I know, it's crazy, but I'm alive! And I missed you guys a lot! I'll talk more at the bottom but one quick thing:
This takes place two months after the end of Volume 3. Please, for the love of all that is good, please review or let me know how shit or not shit it is!
Chapter 1
"Thank goodness we're finally in town… I could really use a wash," Ruby said.
"You could use a bath? Try lying next to Ren for multiple nights, he reeks!" Nora retorted with a boisterous laugh, Ren looking at her with annoyance but a smile. The four of them and Qrow Branwen had been walking to Mistral for the past two months, hoping to track down what Qrow kept calling the best lead they had but never detailing what exactly it was.
"Yeah, I wanted to ask, uh, Mr. Brawnen-"
"For the last time Jaune, you can just call me Qrow," the elder Huntsman said to the blonde with a pat on the back.
"Right, sorry, Qrow, what are we doing in this part of Mistral?" Jaune asked. After entering the kingdom of Mistral Qrow had lead them not to a hotel, Haven Academy or a residence. Instead he had lead them down to a not-so-friendly part of the capital: crowded, discarded buildings competed for land space where a few shady characters lurked around and different low-end businesses waited to screw over a customer.
"I need some help with a lead and I know just the guy to help."
"I thought that's why we came along uncle Qrow?"
"Partially. But he's a professor at Haven that I've known for a few years," he said as they trudged along until Qrow stopped and looked up, grinning to himself, "Perfect."
The four young Hunters looked up and saw a sign that read 'The Hidden Goblet'.
"A bar?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, here's hoping-" was all Qrow could say before a body was flung through a window onto its stomach on the sidewalk. The five looked in curiosity at the figure as it groaned, rolled over and started to get up. The man, who looked to be in his mid-20's, wore black boots, slacks and matching vest, a buttoned up dark blue shirt underneath, a white tie and a white cord necklace that hung loosely on him. Hanging from it was a silver locket that had a symbol etched into it: an anchor with a sword going through it horizontally. He looked up with his light green eyes, his shoulder length hair sashaying with his movements, and grinned at who he saw.
"Qrow Branwen, I'll be damned. Been a year hasn't it?"
"Damn right it has Acadian Zaffre, what have you gotten yourself into?" Qrow asked with a matching grin, the other four looking at the two in utter confusion.
"Ah, you know, same old same old, they think I gypped their money from a game of pool," he said with a slightly deep, confident voice along with a shrug, "Gonna talk more in a minute, I have to teach these pricks a lesson."
Acadian climbed back in through the window while the five walked through the front door and watched as the Hunter went to work on a group of six. Acadian ducked one punch, turned and drove his elbow up into a man's jaw, easily breaking it. He quickly whipped around, caught a straight kick and brought his fist down onto the knee, easily breaking it. As the woman screamed in pain, he picked her up and threw her into another attack, causing the two to fall over a table. Another charged in, fist raised and was met with a knee to his gut, flipping him onto the ground. Acadian quickly grabbed a chair and smashed it onto another's head, knocking him out instantly, leaving a lone female attacker with the six-foot-one Hunter. She grinned and pulled out two knives, twirling them around her hands.
"You're gonna cut up real good boy."
"Doubt it," Acadian said as he turned to the group, "Sword's over there on the ground, would one of you mind getting it please?"
"Mind asking how you lost Solstice?" Qrow asked as he ran to the sword.
"I'll tell you later," he replied, suddenly throwing a bottle at the woman, shattering it near her feet, which stopped her in her tracks. Qrow grabbed and chucked it to Acadian, who grabbed the handle and twirled the blade in his hand. The blade in question was a standard sword at certain part: it had a black, smooth handle, silver pommel with the same symbol etched onto it that was on the locket and a silver blade with a beveled groove on both sides that was dyed black. What made the blade unique was the hilt: instead of the blade meeting at a traditional hilt, the hilt on Solstice was circular with two traditional flat ends sticking out and what seemed like a motorcycle break lever was hanging down off the right end near Acadian's fingers, much like a cutlass hilt. He grinned at the woman, who looked at him with fear, a bigger grin coming to Acadian's face.
"Run," he said and she immediately took off, jumping through the broken window and taking off into the city. He chuckled and slid the blade into two black leather loops that were stitched into his vest like belt loops. He walked to the bar and was joined by the five.
"Sorry about the mess Sergei, just add it to my tab."
"Of course Acadian," the barkeep said, shaking his head and laying out drinks for everyone.
"Still didn't answer my question."
"So the bastards thought that I was using a semblance to get the balls to fall my way when I clearly wasn't it, I'm just a helluva good shot."
"Uh-huh."
"Whose side are you on Qrow?"
"Of course yours," he said with a mocking voice, Acadian rolling his eyes at the attitude.
"Anyway, I placed my sword down to help me out, it's hard as hell to play pool with a nearly two-foot sword on your back, you know?"
"No, none of us do."
"Well shit," Acadian said, easily downing his drink.
"I gotta say, that was awesome," Jaune said with a smile to the man, who nodded at the blonde.
"Thank kid, appreciate it…" Acadian said, letting the words float until he shook his head, "Jeez I'm rude as hell, Acadian Zaffre, who are you four?" he asked, extending his hand out. He was quickly introduced to Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren and could tell that something was different with these four.
"So, how did you guys get out of Vale? Heard and saw it was practically a warzone."
"Glynda and James are working on fixing it," Qrow said, Acadian's eyebrows flinching at the mention of General Ironwood, "I need your help. Hell, all of us do."
"We do?" Ren asked.
"Oh yeah," Qrow said with a nod, leaving Acadian with a confused look until Nora got his attention.
"Think you can teach us to break bones like that?" she asked with a wicked grin that the professor matched. While Acadian was at first not keen on this idea, he had a feeling that this meeting was going to change a lot of things.
Right, so hello again guys. I know, this is outta the blue but I needed to do something that would pep me up. I got finals next week and I have had a horrible week so I thought, 'Hell, I wanted to write this idea for a while, so why not?' and that is what I've done the past three days. So, a couple of house-cleaning/updating:
1. Discerning Truth is dead, buried and deleted. Auron's tale was supposed to be part of a collab that horribly fell apart and looking back on it I shouldn't have even written it. I liked the first person aspect of it, but still, should've just held my fingers at bay.
2. This will be my final fanfiction. How long will it be? No idea.
3. When will I update this? Mainly aiming for once a week up to three times a week. We'll see.
4. Also doing something new in this one: instead of just focusing on the heroes, it will switch around to other characters and their situations. Don't worry, it will be clearly labeled that it's with someone else.
5. I love how Crusaders of Remnant is still getting favs and all that. Thank you so much for that, I appreciate that so much. I realize that that is probably the best I've written and I hope that I can beat it with Absolution.
6. I honestly do hope you guys give me a bunch of reviews. I'm getting into my post-university career real soon, so I need to improve on my story telling, especially since I'm trying to get into screenwriting. So, I ask you guys, rip it apart, point out things that can be done better, all that jazz. I'll appreciate it greatly.
Right, that should be everything. I know this is all sudden but I really hope you guys like this and where it goes. I'm already on Chapter 4 and I just hope you guys will like the ride I'm ready to take you guys on. Enjoy it guys!
-Zach P, aka RockinGamer