Recruitment

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Beans, Priapus, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers: The Planeswalker

Chapter 09: Recruitment

– Lalatina 'Darkness' Dustiness Ford –

"You wanted to see me, m-mistress?" Darkness asked, shuddering at the look in Noire's eye as she stood in Noire's private room. 

"Down girl, I didn't call you here for a booty call," Noire teased, and Darkness couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "Well, not just a booty call," Noire continued, moving forward and sliding her hand up Darkness' thigh, slipping it under the skirt and running her finger along Darkness' already-soaked slit, still pantyless thanks to Noire's orders. "I want to try and teach you a spell that I think you could benefit from."

"I'm not really a spell-caster, Mistress," Darkness admitted, making Noire nod. 

"I know, but I think this one will be useful for you. Compelled Duel, as the name suggests, forces a creature it is successfully cast on to only target the caster. Given your role as the only member of the party who can actually take a hit, I thought it would help you keep the others safe," Noire explained, getting Darkness' interest. There was the Decoy skill that Crusaders could learn to attract the attention of monsters, but she couldn't deny that she was interested in learning the spell if she could actually cast it.

Noire, thanks to her Great Sage class, was an amazing teacher, which made itself clear as they practised the spell together. It was hard to affect Noire's mind; her own skill with Enchantment made her resistant to the effects of other Enchantment spells, and her own magic resistance as a Crusader meant that Noire had a tough time affecting her mind either.

That said, Noire could tell when the spell was successfully cast and while Darkness didn't have a lot of mana herself, it wasn't long until she was able to properly cast her new spell, seeing it appear on her Class Card. Noire's power was awe-inspiring; being able to bypass the exp costs and teach people new things directly was an amazing power.

"Tell me, Darkness. Have you been enjoying running around with no panties on?" Noire asked, smirking as Darkness nodded shamefully. "Then it's time to move up a level. Take off your skirt, move onto the bed, on your hands and knees."

As the lesson came to an end, Noire, the teacher, vanished and was replaced by Noire, the mistress. Darkness shuddered; was Noire going to make her go to class naked?!

Moving onto the bed, she did exactly what Noire had demanded, presenting her ass and pussy to Noire, who moved behind her, slapping her ass and watching the firm cheeks jiggle slightly. Darkness didn't look back, feeling Noire push something into her pussy as she moaned lightly. 

Noire didn't stop there, pushing something cold and metal into her asshole, making Darkness whimper slightly as Noire clicked her fingers, and Darkness moved, standing to attention. 

"From now on, you'll wear that dildo and buttplug at all times unless I say otherwise. You can remove them when you need to go to the bathroom, but beyond that, you are never to remove them," Noire demanded, making Darkness nod rapidly. "Strip."

Darkness didn't hesitate. Her shirt, blazer and bra joined her skirt as she stood before Noire, utterly naked. Noire slapped her breast, making her moan lewdly as her massive breasts jiggled wildly. 

"I have paperwork to do. You have some work to do as well. Kneel under my desk," Noire ordered, removing her own silky panties with a sly smirk as Darkness shuddered. "Do well, and I might just reward you."

Gods, how did she ever manage without Noire? 

– Noire Virvaris – Later

Arriving at the location Ozpin specified, with Aqua following behind, I frown thoughtfully. Ozpin did not explain what he wanted, but his request that I bring Aqua along gave me some idea. He's asked about Aqua's healing powers before, and now this? Someone requires healing, I believe.

"Ah, Noire. Right on time," Ozpin says, making me smile slightly. Of course. I have a tight schedule and don't have time to waste hanging around because I arrived too early, and I would never be tardy. "Thank you for coming, you as well Aqua. Please, follow me."

Aqua perks up, but she stays quiet as I gesture for her to follow the professor into the underground chamber.

"I figured you'd want someone healed," I say, slightly smug at being right as I spot the tanned woman lying on the medical bed. 

"Ooh, healing I can do!" Aqua says cheerfully, leaning into my touch as I place a hand on her shoulder. She's been very open to my touch since our night together, she does so enjoy being worshipped. "What's wrong with her?"

"I was hoping you could tell me. This is Amber, she is one of the Maidens, four women granted magical powers long ago, passing from woman to woman. Recently, she was attacked and someone managed to steal part of her powers before one of my people drove them off, and we haven't been able to awaken her ever since," Ozpin admits, watching Aqua move forward at my nod.

"Ugh, who did something this bad? Someone has stolen part of her soul. Her body is fine, but her soul is torn in two," Aqua admits, making Ozpin's eyes widen. "That's disgusting; souls aren't supposed to be split like this; even the Demon King doesn't do this kind of thing."

"Can it be fixed?" Ozpin asks, making Aqua pause and rub her chin. Her brows furrow in deep thought, and we can almost hear the gears turning inside her head. I won't lie; the silence drags on for quite a while, but Ozpin waits patiently for Aqua to finish thinking.

"Yup!" Aqua finally says, just walking up to Amber and poking her, the sensors immediately going crazy as they claim Amber has died, alarms blaring as Ozpin's eyes widen and his grip on his walking stick tightens.

"Aqua, what did you do?" I ask, examining the very dead girl.

"Hm? Oh, I just sent her to Eris to be reincarnated. She was missing most of her soul, but I could send all the soul to Eris, who can fix it up. Don't look so worried; we can go and pick her up from Axel later," Aqua says, waving her hand in a carefree fashion as I blink. That… was actually rather intelligent, assuming that it worked. "I am a Goddess; I've reincarnated hundreds of people; she'll be fine."

Aqua pauses for a moment, rubbing her chin.

"The person who took the soul probably won't be."

– Eris –

Where in all of creation had Aqua found this soul?! Why was it in so many pieces? 

The small note from Aqua just said, 'Fix this', leaving Eris panicking as she tried to put the foreign soul back together. Where had Aqua even gone?! Why was it always something new with her troublesome senior Goddess?! Wait, why did she have pieces of a different soul?! What was she supposed to do with that? 

– Cinder Fall –

Her body screamed at her as her stolen powers were torn away, Emerald and Mercury watching as she fell to the floor, her body shaking and twitching as her body seized up. It wasn't just the stolen powers that were being ripped away, as she felt a part of her being torn from her very being, her aura flashing wildly. 

What- what was happening?!

– Noire Virvaris –

"I see," I say, sharing a look with Ozpin as Aqua pats herself on the back for her genius. "Care for a field trip, Headmaster? I'm sure Amber would appreciate a familiar face in an unfamiliar world."

"Yes, I do believe that would be a good idea," Ozpin agrees, remarkably calm for someone who just watched his friend die and have their soul tossed into another world.

– Ozpin – 

He, of all people, knew the risks of getting involved with the Gods and requesting anything of them. It was his own fault; he'd allowed Aqua's… humanity to let him forget that he was dealing with a true Goddess.

Noire opened the portal, and Aqua, proud of her hard work, decided she didn't feel like coming along as she just wandered back out of the room, leaving him with Noire as they headed into the castle that Noire called home. The entire 'plane' was saturated with magic, but they didn't stay long as Noire opened a second portal and guided him through into Aqua's world.

It was rather nostalgic to once again be in such a fantastical place, his mind going back to the old days of Remnant as he looked around in curiosity. 

Noire gave him a moment as he looked around in awe, but before long, they were on their way through the streets of Axel; Noire getting quite a lot of attention, much to her annoyance, as she led him to where Aqua said Eris would be dropping Amber. 

It was amusing how similar things were in this world. In Remnant, there were Huntsmen, Grimm, and Salem. In this world, there were adventurers, monsters, and the Demon King. Despite the differences, such as magic being remarkably common, countless magic users just walking the streets, and even magic shops being advertised, the situation of this world felt so very similar to his own.

It didn't take them long to find Amber, still dressed in the medical gown and looking around, spotting them as her eyes widened.

"Hello, Amber," Ozpin said simply, waving to her as she blinked.

"Oz, what the fuck is going on? I just met someone who claimed to be a Goddess, said they were sending me to another world-" Amber stuttered, uncharacteristically shaken as Ozpin chuckled.

"You haven't been asleep for long, but quite a lot has changed in the short time you have been away. A Goddess that is currently attending Beacon realised that your soul had been torn in two by your attacker and decided that the best way to fix you would be to send all your soul into the afterlife to be repaired, where they could send you to another world," Ozpin explained, well aware of his nonsensical he must sound.

"Is this Goddess called Aqua?" Amber asked, making him blink. "Eris, the Goddess who sent me here, gave me this to give to Aqua."

Amber held out a small gemstone, something swirling inside it.

"She said it was the extra bits?" Amber said, clearly confused as Noire moved first, taking the gemstone and examining it with a curious look. 

"I think this is part of your attacker's soul. They did something to yours, binding it inside their own body. I think Aqua sent a little bit too much into the afterlife," Noire explained, her eyes glowing. "I'm Noire, by the way, princess, mage and teaching assistant at Beacon."

"Oz, what the fuck is going on?" Amber finally asked, making him chuckle.

"As I said, things have become rather strange at Beacon, but in a rather enjoyable way," Ozpin said, watching Noire pocket the gemstone. 

"You can bring her up to speed on the road to Axel. I have some minor shopping to do while I'm here anyway," Noire said, making him nod. 

"I can't deny that I am highly curious to have a look around; this is a rare opportunity, after all," Ozpin agreed easily, looking back at the city in curiosity.

– Noire Virvaris –

Leaving Ozpin to explore with Amber, having agreed to meet up at sundown at a landmark in the city, I head into Axel with a smile on my face. The fact that time doesn't move in other worlds is very useful for someone with such a chaotic schedule. 

Handling my shopping, mostly just getting some high quality alcohol to bribe Aqua with, I take a break at a cafe, going over my notes for Beacon. Jaune is still a disappointment; if it wasn't for his high levels of Aura, I might have just given up on the clumsy fool already, but I'm going to need to take some extreme measures to get him up to the level Beacon requires. 

This little trip has given me an idea, anyway. Field trips to different worlds. Jaune will sink or swim, as I plan to take him to either here or Eldraine and throw him against some monsters and see how he handles himself.

Pyrrha still has the opposite problem, she's too damn good for her classmates, but that gives me an idea. There are constant tournaments going on in Embereth and there are some truly powerful warriors taking part. Perhaps I could take Pyrrha there in the hopes of finding her someone who can truly challenge her. 

"Excuse me!"

My musing is interrupted as someone shouts, making me look towards them. Immediately, I recognise them for what they are, a Crimson Demon. Her hair and red eyes make her look similar to Megumin, but she is dressed more sensibly and doesn't have that silly eye patch. She is also far better… blessed than Megumin, my eyes briefly moving to her considerable chest.

"Hello, are you a friend of Megumin's?" I ask, making her hesitate.

"Y-yes! I mean, kind of! You're Noire, aren't you?" the girl asks, making me nod. "I'm Yunyun; I'm looking for Megumin. Do you know where she is?" 

"Megumin is currently away from Axel; I'm just returning to get some shopping done. Is there a problem?" I ask, seeing the girl move her weight from foot to foot, a frown on her face. 

"I really need to talk to Megumin; when is she coming back?" Yunyun asks, making me frown. With the time trickery, Megumin should essentially be back tomorrow, even if she doesn't leave Beacon for a few months.

"Fairly soon," I reply, making Yunyun frown.

"I- can I come with you? When you go back to see her?" Yunyun asks, and I examine the girl in front of me. I can sense that she's fairly powerful, as all Crimson Demons allegedly are.

"Of course, a friend of Megumin's is a friend of mine. I'm meeting with two friends by the fountain in the centre of town in a couple of hours, and then we're headed back to where Megumin is," I say, making her perk up. "It's quite the distance; you may want to pack some travel essentials," I admit, making her nod rapidly.

"Thank you! I'll be there; please don't leave without me!" Yunyun shouts, bowing deeply before she turns and runs off. Huh. Strange girl. I wonder how she is going to take just how far we are travelling.

Finishing my food, I pay and set off to continue my shopping trip. Am I using my Familiar to avoid the officials who seem to be looking for me? Perhaps. I just don't want to deal with them right before I leave for Beacon again.

Heading further into the city, I pause as I spot a magic shop. I have never been able to resist the allure of magical items, heading into the shop and immediately freezing as my senses scream at me.

Because there is a very powerful Lich staring right at me. 

The sheer magic coming from her is intimidating, even for me, but she just tilts her head gently.

"Hello! Welcome to Wiz's Magic Item Shop!" the Lich says, making me cautiously step inside. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"I'm just browsing, if that's alright," I say, making her nod easily.

"Of course. I'm Wiz, the proprietor here. Let me know if you need any help," Wiz says, going back to tending to some magical items on the counter as she lets me explore her quaint little store. Her power is worrying, but her store is rather… strange.

Going over the items, I immediately find a strange trend. None of the items seem overly useful. I would have expected such a powerful Lich to have access to far more powerful artefacts, but the stuff she has seems questionable at best.

"Oh, that one is a ring that electrifies people who have lewd thoughts!" Wiz explains, making me blink and look over it before I add it to my selection. A potion that temporarily removes one's memories and a marble that is imbued with some kind of Enchantment spell. "Sorry, I know my wares aren't exactly impressive."

"I have to admit, I was fairly surprised. As powerful as you are, I figured a Lich like you would have some truly powerful magical items," I admit, a spell on my tongue in preparation to flee to flee as her eyes widen.

"W-What, no, I'm not a-" Wiz tries, waving her hands as I remind myself that the people of this world are weird. Is being a Lich even against the law here? "I can explain?"

"You don't have to answer to me. I was just surprised to find such a powerful undead running a store," I admit, watching her very carefully as she laughs awkwardly.

"Well… to be honest? I used to be an adventurer, but when my class card changed to 'Lich' I had to retire since I couldn't exactly show that to the Guild. How did you recognise what I am?" Wiz asks.

"I have some minor skills in Necromancy and have studied the various types of undead. I have always been sensitive to magic and you have a lot of it, and with a tinge of undeath to it. I have to admit, the Liches I've read about tend to be more… skeletal?" I admit.

"Oh, I just take very good care of my body. Most of the other ones are just being lazy since they can't die anymore," Wiz admits as she rubs her neck. "I promise that I'm not here to hurt Axel; I've been here so long that if I wanted to, I'd have done it already."

I believe her. She's definitely the strongest person I've sensed yet.

"Though… what are you? Your magic is fascinating, and there's something different about you than other mages," Wiz says, looking at me closely as I go over my options.

"I'm a Planeswalker, someone capable of travelling between worlds. That 'something different' is my Spark," I admit, making her nod.

"That would explain it. I've seen reincarnators before; the gods tend to dump them near Axel, after all, but I don't think I've ever met one who travelled without the intervention of the gods," Wiz admits, making me wonder just how many people Aqua has thrown this way. "What brings you to our world?"

"I'm looking for someone, and this was the first world I jumped to. Essentially, I'm playing the world's biggest game of hide and seek with another world-travelling wizard. I suspect there is something in this world that will help me find him, but honestly, I'm in no real rush. I'm exploring on an adventure of my own," I admit, making her nod. "If I may ask, and I truly mean no offence, why is it that this store seems so… quaint? Most of the items here are incredibly situational, if not outright detrimental. Surely, as a powerful lich, you could get access to far more powerful magical items than these? Is it to help keep your disguise?"

Wiz hesitates, and I learn something very curious. Liches can blush, the tips of her ears turning increasingly red as she avoids eye contact. 

"Erm… well-" Wiz tries, looking increasingly embarrassed before she sighs. "I can't afford to buy any truly powerful items, I can barely afford the rent for the shop, and frankly, most of the people in Axel wouldn't be able to afford them anyway. I've been… informed that I'm a bad judge of what will sell."

A Lich, the most powerful type of undead, can't afford to pay her rent? By the Gods, this world is so stupid. 

"Why don't you just stock simple but useful items then? Does this world not have anything similar to my Ring or Cloak of Protection? Or my Bracers of Defence?" I ask, making her pause as she looks at the items I'm mentioning. "What about my Handy Haversack?"

Wiz looks over my items, her eyes widening as she examines the magic in each. They're all incredibly useful for adventurers, far more than any of the… let's be honest, junk that she is currently selling.

"I can't say we have. There definitely are things similar to your Ring, Cloak and Bracers, but not anything that a beginner adventurer would be able to afford, and I've never seen a bag that defies physics like that before," Wiz admits, making me pause, a thoughtful smile crossing my face.

So what she's saying is that there is an opportunity here? Handy Haversacks and Bags of Holding are fairly expensive, but if they are so unheard of over here, then turning a profit with them would be fairly easy. I can probably just hire an enchanter to make them for me, a grin growing on my face as Wiz blinks.

"I think it was fate that led me here, Wiz," I say grandly, making her blink. "I have a business offer for you, and if we do this properly, you'll never have to worry about rent again."

What I truly want is her magical knowledge, but as Wiz looks at me, I start to explain my ideas, and I can see her interest. Selling multiversal goods will make her a one-of-a-kind store, and it could make us both extremely rich.

– Later –

"I see you've made some friends, Noire," Ozpin says as he rises from the edge of the fountain, a smile on his face.

Yunyun perks up at seeing me, and Wiz follows behind me with a large bag on her back. 

"They'll be coming back with us if that's alright, Professor. Yunyun is a friend of Megumin's, and I am going into business with Wiz, so she'll be coming with us to study my magical gear and for us to further discuss our business dealings," I admit, and Ozpin just nods easily.

"Of course, Beacon has plenty of room," Ozpin agrees easily, obviously well aware that he's in the presence of two more mages. "Shall we be off? Axel is a lovely place, and I'd like to come back later, but I need to speak with Glynda and Qrow," Ozpin says, watching as I wave my hand and reopen the portal to my castle. 

"Umm, which Kingdom is Beacon in?" Yunyun asks, making me chuckle.

"The Kingdom of Vale, in the World of Remnant. As I said, Megumin is rather far away. If you'd rather not join us, I'd be happy to deliver Megumin your message," I say easily, making Yunyun's eyes shoot open as she looks around and sees that she's the only person not surprised. 

"N-no! I'll go," Yunyun finally says, watching Ozpin and Amber move through the portal, and Wiz follows behind after examining it curiously for a few moments. She hesitates before she moves through and into the castle, with me quickly following behind, proud of myself for recruiting two new powerful mages.

I vaguely hear someone shout for me to wait as I enter the portal, but it's already closing behind me, so I just shrug and continue. As I said, I don't particularly want to get entangled with the nobles of Belzerg while I'm busy with Beacon.

– Sena –

Noire was a hard woman to get a hold of. Why was this her job anyway?! She was a prosecutor, not a messenger. Still, when the royal family wanted to speak with someone, she supposed anyone could be turned into a messenger, leaving her panting as she watched the portal close behind her target.

Damnit…

— Bonus Scene — Cinder Fall

Her body ached, and Emerald had to help her up as she panted, feeling so painfully weak. 

Whatever had happened, it hadn't just taken away the Maiden's powers from her. It had taken so much more, her aura flaring up as the pathetically thin light red shield shuddered and then fell to pieces. Her aura, her very soul, was in tatters; she'd gone from having such a powerful aura to it breaking from even a single hit. Her Semblance was gone, unresponsive, and she could barely move before she felt so very tired.

Worse still, she'd been in a meeting with Roman at the time of her crisis, and the opportunistic thief had seen it for what it was: an opportunity to flee. After Adam's disappearance and the deaths of many members of Adam's group, Roman had already been doubtful, and now this?

Emerald and Mercury had tried to stop him, which was why Mercury was currently wrapped in bandages, and Emerald had several nasty wounds. Neo never liked them, and the moment she saw an opportunity, the little psychopath had attacked, nearly killing them both before Roman had called his pet assassin off. 

She had been forced to report to Salem, admitting that something had gone terribly wrong, but Salem just seemed curious, claiming that it was almost certainly not a flaw in the Beetle Grimm that had caused this and pointing out that it was likely because Cinder had failed to get all the Maidens powers. It was new territory, after all; nobody was supposed to have half a Maiden's powers. 

Her mind raced, and she felt the hatred and bitterness in her heart swell, being left so pathetically powerless. She hated it; she hated everything about it.

"Aww, look at you," a sultry voice said, making Cinder spin, almost falling over before Emerald caught her, staring at the woman who hadn't been in the room moments ago. "What a mess she made of you, but then Aqua was never the most cautious."

"W-what-"

"You tried to steal Amber's powers and her very soul along with it. You left just enough for Aqua to follow it back to you, and Aqua, always using a battleaxe when a scalpel would do, tore out your own soul when she was reclaiming the stolen bits of Amber," the woman said, red eyes locked onto her. 

"A-Aqua?" Cinder asked, her voice coming out weak as the woman smiled. Aqua had done this to her? She knew that name, one of the new arrivals at Beacon. "W-who are-"

"I am Sabina Bathory, and it is your lucky day, Cinder Fall, because I alone can fix what has been done to you," Sabina said with a wide smile, perfect white teeth glinting as Emerald narrowed her eyes. Despite the pain, despite her weakness, she wasn't going to be tricked or scammed by some newcomer. "New? Oh, I'm very old, and this is no trick, Cinder. Emerald, if you try to use your Semblance on me again, I'm going to rip out your eyes and make you eat them."

Sabina's tone never changed, a soft smile on her lips as Emerald flinched back violently, having been threatened with all the same heat that someone might talk about the weather.

"What do you want," Cinder asked, making Sabina smile as she clicked her fingers, the room shifting as the smell of sulfur filled her nostrils. Sabina's skin shifted to a light purple as she grew taller, horns growing from her head and wings bursting from her back. 

"I want everything, but you'd know a thing or two about that, wouldn't you?" Sabina asked with a grin, her voice purring as the walls around them fell, revealing a vast fiery wasteland. "But as for what I want from you? I can fix you, I can empower you far beyond the weakness of the Maidens, and all I ask in return is your subservience. Become one of my generals, lead my armies and entire worlds will bow before you. Serve me well, and even Salem will kneel before you as you rule Remnant in my name."

"W-what are you?" Emerald whispered, making Sabina grin.

"God," Sabina replied simply. 

Cinder looked around the vast fiery plains, seeing tens of thousands of monsters in the distance, the power rolling off of Sabina's body as she floated a few inches above the ground. Her broken body screamed in pain, and Sabina just clicked her fingers.

Instantly, the pain disappeared as Cinder cautiously stood tall, pushing Emerald away as she stood by her own strength again. Emerald and Mercury's wounds healed in an instant, making them both gasp as Mercury looked down at his restored legs and now-discarded prosthetics

"Oh wait, that cruel old man of yours never gave you your Semblance back, did he, Mercury? Well, we can fix that," Sabina said casually, clicking her fingers as a burst of flames revealed another man, Marcus Black, before them, naked and clearly afraid. 

"N-no more, please, no more," Marcus begged, Mercury's eyes narrowing in hatred.

"Kneel, Mercury, and your Semblance will be yours again, and your father's as well," Sabina ordered, and Mercury hesitated for only a moment before he fell to one knee, making the newcomer smile as she placed a hand on Marcus' shoulder.

The man could only scream, the tortured sound making Emerald back away as Sabina ripped his soul out and watched Marcus fall to the floor, his body catching fire as dark-purple flames burnt him to ash. Sabina examined the soul in her hands for a moment before she giggled, holding it out to Mercury.

"Well? Come and claim what is yours," Sabina offered, watching Mercury rise and hesitate as he examined the blackened orb of power in Sabina's hand before he reached out and touched it, letting out a shout of surprise as his body absorbed it. "He took your Semblance; it's only fair that you get to take his. Where he is going, he won't be needing it anymore."

Mercury laughed; quietly at first before it became increasingly maniacal. Mercury moved to take his spot, standing opposite Cinder and Emerald as he stood by Sabina's side.

"Kneel, Cinder, and you will never be weak again," Sabina said, her silky voice promising so much. Salem had failed her, the experimental Grimm leaving her in this state and seeming to care so little when Cinder had reported her condition, and Cinder heard Emerald gasp as Cinder lowered herself onto one knee.

Emerald hesitated before following suit and kneeling before Sabina, who stepped forward.

Sabina placed a hand on her forehead, and Cinder gasped as she felt a rush of power enter her, her entire body shuddering with pleasure and anticipation as her aura flared once more, the black and red aura thicker than ever, Cinder's eyes blazing with power.

Sabina simply smiled, gesturing for her to rise.

"Welcome to Avernus, Cinder Fall. I think you'll fit right in," Sabina promised, stroking her cheek.