Down the Fire Mines
"Hah!" Ruby cried as she swung her scythe at Azura in an overhead chop, but he with a simple flick of his wrist parried the blow.
"Too obvious. Try again." Azura replied, leveling his katana at the ready.
"I'll show you obvious!" Ruby roared as she jumped off a rock to lunge at him.
Azura, however, easily brought up his blade and blocked multiple blows from the young rose before blocking another overhead chop. "What was that? An exhibition? You need to remain calm while putting in emotional content. Now, try again." He told her, shaking his head.
"Spin attack!!" Ruby cried as she began to spin at him like a bladed whirlwind.
With a smile on his face and a hand behind his back, Azura rapidly and repeatedly dodged, backstepped, and blocked her spinning blows. With a chuckle and a flourish, he deflected her final blow downward, forcing her to overstep. In that same instant, he stepped behind her and swung fast and hard at the back of her neck. However, he easily stopped short of actually hitting her as Ruby panted in exertion.
"And dead." Azura simply told his student.
Ruby groaned as she tried to get up on shaky arms and legs, but her body could not give her anymore strength. With a groan, she fell face first into the dusty ground into a downward dog position. From the sidelines, comfortably under a tree, Kenshi got a wry smile.
"Do you like her in that position brother? Or would you prefer it flipped?" Kenshi asked with a chuckle.
In response, Kenshi found a katana thrown into the trunk of the tree right next to his face, missing him by millimeters. Shaking his head as the sword wobbled back and forth, he used one finger to stop the blade's wobbling before reaching out, grabbing it by the hilt, and pulling it free.
"Thou hast no humor, brother." Kenshi dryly replied.
"Throw another one. And aim more to the right." Yang said as she laid against the tree lazily.
"That was merely a warning shot, Lady Yang. Now then, Ruby. What did we learn?" Azura said as he walked over and took his blade back from Kenshi before turning to look back at Ruby.
"My everything hurts…" Ruby groaned as she slumped fully onto the ground.
"The pain will help you learn, Ruby." Azura simply replied with a smile.
"Yes… I'm learning so much…" Ruby groaned into the dirt.
"Do I need to get the cold-water bucket?" Azura asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Must you continue to fill me with despair and dread?" Ruby groaned.
"Ruby. Quit being melodramatic." Taiyang said as he walked with Sen'otome carrying picnic baskets.
"Your father is right, Lady Ruby. All warriors must train to sharpen their skills and improve. If anything, Lord Azura is being tame compared to what his sensei would put you through if he were here." Sen'otome pointed out.
"Ah, yes. Let's strap small boulders to her back and limbs while she trains. That will help her progress greatly." Kenshi said sarcastically.
"Don't give him ideas!" Ruby snapped at Kenshi as she slowly, and weakly, got to her knees.
"Again… How did you two survive that crazy old man's training?" Yang asked in disbelief.
"Lady Yang. They know nothing of true endurance and hardship in the face of training. What do you think their master had to go through to achieve his position?" Sen'otome asked Yang coyly.
"So, your entire clan is insane. Got it." Yang said nonchalantly, sipping some tea.
"We prefer to use the term 'cutting edge of eccentricity.'" Kenshi said with a smile, waving his hand to make it seem more impressive.
"So insane." Ruby groaned as she rubbed her aching arms.
"Azura. When are you going to get around to putting a less crass vocabulary into her?" Kenshi asked with a sigh.
"As soon as she can actually land a hit on me." Azura replied with a grin.
"We are going to be here a while…" Kenshi sighed.
"Don't give up, Ruby. We all believe in you. Especially Balam… Where is the green floating jaguar, anyway?" Tai said encouragingly, before looking for the elemental spirit.
"This one is up here, everyone." Balam's voice called out from a tree branch above Ruby's head.
"Thanks for the help, big guy…" Ruby sarcastically said as she brushed herself off.
"If this one aided thee in every spar, Lady Ruby, thou wouldst not learn." Balam pointed out with a yawn.
"How is getting my butt kicked day in and day out, alongside not getting to go on any missions, learning?" Ruby asked in frustration.
"Lady Yang, could you please spar with Ruby after her break is done?" Azura asked the blonde fighter.
"Answer the question!" Ruby snapped, shocking everyone with her tone and forwardness.
"I shall answer you by letting the results speak for themselves." Azura replied with a playful grin.
However, to the surprise of everyone, Ruby clenched her fists and stormed off in a huff. Not even stopping to even look at anyone else or partake in any refreshments. Yang, on pure instinct, rushed off to talk to her.
Azura sighed. "Were we this difficult with sensei back when we were starting out?" He asked before thinking for a moment and answering himself with a knowing smile. "Wait… yes. Yes, we were."
"I know I was." Kenshi said with a wicked smile.
"Are you two done going down memory lane yet?" Taiyang asked with a small growl in his voice.
"Sir Taiyang, Ruby needs to learn that these things take time. She cannot expect herself to already be going out on missions with so little formal training, even if she does have Lord Balam's power at her disposal." Azura explained, trying to make the older man see his point.
Tai let out a sigh, knowing he was right. Meanwhile, Yang found Ruby sitting by the side of a terrace, looking out into the vast ocean of clouds before them. She tried to put a hand on her sister's shoulder to get her attention, but to her shock, Ruby did not budge. Thus, requiring more extreme tactics.
"Ruby." Yang said, shaking her a bit.
"Go away." Ruby answered grumpily.
"Why would I do that? Being the perfect big sister I am, I know just what my baby sis needs to turn that frown upside down." Yang said with a playful grin.
"Can't you be anything but that for once in your life?" Ruby groaned, looking despondently up into the sky.
"Nope!" Yang replied before starting to tickle Ruby's sides.
"No! Stop it!" Ruby said between her giggling.
"Not until you stop being a Pouty Palutena!" Yang replied as she continued tickling Ruby.
Ruby could not help but laugh and laugh and laugh. Yang only stopped sooner than she liked just to let her sister breathe. Leaving her on her side panting and sweating up a storm. Once Ruby finally was able to breathe again, she let out a big sigh.
"All I am is a burden. And being useless." Ruby pouted.
"No, you're not, Ruby. You're getting stronger every day." Yang said, sitting right next to her little sister.
"When is it going to mean anything?" Ruby asked, looking up at Yang.
"Do you want me to start tickling you again?" Yang threatened, wiggling her fingers in Ruby's direction.
"You engage in that torture tactic again and I'm jumping off this mountain." Ruby pointedly replied.
Yang placed a gentle hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby… your moment will come. Just listen to Azura in the meantime. He may be rough with how he's training you, but he means well." She reassured her little sister.
Ruby sat there, thinking. However, she then got a burst of genius. "Yang. Don't ever let anyone tell you you're a dumb blonde." Ruby said as if she jumped to her feet.
"I never do, but… thanks, I guess?" Yang replied, genuinely confused.
"If you need me, I'll be breaking out one of your tactics to get what I want." Ruby said with a smile, before rushing back to Azura.
"What, like flashing the goods? Ruby, wait up!" Yang replied, following behind Ruby.
"Azura! I want to go on a mission!" Ruby cried out, rushing back.
Azura sighed. "Ruby, we've been over this. You haven't progressed enough in your training yet to be ready for that." He reminded her, looking in her direction.
"You're putting me on a mission or I'm taking off my top." Ruby sternly argued.
Azura blushed at that. "Ruby! Where did you learn that kind of behavior from!?" He demanded, aghast.
"I think I have a few ideas." Kenshi said as he turned to look at Yang running up. "So, blondie? How did you convince her of this?"
"I didn't! I just told her to listen to Azura until her moment comes!" Yang said, glaring at her little sister.
Ruby then grabbed the underside of her shirt. "Well, my moment is going to come!" Ruby threatened.
Azura blushed and, being the gentleman that he was, covered his eyes. "All right, all right! I will send you on a mission! Just keep your clothes on!" He frantically told her.
"Thank you!" Ruby cheered before hugging Azura closely.
"But Lady Sen'otome is coming along with you." Azura told her not uncovering his eyes.
"Oh, come on!" Ruby groaned. "Also, I'm still fully clothed."
Uncovering his eyes, Azura looked down at her. "... So, you are. Now Lady Sen'otome will be going with you and Yang on your first mission, Ruby. To make sure everything goes smoothly.
"Why me?" Yang asked confusedly.
"Because you have known Ruby her entire life and can help keep her out of trouble." Azura explained.
"Also, you somehow corrupted her." Kenshi quipped before Yang punched him in the face. "My nose!"
"No. Azura was the one who taught me to exploit any weaknesses my opponent may have." Ruby explained.
"... Curse my gentlemanly ways. Well, at least now I know you were paying attention…" Azura sighed in frustration.
"I always pay attention." Ruby huffed.
Azura patted her on the head. "Of course you do, Ruby. Of course you do." He told her.
"You two behave on this mission and be safe. After refreshments. I made your favorite sandwiches." Taiyang explained as he finished setting out the refreshments.
After a nice break and some lunch, the trio were off. Done making Azura and Kenshi aghast with the rate of wolfing down the sandwiches, the three made off for the hinterlands. Ruby followed a small map that she was given by Azura and read the small note he left at the bottom.
"Head to this location, believed to be a mine, and scout it out. Return with all signs of activity. Do not engage." Ruby read as they walked. "Really? I threaten to flash my chest at him, and this is all he gives me. Maybe I should have dropped my skirt…"
"Ruby, no! I'm already in enough trouble with dad as it is!" Yang told her little sis, looking panicked.
"Oh, like you haven't done either of those with boys in the village." Ruby answered sarcastically.
"That was different! I'm older than you!" Yang replied, clearly exasperated.
"You're the one always telling me to get bold, and now you're telling me to stop? Make up your mind already." Ruby groaned as she looked at the map.
"What is this, your rebellious phase or something?" Yang sighed in frustration.
"It is not a phase!" Ruby snapped.
"Lady Ruby, please listen to your sister. She is merely trying to look out for you." Sen'otome told Ruby, hefting a large pack full of supplies like it was an ordinary backpack.
"The mines aren't even that far. Why do we need all those supplies?" Ruby asked curiously.
"You never know what you might need that nature and the spirits cannot provide. We may need shelter in case it rains, cooking supplies to make food, a warm change of clothes…" Sen'otome began to explain.
"Right. Not going to tell you about the time I nearly got eaten by an Armored Leo…" Ruby muttered, but unfortunately not quite enough.
"You almost WHAT!?" Sen'otome asked in shock.
"I did kill it though. Well, after dad wore it down some, but still. It's how I got the blade for my scythe." Ruby explained, but that did not settle Sen'otome down.
"... Lord Azura was right to keep a close eye on you for your own safety. So were your sister and father." Sen'otome groaned in frustration.
"At least we are close to the mine entrance." Ruby groaned.
"There isn't one on this map anywhere near here." Yang said as she looked at the map.
"The map's wrong. I know where one is. Found it one day when I slipped out to go exploring…" Ruby explained, before getting cut off by the other two.
"You what!?" Yang and Sen'otome demanded in concern.
"Right, I'm on my own side. Because nobody's on my side." Ruby said with a huff as she began to lead them down an old, little used trail.
The other two soon followed her as they had to fight through the horrid brush. Ruby and Sen'otome led as they cut their way through the thick brambles, bushes, and vines that clogged the trail. Their sharp blades making quick work of the hardy and woody obstacles. Until they finally reached their destination. Before them stood a roughly hewn tunnel, propped up by old timbers and braces. However, before they could enter, Sen'otome nearly collapsed as she clasped her head in pain.
"Sen'otome!" Ruby and Yang worriedly asked as they checked up on her.
"What's wrong?" Yang asked as she positioned herself to allow the Sōtora to lean on her.
"Do you sense something?" Ruby asked worriedly.
Taking deep breaths, Sen'otome tried to calm herself down. "What… kind of place… is this…?" She asked, fighting through the pain of echoes of agony and misery going through her head.
"These are the old mines. Dad never told us much about them. However…" Yang said nervously. "From what I can gather, the Golden Nobles used to mine gold here. They used untold amounts of slaves to get it. And many… many didn't make it out alive."
Sen'otome took a deep breath. "No wonder I sensed so much pain, anger, and despair from this place…" She said, looking down sadly at the entrance.
"Who knows what kind of Grimm are attracted to this place. So, we need to be careful." Ruby nervously said, gripping her scythe tighter as she took a few cautious steps inside.
Sen'otome nodded. "I will head in first. You two follow behind me and keep your senses sharp." She ordered.
"Right." The two answered with a nod in unison.
Slowly, but carefully, the trio made their way into the mine shaft. The air hung stale with rot and dryness filling every breath they took. The ground was littered with old tools, dead vermin, and the bones of the dead. Humans, Faunus, and animal bones lay haphazardly as they made their way through the darkness. Sen'otome was able to light an old torch to allow them to see in the pitch darkness. But it did not give any of them much comfort. Even Ruby and Yang could sense the dread and foul energies that clung to the place.
However, Sen'otome stopped suddenly, causing Ruby and Yang to bump into her. Before they could speak, they heard something. It was a tick, tick, tick. They could not quite tell what it was exactly beyond that, as it was quite distant and echoey. Slowly and quietly, they crept forward, following the sound. It began to grow clearer and louder. Louder and louder as it became a cacophony as they reached a more open and multi-tiered shaft.
Crouching down, the three's eyes widened as they discovered the source of the noise. Below them were entire chain gangs of slaves, bounded by black iron chains, cutting away at rock with picks and mattocks. What little light they had been given by torches as several armored men, similar to what Yang and Ruby saw at the bridge, watched over them with clubs and whips. One slave, a bear Faunus with bear-like feet, began to slack at their pace, which got the attention of a guard.
"Did I say you could let up!? Pick up the pace! You ain't stopping 'til you find gold!" The Guard roared as he cracked the bullwhip into the Faunus's back. The lashing whip left a horrible cut in the slaves back, but it gave them the motivation to work harder.
"Why are they here?" Ruby whispered.
"Dad said the gold dried up years ago. Leave it to the Golden Nobles to not leave even a scrap behind." Yang whispered with disgust.
Looking at Sen'otome, her reaction surprised them. They saw a look of pure rage and fury in her eyes. Like a goddess who had been displeased and was preparing to smite some poor, unfortunate mortal for getting on her bad side. However, before she could say or do anything, they heard a commotion further down the tunnel.
"For the way of smoke! Charge!!!" A man screamed, lofting a flaming hammer, as others of his kind swarmed in and began their assault. Soon they began to clash with the guards, who sounded the alarm with a horn, and soon reinforcement began to rush in.
Yang squinted her eyes, observing them as chaos unfolded before her before she noticed familiar markings. "Those are those fire cultist guys Kenshi and I found. What are they doing up here?" Yang said in confusion.
"Whatever they're up to, it can't be good…" Ruby said as they observed. "Now let's perform the mission and… where's Sen'otome?"
The two looked to see she had somehow vanished. However soon they heard a roar from below them that sounded suspiciously like her. Turning to look, they were shocked to see she was engaging both the mercenaries and the smoke cultists with equal vigor.
"So much for recon, I guess…" Ruby muttered.
"By the Throne of Heaven, Thunder is my Blade! By the Plains of Heaven, The Wind is my Shield! Come forth and guide my hand! Tiger Spirit Shikigami!" Sen'otome called out as she summoned her Shikigami familiar.
"You summoned me, Mistre… WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?" Raito asked in disbelief, seeing the carnage and abused slaves.
"Less talk Raito. More destruction upon these enslavers!" Sen'otome roared as she put her wakizashi blade through the face of a smoke cultist.
"Gladly!" Raito roared as he rushed headfirst into the fray.
With twin roars, the two charged. Raito biting and clawing through enemies. Meanwhile, Sen'otome slashed and stabbed any foes who got too close to her. Seeing the bloodbath before them, Yang and Ruby stared in shock.
"You know, for a sagely wizard, she can kick some ass…" Yang said in stunned shock as she saw Sen'otome lop off a man's head.
"Magician, Yang. There's a difference…" Ruby pointed out in stunned disbelief as she saw Raito bite a slaver in half.
"Does it really matter if they can melt your face off from across a village away?" Yang asked, looking at her sister.
"... Point taken. Wanna go free the prisoners? It looks like she's got this for now…" Ruby replied with a nod.
"Does Azura blush when you do something?" Yang asked rhetorically.
Ruby blushed and bopped her sister on the head. "Shut up and stay low…!" She hissed as she led the way to the prisoners.
The two girls slid down the rock face to the chain gang. Many were stunned and terrified at what was happening. So much so they did not notice at first Ruby cutting their chains around their ankles. Finally, some began to notice, but Yang and Ruby shushed them. They did not want to attract undue attention.
As the girls worked with the slaves, Raito staggered back as he took a blow from a flaming hammer full in the face. Letting out a thunderous roar that shook the mine and made many enemies cover their ears, the tiger spirit turned into living lightning as he zipped through the crowd, slashing through multiple enemies with his claws and tearing through armor and weapons like a hot blade through tissue paper. As he did so, Sen'otome slashed with her wakizashi and used her magic to have spirits drop stalactites down on enemies' heads, crushing their skulls. Bit by bit, the two carved a path to freedom for Ruby, Yang, and the enslaved people. Biting down on a slaver, Raito shook the man in his mouth as his prey screamed and howled in agony, spraying blood and chunks of viscera everywhere. Soon, he threw the man's dead body into his charging compatriots, distracting them long enough to rush through and slash them to pieces.
"I'm never gonna look at a cat the same way again." Yang said in shock.
"Yang, we got a problem! There's no way out!" Ruby yelled.
"Why not head out the way the lot of them came in?" Yang asked.
Ruby, however, gestured to the battle and the carnage unfolded before them. "You want to try it, be my guest." Ruby sternly said.
"... No thanks, I choose life." Yang replied, looking for another way out.
"Wait a minute. I got an idea! Everyone, stand back!" Ruby yelled after getting a eureka moment.
'Lady Ruby, this will require a bit more power than you are used to wielding. However, this one believes that thine strength has grown sufficiently enough for thee to control it.' Balam's voice told her in her head.
Ruby smiled at that. 'Thanks for the encouragement, Balam. Now give me that power!' Ruby answered him in her mind, as she clenched her hand into a fist, and her arm lit up in a green aura.
With a roar, Ruby clenched her hand into a fist and slammed it into the ground. Soon, the cave began to rumble before great tree roots began to slowly grow out of the ground. Bit by bit, it grew higher and higher as it reached up towards a higher cave entrance. After reaching its maximum height, the roots grew outward and stabilized. By the time Ruby was done, the roots had begun to resemble rudimentary, primitive stairs. Looking back at the others, Ruby panted lightly and smiled.
"Climb up everyone! Yang, help the ones who are too weak! No one is being left behind!" Ruby ordered the slaves and her sister.
"Got it, Rubes! Come on, people! Let's move!" Yang told the slaves as she helped them begin to climb.
As the slaves began to climb up, one of them stopped and noticed Ruby's eyes. "Your eyes… you're a Silver-Eyed Warrior!?" He exclaimed in shock.
"No time! Explain later!" Ruby told him, gesturing for him to move.
"Right. Sorry." The slave said as he began to climb up with his fellows.
As the slaves made their way up, finally it was Yang and Ruby's turn. However, Ruby stopped before doing so as she looked back at Sen'otome and Raito still fighting like demons.
"Sen'otome! We have to leave now! We freed the slaves!" Ruby cried out to her.
"Indeed, Lady Ruby! Raito, bring this place down behind us!" Sen'otome replied before turning to her familiar and issuing an order.
With a nod, the tiger spirit let out a thunderous roar, louder than the others he had let out. Cracks began to form in the ceiling and walls of the tunnel. This caused the fighting to stop as both sides scrambled from whence they came. Grabbing his summoner in his jaws, Raito leapt up on the rock face and followed the rest of the party out. Cracks turned to fissures as the old beams broke like toothpicks. Barely, only barely did Raito make it out last with his master as the old mine shaft caved in behind them.
"We did it!! First mission: Super successful!" Ruby cheered.
"Let's hope Azura agrees…" Yang mumbled as she looked over the ruined mine.
Sen'otome put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "With what we did today, freeing slaves from their oppressors, he will. The founder of our clan was famous for a similar activity." She answered her.
"Well, what're we waiting for!? Let's head back and tell him the news!" Ruby called out in joy.
Meanwhile: Back at the Old Mine Shaft
Seeing the caved in mine shaft made a more grizzled mercenary shake his head. "This will not do. Our employer's gonna terminate our contract for this." He spoke.
"Or, worse, our lives…" Another grumbled.
"Very possible. If only…" The Veteran sighed.
"Boss! Come over here!!" A mercenary closer to the collapsed shaft called.
With a sigh, the Veteran walked up. However, before he could admonish his soldier, he soon saw what his man saw. Upon one of the broken rocks was a thin seam of glittering metal. Shining in the afternoon sun as if it were gifted to them by the gods. As a smile formed across the veteran's face.
"Gold…" He said with a mouthwatering glee.