25Author: Solvdrage
Fic: Untitled High Fantasy/Monster Girl RWBY AU
The acrid smoke lingered across the nightmare that had once been an ambitious, but ultimately abortive attempt at expanding the Duchy of Coulee of the Kingdom of Vale into the untamed wilderness beyond the Western Shield Mountains. Duke Winchester had inherited his fief from the Vasilias Family after the debacle had not only bankrupted that ancient and princely house, but seen the line end with the death of the former Duke's eldest son. Duke Cardinalis Winchester was a man of no expansionist aims, but was very determined to safeguard his territory.
Duke Cardinalis hadn't lifted a finger when the few Faunus colonies in the mountains had begged for any assistance from the encroaching darkness. They promised double taxes. They offered to have their first-born join the militia. They had been ignored. Hordes of Grimm had washed over them like a tide.
Now, however, Duke Cardinalis had discovered some steel. He had mobilized nearly all of his levies. Hundreds of conscripts had been deployed along with nearly every knight in the Duchy. The Duke may have cared nothing for the Faunus that were overrun by Grimm, but there was a cold unfeeling logic to the decision. Grimm were unthinking abominations. They did not occupy territory and with countable numbers they could be countered by Hunters or an army lead by a skilled commander.
Dragons were a completely different story.
Dragons were intelligent, according to many legends, and routinely occupied territory. Cardinalis arrived at the completely logical conclusion that the Dragon was likely to be a permanent resident in the ruins. The beast would likely view the Duchy as a competitor for resources. Conflict was inevitable.
Jaune Arc, levied swordsman and only son of a minor Branch Family of the prestigious House of Arc, cared nor pondered about these developments. His breathing was labored and only sheer adrenaline kept him moving. Muscles burned and screamed under the literal and metaphysical weight on his shoulders. Jaune's mind miraculously ignored the effort in moving in his simple chain-mail armor and with his family's sword and shield clanging at his hips.
"Cardin, you big bastard. If you die on me after all this, that dragon will be the least of your concerns!" Jaune yelled at the Duke's son and 'commander' of this ill-advised excursion.
"Jaune...stop yelling," the second wounded soldier Jaune was ferrying to safety. There was a very vocal part of Jaune's psyche that was commanding Jaune to drop the pompous asshole on his right shoulder to focus on saving his only real friend in the army. Lie Ren had been the closest thing Jaune Arc had to a brother for as long as either young man could remember.
"I have to keep you awake. I'd rather face that Dragon armed with a wooden spoon than explain to Nora that I let you die," Jaune snapped out a very eloquent counter-argument.
Ren groaned in agreement after a failed attempt to laugh. Jaune actually snarled a bit at the thought. Having a wooden weapon might actually be more effective. Duke Cardinalis in his infinite wisdom had not informed the soldiers, including his own son, that the Dragon was a Bronze-scale. A Dragon's abilities were able to be divined from the color of their scales.
Bronze-scale Dragons had complete mastery of all metals. Jaune had watched as scores of arrows and crossbow bolts had become enthralled by the Dragon's power. The horror of seeing archers cut down by their own arrows would stick with Jaune for a long time.
'I see why my Uncle Gallium drank so heavily before the tumors took him,' Jaune thought. His own musings were nearly drowned out by the roar of his flying assailant and the thunderous cadence of his own exhausted heart and breathing.
"A bit more!" Jaune screamed as he saw the docks, and more importantly, the waiting barge.
"Hurry!" A soldier screamed from the barge. "That thing is coming back!"
Jaune dug deep, well past the point of his physical peak, and reached the edge of the dock. "I've got the Duke's son and Ren! Catch!"
"You're throwing the Duke's son?" An older officer screeched.
"For fuck's sake!" The low-ranking member of the House of Arc spat. "Catch the guy!"
There was no room for an argument as Jaune unceremoniously tossed Cardin into the nearest collection of able-bodied soldiers.
"This is going to hurt a bit, Ren. You'll live though."
Ren coughed. "Jaune, now is not the time for you being...well..." The statement was interrupted as Lie Ren spat a bit of blood from his mouth. "You. Jaune..."
"Look at it this way," Jaune said with forced humor. "When you get back, Nora will demand she be the one to heal you. Maybe you'll get some alone time to propose."
"Damn it, Jaune!" Ren uttered the first curse word Jaune had ever heard from his black-and-pink haired friend. The Swordsman was far more gentle as he passed Ren down to the barge. Once his friend was secure as possible on the sorry excuse for a boat, Jaune pulled an idiot move.
He cut the ropes mooring the barge to the dock. Jaune Arc ignored the cries of "Jump!" from his comrades and turned back towards the burning remnant of the settlement. Crocea Mors, the ancestral weapon of his particular branch of the House of Arc, was now clasped to his side. It would be folly to wield steel against a Bronze-scale. Jaune was as likely to have the blade torn from his hands and impaled into his back as land a clean blow against his foe.
So, in the place of the ancient and proud sword and shield was the most noble of weapons...
...a very long pointy stick.
"Hey!" Jaune shouted at the Dragon. "Fetch!"
If by some unfathomable, likely direct and immediate divine intervention, reason Jaune survived this moronic life choice he knew Nora would love this story. Intellectually, Jaune knew that throwing the stick was as useless as that one time he had asked Gwen Darcy to dance. Still, much like the question to Gwen, Jaune's tossed stick annoyed the Dragon greatly.
Jaune Arc know possessed all of a very powerful, very likely blood-lusted Dragon's attention. That meant the barge was no longer much of a concern. The Dragon proved that sentiment in exceedingly clear terms as it landed a hundred feet in front of the now petrified swordsman.
Swallowing to provide some moisture to his parched throat, Jaune broke free of his stupor. He took a step forward. The dock felt like a mountain in the midst of a rock slide.
"Dragon! I-I am Jaune of the House of Arc! I...well...I challenge you to single combat!"
'What in the actual hell am I thinking?' Jaune wanted to slap himself, but he wanted to arrive at his inevitable messy death with something somewhat like dignity.
To Jaune's eternal credit, he wasn't pissing himself. The young man was taking limited solace in the fact that he was saving his best friend's life and probably his second-best friend's life as well. Jaune really couldn't imagine Nora living without Ren. Sure, the hammer wielding Town Guard would be alive, but without Ren she sure as hell wouldn't be living. The thought had barely concluded when a wall of hot breath dragged the soldier back to the ruins of the present.
Jaune, master of perception, had somehow lost track of an enormous pissed off creature of immense power. He had promptly found it staring into his eyes. Most rational responses would have been to start screaming in abject horror. Other acceptable responses would have been whimpering, a battle-cry, or evacuating one's bowels. However, Jaune Arc had never been one for convention. The first response to finding himself staring at a Dragon's eyes was 'Huh, they are green.'
The thought provided a moment of clarity. The human tore his gaze away from the Green-eyed Bronze-scaled Dragon. His relief was noticeable to any creature as he watched the barge disappear into the mists. Steeling himself for death, Jaune stood straight and returned his attention to the Dragon.
"I don't know if you are capable of human speech, but..." Jaune breathed out heavily to calm his nerves. "I'd really appreciate an answer to my challenge...preferably not one that involves just eating me."
Once again, the whole scenario ran headlong into the absurd. A snort escaped from the Dragon's snout. Jaune had to hop forward, which was a very poor decision, as it brought him within arms-length of the freaking Dragon. The Dragon's amusement had caused a flare of its power. The nails holding part of the wharf together were pushed clear through the wooden planks and into the river. Jaune heard the splashes as the dock fell apart and into the churning water.
"So...about that completely manly challenge?" Jaune quipped on the verge of hysterics.
A nimbus of raw Aura surrounded the Dragon. The conscript grunted in pain as his eyes were overwhelmed by the energy. Despite being temporarily blinded, Jaune had some sense of what was happening. The heat from...whatever was happening...was now slightly further away. The lone swordsman could no longer feel the Dragon's breath.
Which was nice.
That meant Jaune was far, far less likely to be eaten. Jaune slowly cracked open his eyes as the after-image from the flash subsided. He didn't whoop in relief when the Dragon wasn't visible. If the incredibly powerful Living Engine of Destruction was around, the creature would probably be insulted by Jaune's outburst.
"You are awaiting my answer, are you not?"
The heroic 'proto-martyr' had been thinking there that couldn't be anything that could surprise him like hearing the Dragon speak in a feminine human-esque voice. He had also been incredibly wrong. The Dragon was not only speaking in a human-esque voice, she was currently in a human-esque form.
An amused, unexpectedly gentle, giggle escaped the Dragon's lips. Jaune locked eyes with the 'Dragon' and felt his jaw drop. The Dragon had been absolutely terrifying. The Dragon was currently unnervingly, unearthly beautiful. Jaune noticed that The Dragon retained her vibrant green eyes. She still retained some scales, but they appeared almost as jewelry. Bronze scales around the 'woman's' head resembled a fine tiara. Other scales at her neck resembled a large choker necklace.
Jaune's gaze continued to migrate ground-ward, and he was fairly confident he was gaping like a fish. "I see my transformation to a form you are more comfortable with was...pleasing."
The form was most certainly pleasing. "Y-Yeah," the solider stammered. The form also lacked any form of clothing. 'Holy shit, is it pleasing!'
"I will accept your challenge...depending on the answer you provide for my question." The Dragon revealed. "Why did you issue such a challenge to me?"
"I...I needed to stall," Jaune confessed.
His 'foe' began to circle as the predator she truly was. "Out of loyalty to whom?"
"My friend and fellow soldiers." Jaune could feel every muscle in his body tense in a fight-or-flight reaction.
"What of your Duke?" The Dragon continued her interrogation.
"Eh, I'm probably doomed already," Jaune huffed. "He's honestly a bit of an asshole. And an idiot for not letting his own son or soldiers know you were a Bronze-scale."
"Nearóschrysós, actually. Well, Jaune of the House of Arc...I Pyrrhanikós, Nearóschrysós of the Eastern Sanctum accept your challenge."
Jaune tried to wet his lips and find his voice. "H-How do you wish to set the terms?"
"I...I've actually never been in a duel before. What kind of rituals do humans and Faunus observe?" Pyrrhanikós asked sheepishly.
"I...I haven't either," Jaune admitted. Pyrrhanikós pouted and Jaune started to think that maybe the Dragon was roughly his 'age' by the standards of her kind. "Uh...ladies first?"
"Thank you!" Pyrrhanikós actually sounded legitimately grateful for the courtesy. "You may use the full breadth of your Aura abilities. I am impressed that despite the length of our battle that you retain such deep reserves."
"My what now?" Jaune asked dumfounded.
"Are you mocking me, Jaune of House Arc?" Pyrrhanikós took a step forward.
'Danger! Apocalyptic Danger Triggered!' The naked panic section of Jaune's mind screeched. "Of course not!" Jaune vocalized quickly. "I would never mock such a beautiful woman! I'm just a conscript from a minor branch of a minor noble house! No one has even sent a petition to the Duke or any other Representative of the King to unlock my Aura!"
"That can't be right. I saw you using your Aura! It was so potent that I could taste it! Jaune of House Arc, what do you believe provided the strength, speed, and stamina to carry your two comrades on your shoulders while retreating from me?" Pyrrhanikós asked. "Second, 'minor' noble house?"
Jaune blinked. Pyrrhanikós' second point was the tersest and least polite tone the Dragon had taken so far. It shook him so greatly that Jaune could barely process the incident before the Nearóschrysós continued.
"Your blade is Crocea Mors! All are aware of the history of that blade!"
"Oh," was all Jaune could add. "What can you tell me about it?"
The Dragon smiled. "I believe I have the terms of our duel. If I am victorious, you will travel with me for a time as I make progress on the mission I have received. Your human nature will prove useful and a great boon in tracking, containing, and hopefully eradicating a...problem."
Jaune was fairly certain Pyrrhanikós had caught herself before revealing something incredibly secretive. "I...I can accept those terms."
Honestly, he had little choice. Pyrrhanikós was a DRAGON for Oum's sake! One did not anger a dragon, for humans are crunchy and probably taste great with a nice remoulade.
"What are the conditions of your victory, Jaune of House Arc?" Pyrrhanikós asked formally.
"Well," Jaune started. "You continue your mission outside of the Duchy of Coulee and I...get a few Dragon Scales proving that I 'drove' you away?"
"Reasonable, but may I ask a question about your choice in tone for a moment?"
"Sure," Jaune agreed out of fear of being served with remoulade.
"You sounded...almost reluctant when suggesting that I leave after your hypothetical victory," Pyrrhanikós observed.
Jaune scratched the back of his head. He couldn't deny that his curiosity about Pyrrhanikós was almost supernatural in its intensity. The Dragon was also surprisingly polite and didn't seem to hold a grudge about the whole 'I was in an army trying to kill you' thing.
"I'm curious about you..." Jaune admitted. "Humans only get rumor and hearsay about Dragons. And lo and behold, I'm talking to one."
"Before we begin, what were you told my kind?" Pyrrhanikós asked.
"That you arrived like a thunderbolt and were going to burn the entire frontier before invading the Duchy proper. Duke Cardinalis was adamant that it was only a Lunar Cycle before you arrived to kill us all," Jaune summarized the speech the old, fat Duke gave.
"I..." Pyrrhanikós gaped. "Not all dragons can breathe fire. I'm not even sure how I would start a fire..."
"Rub two sticks together?" The son of the House of Arc suggested.
"Wait," Pyrrhanikós said with a raised hand. "You can do that?"
"It's fairly simple, actually. I can show you after the duel," Jaune offered.
The Nearóschrysós clapped her hands happily. "That would be lovely! I can use that to prove to Yangxiaolong that I do in fact have a sense of humor!"
"I'm sure that your sense of humor is amazing," Jaune continued his flattery assault. Again, no sense in angering a Dragon. Especially given that said Dragon was shockingly attractive and polite.
"We can continue this delightful conversation after our duel. How shall we begin?" Pyrrhanikós asked.
Jaune actually wasn't sure and admitted as such. The two rather naïve 'young' people stood in silence. The challenger swallowed. "Uh, are you going to stay in this form? Or in your...previous...one?"
"I believe I will keep this form. My birth form makes communication exceptionally difficult with untrained humans," the hypnotically beautiful Dragon answered. Jaune gulped back a surge of desire as he watched Pyrrhanikós chew on her lower lip.
"That's...fantastic," Jaune agreed.
Pyrrhanikós continued to smile a 'magnetic' grin. "I will be right back! Let me retrieve a weapon!"
That...did not bode well for Jaune. The Arc decided to prepare as best as he could for the coming duel. As he stretched, he wracked his head about using Aura. Aura existed in almost all living things with souls, but it had to be unlocked. Jaune was pretty sure no one had broken into his home and secretly unlocked his Aura.
Jaune's earlier premonition about the duel was quickly and brutally reinforced. His Draconic opponent was happily skipping in his direction. Still naked, but hiding something behind her back. This had two results. One, it displayed her prominent breasts even more prominently. Second, it terrified Jaune. He had no clue what was behind her back.
He was honestly expecting remoulade.
"Jaune of the House of Arc," Pyrrhanikós announced formally. "Are you prepared?"
Recognizing the impromptu ceremony, Jaune saluted with Crocea Mors. "I am prepared Pyrrhanikós, uh, Nearóschrysós of the Eastern Sanctum."
Jaune flinched at the butchering of the true name of a Bronze Scaled Dragon. He hoped Pyrrhanikós wouldn't be offended and decide to throw his metal armored self around like an unwanted toy.
"Then let us begin," Pyrrhanikós announced and produced her weapon from behind her back.
It was a stick.
In fact, it was the pointy stick Jaune had tossed at Pyrrhanikós' Draconic form while shouting "Fetch".
'Yup, completely doomed,' Jaune confirmed.
Resolved to face his doom with dignity and courage, Jaune took the first move. He charged, shield raised and sword at the ready, aiming to do something completely idiotic. First, he was counting on his opponent to have a basic knowledge of Human/Faunus fighting styles. Second, he was expecting Pyrrhanikós to only have a basic knowledge of Human/Faunus fighting styles. The distinction was pretty much Jaune's only hope of pulling victory out of the dragon's breasts...he meant jaws. Definitely jaws.
To carry out his feint, Jaune immediately dropped into an odd slide aiming at Pyrrhanikós and her ankles. The Dragon was successfully caught off guard by Jaune's gambit. Pyrrhanikós yelped as she was knocked off her feet. Jaune attempted to bring the flat of his blade around to smack his opponent on the shoulder, but something caught him. "OH COME ON!" Jaune shouted as he recognized what had happened. Pyrrhanikós had used her control over metal to stall her fall by 'pushing off' of Jaune's chain-mail armor.
Jaune dropped his sword, ignoring the fact that it was still floating in the air next to him, and grabbed Pyrrhanikós by the arms. He ignored the voice coming from his lower brain complimenting how soft the Dragon's skin was. The conscript bodily tossed Pyrrhanikós away. The Dragon landed with a yelp as she landed on her behind after twisting in midair with hypnotic flexibility and agility. Jaune struggled to his feet and prayed he could get set before Pyrrhanikós recovered.
It was only by a complete miracle that Jaune raised his shield in time to deflect the Pointy Stick. "Fetch!" had been his only warning. It seems that despite what this alleged ' Yangxiaolong' had said, Pyrrhanikós did have a sense of humor. As Jaune lowered his shield, he realized that his beautiful opponent was very very fast. The Dragon had risen to her feet, crossed the distance between them, and was leaping into the air.
"Shit!" Jaune shouted as an insanely powerful kick knocked him back to the ground. The impact on the ground caused him to land with his arms spread wide. A second impact quickly followed. On pure instinct, Jaune's eyes had shut.
"I believe that I am victorious," Pyrrhanikós announced proudly.
"Yeah..." Jaune yielded. The animal part of his mind was focusing on the fact that a physically attractive female was straddling him. "So, now what? I know you have your mission..."
"I do believe some food would be nice...I have some pabulum back in one of the remaining structures. We can eat and rest!"
"You have what?"
After everything that had occurred in this crazy day that was little more than a blur of adrenaline, completely unexplainable arousal, and legendary confusion, there was one thing he hadn't expected to see.
Namely, the frankly unreasonably powerful Pyrrhanikós flush with embarrassment. "Food! D-Don't give me that look! The only humans I am commonly around are the wizards of the Pharus Conclave!"
Once again, Pyrrhanikós pulled the rug out from under Jaune Arc's world. "The Pharus Conclave actually freaking exists? As in, it is a place, group of people, et cetra and not simply a fairy tale told by alchemist-wannabes and by parents to their kids?"
"Oh, the Pharus Conclave is a place, group of people, et cetra and not simply a fairy tale told by alchemist-wannabes and by parents to their kids," Pyrrhanikós parroted with a radiant smile.
Now, it was Jaune's turn to blush...and desperately hope he wasn't sporting the world's most obvious boner...at something his associate had said/done.
"Lead the way..." Jaune said cautiously as a troubling thought entered his mind. 'Is my attraction natural? And if it turns out it isn't...why aren't I freaked out by that thought?'
Author's Note: Here's my contribution for the evening! This idea is actually planned out. Some of you may notice that this was one of the poll options after I completed Dirty Laundry. As noted by Warren in the first chapter of this Idea Asylum, if you enjoyed one of these ideas, let us know via reviews!
A few other notes: This fic is inspired more or less by Soulfulbard's woefully underappreciated and absolutely captivating Not Your Saint George and to a lesser extent (as it is a fic about Werewolves not dragons) Once in a Shattered Moon by Solora Goldsun. If you want something Dragon-flavored from Solora, there's always the very fun Wings of Dust. Definitely check those author's out. Both are awesome. Both are also awesome Arkos as well!
Speaking of Arkos, also check out Warren and I's good friend Harmonious Arkos Sloth. He's got a number of great oneshots and his Blame Discord! series of oneshots and prompt responses.
Thanks for all the views, follows, favorites, and most importantly reviews!
