"So are the rumors true?" Jaune asks Ruby as they took their seats before class started.
Ruby nods. "Yeah, this elf guy came out of nowhere and helped us out. And he even stopped it a few times to let us have a few hits in."
"Whoa, a real elf." Jaune says as half his team looked skeptical.
Ruby smiles. "Though we couldn't tell at first. He wore that cloak and boy did he love it. It was the one thing getting destroyed that set him off."
"Like you and your hood." Yang says.
Ruby wrapped herself up with her cloak and hood. "I love this hood." She said muffled behind the cloth.
"Quiet down everyone." Doctor Oobleck says coming into the classroom.
"Doesn't he ever stop drinking?" Yang asks as they notice the many cups on the table and one in his hand.
"Now it is my pleasure to announce we have a new student joining us." Oobleck says.
"Are you always this fast?" Alfarr asks as he comes into the classroom with a bag and a book, but he still had his cowl up.
"Quiet, so class, meet your new classmate Mr. Alfarr." Oobleck says taking a sip.
The girls all look to him in slight embarrassment as they remember they are partly responsible for burning his cloak. "I'm partly blaming you four." He said bluntly before taking a seat.
"Right then, before we continue where we left off, I have got a news update. We are pushing back the assignments and instead next week. all who qualify will leave on a two-week training trip to the mountain for extra credit if you wish." Oobleck says. The general responses he received was mixed. "Right then now turn to page…"
After class, Alfarr got up and started walking off alone. "At least I learned about Vale history."
"Um…hi." A voice came from behind him.
Alfarr turned around to see one of the girls from last night. "Greetings…um…" Alfarr stopped realizing he never got her name.
He sees the red and black haired girl shuffle a little. "Ruby, Mr. Alfarr."
"Ruby and please, it is Alfarr." Alfarr says as Ruby got a good look at him. Ruby tilts her head in curiosity as she sees his autumn colored hair. Alfarr looks around a bit as Ruby just stared at him. "Well…I'm going to go now." He said turning around to leave.
"Um…wait please." Ruby says. Alfarr turns to her again. "Sorry about your cloak."
Alfarr raises an eyebrow. "You all have a debt to pay because I could have walked away. But I stayed to help out since some of you got smacked around."
"I know and sorry again." Ruby says.
Alfarr looked at her for a bit before sighing. "Just forget about it." Alfarr says. 'Why can I not stand the sight of a sad girl?'
Ruby smiles greatly. "Thanks and don't worry. I'll see about getting you a new and better cloak."
"Thanks for the sentiment." Alfarr says. 'Why do I have a feeling it's going to contain red?'
Ruby cheers a little. "Great. Hey? You want to hang out?"
"…um sure, but which way is the mead hall?" Alfarr asks.
Ruby sweatdrops. "We don't have that. Some of us are young. But we do have a cafeteria."
"Is that what you call where you eat?" Alfarr asks.
'Oh, he was asking where to get food.' Ruby thought as she nods. "Yep. Want to join me? Me and the others are going there too."
"Very well." Alfarr says.
Ruby smiles as she walks along with him and leads him down the hall. "So where are you from?"
Alfaro adjust his cowl. "The dragon's maw of the north west continent."
"Dragon's maul? You mean like the hammer?" Ruby asks.
"No, as in mouth." Alfarr says.
Ruby stares at him for a few seconds before realizing. "Oh. So what's it like there?"
"Cold. Very cold compared to here." Alfarr says.
Ruby tries to catch up to his large strides. "That explains the cloak. But why didn't you change here? It is quite warm right now."
"Oh trust me, I know and you don't use the same currency." Alfarr says.
"It can still be converted or bartered." Ruby points out.
"Yeah, I didn't bring any with me." Alfarr admits.
Ruby raises an eyebrow. "So why didn't you knowing you would be out for a long time if you came here from your home?"
"…we didn't know there were many people out here." Alfarr says.
Ruby blinks. "So you didn't know about the kingdoms or anything?"
"Well…no, we had no clue." Alfarr admits.
Ruby smiles. "You happy you found others at least?"
"A mix really. Half relieved we aren't alone half disgusted about how some treat others." Alfarr says.
Ruby smiles. "So…you're an elf?" She asks carefully.
"I have no idea what that is or why people keep calling me that." Alfarr says.
Ruby looks confused and points to his ears. "That's why."
"What about my ears?" Alfarr asks.
Ruby smiles. "They are like the story elves we use to read."
"They are really that weird?" Alfarr asks touching one of them with his hand.
Ruby shrugs. "Well the elves we know are fantasy. And no one has those ears like that."
"They are quite common at my home." Alfarr says as they reach the cafeteria.
Ruby smiles at the prospect of meeting other elves. "So what do you want to eat? We got burgers, cheese burgers…" She asks jumping ahead a little.
Alfarr blankly stares at Ruby as he sat down with Ruby on the other side as she still told what was on the menu. "…yucca surprise and some zucchini squash soup. Are you okay? You haven't said anything." She said concerned.
"Um…not really sure how to really react to all of this." Alfarr says as the rest of Ruby's team arrives.
Yang looks at him closely as he still stared ahead. "Is he okay?" She asks pointing to him as she looks to Ruby.
"He is fine just…adjusting is all." Ruby says.
Yang hums before tapping his head a bit and gets no reaction. She shrugs and sits down nearby with the rest of the girls as Alfarr was still adjusting.
"…I hear some teams share a room with the opposite gender." Alfarr says finally.
Yang nods. "Yeah. We are teams and have to know how to work together in fights and battles."
"Isn't that kind of…inappropriate, I believe is the word." Alfarr says.
All the girls look to each other before looking at him. "Not really." They all said.
"Really, so if you had a male teammate, you wouldn't mind watching you as you undress?" Alfarr asks and three out of four turned scarlet as Yang laughs.
The white haired one clears her throat carefully. "Well…that's a limit. We would tell him to leave for a bit."
"I wouldn't because it is far if we get to watch him as well." Yang says.
Ruby groans and puts her head down in despair as the white haired one tried to scold Yang as she giggles while the Blake was just looking like she just gives up.
"Oh Ruby, you haven't introduced us yet." Yang says nudging her sister.
Ruby groans and brings her head up a bit. "The one talking a lot is my sister Yang. The one is trying to scold her is Weiss. And the one looking like she doesn't want to be a part of this is Blake. And I'm Ruby." She cheered at the end.
"Alfarr." Alfarr introduced.
"So Alfarr, what brings you to Vale?" Yang asks.
Alfarr, instead of answering, immediately clammed up.
Yang leans forward. "Well?"
Alfarr says nothing as he ate.
Yang raises an eyebrow to him.
"Well this got interesting." Weiss says.
Alfarr as he looks away drinking some water and trying to come up with something.
"Yang, what have I told you about this?" Blake asks.
Yang grins. "Keep asking till they give it up."
"No, respect other's privacy." Blake says.
Yang blinks and looks confused. "Well where's the fun?"
"Think of how he is acting. He is probably a little shy." Blake says scolding Yang.
Yang looks to Alfarr who was calmly drinking away. "He looks fine."
"Actually, he looks like he is overheating." Weiss says.
Alfarr gulps away still. 'Please stop.'
"He is from the north, so he is used to colder weather." Ruby says finally.
Alfarr clears his throat as he puts the cup down and gets up to leave. 'What's wrong with these people and questions?'
"Oh, you mean he is from Atlas?" Weiss asks.
"Do they call where Atlas is the dragon's maul?" Ruby asks.
Weiss thinks on that. "Somewhat."
"I spot geographical." Alfarr says hoping for the bell to ring.
Weiss hums. "It should be that name."
Before the conversation could continue, the bell rang and Alfarr made a hasty retreat.
"Wonder what's with him?" Yang asks.
"You scared him off." Ruby says.
Yang crosses her arms. "No I didn't. Maybe you all did."
Weiss and Blake could only share a look with each other at that.
"Whatcha doin?" Yang asks Blake who was looking in between a map and some books.
Blake yells out and jumps a little and drops her books and map. "Yang!"
"Well?" Yang asks.
Blake breathes in. "I have been looking into it and Atlas isn't referred to as the dragon's maul."
"Really?" Ruby says from her bed.
Blake nods. "Yeah. The 'dragon's maul' is actually far west of Atlas. Very far."
"Where?" Weiss asks.
Blake points to a landmass that looks like a dragon and points to its mouth. "Here is where he meant. It's not referred to by name, but it is the only place that matches what he said as it is far north and looks the way." Blake says.
Yang hums. "What's it like?"
"From what records says, uninhabited." Blake says.
Yang blinks as everyone else sits up. "What?" They all ask.
"According to records, but he wasn't lying." Blake says.
Ruby looks over her shoulder. "So what is the place like?"
"From the looks of it. Very mountainous." Blake says.
Weiss raises an eyebrow. "So what about the surroundings?"
"Mountains, except for the southern part of the continent." Blake says.
Yang hums. "Strange there isn't a capital there. You would think every continent has one."
"Apparently no settlement attempts were ever successful because of the large number of mountains and prevent from building the fortifications need to keep Grimm at bay." Blake says.
Ruby tilts her head. "He must be strong or at least his people. Aren't they all elves?" She asks more herself.
"So his village or city must be hidden or they are isolationists." Weiss says.
Blake nods. "Could be. Maybe we should go see him."
"Where is he even staying?" Yang asks.
They all stop and try to think on that.
"None of us knows?" Weiss asks before Yang smirks at Blake.
"Can someone find out?" Yang asks.
Ruby raises a hand. "I'll do it."
"You think you can find him sis?" Yang asks.
Ruby stops and puts her hand down. "No." She said slouching.
Alfarr sighs as he enjoys the cool wind while leaning against the wall of the tower, looking down on the school from four stories from the ground. "My mission has taken a strange turn." He says looking to what was supposed to be his compass.
He hums as he taps the glass covering the energy as it swirls around everywhere. "Maybe it's here and under the school. But these kind of people would notice that. Or maybe it's that town the professor mention." He mused to himself.
After a while, he sighs. "Why oh why did the elder not tell me how to use you and just say it will show me when the time comes?" Alfarr asks.
The compass doesn't react as he closes it and puts it away and sits down on the ledge before trying to sleep.
"So this is where you were." A voice says next to him.
Alfarr opens one of his eyes to see Blake sitting on one of the gargoyles nearby. "I see, I expected you to find me if you came looking."
Blake shrugs. "Well we have more questions."
"Not curious how I knew you would find me?" Alfarr asks.
Blake gives a little sniff. "No. Just on your homeland."
"Oh, so nothing to say neko?" Alfarr asks.
Blake blinks and looks at him confused. "What?"
"I can pick up on your feline attribute through this." Alfarr says tapping his nose.
Blake grows shocked at that. 'I knew it. He's a dog.' "So how have you dealt through that?" She asks carefully.
"I am no dog neko, but I sometime do chase cats." Alfarr teases.
Blake growls or rather hisses quietly.
"So have you guess what I am yet?" Alfarr teases.
Blake sniffs the air a little. "A fox, correct?" She asks carefully.
"Half from my mother's side actually." Alfarr says shocking Blake.
Blake blinks a few times. "So your mother huh? What about all the trouble being one?"
"It is quite common in my home village." Alfarr says.
Blake hums. "Common huh? What about outsiders there? How do they treat you?"
"Apparently I am some mythical creature. A rumor is if they catch me, I will give them a pot of gold." Alfarr jokes.
Blake facepalms at that. "Yeah, that's different." 'So it was teasing. Lucky guy and his people.'
"Your real reaction is written all over your face." Alfarr says smirking.
Blake bristles at that. "Oh shut up. You're the one being tease at. You're pretty lucky."
"Let the fools talk. I know who I am and they won't change me." Alfarr says.
Blake stares at him before smiling. "Wow, you're pretty good."
"It is how we are raised in my village. So what about you Neko? What do you wish to ask me?" Alfarr asks.
Blake holds up a finger. "Okay, first, I am not called Neko."
"I like it. It is cute." Alfarr jokes.
Blake growls and blushes. "Well how about I call you Inu?" She threatens.
"Wouldn't Kitsune be more appropriate?" Alfarr asks.
Blake huffs. "Not for you. That's for sure. You don't even know the difference."
"Ok. I'll stop teasing for now. So what do you want to know Blake?" Alfarr asks.
Blake sighs as her blush goes down. "What is her village like?"
"A fishing village that expanded into the mountains." Alfarr says flatly.
Blake blinks. "That's not the description I was going for."
"You're smart enough to figure out where it is. All I am doing is confirming it." Alfarr says.
Blake frowns. "I mean what it's like, not where."
"Living is hard from either the cold or the dangers of the sea. The Grimm have a hard time getting to us from the way we built our homes mostly into the mountain so at times they are more a nuisance than a threat as they are forced into tight corridors like paths." Alfarr says.
Blake looks around him. "So what are your weapons like? I've seen them in action, but you just stab and slashed."
"That is all a sword can do." Alfarr says withdrawing one to show her.
Blake takes it and looks it over. "Nothing in modifications?"
"Of course, I can't tamper with the blade after it was forged." Alfarr says.
Blake stops and looks at him. "You don't know about our weapons, do you?"
"Is there something different about them?" Alfarr asks.
Blake takes out some machete like blade and flicks it to show it bends in half to show a barrel. "We have half guns, half other weapons. Didn't the headmaster question it?"
"A gun?" Alfarr asks confused.
Blake points at the wall and pulls the trigger before firing a few shots that made Alfarr jump a little. "That's a gun." She said flicking her weapon again and makes a blade again.
"What magic is this?" Alfarr asks greatly amusing Blake.
Blake chuckles. "No magic. Just mechanical smart making."
Alfarr watches her carefully as he starts to relax a bit. "You got pay back from my teasing now."
Blake smirks. "Good. Now, why don't you try and have one yourself?"
"Using a weapon without training is foolishness. I would not even know where to point such a weapon." Alfarr says.
Blake hums and starts waving her blade around that is dangerously close to Alfarr. "Oh, just anything trying to kill you."
"Now who's teasing who?" Alfarr says.
Blake rolls her eyes. "Please, you wanted to find out about this weapon." She said still waving her blade around.
"So why do you hide your ears?" Alfarr asks.
Blake instinctively covers her head with her hands. "Because of what is going on here with our kind of people. This place hates faunus. So really, it's a protective thing."
"I see. So we are not that different in that regard. Only yours is far more attractive out of the two of us." Alfarr jokes to try and ease her anxiety.
Blake blushes and bristles at that. "Oh shut up. I'm not the one hiding behind a cowl."
"Well it is all that is left of the cloak me and mother made together." Alfarr says a little sad.
Blake stops and looks at him carefully. "Oh. I'm sorry."
"No need to be." Alfarr says.
Blake sighs. "No, I didn't need to say that."
"It's late. Let's retire for the night." Alfarr says getting up after taking his sword back.
Blake nods and watches him get up. "Where are you staying?"
"Room 408." Alfarr says before hopping off and landing on a branch three stories down.
Blake scratches her head on confusion. "How?" She asks herself.
"Not the only one with feline like agility Neko." Alfarr calls.
Blake now bristles again. "I hate that guy still."