Great Escape, part 3 "Race to Rivendell"
Evaknight075AN: The Freelancers are from my partner's story, Breakawayfan, if you want to read it, look up "Knights of Remnant: War in the West"
AN: As I promised, the third part in the three-part race to Rivendell.
I think you guys will like my version of how things turn out.
Enjoy!
(Set in the same night the Nazgul arrived at Sequoia.)
"Haven Academy has been cleared of prying eyes; we await your next command, my queen." Saruman says as he rests his hand on the Palantir. Inside the crystal ball, a red glow began to sparkle in center, and then a pair of red eyes could be seen.
"Build me an army worthy of Mordor."
Saruman removed his hand and then bowed his head to the ball, "As you wish, your grace."
"What did she say?" Saruman turned around to see Locus standing behind him with his arms crossed and leaning his back against the elevator door.
"We have work to do…" Saruman said with a gleam in his eyes.
Ozpin suddenly opened his eyes and found himself stuck in a dark room. The room was large enough for a group of people, but he was alone. There was a large window with steel bars on it; beyond it he could hear crashing sounds and chatter. Once he gathered the strength to stand he looked out the window to see what was making that noise.
From the window he could see that he was in one of the high levels of Mistral's tower, looking down at Haven Academy. It's trees were all being torn down, root and stem. He could see dozens of people pulling them down and cutting at the roots. After getting a good look, he recognized one of the workers to be a goblin. "That son of a bitch, he has goblins working for him?!"
Down below, Saruman was supervising the work the goblins were doing. Locus was watching from the tower's main entrance, he didn't much care for trees, but he didn't like goblins any less. "Why the queen want's these creatures on our side, I cannot fathom," Locus thought to himself, "but it's her orders."
One of the goblin workers walked up to Saruman with a concerned look, "The trees are strong, my lord. Their roots go deep."
"Rip them all down. I want the school cleared of any trees by the end of the week, and get your metal workers on those factory projects." Saruman said as he walked away. The goblin worker bowed his head and got back to work.
Saruman walked up to Locus, "You seam displeased…"
"Orders are orders, from the queen." Locus said, "I'm not questioning them…"
"But?" Saruman asked. He could tell something was eating away at Locus.
"But goblins? They aren't even worth the money in mercenaries, let alone a workforce." Locus spat quietly.
"True, what the Goblins lack in combat, they more than make up for in ingenuity and resourcefulness." Saruman said with a bit of a smile.
"Maybe… but I still don't trust them," Locus says as he crosses his arms.
"You don't have to, my friend. Trust me." Saruman said, as he was about to rest his hand on Locus' shoulder.
To Saruman's surprise, Locus caught and gripped tightly, "Trusting in cowards is like betting on the underdog, and that doesn't always pay off."
Saruman pulled his hand out of Locus' vice grip, "You'll soon find that your bet was well chosen. And I am not a coward; I am a realist. Like yourself." Saruman then motions Locus to follow him up the tower.
(Fast forward to the night of the Weathertop battle)
It only took them a day and a half and the goblins managed to clear out all the trees in Haven Academy. After they had cleared out the trees, they used the lumber to build facilities and factories. They reinforced the outside walls and posted guards up along the wall.
With the trees cleared, the goblins did what they did best and they dug downward. Like Beacon, Haven Academy was built over what was once a fortress; however, this one had a rather shady past.
Long before Mistral took full control Anima, Sauron once had a post in the continent. It was a fortress known as "Isengard". With the goblin's skill in digging and repurposing ancient tools for modern purposes, they turned the labyrinth beneath Haven into some kind of factory of their own making.
Hammers could be heard echoing in the cave system, pounding on heated steal over anvils, the sound of Dust being carved and crafted on carving mechanisms. Whatever Saruman had planned for Haven, he intended it to become a factory of war.
Ozpin sat with his back against the wall, staring out the window; he could see a full moon hiding behind the clouds. "Saruman… what have you done?" He saw the abominations his old friend did to the once beautiful school.
Ozpin then closed his eyes and though, "I only hope Jaune got to Ruby in time."
Meanwhile, down below the surface, Saruman and Locus were exploring the tar pits below.
There were hundreds of Grimm coming down to the pits. First they were drenched in some kind of green liquid, then injected with human blood, and then placed in the mud pit. As they moved around in the mud pit, they began to melt into goop, mixing with the mud.
Saruman then turned to the goblin workers, "Begin."
Then the goblins through full body skeletons of humans into the black tar. As they sank beneath the surface of the goop, several green lights began to shine in the muck. Then a hand creped out of the mud and grab onto the ledge.
Then a whole body came up behind the hand and crawled out of the mud. The creature appeared to have a slight humanoid body from the waist up, its hands had long talons, and its feet were like dog feet. Its head had a more human distinction, however it had a snout and pointed ears the top of its head to show it's more animal side.
It would appear this creature was bread from what was once a Beowulf. It shook itself to remove all the excess mud off its body and then howled. Just as a goblin walked up to the creature to inspect it, it was grabbed by the neck and strangled.
Locus reached down to his side arm but was stopped by Saruman's arm. When Locus looked at the creature again it dropped the dead goblin and growled.
"Perfect…" Saruman said with pride.
Ruby was breathing heavily, as if a great weight was over her chest. She felt cold, yet she could tell she was sweating. She looked all around and saw the night sky over her head. She looked around and saw Yang over her, holding her head in her hand.
"Look, Ruby. We found the trolls." Yang said as she tilted Ruby's head to see the trolls behind her. The trolls were still whole, slightly cracked, but still holding together. There were vines and roots grown over the bodies, there was even grass growing over their feet. "We're almost there."
Weiss kept her green glyph over Ruby's shoulder, trying her best to keep the poison from getting worse. She then brushed her hand over Ruby's forehead and it felt like she was rubbing on sleek ice, "My, god. She's going cold!"
Jaune and Blake were filling the vehicles up with more fuel while they waited. Jaune looked to Ruby form the fuel tank and could see the sweat dripping from her face, "Her body is succumbing to the poison."
"How is it killing her? I have my glyph set to heal the same as it did for Sun, but it's not working…" Weiss said as she held her glyph closer to Ruby's wound.
"It's not killing her… the poison is meant to corrupt the soul and the body, soon enough it will drive her mad and turn her into one of them." Jaune said as he closed the fuel tank.
Jaune then turned to Blake, "Blake, remember that plant Winter used to save Sun?"
"I think it's called 'King's Foil? Some kind of weed with silver leaves?" Blake said with the best of her memory.
"It, plus Weiss' glyph, should buy us enough time to reach Rivendell." Jaune said as he put the tank down on the truck. "Help me find it." Jaune said as he motioned for Blake to follow.
Blake didn't waste any time helping Jaune look for the weed. As they were searching the surrounding bushes, they tried to find the signs of the Foil. Just when Jaune reached a large bush, he saw some leaves that look like the Foil. "Over here…"
Blake ran up to the bush with him and started cutting the vines off. Just as Jaune was about to cut a few more, he felt a cold blade rest on the back of his neck. "You know… you're the first Star Knight I've ever caught off his guard…"
Jaune almost didn't recognize the voice, but when he turned to see the owner of the blade, he couldn't have been happier. Blake on the other hand was a bit confused.
Weiss had Yang help her take Ruby form the car seat to the ground so that she could be able to lay down fully, giving her body more room to move and feel more comfortable.
As Ruby felt her body in the ground, she could feel herself falling into the darkness around her. It wasn't until a bright light shined behind the car. She turned her head to see a woman riding in on a horse.
The light around her was like sunlight, shining bright enough that Ruby's eyes had to adjust before she could see the woman's face. It wasn't until she dismounted and made her way to Ruby.
Once the woman approached Ruby, she could hear her voice echoing, "Ruby Rose… I am Arwen. I have come a great distance to help. Please hear my voice… come back from the darkness…"
Ruby looked at her with slight intrest, "Why are you glowing so bright… are you some kind of angel?" Her voice was hazy and quiet, almost like a forced whisper.
What she didn't know was that while she saw Arwen glowing, everyone else saw her in the normal light from the moon above. "Jaune, who is this? And why does Ruby think she's an angel?" Yang asks with a bit of confusion in her tone.
Arwen and Jaune reached Ruby with the kings foil weed in hand, Jaune ripped it up to expose the liquid inside, "She is Arwen, the our current Summer Maiden."
Weiss looked at Arwen's arms, they appeared to be covered with feathers from her elbows down to her wrists. They didn't appear to be apart of her clothing, seeing as they were separate from a short-sleeved vest she was wearing, "Why does she have feathered sleeves?"
Blake caught up to them and handed her bundle of the weed to Jaune, "She's a Faunus."
Weiss was surprised to find an aviary Faunus; they were very rare as far as she knew. She then looked down and saw them drip the liquid form the kings foil onto the wound, and then placed her green glyph over Ruby's shoulder right as Ruby grunted and gasped at the pain.
"She doesn't have much time… This only bought her a few more hours, beyond that, and she will be too far gone." Arwen said as she gestured Jaune to help her lift Ruby up form the ground.
Jaune followed Arwen's lead and brought Ruby to the hours, "I've been looking for you for two days. There are three of them hunting you, where the other two are, I don't know."
"I know, I scared them off at Weathertop. As far as I know, it's just the maidens. I don't think they brought the Knights with them." Jaune said as he lifted Ruby onto the horses settle.
Arwen looked to Jaune with confusion, "Are you sure?"
"Positive. I would have felt them if they were here." Jaune said with full confidence.
"I can take her from here." Arwen said as she tightened the satle on the horse.
"We have a fast car… I can take her on my bike if I have to…" Yang said in desperation.
"I am sorry, Ms. Xao Long, but going through the main road would take too long. I know another path, but you're bike can't take the off-road we'll be going through." Arwen said as hse raised her hand to Yang. "I know you want to protect your sister, but the only way now is to let me take her from here."
Just as she hopped onto the horse, Jaune had to warn her, "They won't stay away after you get her away from me. How will you get to Rivendell safely?"
"Once I reach the main river, Rivendell's magic will do the rest." Arwen said as she turned her horse down the path.
Yang ran up to the horse and put her hand on Ruby's, she looked ruby in the eye, with a few tears dripping form her face, "I'll see you there…"
Ruby didn't have the strength to speak, but she was able to force a smile. Just as was about to kick her horse he clipped Ruby's weapon onto the back of her belt, Arwen gave him a confused look as he smiled, "What's a huntress without her weapon?"
Arwen nodded her head with a small smile as she kicked her horse to gallop away. Jaune then pulled Yang back so that when Arwen kicked the horse to run, she wouldn't get hit.
And just like that, Ruby and Arwen rode off into the forest. Yang then turned to Jaune, "Do you think they'll make it?"
Jaune couldn't make her feel worried, and he couldn't give her false hope either, that wouldn't have been fair, so he said the only thing he could think of, "They have to…"
Dawn came quickly for the two on the horse. Arwen took her and Ruby though a goat path through the forest and into the more mountainous region that leads to Rivendell. Ruby had never gone down this way, so as they rode on, she didn't recognize her surroundings too well.
The poison from her wound didn't help either. She could feel herself fading, little by little.
Arwen shouted over the horse trots, "We're almost there, Ruby!" And as if on cue, they both heard a loud screech in the air behind them.
"AAAAAHHHHHEEEA!"
Arwen looked over her shoulder and saw a woman on horseback, wearing a pink cloak. Arwen kicked her horse harder to get him to run faster through the brush.
Just as she made a turn around some large rocks, Arwen heard a different screech form above in front of her. She looked up to see a purple-cloaked harpy flying toward her. Had Arwen not reacted fast enough, her head would have been cut off.
But harpy managed to get a blow in before she fully passed them by; she swung her talons up Arwen's back. They didn't go deep, but the venom that she hit her with made her eyesight look hazy. "Damn it… Must be a neurotoxin…" She thought as she whipped the reins harder.
After a few more turns, Arwen noticed that another horse was riding up beside her; she could feel the cold coming off the rider and knew it was the Witch. She drew her sword just in time as she blocked several ice shards Jadis shot at her.
Jadis kicked her horse harder to try and reach ruby, but was knocked back when Arwen elbowed her in the face, breaking her nose. At the same time, Arwen shined a bright light in her eyes, partially blinding her.
As Jadis backed off to cover her eyes and push her nose back into place. Jackie rode up and tried to reach for Ruby, only to be blocked by Arwen's blade and engage in a fast traveling sword-to-claw fight. "He-he! You can't ESCAPE US!" Jackie said with a devious smile as she gripped her claws around Arwen's sword.
"Watch me!" Arwen said as she pulled her sword out of Jackie's grasp and made a quick turn away from Jackie, Jackie then looked ahead of her to see a thick branch close line her and knock her off her horse.
They made it to a clearing, which gave Arwen's horse a chance to run at top speed, but this made it easier for the Harpy to get to them. Arwen could hear the Harpy coming up behind them; she lifted her sword up above her head to block one of Zyra's talons and then pushed her off.
She then shined a bright light in her eyes, this time it was brighter than the sunlight surrounding them. This made Zyra use both her hands to cover her eyes form the blinding light, resulting in her crashing into the ground hard.
Arwen managed to get far enough ahead of them to reach where she wanted to go; she rode her horse down a hill and into a riverbed that was at low tied, low to the point there was barley any water.
Once inside the riverbed she turned around to find both the horses stopped at the edge and the Harpy floating above them. Jadis had her horse walk up to the edge of the river bed and pointed her finger at them, "You proved yourself quite capable, I commend you… But we still need the girl… Give her up and we'll let you live."
Arwen then drew her sword again and held it high, "If you want her, come get her!" She kept her contempt look on her face as she stared down the Winter Witch.
Jadis smiled as she held her hand out and formed an ice sword. She then kicked her horse to move into the riverbed, with Jackie and Zyra following in behind. To the Nazgul it would appear that they have Arwen cornered.
As they entered the riverbed, Arwen started to mutter to herself, speaking in some kind of language that Ruby had never heard before. "Nîn o Chithaeglir lasto beth daer; rimmo nín Bruinen dan in Ulaer!"
Just then the riverbed's water level started to rise, Jadis then looked up river and saw a large tidal wave moving toward them. She then made a smile as she formed an ice spike and shot it right at the wave's center. "ICE SEED!" The moment the ice spike hit the water, ten inches of ice formed at the front of the tidal wave, making a rather sizable ice-dam.
Arwen's face showed complete shock as she saw wall of ice form. She then looked to Jadis who gave her a devious smile, "Never bing water to an ice fight…"
Arwen then dismounts her horse, "I'm sorry Ruby, looks like I'm not going to be joining you. Take the horse up the dirt path behind us, he knows the way to Rivendell from there." Ruby grabs onto Arwen's shoulder but had no strength to speak. Arwen removed ruby's hand and placed it on the reins, "It's ok… really…"
Arwen then walks away as her horse turns around and starts walking up the dirt path. Arwen steps into the lakebed as the water begins to drop down again from being cut off at the source. But then a column of water formed behind her and then formed over her hands.
"So your powers include both sunlight and water… something tells me you're not an ordinary fighter…" Jadis said with an impressed smirk.
"I am the Summer Maiden, Arwen Halfelven!" She said as she held her sword in a two handed stance.
"HAHA! You? A Summer Maiden?" Jackie asks with a playful smile, "I am the Summer BANSHEE! AAAHHH!" She screeched at the last part of her name.
Arwen formed water over her ears to block out the screech and charged forward. Just when Jadis was about to use that same 'quick freeze' move again. Arwen swung several water whips at them, forcing them off their horses.
Jackie backed off and then let out another screech, just as Zyra flew in to tackle her and burry. Arwen blocked Zyra before she could try to dig her talons into her skin, but she was given the full blast from Jackie's screech.
Ruby and the horse were still in earshot of the fight, Ruby could hear Arwen struggling with them, and she knew that she wasn't going to last, Maiden or not. Ruby 'got off' the horse, more like dropped. The horse immediately stopped and waited for her to get up and lean on it. "We… We have… to help…" She pulled on the horse to turn around and go back.
As they walked to a high point from dirt path, they could see the sight below. Ruby could see that Arwen was struggling to defend herself; she couldn't even get any blows in.
Ruby looked up at the ice wall, "That water… maybe the reason why she was able to use those words to call it was because it was enchanted, like the water at Lake Town and Beacon." Ruby then looked to the Nazgul, "And it might burn them the same way it did Smaug…"
Ruby unclipped her weapon but it was too heavy to lift in her hands, let alone to aim. She then looked at the horse, "I have an idea, but you may not like it."
Arwen shined light at Jackie, but was then knocked down by a block of ice that was thrown at her from the left side. Jadis then formed ice on her feet, pinning her to the ground.
"I wonder, would a Maiden's power go to an old user who's already dead?" Jadis asks her subordinates. Jackie gave a rather devious smile, "Lets find out!"
Ruby had the horse stand between her and the ice wall. She had Crescent Rose in full scythe mode, resting over the horse's saddle. She was using it as a stand to properly aim her rifle at the center of the ice wall, right where Jadis threw her 'ice seed' and loaded a fire Dust round into the chamber of the rifle.
"Ice freezes water… Fire melts ice…" Ruby then pulls the trigger and fires her shot at the ice wall. The kick from the gun pushed Ruby back off the horse and onto her back. She groaned to the pain.
Down below, the gunshot echoed thought the riverbed. All the Nazgul looked up to see their enemy's horse above.
While Arwen looked up the riverbed and saw the fire Dust burning in the center of the ice wall. Jadis then turned back to Arwen, "Stupid girl, she wasted her shot."
As all three Nazgul looked to Arwen, they were confused to find her smiling at them. "What are you smiling about?" Zyra asked.
"Maybe she wasn't aiming for you?" Arwen asked.
All three then hear a loud cracking sound and then look behind them to see the ice wall breaking apart and the tidal wave flowing right toward them.
Using the distraction, Arwen formed a water whip to grab her sword and pull it towards hewr and then break the ice on her feet. Just as Jadis was about to form another seed, Arwen used her water whip to pull on Jadis' feet and knock her down, face first into the rocks.
Jackie and Zyra were just about to make a run for the hills, but Arwen slashed at Jackie's legs to make her go down. And as the wave reached them, Zyra tried to fly straight up, only for her carry Arwen with her.
Arwen pushed herself to be above Zyra, once above she opened the feathers on her arms outward to make her glide down to Zyra.
"YOU'RE A FAUNUS TOO?!" Zyra exclaimed.
Arwen smirked as she swings her sword at one of Zyra's wings, cutting her feathers in half. "And never come back!"
Zyra screeched in anger as she fell uncontrollably and landed in the rapid water flow below. Arwen used her arm feathers to glide down to the horse and Ruby. She took one last look at the river to see the three Nazgul being carried down river by the enchanted water.
Arwen turned back to ruby with a smile, "Thank you, Ruby! You saved my life!" Arwen then saw Ruby was on the ground, breathing fast, her body was shaking.
"RUBY!" Arwen ran to her, "No! NO! DON'T GIVE IN TO THE PAIN!" Arwen picked Ruby up and placed her back onto the horse and rode as fast as she could up the trail.
As they were riding, she placed her hand over Ruby's heart, there was a small glow emitting from her handprint over Ruby's chest, Arwen began to whisper, to whom Ruby had no clue. "With what light is within me… Let it go to her… Let it save her from the darkness…"
As Ruby's eyesight began to fade, everything began to go white. She could hazily see Rivendell, but she couldn't see clearly. She then heard a familiar voice, it was Headmaster Elrond speaking, he sounded like he was standing over her.
As the light grew brighter for her, she lost consciousness.
Meanwhile in Haven Academy, at the top of the main tower in the Headmaster's office, Saruman was 'punishing' Ozpin.
"A friendship of Saruman is not lightly thrown aside." Saruman said as he through Ozpin across the room. "I am willing to let it pass if you join me, old friend… Like in the old days."
Ozpin lifted himself up and spat out blood, "You've betrayed us all, just to save your own skin…" Ozpin then looks up to him, "And if she were to get what she wants, the salvation you'll get would be no different than the damnation the rest of us will receive."
Ozpin then got back up quickly and tackled Saruman before he could react. Ozpin pulled his cane off of Saruman's belt and then jumped out a window. Ozpin then formed his green sphere and flied away from the tower.
Saruman got back up ran to the window. He looked behind him and saw Locus just standing there with his arms crossed. "What are you doing? SHOOT HIM DOWN!"
"You told me to stay out of whatever you had planned for him…" Locus then walked to the elevator, "And besides, it won't be my ass on the line when Salem catches wind of this."
Saruman then turned to the window and growled, he took one long look at Ozpin as he was leaving. "And so you have chosen, death…"
About twenty miles from Rivendell, the three Nazgul washed up on the side of the river that swept them away. All three of the Maidens crawled out of the water, slowly regenerating from their burns.
Jadis had to regenerate half her face from the enchanted water and fix some of her limbs due to the damage she received from the rocks under the water down stream. She had to push her bones in alignment just so that ice could frost over and repair the damage.
Zyra regenerated his left foot and her wing that was damaged by Arwen's blade. She put her hand in the dirt and sand along the riverside and absorbed it like a sponge in water, only it was sand into her body. The sand formed over her leg and her arm and repaired the damage as if it was never there.
Jackie's lips were gone completely; right before they regenerated you could see all her sharp teeth, she also lost parts of her left arm. Her healing came slowly, but the first she could fully heal was her lips, she licked them a few times to make sure she could feel them properly.
Zyra looked up stream, "That damn CUNT! I'm going to poison her so badly, she won't even decay!"
Zyra started to walk back up the river but was stopped when Jadis grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back. "Stop it!" Once Zyra stopped she let go, "It's over."
"But Madam Salem ordered us to fetch the ring for her…" Jackie said as she was slipping in the mud trying to stand up.
Jadis then pointed to the river beside them, "We barley survived being in that for a few hours. And Rivendell has an entire reservoir waiting for us to come there and try…"
"We'd never make it… and the Zenith would be there by now…" Zyra said with anger in her tone. She wanted more than anything to go in there and get them, but she knew better than to go on a suicide mission.
Jackie looked up the stream and then back to the other two, "Salem's not going to like this…"
Zyra nodded in agreement, "Well… I suppose it isn't too much to hope that the others didn't fare so well in their tasks?"
Jadis rolled her eyes as she began walking into the woods, with the other two following. Jackie started to giggle at the thought of the two knights screwing up their tasks, "You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if Rourke messed up his job."
Zyra laughed, "My bet is on Radcliffe. If he failed it would mean things were going to be harder for our lady, but it would be worth it to see that smug arrogant look on his face get replaced by fear."
"We'll find out when we return, come on, keep up!" Jadis said with an annoyed tone. She may be fearful about their failure, but she did have a slight hope that someone else failed worse than they did.
Ruby could feel her chest feeling a lot lighter than she remembered, which meant that the poison is gone. She could hear two people talking in the room she was in; they were both men.
"W-Where am I?" Ruby asked with a weak voice.
"You are in Rivendell. And it's 10 am if you're curious." One of the men said.
She immediate recognized the man's voice, "Uncle Qrow?" She lifted herself up fast and ended up paying for it. Her back was aching. "Ah!"
"Easy, kiddo." Qrow said as he slowed her down. "You've been out for almost three days now, your body hasn't fully recovered."
"Three days?" Ruby asked, she then turned to the other man and found it to be, "Professor Ozpin!"
"It's good to see you, Ms. Rose." Ozpin said with a smile.
Ruby tried to sit up higher but only brought more pain to herself. "Easy, Ruby, you're lucky you survived as long as you did, Ruby." Qrow said as put a pillow behind her. "But if you had been in that state an hour longer and you would have been gone."
"RUBY!?"
Everyone turned to the doorway to find Yang running in and jumping onto Ruby's bed. "THANK OUM YOU'RE OK!" she was hugging Ruby so hard.
"YANG! CAN'T BREATH!" Ruby shouted as she got Yang to let go.
"You're sister never left your bedside." Ozpin said with a joyful tone.
"He he, we practically had to pry her away from your bed in order to get her to eat." Qrow said with a smile.
"Well she scared the living crap out of us! Which reminds me…" She then punches Ruby, on the not wounded shoulder with her natural hand. "That's for getting us so scared."
"It's a good thing Headmaster Elrond still has his healing skills…" Qrow said with a smile as he turned to Elrond at the doorway.
Ruby looked to see him enter, "Headmaster Elrond."
"Ruby Rose, welcome back to Rivendell." Elrond then held his hand out to Ruby, "And thank you for saving my daughter."
"Arwen is your daughter?" Ruby asked with complete shock. Ruby was then surprised to find Arwen walk in behind him.
She then did a curtsy, "I owe you a great dept. for your bravery, thank you." Arwen said with a smile.
AN: And that's where I'm ending it.
I am sorry that this chapter is a short one, but this is as far as I could go before we get into what I have planned for the next chapter.
The journey to Rivendell is over; next we will have the reunions!