Ch 47: First Mission (2)

[There are few things more beautiful than getting to witness a sunrise from the air.] Ray thought to himself as he enjoyed the warmth from the first light of the new day with the crisp morning air blowing in through the open door whipping his bangs about his face and tickling his nose.

"Close the door already." Glenda barked from the jumpseat inside the bullhead where she sat, trying to hide the fact that she was definitely not a morning person behind her prim and proper facade. Ray complied and closed the door without protest before taking the jumpseat across from her. They had a two-hour flight ahead of them to reach Upper Cairn. For the first hour or so, Ray sat in silence, going over the data Ozpin had given him and the geography of their destination in his head while he gave Goodwitch time to finish waking up. Once he saw the glint return to her eyes, however, he asked a question that had been bugging him since they first met but that he hadn't had time to ask her yet due to both of their busy schedules always insisting they had more important things to do.

"Professor. If you don't mind, could you please tell me about the technique you used to block that first attack when Ruby and I first met you on that rooftop in Vale?"

"Hmm. Well, you know my semblance is Telekinesis, don't you?"

"Yes, but that didn't look like a simple mental wall. It looked more like a glyph from the Schnee family's hereditary semblance. But you're not a Schnee." The Schnee family's rare hereditary semblance, Glyphs, was very well known and, though the family had done their best to limit the spread of information about it, various research papers had been done on it over the generations. As such, information was available on almost all of their glyphs, if you knew where to look. Even if it was just a name and an image for some of the more advanced glyphs. However, for Ray's purposes, that was all he needed. With his right Eye of True Knowledge, he could examine and study the images of the glyphs to discern their secrets and meanings that even the geniuses of the Schnee family hadn't been able to comprehend.

Glynda raised her eyebrow at his admittedly very rude and invasive question. It was not considered polite to enquire about the details of another person's semblance. Especially a huntress's. "And why do you want to know, Mr. Rose?"

Ray smiled apologetically at her question, "I want to know if I can create a similar technique. You chose to form your telekinetic barrier into a complex and detailed glyph rather than a simple wall. Why? The only reason I can think of is that it makes up for its apparent complexity with increased strength, or flexibility, or something else."

Ray leaned forward, and Glynda could see a fire smoldering within his eyes, "I want to learn that. What principles does it work on? Does it have to do with telekinetic powers, semblances in general, or is it just the shape that is important? Can I learn how to use my Storm Tears in conjunction with my own semblance to produce something similar? I want to learn."

[I want to learn if my hypothesis is correct, and these glyphs are similar to the magic formations I read about in my previous life.] Ray added silently to himself. He had been studying glyphs ever since he gained access to the internet in this life and had even designed Bloody Storm in the hope of one day being able to create his own. Ever since he had found himself in a world where he knew magic was real, he had never bought into the mysticism of it. In his opinion, magic was merely a type of natural science that people simply didn't understand yet.

Though he hadn't been successful in any of his attempts to imitate them yet, his research had only increased his determination and confidence that he was on the right track. He was certain that his problem was his lack of reference material since only the Schnee glyphs had any sort of reliable documentation. Now, if he was able to study Glynda's glyph as well and get a new perspective, he might just make a breakthrough.

At her heart, Glynda was and always would be a teacher first and foremost, and, faced with such an eager student, she couldn't help but sit up a little straighter and smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles in her pencil skirt.

"Very well." she said as she adjusted her glasses and drew her riding crop. "Let us begin with the basics." with a flourish, a series of seven purple runes consisting of simple arcs and dots created by her semblance took form between them. "You are half right. That glyph forms naturally when I use my semblance at full strength. However, I have learned more about how to use my semblance from studying it and applying parts of it."

"Pay attention now." Glynda chided as she saw Ray beginning to get absorbed in studying the runes. "This is the result of a lifetime of me studying my semblance. I would not even consider explaining them to most people. I hope you do not disappoint me."

Ray's gaze broke from the shimmering runes and focused on Glynda's. As the dawning light of the new day reflected off Ray's right eye, Glynda thought she saw it shine gold with a hungry light for a brief moment. Making her pulse quicken as his voice, sounding deeper and more mature than usual to her, resounded in her ears. "I promise, I will never let you down, Glynda."

Glynda's mind faltered for a moment before she came back to herself with a scowl. "That is ma'am or Professor Goodwitch to you, young man."

"Yes, ma'am." Ray ducked his head in apology while stealing glances at the still unexplained runes hovering in front of her, silently asking her to get on with her explanation.

Goodwitch readjusted her glasses again with a sigh at this uncontrollable teenager, ignorant of the slight smile decorating her stern face, and began explaining the meaning and purpose of each rune. An explanation that continued until they reached Upper Cairn.

######

"We are approaching Upper Cairn now." the pilot called from the cockpit as Ray was trying to use one of his Storm Tears and his lightning to imitate one of the runes that Glynda had just taught him. Ray had found Goodwich's impromptu lesson on formation fascinating and opened up a wealth of new ideas and possibilities he wanted to try out. But that would have to wait till later. For now, they had work to do.

Ray stood up and opened the side door so that he could get a good look out at the city they were approaching and the surrounding forest. Glynda joined him by his side, this time not minding the harsh wind that was messing up her hair. Studying reports was good and all, but only an amateur would pass up the chance to get a birds-eye view of the topography of the area they could very well be fighting for their lives within soon.

"Not too many people out, and I can see grass and small creepers starting to encroach on the borders of the road and the no-man's-land established around the settlement," Ray observed.

Glynda nodded beside him, "People are afraid to go out. The fear of an unknown threat lurking in their woods is causing them to huddle together and act as little as possible to avoid drawing attention to themselves."

Ray's eyes hardened beside her, "A fear that will only bring said threat to their very doorsteps soon if it is allowed to grow. Ozpin was right to send us, even with the limited intel. This needs to end now, or everyone down there may die."

Glynda watched Ray out of the corner of her eye as he spoke and noticed the determination and conviction in his voice and eyes. Yes, they had been sent to stop whatever threat had been wiping out the trade caravans, but that wasn't why she specifically had been sent to accompany him. Ray was simply too powerful and mysterious, always seeming to know a little bit more than he let on and a lot more than he should, for Ozpin or her to fully trust him right away. They needed to see how he reacted in stressful situations where his life and the lives of others were on the line to get a better grasp of his character before…

Then Ray was gone. Glynda was startled out of her thoughts as she realized that Ray had just launched himself, without any warning, out of the bullhead and into the forest below.

"Rajeev Rose!" Glynda shouted angrily after him, but Ray had already disappeared into the leafy canopy, and the whistling wind stole her voice away.

Glynda scowled and leaned back inside the bullhead to shout at the pilot, "Get us down on the ground, NOW!"

[You better have a damn good explanation for your actions, young man.] Glynda thought angrily to herself. Mad that Ray had abandoned her without a single word, but more worried about why. From what she had observed while he was at Beacon, such an action didn't seem to fit with his character. He wasn't rash, and he didn't abandon his partner. Sure, due to his superior capabilities, he tended to train and study alone even when he was in a group, but he always helped his friends and kept them informed of his plans, an open invitation for them to join him if they wanted. For him to just abruptly leave, Glynda had a bad feeling about this and just hoped her first mission with this promising student wouldn't end up being the last.