A?N: Hello! I am back with the latest chapter in this, and it is actually the longest so far. It wasn't going to be. I originally had only about 3600 words written. Then I went back to revise a few parts, and now it's over 5000. I might have a problem.

Sorry for any slow responses to reviews going forwards (Or reading the chapters of your stories if I happen to do that regularly) Fanfiction is still messing up for me, and a few others I here. Don't you just love technology?

Anyway, this might be my last upload for a while. I'm still moving as I've mentioned. And, where I'm going currently doesn't have internet, so, you can considered me going dark by Monday, but only for a while. Here's hoping Fanfiction gets fixed by then, eh?

Also, sorry for the delay in getting this out. I got midway through and just kind of stalled out. Didn't quite know what to write. Here's hoping you like what I've got, though.

RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and the late Monty Oum

RWBY the RPG

Chapter 11

Debrief

Five days later,

At the dilapidated fortress…

She looked out over the cliff edge, spear in hand, and snorted at what she saw as a team of humans in scrapped together armor with a leader in a brass breast plate down below were piling up the corpses of various fallen goblins alongside a group of ten hobgoblins warriors. Further down was the remains of Snaggletooth the Troll, the burnt and shredded corpse befouling the pool of water it laid in.

She stopped looking out at the horizon, the human villages that still existed beyond, as her mount chuffed softly at her, having finally picked up the scent she was looking for. She gently nudged the sides of her mount as she turned it around and started down the sole remaining staircase attached to the abandoned fortress's wall.

At the bottom of the stairs, the worg, and it's rider, made their way passed various burnt tents and ruined crates of supplies before stopping at the rotting body of a naked male goblin. As the worg sniffed the rotting corpse of Hookfang Bonerattle, the hobgoblin on its back sighed sadly at the sight.

Her mount paused at that before looking up at her and whined with mutual grief. She patted the side of the massive, intelligent, wolf-like creature with a sad smile as she thought about what to do next.

Normally, she wouldn't care all that much about the deaths of a few of her smaller, more chaotic cousins. Goblins were a Lien a dozen, after all. They bred like crazy and died in droves even without their greater kinsmen using them for war.

But, this, was a different situation.

For one, Hookfang, had been a trusted friend, and a battle brother. And she would have him avenged, no matter what. For another, he had been wearing one of the Lady's Gifts, and it was now missing.

That, was a very bad thing.

If they didn't retrieve it before long the entire war band would be slaughtered. The Lady's representative had said as much when she informed him of the situation.

She shivered at that.

That Faunus male was a madman, and a wicked fighter to boot. She had no doubt that he could've killed any and all of the warriors she had gathered under her banner without a shadow of a doubt. Let alone the army of goblins and human malcontents beyond.

She shivered again at the memory of what he had done her personal guard. Ten of the best warriors in her clan, slaughtered to the last in under a minute.

She would not fail, not like Hookfang had.

Fortunately, the few survivors of the attack, those that she hadn't had executed outright for their cowardice, had informed her of who their attackers were.

She scoffed at that again. A mere human woman, and a boy. The latter a wizard of some type, sure. And, the former armed with some form of blasting rod.

But, still…

Two humans? Two! And they had somehow wiped out an entire encampment of goblins, bugbears, and two trolls in under an hour. Ridiculous.

Of course, maybe that was the oversized pack of Beowolves that had showed up instead as the camp inhabitants panicked at the sight of the fire. Those Beowolves were supposed to be used as the vanguard of their initial assault. Instead, they had been the death-knell of the army.

And, all. Because. Of. Two. Humans!

She growled at that before sighing and patted her faithful companion on the side again as she snarled to herself in thought.

They would hunt those two down and kill them, swiftly, but only after she tortured every last bit of information out of them that she deemed important first, of course. At the thought of the pain to come she smiled wickedly, her gnarled, yellow teeth gleaming.

She had already sent out the scouts.

/ /

Ruby sighed as she sat out in the open in the Rainbow Inn's central room and rubbed at her face tiredly as she waited for their contact to arrive. She then took a sip from the water that she had ordered and looked over at Oscar as he chowed down on a meal she bought for him. He was digging in with all the enthusiasm of a very hungry young man.

It looked like he was finally starting to recover after everything that had happened.

She smiled at that. Good.

Then she frowned as she shook her head and sighed again, thinking back on the mission once more.

It had, decidedly, not gone as planned. To say the least. I mean, she thought to herself, who expected us to stumble onto a literal army of goblins? With a troll!

It had taken the two of them hours to make it safely out of the forest beyond and to the town of Yuri, the next closest town to Suisen.

Once there, Ruby had informed the leaders of the town on what they had seen and experienced over the past couple of days from the destruction Suisen by goblins, and the Sacred Order, and the war camp they had destroyed, omitting the magical necklace she had gone there for. Whether or not they believed her about the Order, hopefully, the village would be able to handle things from there.

As for the two of them, they had slept the remaining hours of that day away at the local inn before continuing on to the much larger township of Higanbana.

Ruby had enjoyed the rest as much as Oscar.

What? Just cause she was used to roughing it didn't mean that she didn't like to enjoy a hot bath as much as the next girl.

She brushed at her dark red hair before stretching with a groan. She then noted as she did so that a hulking brute of a man at the table next to her's was eyeing up her curvy form alongside two other, smaller but no less brutish men. All of them leering at her with a broken smile.

She frowned at that even as she shuddered internally.

And there was the reason for why she didn't stay in town these days.

Well, she thought as she eyed a passing foursome of Knights of the Sacred Order of Light as they walked by outside. Among other things.

There was a local detachment here in Higanbana that she hadn't known about.

She frowned at that before shaking her head. That reminded her of why they were here in the first place.

Supplies.

They needed to supplies before they could continue on their way towards… wherever she needed to go. She sighed at that.

And then there was that, too.

She had yet to inform the rest of her group about what she had found, not having a spare moment to inform them on what she discovered, and, now, had, as well as on what she should now do with Oscar.

She didn't want to just abandon him with someone else, even someone trustworthy, of which there were several in their network; she felt more responsible than that. If she had just gotten there in time, maybe his family and village might have survived.

So,here they were. Sitting in an inn she had visited multiple times over the years while hiding out from the Order, and others. Being leered at by a trio of assholes.

Speaking of which…

Without letting Oscar know what was going she slid her chair back just enough to show the men her shapely thigh, and the dagger on it-her carbine and Crescent Rose were upstairs alongside his staff. She eyed the brutes in what she thought was a menacing glare while tapping at the dagger meaningfully.

The trio paused at that briefly before erupting in a bout of laughter.

She frowned at that before sighing and rolling her eyes as she turned back to looking out of the window again. Then her eyes lit up as she saw her friend, her contact appear on the corner across the way, motioning towards the alley behind her. Then she frowned.

Now, how was she going to to do. She then glanced over at the trio of men as they began to psych each other up, then at Oscar as he was finishing his meal, and her eyes lit up again as an idea came to her then.

"Oscar," she started. He looked up at her, his mouth full of food. "Can you do something for me?"

He paused at that, lost in thought, while he chewed. Then he swallowed and said, "O-kay."

/ /

Once again, Oscar found himself wondering why, and how, he had gotten himself into such a situation like this. Again.

He blamed himself, and his apparent endless naivete, for what was about to come.

Ruby had asked for him to meet the contact, a thief, supposedly-and wasn't that just great?-while she dealt with something else. Having seen the trio of letchers behind them as he got up, he had an inkling as to what she was actually doing right now.

He wished her luck on that.

Honestly, he didn't know why he was still doing this. Ruby should've mopped the floor with those guys already, even if she was holding back.

So, where was she?

"Oh, what's this? Now, where did such a cute little boy come from?"

At the sound of a husky, sardonic feminine voice Oscar looked up to find a young, dark-skinned woman with green hair and red eyes in a green, white and tan outfit and leather armor who was curvy as heck to boot.

Very curvy, indeed.

Oscar swallowed as he struggled to not look at where her bugling breasts were or her exposed stomach as she leaned down to look at him. He felt sweat starting to drip down the back of his neck as he screamed internally at that.

What's the point of wearing all that leather if it doesn't cover anything?! He thought as he swallowed once more as he saw that she wasn't wearing anything under the white leather strips wrapping around her bust and neck.

She grinned cheekily as his expression before standing back up while flipping some of her hair behind an ear as she asked, "So, what are you doing here, anyway?"

"Uh, uh," Oscar started, tongue-tied before shaking his head and said, as he crossed his arms and looked away from her, "I simply enjoying the night life."

The woman paused at that, stiffening, before glancing around the alleyway they were in. It was empty, and silent, compared to the busy thoroughfare beyond the inn. She glanced around once before smirking and placing a hand on her hip near one of the two green sickles she was carrying as she said, "Not much of a night life around here, little man. But if you're looking for something a bit more interesting, well, mayhaps I could interest you in a walk outside the walls?"

She then leaned in towards him again and winked, saying in a flirty tone as her hair veiled her eyes from him, "You know, just the two of us."

He swallowed again at that before shaking his head and licking his lips nervously as he blushed profusely at the implications. Other than the last bit, the rest of what she said had been the code phrases that Ruby said her contact would be asking him.

Okay.

So, was she the contact? Or, just an overly flirtatious woman?

He didn't know. But, he could do this. He knew he could.

Just, why did she have to be so… her?

"Hm," the woman said as she looked him up and down before saying, "Li'l Red never said that I'd be meeting with anyone other than him for this."

She then grinned as she said, "And certainly not someone so cute, and innocent, either."

Oscar flushed at that before coughing and glaring at her as he said, "Her."

The woman chuckled at his look before smiling beatifically as she said, "Her, indeed." She then offered her hand as she said with sincerity, "Name's Emerald. Looks like you pass…"

"Oscar," he replied with a sigh of relief as he shook her hand. Then he rubbed at the back of his head as he said, "Wasn't expecting that last test."

Emerald smirked at that before crossing her arms as she leaned upon the wall next to her and said, "No one ever does."

Oscar blinked at that before asking, "Wait. Have people tried something like this before?"

Emerald shrugged and rubbed at her shoulder in discomfort as she said, "Hah, plenty." Then she looked over at the main street for a moment in silence before clarifying.

"Ruby, uh, Li'l Red, has had several people after her over the years. For some, like those Knights, it's because she's a werewolf - Not sure if you know that? Don't hold it against her - For others, it has something to do that… gun, of hers. I think? And for the rest, well, her friends, if you can call them that, I guess, have never really explained why they were after her.

"At this point, I don't even think they know why…"

Oscar frowned at that as he fingered the medallion in his pocket. Ruby had asked him to hold on to it, believing that anyone coming after it would go after her first. He had wondered about that, but now, maybe he thought that she believed that would be the case due to her own experiences.

He kind of hoped that it wasn't true. No matter what, he didn't want to lose anyone else he cared about.

And, Ruby was a friend.

He looked up at the striking woman before him and stared at her as she continued to lean against the wall in silence, looking out into the bustling crowd beyond before finally working up the nerve to ask her, "And, what's your history with her?"

Emerald shrugged before nonchalantly saying, "I tried to rob her."

"Wait! What?!" Oscar blurted out in surprise before blushing and looking out at the crowd beyond their meeting point. No one appeared to have noticed them.

Emerald erupted into laughter at his expression. His blush deepened as he tried hard to not like it as he watched her continue to chuckle into her closed hand.

Finally, Emerald recovered enough to explain, "Woo, it was… five years ago, now, I think? It was in the City of Argus. I was born there. I was thirteen, and I was hungry."

She paused as she thought back before shrugging.

"She had just gotten off the boat from Vale, and looked like just the most naive and clueless tourist I had ever seen. And rich, too." She said as she thought back to that day. "That rich, red cloak. Those shiny black boots. The new black belt with the solid silver Rose Emblem… All of it.

"A perfect target, I thought.

"I had snuck up on her while she was looking at an Adventurer's Board-those missions boards you find in most of the larger villages, and even some of the more friendly cities, for Adventurers and Huntsmen-and stolen her coin purse. I had ran as soon as I snatched the purse and hid away in a nearby alleyway, thinking that I had gotten away with it just like all the other times.

"Only, she had found me right away."

She smiled and shook her head as she said, "I blame that nose of hers, but she says it was her ears, and the lack of weight at her waist."

"What happened then?" Oscar asked as it became clear that she wasn't going to say anything else.

"Oh," She blinked at him as she realized that she had been lost in thought before smiling again as she said, "Well, after that we became the best of friends." Then she shrugged as she said, "Okay. Not right after. But she helped to get me on my own two feet, trained me, and effectively saved my life from what it could've been, had been."

She frowned then and looked down as her eyes darkened as she remembered the past. The years of living in the cold, of forever being hungry. The things that she had had to do to survive.

The stealing, the killing. The… other things that she had forced to do, to survive.

She shivered unconsciously as she recalled the man with the grey hair and dead eyes. The one who had awakened her soul and initially saved her from starvation, She thought he was saving her at first, but instead he had forced her to do things that she never wanted to in the first place.

She closed her eyes as she recalled the day Ruby saved her from his grasp.

He had been… using her as he liked to do when Ruby came upon them, and, on seeing the way she looked, the way she acted at his touch, and had sprung into action like usual, without a single thought to the consequences of her actions. She had sliced off his legs above the knees with that scythe of hers in one fell swoop as she flew by so, so fast.

That beautiful, sparkling, clean scythe of hers.

She had later told Emerald that that was the only part of him that was exposed and readily available to attack. Emerald had understood. Even if there were days where she wished that Ruby had go for his head instead.

Especially, when she had returned to their Spot and found a trail of blood leading away from where he had fell, but no body.

That was the day that she realized that she could no longer stay in Argus. That was the day that she realized that her nightmare wasn't over.

Not yet. Not so long as Mercury lived.

Because he would find her. That's what he did. And when he did, she would be ready, waiting.

She sighed before looking back up at Oscar. She gave him another once-over before speaking again, "It… can be hard living in a city. Especially when you're homeless. No one really looks at you, helps you out. Not often, anyway.

"Not like her."

She thought back to that day again, the moment she saw that brilliant red cloak billowing in the air as she reaved that man's legs from out beneath him, before looking back up at Oscar and stated, "Ruby is my friend, and I would do anything for her. Anything."

Oscar paused at that, thinking over their similarities, though he didn't know everything about her, yet, before he nodded to himself as he said, "I understand. While it's not the same, I sure, growing up as a poor farmer can still be quite hard. Especially, when you come from a cursed family like mine. Or, at least, considered cursed." As he said that Emerald watched as a faint aura of green flames wreathed his hands before he clenched them into fists, vanishing it, before he said, "Not that it matters now."

He looked off into the distance for a moment himself before turning back to her and placing a gloved hand on his chest as he said, "I understand, Em. She saved me, too. I trust her. Completely."

Emerald nodded at him even as she ignored the faint blush at the sudden nickname and she replied with, "Good."

They then went back to standing in silence with both lost in their thoughts. Oscar with the recent past. And, Emerald with the previous five years of her life.

After Mercury, she had largely been unable to be intimate with men of any type, but especially those who were taller and physically stronger than her, save Ruby's unnamed friend, the one called "Knight" in their communications. The tall man ,who always wore a simple brown cloak with the hood drawn low over his face, who had met with her in person had always remained distant in their encounters, seemingly more concerned for Ruby's safety, than her own.

Though, the one time that she had needed it he had arrived just in the nick of time. She had never seen his face, he had been wearing a suit of blackened plate armor and a well-worn traveling cloak, but she knew it was him from the sounds of his voice.

She wondered why he never revealed his face. Was he in hiding himself?

She thought about it for a moment before her thoughts, and eyes, almost naturally drifted over to Oscar. Unlike many of the men she knew he wasn't tall, or strong looking, though he did have some definition about the biceps and shoulders, or any of the other features that sometimes made it hard for her to get close to a man.

And, he was kind of cute, too. She liked the freckles and those beautiful hazel eyes were to die for.

She blinked and shook her head. Just what was she thinking?! She didn't have time for romance right now!

And, besides, Oscar would be leaving with Ruby soon.

There wasn't time to do anything, to get to know him. Besides, he was sixteen! True, she was only eighteen, and in Mistrali culture the age of consent was fifteen, but… But, it wouldn't be right. Right?

She was knocked out of her thoughts as Oscar looked at her again and asked, "Speaking of which, where is she, anyway?"

"Ruby?" She asked.

"Yeah," he replied as he scratched at his head and glanced away from the taller girl. "There were some guys watching her earlier, and now, I'm kind of, getting worried that she hasn't shown up yet."

"Let me guess. A big hulking brute and two skinny chumps, right?" Emerald asked him as she placed a hand on her hip once more.

Oscar blinked at her and stared as he said, "Yeeaahh? You know them?"

"Know them?" Emerald burst into laughter as she said, "I hired them! They're there to watch over her." She then crossed her arms and shrugged as she said, "If those bozos try to do anything else with her, that's on them."

/ /

Ruby sighed before sitting down on top the unconscious trio, ignoring the eleven loose teeth scattered about on the ground as she pulled out the Sending Scroll. She did check to make certain the three were still alive as she started writing, though.

They'd be fine, though the big one would need to pay to have his jaw repaired. Oh, well.

Warden, I have a report. Pilgrim.

Once more, she watched as a faint trace of red light drifted up into the air before transforming into that of a crow in mid flight. It wasn't much later before she watched as another crow flapped her way before transitioning in a brief, dim flash of light as it collected on her page as a line of dimly glowing green text.

It read: Warden here. Excellent news, Pilgrim. Go ahead with your report when you are ready.

Ruby blew out a breath in relief at getting that go ahead, always worried that one day her unknown senior wouldn't reply to her message, and, instead, someone else would. She feared that day as much as she feared the day any of her other unknown compatriots failed to sign in or responded to their messages.

Instead of that she wrote: Warden. It was worse than I initially thought. It was a full war camp. I counted over two hundred goblins there as well as a full score of bugbears. There was also a troll among them.

She paused waiting for the inevitable response. It didn't take nearly as long as Fire said: Holy shit! What the Fuck, Knight?! How have you not noticed something like that?!

Ruby winced at that and raised her quill to write a response to that. Only for some of the others to respond first.

Fire! That is most unkind!Shadow replied.

Fire, please! Now is not the time to be pointing fingers. Spartan pleaded as well.

Ice then said, somewhat expectedly: Fire, as much as I do agree with you, and don't I just hate saying that. You can't really blame Knight for such a thing.

Before any of them could say anything to that, especially, the aforementioned Knight, an unexpected message appeared on the Scroll. With a sudden chime like that of a clock-followed by the actual sounds of gears turning-a golden glow took over the magical paper, and a solid green text appeared on it, for all of them to read.

It read: Enough, my young comrades. There is no need for such accusations, Fire, Ice. There was no way for Knight to discover this. The task that Knight is attempting to accomplish makes it impossible for him to do.

Ruby froze at that. She was sure that all the others were doing the same. Their mysterious leader, the one called only Watcher, rarely if ever made his presence known, let alone get in the middle of their disputes.

This, was unprecedented, frankly.

Eventually Fire responded with: Yeah. I guess. Sorry, Knight.

Knight said nothing.

Watcher then said: Good. Now. Pilgrim, continue, please. What did you do next?

Ruby swallowed before answering with: We burned down the camp, and killed the goblin commander in charge. He had a magical necklace similar to the ones I've seen used to control Grimm previously. I was unable to find out who was backing them before we destroyed the commander's tent, though.

Watcher: And where is the necklace now?

Ruby: With the boy, the sorcerer, Oscar. And, both are being watched over by Gemstone while I make this report.

Watcher: Excellent. Just what I expect from you, Pilgrim. I want you to bring them both to me. There is evidently a greater mystery going on here, and, as much as I'm sure you would rather undertake it yourself, it would be better if you were back in Vale. You've been out there for too long.

And, I have a mission for you to undertake.

Ruby: Understood, sir. That being said, it might be harder to get back than I had originally thought.

Watcher: How so?

Ruby paused for a moment before writing: The Knights have recently upped their patrols out here, and, after that mission, I've had to dodge a surprising amount of goblins as well. I believe that I'm being hunted. That we both are.

She was glad that she didn't make mention of the other signs of being tracked by other parties as the others, especially Fire and Ice, immediately began sending their own concerns and offers of assistance. Ruby almost smiled at that, even if some of the things that Fire, and even Shadow, thought to come up with in order to help her were just a bit ridiculous.

But it was Knight's response that she focused on.

His only remark this entire time.

I have a plan, he wrote. It should aid you in getting to Vale, and assist me as well. But, I doubt that you'll like it.

What is it? She asked in reply.

Go to Order of Light enclave at Oniyuri, and turn yourself, he replied.

Instantly, the others got on to him, with even Warden and Spartan asking if he was crazy. Though, Ruby noted how Watcher said nothing.

She said nothing herself, but she did swallow in fear, not understanding what the man meant by such a statement. Had he forgotten that the knightly order had been after her for years, now, hunting her down under the guise of calling her a monster, a freak against nature?

Finally, he was able get his own message across without being interrupted by one of the others, notably Fire:.

Listen! He wrote. And, trust me, Pilgrim. Please.

This is the only way to save her. My contacts in the Order can confirm that if she presents herself, and the boy, to the local enclave's leaders for Judgement. Then they have to hold a Trial for her.

An actual, proper one. Not that Thing the Rogue Paladin and his Agent pulled.

When they do, they'll fall under the Order's protection.

And my contact can then use his influence, what there is, to then escort them to the main chapter's enclave, in Vale, for the Trial. Where, they will be Judged properly, and fairly.

What say you?

I don't know, Knight. Fire responded. You're putting an awful lot of trust in a group that's been nothing but trouble lately. Are you even sure that they won't just kill them outright when they surrender? Is your contact?

Indeed. Shadow then stated. I know that you wish for the best for our comrade, and that you believe in the Order's Ideals, Knight. But, I fear that those Ideals, are no longer being followed, by the Order.

I would suggest a safer alternative myself. Ice then suggested.

Indeed. Warden said. While it is further away, I would suggest going the other way. To Argus. Or, one of the other port towns on that side of Anima. Surely, we could fund a ship for you to escape on.

There is no time! Knight finally snapped. She has already stated that she is being hunted! By more than one group!

If she was by herself then she may have had a chance. But she not!

The boy will slow her down if they go by cross country, and the roads have never been safe. Not for the likes of her, at any rate.

Well then, what should she do? Fire asked in exasperation.

I cannot say. Knight replied in the sudden absence. It is up to her to decide what to do next.

Pilgrim? Your thoughts?

Ruby paused and mulled it over for a bit. Finally, she nodded to herself.

Knight was right.

She already knew just how dangerous the main roads were for her these days, what with the constant patrols by the Order, and the occasional bandit camp like the Branwens out there. And, no matter that he had gotten quite a bit better, Oscar would never be able to keep up with the frenetic pace she would have to set in order to stay one step ahead of their pursuers.

There, really was, only one option here. But, she was loathe to do it. She had been running for so long.

So long.

She swallowed as she wrote. Okay, Knight. So, what's the plan.

A/N: Welp, that's all for this chapter. Emerald was always going to be a thing in this, and I did say that I'd be making it up to Oscar after that, well, rather dark origins-I've played and read darker, though (Even here on Fanfiction.) Still, he's going to be getting The Babe of RWBY-I guess that moniker could also apply to several other girls like Coco and Yang, too. But, for this story, its Emerald.

Alright, enough of me being a dork. Take care and much love, Essiter