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The walls vibrated slightly with the roaring of the crowd.
They were chanting something, making the ancient stone dance to their stomping feet. Her heart beat with it, following the call of the arena.
Armour white as snow laid in front of her. Matte tendrils coiled over it, forming ice flowers, making it seem frozen, when the light fell just the right way.
The helmet didn’t have any features, barely more than a plain mask with two slits for the eyes – as was tradition. There was a small opening for her ponytail. Long white hair would be the helmet decoration. An atrocity in terms of defence it didn’t matter much in her case.
The armour was nothing but show, a nod to long gone days. The only thing of importance about it were the finger thick ornaments rimming every edge on every plate. Complicated runes cast in silver.
Enchantments.
Every contestant would wear an armour with those. A predetermined amount of magic was bound into them, safeguarding the wearer from all and any damage. The fight was over, when all stored power was spent, marking defeat.
She closed her eyes and breathed in, savouring the air of anticipation.
Today was the day.
She would finally fight the one all of this was for. The only opponent in the entire tournament that mattered.
Weiss snapped her fingers, muttering a word and the armour pieces took off softly, hovering to her, sliding in place silently. Magic bound them together instead of straps and buckles.
She shook out her hands. Plates rattling softly like old friends. It fit perfectly, not hindering her movements at all. A masterpiece of craftsmanship.
The cobalt sash she reached for stood in stark contrast to the white, more so as she twisted it several times around her waist, making a wide belt, the long ends fluttering with every movement.
The last accessory was a half cloak. The inside of the same blue, white on the outside, featuring her house crest. A silver chain would hold it on her right shoulder, a sapphire sitting in the clasp.
Usually.
She had something else in mind for today.
It took only a small movement to usher the sapphire forward, a whispered word to inlay another stone. She mustered the cloak critically before swinging it over her shoulder. The amour finally complete.
The thundering of the crowd was louder in front of the doors. The voice of the Announcer was muffled by thick steel. No reason for her to listen, there was no missing her cue. Besides, she was too nervous for that anyway.
Not that she would ever admit it.
It was the arena itself.
Its air. Its splendour. Its hunger. Its ghosts.
The times of blood were long over. The tournament of mages was barely more than pompous entertainment. The crowd loved the spectacular fights, the gorgeous arenas, the brilliant armours, the air of old times, carefully preserved in only the most glorious images, bared of any reminder of grid.
Yet, she knew it was more than that.
Kings and Queens, Counts and Countesses, all the mighty and the powerful of the continent were huddled on the tribunes with the common folk, eyes glued to the sands like those of peasants.
The games were also a demonstration of power.
There was no better time and place for politics than the tournament.
Her father would be there too. Watching, as he always did, making his deals, pale eyes daring her to stain his name.
Weiss shrugged the image off.
Today was not about him.
Thunder and bright sunlight greeted her as the doors swung open, crowd erupting in wild cheers. Stomping, screaming, chanting her name, louder than the amplified voice of the Announcer introducing her like she was a hero. A legend.
Her heart beat faster.
The armour shielded her from the heat of the sand as she stepped out in the light to take her position. White aflame, the mock frost bristling. She twisted her hand and snowflakes fell from her cloak, coiling in the air behind her as she went.
The crowd whooped louder.
“- VERSUUUUUS! - ”
She looked to the side and up. The Announcer stood on a balcony in the middle of the arena, held up by intricately sculptured marble atlases, high enough above the sand to see everything clearly. Behind him, the masters of the arena sat around a huge mirror, encased in stone, flanked by two unlit goblets. Milky white whirled under its surface, forming the background for two lines on display. One glowing blue the other red.
The power of enchantments on their armour for the spectator to see.
Weiss turned her head forward again.
Another door was still closed in front of her. Delicate pictures of fearsome animals and fighting figures engraved in the metal.
Any moment now.
She forced herself not to fidget.
“- RUBY OF THE HOUSE ROSE!”
The massive wings swung open, shedding light on another mage. The heart of the arena welcoming her to the sand. The tension in the air suddenly suffocating. Every one of her steps louder than those of titans, leaving crimson petals in the sand, conjuring ghosts of tragedies the tall columns of the arena still remembered.
Why did she even agree to this?
They were meant to fight together, not against each other!
Also, to be honest, she was fucked.
Her specialty were spells of a more complicated kind - Powerful, but slow to cast - while Ruby was all about speed. Simple, but precise. She would take her out in seconds, if Weiss failed to find a way to keep her off of her for long enough to cast. So far her ideas on that were fairly limited. Majorly fucked.
Ruby’s amour was dark silver. A hooded crimson cloak resting on her shoulders, held by two wolf heads. It was slightly pushed aside on the left, letting the onlookers admire the beautifully crafted red roses lining her shoulder guard, thorny vines twisting in between, encasing her arm, spreading to her chest, sprouting more roses.
Weiss knew the armour like the back of her hand. She helped to make it. Went countless time over the enchantments, engraved the runes that made the roses seem alive.
Something was wrong with it.
The flower over Ruby’s heart was white.
Dork.
It was pointless to try and wrestle down her growing smile, nobody would see it anyway, instead, she rolled her shoulder. The ruby in her clasp caught light, flashing brightly.
Ruby tilted her head a bit to the side, clearly noticing.
What was she even to do with this woman?
Preferably, beat her in this stupid game.
Thanks, Yang.
Weiss’ thoughts flew through her head. Ruby shuffled impatiently in the sand, practically radiating anticipation and joy.
Dolt.
Weiss’ smiled wider only to scoff at herself as soon as she noticed.
No time for that!
Chances were high, Ruby’s first move would be to charge at her with a quickening spell, summoning a weapon - most likely her beloved scythe. No artefacts and pre-prepared spells meant there would be a slight delay. Not enough to cast something big but a simple elemental conjuring...
As speed spells and weapon summons came easy for Ruby, ice magic came easy for Weiss. Natural. She wouldn't need a long formula, wouldn't need any words in fact. Just a little bit of concentration. Easy. Just don't think about the gigantic, razor sharp blade coming at your face at the speed of a cannon ball.
Speaking of which, maybe she should lose just to not show off against Yang in the next round.
Damned pride.
"THREE!"
The crowd screamed the countdown in unison. As to why she didn't know.
"TWO!"
The tribunes vibrated with anticipation. Her heart felt like a panicked bird in a small cage. Thrashing its wings against her ribs in reckless abandon. The sound carried to her ears, drowning out everything with its wild war drums.
"ONE!"
Ruby's left leg slid backwards over the sand, upper body falling softly forward. Weiss imagined she could see the silver eyes behind the dark slits in the helmet. Air glimmered around her, filling with static. With magic.
Weiss didn't move.
Here goes nothing.
"BEGINN!"
Ear splitting thunder of the orator’s enchanted voice mixed with the deafening cheers of the crowd. It didn't have the time to even ebb before sand whirled up around Ruby, left in the wake of shapeless red.
Weiss threw her hand up.
Glistering spikes sprout out of the ground. A forest of crooked fingers, grasping for red, slowing it down. If only for a moment.
At least she wasn't out yet.
Hands clasped together she rattled down the incantation. Words still clear despite the haste. Practice. If she did it wrong... Well, that wouldn't be pleasant.
The red mass unfurled into a knight again. Wicked edge, curved like a crescent moon flashed in the sun for a split second before it came down onto ice in a fluid motion, carrying the momentum of the wielders spin.
Beautiful.
Pity she didn't have time to watch.
Weiss tore her hands apart, the last syllable barely over her lips.
Blue and black exploded right in front of her. Expanding and unfolding into a glowing resemblance of something akin to a night sky, caught inside a cloud of swirling darkness. Ethereal blue threads wound their way through black, coiling around softly glowing spheres. For a heartbeat it just hung there in its magnificent beauty. A moment of peace before all the light collapsed into the spheres.
Somewhere ahead of her, Ruby dropped her weapon carelessly to the ground. Fingers flying to form complicated patterns. The small plates on her gloves clicking rapidly.
Weiss grinded smoothly. No outrunning the "Gaze of Eternity".
Ruby would be so pissed.
Charging Weiss straight ahead could have taken her right out of the game, true, but it was also a painfully predictable forthright opening move Weiss already highly anticipated. A friendly starter so to speak.
Casting the "Gaze" was anything but. It was virtually impossible to dodge and did massive damage. Its weakness was that it was only moderately difficult to block. Everyone half decent in defense could do it.
Ruby hated defensive spells. Passionately. To cast "Gaze" on her was just plainly a dick move and Weiss knew she would pay for it.
The spheres glowed so radiant, they seemed to dim the midday sun. Her unlucky opponent had barely time to finish her spell as beams of light shot towards her: The glowing spheres charging their target with blind rage, leaving radiant trails in their wake.
A red glinting dome met them just a view inches from the roses on Ruby's chest. It flickered, unstable. As always. The only reason it was there at all, was the immense magical power Ruby pumped inside to force it into reality.
The silver lined enchantments on her armour stirred to life. The crimson shade on the defense spell turned the colour of fresh blood.
So, SO angry.
Weiss' mind raced for the next move. What would Ruby cast? It would be barely another charge. Something bigger? The "Grave of the Wargod"? No, too long, too heavy. Something quicker, something...
The spell faded away, darkness coiling in the air like smoke, softly melting into nothing, returning the sun it's grace.
Ruby swung her arm abruptly to the side, releasing the defense magic.
Weiss imagined she could smell roses in the air. The scent always accompanied Ruby's magic. Always clung to her self. Barely noticable and yet still there. Living in the nape of her neck, hiding in between dark auburn.
Weiss breath hitched.
Concentration, damn it!
She panted. The "Gaze" took its toll. Her fingers trembled slightly, hands held out in front of her, palms down, blue eyes on her opponent.
What was she going to do?
There was nothing tense about Ruby’s stance. She seemed collected, calm even. As if there was no fire burning inside her. As if silver eyes didn't harbor a storm.
A shiver ran down Weiss' spine. She would give half her treasury to see her face right now.
So much to her being perfectly fine with not seeing each other for the duration of the tournament. At this point she had some thoughts about where the rules can go and what they could do to themselves.
Oh gods.
Ruby scattered into rose petals, a soft breeze carrying them to the left.
Shit.
Weiss threw her hand out again, willing a wall of ice into existence. Snow glistered in bright sunlight. She scrambled in the other direction, a white sigil springing to life between her and the wall with a finger snap. Another of her talents. The gift of her bloodline.
Nothing happened. Her steps slowed. Blue eyes searched frantically for red. A wall of ice might not have been the best idea. She could undo it. And probably unleash Ruby upon herself.
Her heart raced, mind on edge. She shifted her feet a bit, sand freezing slowly over beneath her soles, crunching under her weight. No time for uncertainty.
She clenched her fist. The ice cracked loudly, huge fractures running into its depth. Only a breath of nothing before her will tore the wall appart, exploding it into a rain of gleaming crystals and soft snowflakes.
No crimson.
She twirled around.
Right in time to see Ruby holding out her fist. A drop of red fell from it into the sand. Blood.
Oh fuck.
She had no time for a proper spell, proper anything. Just ice springing up around her on pure reflex, trying to shield her from what was coming.
Vines. Silver vines. Digging their way out of the sound with horrifying speed, finger long thorns gleaming viciously.
Weiss stumbled backwards, pushing all her mana in the connection to the earlier cast rune, speeding up the incarnation as well as she could. She needed it right NOW.
Silver flashed before her, grasping, twirling up beneath her feet, snatching at her calves. They would crush her, thorns digging deep. Every drop of blood would make roses grow. Lush deep red bidding the struggling victim goodbye with its intoxicating scent.
It was the spell that gave Ruby's armour it's design.
"Crimson Embrasse."
A light blue glowing sword crushed from over her head down into the sand in front of her, severing several vines in half, slowing their advances. Ice threaded through the rest, as Weiss struggled to free herself. The enchantments on her armor glowed, warding her from thorns, holding strong against the pressure.
The summoned knight behind her tore his sword up only to swing it back down again, chopping relentlessly at the spell spreading rapidly around them, searching for new ways to get to Weiss.
Her brow furrowed. "Crimson Embrasse" took blood as well as magic to power itself. More vines - more blood.
She knew Ruby would be furious.
Silver froze over and splintered under her touch, letting her step backwards, closer to her knight. Enchantments fading only for a second before a new thorn sliced the metal on her thigh. She clenched her teeth, grasping at it, squeezing. Her fingers felt cold from the overuse of "Freezing Touch”. Ruby couldn't power this beautiful nightmare forever but she didn't need to. She just had to last longer than Weiss. There was no out battling Ruby in stubbornness. She needed to think of something. Fast.
She stepped on a vine.
Crushing. Thorns. Summons.
What if...
Oh, that was plain evil.
She willed her knight forward, ordering him to attack Ruby, making him the head target. His outlines flickering surrounded by silver. Might buy her just enough time.
The incantation was difficult. Every word echoed by a dull pain in her jaw. Cold slipped in her bones, coiled around her spine, lingered in her lungs. Her clothes felt damp and rigid under the metal. Smell of salt mixed with that of frost and snow.
Her knight was fighting a lost battle. Vines ripped the sword out of his hands, thorns found their way under white glowing armour. He was dying and she could feel the reverberation of his silent pain.
She hated this part the most.
Something broke in her as he scattered, and so she let loose the spell.
A vortex of unfathomable black appeared in the sand right before her, in its centre the silver knight in the midst of a forest of vines, sprouting white roses.
The way it opened had always reminded Weiss of a gigantic eye.
Ruby dipped her head a little, as if to look, right as the surface broke.
Water splattered, accompanied by the glow of enchantments, burning bright enough to be visible from afar.
Weiss bit her lip, not daring to look away, trembling.
The crowd fell silent, watching in mesmerized dread. The view from the tribunes must be horrifying. A figure encapsulated in bright light and surrounded by fading silver struggling against the waters of the deep. They would have crushed her immediately if not for the enchantment.
Weiss' knees felt soft, her lungs screamed after the lacking air, her hands shook noticeably. A bit longer. Just a bit and she would win. Win the stupid fight. The even stupider bet.
Was this really worth it?
Well, Ruby did cast HER murderspell on her.
A gasp went through the arena. People sprang to their feet to see better, leaned over the palisades, gazing into the deep.
Something stirred in there.
Ghostly lights emerged silently. One after another. Swaying softly. Ruby twisted, struggling to swim up, probably in panic, before she remembered how useless that was. Her hands moved, fighting against the pressure. Not much point in that. She also wouldn't be able to form words. Or breath. Weiss cringed.
The lights grew brighter, closing in on Ruby, nearly enough to see what was hiding in the darkness of the deep.
She pulled something out of her belt and turned her hand over. The glove was missing a plate, leaving an opening on the palm. A purposeful window. Tendrils of red coiled in the water around a deep gash.
Ruby pulled her arm closer, leaning her head down, tugging her knees to her chest. Crimson light mirrored in the dark silver of her helmet and chest piece, a small ball of blood hovered over her trembling palm.
A split run through the black in between the lights.
White dipped out of the darkness.
Slowly. Silently.
Teeth.
Rows and rows of teeth spiraling down into the depths of the abyss. The ghostly lights - eyes. Countless illuminescent orbs adorning the “Maw Of The Deep”.
Weiss struggled to stay on her feet. Her lungs burned. Eyes fixed on the figure so close to being devoured.
The enchantments would dispel the summoning before anything could happen, right?
She swallowed, licking over dry lips.
Salt.
The maw opened to its full glory and...
A ripple ran through water. The eery crimson reflecting on Ruby's armour suddenly blinding.
“Bloodmoon”
She was casting "Bloodmoon".
By the gods thick asses and crooked-.
Water shot up high in the sky, red rifts splitting open the eye of the abyss, burning through sand, turning it to obsidian in their wake. The explosive wave picked Weiss up as if she was nothing, tossing her through the air like a mere snowflake.
She hit one of her own ice spikes with her back, breaking right through it, hitting another one and falling to the ground. Enchantments ablaze all around her.
It didn't hurt. Well, the fall didn't. The violent dispelling of her summon sure did. Her lungs felt like somebody had set the air in them on fire and then ripped them out.
Probably deserved that.
Drowning in crushing depths couldn't feel too pleasant either.
She gasped for air, trying to calm herself down enough to not choke on the oxygen she barely willed into her lungs. The remains of her magic froze the water as it rained down. Hail tapping on her back.
Carefully Weiss struggled up, just enough to be able to look up.
Ruby was standing hunched over in the middle of the arena. Her shoulders heaving visibly, probably from panting, streaks of red ran down her left arm, limply at her side. Water dripped from her, the sand a mix of obsidian and something Weiss really didn't want to identify.
They might have overdone it a bit.
Ruby cowered a little deeper, hands balled into fists.
Weiss sighed, scrambling to her shaking feet while her beloved charged at her. Again.
There was no magic this time, just an angry, fully armoured battle mage who apparently decided to break the rest of her enchantments by slamming her into the ground.
She could bring it on.
Weiss put her left foot back, leaned forward, hands up in defence. Waiting. Her heart thumping with every one of Ruby's steps. Anticipation coiled in her stomach. She nearly giggled, not knowing why. Maybe the enchantments didn't catch up to all the damage of the “Bloodmoon”.
One step out of her reach Ruby lunged. As expected. Weiss sidestepped, ducking to the side, reeling her fist back to twist around and land a punch.
An ear splitting thrum thundered through her helmet, as a metal shinned leg hit it right over her ear.
She wasn't the only one who knew her partner well.
Both of them tumbled down, scrambling after their opponent.
A fist met her jaw. Enchantments lights dancing in her eyes. She grabbed at it, pulled, her forehead crashing down on something. Turned out it was Ruby's face. She threw her head back, following the momentum.
It was Weiss’ time to lunge, throwing her into the sand, hands pressing down on her shoulders. For a moment she got a glimpse at the eyes behind the helmet slits.
Swirling silver a thin line around a pool of black.
A knee hit her in the back, throwing her over Ruby's head face first into the wet sand.
The fight of mighty mages.
She snorted, kicking blindly. Fingers pressed in between the plates of armour on her thigh, the other hand against her chest. It took only a moment for them to switch positions, Ruby pressing her into the ground now, breathing heavily.
Sometimes Weiss forgot about all the strength.
Although not so often anymore.
Ruby stemmed herself up with the hand on Weiss chestplate. Pulling her knee up for more stability, obviously miscalculating where it would land. Weiss wasn't sure if she was glad about the armour or annoyed with it. Fortunately there was not much time to think about it anyway. A fist swung down on her. She threw her head to the side, trying to land a hit or at least get rid of Ruby again. That didn't work. The redhead reeled back another fist.
Shit.
Weiss threw her hand to the side, searching for something, for anything. An act of pure desperation. There was an ice splinter. She grabbed it and swung, right against the side of Ruby’s chestplate as the armoured fist came down on her face.
Here goes nothing. Again.
She closed her eyes.
Deep trumpets drowned out every other sound in the arena. The crowd strangely silent. Hundreds of eyes watching the enchanted display. Both bars- empty.
The Announcer glanced at it, scratching his beard. The masters of the arena whispered animatedly. Finally, one stood up to cast something on the mirror. She nodded to the Announcer after a moment.
Blue and red flames shot up in the goblets.
Draw.
As per the rules of the contest, they both lost.
Weiss ripped her helmet down. A draw! A gods damn draw! She tossed it away, stomping right past her room. Eyes ablaze, lips drawn into a scowl, long hair a wild mess upon her shoulders. At least none of them won. Not that it mattered much anymore. Yang could go screw herselfs right on pair with those stupid rules about separation of contestants.
They were out. Done. No rules.
She pulled her gloves off too, dropping them to the ground. She didn't have the power yet to dispell the bindings of the armour.
Her bones felt hollow, carved out, aching beneath the flesh. She hated the feeling but the magic was already seeping back into the space it left empty. Beneath the adrenaline, still running through her blood, exhaustion lurked, waiting for the moment to drag her down. She didn't care. Not yet. Not now. Not while her heart still thumped against it's cage.
The door groaned under hear boot, kicking it open with all the force she could still muster.
Ruby was standing there, helmet abandoned at her desk, wet hair plastered against her head, seemin nearly black, a towel in her hand. There was a brief moment of surprise before the slightly parted lips split into a wide grin, setting silver eyes ablaze.
Weiss slammed the door shut behind her.
There was no visible tremor in her steps anymore, only the fluttering of her soul, the drums of her heartbeat in her ears and a single thought in her mind.
Still cold, slender fingers slid over a warm throat, clasping the edge of the neck guard, tugging forward while she rose herself on tiptoes.
Nobody would ever know, but she loved how her dolt grew to be taller than her. Loved the faint smell of roses, the heavenly soft lips, the way she eagerly kissed her back, usually cool composure of a strategist and leader immediately lost.
Loved the quiet sound of hitching breath as she dragged her teeth over her lower lip, how the hands on her hips pulled her closer, the way the auburn felt in her grip.
But most of all she loved the fine line of silver, barely visible under the half-closed lids as she leaned away, arching her back, chestplates scraping against each other.
"I'm sorry." Weiss whispered.
Ruby just ducked her head, stealing another kiss quicker than she could react. "For what?"
Weiss let her hand fall from the back of her head, fingers trailing the outlines of roses on her shoulder, the edges of the underarm guard, the fine segments on her gloves. She took her hand, turned it over and pulled it higher up. The angry gash was still bleeding, red trickling in the junktures of the armour, giving it a crimson undertone.
"For this."
She tugged the hand higher, eyes again on the silver, right up until she finally had to look away, head tilted down, lips hovering so close to the cut, she was nearly touching it. The remainders of her magic gathered unwillingly at her call, let loose with a barely audible word, little more than breath.
The crimson slowly retreated back to where it belonged. Like a silent ebb. Like time running backwards. Flesh closing again as if nothing ever touched it.
She kissed the place softly. Nothing but smooth, warm skin.
Ruby was still watching her, when she looked up, leaning closer. Fire smoldering in the dark rimmed by a raging storms. Weiss turned the palm in her hands over again, kissing the armoured knuckles. "And for the ‘Gaze of Eternity’. I know you hate it."
Ruby laughed, the fine lines around her eyes and mouth deepening. Weiss heart clenched.
It was ridiculous to love somebody so much. So helpless. So hopeless. So restless.
"Oh well, if that bothers you, I might have an idea how to make it better." The warm grin turned misschievous.
Anything.
She would do anything for her. Split the world in half, pull a star from heaven, shoot down the sun. If Ruby only asked...
Thin lips curled up into a lopsided half smile, hiding a promise within. "Is that so?"
"Yeah." Still armoured fingers slid over her chestplate, drawing an invisible rune, making the exhausted enchantments glow again.
The smell of roses filled the air as the white armour crumbled down to snow at her feet.