"I take it that's your Semblance?" Weiss asked as she staggered about, back on solid ground. While she didn't like admitting it, the abrupt flight had disoriented her a bit, and she was now finding it a little hard to keep her balance.
Still, the fact her partner apparently had flight, of all things, as her Semblance was opening up a lot of possibilities in Weiss's mind.
"Well, I obviously am not using Dust or wearing a flight suit of some kind." Came a very sarcastic response, though Haruka's face became blank again once the heiress looked at her, annoyed. "In all seriousness, please do not tell anyone. I wish to keep the full extent of my capabilities something of a secret."
I can understand that. I don't show off my glyphs, after all. Well, not their full capabilities, anyway.
"That explains why you barely skimmed the treetops." Weiss noted, then, finally having regained her balance, turned to regard the clearing Haruka had landed in.
It was actually quite a large clearing, at least six hundred feet in length, and nearly two hundred in width. Set dead center in the closer end were the broken remains of a stone rotunda, in front of which stretched the remains of a stone path, leading across the clearing towards the Beacon Cliff.
"Indeed." Haruka stated in response to Weiss's comment, and she began to walk in the direction of the rotunda. "I believe this is our objective."
"Probably." Weiss agreed, following. Within the rotunda was a series of small pillars or pedestals, constructed of stone like the rest of the structure, atop which sat—chess pieces?-
"Chess pieces?" Haruka vocalized the confusion Weiss felt. "The relics are chess pieces? Why would—" She stopped suddenly, and adopted a thoughtful expression. "Ah. This is how teams are decided." She declared a few seconds later.
"What do you mean?" The heiress asked, confused.
"There are two of each kind of chess piece, and two of each color. I presume that the pairs who take the same color and type are, in turn, paired together to make the teams." Haruka explained.
"Makes sense." Weiss nodded her agreement. It was, after all, perfectly logical. "So, any preferences?" She asked as the two stepped into the ruined rotunda.
"No. Is this one acceptable?" Haruka asked, picking up a gold-colored knight. Weiss nodded in response.
"I guess this is it." A voice came from behind the two, and Weiss turned to see two girls exit the forest into the clearing. One she vaguely recognized, dressed in black and white, with a sword of some kind on her back and a bow on top of her head, the same black as her long hair. The other, a blonde, she didn't know at all, and she was in a tan jacket with a lopsided 'skirt' of sorts atop hotpants. On the girl's arms were a pair of bright yellow gauntlets, which the heiress presumed were her weapons.
"Hey, Haruka!" The blond threw an arm up and jogged forwards as she spotted Weiss's partner.
"Yang." Haruka said from Weiss's side, startling her slightly. I didn't hear you move.
"So, these are the relics?" The now-identified Yang said, glancing behind the two at the chess pieces on the pedestals.
"Presumably. Frau Belladonna." The winged girl added, nodding at the girl with the bow, who nodded back.
"Just call me Blake." The girl said, her voice quiet.
"Very well." Haruka nodded, and turned to Yang. "We have already chosen, if you were wondering." She raised her hand to show the girl the golden knight piece.
"Of course you chose a knight." Yang said, smirking at the chess piece in Haruka's hand.
"Ich bin schließlich eins." Haruka responded as she lowered her hand again, switching to the unknown language she'd used earlier. Again with that language.
Yang just shrugged.
"What language are you speaking?" The heiress asked her partner, annoyed.
"Do not worry about it." Haruka dismissed the question with a wave of her hand. "I shall stick to Valian." She told Yang.
"Alright. I don't really know what you were saying anyway." Yang muttered. "So, which one do you want?" She asked her bow-wearing partner, who was looking at the two with confusion.
"Huh?" Blake seemed very confused. I can sympathize.
"The 'relics'. Which one should I grab? Or should I just pick a random one?" The blonde queried as she walked into the rotunda.
"Any is fine…" The last of the four girls looked slightly bewildered, but she was now watching Haruka with suspicion, gaze mostly focused on her wings.
"So this one's cool?" Yang asked from behind the two, and Weiss glanced back to see her holding the other gold-colored knight piece.
"It's fine." Blake had kept her attention on Haruka's wings, not even bothering to glance at the piece Yang had chosen.
"Okay, I have to ask, how do you know each other?" Weiss finally gave into temptation and asked the question on her mind.
"If you are asking about Yang and I, I am—was living with Yang and her father for the time being." That answers one question and raises another. "As for Blake and I, we met a few weeks ago." Haruka shrugged. "There is not much more to say, there. And why are you staring, if I may ask?" She tilted her head at Blake, in curiosity. On one hand, I was confused, too, on the other, I didn't stare. Much, anyway.
"Sorry." Blake apologized, rather than respond. Haruka just shrugged again.
"It is no issue. I am used to stares." She offhandedly noted, then began to walk in the direction of the stone path back towards Beacon Cliff. Weiss walked after her. "Given we have acquired the 'relics' we were to find, there is no reason to stand about. Let us return to Beacon Cliff." She said over her shoulder.
"Sounds like a plan." Yang stated, apparently following. "And we're gonna have to work on your Valian. No one says 'let us', it's always 'let's' instead." She noted. "It makes you sound like a knight from a fairy tale."
"Ich bin ein Ritter." Haruka responded. And again with the unknown language.
To this, Yang didn't respond.