Presence B4C12/B4C13/B4C14

Two red eyes appeared from within, followed by a pale face.

But it was the presence that struck the hardest. My heart froze, my lungs too, and it felt like the blood in my body might cease to circulate. The people behind me gasped and sagged, releasing me, but I no longer had the power to move at all. A great, crushing, weight pushed down on my shoulders and each breath was tortured.

Ruby sagged even further, falling to hands and knees with her face planted against the ground, almost like she was worshipping, as well. Pyrrha wasn't much better, but was able to stay on hands and knees, albeit her elbows shook violently.

—B4C12


The woman's presence was an overpowering one and I wasn't the only person dragged down to my knees.

[...]

My arms shook and I tried to stand, but it was to no avail.

[...]

One hand reached out to cup Ruby's chin, and the Reaper was drawn up from all fours into a kneeling position. Despite that, it was clear from her wide eyes that she couldn't move a muscle.

[...]

Tears leaked from Ruby's eyes but she still couldn't move. Salem twisted her face to the side, and then continued to do so, smiling cruelly.

[...]

"And there is you, of course," Salem crooned, her arm becoming corporeal once again as Crocea Mors slammed down into the stone floor. My chest heaved, muscles straining to try and attack again, to stay standing. It was all I could do to drag my sword up before me, but even then it wavered in the air. One leg buckled and I sagged in front of Ruby, panting harshly.

"Get away from her…"

"J-Jaune…" Ruby whimpered, falling onto her back without Salem's support. Even then, she could barely move a muscle.

[...]

As I did, I spotted a bird struggling to fly above – barely making it across the room and onto an outcropping above us. It landed there and pressed itself into the wall.

[...]

"Don't!" someone cried. To my surprise it was Ruby. She was still flat on her back, arms locked down beside her and unable to move, but her eyes were locked onto Tyrian's face.

[...]

As one, they moved back to stand before Tyrian, utterly ignoring Ruby, Pyrrha and I defeated and slumped in front of them.

[...]

He was mad, or he'd always been mad. What pity I'd felt for him before was thrown aside in the face of what he promised. Would it even stop at Mistral, or would he take his army to Vale, as well? Would Ansel be next? My own family cut down and transformed into cruel parodies of themselves?

My bones shook as I forced myself to stand, muscles bulging against the force of Salem's presence. I managed to kneel and clutch Crocea Mors, and to rise again, even if it left my face slick with sweat.

"I won't let you," I gasped. "I'll stop you myself. We all will."

[...]

My eyes widened, glancing to the woman as she smiled victoriously. This had been her plan all along and I could still barely move. I could barely move against someone who had apparently been one of the strongest people in all of Mistral.

[...]

He was in front of me in an instant, sword lunging for my throat.

Another met it, followed by a shoulder meeting mine as I was hurled to the side. Qrow was covered in dust and bled from a wound above his brow, but he twirled and slashed with his curved sword, driving Tyrian back and away.

I staggered and nearly fell, but caught myself at the last second.

[...]

But I can't move, and neither can the others. My eyes roved up to the balcony everyone else must have still been on, but since none of them had tried to help I had to assume Salem's presence had them pinned down as well. There was no way Yang wouldn't have tried to help Ruby and Qrow otherwise.

[...]

Blake nodded and released my shoulders. I fell into a kneeling position with Crocea Mors' tip against the ground. Once she saw I wouldn't keel over, she backed away and nodded.

[...]

One foot before the other, one step after another as I dragged myself forward. I reached Ruby before sagging, falling down onto one knee again, and if it weren't for Crocea Mors, which I used to support myself, I'd have collapsed down beside her.

"Jaune," she grunted, clearly struggling herself. "I… I can't move."

"I barely can either," I gasped. It wasn't like I was tired so much as if I were carrying more weight than I could support on every muscle at once.

[...]

"It's a myth," Ruby answered. "M-Mom used to tell me about them." She strained to move until her face was red, but there was nothing she could do.

[...]

"We need to help them," I decided.

"How? I can't move." She strained again to prove her point. "I don't know how you can."

"With great effort…"

[...]

The balcony ringed one side of the arena, but they were fighting away from it and I couldn't collapse that both because of the others trapped up there, but also because I could barely move, let alone push over a stone pillar.

[...]

I shivered at the thought but forced myself to stand and move towards her. I heard Ruby call out for me to stop but ignored her. I ignored the fight too, knowing full-well it would be going against us. Instead, I forced myself towards her, Crocea Mors scratching across the flagstones as it trailed behind me, gripped weakly in one hand.

[...]

Salem watched me curiously. I was no threat to her and she knew that, so she simply placed one hand down on the altar and shifted her weight so that she could better face me as I stumbled and staggered towards her.

[...]

I gripped Crocea Mors with two hands and dragged it before me.

Salem made no move to stop me, even as I fought past the agony required to raise it up above my head.

—B4C13


Salem winked out of existence before I could question why, or before anyone else could rush to my aid. Her disappearance released the strange spell she had cast on the others too, and everyone scrabbled to their feet.

[...]

"Jaune," Blake gasped, and Ruby too as she finally regained her ability to move and crawled frantically over. There were tears in her eyes, while Blake's were wide and afraid as she ran her hands over me, looking for whatever terrible mark Salem had left behind. "T-There's no bleeding," she whispered. "How?"

"H-He's alive?" Ruby gasped. "But… But I saw… and I couldn't move and I just laid there as he was stabbed." She looked like she might burst into tears, so I placed a hand on her head, even as I heard Yang cry Ruby's name and vault over the balcony to join us. Ren and Nora were close behind.

—B4C14