Forged Destiny [Book 9: Ch. 21, Ch. 22, Ch. 27]

Ruby struck Salem while she was in the process of bringing her hands down to kill them all. Her scythe swung down into the first of the spinning orbs, sealing and removing it – granting her a direct path in toward Salem. Her scythe swung, slicing into a wing and shattering on impact.

"Arghhh!"

Still moving at high speed and with Salem having no ability to steady herself, Ruby crashed into her. Her wings swept back, and she was sent hurtling back from the impact, with Ruby still attached to her. The two of them fell through the portal.

"Close it!" Ruby screamed. "Close it now, Weiss!"

The portal winked out, taking Salem and Ruby with it.

"Where did you send her!?" I yelled at Weiss. "Where did that go!"

The Mage panted and collapsed to all fours, sweat dripping from her body. "Outside," she panted. "Outside the walls. It was… as far as I could… ah… manage."

In the distance, in the torn and ravaged plains where the Grimm had besieged the walls, a huge explosion rocked the city and threw them all from their feet. The black light reached up in a tall pillar, so bright in its darkness that it blocked out the sun. When it dissipated, all that remained was a loud ringing in their ears.

And Ruby and Salem, now outside the walls.

Ruby no longer had a scythe.

/-/

Ruby hit the ground and bounced, rolling away to bleed off the momentum before coming to a stop. Dust and dirt scattered over her from the blast which had struck the ground before she did. The aftershocks continued to force her back, even if the main attack had missed her, trapped in the air as she'd been after her collision.

The ringing in her ears slowly subsided and she planted both hands down to push up onto one knee.

It worked. The attack missed the city.

But now they were outside it, outside the ring of Heroes keeping Salem trapped.

"Portals," Salem spat. "One aspect I never mastered. Never needed to master." The monster landed softly and wiped her arm down. "Hmph. Do they expect this to make a difference? I will simply summon another army."

Ruby tried to stand. A rock under her foot crunched.

"Oh? You're still alive." Salem turned and fixed her crimson eyes on Ruby, freezing her to the spot. "A miracle, especially with your Constitution. Then again, I suppose you and I were together when the spell struck, and I wasn't harmed either." Salem planted her good hand on her hip. "Well, what are you waiting for? Scurry back to your city and await my return. You have the speed to dodge any attack I might throw from this distance. I won't waste the effort."

Salem's hand waved dismissively at Ruby.

She didn't have a weapon. If she did, this might have been her chance. Shaking, Ruby stood up, one arm holding her other flat against her side. The city was all but cleared of Grimm now, but it would take time for those inside to get out, time enough for Salem to fly away.

"Will you come back and attack us again?"

"Of course. I have business with you all now. You who took my hand, your sister whose blood took my divinity, and with your stupid Blacksmith who has eluded me so many times." Salem swept her hand to the side. Black inky shapes began to rise, the Grimm repopulating themselves so quickly.

Only twenty or so – and none that were huge – but the number kept growing and the fact it could happen at all was enough to have Ruby's legs shaking so hard she collapsed to her knees. It was hopeless. Salem could just summon more and more. Even now, in less than thirty seconds, the number had risen to forty Grimm. Within a day she would probably have thousands. In a week, tens of thousands.

How grand an army would she have if she took six months or a year to gather her forces? Tens of millions? Hundreds? Vale was already down more than half its Heroes, most of its Soldier Caste and a huge swathe of the Labour Caste. They couldn't survive another assault like the last, let alone one five times its size. Despair came crashing down on Ruby, dragging bitter tears from her eyes.

We never stood a chance, did we? It was all just a game to her…

"Damn it." Ruby punched the dirt. "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!"

Something floated past her eyes. Something silver. It wafted down to touch the ground between her hands, already damp from the tears falling from her eyes. The small silvery leaf twitched as a teardrop landed on it. More floated down, swept away on the breeze and rushing toward her. Silver leaves of metal so thin it was as fragile as paper. The leaves from the Ironwood tree in Beacon fluttered down around her.

Except, there was no breeze. The air was still.

"Jaune…?"

It couldn't be, and yet she couldn't accept it as anything else. Ruby stood shakily, first rising to one knee, then pushing down on that to force herself up. Her entire body wavered, almost falling to the side but for her planting one foot out to steady herself. Exhaustion ripped through her, but she managed to stare down Salem and the Grimm, now at least a hundred strong. The leaves fluttered toward Salem, whistling her way before falling to the ground inert. Lifeless.

It was as good a sign as any to her.

Taking a deep breath and letting it go, she stepped forward.

"Oh? Don't tell me you've lost your mind already." Salem almost bent over with laughter as she watched the unarmed Reaper approach. "You've no weapon to your name, girl. But I suppose if madness has gripped you, I can do you the mercy of removing you from this world." Salem raised a hand toward her and commanded the Grimm. "Kill her."

The monsters surged forward, snapping and roaring. Without a weapon, even one of them could tear her in two. And yet Ruby kept moving, slowly picking up speed as leaves fluttered down all around her, coating the floor like an autumn morning of purest silver.

I trust you. And if you trust me to do this… Her eyes hardened. I'll do it. I'll end this.

Her feet kicked down, pushing her to a fast jog - a dead spring for anyone else. Ruby closed in on the Grimm, unarmed and defenceless, trusting that she wouldn't crash into their front lines and find certain death. He'd not let her down so far. It wouldn't happen now. "Help me, Jaune. Help me and I'll finish this once and for all."

The ground beneath her feet rumbled.

—Forged Destiny [Book 9: Ch. 21]



The ground beneath my feet rumbled.

Jaune.

It had to be.

If it wasn't and if I was wrong, I was running unarmed into Salem's grasp so… yeah, it better be Jaune. I didn't want to die. Not yet. Not without making something of my life. Not without achieving something. That was why… That was why I couldn't die.

Why Salem had to die.

Ten feet to the Grimm. It landed on its foreclaws and reared up.

Eight feet. Its red eyes tracked her as best it could, struggling with her speed.

Six feet. It knew she was coming right for it. Rearing back, it brought one clawed paw on high, ready to slice down and crush her.

Four feet. The dried dirt beneath its feet splintered.

Reality crashed back down. Time sped up.

Rock and dirt parted as the thick silver root exploded from the ground, slamming the Beowolf away and arching up into the air. My foot hit the base without pause and took me up it and over the front line of shocked Grimm, above running along a root that continued to grow before me, creating a path of pure silver toward the centre of the formation.

[...]

Salem was distracted. Facing away from me and casting huge balls of black light toward the city walls where the attacks had come from, she floated in the air. Those wings were a problem. I licked my lips and darted forward, kicking arrow shafts out the way as I sprinted not for her but for the tree closest to her.

"Fire!"

The spell rocketed away from her with a sharp bang, shooting toward the walls.

I hit the tree and sprinted up it, defying gravity for a moment and turning my horizontal momentum into vertical, running as high as I could.

An explosion in the distance drew a laugh from Salem.

[...]

Ironwood roots grew up around the fallen trees, forming a web of thick metallic vines several feet thick around them all. The forest came back to life, reaching up tall as branches bristled with silver leaves that rustled in the wind. In the distance, I could hear the bell of Vale tolling and the stampede of hooves and feet, the Heroes sallying out to reinforce us and finish this once and for all. And with Salem so injured, they might just do it.

—Forged Destiny [Book 9: Ch. 22]



There would be crowds watching from the walls of Vale. I didn't dare look back, but I knew they'd be there.

[...]

"I will be casting a spell to allow our voices to travel," Glynda said. "You won't notice anything, but the city will be able to hear everything that is said."

[...]

As the procession came closer and closer, they slowly diverted to meet us, spotting and accurately surmising we were the diplomatic envoys from the city.

Black armour highlighted with gold and pale blue cloth became visible. Pennants and banners streamed behind them, the black and blue of Mistral. Adorned like knights all, they marched in a column four wide, with one man at the lead standing out by virtue of his long crimson cloak that fluttered down on either side of a white horse with long hair and a graceful tread.

His skin was pale, his smile handsome and gentle. He had piercing brown eyes that looked like chocolate and curly brown hair that fell in ringlets over his forehead. He was handsome. Incredibly so. Even I couldn't argue against that, and I was sure many a woman had felt their heart race at the sight of his smile. It was so friendly and inclusive that I found myself liking him even from a hundred metres away.

[...]

The King of Mistral held up his left hand and the man to his left raised his flag. The signal brought the column to a halt, horses stamping skittishly. They stood in the shadow of the artificial forest I'd created to ensnare Salem and a few Soldiers among the column looked to it in awe. They had to have heard about the siege and how it ended.

The first four of the column nudged their horses on toward me. The King of Mistral, two soldiers I didn't recognise and one Noble. All of it no doubt part of the royal court, and the noble his most trusted advisor. The royal guard of Vale didn't challenge them, instead staying still as Glynda and I nudged our own steeds forward, meeting them halfway in a gesture of respect. Arcane sigils flared around Glynda's hand as she cast her spell. The subtle nod she sent told me it was now active, and everyone could hear us.

[...]

I stood before them all, sword in the dirt, eyes focused on the entitled brat of a king and my attention elsewhere. On the grand forest of silver trees that rose up to our right.

[...]

The ride back to the city was in silence on our end, but anything but from the people. The raucous cheers and cries must have reached the retreating figures of King Gabriel and his force.

—Forged Destiny [Book 9: Ch. 27]