With thanks to RoyalPsycho and MS Void for their assistance on this chapter.
OBEE
Volume 1
Chapter Two: The Valley of Death.
September 5th, 1460 of the Vytali Calendar.
Shade Academy, Vacuo.
Well, here I am. Shade Academy.
The sleeping cells were little more than small box rooms with cots in them, repurposed from the days when the Revanchist monks had lived in this place as a temple. The stone walls were dull and grey, and they made Edmund feel like he was boxed in, trapped even.
Unconsciously, his hands went to the weapon he had stored beneath his cot. He pulled it up and looked it over, refamiliarising himself with the lines, the entry point for the clip, the barrel, the retracted blade, the entire thing. Aggressive Negotiation had been his mother's weapon: she had left very little for the twins, but this weapon was his, now. He sighed.
Guess it's just good that I've been training with her for a while, he thought, putting the weapon back below his cot and sighing. He frowned up at the ceiling, before focusing his aura. He stretched out one hand, trying to focus on bringing Aggressive Negotiation to his side once more… but there was nothing. No rattle of metal, not even the sound of the weapon twitching.
"Dammit," he swore. Feeling dejected, he closed his eyes and tried to get to sleep.
Tomorrow, he'd get paired with his partner (knowing his luck, Elena) and his new life would begin. He struggled to find some optimism in that.
Elena checked and rechecked her weapon's mechanisms, wanting to be absolutely certain that Peacemaker was in peak condition. The spear was, as always, just the tiniest bit sluggish on the switch between rifle and spear mode, and she snorted. It was an intermittent problem, but one that she couldn't for the life of her figure out how to solve.
Could just ask Dad, she thought with an irritated expression. Or maybe I could just go walk into a Grimm infested forest and kill everything in a forty mile radius. Might be easier.
She spun the weapon, before closing it into its cylinder form and hooking it back on its belt. She always slept with it still attached to her somewhere, just in case. That was one of the few lessons her father had imparted that she actually stuck with: trust nothing, and trust no one, without having a backup plan.
Except tomorrow, she thought to herself, we get our partners and teams. Tomorrow, we have to learn to trust.
She snorted. That wouldn't be a big deal. She'd probably just end up with Edmund - that was how things usually worked out. Then their new life could begin.
The Valley of Death.
The Valley of Death was the rather lyrical name of a valley about ten miles outside of the city limits. The valley itself was dotted with a variety of ancient statues and other ruins, some of which were truly colossal, all of which had been built from the same dusty brown-yellow sandstone, which also made up the cliffs and rocks of the hills surrounding the valley.
The valley stretched on for hundreds of miles, leading on to the great jungle plateau that encompassed the western edge of the Vacuo Basin. Its entrance was flanked by the wind-worn remains of two enormous statues that were carved in roughly humanoid shapes that were now difficult to make out. The guardian statues stood over the eastern end of the valley, looming over the flat plain in front of them and gazed out over the capital city that had grown up in their shadow.
It was this sight that greeted the students as the transport airship that brought them there slowly touched down, disgorging the students onto the sand.
Edmund took a deep breath as he stepped off of the airship, looking around the place with a frown. He had discarded his poncho, instead going for his simple white training gear, his hand twitching next to the holstered form of Aggressive Negotiation. He looked to his left and saw Elena, her arms folded across her white dress, and Ben Juan nearby, wearing a short military jacket and a different pair of trousers, these ones with a blood-red stripe down both sides. He could see the other students being disgorged as they went, including the boy he had spoken to briefly yesterday (if 'spoken' was the right word), now wearing shoulder armour over his obi.
Edmund found himself wondering just what the initiation entailed. Would they be required to fight Grimm? Or each other? He couldn't help but feel a little edgy - Grimm were one thing, but he was a poor duellist, ill prepared to fighting a skilled human opponent at the best of times, let alone on an impromptu basis.
"Hey, Ed," he heard the voice of his sister speak. She was looking at him with a smirk. "Chill."
Edmund snorted, but he smiled back at her. At the very least, he found her presence reassuring.
"So," came the voice of Juan from behind here. "Come here often?"
Elena's smile faded at once, as she turned to look at the older boy with a withering glare. Since he was easily a head taller than her, that was perhaps not the easiest thing to pull off successfully, which might have explained why he simply held up his hands with an amused grin instead of looking suitably intimidated.
"Did you seriously just try a pickup line?" she asked incredulously.
"What can I say, Princess?" Juan grinned. "I like to make an impression."
"What did you just call me?!"
Edmund shook his head and walked on - if Juan wanted to piss Elena off, that was his own fault. He could hear their argument get more heated even as he walked off.
Quinn Kane was already waiting by a tall sandy pillar. Next to him was the old man from yesterday, as well as - and Edmund took a sharp intake of breath - Patriarch Nox Skye, the armoured man's faceplate staring out at the group of students like the face of the devils themselves. It was only now, having seen the statue of the original Revanchist, that Edmund appreciated the similarities between his armour and Skye's. The full facial armour, the black cloak that hung from his shoulders, the sheathed form of his blade…
"Students!" Kane called out to the group, shaking Edmund from his train of thought. "Please gather and grant me your attention! Would everyone please grant me their -!"
"Shove off!" Elena's voice shouted loudly across the valley. It echoed across the hills like a foghorn.
Many of the students turned, to see her stalking angrily away from Ben Juan, who was simply grinning after her, one hand scratching the back of his head. Elena ended up standing next to Edmund, her expression thunderous. It softened slightly at the sight of Nox Skye, but only slightly.
"When you're ready, Ms Walker?" Kane said, a hint of amusement in his eyes. She snorted, but said nothing. "Thank you." He turned to look at everyone. "As you know - today, you will be initiated into the senior year, and for some of you, this will be your initiation into the school as a whole." He smiled wanly. "This is also the day your partners for the entirety of your senior career will be chosen."
There was a flurry of whispered conversation behind Edmund. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm himself.
"It'll be ok, bro," Elena whispered. "We'll just be partners."
"You may be wondering how we select partnerships," Kane said. "I'm afraid the process is more complicated than some of you would like."
Great, Edmund thought with a mental eyeroll. That is just what I wanted to hear.
"Instead," the headmaster went on, "you will each individually enter the Under-Temple, where you will find your way to the bottom level, the Arena. There you will face your final and greatest test in this initiation. Along the way, you will be required to find an artefact with your partner."
"And how are we supposed to get into a… whatever an Under-Temple is?" Juan asked with folded arms.
"I'm glad that you asked," Quinn said with a smile. "Scattered around the valley, there are enough individual entrances into the Under-Temple for each student. Every student must find their own entrance into the Temple."
Edmund nodded to himself.
"So what about partners?" Elena asked. "You said today was the day we partnered up?"
"It is," Quinn confirmed. "There are many different levels to the temple - but the way it is structured ensures that there are only two entrances to each level, and only one staircase with which to descend through the levels. You and your future partner will each choose an entrance that leads to the same level, and you will meet there."
"So it's randomised?" Juan said irritably. "Is that what you're saying?"
"There is an element of randomness, yes," Quinn said. "But also of fate, if you believe in such things." At Juan's sceptical expression, he chuckled. "All things happen for a reason, so the ancient Revanchists laid down and the faith follows to this day. That being the case, you too will be subjected to the whims of fate, and we shall see what the universe wills for you."
A few of the students - especially ones like Juan who were new to Shade - frowned at this. It was all too… arbitrary for them. Juan's expression was cold and irritated, and he wasn't alone.
"I realise this may seem unfair to you," Quinn continued, folding his hands in front of him with a sympathetic expression. "Indeed, I would have agreed with you, at the time I was your age. But not only is this a tradition, an important historical part of the way Shade has operated for many years, but it is important for your development." His expression hardened slightly. "You, my young friends, are the future defenders of the world. Despite Vacuo's… tumultuous politics, huntsmen and soldiers from this illustrious academy have fought in some of the most brutal conflicts of our age, including the Witch War."
Edmund's expression became somber, and he looked at the ground, his mind clouded by thoughts. Would he be called upon for such an age? Maybe - and that was why he was here, wasn't it?
"This will be a test of your ability to work with another, even if you do not know them - or do not like them," Quinn continued, looking to Elena and Juan with a pointed glance. Elena, to her credit, didn't flinch, and the headmaster continued. "You will be called upon to do battle alongside others many times in the future - including those you do not know or like. You must learn to trust others - to have faith in others. If you haven't learned to do that before, you must start now."
Elena sighed, quietly enough that only Edmund caught it. He knew she didn't like it, but he didn't say anything to her - what would be the point? Elena had always been… less than brilliant at dealing with things she didn't like.
"Patriarch Skye - would you like to add anything?" Quinn asked the quiet figure.
The armoured man looked at him, before looking out at the students. A few excited whispers could be heard, but there were also some students whose eyes turned away from that expressionless mask, afraid or ashamed, none could tell which.
"You have chosen a profession which will lead many of you to an early death," the Patriarch finally said, his voice tinted by the helmet he wore. "I will not sugarcoat this. Most of you will not survive to the age and experience myself and the headmaster have, and those that do will likely wish they had not. But make no mistake - the headmaster is correct when he says that you are the line of defence for the world. It is by the blood shed on the battlefields of this world that the innocent are protected. We bring peace, security, justice and freedom to our kingdom." He paused, looking over them. "If any of you do not want that responsibility - turn aside now."
No one did.
"You may now seek your entrance," Quinn said, stepping to the side. Skye followed him. Edmund took a breath to steady himself - and then suddenly found himself alone, as the rest of the students dashed past him, each of them seeking their own entryway into the Under-Temple. He blinked, surprised, before locking eyes with Quinn, who was smiling.
"You'd better get after them," he said after a moment.
"I… yes," Edmund agreed, before he, too, dashed off.
Elena didn't know what she was looking for. All Quinn had said was 'an entranceway', but that could mean anything from some ancient passageway entrance to a modern door they'd installed. The rocks and runs looked entirely too similar to her - all sandstone structures and rocks, statues glaring down with their intimidating masks and, occasionally, their bearded, glowering expressions.
Why do all these ancient Revanchists have beards anyway? she wondered, but she dismissed it.
Picking her way through the ruins, she leapt up some barely intact steps, bounding across an ancient walkway onto a relatively large plateau, upon which were more structures. She frowned - more of the same, none of it particularly impressive.
They couldn't just tell us what it looked like, oh no, that would have been too damn easy! she thought furiously as she jogged. Wouldn't have been the will of the universe, or whatever the hell cock and bull sh-
She paused in her internal ranting as she saw a small flag poking up from some of the nearby rocks. The flag was green, flapping in the wind almost with gusto, as though it were trying to flap its proverbial heart out despite its small size.
I'm anthropomorphising a flag, Elena thought to herself, groaning. Yup. Just like that, this went down Crazy Avenue. Betcha my next stop is Looney Lane, followed closely by the straitjacket store. And this metaphor's stretched a bit thin now.
Shaking her head free of her lyrical thoughts, she walked over to the flag, trying to see what it was marking. To her surprise, there was a large, circular hatch in the ground near it, but it was sealed shut.
Is this an entrance? Elena wondered. She tapped it, but it didn't move. She reached for the cylinder at her side, but paused, before looking at the flag. It was simple cloth, hung on a metal pole. She frowned, before reaching for the pole.
The minute her hand touched the metal of the pole, the flag rolled up inside of the metal, and a new one sprang out, this one red, and displaying - to Elena's surprise - her name, together with the name Peacemaker, her weapon.
"Huh," she said quietly. "Alright, apparently this is a thing, now."
She looked to the hatch, only to be surprised by the sound of it opening, revealing a tunnel of some description - and no apparent way to descend except dropping straight in. She grimaced - this did not look like her definition of a 'good idea', not at all. And yet, this was probably the entrance for her, now.
"Hell with it," she muttered, before looking into the hole. She closed her eyes, and stepped.
Ben Juan had drawn his pistol as he jogged, heading for low buildings and outcrops of rock in search of an entranceway. He hated this already: he had never been one for believing in mystical crap or faith in higher powers.
Just my luck that the only school in Vacuo that can teach me to be a Huntsman is the place run by the Revs, he thought to himself. He stopped by one of the broken pillars of a ruined structure, and subconsciously patted the red stripe on his left thigh, feeling an absurd wave of comfort. Still: Vacuo or nothing, right?
He frowned. Inside the structure was a flag, green and empty, next to a metal pole. Juan raised an eyebrow at the sight.
"Aren't we a bit old for 'capture the flag'?" he pondered aloud, before walking up to the thing.
Sure enough, a large round hatch was next to it, embedded in the ground. Juan frowned down at it.
"Well," he said to himself quietly. He looked to the flagpole, the empty green flag almost staring at him. "Now what?"
He stood for a moment, trying to see if there was a mechanism of some kind, but to his irritation it seemed that the hatch was not only sealed, but it had been done so without any form of exterior mechanism. Drawing his pistol, Juan aimed at the hatch and fired once. There was a sudden loud bang, and then he ducked as the round ricocheted off of the hatch and flew into the air.
"Hey!" someone yelled from what might have been thirty or forty feet away. "Is someone firing shots?!"
Juan whistled innocently, reaching out a hand to lean on the flag. Just as he touched it, however, there was the sound of a mechanism, and the hatch opened. The green flag retracted, and a red flag with Ben Juan printed on it above the name Falcon appeared.
"Huh," he grunted, looking down the hatch. There didn't seem to be any way for him to descend, and so with a shrug, he jumped down.
And almost immediately regretted it.
The way down was slippery, like going down a helter shelter. At the speed it took Elena down she would have ordinarily suffered some friction burns, but fortunately Aura was able to take care of that problem. Still, the ride down was disorienting: there was no light, no way for her to see anything.
And then, suddenly, she had landed, face first, on dusty ground. She grimaced at the pain of impact, but fortunately her Aura had only been slightly dented. Wherever she was, though, was still pitch black, and she had neglected to bring any means of lighting the way. The only light she had was the light from the tunnel she had just exited, which was reflecting dimly off of a few tiles on the floor.
"Hello?!" she called out. "Is anyone else down here?!"
There was no reply. Groaning, Elena activated her weapon, Peacemaker extending out into its full form. She briefly cursed herself that she had never thought to add a torch to the thing. There was, however, something glinting ahead of her. Feeling foolish, she reached out like a blind man, feeling for what it might be, only to find herself nudging something. All of a sudden, light glinted from a mirror, before bounding like streams of sunlight, reflecting off of a half dozen more, lighting up the entire corridor…
… and revealing a nightmare.
The stone walls were dusty and musty, thick cobwebs hanging off of them. Lining the walls were alcoves, each one containing a suit of armour that looked hauntingly like Nox Skye's Revanchist-inspired battle-armour, right down to the swords many of them had girt at their sides. The entire thing was set off by chains that seemed almost to bind the armour in place.
Great, Elena thought with a sinking feeling. This place is hell. She took a deep breath. Well, they probably expect us to survive worse before we're done, so buck up, Ells. Let's just find Ed and -
Her train of thought promptly derailed, crashed, exploded and killed all the occupants as a figure rounded the corner, dressed in an open-necked white shirt, black vest and blue trousers with a blood red stripe down each side.
Ben Juan blinked at her in surprise for a moment, before grinning.
"So, Princess," he asked cockily. "Come here often?"
Elena groaned. Kill me now.
