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.
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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.