The world of Remnant is a vast place, and the entire population is under the constant threat of complete annihilation via a massive, ebon colored force that met every one of their soldiers with one hundred of their own.
The Grimm
Monsters of jet black chitin, fur, and feathers decorated with armor of ivory bone. Their piercing eyes were a deep crimson, burning with a mindless, unending hatred for all that possessed what they lacked. The very thing that drew the line in the sand between man and Grimm.
A soul.
These hate filled beasts lacked a soul, and it was this same soul that man used to push back the tides, and construct their walls. These walls, once made of wood, soon became stone, and later, behemoths of technological prowess that separated man from the wilds.
These walls surrounded kingdoms.
These kingdoms were the strongest powers in the world, and likewise the largest. Infallible, powerful, and the very picture of human ingenuity and stubbornness. Soon, these kingdoms become veritable nations, yet kept their olden titles.
Mantle, the militant kingdom of the snowy north.
Mistral, the artistic neighbor of Mantle southeastern border.
Vacuo, the kingdom hidden in the desert sands.
And Vale, the emerald beacon of hope.
These were humanities strongest powers, their best hopes against the unending tides of Grimm. Even as wars between the kingdoms destroyed the land, as lives were lost, and Mantle became Atlas, their power still remained.
But this story does not start in one such kingdom.
Instead, it finds itself in the local tavern of a small settlement located deep within the snowy north, where only the hardiest survive. The town's walls are wood, and its trade is fish and game.
The old watering hole doesn't get much foot traffic outside of the locals, and as such it wasn't inconceivable for the figure inside to be all on his lonesome in the far corner of the bar.
What was odd is that it was the figure's first time visiting the establishment.
The tender and owner of the bar eyed them warily as he wiped down a glass, but made no move to strike up a conversation. Likewise, the stranger did nothing except nurse the tankard of beer before him, brown hood drawn over their eyes and cloak covering their body.
The silence was uneasy, but it wasn't tense until the doors slammed open, shaking the rickety building slightly as two figures strode in. One, an older man clad in a dark suit and an emerald scarf, his bespectacled face outlined in hair long since grayed. His piercing green eyes scanned the establishment as his cane was held in one hand and the other held a steaming mug.
His partner was slightly taller, though it was probably due to the former's hunch, and wore a white two piece with the midsection covered by a crossing gray vest, his gloved right hand fixing a tie. His own pair of brown eyes flickered from the bartender to the figure in the corner, his brow furrowing as the metallic piece over his right eye shone in the natural light.
The two moved nearly in sync, the former with cane in hand as the latter moved with a much heavier gait. The figure in the corner didn't dignify them with even a glance as they kept their gaze on the tankard resting on the table. Once closer, the one in white slowed slightly, letting the one in green take the lead and take a seat across from the stranger. The one in white then stood at the side of the table, hands clenched behind his back and face marred with a slight frown.
The one in emerald took a sip from his mug before resting the ceramic piece on the table, and the figure matched them with a swig from his own tankard. The silence grew thick, and the bartender would later swear that he felt he could choke on it if he weren't careful. This persisted for a moment before finally the figure sighed and slumped back into the cushioned seat, arms crossing and legs kicked up on the table. The white one moved to speak before the one in emerald stopped him with a raised hand.
"Awful long way from your emerald tower..." The figure spoke, his distinctly masculine voice slightly roughened from drink. "What do you want? Thought I made it clear just how much I didn't like you." He reached into a pocket inside his cloak, retrieving from it a cigarette and a lighter. The bartender frowned from where he stood, but decided that he'd rather deal with cleaning out the smell of smoke than getting on the figure's bad side.
"You dare speak to Ozpin like tha-" The one in white spoke before once more being interrupted by Ozpin's raised hand once more, a shake of the head accompanying the mouthing of the words Not now James.
"I wasn't aware you started smoking." Ozpin said, turning back with a raised brow, and he took a sip from his steaming mug as the figure's mouth shifted to a slight scowl.
"I picked up a lot of bad habits after that night a few years back," A deep pull from the cigarette, followed by an equally long exhale interrupted his speaking for a moment. "But you didn't answer the question. What do you want from me, Oz?"
"I suppose I'll get to the point then," Ozpin began, taking a sip from his mug again as James rocked on his heels a bit. "I want you to attend Beacon this yea-" He didn't even finish before a gloved hand slammed into the table, the figure having stood and was now glaring daggers at the older man before him. James had his hand cannon drawn and aimed at the figure, but Ozpin made no move other than to take a long sip from his mug.
"I thought I was pretty clear on my standing with you, Oz, but apparently, I wasn't clear enough." The figure spat out the wood of the table splintering slightly as he pressed into it further.
"Go screw yourself, you piece of shi-" James' hand cannon fired, its high caliber round moving just past the figure's face and through the wall, taking his cigarette with him. From James' look, it was intentional. The figure's frame moved with each deep breath he took before he stopped, retrieving another cigarette and taking a deep pull from it. He looked up and exhaled a large amount of smoke that gathered up near the ceiling, repeating the action once more before taking his seat.
"Why?" Was all he said as his gloved hand rose to his face, covering where his eyes would be as his face was pointed at the ceiling. Ozpin took another sip from his mug as a small, sad frown adorned Ozpin's own face.
"So you can fulfill your dream." Ozpin replied, watching as the figure's body slumped over and onto the table, cigarette falling onto its wooden surface before the figure crushed it with his thumb. He lay there on the table as James raised a single brow and Ozpin took another sip from his mug. After a few moments Ozpin sighed and set down the steaming cup.
"Jaune."
The figure shuddered before looking up, hood falling to reveal a mop of blonde hair and to blue eyes that seemed like chips of the sea embedded onto a pale face.
A face marred by a jagged, black scar that went from the center of his forehead to his left cheek, passing though his eyebrow but around his eye. It seemed to bleed into the surrounding skin, and light seemed to vanish into its inky depths. Jaune looked at Ozpin almost wistfully before casting his gaze to the tankard, its contents having spilled slightly upon his jumping.
"They would have wanted you to fulfill your dream. For you."
Jaune said nothing for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly before he stood up. Ozpin stood with him, and James stepped back as they both stepped out from their booths. The general's hand stayed on the hilt of his hand cannon as Jaune approached Ozpin, the blonde standing a few inches higher than the emerald clad headmaster.
He had no need to worry as Jaune slumped into a tight embrace with the headmaster, his shuddering form all to telling of the emotions the boy was feeling. They stood for a few minutes as Jaune's silent sobs slowed and his breath evened, before the teen finally stood at full height, his face adorned with a soft, small smile.
"Alright, I'll go." Jaune said, in a voice softer than the snow outside. Even James had a small smile as the three left, the blonde leaving a large amount of Lien on the counter. As they stepped outside and towards the outskirts of the town, Ozpin's smile shifted into one much more smug in nature.
"Good thing you agreed to come," Ozpin began, gaining confused looks from both of his current traveling partners. "Now you only have to deal with Glynda when we get to Vale."
Jaune's confused look shifted into one of absolute horror.
So this is a thing. I mainly wrote this in order to both get the creative juices in my brain flowing again, and hopefully get me out of the stump I've been in for the longest time. Not sure if it'll go anywhere, but eh. Here it is.
