Yo!

Another chapter of this. Not a ton to say, so let's just get right into it!


Start Chapter 19


Jaune finds himself mostly ruminating on what's just been said as he and Cinder follow along behind Salem as she leads them upwards towards what is, apparently, a place in the castle that Cinder is unfamiliar with.

Technically, Jaune's not certain of that, but he has a guess, given the way that Salem guides them. Usually, she would simply leave such a thing to Cinder had she known the way. That she doesn't speaks at least of something.

"So…"

"Do you have something to say or not?" Salem calls back, not turning her head as she guides them to a spiral staircase, and begins to hover up it as they walk behind.

"I thought you said magic was something you just kind of… had."

Salem still does not deign to turn, instead, she simply lets out a haughty breath.

"And do you not possess aura? A semblance?"

"That's… magic?"

"Does the name semblance not at least make you think 'semblance of what'?"

Jaune feels dumb for a few seconds for never putting that together.

"All peoples on this planet possess a limited amount of magic. But it is faint, incredibly so. Enough that the God of Darkness, in his infinite wisdom, thought it expunged from mankind." Salem says, finally seeming to arrive at her destination as she comes up to what must be the single dustiest door that Jaune has seen in Evernight. "Hm. It seems this place has seen better days."

Neither Jaune nor Cinder comment as the woman pushes open the door, revealing a simple, if mostly barren, room. In the middle is a symbol made out of some kind of chalky substance, and a bag of what looks to be that same substance a meter or so away.

There is also a layer of dust so thick that Jaune nearly chokes the moment they enter.

Salem hums, before she raises her right hand.

The windows at the back of the room fly open, and a torrential gust of air sucks the dust out of the room like some sort of airlock in a sci-fi game. Jaune finds his eyes wide as Salem, with another casual flick of her wrist, shuts the window, and then walks further into the space.

She gestures for Cinder and Jaune to sit on the now dust-free floor.

Jaune does so. Cinder seems more hesitant, but eventually complies.

"Now, Cinder will obviously have an easier time with this, given that she has already been learning to manipulate the magics of the Maiden's fire." Salem begins, before taking up a book from the back of the space that Jaune hadn't seen before, and opening it. "Hm… I had thought I might let you work on this on your own, but whoever it was that wrote this truly was clueless."

She throws the thing aside, letting it impact against the back wall. On the spine, Jaune spots the name of the author.

Dr. Ozlin.

Jaune has half a guess as to their identity. And another guess as to why Salem had been so quick to insult them.

"So, I suppose I will teach the two of you personally." Salem speaks, before hovering over towards them and then, for the first time since Jaune has met her, touching down onto the ground. "Cinder, inform your soulmate here as to the basics of magic."

Cinder seems surprised by the sudden assertion, but nods her head after a moment, and she meets Jaune's eyes as she begins. "Magic is, by its very definition, a boundless power. It is not constrained by any source of energy, in much the same way as aura, or semblances. Only it is a touch more… formless. Ethereal."

Jaune nods his head.

"The Maiden's fire, for instance, can be exhausted for a time," Cinder says, reaching out with her hand and setting her fingers alight, though Jaune can't feel any pain through their link, so it must be a harmless thing. "But it will always spring back into place. The powers I gain from it seem almost boundless in terms of scope, limited only by my own ability, which itself continues to expand. It's almost like a muscle, growing the more I use."

Salem cuts in then with a sudden clap, and Jaune and Cinder both turn to look at her to see a smile on her face.

"That is a good starting point, dear Cinder. What she says is true, to a degree. As is to be expected, she does not know everything. The Maiden's power, as you may not be aware, is but a tiny fragment of what even a normal human would've been capable of back in the time of the gods. I myself can make that power look like a joke."

Cinder bristles slightly at that, and Jaune can understand why, but he places his hand atop her own to calm her, and that seems to do the trick.

"In time, Cinder, I would have you eclipse yourself to a degree that you would say the same. Now, Cinder, Jaune of Arc, I shall start with the very basics. I will teach you an ability that to me is effortless. The ability to perceive the natural magics of the world."

That has the both of them perking up somewhat.

"This will, in essence, allow you to spot magic on others. Of course, all humans exude magic to an extent, but when I look at you, Arc, for instance, I see a small sheen of white around you. When I gaze at Cinder," The woman does, and she cocks an eyebrow. "It is like a solar eclipse. Her body wreathed with power."

Jaune isn't terribly a fan of that tone, but even so…

"Now, sit here, in the center."

Jaune looks down, to where Salem is pointing at, to where the chalk symbol is. He is initially hesitant, although, really, he feels like turning Salem down still isn't the best idea.

So, he stands, and then sits where he'd been directed to.

"The symbol on the ground is in the language of my people. It is the magic that I, and I suppose that fool Ozma, when he ruled beside me, taught to our subjects. It is, as we discovered, the simplest way for it to be conjured up. I imagine with you it will be more difficult, given you have far less of it, and less experience with it than Cinder, so you will sit here. Although…"

Salem seems to consider something for a moment.

"At the very least, you do possess a sizable aura. I have noticed some correlation between a larger pool of magic and a larger sum of aura, so we will have to hope that correlation proves correct."

Salem kneels down in front of him, and takes up some of the chalk from the bag. She draws a line down each of his cheeks, starting from the top of each brow, and ending just before his chin. Then, without warning, she presses her hand to Jaune's chest.

"I will need to apply this to certain points, so this will have to go."

The clothes on his chest quite literally dematerialize, pulled apart at the threads and unraveled. For just a moment, Jaune mourns the loss of his favorite Pumpkin Pete's hoodie, just before Salem, as if it is no big deal at all, reforms it, hovering in the air beside her, and sets it down on the ground.

Then Jaune is just left with the uncertain feeling in his heart that he is now without a shirt in front of Salem and Cinder, both of whom look entirely bored with that fact.

Jaune had a dream like this once. Everyone had been a lot more impressed.

…He will never speak of it.

Never.

He is brought out of idiotically lewd fantasies by Salem pressing a finger covered in chalk into the very center of Jaune's collarbone, and then dragging it down to the base of his diaphragm. Then, she begins to work at his arms as well, until finally, perhaps five minutes later, Jaune finds himself looking like one of those traditional dancers that would sometimes travel into Domremy, who would paint their bodies to look like skeletons.

He gets the feeling the meaning this time is a tad weightier.

"That should do." Salem speaks, before turning back to Cinder. "You will need to remove your shirt as well.

Jaune feels like it's not his fault that he goes red at that. Cinder, to her credit, just sighs.

She pulls the very pretty red outfit that she'd replaced her old attire with off, and reveals the rather simple black sports bra beneath.

Jaune tries to hide his juvenile disappointment, but judging by the glare he receives from Cinder a moment later, that emotion had, against his will, translated through their link.

He tries to send through some apologetic feelings a moment later, but is promptly ignored.

Salem sets to work on Cinder as well, at one point obliterating an area of Cinder's bra to rub chalk underneath it, before reforming the material a moment later. Or, well, that's what Jaune thinks is happening at least. He can, however, tell that if he peaks, he will be in the proverbial doghouse, and so he has turned around to stare at the opposite wall.

After five or so minutes, Salem claps her hands together again, briefly startling him, but causing him to turn back around.

"Alright. That should aid the both of you in your efforts in drawing the magic out. I have done this before with the occasional member of my inner circle, although it has been a few hundred years since I did so last." Salem mentions a period of time multitudes longer than Jaune's life like it is a brief tryst. "If I recall, they described the feeling of bringing their magic to the fore to be similar, albeit different, to the manner in which they would direct their aura."

Jaune nods, as does Cinder a moment later.

"You are channeling the magics, in this case, towards your eyes. This is something that the Maiden's fire does automatically, Cinder, although the application is entirely different. Jaune of Arc, attempt to maneuver your aura there, and then concentrate on the lines I've drawn onto your eyes."

Jaune nods, as does Cinder, although Jaune can't help the tiniest bit of pity from filtering through their link as he notices that Cinder only has a line on one cheek.

The reason, of course, is obvious, but…

Cinder narrows her eye at him, and he shakes himself out of it.

And then he does his very best to focus.

…It is an odd thing, trying to direct an invisible, intangible, completely unknowable feeling inside of oneself and bring it to the forefront. Jaune might even call it an exercise in futility if he happened to be a more pessimistic person.

He doesn't really have any idea of where to start beyond trying to mess around with his aura. And so, he uses his semblance, trying to maneuver some bits and pieces of his aura to his eyes, into his very pupils. Aside from his eyes feeling pretty nice, nothing's actually happening.

It is around fifteen minutes later, sweat beginning to run down Jaune's brow, that Salem gives an amused hum.

"I see you've got it, Cinder."

Jaune can't help it; he opens his eyes. He looks up at Cinder, and…

She looks no different on the surface. In fact, she looks exactly the same, aside from the chalk on her face seeming to glow just the slightest bit whiter. But Salem must be able to see something Jaune cannot, and Cinder, seemingly, can as well, for she gazes around the room as if, finally, being able to see for the very first time, and being almost spellbound by it.

…That or terrified, Jaune can't entirely tell what the feeling coursing in through their link is.

"Continue working, Jaune of Arc." Salem addresses him once more, and he nods his head as he shuts his eyes. He calms his posture, sits entirely still, and begins to focus once more.

Things have definitely gone better for him, to be honest.

His mind is all over the place. His thoughts are jumbled. His brain is abuzz. He wonders what his teammates are up to. He wonders if they blame him for dragging them here. He wonders if Ren, and Pyrrha will be alright. He wonders if they're not if Nora will find it in herself to forgive him. He wonders about what he's going to say to Cinder, about the fact that she'd taken lives so easily, he wonders what it is he's even doing here, humoring the Queen of the Grimm, actually interacting with her, trying to learn–

And then there's a feeling.

It is… it is Cinder. That he can tell. A tiny spark along his wire that's…

Is it…

Jaune realizes with some small shock that Cinder's trying to guide him.

There's a little prick in the back of his head, over and over and over, in this one spot. It feels impossible for Jaune to reach, a place that he can't possibly imagine, and yet…

And yet now he can feel it, thanks to her.

He reaches towards it with his aura, with his aura, and then… and then his aura falls away. It cannot go further, cannot follow. And when he reaches that point, it is with something else.

And he takes that else and he pushes it forward, towards his eyes, towards the lines of chalk upon his face, and…

And then Jaune sees.

It is an odd thing to truly describe. He imagines it would be like trying to describe color to a blind man, or sound to a deaf woman. Something they can theoretically… understand, but never truly know.

The world grows equal parts dimmer and brighter. Certain things fade almost entirely into the background, while others pop out. Cinder, previously all pale whites and blacks and the tiniest bit of maroon, suddenly blazes orange, with a halo of flame around her that extends a foot or so in all directions.

Staring straight at her is like staring at the sun. it feels… it feels so indescribable. He looks down, and sees he too glows ever so slightly. White, with the smallest bit of yellow hanging at the edges. And…

And his magics move towards Cinder. And hers towards his.

The soulbond, Jaune realizes it must be. He looks up, and sees Cinder studying him in much the same way.

Jaune finds that he is entranced with it. Seeing her like this. He meets her eye, sees the way she stares back at him, and he finds heat come to his face just as it seems to come to hers. There's a moment here, one Jaune can't entirely describe, but he wants it to last forever…

Or barring forever, just a little longer.

It can't, of course. Nothing ever can.

Because eventually, he sees Salem.

Or… no. He realizes in that moment that it is not that he has missed Salem, for that would be incorrect. Cinder's aura is impressive, stretching out a foot or so around her in a fiery orange halo, but…

The entire room, now that he pays attention to it, is blanketed in a slightly darker purple color than it had been originally.

And it is then that Jaune puts it together.

Because that color extends out into the hallway. It extends down the stairwell as far as Jaune can see from his position on the floor. It extends further, likely, than he can see at all. Perhaps it even extends beyond this place, beyond this stone and brick and sulfur.

Salem's power, just as the woman had said, seemingly dwarfs Evernight itself.

And again, Jaune finds himself thinking rather simply that he is glad that he has not made an enemy of this woman.

For he does not think he would last very long if he did.

"Excellent work, the both of you." Salem says, almost sounding proud. "I had not thought you would be able to grasp it so quickly. Although you did assist your soulmate rather heavily, Cinder."

Cinder nods her head. Salem smirks.

"Well then. I will give the both of you… call it homework." Salem raises her hand, and the chalk that covers both he and Cinder is pulled from their bodies, settling back inside of the bag of the substance on the floor. "If you can manage to conjure up that same ability without the aid of a catalyst, then I will teach you both something else."

Jaune finds himself intrigued by that, the idea that even without… whatever it is that chalk stuff happens to be, they could manage this at all. He almost wants to ask the woman another question. Wants to ask her…

"Could my teammates join us in this as well?"

Salem seems genuinely surprised by Jaune's question, and to be fair, so is Jaune, given he hadn't really meant to ask it. He nearly clamps his own hands around his mouth in the moments before Salem's lips curl into the tiniest facsimile of a smile, and she utters, "I suppose they could. Though I've no idea how they'd fair."

Jaune finds himself smiling, although it is cut into somewhat as Cinder lets out a beleaguered sigh. Salem notices this, however, and turns towards her.

"You need not condemn the boy over every question, Cinder." Salem speaks, and his soulmate stiffens. "I am not going to eat him for speaking out of turn."

That… Jaune isn't sure what to make of the shock that courses through him, then. The way that such a statement is, to Cinder…

Almost unimaginable.

"…Yes, mistress."

Salem hums amusedly. "Well, run along, you two, I'm sure you've other things to be doing."

Jaune nods his head, even as Cinder fully bows, a move so unlike her that Jaune nearly does a double-take, before she turns around and practically flees the area. Jaune has to fast-walk to catch up to her, taking the stairs two at a time, and even then, she doesn't stop moving until she's back at their rooms.

Jaune wants to follow along behind her into her own, but…

There's a feeling murmuring through their link that makes Jaune pause. Instead of pushing forward, he stops there, and moves back to his own room, opening and closing the door loudly enough that Cinder should be able to hear him do it.

The gratitude that flows through his link is the answer to his unspoken question.

…Jaune finds himself wondering quite a bit in the hour or so he spends lying in bed pondering.

Jaune finds himself wondering whether or not he and his teammates will be able to survive out here, in a land akin, almost, to hell. If they can survive in the service on Salem herself. He finds himself wondering if Cinder, down an arm and an eye, can continue on in much the same way she used to, despite knowing the girl would be angry that he'd even thought such a thing. He finds himself wondering when he'll have enough strength to broach the conversation of her murderous past with her.

And… He finds himself wondering…

Exactly what it is that Salem had once done to Cinder, to make her feel fear almost as potent as when Ruby had nearly burned her alive.


End Chapter 19


Shorter chapter this week. I didn't really have anything to add past that little bit at the end, so just decided to cut it off there.

Next time, more magic and stuff, and perhaps the start of a new plotline. See you all in two weeks!