Ember Legacy, Volume 2

Chapter 17: Against All Odds

The Wildlands

West of Vale

"But we were dragons. We were supposed to be cruel, cunning, heartless and terrible. But this much I can tell you, we never burned and tortured and ripped one another apart and called it morality."

~ Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Jeanne walked along the right flank of their procession, her senses alert. The party had started out early that morning, awoken by an anxious Ruby who had discovered a rather large force moving towards them from the east. She wasn't sure of their composition as they were still too far off, but it was enough to worry her.

And then, an hour into their trek, they were brought to a halt once more by both Blake and Ruby. More movement was heard, this time from behind them to the south.

After a quick conference, where both Pyrrha and Nebula agreed that the chance of them being herded into a particular direction was too great to ignore, the four Valesian Knights of Artemis mounted up and departed the column to harass and hopefully draw off the presumed enemy off to the right. Yang had slipped behind on her own to investigate those drawing ever closer from their rear.

The blonde trainee Knight glanced ahead at the pair leading their column. As they only had two remaining horses, the mounts were now laden down with their supplies. Everyone was on foot, hindering their progress, though both Ruby and Blake seemed to set an easy enough pace that all of the fellowship could keep up.

She shook her head, twin blonde pigtails swaying behind her. While she was still having some trouble adjusting to the fact that Ruby, and Yang for that matter, were actually Dragons, she knew somehow that Blake was taking it far worse. She understood what it was like to pine for someone, whether in secret or no, and the signs had been there from both ends for some time. But now, the Cat Faunus Rogue just seemed to have closed herself off, leaving Ruby to feign calm while she was surely hurting inside.

Inevitably, her gaze wandered over towards her Knight. Pyrrha was striding along on the other side of their small formation, with Ren and Weiss walking in between the two armored warriors and leading their remaining horses. Nora brought up the rear, oversized hammer held negligently over her shoulder.

The redhead glanced her way as well, offering a small smile that she returned before focusing once again on their surroundings.

Feelings could really, really suck sometimes.

Jeanne paused as she picked up on a crashing from behind them. Ruby and Blake had already halted, soundlessly moving apart to prepare for any hostilities.

The blonde warrior sighed and relaxed slightly as Yang came into view, though she frowned at the worry in the other blonde's lilac eyes.

"We got Orcs coming up behind us," she reported steadily. "Big force, maybe fifty or so, but they're moving slow enough we can outpace them if we hurry."

Ruby nodded thoughtfully. "But they might still be trying to push us in a direction…"

The raven-haired Rogue cleared her throat. "What if we were to change our path, head in a westerly direction for a time? Might throw them off." Her voice was carefully neutral as she addressed the others while her amber eyes restlessly roamed across the surrounding forest.

"Yeah, sounds good," Ruby murmured with a small frown that she quickly erased. "Any objections? Right, let's keep moving then."

They resumed their march, Yang joining Nora in the rear as she kept her lilac eyes worriedly on their rear. The sounds of the forest, which Jeanne hadn't noticed missing before, were starting to resume once again, presumably as they managed to separate from the pursuing forces.

The blonde squire tilted her head as she pondered that last thought. "Are we sure they're actually after us?" she asked, just loud enough for the entire party to hear her questioning.

"I believe it's a fair chance," Pyrrha responded, her head still on a restless swivel. "Two large forces converging on our location cannot be dismissed as mere coincidence."

"Yeah, that's my thinking as well," Ruby called out over her shoulder.

"I saw how the ones behind us were formed up," Yang added with a grunt as she hopped over a protruding log. "All spread out and stuff. They weren't on their way to battle, they were searching."

"Oh." The blonde winced slightly, cognizant once more of how much she still had to learn, not to mention how outclassed she was by her companions. "Sorry."

Ruby spun around, walking backwards, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey, don't apologize, or be afraid to speak your mind, okay? We're all in this together!"

After the Silver Dragon had turned back around, Jeanne spied Pyrrha looking at her warmly. The redhead shot her another brilliant smile before returning to her vigilance.

Jeanne smiled slightly, her confidence boosted, as she maintained her own watch on the flank she was guarding.

A couple of hours later and the entire group was lagging. Ruby was hesitant to pause for fear of their pursuers catching up with them, or the trap she feared close around them like a noose. They ate a meager lunch of trail rations while on the move, which Jeanne was apt to relate to the taste of pure, unadulterated woe. And perhaps chickpeas after having been ground into the dirt by a warhorse. Needless to say, she wasn't terribly fond of trail rations.

Rations always tasted the same to her, no matter what flavor was advertised on the flimsy packaging. And, worse of all, she knew if they were to endure eating such sustenance for any length of time, she'd get to experience the further joy of serious, unrelenting constipation. The memory of her last week-long training exercise in the mountains of Mistral made her wince involuntarily. Perhaps we will be able to supplement with real food as we go...

The blonde warrior was brought out of her reverie, only halfhearted at best as she continued to watch her side of the forest, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. And then a cool rush spread through her body, like a refreshing rain shower after a long day's workout. She sucked in a quick breath, a pleased smile on her face as she glanced over at Ren.

"Thanks," she murmured with a grateful smile.

The half-Elven Cleric smiled in return and nodded before drifting back to tend to their companions at the rear. Jeanne had a bit more of a bounce in her step as she strode along now, though the aftertaste of the rations still left a sour effect in her mouth.

Not even a rejuvenation spell could dispel the horrible influence of trail rations.

For all of their caution, they encountered no resistance on their march for the remainder of the day, not even any denizens of the forest itself. The ambient noises would drift in and out, but no danger ever reared its head to impede their progress.

Finally Ruby called a halt in a moderate-sized clearing, glancing around in satisfaction. "Okay, it's getting dark," she announced, her hands on her hips. "I'd rather not have anyone break an ankle. So, let's get a quick meal going." She indicated with her head a ridge about fifty yards away. "After we get settled, let's put a watch up there, along with down in the camp itself, okay?"

"I'll take the ridge," Blake stated, placing her pack on the ground and shouldering her bow.

The brunette laid a restraining hand on the Rogue's arm. She winced slightly at the raven-haired girl's infinitesimal flinch. "After we get set up, okay? Food first."

"Okay," Blake murmured with a nod, her gaze never rising from the ground. She walked off with her pack once more in hand to sit against a tree trunk.

Ruby sighed quietly. "Okay, um… No campfire, so what can we do cold?"

"No need," Weiss replied smugly. "I can warm a pot up with my magic, it won't attract attention."

"Pretty handy there, gorgeous," Yang chuckled, wrapping her lover up in a side-armed hug and planting a kiss on her platinum tresses.

Jeanne rolled her eyes humorously at the giggle that issued from the Elven Mage's lips, ignoring the small pang of jealousy that sometimes accompanied her witnessing of such displays of affection.

I can be happy for my friends, she thought to herself sternly.

The sun was just dropping below the horizon, plunging the dense forest into darkness, when they'd finished up their meal. Blake was once again about to leave for her watch on the ridge when the forest went eerily still.

The assembled fellowship froze, gazes out and searching as they waited for the ambient sounds to return.

They didn't.

"Damn," Ruby murmured, peering about intently. "Anybody?"

"No," Blake replied tersely. Yang merely grunted out a negative, while Weiss and Ren both stared out towards the ridge that the Cat Faunus had been heading towards.

"Something…?" Ren whispered harshly.

"Yes, I saw it too," Weiss muttered, her sword in her left hand and the fingers of her other hand twitching in anticipation.

"What, movement?" the brunette inquired.

"Yes, I think I…" Blake trailed off, her brow furrowed, until her amber eyes flew open wide. "Cover!" she shouted in alarm.

While the other six members of their group ran for the closest tree, Jeanne and Pyrrha crouched with their shields raised overhead. They'd heard the distant thrum of numerous bowstrings being released as one, followed soon thereafter by a hailstorm of arrows and the screams of the two remaining horses.

"Are you kidding me?" Yang bellowed, her eyes flashing crimson as she walked towards their thrashing mounts. Both were mortally wounded, and with a snarl she cleanly snapped the necks of their last two remaining horses.

"Fucking bandit pieces of cowardly fucking shit!" the blonde raged as she turned and stomped towards the ridge. "Argh! Oum's bloody fucking arse fuck!"

"Language, please!" Ren called out from behind the shelter of a tree.

"Suck a cock!" Yang growled back irritably, picking up speed.

Before long the blonde brawler was racing forward, a bright streak of gold flying through the trees.

"Keep a low profile!" Ruby yelled after her. She sighed irritably when she got no response. "Okay, they can't be alone… What have we got?"

"More movement from behind us," Weiss reported tensely.

"Right," Ruby growled. "Jeanne, Nora, with me, let's go head them off and give them a little surprise. The rest of you, hold here, we'll be back soon to rejoin the party."

"Sounds like my kinda fun!" Nora giggled, hefting her hammer eagerly as she skipped off after Ruby's determined stride.

Jeanne spared a quick glance with Pyrrha in the dim light before hurrying forward to keep up with the other pair of petite adventurers.

"Can you see them?" she called out anxiously ahead.

As if in response, a bright light flared into existence up above the treeline where they were heading. It illuminated a large group of roughly-armored individuals, mercenaries by the look of them.

"Well, alright then," the blonde commented, the corners of her lips peeling back ever so slightly in an eager grin. "Let's do this."

She hefted her shield and began to stride forward. Nora was fairly close by on her right flank, but there was no sign of where Ruby had gotten off to. Though from the anguished screams coming off to the left she was fairly certain the Silver had found entertainment of her own.

Jeanne set herself to receive the charge of the first group of the enemy, hefting her shield up on her forearm and gripping her sword above in a high guard.

The first howling man came at her with only a sword, swinging it wildly. She easily dodged the strike, not even bothering to block it with her shield, and her counterstrike cleaved through his weak leather armor, cutting deep into his side and leaving him gasping out his last breaths in the dirt behind her. The next mercenary, wielding a spear, she met with a resounding clash. Her shield took the brunt of his charge, deflecting it to the side as she stepped forward and into his guard, slashing up and out in a quick strike to sever the man's throat.

As that opponent collapsed to the side, Jeanne continued on forward. Nora was swinging her hammer with gleeful abandon, sending blood and gore flying about haphazardly. The blonde decided to give her a little more fun with the next mercenary she slammed into, twisting around so that he stumbled off and into the next sideways swing of Magnhild.

Jeanne faced a female half-Elf next, her head shaved into a crimson mohawk and wielding twin handaxes with skill. She actually had to work a bit harder, stepping back from the furious onslaught as she wordlessly fended the mercenary off with both shield and sword. Before another opponent could join in and give her serious trouble, the blonde Knight-in-training managed to slip in a deep cut through the half-Elf's right arm, causing the axe in that hand to drop from nerveless fingers. Shortly thereafter, her head dropped to the ground next to it.

Just in time, Jeanne set herself once more to receive the next charge. A burly man, possibly a half-Orc, ran in with a greataxe held aloft. Accompanying him was a scowling dwarf who gripped a shield of his own and a rather large spiky mace.

The blonde dodged to the side as the enormous axe descended, barely missing the initial strike. She didn't have the chance to retaliate, as the Dwarf was there, making her skip back again from the mace that whistled through the air where she'd just been standing.

"Nora!" she called out worriedly as the pair began to circle her. Several other figures were rapidly approaching, she had to end this quickly before she was overwhelmed.

"Busy!" the call came back. She risked a glance to the side, where Nora was surrounded by at least a half-dozen angry-looking men who weren't terribly pleased with the state of their fallen brethren.

"Right," she muttered, setting her shield firmly. She feinted towards the Dwarf, but then adroitly turned and hurtled at the towering warrior wielding the greataxe. He flinched backwards, bringing his weapon down once more, but she held firm, trusting in her shield and armor.

The blade of the axe skidded off of the edge of her shield, slamming into her side and causing her to grunt in pain. The hit didn't break through either her aura or her armor, but it was definitely going to leave a bruise.

He didn't have the chance to react further as his eyes bulged out, Jeanne's sword protruding from his shoulder blades as his life's blood poured out from the wound.

The blonde quickly turned to receive the spiked mace head on her shield, deftly pulling her sword out from the toppling corpse and swinging it out to keep the Dwarf at bay. Snarling, the squat man surged forward, his powerful body slamming into her shield to try and overwhelm her.

But she'd been trained by the best there was, the premiere sword-wielder in all of Mistral, if not Remnant itself. She utilized all of the skills Pyrrha had passed on to her as she set one foot behind, pivoting off of it to minimize the impact and force of the Dwarven mercenary's maneuver. As he stumbled to the side, her blade plunged into his neck, unprotected by the chainmail encasing his sturdy form, and he fell quickly thereafter.

Panting, Jeanne set herself once more into a guarded stance, risking another glance at Nora. The orange-haired hellion was handling herself just fine, more bodies piling up around her by the minute, though she bore several minor gashes and cuts.

And then the blonde warrior was engaged again in furious combat.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been at it, but after another five fallen foes she'd managed to get close enough to Nora once again to support each other. Jeanne was careful to remain out of the reach of the oversized hammer, but at least now they each had a flank they could worry less about.

Eight more mercenaries arrayed themselves in front of the pair, approaching more cautiously now that they'd seen the fates of their comrades.

"You take the half on the left, I take the half on the right?" Nora asked cheerfully.

"Sure," Jeanne huffed out with a slight smirk. "Why not."

Before they could surge forward once more, a fiery arc descended towards them. Able to see it approach, both Jeanne and Nora flung themselves backwards.

The mercenaries weren't so lucky.

Jeanne blew out a breath, along with her bangs, as she levered herself up on her elbows and observed the charred ground in front of them. All that remained of their opponents were small piles of ash. "Ouch," she murmured.

"What in the ever-loving fucking Oum was that?" Nora hollered, staggering to her feet while using Magnhild as a crutch. Groaning, the blonde lurched up as well to stand with her companion.

The pair of girls watched a dark-robed man approach warily.

"Ooooh, I hate fighting Mages," Jeanne muttered, spreading out from Nora. She eyed what must have been a wand in the smirking man's hand, waiting for him to gesture with it again.

"Especially ones who toss out fireballs," Nora grunted, hefting her warhammer.

The mage raised his wand once more, a spark of flame flicking forth, gathering both speed and size as it roared towards Jeanne. She raised her shield somewhat hopelessly, knowing that, no matter what the outcome, this was going to really, really hurt.

But the impact never happened. The blonde warrior looked up to see a small, red-cloaked figure that had leapt in and imposed herself, absorbing the impact from the magic attack.

Ruby straightened and dusted herself off casually.

"Heh," she giggled lightly. "That tickled."

The brunette shot a glance over her shoulder towards the other pair, a dark grin on her face, before staring down the bewildered mage.

"My turn," she sang out, and then launched herself forward. She spun in, her magical weapon extended upon her whispered phrase into a deadly scythe. The dark mage yelped, raising his hands up to fend off the attack, but the massive blade never touched his body.

Instead, there was an audible crack as the wand splintered in half.

As the man looked on in horror, the released energy of the remaining wand charges ignited all at once. His cloaked form was engulfed in a massive explosion, the blast from which made both Jeanne and Nora step back a few paces from the wind, heat, and unfortunate stench of roasted flesh.

Ruby sauntered forward, not bothered by the heat in the least. By the time she reached her companions, the ringing in Jeanne's ears had abated.

"And that," the brunette declared with a wide grin, "is why wands suck."

o o o

Blake growled under her breath as she nocked and released another arrow. She'd gone through an entire quiver already, and was starting in on her last remaining one, but the stream of mercenaries just didn't seem to want to abate any.

The Faunus squinted against the bright light as Ren sent up another glowing orb that slowly sank back towards the ground, illuminating the entire clearing.

"You know that does nothing for either of our visions," she grunted, loosing an arrow at a howling man charging in at the half-Elf's back. It pierced his right eye, right where she'd envisioned to be her target, the newly-enchanted bow performing flawlessly.

"True," the Cleric conceded calmly, waving a hand at a pair of armored Dwarves and a leather-clad Halfling who had just breached the clearing. The three of them froze in place, unable to proceed further. "But," he continued, "Pyrrha would be crippled without it."

The Faunus Rogue sighed but nodded in agreement. The redhead Human was the only one of the four left behind who was unable to see well in the darkness, and at the moment she was the bulwark that the mercenary force was futily throwing themselves against.

The Knight whirled about the front line, smashing into her foes and leaving them bleeding or stunned. Weiss was close behind her, lashing out with her rapier at those left stunned or any opponent incautious enough to try and get a drop on the redhead. The platinum-haired Mage, at the same time, tossed out hellfire and ice as if they were party favors, shattering any attempt at a cohesive onslaught.

Blake frowned to herself as there was a pause in the combat. "Weiss," she called out somewhat anxiously. "How is your aura level?"

"Low," the Mage conceded with a weary sigh. "I've been draining rather quickly. How close are the horses?"

Blake nodded, cognizant of the aura regeneration potions contained within their luggage. "They're not too far off, but-"

She cut off, wide-eyed, as she saw a familiar figure enter the clearing. Her blood went cold as she watched the grey-haired man stalk forward confidently.

"Oh, Oum," she whispered, taking a hesitant step back before calling out to the others. "We need to run!"

"What?" Weiss barked out, Myrtenaster in a guard position. "Why?"

"Blake, we were told to hold here," Pyrrha reminded her grimly.

"No, no, you don't understand," she squeaked as the man's ashen eyes locked with her own. Recognition flashed across his features, and his eyes briefly flared a dark violet as he gave her a knowing grin. "Yang told me to run if I ever saw him and she wasn't here," she continued in a rapid babble, her bow still clutched in her trembling hands. "I think he's another Dragon!"

The man, Mercury she believed he'd been called, paused and clapped his hands together sardonically. "Give the kitty cat a treat," he snickered condescendingly.

"Blake, move!" Ren suddenly shouted.

Unhesitatingly, the Faunus Rogue tumbled to the side, just barely escaping certain evisceration as a blade whistled through the space where she'd just been. She adroitly rolled back to her feet, now facing the smirking visage of the man's companion, who she remembered well from her encounter with Ruby.

"Emerald," she spat out, reaching behind her for the dagger that the brunette had given her. She didn't have any enchanted arrows left, they were in her first quiver and already expended, but perhaps the blade might buy them all some time to escape...

"So, where's your little Silver friend?" the mint-green-haired woman taunted, twirling her blade in her hand as she slowly sauntered forward. "Or that great big bitch of a Gold, hmm? You're all alone, little mouselings, and that's very bad luck for you…"

With a fierce cry, Pyrrha sailed in towards Mercury, her shield held out in front and gleaming sword aloft. The Faunus Rogue knew first-hand how skilled the redhead was with her weapon, easily the most prominent swordsperson she'd ever laid eyes upon.

The grey-haired Dragon sidestepped the initial rush, taking a shallow gash along his arm, but then he spun and kicked out at the charging Knight. Pyrrha got her shield around to block in time, but his foot met the protective metal with a resounding clang, denting it in as the redhead was sent flying across the clearing.

It was all over in the span of a few heartbeats, far too quickly for anyone else to react.

Emerald grinned wickedly, drawing another knife from behind her back as she sauntered over towards the groaning armored form lying prone close by. "Well, I suppose we just got a volunteer…"

A flash of gold crossed the clearing in a blur, and the figure of Yang slammed into Emerald. The two Dragons tumbled to the ground, the Gold delivering a vicious punch into the smaller woman's side before she, in turn, was intercepted by Mercury in another thunderous collision.

The three of them staggered to their feet, eyeing each side warily while Ren scrambled over to help Pyrrha. Blake had an arrow notched though she was unsure as to how she could help. She noted Weiss by her side, Elven features twisted into a determined scowl.

"Alright," Mercury finally grunted towards his partner. "I'll keep the bitch occupied, you deal with the others."

Yang grinned suddenly. "Fair enough," she sang out before flying at the surprised grey-haired man. The two of them slammed into each other repeatedly before Yang let out an ear-shattering roar as she kicked him in the stomach, sending him sailing out into the darkness. She raced after him in hot pursuit.

"Huh," Emerald hummed bemusedly. "Didn't expect that." She turned towards Blake and Weiss, still standing protectively in front of Pyrrha and Ren. "So, who's first?"

Her evil grin faltered at a cheerful voice that called out from behind her. "How about me?" Ruby giggled, slinking into the dim light still cast from the remainder of Ren's last illumination spell.

Emerald turned to face the brunette who nonchalantly paused by a tree to lean against it, arms crossed. "Little Silver thinks she can play with the big kids again?" Emerald taunted. "I won't take it easy on you this time."

"Works for me," Ruby replied with a wide grin. She reached behind her and pulled out her weapon, whispering to it once again. This time, however, Blake was close enough, and the setting still enough, for her to hear the curious magical phrase.

"Thus kindly I scatter."

As Ruby's giant warscythe unfurled into its full, darkly-flaming glory, Emerald's crimson eyes widened comically.

"What the hell is that?" she squawked, backing up nervously.

"This?" the brunette smirked. "Oh, this is just my sweetheart. I thought you wanted to play?"

Emerald took another hesitant step backwards, away from Ruby and the others, the silver-eyed girl laughing softly the whole while as she matched her step for step.

"Just like a Green," Ruby taunted. "Can't backstab your way out of this one…"

Evidently the other Dragon had come to the same conclusion and, weighing her chances, decided on discretion as the better part of valor in this particular instance. Wordlessly Emerald turned and fled through the woods, immediately followed by the crashing of trees and then a flapping sound.

"Whelp, she's running," Ruby sighed before turning towards Blake with a grin. "Wanna help me chase her down, Blakey?"

A small part of her was screaming in fear at the notion, but the rest of her, still hyped up on adrenaline and eager for retribution, stamped down on her doubts with ruthless efficiency.

"Definitely," she stated firmly, tightening the strap of her quiver around her and slipping Gambol Shroud over her shoulder.

Ruby nodded, a brief flash of relief and gratitude in her silver eyes before she folded her scythe up and tossed it over towards Jeanne who was just now entering the clearing, somewhat out of breath, along with Nora. "Hold onto that, please?' she inquired politely.

The blonde caught the oddly-shaped lump of metal and gave her a wordless thumbs-up, unable to verbalize any further. And then she spied Pyrrha still on the ground and hurried past them.

Ruby took a few steps to the side, and her form began to shimmer and enlarge into her Dragon shape. Silver scales shone brightly in the dim ambient light.

The Dragon turned her face towards Blake, stormy grey eyes the size of a dinner plate swirling as she regarded the Faunus levelly.

"Climb on up," Ruby rumbled.

She didn't allow herself the luxury to think. If she paused to think about any of this, she'd back out, and it was far too late to do so now without doing perhaps irrevocable damage to her already-strained relationship with Ruby. And so, the Faunus Rogue quickly complied, scrambling up the extended wing until she was crouched at the base of her neck, arms wrapped tightly around the warm scales.

Blake was rather surprised by the softness of the fringe at the back of the Silver's neck. Even more so was the relative size of the Dragon herself. Granted, this was by far the biggest creature she'd ever ridden, but still, Ruby was perhaps half the size of her Gold sister. The Cat Faunus' legs easily straddled the base of her neck, and her tail was wrapped around just as securely as her arms were. It seemed to be somewhat easier for her than how she'd observed Weiss was when she had ridden on the back of Yang.

"Here we go!" Ruby called out, the bass rumble overlaid with her usual chipper voice sending vibrations through her chest. And then her stomach dropped, her body pressed tightly against the soft silver mane while the air whistled around her…

And they were airborne, flying aloft on the winds.

She had to correct that statement after another heartbeat. They were not simply flying, they were streaking across the sky like an arrow. Blake pressed her Faunus ears flat against her head from the painful whistle of the wind, and her hair was streaming behind her wildly.

"Can you catch her?" she yelled over the wind.

Blake felt the vibration under her as Ruby chuckled. "Of course I can!" she shouted back. But then her head craned to the side, and the raven-haired girl followed the Dragon's gaze.

Down below, rapidly falling behind them, were two brightly-colored Dragons battling. They careened from the ground to the sky and back to the ground again as they demolished a good portion of the surrounding woodlands. Though the Gold was substantially bigger than the White, they seemed to be evenly matched.

"So much for a low profile!" the Silver joked over her shoulder.

Blake nodded, though she then realized such a gesture wouldn't be seen. Her eyes squinted ahead, searching for their unseen prey.

And how strange is that, then, she mused to herself absentmindedly. I'm riding a Dragon while hunting down another Dragon.

If she compartmentalized things, disregarding the fact that the Dragon she was currently riding was the girl whom she'd begun to develop real feelings for, she might just be able to get through this.

And then, up ahead, she saw a dark shape pass across the face of a mountain. The broken moon behind them cast a shadow against the rocky backdrop.

"Got her!" the Silver cried out excitedly, putting on another burst of speed.

The Green Dragon ahead of them evidently saw them approach as well, as the larger form wheeled about to face them. Emerald's maw opened wide, and a dark glob of some sort of liquid shot towards them.

Oh, sweet mother of Oum, Blake thought in a panic, remembering Ruby's earlier lessons on Dragons. Greens breathe acid!

But Ruby was ready for such an attack and pulled up short. She flapped her wings ahead of her rapidly, dissipating the glob of acid into smaller droplets that rained down on the forest below them.

With a snarl, the Green turned once more and strained to escape.

"Blake!" the Silver rumbled back as she picked up the pursuit once more. "Blind her with two arrows when she turns again!"

"Two arrows?" Blake yelled back. "At once?"

"Your bow can handle it," Ruby replied. "Notch two at once and then think of both eyes at the same time!"

Blake nodded once again dubiously as she slipped the bow around from behind her. Her thighs tightened cautiously to keep herself atop her Dragon mount, but she just had to have faith that Ruby wouldn't drop her.

A pair of arrows readied, the Faunus Rogue waited for her opportunity. I hope she doesn't blink, neither of these are enchanted...

And then the Green turned once more. Before she could breathe acid again, Blake let fly with her arrows, striking true with the simultaneous attack.

Emerald let out an agonized shriek as she wheeled about blindly, plunging down in an uncontrollable dive. Trees and rocky debris flew up from where she impacted, and the Green Dragon writhed about in a frenzy. Her words were unintelligible to Blake's ears, but she supposed that was just as well.

The Silver hovered overhead as the wounded Dragon spewed acid in a wide radius, lashing out blindly with her talons.

"Should I try to finish her?" Blake called out dubiously. If she remembered correctly, the eyes would grow back eventually, so they certainly had to take care of the Green now. She just wasn't sure what her unenchanted arrows could do further.

"No," Ruby sighed, the gale-like sound rushing past Blake as the Silver turned her head. The raven-haired girl was startled to note a hint of sadness in those swirling grey eyes. "I will. Close your eyes, okay?"

Blake nodded and complied, burying her face into the silky-soft smooth texture in front of her. She felt Ruby's chest expand, and then with a startling whoosh her hair was whipped around her face by a hot rush of air. The noise of the gout of flame almost covered up the increasingly frantic shrieks from the Green, but then the only sound was the crackling of fire.

The Silver breathed once more, and Blake almost gagged at the stench of roasted meat that now wafted past her.

Wordlessly, Ruby wheeled about and began to fly back where they'd come from. Blake remained snuggled into her back, her mind now awhirl with conflicting thoughts and emotions that swirled about with abandon.

Her eyes were open now, though, and watched the landscape fly by beneath them with a sort of childlike wonder.

But then the raven-haired Rogue spied struggling colors off into the distance. Ruby evidently noticed them at the same time and changed course, evidently to help her sister out.

Before they reached them, however, the embattled pair of Dragons surged into the sky. The Gold had her talons gripping the smaller Dragon firmly, and with a sharp motion, her maw closed around his neck and ripped his head clean off.

Blake swallowed convulsively at the sight, once more reminded of just how different she was than either of these imposing creatures. "Ruby," she called out hesitantly. "Can we… set down? Please?"

Ruby glanced back at her and nodded her great head slowly. "Yeah, I understand. Will do."

Rather than continue on towards where Yang had now landed, she turned once again towards their camp.

o o o

Weiss blew out a huff of air as she surveyed the clearing, her pale blue eyes bright and probing. Since Pyrrha had been wounded, and Jeanne unlikely to leave her side anytime soon, she'd convinced Ren not to put up any more illumination spells for now. As it was, the pale light cast by Remnant's broken moon was enough to make it seem as bright as day for the Elven Mage.

Three members of their group were missing still. And so she maintained her worried vigil for them, anxiously clenching her rapier while her aura slowly built back up.

Nora had rummaged through the fallen mounts, only to sadly report that the aura rejuvenation potions were all broken, along with a couple of their healing draughts. Currently the orange-haired warrior was digging through the rest of their supplies, gathering up what was still usable and portable enough for them to carry on themselves the rest of the way towards their objectives.

Meanwhile Ren moved like a ghost through the ring of fallen mercenaries lining their campsite like a gruesome palisade. Her sharp ears picked up on his murmured prayers over the dead, though she wasn't able to appreciate the effort overmuch.

Their enemy was dead, and they were still alive, and that was enough for her at that point in time.

Her eyes once more turned to anxiously watch the treeline in the direction that a certain pair of Dragons had taken.

Soon enough she picked up on the sound of flapping, as great leathery wings approached bearing the majestic form of a Dragon. Weiss couldn't help but sigh softly as she saw the smaller form of a Silver emerge from the darkness, Blake still riding behind her neck.

She was relieved to see her first real friend back safely, but it didn't abate her anxiety any.

The Silver waited for her black-leather-clad Cat Faunus rider to climb down before she changed back into the familiar red-cloaked girl with red-tipped hair. Blake didn't give her a backwards glance as she strode off to help Nora.

Ruby spared the Rogue a sad look before she approached Weiss with quick steps.

"She's okay," were the first words out of the brunette's mouth, causing the Elven Mage to sigh in relief and offer her friend a wan smile at the consideration.

"Is she still… er, a Dragon? Or on foot?" Weiss inquired hesitantly.

Ruby shook her head, stepping up next to the Elf to join her vigil. "I'm not sure, but I think I felt her change again. Maybe her wing got hurt." She glanced aside quickly. "I mean, not badly, but, y'know…"

"It's alright, thank you Ruby." The platinum-haired girl's smile faltered as she noted Blake digging through the baggage. "What happened for Blake to be avoiding you again?"

Ruby let out a long, despondent sigh. "We tracked down the Green," she began in a voice so soft even Weiss had to strain to listen. "She blinded her, but I put an end to her with my fire. And then she saw Yang kill the White. I think… I think in the end it was too much for her. I was hoping, I dunno, that it would help her accept things, but…"

As her friend trailed off, Weiss slipped an arm around her shoulders. Ruby glanced at her once more, this time with a startled look on her face, but the Elven woman just gave her a warm smile.

"Give her time, okay? She's still working through this, but have faith."

Ruby gave a rueful chuckle as she rested her head on Weiss' shoulder. "Now you sound like my sister."

"Perhaps she sounds like me. I'm the more reasonable one, after all."

"So you're rubbing off on her?"

Weiss giggled softly. "Stranger things have happened."

They stood like that for perhaps another minute or two before they heard the distant approach of footsteps. Weiss released her hold on the brunette and stepped forward eagerly, only to gasp when she took in her lover's appearance.

Yang looked like she'd been trampled by wild horses, and then used as a club by a Hill Giant for good measure. She walked with a limp, blood running down her right leg and both arms, while her normally meticulous blonde hair was disheveled and matted with more blood. One eye seemed to be swollen shut, and her left hand was clamped over her stomach tightly.

"Heya, guys," the Gold announced with forced cheer. "Believe me, it looks worse than it feels."

"Somehow I doubt that," Ren answered dryly as he strode over. Weiss was there first, wordlessly guiding the blonde towards a log to sit down.

Ruby stood by, chewing on her lip while Ren moved his hands over Yang's body, frowning slightly. "I'm… not sure how much I can do," the half-Elven Cleric murmured uncertainly.

"Don't sweat it, Ren," the blonde replied nonchalantly. "Dragons wounded by another Dragon take longer to heal, don't think you can really do much."

"Can't you heal when you, er, change?" Weiss asked quietly.

"No, it doesn't work that way," Ruby sighed, giving her sister a wan smile. "And yeah, pretty sure any wound she has is gonna be harder for you to heal, Ren."

"I'm used to it," Yang shrugged, wincing at the effort.

"Well, at least allow me to try and close this hole in your torso," Ren murmured in reply, his hands beginning to glow where they rested over Yang's bloody one.

"You have a hole in you?" Weiss whispered harshly.

"Just a little one," Yang smirked. "He got a lucky bite in."

"Yang…" The Elf sighed and shook her head. "So he was a White Dragon?"

"Yup," the blonde replied, wincing once more as Ren's magical healing began to knit things together in her abdomen. "Smaller than me, but just as strong." She graced her girlfriend with a brilliant smile. "I just happened to be a better fighter."

Weiss shook her head again before leaning up against the Gold's battered body, careful to avoid the more obvious wounds. "Next time, you should take me along to help," she scolded softly.

"Aww, knew you cared about me," Yang grinned.

The platinum-haired Elf huffed as she tenderly wrapped an arm around the Dragon's waist. "Of course I do, you dolt," she breathed quietly.

And I'm not letting you run off into danger again without me, my heart can't take that kind of stress...

A/N: Thank you all for your patience as I took an extra week to put this out! So a bit of a changeup here as I switched between Jeanne, Blake, and then Weiss for the viewpoint. And hey, was this enough action for ya? Dragon-on-Dragon action as requested (no not that kind, get your mind outta the gutter). Another pair of Dragons bite the dust… Something tells me this ain't gonna go over well with Cinder… Oh, and a little easter egg was left there from Deadpool, anyone pick up on that?

So what's in store for our intrepid adventurers next chapter? Well, I'll give you a little hint, a preview as it were, just one single, solitary word to whet your appetite until the next week:

Neo.

And holy carp, did I get a lot of reviews from chapter 16! I'm glad everyone liked it so much, and I apologize profusely for not responding to everyone! Work has just been insane, which is when I usually take the time to do my emails… Anyways, much love to Nicodemus Cain, carpenter656, Martin Hooper1, RatedRSuperStar87, Anime Review's, bankerrtx01, RedWing36, ExKage, FoxyFoxation, allie300093, kaiju62, WyattMoore, Sharkdude5, Reaper Whisper, Aestria, Arcredemption, Heil96, Trewill91, SOUTHMENACE90, AndJrew76, AntonSlavik020. Thank you all so very much for taking the time to both read and review! I appreciate the support! This little AU story has really grown in readership: 170 followers, 99 favorites, and 182 reviews! Nice!

Stay shiny!