Prologue: Azure Successor
The soul comes in many colors, many radiances.
Bright, dark, subtle, vibrant.
The soul is all these and more.
Some have large, powerful souls, while some have small, meek ones.
But each soul carries a power of its own, and sometimes victories lie within a simple soul.
This is a tale of the radiance of souls that fight against the Darkness, ebbing in Light to cast out and make a path through that which would smother the world.
A tale of Hunters, Monsters, and Maidens. Man born of Dust, and Grimm born of Shadow. Those blessed by Gods, and those scorning Divinity itself.
This is a tale of colors, and how they paint the very world.
Amid snow-kissed winds, a lift car slowly rumbled along the line raising it up above the snow-covered mountain path below it. The wind blew against it as hard as it could, yet the old steel vehicle stubbornly refused to budge against it, only producing the creek of old metal against the gale.
"Well, that doesn't instill a lot of confidence," a light voice echoed against the walls of the trolley. Its source was perhaps unusual. A small, floating object, something between machine and organism about the size of a hand. Around an orb-shaped core, from which a single digital eye glowed, an eight-segmented shell occasionally rotated around and flickered out. The shell was simple and pronged, decorated by added metal fittings around it that gave the white and blue being a gilded, regal look. "Might as well… Noah! Eyes up, we're almost at the station."
The being drifted further down the trolley, his shell spinning around as he bumped the sole, snoozing occupant besides himself.
A groggy mutter left the young man as he stirred awake. Dressed in a heavy, dark blue coat several times too large to fit over whatever clothing was beneath it, and legs covered in lightly armored pants and boots. A hand covered in a plated, finger-baring glove went to the young man's pale face, brushing the fringe of his white, dark-blue gradated hair out of the way, shaking the rest of the wolf cut style loose as his eyes cracked open.
Eyes of bright, shining silver, pupils constricting to slits as the irises softly glowed under the dark space of the trolley.
"Give me a couple minutes Dancer…" Noah shifted around, laying across the bench of the trolley rather than rise, much to the annoyance of his companion. "Lemme nap until we get there… the hike's gonna be a pain otherwise…"
"Better to be up and awake before you have to go marching up through the snow," Dancer floated around, getting under Noah's arm and dragging the boy back to a sitting position.
"I'll be up soon as the wind hits me!" Noah yawned, revealing a prominent set of fangs among his teeth. "So lemme nap."
"No, I will not," Rather than allow Noah to flop back down, the mechanical entity quickly floated around, ramming Noah in the side to make sure he'd finish waking up.
"Ow!" Noah flinched as he shot to his feet, rubbing the side his companion had oh so promptly hit. "Did you have to hit me?!"
Dancer chuckled as Noah griped, the trolley also finally coming to a stop. With a ringing bell, the old doors creaked open, Noah squeezing past before they even finished, Dancer floating out after him and into the biting wind. Noah promptly shivered as he yanked the hood of his coat up over his head.
"Why in the hell does this forge have to be on the single highest mountain in Vytal?!" Noah's exasperated yell echoed across the snow strewn peak, Dancer drifting into his view as the young man tightened up his gloves.
"Wouldn't be much of a trial if we got there easily," Said Dancer, shifting to look out across the thickly covered pathway leading out from the station. "And we've got quite the walk to go before we get to Heaven on High. Might want to get moving."
"Yeah yeah," reaching under his coat, Noah drew a firearm from the back of his waist. A heavy, silver revolver with a chunky, triangular barrel, engraved with reliefs of feathers along it. A laser module was hooked to the barrel's under rail, and the base of the grip also bore a talon shaped spike. Noah popped the chamber out, checking the inserted rounds and giving it a spin, a satisfying series of clicks sounding before Noah popped the chamber back in. And as it settled, twin rings at the base of the chamber finished rotating, Noah letting out a hum as they stopped, a separated feather mark visible at the lower segments. "Rounds five and six… and no luck on the single one. Hagh… hope of some great-granddad's luck is with me otherwise."
"I doubt we'll have trouble on the way. It'll be when your trial really starts that you'll want some of his luck," as Noah took a step forward, Dancer got ahead of him again. "Noah… your father would be proud to know you got here. I know that, trust me."
"Don't need to be all encouraging about it, Dancer," Noah lifted his left hand, sticking it on the machine's top. "I decided this myself. Not to live up to dad's example. So… let me do this trial my way. Now c'mon, if we take too long the old man won't let me hear the end of it."
"I think he'd rather you take your time so he can finish preparing."
Noah laughed as he strode out into the snow-covered pathway, gun snugly in hand as he started trudging through the packed drifts, each step kicking aside what looser bits of snow where in his path, sending powdered streaks down the side of the cliff.
Without any words shared, the young man and the machine moved up the path, steadily but warily. Noah's thumb occasionally, absently, clicked at his gun's chamber, softly rotating it to at least occupy his mind during the trek. And the further they went, the more the sound of a slamming hammer echoed out across the path.
Rhythmic, patient.
"If we're hearing the old man's hammer, we're close," Noah glanced around, trying to look through the haze created by the falling snow to see further ahead. "Damn storm…"
"The old observatory should be just ahead," said Dancer. "Careful, I'm sensing some Grimm nearby. Might be hiding out from the snowstorm before it picks up."
"Greaaaat," Noah grumbled as he picked up his pace, moving at a brisk trot as the path eventually broke away from natural formations to manmade. Old, ancient stonework with metal reinforcements poking out from some of the damage, the path winding into old shelters made to look out from the mountaintop to the land below.
A shame the clouds from the storm were hiding that view, Noah was sure it would've made the trek up here quite nice. But, following the intended path, he circled around from a viewing platform to a wide observation station, long rusted from age and holes forming in some of the old building's sections, while the main platform of the station, despite the falling snow, was only covered by small piles of snow. And as Noah approached the station, growling rumbled out from the building.
"Beowolves…" Noah clicked his tongue, moving behind a wall and peeking out, Dancer floating out beside his head to look as well.
From the station, three lumbering beasts emerged. Thick fur as black as night and matted with caught snow. Strong arms dragged at the ground as they walked, blood red markings across the beast's body, and a carapace of shock white bone lining their frames, ending in a skull-like visage across the heads, and their bodies emitted black smoke like an aura. Their bodies also looked partially frozen over, some segments of fur turned shock white with added spikes, and clawed hands and feet ending in frostbitten white tips. Burning red eyes scanned around the area, Noah shifting back as the leader of the pack.
Creatures of Grimm, monsters that roamed across every inch of land in some form or another. Lucky for Noah that Beowolves such as these cases were far and away some of the weakest types around.
"Least it's not too many… needed to warm up anyway. Dancer?"
"I'm with you."
"Hehe, let's go," Noah spun out from his hiding place, taking aim at the smallest of the Beowolves, his gun cracking the air as he fired, it's barrel briefly shining as the shot pierced through the monster's head, shattering the skull plating and sending it careening back, the body beginning to shed away as the beast let out a final, warning growl to the remaining two.
As Noah charged out, firing two more shots at the remaining Grimm, the lupine beasts lunged for him. Noah smirked as they neared, and a pulse echoed underneath him as he leapt into the air, being carried well above the Grimm as their lunges missed by a mile. As he flipped around, gleaming fire gathered at Noah's left hand, and as he spun to face the Grimm, that gathering fire formed into a throwing knife, his fingers deftly taking hold of the item.
With a hard pitch, the knife shot through the air, sticking into the second Beowolf right on the side of the head as it turned, and with a fourth shot from Noah right on the item, it burst apart, showering the Grimm in blistering flames as the shockwave knocked them into the stone walls nearby. The Grimm that had been hit directly took the worst of it, shrieking howls coming from it as it was burned down to dust, the remaining Beowolf growling as the flames licked at its body, yet not enough to deter it from fighting.
"Was almost hoping that'd get both," Dancer sighed as the Grimm howled at Noah, the young man raising his gun while his arm still coursed with fire.
"Ah I expected a bit of trouble… but not much," as the Grimm charged him, again Noah raised his left arm, flicking his wrist as he snapped his finger. Along the arc his arm was swung in, bolts of fire flew out, slamming into the Grimm as it charged. Its claws tried to reach Noah as it collapsed to its knees, the fires eating away at it and taking whatever strength the beast had left.
Noah crammed his gun under the beast's jaw, the Grimm growling before another shot rang out almost like the cry of a hawk as the barrel gleamed silver for a moment, smashing through its head and sending the beast tilting back as its body finally faded away like the rest. All that was left of the monsters being black scars where they'd died, and those too were quickly cast away by the snowy winds.
"Well, that got the cold out," Noah chuckled as he spun his gun, casting aside the remnant flames from his arm with a twitch of his wrist.
"Couldn't have formed a larger blade?" Dancer chuckled when Noah glowered at him, the boy placing his gun over his shoulder.
"I'm still getting that trick down! My constructs are still too unstable without a medium anyway. I only started practicing that one recently," lifting his left hand again, another burning knife formed at the tip of his finger, Noah balancing the item for a few seconds before catching it between his fingers, flinging it off and letting it catch into a chunk of ice on the nearby stone, tapping a foot as it burst a few seconds later, sending a large hunk of the ice to the ground and filling the air with steam. "Need to shorten the delay so I don't need to shoot 'em either… Lapis is just gonna make fun of me if I don't figure that out."
"Yes, yes she would," Noah stuck his tongue out at Dancer, taking gun and replacing the spent rounds in his gun, careful to put the spent cartridges into a pocket to recycle for later. As it chambered, he took a moment to check the rings as they stopped spinning. "Two and five. Now come on, let's go. Lord Stringere definitely heard all of that."
"Over his hammer? Doubt it," Noah chuckled as he bounced off, picking up into a brisk jog as he followed the path of the observatory along, finding his way along the worked through stone of the mountain peak to what seemed like just another observation tower. Yet the floor was dominated by a giant bronze brazier, smoldering coals lining the bottom and contained by the mesh.
And opposite Noah as he strode in, across from him was a grand door of dull gold and steel decorated in the patterns of winding trees, wolves, and a dragon above it all. With a flick of his hand, a spark of flame jumped from Noah's fingers and to the brazier, igniting it and casting a wave of welcome warmth through the air.
And as embers touched the grand door, it creaked open, ancient hinges groaning yet not straining as the door pulled itself out in response to the warmth of the fire.
And to Noah's surprise, rather than a cold breeze, as the doors opened he was met by a pleasant warmth instead. Looking at Dancer, the two moved through the door and into a far different environment than the snow covered, blizzard bitten mountaintop from before.
Snow still covered the ground, but before the two, across a sturdy stone bridge that covered the breadth of the gap between one end of the peak and the other, was a grand temple hewn out of the very peak of the mountain it stood on. Burning braziers warmed the air, and it was like the very storm outside was avoiding the place. Aged yet vibrant banners decorated the walls of the main temple, blowing in the breeze as Noah and Dancer approached the ancient, serene building.
And from it, that rhythmic, metallic slamming. As Noah moved up the steps, his hands brushed along an emblem carved into the wall, a pair of fists grasping a sword backed by a grand tree. The closer Noah got to the grand doors of the temple, decorated in the same signage as the one that had led to the bridge crossing, the louder that slamming became. Noah pushed the grand doors open, being met by a wash of heat from the inner depths.
Inside the temple was just as grand. Towering walls led to a richly decorated ceiling covered in metallic murals portraying warriors and dragons alike, facing down twisted monsters not unlike the Beowolves Noah had taken out earlier. Noah's eyes followed the grand mural to the central chamber, a circular room ringed by ancient statues of long passed heroes of eld.
And yet, grandest of all, was the roaring furnace of a forge which a single man stood in front of, the structure belching flames up into its chimney, matched perfectly to the timing of the smith's hammer swings, sending metallic echoes bouncing across the walls with each blow he struck.
"Lord Stringere," Noah addressed the smith as he approached, the man not ceasing his work, only a shift is his head acknowledging Noah's presence.
"I was wondering when you would arrive," The man took one more swing, a pulse of light radiating from the ingot he struck. With a swift move, Stringere cast the ingot into the burning forge before him, turning to Noah.
Stringere was a tall, broad-shouldered man who made Noah look diminutive by comparison, his dark skin coated in the soot of his work, bearing long, greying dreadlocks decorated in fine metal work fittings. His eyes were a bright shade of amber, and like Noah's bore slit pupils and a slight glow, only accented by the glowing forge behind him. The smith's arms showed numerous scars from a long career. Be they from forging, or combat.
"Did you just finish your preparations?" Dancer's question received a nod from the old forge master. "Then seems we made good time."
"Preparing the ingot is only where this begins," Stringere strode to the forge, placing his hand on the ancient stonework. "Noah, do you know of the origins of the Forge of Heaven on High?"
"It's a remnant of the Era Magia, back when Vytal was still a kingdom at the height of its power," said the teenager. "A Magos Forge, meant to create weapons from special metals that could resonate with someone's Aura. Or, in our case, Dragonlight."
"Correct. And, with the end of the Era Magia, this Forge remains the only one of its kind left in the world… and we Vytalans the only living beings left who can resonate with its power," Stringere approached Noah, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, "This, Noah, is where you Trial of Ascension begins. Reach into the forge and let your Light pour into its flames, only then will the Vytalan Steel I've placed in there take form. Once you've claimed the weapon, the true trial begins."
"Well, go on?" Dancer gestured to the forge, Noah shaking his head at the little machine. "I want to see what kind of weapon you get!"
"I think he's more excited than me," Noah smirked at Stringere, the man giving a hearty chuckle, Dancer giving an annoyed mutter.
Noah removed the glove on his right hand and drew the sleeve of his coat up, exposing a black sleeve and white and silver bracer. As he approached the burning forge, he took in a deep breath as his eyes locked on the ingot within the flames.
"Vytalan Steel and the forge itself will answer to the power of your Dragonlight," said Stringere, Noah beginning to reach into the flames. "Not only will the steel shape itself into an ideal weapon, but the full nature of your Light will also be made apparent. Close your eyes and let the Light guide you."
"Got it," Noah let out the breath he was holding as he reached his hand into the flames. Surprisingly, all he felt was a pleasant, welcoming warmth rather than a painful burn. Closing his eyes, his fingers found purchase on the gleaming ingot. A bloom surged under Noah's hand, the boy gritting his teeth as he felt it surge from his arm through his whole body.
Burning.
Crackling.
Gnawing.
"By the Traveler…" Dancer let out a breathy gasp, Stringere giving an amused hum.
Around Noah, alongside fire, sparks of electricity and wisps of smoky purple rose from the forge, yet he hardly seemed to notice it as he began to draw his hand from the forge, the ingot in his grasp reshaping by the moment. And with one quick pull, Noah freed the item from the forge like he was drawing a blade from its sheathe, all three energies coalescing around the item as it formed, before casting aside in a burst of gleaming white feathers as the weapon took shape.
A gleaming silver sword, it's flat marked by runic markings. The base of the blade encased by a mechanical apparatus colored dark blue, leading to a slightly curved grip where Noah's finger sat over a trigger guard shaped like a wing, and the mechanical body topped by an extended segment decorated in golden, branch-shaped ornamentation over a silver center.
"My, that's something new," Stringere put a hand to his chin, an intrigued smile coming to him. "Been some time since I've seen the Forge produce a weapon I haven't seen before. Whatever image was deep in your mind must have been something."
"Well… I was experimenting with some diagrams I got off this Hunter who visited a few months ago, some weapon designs from Vale I took an interest in," Noah brought the sword to his front as he turned to Dancer and Stringere. And with a flick of his wrist to adjust the grip, the sword retracted into its core, the mechanical frame folding outwards as the weapon shifted into a more firearm-like form. "Yeah… exactly what I was hoping it'd be. And your name is…" Noah closed his eyes for a second, a ringing sound in his ears as he focused on the weapon, "Wolf's Overture, that's what you're telling me?"
"So, this is what lightforging looks like…" Dancer floated over to Noah as he switched his new weapon back to its sword mode, the sprite projecting a small triangular scanning beam as it looked it over. "The other specters had told me about the process, but to see it for myself at last… actually, speaking of, Lord Stringere, where's your specter? I thought Ember would be here with you."
"Ember is off making sure the final arrangements to go. He got the help from some strays to make sure something… appropriate would be waiting for Noah."
"I had that one finished hours ago, actually," another deep voice echoed into the chamber, and another mechanical entity like Dancer, a Specter as they were called, floated into view from deeper into the temple. His shell looked especially custom made, the clear hand of Stringere's own work evident on the dull bronze and silver coverings. "Though I do have to ask about getting us to scrounge up one of those for this Trial. Are you sure this is a good idea? I can't remember the last time one was used for a Trial. Lesser versions, sure…"
"It wouldn't be much of a trial if Noah didn't have to actually try," said the forge master.
"Ember, I knew what the risks were going in," said Noah, giving the other specter a reassuring grin. "Whatever you're gonna throw at me, go ahead… I'm prepared for whatever it is. It's not like we Vytalans fight alone."
"We've already come this far," added Dancer. "No use turning back now. We need to see it through."
"See?" Stringere chuckled, Ember giving a worried sigh. "Then let's move on… the Proving Ground awaits."
Noah nodded, following Stringere from the forge room and deeper into the temple. They passed along even more statues, ages old depicting armored figures, many of them holding weapons. Not ones carved of stone, but true arms. Relics of old, the arms of Vytalans of eld one and all, interred in honor in this sacred place, ever watchful of their descendants.
Even deeper in, past the interred elders, Stringere led Noah into another, far larger room. An ancient arena by all accounts, a bowl-shaped room of descending seats and stairs ending at a large floor ringed by burning braziers. Numerous Specters were milling about the space, almost in unison as they turned to face Stringere and Noah.
And across the room, where Stringere was now approaching as Noah and Dancer descended to the main floor, was a titanic gong etched in the same symbol that had led Noah into the temple. As Stringere approached it, a flick of his hand ignited the brazier beneath the gong, and the man turned to face Noah as he grabbed hold of the massive mallet near the grand piece.
"Noah Centaurea of House Venatoria, you stand under my watch to undergo your Trial of Ascension," as the man spoke, the way his voice boomed through the arena made Noah almost freeze. It was entirely different from how he had spoken in the forge. "Having reached Heaven on High and claimed arms from the Magos Forge through your Light, there is but one more question to ensure… do you desire instead to turn back? Perhaps to return later, or to instead resume a normal life. You will not be shamed for making such a choice."
"I came here prepared to face whatever the Trial has waiting for me," Noah was firm in his reply. Even if he knew it was a formality, and that Stringere obviously knew there wasn't a chance of Noah backing off.
Noah then reached to his shoulder, and in a smooth move cast off his heavy winter coat, revealing the navy-blue combat jacket beneath. White pauldrons accented in silver covered the jacket's shoulders, attached to half-sleeves just over the bracers covering his forearms of the same make, the material beneath paneled as it ran up under the jacket's sleeves. And a notable accessory, attached to the skewed white belt holding the holster for Noah's gun at the back, was a white cloth sitting at his left hip, emblazoned with a black crest in the shape of a stylized wolf's head, the item matching the extended portion of the coat's right-hip side that fell to Noah's thigh.
"Whatever I have to face to finish my Ascension and be recognized as a true Guardian, so be it! I will not dishonor those who came before me, be them those who failed or those who succeeded! I swear it on my own blade!"
Stringere smiled as Noah raised his gunblade towards him and the gong.
"Then as many before, prove your might in battle," Stringere raised his mallet, drawing it across the gong, sending a soft, ringing tone across the arena. "Whet your blade and your Light on the Grimm you aim to hunt. You will face a foe different than any you may have fought during your training. This battle can only end in either the defeat of your foe… or your own death."
Noah's face remained settled, his left hand drawing his gun as he adjusted his hold on his gunblade. That ringing was like a call, a signal. One he intended to answer.
Stringere smiled again.
"Face your fears, o' aspirant! And rise from fledgling to true warrior!" With a mighty swing, Stringere struck the gong. As it rang, echoing through the hall like a mighty clap of thunder, more braziers that had remained darkened light up all around, illuminating the arena in the amber glow of fire. And with them, the floor of the arena slowly opened, casting a cold gale upwards.
And from that dark hole, a screeching roar, full of rage, echoed outwards.
Without a single moment lost, something burst out from the hole just as the panels in the floor began to close, crashing into the ceiling in its attempt to escape, only to be brought down to the floor just as quickly.
On first appearance, what it was didn't seem clear. Its body was a grand, ornate suit of armor, humanoid but also far too massive to be human, towering over Noah as a grand spear it carried raked across the ground and a scaly cape fluttered in the air. Black flesh oozed beneath the armor, and where a face should have been under the helmet was a bone white mask with a single, piercing golden eye glaring at Noah.
"An Armor Gigas?! And they made it with something like that…" Dancer gasped at the sight of the Grimm, looking at Noah as the boy stared the beast down. The boy's arms were visibly shaking, his knuckles white on his weapons as the Sphinx prowled towards him. "Noah…"
"It's fine, Dancer," Noah took in a long breath, closing his eyes for a moment. The shaking in his limbs ceased, and as his eyes opened, they began to glint with golden flames as his raised his sword towards the Grimm. "I came this far, so see this through with me."
"Of course. Why else would I be here?" Noah smirked at the Specter, raising his sword as the Gigas continued to approach.
The Gigas lunged, and as its spears shot for the boy, Noah vanished from sight, shifting backwards in a mirage of fire, the only thing the spearhead caught being a bit of fire before smashing into the ground. Noah reappeared from the haze only a few feet back, a brief trail of fire following him as he skid back while raising his gun, firing a shot at the Gigas and hitting one of the arm joints before dashing to the side when it struck at him again, its spear raking the ground with each swing it took.
"That reach it has is gonna be annoying!" said Dancer, Noah clicking his tongue.
"Just get in the pocket and let me work!" as Noah jumped over the swinging spears, Dancer vanished from sight in shift of blue light, Noah continuing to circle around the Gigas as it stabbed and swung at him, his dodges quick and minimal as he kept his footing. "Two!"
With a sharp cry in the air, a glowing shot fired from Noah's revolver, the shot slamming into the shoulder of the Gigas and notably cracking in the plate armor. Noah clicked his tongue as he dodged another spear, readying his sword as he moved in. With a quick jump, Noah shot upwards, landing quick slashes on the body of the Gigas and accenting them with gunshots to further damaged the points he struck before it could pull its spear in. Noah landed on the Gigas's shoulder, taking aim to stab his blade into its mask, only to be caught by the monster's free arm as it swung at him, knocking the boy back to the ground.
As Noah went tumbling across the ground, reeling from the hit, the Gigas thrust it's spear out, the weapon rotating as it was aimed for the boy. Noah quickly recovered and got back to his feet, responding with a stab of his own from a low position, his sword flashing with golden fire as its tip met the spearhead. The weapons collided, a shockwave cracking the arena floor as Noah and the Gigas were sent skidding back.
"Haha, that's a lightforged weapon for ya'!" Noah chuckled as he swapped his sword to gun mode, taking aim at the Gigas as it charged at him. The weapon roared as it fired, bolts of bright blue firing from its muzzle and raking across the beast's armor, unbalancing it enough for Noah to shoot to the side again. "Haha, it shoots Light bullets! So then…"
As fire coursed along his right arm, Noah took aim again, and this time, what fired from the gun were bolts of flame that tracked the Gigas as it charged again, its attempts to dodge being met by explosive collisions as the bolts arced through the air to follow it. Noah jumped as the Gigas swung its spear, bouncing off a pulse of light to make distance right as the beast's free arm swung for a punch, slamming into the stone instead.
"This is gonna be a bit…" Noah took a quick second to replace the rounds he'd fired in his revolver. And as he clicked it shut, he perked up when he heard the soft sound of a bird come from it. Peering down, he saw the mark on its rings had unified, settled on the third chamber. "Hehehe… thanks gramps!"
Noah rolled to the side as the Gigas thrust at him again, shifting into flames to avoid the following swipe of the spear. When Noah reappeared, he'd stowed his gun, and flames gathered into his left hand as he charged the Gigas, coalescing into a sphere he promptly flung at the monster.
The best tried to cast the sphere of flames aside, only for it to explode into torrent of fire as it was struck, the Gigas roaring as it stumbled back with those flames eating at its exposed flesh and into the very armor. Lashing out, the beast took its spear into both hands, swinging and stabbing at Noah, the boy deflecting or dodging the strikes and matching them with his own as he dashed in and out of close range, striking the Gigas with his sword ignited in flames.
And while Noah was getting in good strikes, it wasn't as if he alone was controlling the pace. The imposing Gigas's wide swings and far-reaching thrusts made for an oppressive foe, and for every number of blows Noah landed, just one or two strikes the Gigas landed were enough to send the boy away looking more than a bit worse with each heavy impact.
As a stab lodged into the floor, Noah flipped onto the haft of the spear, rushing up it before the Gigas could pull it free. When he neared it, a wave of Noah's arm cast bolts of flame out, the Gigas arching back before Noah then drove his sword right into its chest, a burst of flames causing the armor to crack into molten orange.
Yet even as it hit the ground, the Gigas roared, catching Noah with its free arm before he could shift away again. Noah grimaced as the beast swung, the breath being knocked out of him as the creature slammed him into the floor hard enough to crater the stone. A bright blue shimmer shone across Noah, flickering as the boy was dragged across the floor by the Gigas and tossed across the arena, being sent slamming into the stands of the arena with a hard pitch.
"Gah, what did I tell you?!" Ember looked at Stringere as the man only sternly stared down at the battle, the Gigas rising and approaching the dust cloud formed from where Noah landed. "That model is too dangerous to use! We should've used something else, something easier to handle!"
"Ember, you talk as if that boy isn't the descendant of Marlais. And someone born with the same eyes as that man wouldn't let himself lose against a foe like this… especially not Caelus' son," the forge master gave his specter a confident look, then turning back as a burst of azure light washed out from the dust cloud. "Ahhh… and there it is, the light of Revekiĝo."
With a burst in the air, the dust was cast aside, revealing a none-too pleased looking Noah standing amid the dented in rubble of his impact point. An azure aura burning like flames wreathed his body, ebbing from his very eyes as his silver irises gleamed white. Blood ran down the right side of his face, the boy flicking some aside with his thumb as he stepped back down to the floor of the arena.
"That's gonna frickin' scar…" Noah growled as he spun his sword, a quick swing deflecting the Gigas's spear as the beast took to the offense. With a flick of his hand, Noah formed a simple sword of solid light, raking it along the blade of his gunblade.
With a step, Noah vanished from sight as the Gigas yanked its spear back. Flashes of light cut across the Gigas, Noah reappearing behind it with both blades held low, before disappearing again and repeating the slashes across it. As the Gigas tried to retaliate when Noah appeared again, it was met by its spear being caught by the constructed sword, and even as the item shattered, Noah rolled over it, his gunblade shining with azure light as he swung it, sending a wave through the air and slamming into the Gigas, sending it stumbling back.
The beast thrust the spear again, and as Noah deflected it, he swapped his gunblade's form and took aim, a spearing bolt of light bursting from the weapon and shooting through the Gigas's right shoulder, severing the arm from the body and sending it and the spear to the ground, the detached limb melting away from the light eating at it as the Gigas retreated.
The beast screeched at Noah, the boy drawing his gun and raising his left arm up, the aura coursing along his body gathering around the gun. Azure light burst into golden flames as it encased the weapon, turning it into a burning core of power. As Noah took aim at the Gigas, the etchings on the barrel gleamed, the feathers seeming to rise from the barrel and join with the flames, golden feathers drifting from Noah's arm as his finger pressed down on the trigger.
The first shot burst out with a hawk's shriek as golden feathers were cast into the air, slamming into the Gigas's other arm and removing that from the armor as well, leaving a molten stump. The beast roared and kept charging, the second shot Noah fired slamming into the chest plate, shattering it and exposing the inky black flesh encasing the true core of the Gigas.
And as Noah let out a breath, that third shot readied, the flaming gun grew in intensity, the drifting feathers coalescing into a burning wing arcing out from Noah's arm as the third, specially charged shot rolled into place.
And Noah couldn't help but smirk.
"Jackpot!"
The third shot screamed from the gun as that burning wing flared outwards. A shot of gold and silver rushed through the air, striking the core of the Gigas dead on. The beast let out one final shriek as gold and silver ate through its body, the very armor it had taken fading away. As the armor faded, a smaller, shade-like creature tried to rise from it, yet it too was caught in the burning light, quickly fading with its armor in one final death shriek.
"And that's… that…" As the aura around Noah faded, the boy fell back onto his rear, panting heavily as he set an arm across a knee, letting the hand holding his gun hang loosely a bit. "That was more tiring than I thought…"
"Noah, that was Revekiĝo!" Dancer reappeared, Noah giving the specter a confused sound as he shut his right eye, no stopping the blood running into it now. "The ability to tap into the skills and knowledge of your ancestors! You just used it!"
"And it was brilliant," Stringere approached, Noah looking himself over in surprise. "How did it feel?"
"Like my head just cleared up all of a sudden," Noah looked at his revolver, a curious look in his eyes. "And from there… I just knew what to do to win. It just came naturally after that. Heck, I didn't think I could move that way even with how hard I've been practicing!"
"Revekiĝo draws out the laten potential held by you, channeled through the memories etched into your Light by those who came before you. And eventually, such ability should become natural even when you're not in that state," Stringere knelt, patting Noah on the shoulder. "As you said, Vytalans never fight alone. We are always protected by those who came before us."
"And it means you've succeeded in your trial," said Ember, Noah and Dancer looking at each other. "Congratulations, Noah, Dancer."
"Rise, Noah, not as an aspirant, but as a Kavaliro, a true warrior of Vytal," Stringere stood and extended a hand, Noah holstering his gun and taking the offer, the forge master pulling the boy to his feet. "From here on, your path is yours to decide out there in the world beyond Vytal."
"Ahaha… I've actually had an idea there for a while," Noah gave a flick to his gunblade, the weapon retracting into its gun form, and then even further into an even more compact state he set across his shoulder. "I'm planning to head to Vale… and, well, I'll figure it out from there."
"Have you talked this over with your family?" Stringere raised a brow when Noah looked to the side.
"We were planning to bring it up after this," said Dancer. "Besides, it wouldn't feel right to leave Vytal without undertaking the Trial first. That's what Noah said."
"I wanna see more of the world Dad always told me about as a kid," added Noah, a hand tightening on his gunblade. "And, I…"
"Ahh… you want to try and find Caelus," Stringere sighed as Noah looked to the side. The man put a hand to the boy's shoulder. "Then let me give you some advice: Your father has old friends in Vale. Head for a place called Beacon Academy. If you want to get on his trail, start there."
"It's a starting point," said Dancer, Noah nodding. "Buuut, we can't just go running off yet y'know?"
"Hehe, yeah," Noah nodded, taking a casual lean to the side. "Can't just run on out before everyone gets a chance to celebrate this."
Noah raised a fist, Dancer floating over to bump it with one of his prongs.
"Let's not leave before we patch up that wound of yours," said Ember, Noah suddenly remembering he did in fact have a bleeding gash over one of his eyes. "I'm surprised you're still standing."
"Yeah… about that… getting kinda woozy," and quite promptly, Noah pitched back, hitting the floor with dazed eyes as a groan ebbed out of his throat.
"Dang it, Noah…" Dancer sighed, Stringere and Ember snickering. "He'll be fine in a moment…"
A/N
My oh my how many years has it been since I touched on RWBY eh? I've been picking away at this giant excuse for a "prologue" chapter for ages now and honestly kinda just wanna post it to see the response lol. I got to the point of making a full on AU and hey a starting chapter of the central OC to it all might as well be my starting point... to something likely to be updated as sparsely as any of my other fics nowadays.
Such is the life when one has a ton of IRL responsibilities.