Jake laid in him warm and comfy bedroll, ready to fall asleep. He needed his rest for the next day; tomorrow was the initiation test. He looked up at the ornate ceiling depicting the evolutions of humans through the eras. On the far side of the room was a painting of the formation of Remnant with the four great continents: Vytal, Mistral, Atlas, and Vacuo. The next painting showed rise of man, discovering dust as a tool of survival in order to end the long reign of the creatures of Grimm. Similar grand and detailed paintings, showing both the achievements and failures of the human race, lined the ceiling. At the end of the timeline were four silhouettes painted in front of what looked like the hill where Beacon was built upon; that of which he did not know whom they belonged to.
Jake sat up. What once was filled with excited whispers was now replaced with the sounds of relaxed shallows breaths. Serrah was sleeping next to him; all bundled up, nice and warm in her bedroll. She looked like a cute little kitten. Perhaps he should give her a pair of cat ears for her birthday. When was her birthday? He realized that he barely knows her, yet she's the closest friend he has here at Beacon.
He laid down again. It was already late at night and he should have been asleep long ago, but what Ozpin said earlier today during the Ceremony, he couldn't get out of his head.
"All of you came here to become a hunter or huntress and you are willing to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. We are only here to guide you along the road. Whether you will accept that responsibility and use your obtained knowledge for the betterment of people is up to you. That is all."
It made Jake feel uncomfortable. It almost felt as though- if something were to arise, he would have to- or rather, was obliged to sacrifice his life for whatever it might be. He was not sure if he had the resolve to make that kind of dedication. After Ozpin's brief speech, no one seemed at all phased. In fact, everyone was excited- excited for tomorrow's initiation test. Even before they knew what the test encompassed, students were bragging that they would be the first one to finish the test.
First person to finish!? Jake didn't even know if he could even complete initiation, much less talk how fast he could do it. All of these thoughts were encircling him and jabbing at his sides. Did he even belong here? He could have gone on to learn engineering, designing and building airships, bridges, palaces, and other things that need his skills. Jake was tired yet he couldn't sleep with all these anxious thoughts. He decided get a glass of water. Hopefully that'll help clear his mind.
Getting back into his bedroll, he looked back at the ceiling. There was something about it that was really familiar. Then it hit him. One of the silhouette on the ceiling belonged to Ozpin. He jerked up into a sitting position. He had to tell someone! Who were those other three people? Why was Ozpin on the ceiling? He wanted to ask someone to satisfy his starving curiosity, but it had to wait; everyone was asleep. Excited about his find, all his doubts were washed away, and he eventually lulled into a deep sleep.
"Sir, you called me to your office?" asked Jake.
"Ah, Mr. Kohle. Take a seat," the Headmaster of Rutherford School said, gesturing at a comfy leather seat sitting in front of his desk.
"Is there something wrong, sir?"
"No, no, no… Of course not…"
The Headmaster was shuffling through stacks of paper that were littered around on his desk. He picked up one of the sheets and pulled out his reading glasses. After a quick scan of its contents, he looked up at Jake.
"Where do you plan on going after you graduate from Rutherford?"
"I'm not too sure, sir, but I think I might take up an apprenticeship. My friend's father is a blacksmith and I was thinking on learning metalwork before I apply for theoretical sciences. I am hoping to become an engineer."
"Hmm… A good career, I would say. But that isn't the reason why I asked you here today- give me a moment," he said, raising his finger to keep Jake from unleashing a barrage of questions, "I was notified that you had received an offer. This doesn't happen often. In fact, this is the first time it has at Rutherford. But you were offered a position to study at Beacon as a hunter. I know Professor Ozpin personally, and I can guarantee you that his school is the best in all of Vytal."
The Headmaster paused, looking for a reaction from Jake. He soon realized that the boy had nothing to say, given that the boy was utterly speechless and displayed an expression of shock. The Headmaster continued.
"But for you, I can assume it is a matter of whether this is the right career for you. I'm sure you are familiar with Beacon?"
It took a while for Jake to come back, but he was able to give a nod. But soon enough, Jake returned to his former curious self.
"If I may ask, why me?" he asked. "I mean there are so many other students that are better than me. I don't have any combat experience either. Why did they pick me?"
"That, I do not know" the man said. He spun his chair around, looking at the courtyard of his school, and let out a sigh. "But I trust in Professor Ozpin's decision as much as my own."
"Wake up Jake! It's initiation day. We only got an hour to get ready," said a female voice, shaking him.
"Mmmm… Let me sleep, mom… I'm really tired," he mumbled.
There was a muffled snicker.
He opened one eye and saw a pair of crystal green eyes peering at him just 10 cm away from his face. There was a pause, but as soon as Jake registered what he was seeing, he sprang out of his bedroll.
"Whoa!" he shouted, his shaken expression.
Serrah let out a fit of laughter.
"Sorry," she wheezed, trying to regain a her composure, "I- I couldn't help it!"
"Uh yeah… Sorry about that. It's not like I thought you were my mom or anything..." Jake murmured, his eyes fixed on the window.
"No worries."
Jake looked around. Except the two of them, the room was completely empty. He checked his watch. It was 8:10 in the morning.
"Uh, Serrah… What time do we need to be down for Initiation?"
"8:30, sharp."
"It's 8:10 right now!"
"I know," Serrah said calmly.
He just realized that Serrah was already fully dressed in her combat outfit; a black sleeveless vest, with two straps running around her abdomen, camo-green cargo pants, and her hair done up in a ponytail. What really caught Jake's attention were two plated gauntlets covering the back of her hand that ran down her forearm. They were leafy green in color and had a cold metal surface; its shiny luster suggested that it has not been used much.
But there was no time to ask questions, if they didn't want to show up late to the initiation. Serrah waited by the door, while Jake got ready. Ten minutes later, they started for the assembly hall.
As they got closer to the hall, they could hear the chatter of students getting louder and louder. There were more students around them now, all flooding towards the assembly hall. Rounding the last corner, they bumped into Ozpin.
"Ah, Mr. Kohle. You were just the person I was looking for. Come with me for a second," the professor said abruptly. He then looked at Serrah. "Miss Jade. If you would excuse me, I will be taking Mr. Kohle for now. There are private matters I wish to discuss with him."
"I'll meet up with you later," Jake told her quickly before catching up with Ozpin.
"Alright," Serrah replied, watching the two disappear around the corner.
I hope you enjoyed the second chapter of MINT (I think that's a good abbreviation). Sorry if this chapter was a bit slower, I realized that this didn't have as much action as people would have hoped (if they did expect anything in the first place...). But don't worry! Next chapter will be filled with action, drama, violence, and heartbreak- the stuff that everyone likes, right? I will be trying my hardest to keep up with my promise: a weekly release. It's actually harder than I thought. The editorial process is quite the effort and even though I finished writing the first draft two days after the release of chapter 1. Anyways, I won't let stop me from pumping out new content. Thanks for reading, and hold on tight for next week's release: Initiation.
