RWBY © Monty Oum (RIP) and Rooster Teeth
RWBY: Destiny of Remnant © UGX7
The Remnant Knights © RelentlessCrusader
A/N: This character short on the Remnant Knights is written with permission from UGX7 to promote the upcoming third arc of his RWBY fanfiction story known as "Destiny of Remnant". I highly advise the readers to read his fanfiction before reading this character short since the events that happened here takes place after the White Fang Arc, so as to understand why events have progressed to this stage in the story as of the latest chapter. For those who are unclear, this character short takes place between arc two and arc three of "Destiny of Remnant".
Thank you for your understanding, and please read, enjoy and review!
RWBY: Destiny of Remnant Character Short - The Remnant Knights
"Is what we gained worth what we lost in every single battle we have faced?
I know not, but I know there's always a heavy price to pay for victory. And each time we pay a little more."
- attributed to the writings of Grand Knight Master Lord Emmanuel, extract taken from the Archives of Tintagel.
Tintagel - The Fortress Headquarters of The Knight Order (Location Redacted)
The Prognosticators' Sanctum
She was standing at the edge of a cliff which jutted out from the glacier mountains of Atlas and looked down upon a battlefield of massive proportions. Her golden eyes glowed and her long platinum blonde hair was a little tasseled by the blizzard-strength winds that battered against her, but she stood against those strong icy winds as though she was unaffected by them. The natural elements of Atlas, ranging from its steel-grey clouds to the eternal icy weather that protected its inhabitants from Grimm incursions, did not affect her the slightest, but the battle that was taking place in front of the large gaps of two of the largest mountains of Atlas had captured her complete attention.
An all out assault of Atlas was underway, and enormous numbers of Grimm of every available species and some which were not even documented by the Kingdoms nor the Remnant Knights were also joining in the fight. The walls and gates of Atlas were made of solid metal, thicker and stronger than those of any other Kingdoms which were simply made of hardened stone and reinforced by thick steel girders to cover any available stress points. Adding to that were the formidable defenses which included battlements armed with a variety of high-tech weaponry ranging from cannons, rockets and artillery turrets manned by the finest soldiers of the Atlas army. A maze of catwalks decorated the surface of each wall section, which was also guarded by quite a number of traps, round the clock video surveillance by security cameras, and tall electrical fences to deter intruders from even thinking of climbing the wall. Despite the already redoubtable defenses, an entire fleet of Atlas battleships and airships was always guarding those same walls, with squadrons of fighters and gunships ready to launch at any moment, in addition to troop transports patrolling along designated routes, ready to report anything awry at a moment's notice.
Every single weapon on the metal walls of Atlas as well as on their battleships were firing non-stop into the invading swarms of Grimm, adding to the cauldron of firepower coming from the divisions of Atlas soldiers, battle tanks and armoured carrier transports which were fighting on the ground. Yet more soldiers were firing their weapons from the safety of trenches, or lobbing mortars and grenades whenever they were able and killing Grimm by the scores. Heedless of their own safety, the Grimm swarms came onwards even as thousands of them were slaughtered by the devastating firepower of the Atlas army, and behind them came the Elder Grimm, creatures of such majesty and nightmares made into reality that they could chill the blood of brave warriors with their sheer presence as well as decimate entire armies each on their own.
She watched as a series of black-coloured gunships flew overhead, protecting a slightly larger mobile airship base even as the latter opened fire with its missile arrays and turrets, clearing a gap in the Grimm swarms and giving the Atlas forces a few precious moments of breathing space. As the airship spun around and deployed its rear ramp, the figures making up Team Beacon leaped heroically from the airship and into battle, their weapons already in their hands and determined to make the Grimm as well as Salem's servants pay for their actions.
Alongside the arrival of Team Beacon, the Winter Templars Knight Legion of the Remnant Knights was heralded by a deafening roar of several heavily armoured gunships as well as their escort transports. They flew across the snowy landscape in combat formation, their engines kicking up maelstroms of frost and snow into a great tail of ice dust behind them. As the flight of Remnant Knight gunships and transporters chewed up the icy ground with their assault cannons and gatling guns, others loosed salvoes of missiles which punched smoking craters in the Grimm swarms and sending various body parts of various Grimm flying through the air along with thick chunks of ice and dirt. Once the gunships established a landing zone, the aerial transporters brought themselves in and settled on the scorched frozen ground, deploying huge armoured tanks and armoured personnel transports, their cannons and turrets already blasting gaping chunks out of the surrounding swarms of Grimm as they accelerated into flanking positions, while the gunships expanded the landing zone with their weapons by holding the Grimm at bay with their weaponry. The armoured personnel transports roared out like Beowolfs eager for the kill, their assault cannons spitting death in streams of shells while their front ramps slamming down and revealing rows of heavily armed Remnant Knights with halbreds, warhammers, falchions and broadswords clenched in their gauntleted fists. With their helmets aglow with the force of their determination and combat prowess, the gunmetal-clad warriors roared as they charged out in phalanx formations, the voice of battle alive in their souls and doing what they have been trained to do since the Knight Order was formed.
Having followed the treads of fate till the very limits of her semblance, Soul Seer turned from the sight of the colossally devastating battle and pulled her mind out of her divinations in the mindscape, returning to the physical world once more and back into her meditative form in the prognosticator's sanctum. She had clearly seen more than enough, and she needed to speak with the other prognosticators of the Knight Order on what she had just witnessed in her latest trip into the mindscape.
The sanctum hall of the Prognosticators would have passed for a massive library with all of its walls covered with hundreds, if not thousands of tomes each filled with extensive knowledge on a wide range of topics and subjects. Amidst the tall shelves filled with yet more books and memory cubes at the centre of the hall was a series of benches and carpets, where the prognosticators of the Knight Order meditated and honed their skills in the arts of both defensive and offensive magic, as well as ways of looking into the mindscape to find patterns that will give clues to events that would happen in the future.
There were around twenty active Prognosticators numbered as of the present serving within the Knight Order, and due to the fact their duties were varied and their invaluable abilities in high demand among the various Knight Legions, very few were actually present within Tintagel, with the number not rising above four or so at any one time. Soul Seer opened her golden eyes to see two other Prognosticators known as Dream Seeker and Soul Searcher meditating at either side of her, their own eyes closed while facing each other, and their heads were bowed. She sent out a small telepathic gesture into both of their minds and the other two slowly opened their eyes, turning their heads in her direction and watched in concern as she gripped her flower-shaped staff for support. After helping Soul Seer to a nearby bench and passing her some fresh cooling water, they both waited patiently for their superior to fill them in on what happened.
"You both saw what I saw." Soul Seer's eyes were less bright now, but they still retain a measure of their signature golden colour even when she wasn't using her semblance of clairvoyance or conjuring various defensive and offensive magical circles, "Did that calamitous battle in the ice and snow come to any of you in your own meditations?"
"I caught sight of parts of that terrible battle you spoke of." Dream Seeker gestured with his gloved hands, ruffling his grey robes a little as he did so, "But it has become clearer as of late, and somehow my own divinations often shows a shroud of utter darkness covering the surface of Remnant, and from the darkness hordes of Grimm were spawned in an endless tide that the likes of which the Knight Order nor our allies have ever faced, laying waste to everything before them."
There was a tremor in his face for a brief moment, but he steeled himself and continued, "And there were others, Elder Grimm which we have never seen before in the realm of mortals. I saw a fleeting glimpse of a gigantic Grimm creature, heavily muscled and ridged with bone, roaring out a terrible cry that would cause even the bravest of heroes to turn and flee, smashing its way through tanks and soldiers alike as though they were mere insects to it." He gave an involuntary shudder, before composing himself and banishing the haunted look from his face, even though lingering traces of it still remained.
Soul Seer nodded her head, before turning to Soul Searcher who spoke, "I saw the battle that took place in Atlas during my meditation, and although I saw Huntsmen and Huntresses fighting alongside the entire Atlas army, they were only just barely keeping the Grimm at bay. However, alongside the Grimm were other foes who have sworn their allegiance to Mistress of Grimm...and they were also throwing their full military might at the defenders."
"And that includes the false Fall Maiden, Cinder Fall." Soul Seer remarked and Soul Searcher nodded, "She was present during that battle, and during my divinations I saw a brief scene of her fighting Elsa Vorst in a place that looked like an shrine of sorts, even as the forces of Atlas clashed against the Grimm outside." Despite being a young Prognosticator, Soul Searcher's blue-green eyes were heavy with horrifying things she had witnessed while fighting alongside other Remnant Knights, and hard-won wisdom she had earned from several other engagements which she wasn't allowed to speak about.
"That means there is a high likelihood that part of Salem's objective to invade Atlas would also to acquire the power of the Winter Maiden, seeing that she has sent Cinder to fight Elsa." Dream Seeker said quietly, his grey eyes blinking a little, "That corresponds with the other divinations we have all seen in the past which shows the remaining Maidens fighting against the Grimm as well as agents of the dark queen."
"We have yet to see her enter the battle we have seen in our divinations during our time in the mindscape." Soul Seer relaxed her grip on her flower staff a little, looking at the other Prognosticators clustered around her, "I have a feeling that when she does indeed take to the theatre of war, we would be fighting a much more difficult battle, as Salem is still considered an incredibly dangerous adversary."
Dream Seeker and Soul Searcher both nodded their heads as they seated themselves opposite Soul Seer, facing her while having looks of both agreement and trepidation evident on their faces. They respected Soul Seer of course, since she was possibly the greatest mage the Knight Order had ever produced, and it was said she could read the minds of others as easily as one could browse an open book.
"Should we inform the Grand Knight Master of these new...divinations?" Soul Searcher adjusted her azure robes, and there was a hint of a pleading look in her eyes of sky and grass, "The Winter Templars Knight Legion must be informed."
"Grand Knight Master Seraph knows it already." Soul Seer replied and sent a soothing psychic gesture which caused her fellow female Prognosticator to relax a little, but her expression still remained considerably guarded, "I have informed him some time ago and the Knight of Air has also knew of it. They have taken the appropriate measures to further protect Elsa Vorst and her personal guardian."
"What about the Spring and Summer Maidens?" Dream Seeker mentioned as he met Soul Seer's gaze, "They will need to be protected as well. The longer we can deny Salem their powers, the better our chances of standing a chance against her and the false Fall Maiden."
"A valid point, Dream Seeker." Soul Seer replied, "However, we have yet to find out more on both Amethyst and Heliosia's possible paths, and hence are not clear on what could possibly happen to them. I have seen snatches of another battle in the desert, and also another which took place in a jungle, but I would have to meditate further in order to see more clearly into the patterns of fate itself."
"I will assist you as much as I can." Dream Seeker said selflessly.
"Whatever I can do to help, I will give it freely to help you." Soul Searcher added, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"You have my sincere gratitude." Soul Seer managed to smile back at them in return, and pushed herself up from the bench, invigorated by the supportive behaviour of her fellow Prognosticators. She thought on what she had seen from the divinations she had made as well as others, and quickly came to a conclusion.
She needed to see the Grand Knight Master again, and as soon as possible.
/-/
Chambers of the Grand Knight Master
The personal chambers of the Grand Knight Master of the Remnant Knights were quite spartan and utilitarian as to his nature, comprised on only a few important pieces of furniture in the surprisingly spacious room. The walls and floors were all made of hardened stone, and the tall curved windows to one side allows one to take in the panoramic view of the fortress headquarters of the Knight Order from the tallest tower of Tintagel. The other side of the main chamber was covered with a number of evenly spaced tall banners hanging from steel poles mounted on marble plinths, the woven emblems and images on those banners glinting in the diffused orb lights currently on low setting studded throughout the ceiling of the aforementioned chamber.
In the center of the vast and cavernous room, there was a certain great holocom table which was filled with neat piles of written documents, data-tablets and various charts containing a wide variety of information scattered across a holographic representation of Remnant, while a stack of carefully-preserved ancient maps made from the materials of both parchment and vellum occupied a smaller, secondary table a couple of meters away from the slightly larger one made from dull metal and jet-black marble.
Clusters of white, green, red and blue dots denoted the latest locations of the many active knight teams already assigned their respective missions, while fresh data steadily streamed in through the holocom table's electronic mechanisms. There were also large black and red coloured inverted triangles as well, denoting the increase in Grimm incursions and Red Fang operations around the borders of the four Kingdoms, not to mention the whereabouts and appearances of any of Salem's agents which were encountered by any Remnant Knights.
Seraph Pendragon, the current Grand Knight Master of the Knight Order, sat at his curved polished desk which was said to be made from the finest marble mined from the deepest mountains of Atlas by Nicholas Schnee, the renowned founder of the Schnee Dust Company. And right in front of him was projected a blue holographic screen with the images of both Headmaster Ozpin and the Vale Council. The faces of Councilors Henry and Benedict were among the several faces from the Vale Council, and they all displayed grim expressions.
The leader of the Remnant Knights was clad in his personal ornate armour, although he was still wearing his winged helmet as per the custom of the previous Grand Knight Masters before him when meeting with others not of the Knight Order. History and tradition within the organization demanded it be so, and so it was.
He listened attentively to the reports given from the Vale Council as well as from Ozpin with rapt attention, carefully dissecting every piece of information given and filed it away for future reference, occasionally giving subtle nods and gestures in return. Then he gave Beacon's headmaster and the council members the latest information that the Remnant Knights have obtained from their range of varied missions around Remnant, before taking a pause for his audience to absorb everything he had mentioned to them thus far.
"While the White Fang insurrection has been effectively put down by Team Beacon and the joint Atlesian-Vacuoan strike force..." one of the figures mentioned, "...there are still quite a number of cells that haven't been accounted for even with what information Commander Razor had given us, despite the best efforts of the various Kingdoms' law enforcement agencies and paramilitary forces."
"I have already received some information with regards to that from the various Remnant Knight teams currently in the field." Seraph replied, "The collapse of the White Fang's leadership caused by Adam Taurus's death has effectively fractured their organization, with all his supporters escaping with Salem's agents while the remainder had joined up with Razor's reformed White Fang."
"Recruitment's down more than twenty-five percent, and over the past few months quite a number of White Fang cells either willingly surrendered themselves to the authorities or abandoned no less than a dozen bases throughout the various Kingdoms." Ozpin added from his image, "While we haven't have any contact from Razor from some time, there have been talk of resurgent White Fang activity in the upper regions of Mistral, especially around the abandoned regions."
"And how trustworthy is Commander Razor?" Another council member spoke up, "How do we know he's not secretly reforming the White Fang into a powerful militant force once more?"
"Commander Razor is a shrewd and honourable leader, and many in the White Fang look up to him." Beacon's headmaster continued, "He has the full support of Claudandus who is the founder of the White Fang, and has vowed to fight against all forms of racism and tyranny instead of against all mankind. He won't make the same mistake as Adam Taurus did."
"It seems that Razor might be trying to gather up the fragments of the scattered White Fang before the remnants of Adam's supporters could do so, and in the process diminish their influence since those independent cells might be leaderless and looking for a new purpose since the truth was now revealed." Seraph exposited, "...and since we know that those White Fang members who supported Adam had escaped with Salem's agents, there's a high possibility that they have joined up with her already."
"That explains the recent emergence of the Red Fang." Councilor Henry remarked, "Their latest acts of terrorism have indeed caused the populace of the Vale and Vacuo to be slightly troubled, but they seemed to be quite coordinated in terms of their organization and attack patterns...which is unusual for a splinter group."
"Which means someone has succeeded the deceased Adam Taurus as the replacement leader." Seraph answered, tapping his gauntlet on the marble table, "From my analysis of their current terrorist activities, the Red Fang could be diverting our attention while the other agents of the Dark Queen continue with their acts of subterfuge and sabotage. However, they have yet to cross paths with any of the active Remnant Knight teams...for now."
"We will put both the law enforcement officers and Vale Militia on high alert." Councilor Benedict said as he knotted his hands together before looking at Ozpin, "Can we count on you providing Huntsmen support in protecting Vale against any acts of terrorism by the Red Fang?"
"Of course, Councilor." Ozpin sipped his mug of steaming coffee briefly, "I will see what I can do to make sure Beacon Academy provides an adequate response to the current situation at hand."
"Good. We have decided to give you a second chance, and funding for Beacon Academy has also been increased substantially as a show of our good faith." Yet another shadowy council member mentioned, "It would be disappointing to see that our trust in you were to be misplaced once more, headmaster."
"I understand completely. I also appreciate your kind assistance as well as your faith in me, council members." Ozpin responded, giving a slight nod of his silver-haired head. Seraph remained impassive, and few of the council members on screen were brave enough to look upon his armoured visage for long.
"On another matter, you have our gratitude for having a significant detachment of Steadfast Sentinels deployed around Vale's borders to keep the Grimm incursions away from the major settlements and the Kingdom itself, all the while Vale rebuilds its militia and military forces." Councilor Henry mentioned respectfully.
"The Remnant Knights are simply performing their sworn duty to the people of Remnant." Seraph said quietly, "Once Vale is back on its feet the Knight Order would be redeploying them on other imperative missions that require their undivided attention."
"Of course, once Vale's defenses are substantial enough to protect its people safely again the Remnant Knights operating in the vicinity are free to leave anytime they wish." Councilor Benedict agreed, while adjusting his glasses a little.
As the Vale Council's images blinked away from the virtual gathering, leaving only Ozpin and Seraph looking at each other, the Grand Knight Master leaned back on his throne-like chair and steepled his gauntleted fingers, "It seems that the members of the Vale Council still aren't too trustful of you as before, Ozpin."
"I would do the same thing if the positions are reversed." The Beacon headmaster sighed as he sipped from his coffee mug again, "Given my previous...failings, few people are willing to put their faith in me except for those who had stood by me for quite some time. I am glad I still have people like Qrow, Glynda, Ironwood and you to take my side when the situation calls for it."
"We have known each other for quite a significant amount of time, Ozpin." Seraph tilted his winged helmet a little, "While we may have our disagreements at times, I have never doubted your commitment and conviction to keeping the world of Remnant safe from the machinations of Salem. We have both made quite a number of hard choices in our line of duty, and hence I know how difficult it is for you to weigh options with serious consequences connected to each and every one of them."
"You have my gratitude, Grand Knight Master." came the reply from Beacon's headmaster, "I believe you have something else to speak to me about?"
Seraph took a breath before replying, "I have consulted with my prognosticators, and they have agreed on who is to be sent to join Team Beacon from the Remnant Knights as part of our agreement as stated in the sacred scroll of alliance." Another picture opened up on his screen upon a few quick movements of his fingers, showing the Remnant Knight he spoke of.
"I see." Ozpin tapped his chin as he looked at the knight's image on his own screen, "If you will humour me with a question, Grand Knight Master, why this particular knight out of all the many knights within the Knight Order? I am sure it's possible there are others who would also fit the criteria to be working with Team Beacon."
"Several reasons actually, headmaster." The Grand Knight Master said slowly, "Mainly because he had fought alongside the members of Team Beacon personally, and so he knows how to coordinate with them in a battle. He has also interacted with them to some certain degree, and so he would be familiar with their individual personalities as well as their varied strengths and weaknesses. Also, I doubt the combined team would receptive to a senior knight since they already have Qrow Branwen and Winter Schnee acting as their mentors at times, therefore sending a knight who's younger would more likely mesh well with them."
"I see, those are quite rational reasons." Ozpin replied, "Although I assume the primary reason why you are sending him to Team Beacon would be also to act as your eyes and ears within the team right?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes." The leader of the Remnant Knights concurred, "Considering the amount of resources I am currently expending on behalf of the Knight Order to assist the Guardians of Remnant, I hope you will be of the same mind with me on this small request as compared to the others we have agreed on."
"Very well. I will inform the leaders of Team Beacon on this new arrival from the Knight Order when the time comes." Ozpin said before looking at something off-screen for a few seconds, "As we both have significant matters of our own to attend to, I suggest we leave this conversation here for the time being, Grand Knight Master."
"Of course. Until we meet again, Headmaster Ozpin." Seraph finished and watched the projected screen with Ozpin's image vanish in front of him. He stood up from the his chair behind the marble table and strode to the tall windows in which showed the cloudy sky in which patches of light blue were revealed every now and then, with a hint of grey clouds at the farthest edges of the horizon.
"The deed is done." He spoke, and he didn't need to turn to see the armour-clad figure of Argentius standing a respectful distance away, "Your protégé would be assigned to Team Beacon as agreed with the Guardians of Remnant. He will work alongside them in any future missions and his presence would be seen as a sign of good faith from the Remnant Knights."
"You have my gratitude, Grand Knight Master." Argentius's helmet lowered a little, "But you didn't tell Ozpin everything with regards to assigning my protégé to Team Beacon. We are talking about trust among our allies after all."
"Ozpin will know in due time, although knowing him I would say he would probably figure it out himself if given time." Seraph sighed as he continued staring out of the windows of his chambers, "Nevertheless, the less people know about the young knight's true heritage, the safer he would be from the agents of the Dark Queen. Although I can't help but think that assigning him to Team Beacon might give us trouble in future."
He turned and looked at Argentius in the eyes, "Are you sure the recent divinations coming from Soul Seer have been verified? From what I have been told, they seem...troubling."
"I can assure you that the divinations from her have been repeatedly checked by the other Prognosticators within the Knight Order." The silver-eyed knight replied, "They have also seen what Soul Seer had seen, and it seems that we would be facing tough choices and difficult battles to come."
"I don't doubt that." Seraph said, "You know as well as I do that it will be only a matter of time before Salem and her agents make their move against the remaining Maidens and the Relics of Remnant. And when she does, she will come at us with the full strength of her assembled army."
"We will be ready." Argentius affirmed, "Isn't that the true purpose for the Knight Order to exist since its formation many generations ago?"
"However, if things go badly despite our efforts...I may have to consider alternative options." Seraph crossed his arms, his rich grey cloak rippling a little, "But that is a matter for another time. Is there something else I should be aware of?"
"Razor Wing and Swift Talon have reported back from their scouting missions." Argentius said as he produced a scroll tablet from the folds of his silver and gold-trimmed cloak, "There seems to be some illegal mining operations taking place at the remote mountain areas of Remnant, and the individuals involved seem to be of great interest to us."
"Hmm..." Seraph said as he took the scroll tablet and read the reports on its screen, "Wait, those workers are wearing the symbols of Salem's servants. They seem to be looking for something..." He flicked through the images, studying them carefully through the lenses of his winged helmet.
"Certain fossils, judging from what they have hauled out of those caverns." Argentius supplied, gesturing to the latest pictures on the scroll's screen, "It seems likely that Salem had already put her other plans into action."
"Undoubtedly." Seraph said he looked at the grainy but still reasonably accurate pictures, "We will have to remain vigilant and prepare accordingly if we are to counter what new types of Grimm she would unleash against the world of Remnant."
"I find myself agreeing with your current course of action, Grand Knight Master." Argentius said as he met Seraph's helmet lenses with his own, " Shall I send for the nearest knight teams to destroy the excavation sites that our knight errants have discovered?"
"Yes, the more fossils we can deny Salem and her agents, the lesser the number of nightmarish Grimm creatures we would need to face on our next encounter with them." Seraph gave his concurrence, and Argentius nodded his helmeted head in return.
A few seconds of silence passed between them before the Knight Order's leader spoke again, "While Ruby Rose has chosen not to join the Knight Order, have you been able to get her to control the power of her silver eyes?"
"I have assisted her as much as I can in the mindscape during the secret meeting, Grand Knight Master." Argentius said while spreading his hands a little, "And I will continue to do so as much as I can. However, the rest would depend entirely on her own efforts and skills, along with a great deal of practice."
"Since she's the chosen one, I advise you to train her as much as you are able to do so." Seraph remarked as he closed the reports on the scroll's screen, "...as she would need every advantage we can give her if she is to encounter Cinder Fall or even Salem again. Do I make myself clear, Argentius?"
"Perfectly clear, Grand Knight Master." Argentius said softly as he watched the Grand Knight Master turned back to the chamber windows once more.
/-/
The Hall of Heroes
Sharp Strike, clad in his personal Aegis armour, stood like a statue not unlike those which were on either side of him in the dimly lit chambers, their emotionless stone-carved faces glaring down at him from their plinths. He stood straight and tall, his cerulean blue eyes with a hint of vermillion red in them looking forward, while his polished armour plates glinted a little from the fires that burned in their baskets mounted on the lofty pillars behind the knight statues in the cavernous room.
He held his knight helmet underneath one arm, and the other gauntlet resting on the pommel of his sheathed sword, while Hong Long and Lan Feng the twin revolver-swords were both mag-locked to the back of his armour. He didn't know the reason why he was summoned here, but he had a feeling that he was about to find out soon ever since he was personally given the summons by his master Argentius just mere hours ago.
He bowed his black and red-streaked head respectfully as Grand Knight Master Seraph appeared out of the darkness in front of him without making the slightest sound, as though one of the largest statues in the vicinity had come to life suddenly to render judgement on him. His gunmetal-grey and white armour shone faintly in the fires' illumination, and occasionally a line of ancient script could be seen winding on the surface of those ancient armour plates that adorned his entire form.
"Kneel, Sharp Strike." The Grand Knight Master commanded and the younger knight took to one knee, placing his sheathed sword in front of him and held his helmet close to his chest, while resting a gauntlet on his poleyn of his Aegis armour.
"You are here because I have a task for you." Seraph continued, his voice echoing around the Hall of Heroes from the depths of his winged helmet, "And it was with the recommendations of the prognosticators as well as your master Argentius that I have decided that you would be best suited for the task at hand."
Sharp Strike remained silent as he continued looking forward at his superior. Seraph extended a gauntleted hand in which a paper scroll was held, and gestured for the knight errant to take it. He watched silently as Sharp Strike broke the seal and read the words within slowly and carefully, committing whatever that was written there to memory.
"You will be assigned to join Team Beacon on behalf of the Remnant Knights, and fight alongside them as though they are your fellow knights-in-arms." The Grand Knight Master continued speaking, "Headmaster Ozpin has agreed to our request to assign you to Team Beacon, and you will join them on their next available mission. Your additional orders are as follows, and you will obey them without question since they have all be sanctioned by the Knight Castellans and me."
"Orders received and understood, Grand Knight Master." Sharp Strike answered curtly, closing the scroll and passing it back to Seraph reverentially, who then tossed the paper scroll into a nearby basket of flames beside them where it was burnt into black ashes in a matter of seconds.
"The oath, then." Seraph said as he unsheathed Excalibrus with care, before planting the tip of the great mighty sword on the stone floor and turned it to present the flat of the blade to Sharp Strike. It was a magnificent weapon, and besides being the badge of office to every Grand Knight Master, it was also a potent weapon as well. Sharp Strike could only guess at the number of heroes and heroines who had bore it into battle, and the unfathomable amount of deadly Grimm creatures and traitors that had met their end at the shinning blade of Excalibrus. It has also slaughtered many Elder Grimm as well as wounding Salem while being wielded by the previous Grand Knight Masters before Seraph, and he could only wish to witness such an encounter personally.
Sharp Strike unlocked his gauntlet, placed his hand on the massive sword. The Grand Knight Master then spoke, "Sharp Strike, Knight of Remnant. Do you fully accept your role as the Knight Order's representative to Team Beacon? Do you swear to obey the given orders of the Knight Castellans and the Grand Knight Master, and put aside all other claims in the completion of your mission? Do you swear to pledge yourself to fight for the future of Remnant to the bitter end, no matter what it would cost you?"
"Upon the sword of Excalibrus, and with the Gods of Remnant as my witness, I so swear." Sharp Strike intoned solemnly, and removed his hand from the blade after making the oath. He then watched the weapon raise upwards to his neck, feeling his breath caught in his throat as he looked up to see the impassive faceplate of Seraph's winged helmet, "Should you break the sacred oath, Sharp Strike...your life would be forfeit. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Grand Knight Master." He replied cautiously and unexpectedly felt a sense of relief flood through him as the great sword returned to its sheath, and rose as Seraph bade him.
With the oath made, he had crossed the point of no return. But a corner of Sharp Strike's mind wondered briefly if he had already done that...on the day he was knighted by the Grand Knight Master and given his knight name. Whatever came next in his assignment to Team Beacon, he was committed to it.
/-/
Undisclosed Location
In the deepest depths of Tintagel, protected behind the most powerful defenses of the Knight Order, a certain massive vault that overshadowed the rest lay covered in perpetual darkness, lit by the small baskets of red and orange fires which burned faintly at the top of thick curved pillars in the darkening gloom.
The complex inscriptions upon the vault's giant marble doors glowed indistinctly on their own as though alive, although there was no one there to see the peculiar effect. Countless people have died to craft the wondrous things inside the vault, and countless more had died to preserve its secrets, with the majority of them being from the Promethean Tribe. Being one of the most vital secrets of the Knight Order, it remained undiscovered even until the present day, the knowledge of its existence safe within a mere handful of individuals.
And now the vault waited patiently, protected by an ever-vigilant armoured custodian, for the day that it would be opened by the Remnant Knights and its purpose realised at last.
Until then, it would continue to wait...
If you enjoyed this story, then please consider faving and following this fic and leave a review if you read it on fanfiction . net. If you're on An Archive of Our Own then please leave a kudos and a comment. I appreciate all the comments, constructive feedback and critiques (no flames please, thank you.) I can get, and I will try and give you a reply if possible. Please tell me what you like and what you didn't, so I can improve with every chapter that I write accordingly. Should this story interest you please mention it to other friends for them to know. And please look forward to the return of UGX7's RWBY Destiny of Remnant in August!
Thanks for reading, and until next time!
