BAKU:

The Wanderer's Tome

Chapter 1: A Strange Pair From An Even Stranger Land

Two boys walked side by side, both of them tired from their trip. They had been on an adventure of a lifetime, and in that time, they had discovered many things. Their names were Jaune Arc, and Lie Ren. Jaune Arc was a tall fellow, standing at an intimidating 6'3. But his face had seemingly betrayed him, as he had a feminine charm to him like no other. His hair was long and luxurious, the blond locks falling down to his waist. His cheeks were smooth and pronounced, and his face was not angular like that of a true man. Granted he was still in his younger years, so in his head he was only a late bloomer. Jaune wore a white and blue sleeveless hoodie, one which he had donned for years. He had blue pants on with each pant leg rolled up to his knees. The boots he wore were a dark blue, and were covered in mud and soot. The memories entrapped within this particular set of clothing was unmatched, as young Jaune had been to hell and back, ironically with only the clothes on his back to protect him.

Lie Ren was much more reserved in terms of clothing and features. He stood at a meager 5'7, and was less intimidating than the young Arc next to him. And while he did have a feminine edge like his fellow friend, there was a much more prominent masculine look to him. His jet-black hair was combed backward, with two bangs falling on each opposing side of his face, one of them being magenta for some odd reason. His attire was simple. A torn black cloak covered a green vest with gold and black outlines, and a black belt that had a peculiar gold dragon buckle. His pants were light grey, and covered the entirety of his legs, unlike Arc's. His shoes were those of the dress variety, and because of the frequent travel the unusual duo embarked on, were stained with mud and various other things.

Their travels had been long and arduous, and the journey that they had made to get back to Remnant would be one of legend if it was ever told to mortal ears, but alas, the two remained in secret about their ventures, instead opting to keep their personal dealings to themselves, not out of malice, but out of humility.

These boys were the most unlikely pair of friends the world of Remnant had ever seen, their stories being so different from one another yet somehow connected by fate. Their tired eyes told countless tales, and their weary bones sang a magnitude of solemn songs collected after years-worth of foraging for adventure. And even still, wanderlust had not made its way out of the duo, rather, it had only gotten stronger. Jaune looked over to Ren and let out a contented sigh. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" The black-haired boy nodded solemnly at those words. "It has been. I've missed Remnant more than I'd like to admit... Even if we are normally treated badly. There's just something about this world that makes me feel alive." Ren replies, smiling brightly at the sky. The two were currently making their way down a dirt path, with only trees and a wooden fence to guide them. So far they had seen no other living creatures. No Grimm, no humans, no faunus. Not even a mouse. It was this quiet and mysterious calm that brought a sense of cheer to the boys, relaxing their senses after their tense battles waged in places far from the one they were in. Wind blew gently through their hair, sending slight shivers down their spines from its freshness. To say that Jaune and Ren had long since forgotten how such simple things like the wind could be pleasurable to the senses would be an understatement. Everything from the trees to the very clouds in the sky were almost alien to them, as they had been gone from Remnant for a long time.

"What are we to do now, Jaune? We have nothing here. Nothing but our weapons, the clothes on our backs, and each other." Ren says nervously. The blonde-haired boy laughs.

"We will survive like we always do! With each other, the clothes on our backs, and our weapons! We've done so for years Ren. What's stopping us from doing so today? Trust me when I say this; we will figure something out, and we will survive." Jaune places his hand on Ren's shoulder in an attempt to comfort the obviously worried boy. Ren does in fact perk up, his small smile returning. Jaune was right. They had always managed to survive with the help of each other, and because of this the boys were inseparable. Nothing could get between them, not even a test tantamount to fighting a god could weaken their brotherly bond. Together, they could conquer any challenge, and could overcome any obstacle. It was this very thing that enabled their survival all these years in such an unforgiving world.

Ren looked towards the dirt path he and Jaune had been diligently following for hours. There seemed to be no end or any sort of building in sight, which made Ren anxious. He wanted to rest. Sleeping on a rickety old rowboat and feeling every tide of the sea pulling at you, threatening to capsize your craft and send you plummeting to the depths was not a great way to get said rest. The blisters on his feet, bags under his eyes and sweat on his brow proved this. "Jaune, how far do you think we are from civilization?" Ren asks. Jaune sniffs and narrows his eyes at the distance ahead of them. He didn't see any houses or people. "Pretty far I'd say. We are probably going to have to sleep on the ground today. Or in a tree. Whichever one you think is better." Jaune stated. Ren sighed and looked away from his friend, eager to focus on anything but the fact that they were hopelessly lost. The young boy began to think up a way to lighten his mood, but alas, amidst the tall trees of the forest around him seemed to prevent him from doing so. Looming over him in an intimidating manner, the tall oaks boasted durability, their thick bark showing off the various scars the trees had acquired over many years of sitting in the same spot. In more ways the one, Ren had wished he was a tree. He wished to stand as tall as them, overshadowing the negativity that resided within him. He wished to be as durable as them, to be able to take anything thrown at him and walk away from it with a smile. The bruises would only be a part of the reward. Such foolish thoughts had commonly found their way into the boy's head, and each one was met with a wayward grin and a careful analysis. Being quiet most of the time allowed him to roam around in his own mind, picking it for different ideas and oddities. But trees did not do that. Trees didn't think. No, they only stood in one area, never moving. Never advancing to a new goal. The fatal flaw with the tree is its very existence, its very purpose for life to begin with. Ren shook his head. He was beginning to think far too much about trivial things that did not seem to matter. He looked over to his companion. Jaune Arc was a strange lad, stranger than he, and stranger than most of the outlandish things the duo had witnessed in all their time away from Remnant. The blonde-haired boy was ever the optimist, never letting the hardships of life knock him down, a mischievous look of mirth ever present on his features. Ren had often found hope within the glee of the boy, and held him dear to his heart. There was a certain kinship shared through untold words, a brotherly love one might say, that resided inside of the hearts of them both, strengthening their bond. Without him, Ren was sure he would amount to nothing. Arc felt the same way, of course. But his thought pattern was much less cluttered and far more simplistic than that of Ren's. He loved his friend dearly, and that was the end of it. There was nothing left in his mind to express further. Maybe this was a trait favored by Ren, as the boy hated those who overthought things even though he was guilty of doing just that.

Suddenly Jaune stopped moving and stared straight ahead. "I have a bad feeling about this road." He said suddenly. Ren grimaced and pulled out a small curved blade. It was old and rusted, but sharp enough to do serious damage to whatever it came into contact with if enough force was used. Jaune clenched his fists, preparing himself for a battle. The two boys, on their guard, walked forward. The area ahead of them was slightly different from the tall trees and wooden fences that had encroached them before. The wooden fences ahead had been torn to shreds by some type of beast, as claw marks littered the entirety of the strewn about pieces of wood. The dirt path had also received a fair share of damage as well, but it had not come from a beast. No, it had came from some sort of human made contraption, judging by the large scorch marks and old shell casings laying ahead. Ren turned a wary eye to his friend. "Should we find another way?" He asked. Jaune scratched his head, his eyes squinted. "No. It seems as though whatever altercation that transpired here has long since ended. Look. The burns on the ground are too cold to be recent." Jaune crouched down and ran a finger across the burn marks engraved in the dirt. They were cold. He looked back to Ren.

"See?" Ren walked up next to him and did the same, feeling the dirt. His partner hadn't been wrong. The scorch marks on the ground were far too cold to be recent. Ren let out a sigh of relief.

"Good. I was afraid we would have to fight off Grimm, or some scared locals." He said simply. Jaune laughed at this and placed a hand on Ren's shoulders.

"Fret not, Ren, for we are Together! Surely we can handle any challenge that dares approach us! Now especially! We are no longer mere children, my dear brother. Remember that, and have confidence in yourself!" The young boy said in a boisterous tone. Ren smiled at his friend's antics before walking forward past the marks on the ground, following the path like he had been before, with Jaune trailing not too far behind.

For what seemed like hours, the duo trekked down the old beaten path, always on guard yet relaxed somehow. Maybe, after a day or so of walking, they would find civilization, or further signs of a human or faunus presence in the surrounding areas. This is what they thought, though they did not hold too much weight to these thoughts as the sun began to set and the temperature began to drop. Through the reds and yellows of the sunset, the two boys saw something other than an endless expanse of trees; a field of flowers, wide and open, free of danger. Well, they had hoped the field was free of danger. It would be quite the day if there were Grimm relaxing in those flowers, waiting to pounce the two young ones. Jaune ran towards the field joyously, soaking in the sight of flowers with his eyes and saturating his brain with images of a better time—a time where he and Ren could rest easy within the bosoms of their mothers and the warm smiles of their fathers, and the heated embrace of a log fire in the eve of a cold winter. Such memories were far off and often left to be forgotten, but as Jaune picked up a flower, a daffodil, they had returned to him in a vigorous manner. The happy boy turned to his comrade, the flower in hand, with yet another large smile upon his face.

"Look Ren! Doesn't this remind you of home?" He asked. Ren smiled and replied with a nod. "Yes. Yes it does Jaune. The old fields of the Low End of Villard, and the sprawling urban towns of High Coill. I remember, my friend. Those were fine times that I often wish we could return to... it's almost saddening." His tone became solemn as he looked at the field of flowers in front of them. Jaune once again went to comfort his dear brother, laying a hand on his shoulder as he did times before.

"Aye. It is. I wish things were different... but here we are. Times are different and so are we. The wisdom we have achieved in our short lives can rival the most steadfast of women, and the most withered of men here. A silver lining, if I do say so myself." He says. The blonde boy drops the flower he held in his hand and looks towards the distance. The distant shape of Mount Glenn had made itself known to him. They were not far off from other people. Soon they would be able to rest, if only for a little while, before their journey must further continue.

"I can't believe we get to go on our first major mission together with you guys! Team RWBY and Team JNPR working together to kick butt and save those in need! OOOHHH! I'm so excited!" An elated girl named Ruby Rose shouted. The other girls that were with her, each of them a member of teams JNPR and RWBY respectively, both chastised her immediately for being so loud while they were on 'official huntress' duty. The group of eight had been sent to a town far off from Vale named Low End, which sat at the edge of a mini-city named Villard. The town was small and filled mostly with men, all of whom worked menial jobs ensuring steady crop production to the larger town further north, which was comically named High End. Ruby and her friends, Blake Belladona, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao Long (her sister, though they have different mothers), Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Joanne Arc, and Lie Ryn, all made their way to the center of Low End, which was referred to by the male locals as 'The Hub'. Each girl was dressed in their huntress attire, Ruby Rose wore a black corset with a black combat skirt accompanied by a red scarf and black combat boots. Blake Belladona wore a white vest and long sleek black leather pants with black boots to match. She also sported a strange black bow that seemed to twitch at random intervals. Weiss Schnee was wearing a stunning white vest and combat dress, along with fancy high-heeled boots. Her hair was adorned with a diamond tiara, giving her a regal look. Yang Xiao Long had decided to be a little more... revealing, with her choice of clothing, as she wore a small brown vest that showed off her plentiful bust and midriff, and small shorts that let her legs breathe in more ways than one. She had brown boots on that fit the rest of her ensemble quite nicely, giving her a 'look but don't touch' vibe that took the breath away from many-a-man. Next was Nora Valkyrie. She wore a white vest with pink outlines and a matching combat skirt. Her boots were also white. They were also very dirty from all the walking in mud she had done hours previous. Now out of all of the girls, Pyrrha Nikos definitely had the most outlandish outfit on. From head to toe, she was protected by very high-grade spartan armor. The brilliant bronze sheen of her armor set awed many bystanders, as they head not seen anyone wear such an impractical monstrosity when something as powerful as aura was at their disposal. She was also quite famous, being a champion of the Mistral Tournaments and all. Moving on from Miss Nikos, we have the very peculiar Joanne Arc. She, unlike the rest of the group, did not have anything interesting to wear. No, she was by far the most simple-minded person in the huntress posse, with her dress consisting only of a pair of blue jeans, a black short sleeve jacket, and red sneakers. A strange one she was indeed. And last but certainly not least, we have Lie Ryn. A quiet and studious individual, her attire consisted of a dark brown vest and robe combo, with half of the robe being neatly tucked into her white pants. She also wore brown tweed sandals on her feet.

"This place is surprisingly cheery in the wake of all the disaster that's been befalling a lot of small towns outside of Vale. It's strange to say the least." Weiss Schnee said after a moment of silence. Yang glanced over to the girl and quickly agreed.

"Yeah... you'd think all these guys would be scared or something during a time like this. I dunno. Maybe they just like to stay optimistic?" Yang suggested. Weiss crossed her arms and stared at the men around them, who were busy moving various objects and talking with one another. In the distance, the telltale sounds of revelries could be heard, letting the group of huntresses know that they were heading in the right direction.

"I'm more surprised that no one has said anything about our sudden appearance here. It's like not one of the people here have noticed us." Joanne quipped as she eyed the busy townsfolk around her. Blake Belladona let out a small hum in agreement with her companion. "Joanne's got a point," She began. "Not one of the men here have pointed us out, or even glanced in our direction. Most places we go to always have a group of people that stare at us like we have some sort of plague." She said.

"Yeah. It's strange." Ruby said.

"I agree, it's quite weird." Pyrrha said.

"Maybe they have no qualms with us." Ryn said.

"MAYBE WE'RE INVISIBLE!?" Nora shouted. That turned a few heads towards the group. Ryn sighed a heavy sigh and messaged her temples with her hands. "Well... they're staring at us now... so." She grumbled quietly while trying to calm down her rowdy friend.

"I suggest we hurry up and find who we were sent here to find." Weiss said in an annoyed tone. Joanne coughed nervously.

"What exactly was our mission again? I know we were supposed to uh... find someone... but I don't remember who." Weiss groaned. She hated having to explain things multiple times to people when they decided not to pay attention to the debriefs received from either Goodwitch or Headmistress Olive. Luckily, she wouldn't have to do that this time, as Pyrrha Nikos readily stepped up to the plate to answer her teammate. "Headmistress Olive told us that we would be traveling here, to Low End, to find a man named Nathaniel Clyde Warschwick, who is reported to have information on the increasing number of Grimm in the outskirts of Vale. You need to pay attention more, Joanne." Pyrrha lightly scolded her friend, who sheepishly rubbed the back of her head in response. "Sorry Pyrrha..." She replied.

Weiss looks away from the two and towards her team's leader; Ruby Rose. The young girl lifted an eyebrow underneath Weiss's gaze. "Yes Weiss?' She inquired. "You do know what our mission is... Right?" Weiss asked. Ruby nodded.

"Yup. We have to find a guy—I forgot his name—and question him about the recent number of increasing Grimm around the outskirts of Vale. Apparently, he has information on the matter that would be particularly useful to us." Ruby stares at Weiss, hoping her answer was correction. To her relief it was, and Weiss smiled and nodded.

"At least our leader has some kind of sense. Joanne is really lacking in that department." She mumbles to herself.

After a few more minutes of walking, the eight huntresses find themselves in the area known by the locals of Low End as "The Hub". All around them, merriment ensued as men and even women happily drank from their large beer cups flowing with what seemed to be ale by its smell, lost in their own little worlds as they chatted with those around them. The layout of The Hub was simple yet complex, with the main pathway that lead to it splitting off into three different areas, one an area that was completely empty and sealed off by a large gate. Behind that gate stood a large wooden building resembling a farmhouse. It was covered in kudzu and seemed to have been abandoned for quite some time. The second area was a 'Weapon Zone'. Every town had one, and most of them usually consisted of a gun store and two shooting ranges. Occasionally there was a market or something of the like that sold armors and battle-ready clothing in these 'Weapon Zones', but here there was not one. The last area was where all the buzz was. Two large establishments, one with a bright neon sign on its roof that read 'Cowboy Joe's, which was obviously a restaurant, and a large bar where a plethora of people were gathered, enjoying their drinks with not a care in the world. The bar was named 'Igor's Pillar', a strange name indeed, but it carried weight around Vale as being on of, if not the best, coed bar around. Yang nudged Blake.

"Is this the place?" The brawler looked at the building. It seemed much too pristine to be a spot an information broker would work. Then again, she had met with a particular man who worked at a very renown bare within Vale itself who had ties to all sorts of criminals roaming around the expansive city. The building was red, and unlike the rest of the structures in Low End, it wasn't constructed of wood. Rather, it was made of an expensive looking marble type substance. It was visually striking, so much so that the whole area looked like a giant boobytrap.

"Yes. This is the place, Yang. There is no mistaking it. The red tile and marble, the flowing black curtains. It's the same place I went to all those years ago... Just let me do all the talking, okay?" Blake insisted. Weiss, Ruby, and Yang all nod at Blake's affirmation, as they all knew that she had the most experience in terms of less-than-legal activities. Team JNPR also readily agreed, mainly because they held a great trust in the members of team RWBY. They had all been together for a year, and they had all had their fair share of experience in hunting not only Grimm, but wanted criminals as well. Through trials and tribulations their bonds strengthened and formed something akin to a fellowship between the young females.

The group made their way into the Pillar, their eyes open for the guy they were looking for. The inside of the bar was just as festive as the outside, with red ribbons and lights painting the entirety of it in a crimson color. It helped the mood of the place seem more sensual than it probably was, with people sitting in booths hugging each other, kissing, and doing other things that Yang immediately shielded Ruby's eyes from.

"Guys... I think we may be a bit too young to be in here. Well... Ruby anyway. How about me and Yang stay in and you six wait outside? I feel like that would be easier." Blake said in a hushed tone. Yang immediately agreed.

"Yeah, that's smart. I don't want Ruby seeing all of this." She said. Ruby perked up. "Seeing all of what?" The young girl asked. Everyone in the group collectively sweat dropped. "I'll tell you when you get older. Weiss, take her out of this place and make sure she doesn't try to pull a fast one. Please." Weiss nods and grabs Ruby's hand, pulling her out of the building while ignoring her fervent protests. Once team JNPR, Weiss, and Ruby were gone, Yang and Blake went back to the mission at hand.

"So Blake. Do we have a description on this guy?" Yang asks as the two maneuvered around groups of people while making their way towards the main bar. The bow on Blake's head twitches. "The one thing I know about him is the fact that he has a black aviator jacket with white stripes on it. Other than that... nothing." Yang groans. She hated looking for people they didn't have a proper description of. Not only was it time consuming, but nine times out of ten they would mistake someone for their suspect multiple times. It was annoying.

"Alright then... fine. So now what. Are we going to look together or do you want me to start asking people for information?" Blake went wide eyed.

"HEAVENS NO. Yang, every time you 'ask' for information, we always ending getting in a fight. No. You will look for a guy wearing a black aviator jacket with white stripes on it, then, once you find said guy, you'll text or call me on my scroll. I on the other hand will ask around for information. Got it?" Blake left no room for arguments after she had finished speaking, as she gave Yang a hearty glare. The blond brawler sighed and nodded. "Alright, alright. I'll do what you say. But if someone picks a fight with me, I'm ending it." She grumbles. She then winces when she realizes that she forgot Blake was a faunus.

"Yang, you know it's illegal to start a fight with a man. Your hands are registered! Don't do anything that we all will regret! Now go, we don't have much time." And with that, Blake turns around and walks away, melting into the crowd and vanishing as if she had never existed. Yang lets out an irritated breath before turning around to begin her search. The blond girl, with a newfound eagle eye carefully surveys the crowd around her, observing them as they drank and talked. Some stood in groups while others sat alone, drinking away sorrow or simply enjoying themselves. Yang began to walk, and as she did, music began to play. It was strange music, the slow tempo that it started with slowly progressing, getting faster and faster. The beat sounded like drums going off at a slow rhythm while the tune around it shifted and digitalized until the sounds of a based filled electronic piano surged through the air, pulling on the hips of everyone in Igor's Pillar. The red light only served to heighten the mood as Yang saw people begin to get up and dance. And before she knew it she was surrounded by dancing folk. Yang shifted through them, watching them all as she continued to look for a specific person. There were so many walks of human and faunus around Yang. Some of them wore all black, others wore all red, or all leather clothes. But everyone had a specific style that seemed to only match the establishment they were in. Never before had Yang seen such a sight, and it upset and thrilled her at the same time.

"This is amazing!" Yang said while walking through people. She had been grinded on by four girls total so far. Usually this would have upset her but for some reason she was enjoying it. It was a combination of the heated air, the red glow from the lights, and the calm yet electrifying music being played overhead. The young huntress was tempted to take a little break from the mission and dance, but she knew that she would end up getting drunk if someone offered her some alcohol while she was doing so.

And then she saw it. Right in the center of the building. A large red pillar stood. No one was around it, even though it pulsed with such an attractive light. No one but one person. A man holding a bottle of what seemed to be beer. But that's not what caught Yang's eye. No. It was the fact that he was staring directly at her, and wore a black aviator jacket with three stripes going down both sleeves. But Yang couldn't see the rest of his face. It was shrouded in darkness because of his hair, which she couldn't tell the color of because of the red glow in the air. She stared at the man for a second before leaving the crowd and walking towards him. Once she was close enough, she saw the rest of his face. His features were rugged, and he had a thick beard. His eyes carried a lot of experience. He was a soldier.

"Are you Nathaniel Clyde Warschwick?" She asked. The man took a sip from the bottle he carried. It was in fact beer. Blue Barn. It was a popular brand among soldiers who had fought in the Great War.

"Depends. Do you know an old bird and his master?" The man asked. Yang lifted up an eyebrow. An old bird and his master? What did he mean by that?

"Look sir. I need to know if you are Nathaniel. I'm on important-"

"Huntress business I know. Answer the question." Yang fumed. Who did this guy think he was? Yang grit her teeth. "I don't have time for this." She said to him. He smiled. "If you didn't have the time for this, you wouldn't have been sent here. Now answer the question." He repeated. Yang let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know the answer to that question."

"Bingo. Yeah. I'm Nathan. Don't call me Nathaniel. Makes me sound weak." Yang's jaw dropped. What was the point of that if all she had to say was that she didn't know?

"Olive told me that you would say that you didn't know. I knew your description miss Xiao Long. I wanted to mess with you a little bit. Come, follow me. Message your partners on your scroll. I believe we have a lot to speak about."

Ren sat by a flowing river, gazing upward as the sun set. It had been a calm day. It was strange, having a day where absolutely nothing happened. Ren was used to having something to do, whether it be work, cooking, or fighting for his life and the safety of those he cared for. But now he just sat, by a river, doing none of those things. For once in his life, he was bored. That wasn't something that happened very often, either. The boy let out a sigh and placed his chin on the knuckles of his right hand and then he leaned forward to stare into the flowing water in front of him. His reflection stared back. Ren closed his eyes and then opened them again. He was still there. That meant none of it was a dream. It was all a reality.

"Hey Ren, what are you doing?" Came the energetic voice of Jaune Arc. Ren turned to the boy and smiled. "Nothing much. Just sitting around. I'm bored too, by the way." He said. Jaune laughed. "Well I'm not." He replied, running towards his friend and stopping in front of him.

"Have you managed to find anything on your little 'recon' mission?" Ren inquired. He stood up and turned to face Jaune. The blonde boy nodded.

"I found an old cottage far west, where the river runs quickest." Jaune then pointed west. Ren looked in that direction and saw and endless expanse of trees on both sides of the river. The ground was dipping downward, though, which meant that the river would indeed pick up speed further west. Ren looked back at Jaune. "I hope you remember where it is." He stated. Jaune simply smiled and signaled for Ren to follow him. He obeyed the command and trailed after Jaune, who began to run along-side the river.

Through dips and over gaps the two ventured, making sure to avoid getting water on them, as that would have been horrible for the boys. They only had one pair of clothing each, the shirts on their backs and the pants on their legs. They ran, and ran, and ran, craving the embrace for adventure which unbeknownst to them, lay right on the horizon.

-NEXT TIME-

In the wake of a new challenge, Team RWBY and their companions, Team JNPR, will learn of strange things by the hands of the mysterious and cunning Nathaniel Clyde Warschwick. Meanwhile, the unstoppable duo will find themselves a new home, and make discoveries of their own. All the while a question burns in the mind of the illusive Headmistress of Beacon; Is everything as simple as it seems?

Tune in next week for the continuation of BAKU and The Wanderers Tome!

HS|2019