A/N: Hello my friends! I return with more RPG chapters. I will admit, I'm not happy about the middle section of this chapter. Not because the writing necessarily bad, but the content therein. I've never been in a relationship of any kind, my sister on the other hand... Well, she's in a much better one now. Let's just say that there's a reason why Tauradonna is among the very few ships I hate for RWBY.

other than than that, hope you guys liked the chapter. It's a bit of a long one.

RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and the late Monty Oum

RWBY the RPG

Chapter 12

The Lion's Den

Later that day,

In a room at the Higanbana Inn…

"Are you crazy?!" Oscar blurted out at Ruby, interrupting her in the process as she was explaining what they were going to do.

"Oscar," she started.

"No," he cut in as he began pacing anxiously in front of her in their shared room. There was only one bed, but that was fine as they hadn't really spent much time there, and even so, Oscar often slept on the floor when they did, anyway. "I have trusted you with everything so far, and, now, you're saying, that our only way forwards. Our only path, is to go straight into the arms of the very people who've been chasing after us. Who have been hunting you down, for years. Isn't that right?"

He stopped and turned to look at her, his eyes pleading with her to say something, anything that would make this better. That would explain her reasoning for this new course of action.

Ruby glanced over at Emerald as the green-haired thief leaned against one of the walls to her right, lost in thought, before getting up from where she had been sitting with a sigh. "Oscar, look," she started again. "I get it. I really do."

She sighed again as she rubbed at her tousled locks of red-black hair before continuing on as she looked away, "I don't like this either. In point of fact, I hate this plan, too. It's just… it's all we got right now, okay? And, my friends, I trust them."

She took a deep breath in before letting it back as she walked over to the small teen and placed her hands on his shoulders. She gripped his shoulders tightly as she looked him in the eyes and said, "Trust me, Oscar. If nothing else. Believe in me, and the fact that I will always protect you. No matter what. Okay?"

He looked up at her then, his hazel eyes looking deep into her silver ones, and nodded before muttering, "Okay, Ruby."

She sighed in relief at that, almost slumping into him in the process then she stood upright and nodded before saying, "Okay. Well then, just stay behind me and let me do all the talking when we're there, okay? I've had to tangle with these folks for a while now, just like you said. I know how to deal with them."

He nodded back and moved to gather his things for the journey in silence, his disappointment evident in every movement. Ruby sighed at that before walking back over to stand next to her equally silent and anxious friend.

Emerald glanced up at her as she did so before bowing her head again as she continued to lean against the wall behind her.

She had been doing that since Ruby informed her of the information that Knight had give her. That Mercury was not only still alive, but had recently been seen in the area. And he was evidently searching for something, or, more likely, someone.

And, Ruby, couldn't help her this time.

They had tarried in Higanbana for too long as it was. Already, the Sacred Order's patrols were increasing in both their frequency, and in size.

And, now, there were rumors of goblins running around outside the walls.

Bad news all around then.

"How'd he take it?" Emerald asked her, having been so lost in thought she hadn't even heard what had just gone down.

"About how you'd expect." Ruby said with a shrug as she leaned against the wall. "Same for me, honestly. When I first heard the plan I had the same reaction myself. As did the rest of the group. Fortunately, that Knight is good at reassuring others.

"I'd really like to meet him some day, honestly, if only to pick his brain on so many things like how he can have so much faith in a group like the Order."

She pause as she realized that she was starting to ramble, her own anxiety at what was going on making her want to spout off randomly just to hear the sound of something reassuring, like her own voice.

Emerald took that moment of silence to say, "I don't blame you, or him. This is a cocked-up plan by any reasoning." Then she brushed a hand through her hair as she sighed and said, "Not that what you've told me isn't any worse."

She closed her eyes tightly. "Shit." she whispered. "I can't believe he's actually back. I knew he wasn't dead, but… I was so hoping that I was wrong. That he was dead." Then she frowned as she muttered to herself just loud enough for Ruby's supernatural hearing to catch, "Just my luck, like always."

Ruby frowned at that and placed a hand on her shoulder giving it a squeeze in sympathy and support. Then she leaned in and whispered in her ear even as she glanced over at Oscar to see how he was doing, "Hey. It's going to be fine, Em. It's the Knight, remember? They've never failed us. Never lied. They even made certain to inform us of Mercury's whereabouts. Just to give you time to prepare, to get out of here, if need be."

She paused at that, hesitating, before asking, "Hey, do you, want me to stick around for a bit. In case, he does shows up?"

Emerald blinked at that and looked up at her as she blurted out, "Gods, no!"

Then she coughed as she blushed and looked away. Ruby blinked at her response and waited. She cleared her throat before turning back to look at her as she said with confidence, still with a faint blush about her cheeks, "Ruby, I'm not a little kid anymore. Never been, really. You go on ahead and deal with whatever the Knight has planned for you guys. I can handle Merc just find on my own."

Ruby looked into her red eyes for a moment before nodding as she said with a faint smile, "Okay." Then she gave Emerald a serious look, the kind she hadn't seen from her friend in a long time, as she ordered, "But, if things start getting bad you get out of there immediately. Head to Florence. I have people there that'll cover for you."

Emerald scoffed at that before saying, whining really. "But, that's all the way over in the Kingdom of Vale. I'll lose all my contacts around here. And, it took so long to create the network, too."

Ruby just grinned at that, a more natural, good-natured one, as she replied with, "Well, you'll just have to start anew then, won't you, Oh, Criminal Mastermind."

Emerald smirked at the good-natured jab even as she pointed at her friend and snarked, "That's Master Thief," then shrugged and added in an offhand manner, "And kingpin."

Ruby continued to grin as the two shared a cute giggle fit at that then they sighed before they hugged again. Ruby clenched the younger woman tightly as she whispered to her, "Just be careful, okay? For me?"

Emerald rolled her eyes at that even as she hugged Ruby back just as tightly and said in kind, "I will. And, you do the same."

Ruby smiled and nodded into her shoulder as they continued to hug. Then they separated as Oscar cleared his throat. He looked at them for a moment before shaking his head as he hefted his pack of supplies and started out, still not saying anything.

They watched him go in silence before Ruby sighed at that and shook her head. "He's really mad about this, huh?" Emerald asked.

Ruby scratched at her head before huffing a breath as she replied, "Yeah. But, it's hard to blame him for it. His entire world came crashing down, not but five days ago. He never knew he was from a family of magic wielders, let alone sorcerers, and, because that, he thinks that he's the reason his entire village, and everyone he ever knew and loved, was destroyed."

She took a moment to let that sink in before sighing and saying, "But, that isn't true. I saw the goblins, the Grimm they led. The sheer numbers of each… If nothing else, his home would've been lost, anyway. Cold comfort that that is, it is the Truth. Besides, he didn't burn his village down and start killing innocents, that was those bloodthirsty madmen playing up being Holy Avengers! And-"

She stopped and heaved a breath out explosively as she felt the frustration she so often pushed down coming out. Emerald merely gave here a look of understanding, having experienced some of what she went through every day.

So, all she said was, "Just do what you can."

Ruby nodded in returned before gathering up her kit and following after her ward. Emerald watched her in silence.

/ /

"Yuh coo ha tol us da say wor dan'er'ous," Albert sprayed as he sat there in his chair, leaning forwards as he tried using one big, meaty hand to talk out of his broken jaw to little effect. He looked up and glared at the short girl standing there alongside his boys, Bert and Jonesy, themselves covered in bruises and holding broken hands and/or bruised jaws.

Emerald merely brushed at her hair before tossing it flippantly, brushing of the big man's accusation.

"Look," she snapped in reply after a moment of silence between the four, glaring all the while at them. Albert looked away in shame from her glare as she continued,"All I told you three to do was watch her. Not try and rape her. What happened was on you. I had no part in it."

"Yah? Weel, wot wer th' po'nt in watchin' 'er, then? If'n she so pow'rful," asked Bert before drifting off into a sullen mutter as the girl turned her glare on him.

"The point?" Emerald snapped. " The point was to keep her safe. To watch over her and make certain no one messed with her that she couldn't handle without the proper foresight."

"Someone like me, right?"

Emerald jerked around with a gasp as she heard that voice behind her. That familiar voice. And there he was, Mercury Black. Still as handsome as the day he first saved her, only to use her as he saw fit. "Hey ya, Em." he said, smirking the particular smirk of his.

She swallowed as she took a step back and placed a hand on the pair of daggers at the back of her pants and said, Mercury?"

He chuckled at her response as a group of seven masked individuals entered their hideout and spread out behind him, "Why, who else would it be, Em?"

She hesitated, feeling the horror and helplessness she had tried so hard to overcome crawl its way back up from the depths of her soul, as she looked at him. She grasped the hilts of Thief's Respite with sweaty palms but didn't draw them yet. Too afraid to do anything just yet, her feet rooted to the floor it seemed.

He continued to chuckle at her and started towards her, still grinning, even as Albert, Bert and Jonesy got up from where they were sitting to stand behind their boss, before finally stopping right in front of her. He leaned down and gripped her chin with one hand tightly and said as she winced at the pain, "Don't worry 'bout it, Baby Girl. I'm here for you." He grinned wickedly at her as he said, "At least not yet."

She stepped back away from him, jerking her head out of his grip, as she asked, "Then, what are you here for?"

He stopped smiling at her as his grey eyes darkened into ice cold shards of flint and gritted his teeth as he spat, "That bitch in the red hood. Where is she?"

"Wh-what?" she asked as she took another step backwards away from him, almost stepping into Albert as she did so.

"You heard me, Em, I know that you know where she is. So, where. Is. She?" He continued to bite out as he began stalking towards her.

All Emerald could do was whimper and stutter as she saw that look and tried to back away some more, the memories of all he had done to her rising up. The pain, the humiliation. Everything.

She swallowed heavily before saying, "I, I don't know. S-she left. I, I don't know where to."

Mercury paused at that, processing her statement. Then he snarled, his handsome features twisting in malice as he said, "Liar! I know you're lying, Bitch! Tell me where she is, and I'll only let you off with a beating!"

Before Emerald could react to that order beyond flinching at the sudden volume she felt a strong pair of hands grasp her about the middle and gently lift her into the air. She blink as Albert then set her back down behind him, even going so far as to lightly shove her back away from the the confrontation with her ex as he said with sudden clarity, "'Ey! If'n th' Boss says shay don' know, shay don' know. No need fer tha' kind of langa'ge, eh? Specially 'roun' a woman."

"Woman?" Mercury responded as his people drew their own weapons as the situation twisted with the big man stepping in front of the girl with the green hair. Then he scoffed as he said, "What woman? She's just a bitch I rescued off the street, that's all."

He thumbed his chest as he stated, "That means I own her. She's mine to do with what I want. Nothing more, nothing left."

The big man frowned at his statement even as his boys moved to back him up, each carrying a club in hand, and said in reply, even as he motioned Emerald to go, "Nah. Nah, ya don' own 'er."

Mercury smirked at that as he got down into a ready stance and said, "Oh, yeah? And, why's that?"

"Cause," the big man said as he cracked his knuckles and took up a boxer stance. "Nah one owns th' Boss!" And then he threw a punch.

Mercury blinked at that before leaping backwards from the sudden, lightning fast strike. It shattered the table next where he had just been into splinters instead of his face. Albert didn't hesitated and snapped off two more punches at the smaller man even as his boys charged into the midst Mercury's men.

He bellowed out then, "Boss! Git goin'! Weel hol' 'em 'ere!"

"Don't do it, Albert!" Emerald shouted back as she stood there, still hesitating. "He too much for you!"

The big man merely grinned at her over his shoulder before slugging one of the black garbed figure, either knocking them or killing them outright as their head snapped to the side with the blow and they collapsed bonelessly to the floor.

She hesitated at that, looking over at where Mercury was watching the fight, and saw him glance her way and smirk. She took a step back at that, hands still on her blades, then glanced back behind her, to the hidden door that was there. Finally, with a sudden swallow she turned and fled, shouting over her shoulder, "Okay! I'm going! Don't die!"

Albert smiled at that, he and his boys, even with their broken jaws, cause they knew that was an impossibility.

/ /

Ruby swallowed as she looked up at the building before the two of them.

It was a temple. An old temple. One adorned with the red and gold banners of the Order of the Sacred Light. On those banners was a gold circle enclosing a fisted hand surrounded by bolts of lightning.

To safeguard the use of magic, one must have control over that which uses magic Ruby thought, recalling the major Oath of the Order on looking at the banner. Then she looked at the teen next to her. Yeah. Tell that to those who wield it.

Yeah. There was a reason why so many mages refused to have anything to do with the group or those few kingdoms that still allowed the zealous group to range freely in their territories. Not after what they did. Not after the events what came to be called Duskborn.

Then she looked down at her hand and watched the palm turn into a pad as claws and red-black fur grew out of it. That which is unnatural to life must be made safe to life. By any means necessary. The second major Oath of the Order.

She reverted her hand back to normal and clenched it tightly enough that it shook. By their Oath, she, was unnatural. and, she didn't know how to take that, even after all these years of running, of being hunted.

It all just made her so, so angry.

She inhaled sharply before blowing it back out as she calmed herself back down. Then she turned back to Oscar and drew his hood up over his head, hanging it low so it hid his features from view. She smiled as she rubbed his head a bit while he looked up at her in silent fear. "Remember," she said to him softly. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you. Got it?"

He nodded.

She kept smiling at him as she nodded and said, "Remember. Don't take off your hood. No matter what."

He nodded again.

She nodded back once more before turning and donning her own hood. Pulling it low till her luminous silver eyes could see through the specially designed holes that allowed her to see with it down, or, allowed her ears to project when she was in her hybrid form.

When it was fitted just so, where it wouldn't fly up and reveal her face in a sudden breeze, she squared her shoulders, took a sharp inhale through her nose and started up the long staircase towards the temple's entrance. Oscar followed after her, almost riding her heels at how close behind her he was staying.

Almost immediately, they were surrounded by armor-clad knights, agents and paladins of the Order. Many of them drew their weapons as they continued up the stairs and began to mutter to themselves at the transgression, at the audacity, of their actions.

No one, not monsters or civilians or officials, had ever done something like this at this, their sacred enclave, and they didn't know what to do. There was nothing in the Code about this. At least, as far as they were aware.

"Well, well, well, look at this!" A voice suddenly rang out in the silence.

The two them paused in their climb and turned to find the rogue agent Axle standing there leering down at them alongside a group of closely gathered knights and agents, all wearing a less elaborate version of the Order's standard on their collective tabards. One that showed not only a mage's fist but a wolf's head enclosed in an inward facing spiked ring.

"The malefactor and the abomination have both come to us, brothers! Rejoice!" Axle shouted jubilantly, if a bit manically, as he looked about the place at all who were gathered there before looking back down at the pair and leering again, an unnaturally large grin on his face. "Let their Trial commence post-haste so that we might not look upon them any longer!"

He then drew the longsword at his waist with a flourish and pointed at them. Some of the other knights, after a bit of hesitation, started forwards towards the pair.

They stepped in close to each other with Oscar raising his Black Staff overhead and Ruby preparing to draw either Crescent Rose or The Rosewerk Special carbine as the situation warranted.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Enough!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to see a tall knight in gleaming white and silver armor descend from the temple. At his back was a golden cape and over his cuirass was a shear white tabard bordered in gold with no other emblem of any kind. His gleaming, full face helm bore a golden plume that only highlighted how dark the recesses within were. He bore no blade, no weapon of any kind, yet the aura of command he bore made him a force to be reckoned with.

"What are you all doing?!" The unknown man barked as he swept out an armored hand to the surrounding structures. "There are goblins and other monstrosities looming outside these walls threatening the livelihoods and peace of mind of the citizenry!"

He continued to stalk down the steps as he pointed at the gathered masses before sweeping his hand out against in a banishing gesture. "We are Knights of the Sacred Order of Light! We do not threaten those who come before us for clemency and safety! Go now, and do your duty!"

The gathered masses of the Order collectively looked away from the towering figure in shame as many began making their way towards the the city's walls and exits to start their patrols. The rest simply retired without saying anything more as they started back up towards the temple complex or went on their own patrols inside the town of Higanbana.

The only group of the knights that didn't move in any way were those behind Axle.

As he finally came to a stop right above them the still unknown knight turned to Axle and his group and growled, "Agent Puntura. You were told to stay inside your quarters until such time as we required your testimony."

Though Oscar couldn't see it, he just about felt it as the knight glared at one of the perpetrators of his village's fate. Axle smirk turned slightly uneasy as he tried to play it all off with a chuckle before nodding and said, "But, of course, my Lord. I was, merely greeting our visitors."

"Enough." The knight boomed before jerking his head to the building behind them. "Go. Now."

Axle swallowed and nodded first at the knight before him and then at his men before returning to the temple with his posse in hand. As he did so the knight followed after him with his gaze alone, making certain that he did what he was told.

Once he was gone, the man seemed to pause in the ensuing silence, and Oscar thought that he notice the faint shaking of the man's head. He made to lower his hood then, thinking that the threat was over. Only to be paralyzed with shock as their savior abruptly turned and roared at him, "Keep, your hood, up!"

He jolted in place and nodded his acknowledgement at the order. The knight gave him a faint nod back as he explained in a more mellow tone, "So long as you don't reveal your face to them, the knights cannot recognize you outside of your traveling attire. They have been trained to recall facial features, tics, and other habits so the harder you make it for them, the easier your life will be."

The knight then looked back towards the temple and said, "Come. You can rest inside before we begin."

Oscar nodded at that and made to move forwards only to stop as he realized that Ruby hadn't moved since the knight before them appeared. He looked at her and felt his eyes widen at her expression before looking towards the knight before them and found him glaring down at her.

Oscar swallowed, realizing that there was more going on here between the two of them at a glance. He stepped in towards his friend and asked the taller woman, "What is it, Ruby? Who is he?"

She swallowed and glanced down before squaring her shoulders as she looked back up at the knight before her and into the deep, piercing blue eyes she saw within the confines of his plumed helm as she whispered, "Jaune Arc, The Inquisitor."

"So, you've come, Ruby Rose," The tall knight stated as he gazed down at her. "Finally."

A/N: So, bit of a backstory for the Order of Sacred Light, they are largely based on the Chantry and the Templars of Dragon Age, only it's the Order itself that is split into multiple sects not the mages they guard.

There are three main Oaths of the Order: The First has to do with magic and those that wield it, the Second has to do with unnatural creatures like Grimm, spirits and other, often heavily biased creatures, and the Third has to do with the general safe-guarding and protection of the local civilian populace.

Thus, showing just how out of bounds the sect that went after Oscar truly is. But, more on that later on.