Artificer Book 1: Ghosts

Prologue: The Light Behind Your Eyes

"One day, I'll lose this fight. As we fade in the dark, just remember you will always burn as bright..."

It was approximately forty-four minutes past four when Nexus Shade crashed back-first into the mouldy, rat-stained mat.

His longsword clattered over the floor.

He placed both palms on the thin mat, the cold seeping through the rough-hewn fabric.

But still, he pushed himself to stand.

The sabre's tip poked his nose.

Nexus froze. A sharp breath drew in the bite of chill.

"Focus," Amariss said, the ears on her head bobbing as she shrugged. "You'd be dead if I was trying to kill you."

Nexus propped his small body with his legs. "You wouldn't kill your only son."

Amariss pulled Oathkeeper from his face. She raised it into a ready stance—sabre crossed and legs spread even. "That's right. But if you really want to be as strong as me—"

Nexus jumped to his feet with the limber of a hungry wolf. He grabbed his sword, lunging into a vicious slash. The clang of steel against steel echoed in his ears. Golden eyes burned in the absolute darkness, searching for an opening—the one strike that could end it all.

They traced a circle around the mat.

Two predators sizing each other up.

They collided.

Nexus slipped under Amariss' horizontal cut. He twisted his entire body, striking at her midriff.

Her bare leg slammed into his stomach.

The world swayed into fluid, crystallized motion, even as the hairs on his forearm tingled with electricity, harsh static buzzing in his skull.

Amariss lashed out with a telegraphed cut. An overhead slash poised to crack his skull. Even with the protection of aura.

Nexus smothered the pain in his stomach, midnight-blue crackling in the darkness. He gave ground, stepping back as the sabre smashed into the flat of his longsword. His fingers vibrated, aching as they fought to maintain a grip on his lifeline.

Amariss lunged, body and sword angled into a textbook thrust.

Nexus flinched, raising his longsword—

But his mother did not move.

Instead, she pushed Oathkeeper back into its scabbard with a smile on her face.

"That last kick of mine broke your aura," Amariss said. "Get some rest, Nex."

Nexus frowned, copying the methodical way his mother sheathed her sword. "Did I improve?"

He had been training for over a year now. That afternoon was red all over. His mother returned, smearing blood and bandages all over their hut. Dangerous Grimm prowled the ice and snow beyond Atlas. It was her job as a huntress to fight. He only wished she was not the sole fighter of their village. And so, here he was: a five-year-old boy fighting against a twenty-something professional huntress.

"Fishing for compliments?" Amariss said. "Yeah, you've improved a lot. How'd you block that slash, anyway?"

Amariss smiled as she wiped his face with a rough towel. She ran her calloused fingers through his hair, rubbing the triangular ears that protruded from his scalp.

Nexus shivered. Blades of cold stabbed into his flesh, quenching the fires of battle. "I knew it was coming."

Amariss flicked his nose. "Knew it was coming? Is my little wolf saying his mom's predictable?"

Nexus yelped. "No, of course not. I just knew. I don't know how. But I just knew."

Giggling, Amariss led him to the centrepiece of their hut—a nest of twigs and dry wood, doused in some acrid fluid. A vent filtered smoke through the thatched roof, the setup keeping the flames from spilling.

Amariss snapped her fingers. Flame blossomed in the fireplace, filling their hut with light.

Nexus raised his arms over the fire, staring at the wooden wall.

Amariss shoved a glass of warm water into his hands. "Drink," she said. "Dinner's in the ice box. Heat it up after you take a bath."

Nexus whipped his head, looking at his mother. A trench coat almost managed to conceal her armoured form. Her weapon glowed orange beside the fireplace—Oathkeeper and Vigilance, the dust sabre and its scabbard fastened to her belt. A tight bun bundled her blonde hair, ringlets of loose waves framing her heart-shaped face. The bun managed to hide her lupine ears from view.

"Where are you going?" Nexus said.

Amariss smiled, a fang curled over the edge of her lips. "We've talked about this, haven't we? There's some trouble in the next village. My partner called, and well..."

Nexus frowned. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're cute," Amariss said, placing a hand on her hip. It made his petite mother look big in her coat and cuirass. "But there will be absolutely no fighting Grimm while I'm gone. Is that clear?"

Nexus puffed his cheeks up. "But what if the Grimm attack while you're away?" He scowled. "I already know how to fight."

Amariss kissed his forehead, kneeling as she looked into his eyes. "Then fight. Survive. Promise me that if it comes down to you or somebody else, you'll choose you. Alright?"

"Alright," Nexus said, nodding, etching his mother's words into his mind. "Can you teach me how to use your shield?"

Amariss chuckled, already closing the door behind her. But his lupine ears caught her reply.

"Sure. Promise I'll come back."

Nexus stared at the door. The crunching of boots died on the snow. He gripped his sword, the leathery hilt gnawing into his palm. The nameless blade had been with him since he started training.

Nexus Shade took a deep breath, staring into the fire.

The whooshing of the nameless sword filled their hut.

A year passed.

The bag of chips slid from the man's fingers. Its contents scattered over their couch, just as his eyes veered towards the huntress in the kitchen.

"What the hell, birdbrain?" Amariss said, her soft voice soaring towards shrill heights. "I get that you can't exactly turn off your clumsiness, but I just got those chips from my partner."

It was amazing how Amariss Shade exploded. The chips were the fancy branded ones, the kind his mother only ever brought home when she passed through Atlas. His mother's friend had good taste. But spilling a bag of chips hardly warranted such an outburst from his mother.

The clumsy birdbrain rubbed the back of his spiky head. "Oops, sorry. I'll, uh, clean it up for you."

His lips tightened. He started hand-gathering the chips, his tattered red cape touching the wooden floor.

"So, you're the kid?" the man said, red eyes staring into his. "The name's Qrow Branwen. Nice to meet you."

Nexus glanced at his mother.

Amariss tipped a bottle, pouring red-violet liquid into glass flutes on the counter.

"Nexus Shade," Nexus said. "You're a huntsman?"

The man grinned, shovelling a pile of chips into their former home. "Yep. One of the coolest."

Amariss chuckled from the kitchen. "Maybe in his wildest dreams."

"Hey, I'll have you know, kid," Qrow said, crimson eyes boring into him. "My team graduated from Beacon at the top of our class after we won the Vytal Festival."

Amariss carried two glass flutes from the kitchen. She placed one on the table, right in front of Qrow. The huntsman tapped the flute, peering at the liquid that sloshed inside.

"The final round was a tie between us," Amariss said, taking a sip of her drink. "As I distinctly remember."

Qrow smirked and downed his drink with one gulp. He flinched. "What the hell, Mary? This isn't booze!"

Amariss grinned, raising her glass to an invisible toast. "To a life of sobriety, responsibility and proper parentship."

"Parenthood," Nexus said, but his mother had already downed her glass. "It's parenthood."

Qrow blanched, gagging as he stuck out his tongue. "Speak for yourself. I can be drunk on my ass and still be an amazing parent. Not saying I have a kid, but..."

"You sure?" Amariss said, refilling her glass straight from the bottle. "About the latter."

The bottle's homemade label read Grape-Cranberry Juice For When Qrow Is Around. His mother's chicken-scratch was unreadable to anyone but him. He had painstakingly acquired the black magics necessary for such a feat.

Qrow stared at his empty glass. He made no move for the fruit juice. "Hey, I may be a dumb birdbrain, but I'm smart enough to put on a condom."

"What's a condom?" Nexus said. "Is it some kind of weapon?"

Amariss chuckled, winking at the huntsman. "Yeah, birdbrain. What's a condom?"

Qrow coughed, his red eyes darting between the closed windows and the door. The crackling of the fireplace filled the toasty air. "Uh, you see, when a man and a woman get together..."

"They choose a baby from a catalogue," Nexus said. "Sometimes they have to choose really hard, so it takes longer, and then they come out of the room all tired and sweaty."

"Pfffft!" Amariss said, sputtering as she choked. The fruit juice splashed all over her blouse. "Yeah, and a condom is what they use when they don't want a kid."

Nexus frowned. "But why wouldn't they?"

Qrow opened his mouth to speak.

But Amariss already beat him to it.

"Everyone has their reasons," Amariss said. "Maybe they just want to have fun, maybe they have some really unlucky circumstances, or maybe they just don't want—or can't raise a kid. None of those are mutually exclusive."

Qrow prodded his empty glass. "Yeah. What your mom said."

The huntsman sighed and asked Amariss for a refill.

Another year passed.

Amariss leaned over his shoulder. "I'm still amazed you can do that."

Receipts and other fancy documents littered their table. He noted the figures on a long piece of paper, listing down a lot of four-digit numbers with his immaculate, machine-like handwriting. His brain did the mental gymnastics, calculating their total expenditures for the month. Maintaining a warm flat in Atlas was costly. But being able to afford it was testament to his mother's skill as a huntress.

"Well, yeah," Nexus said. "I just know, I guess."

"You just know?" Amariss said, snorting. "You sure you're not a wizard who's been alive for hundreds of years?"

Nexus squinted at a particularly shifty figure. "No. Wizards don't exist. Magic isn't real. Besides, I don't think people paid bills like this hundreds of years ago."

Remnant had dust, aura and semblances. They were measurable, concrete. Magic existed in fairy tales only. And he already outgrew those a long time ago.

"Suit yourself," Amariss said. And he could already predict her shrugging. "But what would you do if it was real?"

Nexus jotted down the number depicted by the chicken scratch. "Live with it, I guess. I'll probably analyse it, figure out how it works."

"That sounds just like you," Amariss said, rubbing his ears. "My cute little accountant."

"Artificer. Not accountant," Nexus said. "And I'm not cute."

Amariss chuckled, wrapping her arms around his shoulder. Her chin settled on his scalp. "Little boys don't grow up for their parents. You'll always be that kid who ate too much ice cream and spent the entire day in the toilet."

"Oh look," Nexus said, shrugging off his mother. "I'm done. And there's quite a bit left."

Amariss ruffled his hair, fingers brushing the ears on his head. "Looks like it. What do you want for your birthday?"

"An answer," Nexus said. "But barring that, I want my own weapon."

"What's the question?" Amariss said. "This isn't about how babies are made, is it?"

"Penis goes inside vagina," Nexus said, rolling his eyes. "I'm seven. Not a kid."

Amariss laughed. "No, I guess you're not. You're growing up so fast, you know?"

Nexus shook his head, tidying up the bills. He placed them inside a plastic bag. "The question's about you. I've seen the other kids in school, seen their parents. It's always a mom and dad pair." He sealed the bag, whispering, "Where's dad?"

Amariss slinked away. She pulled up another chair and read through the list. Her pen tapped the glass. A minute passed, before his mother decided to speak.

"That's complicated," Amariss said. "What kind of weapon do you want?"

Nexus shrugged. "A longsword that turns into a spear and a shield like yours. No guns. If it's complicated, un-complicate it."

Amariss smiled and muttered something about semantics, too soft for even his second pair of ears. "Well, your dad loves me and you."

"Why isn't he here?" Nexus said.

"Sometimes people have to stay away from the ones they love in order to keep them safe," Amariss said. "I don't expect you to understand now. But you'll understand when you're older."

Nexus smiled. His mother's eyes filled with mirth whenever she spoke of his father. "I think I understand."

"You do?" Amariss said. "That's great. Besides, your dad does give us a tiny stipend. Not a lot since he does need to pay his own bills. But it helps."

"So that's the reason why there's a lot of lien left," Nexus said. "He's the one buying my birthday present."

The grin on his mother's lips almost lit up their flat.

Four months passed.

"This had better be important, birdbrain."

Amariss crossed her arms. She glowered at the two. Her bed hair covered half of her scowling face.

Qrow leaned against the far wall of the living room. The other person, a huntress he had never met before, stood between Qrow and his mother.

Nexus sat on the couch, observing the three-way faceoff between his mother and her unannounced guests.

"I betcha it's important," Qrow said. "It's about Summer."

Amariss glanced at the shorter woman. Black bangs tipped with red parted over the huntress' silver eyes. "She's right here, isn't she?"

"No, I think Qrow means the other Summer," the huntress said. "Not me. Even though I'm also Summer."

The huntress smiled at him, waving one hand. "Hey there. I'm Summer. Summer Rose. What's your name?"

Nexus glanced at his mother. Her lips curled into a frown.

"Nexus Shade," Nexus replied, staring into her silver eyes. They glimmered like stars, shifting like mercury. "Nice to meet you."

Summer smiled, her silver eyes darting between Amariss and Qrow. They stopped on his mother. "Now I know who your kid takes after."

"If it's important enough to come to my house in the middle of night, while I'm still asleep, mind you. Let's cut to the chase," Amariss said, breathing a sigh. "What's this about Summer?"

All eyes turned to him.

Nexus fidgeted with his silver onesie.

Amariss placed her hands on his shoulders, whispering into his top-ears. "Go to sleep, m'kay? The adults need to talk. Or don't. It's your choice."

Nexus plodded to their room, shoulders sagging as he stifled a yawn. He could not help but climb up his bed, press his ears to the wall, and find out just what the adults were discussing.

But he fell asleep after an hour.

His mother's footsteps stomped into their bedroom. Armor clanked with every step. Gloved hands cupped his face, the bed sinking as she leaned over. Her wet lips left their mark on his forehead, her soft voice whispering words in the dark.

"I love you, m'kay? Promise that you'll be okay. That you'll survive."

Nexus groaned, turning in his blanket. "I promise, mom."

The door shut.

Four days passed.

Qrow Branwen slipped through the very same door. Alone, water dripping from his clothes.

Bloodshot eyes blinked at him.

His mother's friend fell like a huntsman collapsing under the weight of the world.

Nexus hooked his hands under Qrow's armpits. He gagged at the huntsman's breath, the unholy mix of blood, dust and alcohol wafting up his nose.

"What happened to you?" Nexus said.

"Summer... she's not coming back," Qrow rasped. "Mary... she's... she's..."

Nexus released his mother's friend.

The huntsman croaked, kneeling on the doormat. He removed something from his back.

Qrow pressed the bundle into his chest, his head bowed low.

The ornate sabre was too familiar.

It was here. Sheathed inside its scabbard.

Nexus blinked, whimpering at his mother's weapon. He fell butt-first against the floor, Oathkeeper and Vigilance clutched to his chest.

His mother would have never parted with her sword and shield.

Not while she was alive.

"I'm sorry," Qrow said. "I'm so, so, sorry..."

Nexus stared at Vigilance. Its midnight-blue surface said nothing. The golden rim, even less than nothing. There were no answers to be found here. He whipped his head, glaring at Qrow—

But all that remained were black feathers on the floor.

Author's Notes:

Dear readers,

As of 2021, Book 1 of Artificer (the first book in a four-book series) is officially complete with the publishing of Chapter 38. As such, I'll be removing all ANs from the Prologue up to Chapter 38. But, please, take the time to leave a review. Constructive criticism, flames, and even short but sweet comments like 'good job' are welcome. Promise I don't bite. I may or may not respond via DM though, so no promises on that front.

Before you keep reading, note that Artificer attempts to rework the world-building of RWBY, including semblances, magic, and even down to the economy. As such, AU-ness is to be expected, but it's not an excuse for OOC-ness. You'll find that everything, including perceived OOC-ness, has its in-universe reason even if the narrator doesn't explicitly tell you or notice. Please consider everything that follows as a narrative constructed by the voice and the being of the narrator, with me as the author just hanging in the background. If you notice broken prose or the like—keep in mind that the words are his, not mine, as any good character-driven story should be.

Artificer as a whole is part of a larger continuity of fanfics called the Loreverse Chronology. There are currently six stories in it, four to be published in the future (Maiden, Knightess, Today I Saw The Whole World, My Way Home Is Through you) and two on-going (Artificer, Guardians of the Unknowing). Some of them overlap, with a few even sharing protagonists and antagonists. Still, it's not a requirement to read everything in the LVC to understand an entry. All of my stories are written to be as standalone as possible. But, if you like one story, why not give the rest a shot?

Artificer updates on the first week of every other month as it alternates with Guardians of the Unknowing—its quirky little sister. Feel free to check it out on my profile. But beware of tonal whiplash, as the idea behind Guardians is wildly different.

With all of that done, on to the story.

Happy reading.

Cheers,

Eretein