Chapitre 59: 67
RWBY: Beacon
Day Four
I ended up spending another hour in the library quietly reading before deciding that Ruby's increasingly dramatic complaints were getting to be a bit much. The girl could be serious––I'd seen her absolutely tear through three of her classmates during Glynda's combat class with deadly focus shining in her silver eyes––but only in certain situations. Doing academic work she didn't really want to be doing was not one of them.
Zatanna stayed behind and I did not begrudge her the opportunity to spend time with her new friends. It was good to have her around amidst a sea of unfamiliar faces, but I could do without her company for a time. I gathered my books, wished the others farewell, and headed towards the front desk to check out the books I'd selected minus the one that Blake had mentioned as being factually inaccurate.
I didn't immediately head back to my room. It was still early in the evening and the usually busy halls and stairways were nearly empty of students. I let my feet carry me where they would, taking turns mostly at random and admiring the way the slowly setting sun painted the school's white walkways and outbuildings in shades of red and orange through the many windows I passed.
Though I didn't really know the school particularly well, I wasn't too worried about getting lost. Beacon was somewhat labyrinthine, but not nearly on the same scale as Hogwarts and, without any anti-apparition wards around the academy, I could always return to my room from wherever I ended up wandering.
After a few minutes, I heard a second set of footsteps approaching me from behind and turned to find Blake hurrying towards me, a pair of books tucked under her arm. I looked at her curiously and she waved. "Hydrys, wait up!" she called out, and I stopped, leaning against a windowsill as I waited for her to catch up.
She stopped beside me and leaned forward, her breathing smooth and even despite having clearly been chasing after me for at least some distance. "Good evening, Blake," I greeted her. "Did I forget something at the library?"
"Oh…uh, no?" she said, seeming slightly surprised by the question. "Did you?"
"Nothing I was intending to bring with me, I don't think." I tilted my head to the side slightly, and shifted such that I could have my wand in my hand at a moment's notice. "Is there something I can help you with?"
She blinked at me blankly, then straightened and shoved the books she was holding out towards me. "Here."
I silently took the proffered books and turned them over in my hands. The top book was titled 'Troubles of the Post-War Era' and the second was 'Those Who Hunted More than Grimm: the Real Monsters of Vacuo'. Neither was particularly thick compared to some of the spellbooks I was used too, but that seemed to be a general trend here on Remnant.
"These are better," she told me firmly. "I couldn't find a copy of 'Counting the Dead', but I think there's a bookseller in Vale that has some in stock. I can give you his address."
Ah, I suddenly realized what this was about. "These are meant to replace the book I set aside, then?" I asked curiously.
She nodded emphatically. "They're much less biased. I read them both in school back…before coming to Beacon."
I nodded and tucked them under my arm. "Thank you, Blake. I appreciate the gesture. I'll give them a look if I have some time."
"You should. Not enough humans know about what really happened during and especially after the Great War."
I suddenly had a feeling that the books I'd been given may well be just as biased as the one I'd left behind, perhaps even more so. Just in a different direction. I probably wouldn't be reading either of them, though maybe I'd flip through a few pages between more academically rigorous reading.
I smiled charmingly. "I completely understand. All too often, history is simply written by the winners to highlight their achievements." Wizards were unfortunately quite guilty of that offense, often to our own detriment. I'd read a number of first-person accounts dating back to the last few goblin-wars written by Blacks, and they differed significantly from what was in my history of magic textbooks. Far too many wizarding lives were lost during each rebellion as we willfully blinded ourselves to the dangers posed by our non-human foes.
"Exactly!" Blake exclaimed, "We––I mean Faunus won the Rights Revolution, but what did that really change? Almost nothing. Sure they can live in any of the Kingdoms now as equal citizens, but what use is equality on paper when the people they live with don't believe in that equality? Nothing! The names and words change, but the quality of life has mostly stayed the same or even gotten worse!"
Ah right, Faunus. I'd heard about them. Near-human beings with various animal features that lived among the people of Remnant. I'd seen a few of them around the academy and they didn't really seem significantly different from the other students.
I couldn't say that I particularly empathized with what Blake was saying, but she certainly seemed passionate about it all. I chose my next words carefully, mindful of how I'd seen some of the more fervent muggle-lovers back home react. I didn't think the situation was necessarily a good parallel, faunus here seemed to be just as capable of using the local form of magic as anyone else, but Blake was certainly speaking of it as though it was. "It truly is a tragedy," I agreed. "We should be working together against the Grimm, not fighting each other."
"I know, right? But some people just can't put aside their differences!"
I guess perhaps the situation was more similar to the historic conflicts between wizards and other magic-capable near-humans? Britain only really had hags, whose magic was far cruder and weaker than that of wizards, but I knew that French wizards had a long and bloody history with the local Veela flocks. A Veela could use a wand just as readily as any other witch but, like goblins and many other beasts and beings, they had long been banned from possessing them.
However, unlike a goblin or a house elf, veela often had little trouble getting their hands on wands through official channels. When their natural abilities were well controlled, a veela could easily pass for a blonde witch and simply purchase a well-matched wand from a master craftsman.
This had led to many violent conflicts between wizards and veela with comparable levels of skill and training, and ultimately veela had finally been given the right to carry wands in the country after the french revolution.
Even now though, there remained a lot of bad blood and stigma between the two groups, and very few ICW signatories allowed Veela to carry wands. Britain certainly didn't, though the law was rarely enforced. France had managed to push through international bans on the purchase, possession, and sale of live veela, but that law was similarly laxly enforced. Probably the work of the Malfoys––they'd always been very proud of their merchandise, though utterly denied any accusations of interbreeding.
"I completely agree." It was rather funny to see two groups of barely-wizards discriminating against one another. I straightened. "Thank you for the books. Feel free to pass along any other recommendations to Zatanna or I and I'll try to take a look. I'm afraid my time here at Beacon is nearing its end, but I'm sure we'll run into each other a few more times yet."
I started to turn away, but Blake raised a hand to stop me. "Where are you going?"
I smiled politely. "Just looking around for now. Beacon has a beautiful campus and I'm afraid I've not had the opportunity to explore it much."
"Oh, I can show you some of my favorite spots that I've found!" Blake offered.
I considered refusing the offer, but memories of how I'd ended up bonding with Shadowcrest stopped me. I had planned to just wander around and see if I could get a feel for the building and its grounds that way, but perhaps Blake's presence could expedite that process? There was a certain amount of meaning involved in binding a land, both internal and external, and Blake clearly had a stronger degree of attachment to this place than I did.
"That sounds lovely." I offered her my arm and she hesitantly took it. "Lead on."
I wasn't sure if Blake's presence actually helped at all, but a few hours later I finally felt the connection snap into place. We were sitting together in a small courtyard and Blake was telling me about a book she'd been reading. I had a nagging suspicion that this was the same book, or at least series, as she'd been engrossed in during our bullhead flight, but she was doing a good job of editing out the lurid details I'd seen so it was hard to say for certain.
Our conversation had drifted a lot during the impromptu tour she'd given me. She spoke at length about faunus rights and discrimination and I mostly nodded along and made the appropriate sounds at times to show that I was listening. Then she'd moved on to talking about her team, then some notes about her life and studies, and finally onto some of her favorite books.
I waited until Blake reached a pause in her story and stood up. "Well Blake, this has been a wonderful way to spend an evening," I finally, finally had five lands! Enough to summon Kent or Raven, though unfortunately the Colors did not line up with most of the Grimm whose Blueprints I'd gathered so far. "Unfortunately I'm afraid that duty calls. I have some things I promised to assist the headmaster with that I need to get to tonight."
"Oh, okay." Blake looked rather disappointed. "But there are still a few spots I wanted to show you."
"Perhaps another night," I told her noncommittally. Her company had been pleasant enough and she was an attractive young woman, but I was not overly invested in many of the things she seemed to be rather passionate about. "Have a nice rest of your evening, Blake." I turned and walked away, then cast a silencing charm around myself and apparated, reappearing in the room where Ozpin was keeping Amber.
It was high time to see if I could actually help the Maiden. I didn't want Ozpin to think that I was ungrateful for his aid by seemingly avoiding the things he'd asked me to assist him with. Though I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to help her directly, I finally had the resources to summon someone who very well might be able to do so.
I drew upon all my lands. Two White mana from the Tower of Fate and the Huntsmen's Monument. One Black from Slaughter Swamp. And finally two colorless from Shadowcrest and Beacon. I channeled the mana through my spark, then out into the world. There was a faint shimmer, a pulse of energy, and then Kent Nelson appeared, steadying himself with his cane as he looked around the room.
"Good evening, Kent," I greeted the man.
"And to you, Hydrys," he said, smiling at me. "So this is what Planeswalker magic feels like. Very interesting."
"Oh? You can feel something?"
He nodded slowly, "Yes, I do believe I can. I am…not quite whole, I think."
"Do you still have your magic?" I asked, slightly worried. Zatanna hadn't mentioned any difficulties, but she also had a far less developed skill set than Kent did. Her capabilities didn't really exceed my own in any real way, while Kent's certainly did.
"I believe so. But I am missing something. I've grown to know myself quite well after years watching and waiting in the Helmet while Nabu worked, and I don't feel quite right."
"Will it slow you down?"
"It shouldn't."
"Than let's table that discussion for now."
"Of course, of course." He turned away from me, peering past me towards the pod where Amber lay unconscious. "I take it this is why you called for me?"
"That's correct. I'm hoping you'll be able to do something for her."
"Hmm, perhaps. I can't say that I'm an expert healer––Order magic is unfortunately ill-suited to dealing with maladies of the flesh."
"What about soul damage?"
"Somewhat better suited."
"Then that's perfect. Aura should be able to deal with anything that's physically wrong with her." I paused, seeing the confusion on Kent's face. "Uh, it's a type of local magic. Self-enhancement mostly, but also healing and some other stuff. It comes from the soul." The confusion faded slightly so I continued. "Near as I can tell, someone tried to tear her soul out of her body, and at least partially succeeded. Plus she has this magic…blessing of sorts attached to her that was also badly damaged."
"I understand. I will need some time, and likely an example of this aura to work with."
"Done and done. I'll make sure that Ozpin, that's the person in charge around here, will get you anything you need. I'll go talk to him now."
"Very good. Farewell, Hydrys."
"Thanks for the help, Kent."
As much as having Zatanna's copy around was weird, the innate sense of loyalty and obedience towards me that summons received was rather handy. I was confident that the real Kent wouldn't have been so ready to jump at my request. I was pretty sure it wasn't an absolute thing, especially not with legendary summons, but as long as I avoided pushing them too far past what they were willing to do, my summons seemed content to obey my orders.
I left the basement with a skip in my step and a smile on my face. Now that I'd bound Beacon, I was even happier to have gotten a Blueprint of Raven. Hopefully Ozpin would find some other huntsmen or huntresses interested in having me augment them with the Monument, because I'd feel much safer back on Zatanna's world with a duo or trio of experienced Huntsmen as bodyguards. Raven was a good start, but if I could get Glynda too and perhaps even a few of the more-skilled students…
The protection would be welcome and the eye-candy was just the cherry on top. I was really starting to miss having the real Zatanna around. It was getting late, but I'd promised to enchant a few things for Ozpin and should probably finish taking care of that tonight. A few portkeys, some shield-charms, and a couple other minor enchantments wouldn't take too long, but it was best to take care of that so I could spend the rest of my time here focusing on what I really wanted to be doing.
New Card Added to Deck: Beacon Academy
I think we're starting to wrap up with our current visit. However, I think one more vote on how to spend our final days seems appropriate. I'm going to limit the list a bit today, though write-ins are still welcome, and I may end up using the top few votes.
Just as a reminder, Hydrys has also attended some lessons with Ozpin, gone out and picked up a Grimm Blueprint or two (will be added to the deck as part of a summary chapter/partial chapter), spent some time attending classes and private lessons at Beacon, and provided some basic magical services to Ozpin in addition to the two big requests the Headmaster saddled him with.
RWBY: Beacon
Day Six
Glynda lay on the same bed that Raven had occupied a little less than two days earlier. Instead of just the bare mattress, there was a plain white sheet under her like you might find in the hospital wing. There were three of us in the room like there had been last time, but instead of Zatanna, the third person was Ozpin, his hands folded together on top of his cane as he silently watched the proceedings.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
Glynda nodded, her lips pursed and her muscles tensed.
I jabbed her belly with my wand and her aura flared. It was like poking a brick wall. If I hadn't started learning how to reinforce my wand with my aura, I might have even scuffed the wood. "Relax," I ordered. "Control your aura and yourself. I can't work if you're going to fight me the whole way."
Glynda did not relax. If anything, her back stiffened and her grip on her riding crop tightened until her already pale knuckles turned white.
I turned towards Ozpin and shrugged helplessly. The man rose slowly to his feet and walked over to where I was sitting beside the huntress, his cane tapping against the ground with every step.
"Glynda, my dear, there is nothing to be worried about. I've already seen Hydrys work and the enhancement is quite harmless. I'd take it myself, but I'm afraid that what he is offering does not seem to be compatible with my own wizardry."
My lips curled into a small frown. And hadn't that been an annoying thing to discover. I could neither create a Blueprint, nor enhance the ancient wizard. The Brothers' magic inside him resisted my magic and my spark with frightening intensity and neither of us felt comfortable trying to push through that resistance.
Ozpin continued. "I will be right here the entire time and make sure that nothing goes wrong. It is important for all of us who fight for the light to seize whatever advantages we can."
Glynda sighed. "Yes, Ozpin. I understand."
It took another few minutes for her to properly relax, but eventually I felt her aura withdraw somewhat so I could begin. From there, the process took a little under a quarter of an hour. First, Glynda's Blueprint appeared within my Spark. It was another five-mana Blueprint that used a color I did not have any lands for, but thankfully that wasn't going to be an issue now that I'd bonded with Beacon. Then I used four lands to empower the huntress, leaving me with just Shadowcrest to draw on.
I withdrew my wand and hand and stepped away. Glynda sat up slowly, flexing her fingers. "That was a thoroughly odd experience," she announced. "But I do feel somewhat different now."
"Raven reported a roughly ten-percent improvement to her physical strength when not using her aura to empower her body."
Glynda balled her hand into a fist. "I think it feels like more than that. It's hard to say for sure."
Ozpin laughed. "That's what testing is for, Glynda. We don't make our students do it for nothing, after all."
Glynda grumbled something under her breath as Ozpin turned to me. "I've arranged things for later this afternoon. Will you be available around two?"
I felt for my land bonds, trying to get a general sense for how long it would take them to refresh. It was hard, but my senses––and prior experience––told me it would be about two or three hours. Since it was currently some time before noon, that was more than enough time. I nodded. "That should be good."
"Excellent, excellent. Will either of your companions be joining us?"
"I think Zatanna told me she was going to be spending some more time with team RWBY this afternoon, but Kent will probably come for at least the first part. Observing an aura activation might help him with his work."
"Very good. Let me know if he needs anything else. Amber's health is one of my top priorities."
"Will do. Till this afternoon, then, Ozpin."
He nodded sharply. "Till this afternoon, Hydrys." He helped Glynda to her feet and the two left without any further fanfare.
The next few hours passed quickly and busily. I checked in with Kent and spent about half an hour conversing with the elderly Order wizard. Amber's hospital room had been completely transformed in the thirty-six hours since I'd summoned him. The beds and much of the equipment had been pushed up against the walls or removed entirely and Amber's pod now stood at the center of a large, complex runic circle whose purpose and methodologies I could only roughly parse.
Kent was in an excellent mood. He looked carefree and joyful in a way I'd never seen the original look and was rushing around the room adjusting parts of the circle and casting complex analysis spells. According to him, everything was progressing smoothly and he had high hopes of successfully healing the Maiden or at least significantly improving the condition of her soul.
Eventually I passed along the time that Ozpin had given me, wished him farewell, and continued on my way. At some point in the future I would need to see if my summoned version of the man was willing to teach me any skills that the original was holding back, but that could wait for another time.
Next I headed up to Ozpin's office. The man was absent, but I left a list of materials that Kent was asking for on his desk. Either he'd see them the next time he came up, or I'd pass along the details when we met up later in the afternoon.
I also returned a pair of thin, hand-written books that I'd borrowed. Near as I could tell, they'd originally been prepared as guides for some of his earliest Maidens and contained instructions on how to practice and develop their magical abilities. They were both (formerly) one-of-a-kind books and Ozpin had asked me to return them when I was finished with them, something I was happy to do. After all, I had brand new copies in my bag that I could peruse at my leisure.
Nothing in the books was particularly revolutionary, but it was interesting stuff nonetheless. The local magic seemed to come in one of two varieties––simple and direct or fiendishly complicated and versatile––with nothing really in between to bridge the gap.
The two books, as well as some of the other materials I'd borrowed from Ozpin and duplicated, mostly covered the former. The local magic was well suited towards combat, favoring elemental manipulations and powerful projections of force and magic that could be cast rapidly to devastating effect.
I wasn't very good at it yet, but I'd picked up the basics quickly enough. Speed and power would come with practice. I could even levitate now without the need for my wand. It wasn't flight yet, but it was one step closer than I'd been before.
The latter was something I'd been learning from Ozpin directly. Annoyingly enough, it wasn't anything he'd ever bothered writing down. The magic he'd imbued into his Maidens was too crude to duplicate such delicate, intricate magics and they were the only other wizards on Remnant outside of his mysterious adversary.
Still, despite that setback, it was still some fascinating stuff. Pocket dimensions, powerful blessings, wards, precise scrying, and more were all possible if you had the skill, knowledge, and patience to accomplish it. I didn't––not yet, and likely not for some time––but Ozpin had promised to write up a few short guides for me that I could bring along with me when I left Remnant behind.
I was particularly interested in how Ozpin had created his Maidens. Ozpin had given muggles––well, muggle-like humans––access to magic. Real, versatile magic, not just the aura that was available to all the living creatures of this Plane. It was both heresy and one of the most incredible magical achievements I'd ever heard of. So far Ozpin's explanations of how he'd done it had been vague and often went over my head, but someday I was certain I'd be able to duplicate the feat.
After that brief stop, I headed down to the cafeteria where I met up with Zatanna and the members of teams RWBY and JNPR for lunch. I ate quickly and left soon after, not seeing much reason in hanging around. Zatanna had made fast friends with members of both teams and seemed to be enjoying herself, but I had more important things to be doing today.
My next destination was the library. I returned the books I'd borrowed the day before, collected about a dozen new tomes that looked promising or had been recommended to me, and headed back to my room to read and duplicate my new acquisitions. My bag was rapidly starting to fill up with books, something that pleased me to no end. The library of my home would someday rival and surpass the greatest repositories of knowledge known to wizard-kind. Books, scrolls, and tablets gathered from countless planes collected under my roof; the mere thought of it made me giddy.
Soon however, it was time to go. I reluctantly closed the latest text that had caught my interest––a treatise on aura-plating written by a long-dead soldier––and headed to the room that Ozpin had selected for us.
I was not the first to arrive, but neither was I the last. Ozpin was already there, as was an uncomfortable-looking teenage boy with orange hair wearing a crisp white shirt and pants. He was fiddling with his collar and constantly looking around the room, his foot tapping out a frantic rhythm against the floor.
Kent arrived scarcely a minute after I did. A glowing ankh appeared by the door and he stepped out of it, nearly making the boy fall as he stumbled backwards in surprise. Ozpin's cane shot up and tapped the boy's back, stopping him before he could crack his skull open on the hardwood floor.
Glynda was the last to arrive, bringing with her the other volunteer that Ozpin had selected. To my surprise, that volunteer turned out to be Blake, who looked equally surprised to see me sitting beside Ozpin quietly discussing the finer points of his method of spatial manipulation.
"Hydrys? What are you doing here?" Blake asked. She turned to Glynda, "I thought I was supposed to meet with some kind of special consultant."
"Indeed, that would be him," Glynda confirmed.
Ozpin smiled. "I thought you might be more comfortable working with someone familiar, and a first-year student will give us an excellent baseline to work from."
I shrugged. "I'm fine with it. As long as you're happy to use up one of your three slots." After Raven had confirmed that the process worked, I'd agreed to enhance four more huntsmen of Ozpin's choice. I simply didn't have enough time or mana for more than that. Collecting more Blueprints would have been nice, but four skilled huntsmen and huntresses was already a good number. One of those had been Glynda. Ozpin had intended for himself to be another, but that didn't work out.
"I am." He pitched his voice so it would carry across the room. "Miss Belladonna has so far proven herself to be a skilled and trustworthy student. I have high hopes of working with her more closely in the future."
Blake didn't audibly react to the Headmaster's words, but I could see that she'd heard them nonetheless. Her back straightened slightly and a new note of confidence entered her stride.
"Fair enough. Well, I think this is everyone. Let's get started?"
"Indeed. I would like to get back to work as soon as possible," Kent added.
"Of course. Then let's begin with Mr. Magin here so he and you can both be on your way."
Ozpin directed the boy to stand near the center of the room and Kent and I both swiftly cast a number of perception and analysis spells on ourselves. Once we were both ready, Ozpin set a hand on the boy's head and took a deep breath.
The man's aura flared, green light flowing around him and slowly expanding from his body. His voice was firm and dripped with emotion and power. "For it is in determination that we achieve success. Through this, we become a paragon of light and humanity to rise above her. Infinite in death and unbound by time, I release your soul, and by my power, condemn thee."
I watched with keen interest as Ozpin's aura reached out towards and flowed into the boy. It filled his body, thin tendrils brushing against the barely visible wisps that made up the core of his very being.
Then there was a shift and what had just moments before been a silvery wisp became a shining furnace. Ozpin's aura vanished in an instant, pushed out of the boy's body as sunset-orange aura flared to life and rushed like floodwaters from his soul to fill the space that Ozpin's aura had opened up.
Kent hummed thoughtfully. "Fascinating."
I nodded in agreement. "That's not quite how Glynda did it to me. She wasn't as thorough. Ozpin's method is better, I think. I bet the boy will have an easier time picking up the basics than most people."
Kent clicked his tongue. "As interesting as this was, I'm afraid it wasn't quite as helpful as I'd hoped. I must return to my work."
And just like that, he was gone through another ankh. I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. When Kent got invested in a project, he really knew how to focus on it to the exclusion of everything else.
I took a few more minutes to examine the boy's newly awakened aura, and then he was sent on his way and it was time for the second part of today's demonstrations. For that however, we needed to relocate. This training room was considered state of the art, but I was interested in seeing how huntsmen operated and for that we needed slightly less controlled conditions.
Thus, the four of us left Beacon and headed down into the vast forest that surrounded the plateau on which the Academy had been built. Along the way, Glynda explained to Blake what would be happening while Ozpin and I continued our conversation from before.
The plan was simple. We were going to find some Grimm. If they were a species I'd yet to obtain a blueprint for, we would subdue it and I'd take care of that. Otherwise, Blake would be given the opportunity to show off her huntress skills in front of her combat teacher and Headmaster.
After Blake had fought a few Grimm, we'd pause, I would collect a Blueprint, empower her using the Memorial, and then we'd find some more Grimm for her to fight to see how much she'd improved.
The Emerald forest was home to plenty of Grimm, so finding them shouldn't be an issue. However, the more dangerous Grimm were frequently culled by upperclassmen and professors, so with Glynda and Ozpin there none of us would ever be in any real danger.
Everything went off without a hitch. The first Grimm we encountered was a Boarbatusk, a boar-like Grimm that was common in the forest. I'd already obtained such a blueprint, so we let Blake kill it and moved on. Two Nevermore, a Beowolf, and another Boarbatusk were likewise taken care of in short order.
Watching Blake fight was an interesting experience. Her weapon was an odd mix of a sword, gun, and scythe on a chain. It seemed like an impractical combination, but she made it work, fluidly changing between forms and attacking the Grimm from angles that they clearly did not expect.
What stood out to me however was her semblance. Blake could create fragile copies of herself that emerged from her body and propelled her in various directions, granting her an impressive level of mobility beyond that of an ordinary huntress of her strength and speed. The copies could also take or land at least one hit and she dispatched both Nevermores with precise strikes from the copies' weapons.
It was a very interesting ability, one that Blake clearly had years of experience utilizing. She and her copies moved together seamlessly and her trick of creating them mid-air to change directions was very clever. It wasn't flight, but she'd manage to launch herself quite high up into the air when necessary without the typical loss of control that occurred when a combatant's limbs all left the ground.
Eventually, we found a small clearing and Glynda used her semblance to create a small raised table for Blake to lie down on. Like Glynda, it took her several minutes to get comfortable enough to lower her aura and relax, something that was no doubt helped by the way her teacher simply swatted a pair of Ursa that wandered too close to us. She flicked her riding crop and the two Grimm burst into smoke in an instant. Boy was I happy to have a Blueprint of her and Raven.
This time, the process took significantly less time than it had with Raven and Glynda. Collecting Blake's Blueprint took a mere handful of minutes, and augmenting her was another one or two on top of that.
After that, we gave her a few minutes to adjust while I studied the Blueprint I'd collected. I'd known that the bow in her hair seemed off. She was a Faunus, not a human. No wonder she'd been so invested in her people's rights. It was a surprisingly effective disguise, though perhaps I simply had no reason to wonder why she might be concealing her identity. It was hard to say one way or another.
The next half hour passed quickly. We once again did not encounter any new Grimm, not that I'd really expected that we would. Blake was clearly faster and stronger than she'd been before, and not by an insignificant margin. It was taking her some time to adjust to that increase of strength, but she was clearly enjoying its effects.
It was towards the end of our excursion that something interesting happened. The goal of watching Blake butcher Grimm had been for me to see how huntsmen of a more comparable skill-level to me used their aura in combat. It was certainly educational, but I'd grown rather distracted by watching Blake's semblance instead. Something about it seemed very interesting and resonated with me. It was not an ability I could replicate with wand magic, nor any of the other disciplines I'd learned. Perhaps it was possible to do something similar with Order magic? I would have to speak with Kent on the matter.
And then, as I continued to watch her fight with a particularly large Ursa, it happened. Something clicked and my Spark pulsed as a new Blueprint slotted into place. My eyes widened even as Blake dispatched the Ursa with a sweep of her sword.
I'd just gotten a Blueprint from Blake's semblance. Something I hadn't even realized was possible. This…this had possibilities.
New Cards Added to Deck: Professor Glynda Goodwitch; Blake Belladonna, Young Huntress; Nevermore of Grimm; Boarbatusk of Grimm; Something from Shadow
And we're moving to the end of the RWBY arc. Here's what we can see in the next chapter.
RWBY: Beacon
Day Seven
The first time Ozpin had brought me down to visit Amber, I'd thought the room seemed far too large for just one patient. There had been a lot of empty space, a lot of unused furniture, and Amber's pod had looked out of place and isolated.
Now, I somewhat wished the room was bigger. It felt a lot more cramped with a giant ritual circle taking up most of the floorspace, even after most of the furniture had been moved out of the room, and there were a lot more people now than just Ozpin and I.
There were seven of us in the room now, not counting Amber herself who was fast asleep inside her pod. She looked far more peaceful than she had a few days ago, her scarred face lacking some of the tension that had been present previously. Ozpin had seemed nearly overwhelmed with joy when he'd first seen her after Kent's first attempt at soul-surgery––her soul was still ragged, but no longer were bits and pieces at risk of breaking off and it was clear that much of the pain that had troubled her had abated.
"So, let's go over everything one more time," Qrow said. "Just so we're all on the same page." The man leaned back against the wall, his weapon propped up beside him within easy reach. He'd chosen the furthest corner of the room to settle in, positioning himself as far as possible from Amber's pod and the rest of us.
"It's not that complicated," Raven said sharply. She was standing on my left, actually present in the room for once instead of just watching over me through a portal, and had a hand on the hilt of her sword.
"What would––" Qrow began, but fell silent when Ozpin cleared his throat.
"Perhaps not," Ozpin cut in before the two could start arguing again. I wasn't sure how exactly the two were related, but they didn't seem to be on particularly good terms. "But it would still be best to make sure. Take the time to check your weapons, dust, and other preparations. Once we begin, there will not be time for such things." He turned to Kent, who was standing near the center of the circle beside Amber's pod. His voice went from sharp to respectful. "Mr. Nelson, if you would begin?"
Kent looked up. "Ah, yes. Well. As you should all be aware, Miss Amber here is missing a not-insignificant piece of her soul, aura, and mantle that transformed her into the Fall Maiden. She's currently stable, but I fear that, without drastic action, she may never recover fully."
"Amber's soul is missing too much of its core structure to recover fully on its own, and my efforts have so far been limited to damage control, not true healing. However, as far as I can tell, the two sections of her soul and the magic imbued into it are still connected. It is a faint thing, and I can feel the bond slowly degrading, but as long as we are able to reunite Amber with that rest of her being, I expect she will eventually make a near-full recovery."
He paused, gesturing towards the floor around him. "That's where this comes in. This circle is meant to amplify the link between the portion of the Fall Maiden's powers within Amber, and those that were stolen from her. It won't last long, but it should point us towards the person who currently possesses the other half of the mantle."
Kent fell silent and Ozpin smoothly continued where he'd left off. "Hydrys here is capable of creating objects that allow their holder to teleport to a preselected location. He shall use the connection formed by Mr. Nelson to create such an object and then we shall all use it to ambush Amber's ambushers in turn. Qrow, you're the only one who's actually seen these people."
Qrow straightened slightly, though his shoulders remained slouched. "Yeah. I saw three of them, though there could have been a fourth lurking somewhere. The one we're after is a pale chick. She was wearing a red dress and had a bow on her back, so she's probably a ranged specialist. She's got some kind of tiny Grimm in her palm that she used to suck out Amber's aura. I saw her use some of her new Maiden powers almost immediately, and she's probably gotten better since than."
"Other two, I didn't see much. Dark-skinned girl with green-blue hair and a gray-haired boy. Both early twenties, both had aura. I'd put them on a third-, maybe fourth-year level, but I can't say how tired they were after subduing Amber so it's hard to say for sure. One of them, or maybe their fourth member, is some kind of illusionist. They vanished way too smoothly for it to have been anything else." He coughed into his fist, "That's about all I got."
"Thank you, Qrow. Now then, our priority is the false Maiden. Optimally, we would like to subdue her and bring her back here for interrogation and aura-extraction. Thumbelina," he turned to the pink-haired Professor who I'd met earlier this morning in order to empower her with the Memorial, "that is your priority. Ensure she is subdued and unable to end her own life if it comes down to that."
The woman nodded. There were several flowering vines wrapped around her arms and draped over her shoulders, and they were slowly wriggling around like snakes. The florakenetic was both Beacon's primary medical doctor and the Professor for the local version of Herbology. She'd apparently been the one who had initially stabilized Amber and was a very powerful huntress in her own right, even if she'd been out of the field for nearly two decades.
Though she did not look a day over thirty, she was actually nearly ninety-years old and her mastery of aura-based healing was a wonder to behold. She could patch up fatal wounds in moments and was nigh unkillable as long as she had aura to burn.
He turned back to address all of us. "However, if she seems primed to escape, kill her. She is almost certainly in league with our Adversary and is extremely dangerous. The mantle should snap back to Amber on her death, and we can not risk her escaping."
"If she tries to run, she will not escape my blades." Even behind her blank mask, I could tell that Raven was smiling viciously.
Ozpin smiled. "Thank you, Raven."
Glynda, the last member of the group that Ozpin had brought together, spoke up before he could continue. "And the other two? Or three?"
Ozpin's smile vanished. "They too are in league with our Adversary. It is regrettable, but we shall all do what we must. Capture is preferable, but we do not need them alive. Do not allow them to escape."
Glynda nodded slowly. "Understood."
"Any questions?" Ozpin asked, looking each of us in the eyes one at a time. I met his gaze squarely. I was perhaps the least invested person in this whole operation, and yet its success rested squarely on my shoulders.
I had seriously considered sitting the whole thing out––I could create the portkey and then stay behind––but ultimately a combination of interest and greed had convinced me to join the group fully. I wanted to see how Huntsman fought when things were serious. I wanted to study this woman who had literally stolen magic from its rightful owner. I wanted to make sure that Amber recovered so that I could acquire the Blueprint of another powerful huntress.
"Good. Then let's begin. Mr. Nelson?"
Kent nodded sharply. He made a gesture and golden light surrounded him and his cane, lifting him off the ground to hover above Amber's pod, his head almost touching the ceiling. His cane hovered into place behind him and a golden ankh appeared around it, growing until it was as tall as Kent himself.
The circle on the floor lit up, magic flowing from Kent, through the pod, and then down into the ritual. He made several hand gestures, each one slow and deliberate, and the circle pulsed once, twice, and then a third time.
There was a flare of power, Order magic pouring off Kent in waves. Then the ankh behind him rushed forward and through him, shrinking as it flew until it was barely as large as my palm. I extended my left hand towards it and brushed my finger across the golden light. Instantly, I felt the connection, a tether reaching out into the distance.
I focused on the tether, my occlumency helping me interpret what it was telling me into more than just a direction. Thankfully, it didn't seem as though our target was moving around much, nor was she all that far away. A few hours flight, if that. Raven had floated the idea that the trio could have escaped into the Grimm lands––the continent overrun with old and powerful Grimm that could pose a serious threat to even the most powerful huntsmen––but it seemed that was not the case.
Without removing my left hand from the floating ankh, I crouched down and tapped the rope lying on the floor in front of me with my wand. "Portus," I declared firmly, focusing on a spot a short distance away from the end of the tether and pouring magic into the spell.
I waited for several seconds, then pulled my hand away from the ankh and instead used that hand to lift the rope into the air. "Thirty seconds," I called out, "everyone grab on. She's not moving, somewhere about two, three, hours Northish of here."
Six hands quickly joined mine, each of us standing at least a foot apart like I'd instructed them to. Portkeys could be disorientating at the best of times and it was entirely possible that we'd appear some distance above the ground, in a building, or in some other perilous location. It was best to have room to move without slamming into each other.
I counted down mentally, then verbally for the last few seconds. Most of my attention however went into double checking the protective spells I'd cast ahead of time and making sure that my aura was prepared to protect me from any hits that got through my magic. My wand was in my hand and I was ready to cast on a moment's notice, all five of my land bonds charged and ready.
"One," I said, and then there was a wrenching sensation behind my navel and all seven of us vanished from the room.
We reappeared in a small forest glade, a bullhead sitting at the center of the clearing. There were no people visible, but signs of human activity––bits of garbage, footprints, the remnants of a fire pit––were scattered all around it. The huntsmen around me stumbled as we hit the ground, but quickly steadied themselves. The trip was smoother than I'd been expecting. Aura seemed to have dulled the worst of the twisting and wrenching that usually accompanied portkey travel.
Peach was the first to react. She dropped the rope and took a step back, then slammed both of her hands into the ground, her fingers sinking several inches into the topsoil. Several of the trees around us groaned and suddenly began moving as though they'd been transformed into whomping willows. They leaned inward, their branches snaking out to wrap around the bullhead's engines. More branches began to move, extending out between the trees to form a crude net around the clearing. There would be no escape for our targets.
The rest of us were not much slower than she was. Kent floated into the air, a golden bubble snapping into place around him and his cane held firmly at his side. The huntsmen all drew their weapons and scattered throughout the clearing, their muscles tensed and ready to move.
Ozpin stared dispassionately at the bullhead. "Glynda, if you would."
The woman in question nodded sharply and swung her riding crop. There was a groaning, tearing sound, and a moment later the bullhead's hatch was torn clean off its hinges, the metal crumpling under the force of Glynda's semblance. Glynda flicked her crop and the hunk of twisted metal was sent hurtling away, revealing the craft's dark interior.
What came next happened almost too fast for me to see. Raven, who was standing several paces to me left, suddenly shot forward, the crystalline red blade of her sword cutting through the air with a sharp hiss. There were three staccato impacts, each so close to one another that it almost sounded like one sound, and then a trio bisected arrows tumbled to the ground behind her.
"She's inside!" Qrow called out quite unnecessarily. He and Raven both charged towards the dark opening, Glynda following behind them at a slightly more sedated pace. Kent pointed his cane and a bright golden light surged from its tip, yet another ankh flying after the trio of huntsmen radiating a piercing glow.
I stared down at the arrows, then back up at the bullhead. I trusted my shields, but that had been…faster than I had expected. I raised my wand into the air and swiftly erected a white-mana empowered protego horribilis around myself. Safety first.
New Card Added to Deck: Professor Thumbelina Peach
Hydrys, Kent, Ozpin, and some of Ozpin's most trusted huntsmen have turned the tables on Cinder and ambushed her in the middle of nowhere. Now, what is Hydrys going to do during the fighting?
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone