The Story so Far... Upon arriving at the Kingdom of Vale, our hero encountered a group of strange individuals who had quite the predicament on their hands, one that was beyond any of them.

Luckily, the curiosity of our hero had gotten the best of him, causing him to pursue the group in question.

Once he had made the deal with the group in order to find a lost friend who had made her way into a dangerous temple within the forest, he set his sights towards the long-lost temple of ancient times.

He came across a rather old tale, though it was in an unfamiliar language. With no way of being able to decipher the story, he continued to search for the lost girl.

It was a rather difficult task, though he eventually found the girl who went by the name of Gabi, as well as a lost piece of treasure that was hidden deep in the temple.

Though when one trial ends, another one is soon to take its place. There are still many trials ahead, questions to be answered.

With the aid of the protectors of this world, he now hopes to uncover the truth behind the strange object that his silent companion, Shade had left behind for him.

However, he will soon learn that the truth is shrouded in far more mystery then he had ever expected.

...

Beacon of Hope

The Night had befallen the city of Vale, the light of the shattered moon shining down on the world. The Light of Vale shone through the darkness of the night, illuminating the city for all to see.

Beacon Tower stood atop the cliffside near the city, the top of the large complex shining brightly as if it were guiding the Huntsmen and Huntresses home with its light. The School stood in defense of the ever-present threat that was the Creatures of Grimm.

It trained a new generation of protectors in order to keep the people of this world safe from these monsters. The man responsible for training these individuals was the Headmaster of the Academy.

While he bore many names throughout his lifetime, the name Ozpin was a name he had held dear to him through the test of time. This man had dedicated many decades of his life to training these individuals to combat the ones who wish to disturb the peace that was made years ago.

However, the true threat that was on the horizon was one he had hidden from the eyes of the people of the world, only trusting a select few with the knowledge of the power that she had possessed.

The world was filled with many secrets, some held more truth to them than others. Some would call these secrets stories, legends, even myths. However, the old man knew that there was more to this world then one could even comprehend.

As of this moment, the old man had been locked up in the office atop the tower researching these myths and legends that inhabited the world. One such legend was the tale of the Queen and The Old One.

It told of a tale of an old blacksmith, one who only sought to create the perfect weapon, one that symbolized that of power. A weapon that would stand the test of time, one that would be told in legends for years to come.

Thus, he isolated himself from the world, only seeking perfection among his craft. The blades he made were unlike any other, though they were far from the pure source of power that he envisioned.

The man believed in time that he himself had amounted to nothing, and his confidence turned apathy and neglect to the world around him. However, this neglect was not without consequence.

For every failed blade he crafted, they would be found by wandering travelers across the world. Some would prove to shape the history of this world in ways the old man could never have imagined.

Though despite all the history he has created, it was still not enough to fill the hole in his heart.

He spent decades locked away within the cold mountains, until one day a strange figure came by to his doorstep. Rought with confusion, the old blacksmith went to greet the visitor that had traversed the cold tundra.

Though what he saw baffled his mind.

It was Spirit, cloaked in white was seen in the middle of a clearing of the Forest near his humble abode. She radiated a rather calming presence, the white cloak she wore radiating under the shattered moon.

Once the Spirit had taken notice of the old man, she began to walk around the strange creature with a look of curiosity in her eyes. The Old Man had questioned her curiosity, to which she responded with a rather soothing voice.

She had told him that she had never interacted with a mortal such as himself, one with the expression of isolation in his eyes. The Spirits were individuals who watched over the Mortal Realm, guiding the lost souls of the world to rest or eternal damnation.

It was then that she revealed herself to be known as the White Queen, the Ruler of the Spirit Realm. The White Queen would tell of her many tales that she had gone on over the centuries.

The old man didn't think much of her at first, though as time past he came to grow fond of the company of the White Queen. It had filled his soul with the long-needed feeling of companionship that it needed.

Though the old man was still fixated on the perfect weapon he had dreamt of all those years ago. Though in time, the old man wondered if the vision he sought was but a mere fantasy.

The Hope that had burned within him was slowly dying out.

Days would turn to months, the two would meet within the abode of the old man each night, the Queen telling the old man of the many stories she had made for herself over the centuries.

The White Queen grew concerned for the quest of her old and broken friend. One day, she had brought one of her Great Knights to the mountains after many days of wandering from the Kingdom without reason.

But it was in the Great Knight's blade did the old man see the greatest potential of all. Upon being greeted by the Knight, his full attention was brought to the weapon the Spirit had by its side.

Decades of flaw after flaw, the man saw a glimmer of hope within the weapon of the Great Knight and made the decision that he would try one last time to forge the perfect weapon.

With the old blacksmith's passion reignited, eventually continued down the path towards the flawless weapon he had only seen in his dreams. It was then that the White Queen came to a decision upon seeing her old friend find purpose once again.

She would trust her most trusted Knights to the world of humanity, allowing the Knights to serve this world however they see fit. The Spirit would wander the world they had been sent to in order to find someone worthy of their power.

So after years of trial and error, the old blacksmith had finally reached the goal he had been moving towards for decades. He had not only created the flawless weapon, though the Great Knight's of the Kingdom had vessels to give to the mortals in order to wield their power.

Over the course of history, their power would become known throughout the World of Remnant as one to fear. Their stories would be known by many who had wandered the world, as well as a warning for those who wish to take the power they possessed.

These Knights were known as the Great Knight of the White Kingdom, as well as the Queen's royal guard. Their might was unparallel and matched by none, the tales their various escapades were told all throughout the world.

These stories would be known as the tales of the Eleven Great Knights, and how they wandered the world to seek ones worthy of their power. Ones that would be able to mold the history of the world around them.

The fate of the old blacksmith still remains a mystery to this day. Some believe that once his mission had drawn to a close, he decided that so must his life be brought to a miraculous end.

He had spent decades of his own life, yearning for this moment stepped outside his abode to realize that his lifelong goal has finally been reached. Thus, depriving him of the only purpose that was given to him in this life.

Some believed that he wished to be struck down by the very weapon he had crafted, starving for the blades flawless edge and to be put to his final rest. Others say that the old man wandered down the mountain in search of a new purpose.

His fate is but a mystery in the times that would follow, and his tale would be told by the ones who had taken up his fallen blades. Though despite his name being lost to time, legends of his flawless weapon live on to this day.

This was but one of the many legends and myths that the Great Ozpin had been researching in his office. As this was one of the many tales that had held some truth to them, as well as the tales of these Eleven Great Knights.

After all, he had come face to face with one of the said Great Knights of the White Kingdom. He had even trained the one chosen to yield the power that has been told through the years.

The Might of the Great Knights was not exaggerated, as their power was indeed unparalleled throughout all of history. However, the more he learned of the origin of these tales, the more perplexed he became.

There were still many mysteries that shrouded the world they inhabited, some that even the Headmaster himself did not understand. Various books and research notes were piled upon his desk, legends of these Knights and the White Queen.

He had suspicions of the origin of the object, and as he kept looking into these tales, the fog of mystery was slowly fading from his mind and his vision became all the more clear.

Though he soon learned that this fog of mystery still rather large, as his vision became clouded by the fog the more research he did on the Knights and the Queen. He would have to see the object for himself in order to come to a conclusion, though he had a sneaking suspicion that the truth was still far from his grasp.

The Headmaster did not desire to associate himself with the tales of these spirits, as doing so caused some very old memories to resurface from the depths of his mind. Memories of the many mistakes he made in his life, thoughts of what could have been.

However, he would have to push those memories to the back of his mind if he wished to discover the truth behind this strange turn of events. As dwelling on the past will only prevent you from moving towards the future.

Ozpin was deep into his research that he almost didn't notice the console on his desk notifying him of an incoming message. He quickly snapped back into reality and opened the message in question.

"Professor Ozpin." The Combat Instructor, Glynda Goodwitch greeted as the headmaster yawned.

"Hello, Glynda," Ozpin stated before reaching for his kettle that was filled with some freshly brewed coffee. "What troubles you at such an hour?" He asked as he poured his coffee into the mug he had.

"I just wish to inform you that the boy that hold's the Relic has arrived at the home of Miss Naturae, they should be arriving at the Academy tomorrow morning," Glynda explained to the Headmaster as he started to drink his coffee.

"Excellent. The initiations also tomorrow, correct?" Ozpin asked.

"You would be correct. The candidates have been finalized and will be ready for their final exam in the morning." She said through the screen. "Let us hope this year's initiation shall yield better results, as last year left much to be desired," Glynda said.

"You must have more faith in humanity, my dear friend. Besides, you might find that the candidates of this year's generation of huntsmen and huntresses quite promising." Ozpin said.

"Let us hope you are correct. Moving on from that, how goes the research on the Knights and The Queen?" The Blonde Huntress asked, causing the Headmaster of the Academy to sigh in response.

"My research on these tales only brings up more questions then answers, unfortunately. It has also brought up some memories that I do not wish to dwell on." Ozpin stated, causing Glynda to get a rather saddened expression on her face.

"I see. I suppose all of this research on the Knights and The Queen would bring up memories of the times of old." Glynda said to the Headmaster in question.

"Indeed. Though for now, let us dwell on the possible future that these events may bring, rather than dwell on the mistakes that were made in the past." The Headmaster said.

"Right. I suppose that it would be the best course of action for now." Glynda agreed as she adjusted the glasses that rested on her nose. "Do you truly believe that the boy possesses one of the Eleven Knights?" She asked.

"I cannot say for certain. This very predicament is quite the mystery, more then even I had expected." Ozpin told her as he took a sip of his coffee. "We are going through some rather strange times, wouldn't you agree?" He asked.

"Strange is one way to describe the times we live in." She told him. "Anyways, I won't take up any more of your time. Good Night, Professor Ozpin." Glynda said to the Headmaster.

"Yes, I bid you a good night. For tomorrow shall be quite the eventful day." Ozpin said, causing the connection to the message to conclude. The man sighed to himself as he recollected on the expression Glynda gave him when he had mentioned the past.

The man pinched the brim of his nose, trying desperately to take his mind off the mistakes he had made in the distant past. He had made many mistakes during his time in this world, some had more weight on his conscious than others.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the night laid a warehouse with technology that was imported and developed from the Kingdom of Atlas, a place known for its broad technological innovation.

Such Technology would prove to be rather perilous if ever fallen into the clutches of those who wished to destroy rather then create. Which is why it was heavily guarded by the military of the Kingdom of Vale.

Within the warehouse wandered two guards, each armed with the weapons provided to them by the military of Vale. It was rather quiet due to most of the onsight workers making their way back to the families waiting for them.

This left the two to wander around the warehouse in order to ensure that such technology did not fall into the wrong hands. However, patrolling a warehouse heavily guarded by the military left the two with a rather dull routine.

"Sure is quiet tonight." One of them said as their flashlight shone through the darkness of the warehouse.

"I guess that's a good thing. Means nobody's trying to pull anything." The other one stated as he walked beside his partner.

"Yeah, though walking around the same old warehouse, making sure nobody takes these imported goods does get kind of dull after doing it for as long as we have." He said with a yawn.

"Hmm, I suppose I can't really argue with that. Though someone's gotta do this job." His partner said.

"Yeah...Hmm." One of them said as he pinched the brim of his chin with his fingers. Suddenly, the man got a look of realization on his face, causing his partner to look at him suspiciously.

"Okay, what now?" The man asked.

"Well, I don't think anyone would really notice if we took a little peek at what's so important about these crates, right?" He asked as he raised one of his eyebrows at his partner.

"Thomas, no. That's a terrible idea." The man said to the newly named Thomas.

"Oh come on, it's not like anyone's getting hurt by it," Thomas said as he started to move towards one of the crates. Though before his partner could stop him from doing something that would get them both fired, he heard a strange noise coming from the back room.

The man quickly aimed his weapon at the direction of the sound, though as he scanned the area he noticed that nobody was in sight. It was only the cold darkness of the room he was greeted with.

Still, he still couldn't shake the feeling of suspicion crawling up his back. "Hey, Thomas." The man said as he called over to his partner. "I heard something over in that direction, I'm gonna go check it out." He said.

"Alright, check up on me once you're done, Jeremy," Thomas said to the newly named Jeremy. The man known as Jeremy nodded before walking over to the source of the noise with his weapon raised.

Thomas chuckled to himself once he managed to open the crate that led towards the imported technology that was shipped from Atlas. Once he walked inside, the sight of a large mechanical suit could be seen from the back of the crate, causing Thomas to stare at the suits with a rather surprised expression.

"Whoa, now that's what I call firepower." He said as he walked over towards the suits in question. He scanned them with his flashlight, taking in every little detail about the piece of armor.

Though there was one rather small detail that caught the man off guard. The hollow lights that were supposed to signal that the machines were inactive started to glow with a red light.

'I don't think they're supposed to do that.' Thomas thought to himself as a nervous sweat started to form on his head. The machines stared down at Thomas before they started to move towards the man in question.

"Jerry! We have a serious problem!" Thomas stated into his radio, though the only thing that he was getting back was static. The man started to hit his radio against his hand in a desperate attempt to get the radio working.

The hulking robots took aim at the man before their cold metallic voice drilled into the soul of Thomas. "Target Acquired." They stated before they open fired upon the man himself.

Meanwhile, Jeremy was still searching the area in hopes to find the source of the noise, though he was quickly broken out of his concentration by the sound of gunfire coming from the direction Thomas was last seen.

Jeremy was just about to make his way over towards the area where his partner was, though the sound of footsteps coming from behind him quickly stopped him in his tracks. He spun around and aimed his weapon at whoever was trespassing.

However, upon further examination, he could clearly see that there was no one around in the pitch black darkness. That is until he saw one glowing red eye peering from the darkness.

Before the guard could react, the red eye'd attacker quickly rushed towards the man and wrapped his metallic palm around the head of the man, causing a light blue light to shine through the darkness and radiate off of the man's head.

The man fell to the ground with an audible thud as smoke started to radiate from his head. The man looked down at the man before he opened some sort of console on his mechanical arm.

He typed in some sort of code which caused the mechanical titans to make their way towards the rest of the cargo with the intent to carry it off to parts unknown. The identity of the man was still unknown, though the only clue that could point to the possible explanation was a large M that was seen hovering over the console of his arm.

...

The night quickly came to an end to make its way for the morning that would come upon the Kingdom of Vale, the sun shining down upon the great city to awaken the citizens. The birds began to sing their song to the Kingdom under the morning sun.

Vale was one of the Four Kingdoms that was a safe haven among the southern parts of the continent of Sanus. As such, people would flock towards the Kingdom in hopes to live a life without the constant threat of death over their head.

However, various capitals were made in hopes to expand the territory that the Kingdom of Vale had. These capitals were known as the Lake District, North Witch, Oxhorn, Patch and the Peak District.

The Lake District was the primary source of overseas trade, as well as the checkpoint that leads towards the subterranean facility that Vale has made with the aid of Professor Arno, the head of the said facility.

North Witch was one of the many capitals that surrounded Vale and was the largest capital that Vale had managed to produce ever since the incident at Mountain Glenn. It is home to many citizens, as well as the Huntsmen Preparation School simply known as Searchlight.

Oxhorn was the first capital that was made in order to expand the territory that Vale had, and was also the first capital to produce Bonfire, the very first Huntsman Preparation School. It has a rather old design to it in remembrance to the Kingdom of Vale before the war and is where the grave of the last king of Vale, King Arthur resides.

Patch was an island just off the coast of Vale and is the safest area that is within the territory of the Kingdom due to its small size. It was only home to minor threats, which made it the ideal place to start a family. It is home to the Academy of Signal, one of the three Huntsmen Preparation School's mentioned before.

The Peak District was the primary source of trade over land, as well as the closest district to the Kingdom of Vale. It helps patrol any potential threats that may be lurking within its steep mountain terrain.

With Vale being on one of the largest continents in the world, as well as having the most territory out of all the kingdoms, one would think that this would be the ideal place to settle down.

You wouldn't be wrong to think so. Though nothing can last forever, and Vale is no exception to this rule. However, that is a story for another time. For now, the people of the Great Kingdom of Vale can focus more on the problems at hand rather than the ones of the future.

Two of these individuals were simply known as Brandon and Mary, who were making their way towards the Academy of Beacon to meet up with the headmaster himself in hopes to discover the origin of the relic that the boy possessed.

Mary was currently driving down the streets of Vale with a sleeping boy in the front seat, the flat cap on his head moved over his eyes to block out the sun. The two had left earlier than expected, as she didn't want to waste any time starting the research.

The radio was currently on the news channel, the two news reporters speaking of the events that were happening around the Kingdom of Vale, as well as the surrounding communities.

"Reports stated that the technology that was imported from the Kingdom of Atlas had mysteriously malfunctioned, causing them to act rather strangely." The reporter known as Cyril stated to the public.

"The Military Police was able to detain these threats with only minimal casualties, though unfortunately most of the cargo was taken from the warehouse," Cyril stated before the voice of Lisa Lavender spoke up.

"Indeed. Following your report on these recent reports, some have linked these thefts back to the failed expansion of Vale known as Mountain Glenn." Lisa said, causing the attention of Mary to be grabbed.

"Eyewitnesses stated that saw these prototypes making off with the stolen cargo, the mechanical villains in question making their way to the abandoned city." She said.

"If you have any information on the identity of this criminal, as well as their whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department." She said, causing Mary to move her hand over to the radio in order to shut it off.

She sighed to herself before quickly lighting a cigarette in her hands. Once the air station that led to the Academy known as Beacon was in sight, she lightly hit the sleeping boy in the stomach in order to wake him up.

"Gah!" He cried out as he jolted awake from his slumber. "What do you want?" He growled as he rubbed his eyes with his right hand.

"We're almost at the air station," Mary stated before letting out a breath of smoke from her mouth. Once the smoke made its way over nostrils of the boy, he quickly covered the lower parts of his head before pushing the smoke away.

"It's gonna be a busy day today so I thought it would be best to head to the school early this time." The Archeologist said to the boy. "I'll have to introduce you to the headmaster, for starters." She said.

"I'll go with you for now though I want you to meet me in my office once everything is said and done," Mary told the boy, causing him to look at her with an expression of confusion. "There's something I want to talk to you about, though we can deal with that once we've gotten everything situated." The Huntress explained before letting loose another puff of smoke from her mouth.

While the boy was still rather curious as to what the woman was referring to, he figured that the answers would come to him in time. He nodded his head in agreement with Mary's request, causing the woman to nod in return.

"Alright, let's head on out," Mary stated to the boy sitting next to her.

...

It was a rather long road ahead, though we finally reached the Academy of Beacon, the establishment designed to train the next generation of warriors that would protect the people from the clutches of darkness.

The view of the Academy in question was quite the sight, to say the least, monuments standing tall for all to see while the tower at the center of the campus would reach up to the clouds in the sky.

However, the most notable thing about the whole campus was the statue of a man standing atop a rock proudly for all to see, while three others stood either beside him or beneath the stone he stood on.

From what Mary told me, these were the last rulers of the Four Kingdoms of Vale, the ones who sparked the war eighty years ago. Though the one who stood atop the cliff proudly was the last king of Vale, the one who brought them all together.

Now, I stand in the pod that would take the two of us up to the Headmaster of the Academy himself, Professor Ozpin. The higher we rose, the more of the Kingdom of Vale we could see from the window of the elevator.

I leaned back on one of the walls of the elevator, staring out of the window in order to entertain myself for the time being. Meanwhile, the Archeologist in question was looking at her journal that she carried around.

She stared down at the context of the journal, her eyes darting around the various pages of the book. She would occasionally flip one of the pages with her thumb, though the woman seemed completely fixated on the book she carried on her person.

Our interactions have been rather limited ever since last night, the Huntress only talking to me only if she needed to inform me of something. I would attempt to make small talk with her, though every attempt was only met with silence.

I stared up towards the top of the tower, the place where the Headmaster himself stood looking down upon the Kingdom. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Relic that belonged to Shade, holding the black object in the palm of my hands.

There was quite the number of questions running through my mind about this strange Relic, though those were questions for later. The sound of the elevator indicated that we've arrived at the top of the tower.

Mary closed her book and stood up from where she was kneeling, placing the journal back within her bag that she was wrapped over her shoulder. I placed the Relic back into my back pocket and stared before the doors that would lead me to the Headmaster of Beacon Academy himself.

The two of us stepped out of the elevator and into the office at the top of the tower, the desk at the end of the room was piled with various types of books and scriptures. At the end of it, all was the man himself, Professor Ozpin.

He merely faced the window that was at the very end of the room with a cup of coffee in his right hand. The man in question slowly turned around to face us, placing the cup of coffee on the glass desk he had.

The light reflected off of his glasses, though his eyes could be seen from the top of his glasses. "Ah." He began before standing up to greet both of us. "Ms. Naturae, thank you for coming to speak, despite today being rather busy for all of the staff here at Beacon," Ozpin stated, causing me to give Mary an expression of confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her, the woman turning her head towards me in order to respond,

"Today is the day of the final exams," Mary stated as Ozpin walked out from behind his desk.

"Indeed, for we are grateful for their time, going through the rigorous entrance exam in order to get into this prestigious academy. However, they are not quite done." The Headmaster explained.

"For today is the day where our dear candidates will be able to show the results of their training, to take the test that will truly show us who is worthy to become the protectors of the world. Only a couple dozen of the students will be accepted into this school, and begin their next steps to become warriors." Ozpin clarified.

I guess that's what they meant when they said getting into these kinds of schools was difficult.

"Though let us not get off track, I believe introductions are in order." The Headmaster said before walking up to me with his hand extended outwards. "I am Professor Ozpin. Who might you be?" He asked.

"Brandon Kim. Pleasure." I said as I shook the hand of the man told in stories.

"Likewise," Ozpin said. "Now, if you would be so kind as to recollect the events that have transpired up until this point that would be appreciated." The Headmaster requested of me.

"Oh. Sure I guess." I said as I began to tell him of what had transpired over the past day. I might have twisted a few details for the sake of realism, so I told him that I was a wandering mercenary looking to take up some jobs in the Kingdom of Vale, I got lost in the forest and you all know what happened from there.

"That's about the sum of it," I said, concluding my story on yesterdays events.

"I see, I must say that is quite the number of fortunate and unfortunate events," Ozpin commented. "You said you were a mercenary, correct?" The Headmaster asked with one of his eyebrows raised.

"That I am," I told him.

"Hmm, and what is a boy no older than the age of sixteen doing going down the road of the life of a mercenary?" Ozpin asked me.

"Well, we gotta make ends meet somehow," I explained, though the expression of skepticism did not leave the mans face.

"I see." The Headmaster said before he gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk. "Please, take a seat. There is much to discuss." He said as he walked behind his desk to sit down on the chair behind it.

I moved over towards the seat and sit down, Mary merely leaning on one of the pillars within Ozpin's office. "I am quite certain that you must have your reasons for living the life you have now, though understand if you do not wish to dwell on the past." The Headmaster said.

"For now, I wish to speak with you about a certain object that is in your possession," Ozpin said to me. "First I wish to clarify a few things before we proceed." The man explained.

"Alright," I said as I nodded my head.

"You have only come into possession of this strange object within recent times, correct?" The Headmaster questioned.

"That's right," I confirmed.

"Furthermore you have no knowledge of its origin." He said.

"Yeah, I just found it lying nearby the entrance of a cave. I thought it looked valuable so I picked it up in hopes to sell it off to someone here in Vale." I explained.

It wasn't a complete lie, it was true that I knew next to nothing about what this even is, though I decided to withhold the identity of Shade for now.

From what I've been able to gather, the Headmaster had a general idea on what this thing even was so it might be best to gather information on the situation myself before I tell him everything I know about the object I had, which wasn't really much now that I think about it.

"I see," Ozpin said before he poured himself another batch of coffee into his cup. "Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary about this object you possess?" He asked me before picking up his mug.

"I don't follow," I said.

"As if there was another being standing beside you. A being of unimaginable power and might." The Headmaster said, confirming to me that he did indeed know the origin to the Spirit that is bound to me.

"Being of unimaginable power?" I asked.

"Indeed, for you see, I believe that you have been chosen to wield the might of one of the eleven spirits that roam our world," Ozpin explained to me, though the fact that Shade was not the only Spirit in this world did catch me off guard.

"You look taken aback." He noticed. "I take it that you already knew of the existence of this Spirit of yours?" The Headmaster asked as he raised one of his eyebrows.

"Yeah," I admitted.

"I will give you the benefit of the doubt, though I ask that you do not withhold any more information." Ozpin requested, causing me to nod my head and give him a thumbs up of approval.

"Now that we have gotten that out of the way, may I see this artifact that you have acquired yesterday, implying that you are being truthful about when you have acquired such an object of incredible power." The Headmaster said.

"No, I wasn't lying when I said I found it near a cave. It was by some river under a tree." I explained as I took the artifact out of my pocket and showed it to Ozpin, who in turn stared into its hollow eyes deep in thought.

"Hmm." He hummed as he pinched the tip of his chin with his fingers. "This is rather peculiar, you do indeed have one of the Great Knights bound to you, though even I do not know what this object is."

"Great Knights?" I asked with one of my eyebrows raised.

"Indeed. They are the best of the best from within the realm they reside in. Though that can wait, for now, I wish to know more about what this strange object is." The Headmaster explained as he reached for the object. Though once Ozpin made contact with the hard surface of the Charm, various flashes of visions suddenly went through his mind.

Visions of bloodshed, of rage and sorrow began to flash in his mind. The Headmaster suddenly pulled away while standing from his chair, his breathing becoming heavy from the visions he saw.

"Professor Ozpin?" Mary said as she leaned off the wall and looked at the man with a rather surprised expression. Though before the Headmaster could speak, his vision fell upon the silhouette of Shade that was standing behind me, his eyes glowing with an eerie white aura.

The Spirit was rather unclear, though everyone who was present in the room could feel the presence of the Spirit. Though before anyone could act upon this newfound opportunity, the shadow disappeared as quickly as he came.

"So, that's one of the Spirits?" Mary asked as she turned her head back towards Ozpin who was still rather taken aback at the visions he had seen mere moments ago.

"Wel now, that was quite strange," Ozpin said in order to get my attention, causing me to turn my head to face the man in question. "When you first came upon the Charm of the Spirits, did you happen to see any form of visions?" He asked.

"...Can't say that I did. To be completely honest, Shade has been giving me the silent treatment ever since I found this thing near the cave" I admitted, causing the Headmaster to look at me with a rather serious expression.

"What did you say his name was?" Ozpin asked.

"Shade?" I said in a rather confused tone. The Headmaster in response began to scramble through the various books and scriptures he had on his desk. He flipped through the various pages on the Great Knights, as well as a book that had something to do with a Queen.

"Hmm, this is quite peculiar." He said. "I will have to have to look further into this matter," Ozpin said before he closed the book.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." The Headmaster said. "It would be in your best interest to keep such an object out of the sight," Ozpin said as he picked up his cane and began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked as I stood up from my seat.

"There are some things that I must see to. Questions in need of answers." The Headmaster explained before pressing the button that would summon the elevator to take him down the tower.

"I don't understand," I said as Ozpin turned his head to face me.

"Neither do I, it seems that this situation is shrouded in far more mystery then even I had originally thought." He said the doors leading to the elevator opened. The man walked into the metal pod before leaving me with one final message.

"Keep the relic in secret, as well as out of the hands of those who would use its power against humanity," Ozpin said before the doors leading to the elevator closed, leaving the two of us to dwell on the events that had just transpired before us.

"What just happened?" I asked the Archeologist who merely stared at me with an equal level of confusion.

"I'm not sure," Mary admitted to me as she crossed her arms and started to tap her foot onto the table. She closed her eyes as if she were deep in thought about the whole situation.

"So what now?" I asked her, causing her to break out of her thought process and back to reality.

"Well, despite everything's that happened it still doesn't change what we talked about earlier," Mary answered. "Come on, there's something I want to talk to you about. Though we can't talk here, we should head to my office." She said as she started to walk towards the elevator.

I was still rather curious as to what the Huntress wanted to talk to me about, though I figured that I would get those answers in time. I nodded my head and followed the Archeologist towards her office.

...

Ozpin hurried off to the library that the school had within its campus after learning of the secret behind the Relic that the boy had acquired in the Forests outside of the Kingdom of Vale.

He had originally hoped that this would open up the truth he had been seeking on the strange presence the object let loose towards his two comrades, though he only found himself with more questions on the matter than ever before.

It was rare that the old man would find himself with a myth or legend that he did not have a possible explanation for, even for the tales that were told to children in the years he had been in this world.

Which is why his lack of knowledge of the enigma that was presented before his was rather unsettling to him, especially after seeing the visions he had seen once he had touched the charm that the boy possessed.

He had searched through his private study within the large building in hopes to find the answers he had been seeking there. It was a room filled with many scriptures of the vast knowledge that he had collected over the countless decades he had spent walking this world.

The man scourged through various types of scriptures, literature and even inscriptions that have been collected over the past eighty years. Hours went by as the Headmaster sat down at the desk in the study in hopes to find the truth.

Which prompted one of his trusted advisors, Glynda Goodwitch to search for the man in question. She had suspected that he would be in his study once she had found the state of his desk within the office atop the tower.

She had opened the door leading to the study, which was one of the bookshelves that were on the walls of the library. It was dimly lit by a candle that was shining brightly on the desk that was in the room behind the hidden walls.

"Professor Ozpin?" Glynda called out, causing the old man to turn his head towards the woman in question.

"Ah, hello Glynda." The Headmaster greeted as he took a sip from his mug of coffee.

"The initiates have made their way towards the airship. It is almost time for the ceremony." The Combat Instructor reminded him as she walked down the stairs leading to the study.

"Is that so? I suppose I have been in here for quite some time." Ozpin said before beginning to organize the various pieces of scripture he had collected in order to further study the matter of the charm that the boy had possessed.

"I take it that the meeting did not go quite the way you had wished it to?" Glynda asked as she walked over to the headmaster.

"No, I was able to come to a conclusion." The man said, causing the woman to stare at him with a rather surprised expression. "It was as I suspected, the boy does indeed hold one of the Spirits," Ozpin said.

"I see, though for what reason could be the reason for your desire to isolate yourself in your study to do further research?" The combat instructor asked.

"Because the truth was not as clear as I had hoped it would be." The Headmaster answered.

"I do not understand," Glynda said with a rather confused expression on her face. Ozpin then proceeded to explain his findings or lack thereof on the enigma that was presented before them.

"Are you certain?" She asked, her confusion only rising the more she heard of the findings that the Headmaster had discovered.

"Yes, I am almost certain of this matter," Ozpin said with a serious expression.

"I see, that is most peculiar," Glynda said as she pinched her chin with her right hand. "What do you suppose this means?" She asked the Headmaster that stood before her.

"Even I have yet to understand. Though it would be in our best interest to keep this strange turn of events in secret for the time being." The man said as he finished placing the last piece of research back onto the shelves.

"I suppose that would be the best course of action. The unknown can be rather intimidating for the outside world, as shown throughout the course of history." The Combat Instructor said.

"Indeed it can be, Glynda. Indeed it can be." Ozpin said before he started to walk towards the stairs leading to the library. "Though there are other matters that we must attend to." He said.

"Right, it is time to begin to mold the next generation of warriors that will protect the world from the clutches of darkness," Glynda said as she followed the headmaster out of the door.

There were still many questions that have yet to be answered regarding the situation with the spirit, though the headmaster thought it would be best to push his concerns to the back of his mind for now.

Though even he could not deny the feeling of emptiness that he felt coming from the strange object, as well as the visions of blood that he saw hidden within the strange object that the boy had.

It was only for a moment, though a moment was all he needed to feel the darkness coming from within the spirit that was being held inside the object in question. He could only pray that such darkness could be contained.

If not, then perhaps the boy would be able to unify such darkness under his own will.

...

After the meeting with Ozpin, Mary and I began making our way across the campus in order to reach her office. I could see various different kinds of warriors walking around the ground of the school, each with their own respective weapon that was an extension of their own personality.

The sun had set by the time we had even reached the building, and airships could be seen flying above the building to make their way towards the Kingdom of Vale. Those must be the initiates that failed to pass the final exam.

However, as we continued to walk down the halls of the building I couldn't help but question Mary's secretive attitude. Once I was certain that there was no one around that could be eavesdropping, I began to question the archeologist.

"So mind telling me what exactly it is you want to talk about?" I asked the woman, who merely responded without even turning her back to face me.

"I'll let you know when we get to my office." She said, which only made my growl in frustration.

"Why couldn't we talk about it while Ozpin was away from his office? He didn't seem like he was coming back anytime soon." I questioned further, though only getting the same attitude from her.

"Because there was someone bound to come by the Headmaster's office once word got out that he was nowhere to be seen," Mary said. "We won't be disturbed once we make it to my office, it will also be easier to explain what I want from you." She said.

"What's with the attitude? You act like you have something to hide from the people around you." I interrogated, my suspicion only growing the more questions she kept dodging.

"I do." She said, causing me to stop dead in my tracks as I stared at her with an expression of surprise. I wasn't really expecting her to be so forward with her reasoning for her attitude.

"What?" I asked, causing her to sigh and turn her head towards me.

"I want to make a deal with you. One that I know no one around here would agree with, considering our profession." Mary said to me with a rather tired expression on her face. She sighed and took out some sort of cigarette before lighting it with her lighter.

"Which is why I want to make sure that nobody knows about this deal. As far as anyone is concerned, the only reason you're getting involved with the staff here is to figure out just where your artifact comes from." Mary said.

"..." I merely stood there in silence, not sure how to respond to her reasoning for her behavior.

"Now, I will gladly answer any questions you may have once we get to my office." She said as she puffed out a cloud of smoke from her mouth, causing me to cover my mouth to prevent the smoke from getting into my lungs.

Mary raised one of her eyebrows at me as if she were waiting for a response, though the only one I gave her was a nod and a thumbs up.

"Come on." She said as she continued to walk down the hallway towards her office. I waved the smoke away from my nostrils before I continued to follow the woman towards her office.

We eventually made our way into the Archeologist's office, which was filled with various types of books and scriptures on the various stands that were placed along the walls. There were also strange relics that were placed around the office, all of them taking many shapes and sizes.

Her desk was at the very end of the room, a window looking out from the back of the desk with the sight of the campus in question. Mary made her way over to the desk at the back of the room before putting out the cigarette she had lit.

"Lock the door," Mary said as I walked into the room.

I quickly turned around and turned the lock on the doorknob before turning to face the woman who was sitting at the end of her desk. "So, let's get down to business." She said before taking out some sort of book that was locked in her desk.

"Right," I said before walking over towards a chair that was at the other end of the desk. The woman poured herself a drink, the liquid splashing against the cup, stopping just at the tipping point of overflowing.

There was a rather tense feeling in the air around the office, though the silence was broken once Mary spoke up. "Are you aware of what happened at Mountain Glenn ten years ago?" She asked as she picked up the cup with one of her hands.

"I have a general idea of how it all went down," I responded with my arms crossed as I sat down in the chair. It has been a while since I had refreshed my memory on the details of what happened in that story, so my recollection of the event is a bit clouded.

I just had other matters to deal with at the time, a story that I would rather leave in the past. "Though my memory is a bit clouded on the matter. I was pretty young when the whole thing happened." I lied.

"Well, twenty years ago a corporation known as Merlot Industries was established in Mountain Glenn, Vale's attempt to expand its territory. It specialized in research on artificial intelligence and genetics." Mary explained.

"The facility was founded by a man known as Doctor Merlot in hopes to aid humanities never-ending battle against the beasts that have been plaguing our world since humanities creation." She said as she took a sip from the drink she had poured for herself.

"For years, Merlot Industries would come to develop many of the worlds major artificial intelligence units." The Archeologist said. "He was a good man, one with good intentions for the good of the world around him," Mary said.

"Was?" I noticed as I raised one of my eyebrows, causing the woman to sigh to herself.

"Five years after the company was established, research and experimentation on these monsters began. The facility was tasked with discovering the reason behind the sudden spike in the intelligence of the beasts." She explained.

"Though Merlot found such an anomaly fascinating. He thought that if they were able to form intelligent thought and actions, then perhaps they could be trained to do the bidding of humanity." The Archeologist said.

"As time went on, the research became less about aiding in the endeavors of humanity and more about figuring out the mystery that shrouded the beasts that roam our world," Mary said.

"The Headmaster doesn't exactly hold this man in high regard. Which is why he enlisted the Huntsmen and Huntresses towards the facility in order to oversee the research." She said.

"One day, Merlot decided that he would begin one of his greatest experiments yet. He wanted to create the ultimate weapon that would be able to combat the monsters that roam our world." Mary said.

"No one really knew the details of this experiment, as the monster that he had created laid waste to Mountain Glenn. It destroyed the facility where the company was established, as well as slaughtered thousands of citizens who had resided within the city." She said.

"It took everything we had to take that thing down." The Archeologist explained with a rather grim expression on her face. "Merlot was presumed dead, and without the primary facility as well as the chief staff officers, the company shut down shortly after the incident," Mary explained.

"We tried to save as many people as we could, though the ones who were unfortunate enough to live near the Mountain when the incident happened were forced to take refuge in the underground tunnels, converting the caves into an underground settlement. While it was a good idea at the time, it completely cut them off from the surface." The woman said.

"It kept them safe for the time being, though eventually the settlement was compromised when an explosion opened the mouth of another cavern filled with subterranean Grimm," Mary said as she gripped her cup tightly.

"The people who were living there at the time were beyond our saving. With no other recourse, the Council decided to seal off the tunnels permanently, trapping any would be survivors and creating the largest tomb in existence." She said.

"..." I merely sat in my chair as I stared at the woman with a rather serious expression on my face. Though the concept of death was not lost on me, so I was able to keep my composure during this whole ordeal.

Though still, I had a rather disgusting feeling deep down within my heart as I heard of the story behind this doctor, as well as the decision to completely isolate any potential survivors from the Kingdom they once called home.

"Some Huntsman and Huntresses were unable to handle the burden of the lives they had failed to save during the incident," Mary said.

"I'm sorry for the losses that were made all those years ago, though what does this have to do with the deal you want to make with me?" I asked as I raised one of my eyebrows. It took a few moments for the Archeologist to eventually break the silence, as she was staring at me with a rather cold expression.

"With the recent reports of the various pieces of technology that were being imported around the world being stolen, I have reason to believe that the Doctor who caused the very incident itself is still alive," Mary said.

"If that's the case then why don't you tell the other professionals about it? Seems like they'd be better equipped to handle this situation when compared to someone like me." I questioned.

"If the Academy gets involved, so does the Council. They'll want to salvage any and all research that Merlot made during the last decade. They'll hand it off to some other facility. We wouldn't be learning from the mistakes of the past, we'd only be repeating them." Mary explained.

"That's why the only ones who will know about this project will be you and I. We can both make sure that Merlot gets the justice he deserves, as well as make sure nothing like what happened ten years ago ever happens again." She said.

"Not to mention that you've been chosen to bear the power of one of the Spirits. That's a kind of power that you don't see every day." The woman said.

"...I'll do it," I said.

"Rest assured that you will be paid once we take down the doctor in question. Once everything is said and done..." She began before it finally settled that I had accepted her offer before hearing about the reward.

"Hold on, you'll do it?" Mary asked, causing me to nod my head to her statement. "Here I thought you didn't like to get involved with things that don't concern you." The Archeologist stated as she stared at me with a rather confused expression on her face.

"I don't." I began, though before the woman could say anything else, I quickly began to explain myself. "Though I made a promise a while back, and I intend to keep it," I explained.

"...I see." She said as she closed her eyes as if she were in deep thought. "Tell me something. How long have you been in this business?" Mary asked me.

"I just started yesterday," I said bluntly.

"So you have very little experience in actual combat is what you're saying." She said.

"Well, I'm able to deal with the occasional street thug, and I did have a pistol until I lost it while I was in the forest. Though as for the sword, I know next to nothing about how to use it." I said.

"Hmm." She hummed as she rubbed her hand on her chin. "How about this? You help me take down this man, and I'll teach you how to fight like one of the professionals, as well as give you the original reward when all this is said and done." Mary offered.

"What was the original reward?" I asked with my arms crossed.

"I'll give you some spending money to get you on the right track in your life." She said, though before I could question the exact amount, she quickly stated the amount. "One million lien." The Archeologist said, causing an audible record scratch to go off in my head.

I stared at the woman for a few moments before she eventually called out my name, snapping me back into reality. "Hey." She said, causing me to jolt my head backward's before blinking a few times.

"Are you serious?" I asked in a bewildered tone.

"I'm always serious." She said.

I sat there in the chair across from her desk in stunned silence for a few more moments before responding to her statement with a smirk on my face. "...Well, if you didn't have my attention before you sure as hell have it now." I said.

"So we have a deal?" Mary asked as she reached out her hand. I nodded before gripping her hand with my own, sealing the deal of our temporary partnership. "Let's get started then." She said before getting up in her chair.

"Right...Hold on, now?" I asked.

"Yeah. The more time we waste sitting around, the more time Merlot could be planning his next move." The Archeologist said as she unlocked the door and opened it with her right hand.

"You coming?" She asked.

"Right," I said as I got up from my chair and began to follow her out of the door. So this was the start of my partnership with the Huntress known as Mary Naturae, as well as the next chapter to my life.

Though despite everything that the woman had told me earlier, something told me that I didn't exactly have the whole picture of how the whole event went down.

...

Meanwhile, in the skies of the continent of Solitas were a fleet of fighter ships souring through the strong winds that plagued the continent's many tundras. The fighters in question bore the emblem of the Kingdom of Vale, the one leading the fleet being Amaya, a Huntress for the Kingdom of Vale as well as one of the Kingdom's elite fighter pilots.

The woman was also a Professor at Beacon Academy, specializing in ariel combat for the next generation of warriors who wished to take their battles to the skies.

She had been stationed in Atlas for the time being to deal with the many issues its citizens suffer through and was now flying towards the capital of Stavanger in hopes to aid the specialist team that had been sent by General Ironwood.

"Stavanger is approximately one thousand meters away." The A.I unit that was installed within the fighter ship stated, causing the woman to grip the handles of the ship tightly.

"Look alive team. We'll be closing in towards the capital any minute now." Amaya stated as she began to prepare the ship she piloted for combat.

"Roger." The group stated as they began a similar procedure. Once she had finished preparing her vessel for battle, she flipped on the communications network in order to contact the specialist team that had been defending the capital from the Gatlinburg that was reported to be making an assault on the city.

"Specialist team this is Professor Amaya, come in." She said into the console. After a few moments of silence, the voice of the specialist Winter Schnee could be heard from the other end.

"This is Winter Schnee, head of the Specialist team." The woman said from the other side of the line, the sounds of gunshots and roars could be heard coming from the microphone.

"The team and I will be closing in on your location any minute now. What's the situation?" She asked.

"We have managed to push back the Gatlinburg, though the beast has learned to adapt to the strategies we have implemented in hopes to take it down," Winter reported.

"Roger. We're coming to assist you, see if we can't give you an opening of any kind." Amaya said as she pushed forward on the levers on her ship, causing it to move at blinding speeds, the other ships following her actions.

"If you can turn its attention towards you then we should be able to potentially strike the beast down." The Specialist said.

"Roger that." The pilot said before she cut off the communications network with the woman in question. "Alright, team..." She began as the capital finally revealed itself through the snowstorm, as well as the Gatlinburg.

"Give it hell," Amaya said as she and the rest of the fleet began to open fire on the powerful monster that was attacking the capital.

...

Thus another chapter of our story ends. Our hero now has a clear goal ahead of him, to find the mad doctor that had destroyed the fallen city all those years ago, and to make sure the departed souls are given peace.

He partners himself with the Archeologist, Mary Naturae, who seems to hold many secrets to her story. Though with the promise he had made long ago in his mind, he accepts the offer the woman had made.

The mystery of Shade only grows larger as time goes on, raising more questions than answers. The truth escapes the grasp of even the Headmaster of Beacon himself, Professor Ozpin.

The world around them is still plagued by the chaos that has arisen decades ago, though only time will tell if humanity will survive this crisis, or if they will fall from existence like the ancestors from ancient time.

Credits

Writer: Quebec

Editor: Smitten

This part of the story is usually reserved to address common criticisms that would be made in the previous chapter, though this time is a very special exception.

On November 12th, 2018, the comic writer, editor and publisher, Stan Lee, passed away due to a battle with Pneumonia he had been diagnosed with earlier this year. A man who had given so much to the world and inspired millions of people only wished to make stories that would inspire people of all ages.

To make stories of heroes, and in doing so, he himself became a hero.

He inspired millions of people to make their own stories, to make their own pieces of art, as well as helped people in times of need when all hope seemed lost.

Stan Lee came into this world as any normal human being, though now he leaves it with a legacy that will stand through the test of time.

Goodbye Stan Lee, you will be missed, though you will never be forgotten.

...

Next Chapter: The Search Begins

...

Ruby's Guide to The World of Remnant

Vale

The Kingdom of Vale, one of the Four Kingdoms within the world we live in. I've only been there a few times throughout my whole life, though it's an absolutely amazing sight to see!

It's a large city near the western coast of the continent. It's full of all kinds of life, experiences and various other pieces of culture that are scattered throughout the whole city.

My Uncle and Dad have been there more times then they could count, so they know that place like the back of their hand. It's home to one of the greatest Huntsman schools of all, Beacon Academy.

People come from across the whole world just get a chance to get accepted into the school. It's run by the Headmaster, Professor Ozpin, as well as many other kinds of warriors from around the world.

Vale is also home to the King who ended the war eighty years ago, King Arthur. To think that only one man was able to change the world so much, it's a shame that I never got to meet him.

Though it's all thanks to him that we're able to live the lives we have now.

The Kingdom of Vale is definitely built a reputation for being one of the more secure places on Remnant to live out your life. For good reason to, it's got a lot of advantages that the other Kingdoms don't.

If you're ever short on your luck, then maybe settling down somewhere around here isn't such a bad idea after all.

Stay Safe and Happy Hunting!