He taunted.
There is a brief moment of silence before I charge towards him with magic enhanced speed, crossing the distance between us in an instant. I swing my sword at his right side, only for him to dodge. I then start slashing at him with a flurry of slashes and stabs, but nothing was landing a hit.
"Is that all you got, kid?" He asked while effortlessly dodging my onslaught.
It was then that Kagura made her presence known. She rushed in with great speed with her strong form. The man didn't even bother to dodge because Kagura's sheathed katana hit an invisible barrier, which rippled white from the impact.
"Heh, nice try brat!" The man laughed before retaliating with a sudden kick to his side, nailing Kagura right in the gut, sending her flying backwards.
Thankfully, Kagura recovered mid-air, did a flip to stabilize herself and landed. Instead of charging right back into battle, she looked winded and was clutching her stomach, most likely in pain.
"Don't take your eyes off me, Brat!" The man shouted before decking me across the face.
Hard.
Pain explodes in my left cheek as I'm sent flying towards the same spot as Kagura. Like her, I do a flip in the air and land as gracefully as a cat.
"Ow! That freaking hurt!" I let out as I rub my cheek. That jerk had some type of barrier magic deployed. It was going to take something with significant power to burst through it. That barrier must be pretty strong to withstand Kagura's strong form like that.
"Nice try, brats, but it will take more than that to take me down." The man taunted.
I look to Kagura, who had recovered and she glanced at me. Our eyes connected, and we both understood what we had to do.
She then charged at the man with great speed in her slashing form. The man, predictably, started dodging like he did with me. He had the same cocky smirk on his face as Kagura's strikes made no contact. But since Kagura was a better swords-woman than I was, he was putting more effort into dodging her strikes.
The perfect distraction.
I start concentrating an immense amount of crimson lightening into the palm of my hand, condensing it until it was a very dense sphere of energy that was shooting out stray arcs of electricity, sounding very much like a thousand birds chirping all at once.
I feel a smirk on my face at the sight. I always wanted to use this move in combat. This should get through that pesky barrier of his.
I pump an immense amount of magic power into my legs and I rocket towards him at blinding speeds.
I hold my hand out in front of me. "Chidori!" I shout. Say goodbye to your barrier, you smug bastard.
Kagura jumps back to allow room for me to hit him.
The man turns to look at me, surprise overcoming his face at the sight of me barreling towards him like a rocket powered freight train. But his surprise didn't last long because he suddenly extends his hand, the one with all the rings on it. He stares right into my eyes, a devious smirk creeping onto his face as the ring on his middle finger begins to glow bright red.
The chidori in my hand puttered out before I felt an intense draining sensation throughout my body.
The ring, it was draining my magic power!
It happened all in a span of seconds as I flew towards the man, my body weakened from magic drain. The man had a sinister smirk as my momentum carried me towards him.
This was going to hurt.
He intercepted me mid-air with a swift, brutal kick.
Pain explodes all over my body, and the wind is knocked out of me as I go flying back. I slam into the back of the cave wall, causing me more pain.
I start coughing violently, and I hack up some blood.
"Rubi!" Kagura screams.
It takes herculean effort to ignore mind numbing pain coursing through my body and lift my head to see Kagura with a terrified expression on her face.
The man lets out a sadistic howl. "You almost got me, you little bitch, but you were too slow!" He said in sadistic glee.
I try to respond, but I end up coughing some more. Getting hit with no passive barrier fucking sucked.
Kagura's face morphs into one of rage. "You… you will pay for this." She mutters darkly.
Suddenly, the man is pushed down with an intense gravitational force and lets out a grunt of surprise.
Kagura charges with a furious howl, but the man smirks once more.
"Kagura! Wait, stop!" I shout through the pain, but it's too late.
The same ring that he used on me activated once more and the gravity field surrounding him vanished.
Kagura suddenly falters mid-air. Her magic was drained like mine. The man intercepts her with a round house kick to the face, and sends her flying in the opposite direction.
"Kagura!" I yell.
"Hehehe, I got to admit, you two are pretty good for your age. But you were way over your heads taking on me." The man said in arrogant and mocking tone.
I start gritting my teeth in rage, but I couldn't move without pain exploding all over.
"Well, with you two out of the picture, I think I'm going to pay that village a visit and retrieve Fortuna myself." He states nonchalantly. He then walked over to Kagura's unconscious body, took her sword and then walked over to me and did the same.
"These are some nicely crafted blades you got. I'm sure they will sell nicely." He then looked to the Vulcan still under his control. "You finish these two off. I got business to attend." He commanded, before walking out of the room we were in.
The Vulcan started walking towards where Kagura was. "Yes, I will finish you off, for Master." It said dully.
Shit, I couldn't move.
"Get away from her you big jerk!" Comes a sudden voice.
It was Risley. She was standing in front of Kagura, her arms outstretched, trying to stop Vulcan.
The Vulcan wasn't affected by her declaration and it continued forward.
Risley started throwing rocks at the Vulcan, but it was futile and in that instant, fear took hold of her.
I had to move, otherwise she and Kagura will die!
I start feeling a small trickle of power returning to me. It's not enough for any type of magic attack though.
The Vulcan was getting closer and Risley was starting to tremble.
I push myself to get up and I quickly assess how much power I have. It was only enough for some enhanced speed and a requip. I couldn't conjure an attack. Unless… I could use that…
The Vulcan stopped in front of Risley and lifted an arm for an attack.
I had no time to contemplate, I had to act now.
I use what little power I have to summon a shiny titanium pipe to my hand. It wasn't just a solid pipe however. It had seams where multiple pieces join together, and the bottom end was closed off and had a rubber grip on it. The top was open and there was a small red button a little bit near the top.
I quickly press the button and a solid red beam erupts from it, extending to about three feet. The solid beam made crackling hum. After years of planning and saving up money, it was time to test my prototype.
My lightsaber.
I use magic enhanced speed to rush at the Vulcan, which was just about to hit Risley and slice with all my strength.
I land a few feet from the Vulcan, look back to see Risley frozen in fear and the Vulcan missing an arm.
And a head.
I think I need a power dial so this thing doesn't kill everything it touches.
All of the sudden, the blade of red plasma disintegrates and sparks start shooting out the top. Then a loud pop, and smoke starts billowing out of it.
It looks like I need a stronger Lacrima as well... There goes 500,000 jewels down the drain….
The body of the previously alive Vulcan falls backwards and I rush over to Risley. "Are you alright!?" I ask with concern.
Her eyes were wide, but she managed to nod numbly.
I let a sigh of relief before rushing over to Kagura's unconscious form. He face was a little bloody from the hit she took and I check her pulse. I felt a steady beat and I could see that her breathing was steady as well. I then check her over for any broken bones, but miraculously, a bloody cheek was the worse she got. I start feeling out her magic core, and like mine, it was very low, but steadily rising.
It seems that ring of his doesn't drain our magic permanently.
I summon a first aid kit from my requip dimension and start cleaning her up.
"Is she going to be ok?" Came the concerned voice of Risley.
"I think so. She is just a little unconscious right now, but I think I can get her to wake up." I say as I finish disinfecting her wounds and applying a bandage.
I extend one finger and start sparking a small amount of magic through it, causing small sparks of electricity to emanate from it. I'm sorry, Kagura, but I need you awake right now. I then touch my finger to her side.
The response is mediated. Kagura's eyes snap open, and she jumps up. "Ow!" She cries, and rubs where I tased her. "That hurt, Rubi!" She whined before she felt the pain from her face kick in. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" She said as she rubbed her injured cheek.
"You took a pretty good hit to the face, Kagura." I say with a sigh.
"Yeah, I figured…" She deadpans. She then looks around and focuses on the dead Vulcan. "What happened to the Vulcan?" She questioned with a furrowed brow.
I hold up my broken prototype. "The jerk we were fighting used a magic draining ring and hit us while we were weak. He then took our swords, so I had no other option but to use the Lightsaber." I explain before putting the prototype back into my requip space.
"Aw, I wanted to see it in action…" Kagura pouted, then turned serious. "Where did he go?" She inquired.
"I think he is heading to the village to get that Fortuna thing he was talking about," I respond before turning to Risley. "Do you know what he was talking about?" I question.
Risley shakes her head. "No, I've never heard of something with that name." She explained. A contemplative look then overtook her face. "But I do remember hearing the stories of Chief Reggie's magic being very lucky… Maybe he acquired this Fortuna thing that the jerk was so desperate to find." She concluded.
Panic then flashed across her face. "We need to get back to the village! If he was willing to kill you as witnesses, then imagine what he will do to a village full of them!" She shouted.
I look to Kagura and she nodded. "We need to get back as soon as possible. Who knows what that jerk will do. But this time, we will catch him by surprise." I say and we start sprinting through the cave. We had to take this guy down before he kills someone.
I could feel my magic reserves refilling and I was feeling stronger by the second. As we exit the cave, we were somewhat surprised by the late afternoon sky.
Were we really in there for that long? Time really does fly when you are getting the shit beat out of you.
How much time we spent in that cave was irrelevant, we had a dark mage to stop. So we continued pushing ourselves, and we reach the village in record time.
When we got there, the man had the Chief Riley at sword point. He was using my sword. "I'm not going to ask you again. Where is Fortuna?" He threatened.
The Chief didn't waver. "And I will tell you again. I do not know what you're talking about." He replied defiantly.
The man let out a sadistic laugh. "Well, that was the wrong answer." He then pulled back ready to swing the sword.
The Chief closed his eyes, waiting for his fate.
Kagura and I were about to spring into action, but it was Risley who struck first.
She took off like a rocket, leaving a bright, golden trail of light in her wake. "Don't touch my father!" She yelled furiously as she jumped towards the man's back.
The man turned his head to see the speeding missile that was Risley, but he couldn't react fast enough as her head connected with his back. The man dropped the sword as he was sent flying into one of the tepees.
It looks like the barrier magic wasn't activated. Big mistake.
We run over the Risley, who was struggling to get up. After we help her up, she had an exhausted smirk on her face. "Never underestimate chubby people." She said triumphantly.
"Risley… You can use magic…" The Chief said in a shocked voice.
We turn around to see him with an awed expression.
"Heh, I told you I could use it..." Risley panted out.
"I'm sorry for doubting you then." The Chief said, a proud grin making its way on his face.
"You little bitch…" Comes a voice from behind.
We all freeze.
I turn around slowly, praying I was just imaging it.
Confirming my fears was the man standing up in the wreckage of the ruin tepee, breathing heavily. He slowly walked out. "You… You whore. You dare make a fool of me!" He seethed out.
I get in a combat pose, sparking my magic. Kagura does the same.
The man immediately holds out his hand, and activates his ring.
The effect is instant, as I, and everyone else kneels down from our energy getting sucked out of our bodies.
Shit, this wasn't good.
The man let out a malicious chuckle. "You really think that head-butt was enough to take out me!? Ron Burgundy!?"
Even though I was struggling to even stay upright, I couldn't help myself as I let out a loud giggle.
Ron Burgundy!? Really!? Even when in a life and death situation, this world still likes to troll me like this.
An angry vein appears on the man's forehead. "You think my name is funny!? I'll show you what's funny!" He shouted before holding out his hand with all the rings on it. "I have four magical rings. One controls beasts. One creates a barrier. Another drains magic." A maniacal grin appears on his face. "And the last one unleashes all that drained magic into a powerful blast." He finishes darkly.
A bright, glowing orb of energy appears in the palm of his hand.
My eyes widen. That would definitely kill us and disintegrate us into dust. We had no passive magic barrier to protect us.
"Since that moronic Vulcan couldn't finish the job, I will do it personally," he said darkly. "Goodbye, and enjoy hell!" He yelled as threw the death ball straight at us.
All I could do is watch in slow motion as it flew towards us. Like a deer caught in the headlights.
*Thump, thump*
Was this end?
*Thump, thump*
Will I really die again?
*Thump, thump*
I can't die now!
*Thump, thump*
There is so much I've got to do!
*Thump, thump*
Suddenly, a figure with a sword in hand appears in front of us and deflects the death ball into the forest. A giant explosion shakes the forest and I'm pushed to ground by the sheer force of the shock wave. I close my eyes as an extreme amount of dust is picked up.
I could literally feel my heart breaking through my rib cage and trying to escape my body with how hard it was beating. I open my eyes and took a look at our savior.
It was Maribelle.
"You dare harm my students…" She intoned darkly.
She was pissed. Absolutely pissed.
I have never seen her angry.
The man, Ron, let out a laugh. "So? What if I did?" He goaded.
Suddenly, an intense pressure burst from Maribelle and an immense white aura flared into life. Maribelle's hair started blowing upwards from the immense aura being emitted.
It was her magic power.
I was trembling from the sheer amount of power being emitted. The aura was so thick, so potent, that it was hard to breathe.
The man looked unfazed. "You really think you'll make a difference, Bitch?" He said lowly. He then held out his hand and the draining ring glowed red once more. "I'll just drain your energy like the rest!" He yelled.
The ring continues to glow, but Maribelle's aura doesn't diminish.
For the first time, panic makes it way on the man's face. "What!? Why isn't your magic draining!?"
Maribelle lets out a dark chuckle. "Oh, it is draining. Unfortunately, I have too much magic for that useless trinket of yours."
The man's ring suddenly broke into pieces and the man took a step back in shock.
Maribelle then got into a fencer's pose. Turning her body sideways, putting one foot in front of the other, her hand behind her back and her rapier forward. "My turn." She said simply.
It was over in an instant.
One moment Maribelle was in front of us, the next she was behind the jerk. She moved so fast that she left a wake behind her, which created a vortex that sucked anything lose.
The man fell forward onto his face as he slipped into unconsciousness.
How could she move that fast!? I didn't even see her move! Was this the power of an S-class wizard!?
Maribelle sheathed her sword, turned around and knelt down to check the man's pulse. "Filthy savage," she said with extreme disdain. "The magic council will be happy to throw you in prison." She said with finality.
She then walked over to us, her face still serious. "How reckless! The next time you find someone that outclasses your abilities, you find me! What were you thinking! You could have died!" She scolded angrily.
The previous joy of seeing her put that jerk in his place was replace with a sense of dread. "Yes, Shishou…" I wilt under her gaze.
Kagura echoes my statement.
XXX
After restraining the jerk with anti-magic cuffs, we meet the chief in the long house.
"I cannot express how grateful we are for saving our lives." He said with a grin.
"It is no problem. Although, I rather the situation had never gotten so dire." Maribelle responded. She then smiled. "But, one positive of this debacle is that your daughter unlocked her latent magic ability."
Risley grinned brighter than the sun.
"He was after something called Fortuna. Do you have any idea what that is, Chief Riley?" I question.
He shook his head. "No, I was telling the truth when I said I had no idea what he meant."
"Well, we overheard him saying that it was an object that brought great luck and fortune to who possessed it." Kagura explained for me.
"Yeah, he was convinced that it was in this village." I continue.
"Hmm." Maribelle lets out. "I think I have a hunch." She then walked over the statue of the Chief Reggie and touched the orb that was on the staff it was holding.
Suddenly, the stone orb flashed gold.
Maribelle took it off the staff and held it out for us to see.
Instead of a stone orb in her hand, there was a white orb with golden markings running across the surface.
"I sensed a faint magic signature coming from the statue last night, but I figured it had some anti-ageing spell on it. But now it appears that I was wrong," she explained. "I guess this is how your Chief Reggie saved the forest and the tribe." She finished before putting the orb back on the staff.
It then flashed gold once more and turned back to stone.
"It seems Chief Reggie put a camouflage spell on it." Maribelle said.
"Incredible. To think such an object was in our possession without us knowing is just… incredible." Chief Riley said in awe.
"Well, you never know what may be hidden until you look around." Maribelle said. "Now that we got that fiend restrained, I have other matters to discuss." She then looked to Risley. "Your daughter displayed some great magical ability and I would like to ask if you would allow her to join our guild so that we can develop her gift to its fullest."
Risley looked to her father, excitement lighting up her entire being. "Can I go, Father!? I always wanted to be a mage!" She begged.
Chief Riley looked to us and her daughter, before sighing. "I guess I can allow you to join. I would be a terrible father if I crushed my daughter's dreams like that." He said with a small smile.
Risley tackled him in excitement. "You're the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed.
While they were having their father-daughter moment, I turned to Maribelle. "Shishou? What did you use on the guy? I didn't even see you move." I inquired.
"Oh, that? That was my magic," she said simply. "I am a master of a magic known as 'High Speed', which allows me to move at tremendous speeds. What you saw was me using what I call 'Mach 1', which is my lowest speed setting." She elaborated.
Slowest speed? I didn't even see her move! How fast can she go!?
"If that's your slowest speed… how fast can you go?" Kagura questions for me.
"Hmm, well I have four different speeds, each faster than the last." Maribelle answered with a wink.
Wow, I never realized Maribelle was so powerful. I knew that she was an S-class wizard, but to see her in action was simply amazing. One day, I hope to be able to fight her on equal ground.
This job may have gone horribly wrong, but we managed to complete it anyway.
Even if we almost died.
…
Yeah, Celia is not going to be happy with us.
Rubi and Kagura came so close to death in this chapter. If Maribelle didn't step in when she did, they would of died. As you can see, when the magic gets sucked out of a person, they become quite weak. They also faced their first real challenge as mages. I'm sorry for naming him Ron Burgundy, but I thought it would be funny. I wasn't sure what sound to use for a heart beat, so me and my beta decided to use "thump, thump". Not all dark mages will give Rubi and Kagura this much trouble, but you can definitely see how much harder they are to deal with than non-mages. They have much to learn.
Maribelle shows off some of her skills and her magic. For those who didn't recognized the name of her magic, it is the same magic that Jet uses, but Maribelle takes it to a whole another level. Jet doesn't even come close to Maribelle's lowest speed setting. Speed is her specialty, and since she is inspired by Weiss and Winter Schnee, she uses the Rapier and is very fast. If you want to know how Maribelle looked like when she one-shotted the dark mage, watch the Qrow vs Winter fight from RWBY. Particularly the part where it's silence, and then Winter just takes off to strike at Qrow and leaves a back draft that made Weiss flinch. At top speed, Maribelle can create a vortex like Rubi did with her speed during the season 2 food fight.
There's actually an obscure and vague line that hinted Maribelle's magic in chapter 14. It went something like this: "Of course, her father sent men after her, but they couldn't catch her even if they tried. Not many people were able to keep up with Maribelle Lockhart."
Rubi's project is now revealed, and I congratulate all of you that correctly guessed it. I think it makes sense for her to have a lightsaber type weapon, considering she controls lighting, which is a plasma and can be used to cut stuff. Although, it doesn't quite sound like a traditional lightsaber, it can cut just as well. The Vulcan can confirm that. Like Rubi said, she definable needs to put a power dial on it so it doesn't kill people. Also, she could use it as a shock baton if she does it. Unfortunately, that 500,000 jewel lacrima broke, and she needs to spend a lot more money on even higher quality, and higher density lacrima for it work properly.
I'm going to need some time to think of what to write next. It will probably be a fluff chapter or two. But I hope this satisfies ya until then. Lastly, this chapter is named after the classic latin poem "O Fortuna". I like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra version the best.
R.I.P. Vulcan
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