Chapter 19
Qrow Branwen opened his eyes, despite the gloom he could see daylight was starting to break through the trees. Blinking a few times he looked around as he had forgotten where he was, to either side was trees that led into a forest but directly in front of him was a familiar house that stood alone in a small clearing.
Sniffing he realized he was sitting on the ground and a part of him was confused why but seeing the empty green bottle of what had been liquor a few feet away he remembered that he had spent the better half of the night drinking to pass the time.
Nearby a bird began to call out, a crow, sighing he stood up dusting the back of his pants before stepping forward to grab the bottle but he somehow ended up kicking it a few feet further. Sighing again he reached out for it as a gust of wind blew through the trees before there was a snap and something hard to hit his head.
"Ow." He growled as he rubbed the back of his head reflexively before looking around only to spot a thick branch that had broken off the tree he had been under.
With a click of his tongue he snatched the empty bottle up and began to walk towards the house however something was off. He stopped moving and looked around but there didn't appear to be anything out of ordinary despite this he dropped the bottle again before reaching back to rest his hand on the handle of his weapon Harbinger.
There was a snap behind him and in a twirl he brought out his weapon in its sword form smashing aside a thrown blade that had been aimed for his back. The sharp clank of metal striking metal echoed out and before he could address whoever threw that there was a glint of sunlight on metal to his side coming towards him.
He spun left as he drew Harbinger back meeting the short blade halfway towards him before knocking it aside with a loud clang then brought his blade back around quickly as the figure had also aimed a pistol at him. With a wet thump, the man came apart at the waist as Harbinger cut through him.
Another figure moved to attack him again from behind but Qrow knew he was there so he kicked backwards catching them in the jaw with enough force that it lifted the man off the ground. Spinning on one foot he brought Harbinger down in a wide swing catching the man in the arm taking it off at the elbow before spinning the large weapon back around to take the man's head off his shoulder.
Something warm dotted his face as he turned to spot a third man standing a dozen feet away. He held an odd looking weapon, Qrow shifted harbinger and the weapon went from a sword into a curved scythe with the intent of rushing the man but he never got the chance. Another weapon had appeared crashing down from behind to obliterate the man's skull.
As the corpse fell forward an armored hand reached out to rip the weapon out of the corpse's hands, Qrow didn't lower his guard however as he recognized the plate armor of an Arcadian Praetorian though this one was painted grey with no visible sigils.
"Stand down Qrow Branwen." A feminine voice that was distorted slightly by the helmet called out, the Praetorian rested her poleaxe on the ground, the blue glow of the weapon disappearing in a sharp snap.
"Why are you here?" Qrow asked instead.
"For a few reasons actually, mine is to hunt down the fleeing remnants of the foe that fled from Vale but he also wanted to talk but I do have to say it's incredible luck that they led us right to you." Another voice said and Qrow turned to see a giant bearded warrior emerge from the trees. Now that Qrow looked around he could see there were about five armored warriors including the one that stood in front of him in the area.
"Why if it isn't Talbek, attack dog of the High Lord of Arcadia." Qrow said though for some reason the bearded warrior seemed to smile at that.
"Well you have my attention. So let's move from here I don't want anyone in that house to see us together." Qrow continued before turning to walk towards the trees again.
"Actually I sort of need to go into that house." Another voice called out and Qrow looked over his shoulder to see of all people the son of High Lord Alexander appearing from behind Talbek.
"Thanks for taking me here Talbek; you can continue with your mission." Jaune Arc said looking up at the armored giant who nodded before disappearing back into the trees. Some of the other Praetorians moved over to collect the bodies before following him save for the grey colored one that stood still. After a while the three of them stood in the small clearing. The only evidence of what had happen were the blood stains on the ground but Qrow knew that given time it would be indistinguishable in the dirt and grass.
"So, what is it that you need?" Qrow asked and Jaune fished out a folder from a bag he had been carrying before holding it out for him to read from.
"You can't be serious." Qrow finally said after reading the first few pages then looking back at Jaune.
"It took me a while but I was able to petition the Vale Council and they've agreed to put out a call for volunteers however considering your close friendship with Headmaster Ozpin I figured it would be best to come to you in person about this. On top of that I want to see Ruby and Yang to discuss this in person with them as they're both my friends so keeping them in the loop about this is important even if they can't come."
"Gotta say kid I don't agree with your father cause Ozpin said that he was just indirectly helping the enemy that said you've got guts and I like that but I'm gonna have to turn you down." Qrow said handing the folder back to him.
"How come?"
"A couple of reasons but all you really need to know is that I can't join but I still appreciate the offer. As for Yang and Ruby you'll have to talk to their father about getting to talk with them." Qrow said explained and Jaune nodded before holding his hand out which Qrow hesitated oddly enough before taking it.
"Thanks for your time Mr. Branwen." Jaune said and the older man nodded as Jaune stepped past. What Jaune didn't expect however to fall onto his ass, looking down at the ground he could see he had slipped on an empty glass bottle before looking back up at Qrow who shrugged.
"Woops."
10 Minutes Later…
Jaune stood outside a door in a well-lighted hallway, he had just finished speaking first to Taiyang Xiao Long who after some convincing decided to let Jaune come up to speak to both of his daughters. Apparently Ruby had woken up the day before but was still confined to the house by Taiyang's orders but he figured he'd save her for last as he knocked on the door to what he was told was Yang's room.
"Come in." A familiar voice called out but it was a lot duller than his memory recalled as he opened the door to see Yang Xiao Long in bed he wasn't sure what to expect exactly.
She wore a brown shirt while sitting in bed, her bandaged right arm stuck out like a sore thumb or really a lack thereof a small voice whispered in Jaune's mind. Her face had a dull expression that replaced the friendlier but cocky self-assured look she always seemed to have whenever he saw her at school. It was heart breaking to see one of the people he admired during his time at Beacon look so defeated.
"Hey Jaune." She said meeting his eyes and he tried to smile as he stepped forward closing the door behind him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked knowing that it probably wasn't the best question to ask.
"Well I've lost the ability to write or well hold anything with what once used to be my dominate hand but on the bright side I've lost some weight so I'll look killer when bikini season comes." Yang replied in a flat sarcastic tone that made Jaune flinch a little.
"Right, stupid question."
"Well it did come from you." She replied bitterly and Jaune felt like his reception was going from lukewarm to cold real fast.
"Look Yang I'll get right to it, I've been put in charge of an Army unit that will be working in unison with a force of Huntsmen that's being supplied by Vale and a part of my duty involves putting it together in a manner that works with the Arcadian Army so I'm locating people I believe who would not only want to join but would be of great benefit in showing cooperation between the Four Kingdoms and Arcadia both on a public level and practical level." Jaune explained and Yang tilted at her head at him.
"Look at you, Vale gets bent over the table but you're moving up in the world, congrats." She said and Jaune pursed his lips as he looked out the window.
"Not like this." He said softly.
"What?"
"It's nothing, anyways, would you consider joining?"
"I'm flattered but as you can see I am a shorthanded here as well." Yang said mildly as she waved her stump at Jaune.
"Right, well I can talk to the Medicae and see if they can craft you a new arm." Jaune said but Yang sighed as she shook her head.
"That's alright Jaune, I'm sure there are probably hundreds if not thousands of other people in Vale that would need something like that. Besides that, I don't want to join."
"Even still Yang." Jaune began but Yang held up her hand.
"No Jaune, I'm done, I fought and I lost it's time to accept that there comes a point when fighting means nothing. We lost Beacon, we lost Ozpin, we lost friends, Blake and Weiss are gone. It's over." She said before looking out the window.
"Now if you excuse me, it's time for my hourly sulking." Jaune didn't say anything, he was no therapist so he had no real idea how to handle a situation like this but as he stepped out of the room he turned back to look at her.
"For what it's worth Yang, I'm glad you're here." He said and Yang glanced at him briefly that Jaune thought he saw a sad smile on her face before closing the door.
Turning away he headed down the hallway towards a slightly open door, pushing it open he could see Ruby sitting on a bed reading a comic book.
"Think I can borrow that after you're done? The flight to Vale is really boring." Jaune asked and Ruby snapped her head up.
"Jaune!" She shouted before coming at him in a flying tackle that nearly rocked him off his feet.
"Good to see you Rubes. We were all worried about you." Jaune said as he set the tinier girl on her feet.
"Are the others here as well?" Ruby asked peering around Jaune but he held a hand up.
"No but they're still in Vale I came here with Areto but she elected to stay downstairs with your father and uncle."
"Oh." Ruby said and Jaune was again taken back by the brief despondent look on her face.
"I was hoping Pyrrha, Nora and Ren would be here. After everything that happened I just want to see some of my friends again to know if they're okay. Yang's depressed, Weiss was taken back to Atlas and apparently Blake's missing. So while I love my dad and Uncle I've been feeling a little cabin feverish."
"Actually I know where Blake is." Jaune spoke up and Ruby titled her head.
"But Yang said that Blake disappeared without saying anything to anyone."
"Oh yes that's true but apparently Zophiel, you remember him big dude wears a robe, yea well he actually found her trying to head south with the intent of going home to Menagerie where her family is so he went along with her since he needed to go there as well and figured having her with him would be a good idea considering who her father is."
"Wait, Blake's not an orphan?"
"What? No, why would you think that?"
"I don't know it always just seemed like a likely part of her history, ya know a young civil rights activist fighting against the injustice against her kind after her parents die to a racial attack or taken advantage by the oppressive system before falling down a slippery slope of terrorism when it gives short term benefits to her idealistic goals for society at large before repenting her crimes by becoming a Huntress." Ruby explained then saw the confused look on Jaune's face.
"Never mind, so what's so important about her father?"
"Do you know who Ghira Belladonna is?" Jaune asked and Ruby rolled her eyes at him.
"Of course I know who he is; he was the former High Leader of the White Fang before becoming Chieftain of Menagerie."
"Annnnnnnnnd?" Jaune asked rolling a finger to indicate her to continue but Ruby looked confused for a second before her faced brightened up.
"Oh! He's a Faunus!" She exclaimed and Jaune rubbed his eyes but Ruby realized what he actually meant.
"He's Blake's dad?"
"Yes."
"Whoa." She said softly and Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Why is Zophiel with her and why did she go Menagerie without telling us?" Ruby asked as she walked back to her bed before sitting on it, Jaune pulled up a chair.
"Honestly Ruby I don't know why Blake is doing this but I know that Zophiel is trying to set up a meeting with her father about establishing a pact or treaty which comes to my main point about seeing you." Jaune said as he held up the folder before Ruby took it and began read.
"That's amazing." She said after finishing up.
"Yea, it's a big experiment that can have a lot of repercussion for Kingdom relations so I would appreciate it if you would be able to join up."
"Big is an understatement Jaune, leading both this Regiment while mixing it with forces of the Four Kingdoms is going to require a lot of work but I'm sure you'll be able to handle it you've always had a mind for this sort of stuff." Ruby said and Jaune shrugged.
"I wouldn't say that, the Colonel I have is far more experienced than me and would probably work better without having to answer to me. At the same time I have other ideas for the Huntsmen contingent, which leads me to my second reason about why I wanted to talk with you." He said and Ruby looked confused.
"I don't plan on actually leading this contingent, my duty lies with my people while it's come far sooner than I want it is in the end what needs to be done so I was hoping to either nominate you as the Huntsmen Representative which would put you as my direct subordinate as I also have known you long enough, in short I want to name you as their leader." Ruby looked speechless at this.
"Jaune, I would love to do that but I think you should give the actual command to someone else or at the very least we should come back to this later that way you can at least have time to consider all of your options cause you don't know who will come to join, like my uncle he's a much more experienced Huntsman than me."
"He's turned me down and I have faith in you Ruby but I'll respect your wishes and hold off on the decision but I'll do you one better how about you represent the interests and needs of the Huntsmen. If they have concerns or need special supplies then they talk to you about it to bring it to me that way I can still hear your thoughts about the Huntsmen unit while keeping you in the loop for a command position later down the line if it opens up." Jaune said and Ruby seemed to mull this over for a bit before nodding.
"I can live with that."
"That's good to hear, anyways, Talbek is hunting some of the enemy who apparently scattered to Patch but he should be done in a day or two so you can come back to Vale with him." Jaune said as he stood up.
"You're not going to stay?" Ruby asked.
"Afraid I can't, I'm expecting the Regiment to come soon and I left Ren in charge of working on the preparations for our camp since there isn't going to be enough room at Beacon but Nora is also there so I have to put out whatever fire that Ren and Pyrrha haven't gotten to yet."
"Oof, yea good luck with that." Ruby said and Jaune left the room to go collect Areto. Though Qrow was missing which wasn't as weird as Areto having her helmet off and her hair look surprisingly disheveled while glancing oddly at Taiyang. What had transpired there during the time Jaune was upstairs would be a secret between the remorseful Areto and pleased Taiyang.
As the two Arcadians left, Yang would look remorsefully out her window to see them leaving. There was a part of her that wanted to accept Jaune's offer but every time she closed her eyes all she could see was fire and the flash of a red blade.
In the end the sweat soaking nightmares that slowly ate away at her sleep made each day feel like they were dragging was just a testament to how weak she was, something she loathed herself for so readily accepting. Yet she didn't believe there was really anything she could do about it.
Yang was broken and she had no idea how to pick up the pieces.
A Few Days Later…
Pyrrha sat down with a sigh of exhaustion, across from her was Areto who knelt down though not because she was tried but to simply unlock her greaves. The sound of heavy excavation machines and construction as the Arcadian Enginseers expanded the Army encampment around Beacon could be heard.
However Pyrrha had been more concerned about her lack of training, after her injury and subsequent surgery on her ankle she had been itching to get back on the grind. Her loss at the hands of Cinder Fall had been evidence of the fact that she was hitting above her weight class.
While she felt certain that without those powers she could have won that didn't mean anything since Cinder did in fact have the Fall Maiden powers. That was twice now that Pyrrha had gone up against what was essentially a magic user who defeated her which both excited and aggravated her.
So she had enlisted the help of Areto with her sparring, though that was after she had tried sparring with Sanian and Talbek. Both of whom seemed to humor her request despite being busy as Lord Arc had already left Vale leaving Sanian in his place while Talbek hunted scattered bits of the enemy.
She would lose both fights, Sanian was just better in general that Pyrrha had no momentum in the fight from the start and three minutes didn't even pass before she was forced to yield. As Sanian's skill with her sword outmatched Pyrrha's by a mile that she doubted she would have done any better if she still had Miló. Then whatever semblance or power that Sanian had just overcame Pyrrha's own ability before she could do anything worthwhile.
As for Talbek she founded that in that fight that she lasted for a little longer. Talbek wasn't as agile as her or Sanian but he was still more than able to keep up when in close range that she found that the longer she fought in close quarters with him the faster he'll overcome her.
However the moment Pyrrha tried to use her semblance to alter Talbek's strikes he had switched up his tactics by hitting her with range attacks which really was just one clap of his hands as he shouted something.
Whatever he had done had hurled Pyrrha through the air before slamming through a nearby treeing causing her Aura to break along with nearly breaking her ribs.
Jaune, who had arrived in time to see the defeat, suggested that it would probably be a more productive idea to spar with Areto. As such Pyrrha had petition the former Praetorian which led to this morning's series of training exercises.
She still marveled at how the women could match Pyrrha's new running goal of going around Beacon proper at least three times without slowing down while wearing what she had called her training armor. The suit of armor looked like an archaic version of her regular armor which she said weighed around a hundred and fifty kilograms.
After a couple of more hours of exercise the two would begin to spar. The first bout had ended up a win for Pyrrha, while she was reduced to using an extra sparring sword she still had Akoúo which would be the key to her victory at keeping Areto on the defensive. Areto however was clearly an expert in her own rights and Pyrrha was unsurprised to find that the older woman was getting accustomed to simultaneously blocking or dodging the shield as well fending Pyrrha off with her Poleaxe at an incredible rate that the next few fights didn't ended up as a loss for Pyrrha.
When they finished sparring Pyrrha had to start seriously comparing themselves. Areto was strong, she had no doubt the Praetorian could at least match but more likely overpower Yang or Nora unless they used their semblances. As for speed she was fast even with the heavy armor though Pyrrha learned that she couldn't move in the same way Blake, Weiss, Ruby or Ren could so she had the advantage over her there.
When it came down to skill at fighting however it was a tough call, Pyrrha didn't have Miló anymore but she imagined she'd have the edge. Though she wouldn't discount the skill the Praetorian had with her own sword and poleaxe in making it a tough fight.
Lastly though was something that Pyrrha felt that ought to be considered which was technology, as from what she's seen and been told was that the Praetorian Armor not only was a well armored suit capable of taking a beating but doubled or tripled the user's strength. While there was a limit to what it could do in comparison to Aura users or Huntsmen it had a high flat line of level of strength across the board whereas there were only peaks of levels for the Huntsmen of the Four Kingdoms even then it varied across the board.
Then of course there were the weapons, again due to the limited nature of their technology the Praetorians were weakest at range combat relying on working in tandem with the various other branches of the Arcadian military. That being said once they got close it has become quite clear that getting hit by these so called power weapons may negate any of the protective capabilities of Aura. She wasn't sure if the power fields of these weapons ignored Aura or simply caused such raw damage that it can break through all but the strongest of Auras in a single hit.
In the end Pyrrha had to surmise that individually maybe even small groups that the Huntsmen could beat an equal number or maybe even a little more than their number of Praetorians. However the Praetorian Legion was a true military force to be reckoned with, if they turned a Cohort or the might of the entire Legion then the Huntsmen would lose badly.
"Have you talked with Jaune yet?" Areto asked breaking Pyrrha's chain of thoughts and she looked at the older woman.
"Yes, we've started talking again a few days ago before you two left to see Ruby and Yang." She said before sighing.
"You two talked out what happened at the tower?"
"Well yes and no. I think he's still a little sore about how I treated him. I guess I still need to give him some emotional spacing for now."
"So you didn't make out?" Areto asked and Pyrrha shook her head.
"You know Nora asked the same thing so I'll give you the same answer, no. Also how come you don't already know the answer? I thought Jaune would tell you." Pyrrha said looking back at her.
"Oh he did but I wanted to see if he was lying about not making out with you, that boy can be terribly humble sometimes or stupid it's hard to tell which sometimes."
"Well no, we haven't made out sadly." Pyrrha said as she zipped up the small duffle bag she used for her towel and water bottles.
"Sadly?"
"Well I mean I won't say I wouldn't be upset had Jaune decided to have a redo about our kiss at the bottom of the tower minus the battle."
"I knew it!" A voice called out, Pyrrha spun to see not only Nora but Ruby watching her from behind some bushes.
"What are you two doing and Ruby when did you get here?" Pyrrha asked feeling a new wave of heat touch her face.
"Just now, Nora grabbed me saying we had to spy on you." Ruby explained as she ran over to give Pyrrha quick hug.
"Well, it's good to see you Ruby, we were all glad when Jaune told us you were awake." Pyrrha said as Nora nodded.
"I'm surprised Yang didn't come with you." Nora added as the four of them headed towards Beacon.
"Ah, well she's still feeling out of it after losing her arm." Ruby said and Pyrrha couldn't help but see the brief glimpse of sadness in Ruby's face before it disappeared.
"On the bright side I'm glad to see you guys are okay as well."
"Aww, aren't you adorable." Nora cooed and the three Huntresses laughed before falling silent as they not only heard but felt something heavy moving nearby. Appearing around the corner of the nearest building was one of the massive nine meter tall war machines that had joined the fight at Beacon; the sight of it was both awe inspiring and terrifying.
None of them were prepared for it to use its war horn, the massive machine made a deep drawn out sound. It made Pyrrha think of a cheesy science fiction movie Jaune had them watch a few months back of three legged machines that came from space that then started harvesting or vaporizing people after blaring their own mournful sirens.
"I'm glad those things are on our side." Pyrrha said.
"Yea I doubt all the Paladins Atlas has left in Vale could take the five of them down without all of them going with it." Nora added.
"Most of the known Knights are on our side, though the Noble Houses tend to actively hunt down their Archenemy counterparts so they're not always available." Areto commented mildly from the side and the three girls looked at her.
"Archenemy?" Ruby asked.
"Oh, that's apparently the blanket term that the Arcadians use to describe those guys in red, the Ghourraians." Pyrrha explained and Ruby nodded though still looked a little confused.
"So wait I'm a little confused how many of these, Noble Houses are there with these Knights?" Nora asked.
"I mean, we have dozens but not all Houses are equal in size, age or experience so take it as a blessing to see one of these war machines so far from Arcadia. There are a lot of people who never live to see one of these move let alone fight."
"Is this the first time you've seen one?" Nora asked as the Knight moved farther away allowing for them to talk relatively normal but Pyrrha still felt the low hum machinery in the air.
"The first time for me was decades ago when I had been placed within the Housecarls, the siege of Midsoll Quagmire. High Lord Arc led a Legion Cohort and three Army Divisions against the Archenemy. Despite that it was the Knights of House Agueriou, House Cardaillevé, and House Duravès that actually broke their frontlines allowing us to strike at the heart of the enemy. Incidentally it was also the places where I was granted the rank of Decanus." Areto said with a wistful tone though she shook her head briefly only to see the three girls looking at her.
"What?"
"Nothing." The three of them said but none of them missed the part where she had specified decades. None of them were really quite sure how old Areto was, she looked to be in her mid to late twenties but they also knew Aura slowed the aging process down which is why people like Professor Port who looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties was a still capable Huntsman.
"Areto you're not telling any embarrassing stories about me are you?" A new voice called out, the four of them turned to see Jaune and Ren walking towards them.
"I wasn't but I can now." Areto replied.
"Tell us! Tell us!" Nora shouted before she jumped next to Ren who patted her arm in greetings.
"Another time, I wouldn't want Jaune to go fling himself off a cliff or something." Areto said much to the relief of Jaune.
"Yea that would be nice."
"So where have you been?" Nora asked the two male members of team JNPR. The two exchange withered looks.
"Well we were just down by the docks sorting out an administrative mess." Ren said before stopping to look at Jaune.
"Right I guess I can explain, the good news is our regiment is here, all of the regimental staffers are already organizing the effort to get everyone disembarked."
"What's the bad new?" Ruby asked.
"The Vale River is practically clogged with civilian and mercantile vessels from the Four Kingdoms. The troop ships are already pretty big that on a normal day it would be necessary to move cautiously, but with these ships on the water it has strung out the navy to the point that it will take at least a full day to just get all the soldiers off their transport which isn't including the time it will take to get all the heavy equipment and necessary supplies off as well. Then the pus icing on this rotting cake is the fact that there are also the other troop and supply ships that are needed for the 14th Division which are getting slowed down by us." Jaune explained and Ruby held up a finger.
"First of all Jaune, never, ever, refer to a cake and icing like that again." She held up another finger.
"Second, that's rough buddy."
"Thanks for your support and I'll continue to work on it but I need you girls to assist Ren with another matter." Jaune said before the group stopped as two modified Tauroses came to a stop nearby, climbing out of the side and rear passenger compartment of the lead one were six men and women. A tall man with an owlish face approached them. Nora whispered something about him being a nerd but Pyrrha poked her side to quiet her down as the man stopped to throw a crisp salute aimed at Jaune.
"Commander Arc, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Captain Jannick Lange; I am Colonel Elva Heim's Adjutant she's unable to come and wishes me to extend her apologies." The man said but Jaune raised a hand to stop him.
"That's alright Captain Lange; I would have preferred she'd continue attending to the Regiment. The sooner they're onshore the sooner we can billet them and plan our next course of action."
"Well sir Colonel Heim felt that it would be wiser if we went over what was already laid out for us so we can adjust our timetable around it, which is why I brought the head staffers of the regiment here as well." Lange said gesturing to the men and women behind him who were lined up.
"This is First Lieutenant Barbara Faerber, she's the Regimental S2." Lange said as they moved towards the Faunus woman on the far left. She was of average height wearing the standard grey fatigues of the Arcadian Army with jet black hair that matched with the round animal ears on the top of her head. She seemed extremely tired as Jaune could see some heavy bags under her eyes so he decided to give her a quick salute that she returned.
"Next we have the Regimental S3, Major Valur Svangeirsson." Next was a massive barreled chested man with biceps as big as Jaune's thighs along a web of scars on his forehead and left temple. He would have been an intimidating man if he didn't have a wide smile on his face; Jaune gave him a quick salute.
"Here is the Regiment's S4, Captain Sara Wallace." Lange continued as Jaune followed him to a tall well-built woman who quite frankly was giving Jaune a weird look that both intrigued and worried him.
After giving her a salute they moved onto the next person, who was the most unique looking individual amongst them. Before him was a tall red robed figure, taller than all of them by a head, with a quad arm mechadendrite pack surgically attached to his back, an Enginseer.
"Last is Enginseer-Captain John Keegan the Regiment's S6." Lange said to which Jaune gave a final salute, the taller man nodded his cowl hooded head.
"Well it's a pleasure to meet all of you and I'm looking forward to working with all of you." Jaune said before looking back the others.
"Areto, can you take the others to see Headmistress Goodwitch, she said that the first wave of volunteers from Vale have arrived and she's already getting them organized into their own dorm area but I want them to billet with the regiment." Jaune said.
"What are you going to do Jaune?" Pyrrha asked and nodded at the staffers
"I'll go with them to see the Enginseers about if our billets are ready."
"Shouldn't one of us join you though?" Pyrrha prompted and Jaune thought about it for a second.
"That's a good point, Pyrrha and Nora you two can join me if you want. Ruby and Ren can go with Areto, sound good?" Jaune said the six of them split into two groups with Areto leading Ruby and Ren towards Beacon Tower on foot while Jaune climbed into the second Tauros which was driven by a helmed soldier, who followed the lead Tauros.
"Did Goodwitch tell you how many volunteers we got from Vale?" Pyrrha asked through a small grilled screen that separated the rear compartment with the driver and passenger section.
"No but I wouldn't imagine we'd have anything more than a few platoons worth of people." Jaune replied.
"What I don't understand is why your father wants to have a Huntsmen Company attached to your Regiment, sure you said he wanted to show cooperation but we're already here so wouldn't that already be the same thing just on a smaller scale or really even the Battle of Vale or Beacon? The Sisterhood and the 14th defended Vale long enough for them to catch their breath after the surprise attacks before fighting back the Ghourraians and Grimm together." Nora asked.
"That's a fair point but really what I think my father wants is for the Four Kingdom to mobilize to a war footing, possibly to what it was like during the Great War. The Battle of Vale and Beacon was a necessity there's no denying that but it's the belief of not just my father but Heider, Sanian, Talbek and Zophiel that the Archenemy is on Sanus in force. We may have beaten them here but that doesn't mean they're truly defeated or unable to go after other targets."
"You mean there might be an attack on the other Kingdoms?" Pyrrha asked and Jaune shrugged.
"I would think so but that would be a risky move right now since we repelled the attack here meaning the other Kingdoms should have an idea what to prepare for. No, I think our next stage of this war is going to be elsewhere."
"The Outlands?" Nora asked as the two Tauroses turned around a cluster of trees to see two large sandbag pillboxes, already staffed by two Heavy Stubber teams with a road barrier in between them.
"It's still strange to think that we will be going to war now." Nora said and Pyrrha had to agree with her. The ultimate goal after the Great War was to put an end to any sort of fighting on a Kingdom against Kingdom scale instead focusing on their mutual enemy, the Creatures of Grimm, with the Huntsmen Academies being one of the corner stones for that ever lasting peace.
Then again she never imagined that Beacon would be housing a powerful comatose magical woman who was being hunted so maybe there was more to it than anyone knew. The more she thought about it the more she realized that this shouldn't be that surprising after everything they had seen these last few months, her thoughts were interrupted by a soft touch on her knee.
"What?" She asked focusing back on Nora, who pointed towards the open rear doors.
"We're here, come on daydreamer, you can think about smooching with Jaune later." She said with a hearty laugh much to Pyrrha's chagrin.
Outside she could see that they were stopped in a relatively small square, though at a quick count she noted that there were at least a dozen large green tents to the north with more being built around them as they walked. Yet there was also a large two story wood building facing south towards Beacon and past it looked to be the metal framework of a hanger.
"Alright, this is going to be the heart of the camp, we'll have to find Enginseer-Captain Gilbreth for the details as she's the onsite coordinator but the last time I talked with her she said that they already had installed all one hundred and sixty two scaled up Temper Tents ready to accommodate twenty five people each. However they only have about sixty of them fully stocked with amenities." Jaune said as they walked towards what looked to be the main building.
"Is there supply shortage?" Sara Wallace asked and Jaune gave a vague gesture in response.
"The 14th has been in charge of procuring supplies from Vale with the budget the High Lord left but purchasing supplies from Vale isn't a long term deal. This is why the Fleet is supposed to bolster our stocks but obviously that's going to take at least a few days to offload completely before they can even consider distributing it."
"Well we've got supplies meant solely for the Regiment but I would rather we hold onto that once we actually get into the field."
"You'll have to talk with Heider's staff about that but for now assume that once the Regiment is assembled we might have to start dipping into our reserves." She nodded and Pyrrha could see that she was writing something down on a small paper notepad. As they got close to the most central building Pyrrha could see a small sign posted next to the door.
"What's JTFS 3rd Regiment Headquarters?" Nora asked softly looking at Pyrrha.
"It's Joint Task Force Sanus 3rd Regiment Headquarters." She explained as she watched Jaune open the door for the staffers as they walked in though he didn't follow them as he looked back at them.
"So what do you two think?"
"Think about what?" Nora asked.
"The staff officers, what do you think of them?" He clarified.
"I don't know if there is much to say really, they seem like decent people who will get the job done." Pyrrha said and Jaune nodded.
"I thought that as well but I wanted to see your initial reactions since like it or not we'll be stuck together with them for the foreseeable future."
"So, are we technically Regimental staffers as well? You never really explained that." Nora asked.
"Ah, right, well technically no but you're a part of my retinue which means you'll be with me in battle if you want or can sequester yourself a small infantry section to fight with other than that there isn't much you do for now." Jaune explained and Nora nodded while she was glad to be with Jaune she felt way out of her league in every other regard to her new situation.
"But can we do something if we wanted to help more?" Pyrrha asked and Jaune shrugged.
"Yes, no, maybe? I don't really know what to say Pyrrha, you can assist where you can but honestly I think most of the actual work has to be done by others." Jaune said as he looked back to the building before at them again.
"We're all just playing catch up here but that doesn't mean you can't be observant and when you can offer a hand to help other than that just don't get in their way." He said before heading inside, Pyrrha made to follow him but she stopped when she realized that Nora wasn't moving.
"Nora?" She asked and the shorter girl looked up at her.
"You go on with him Pyr, I'm going to head back to our dorms and start collecting our stuff." She said but Pyrrha caught the unspoken message she was implying. Pyrrha knew that this was a big step in their lives; a month ago all they had to worry about was the Vytal Tournament and then the end of year exams. Now they were soldiers in an army during a time in which most people in the world had forsaken militaries in hopes of peace.
The times have changed and Pyrrha was still trying to figure out if she could change with them.
Elsewhere…
Arabella watched as her husband stepped away from the podium, far below them in what is known as Legion Square; nearly ten thousand people were cheering or buzzing with activity after what they had listened to.
The news of what happened in Vale was now an open matter within the Kingdom of Arcadia, as Alexander had long ago tasked Director Variel to clamp down on any information that would reveal what had happen to the people of Arcadia. He then had taken the time to enact previous laid out parts of older plans that were still applicable to their situation before putting together a new frame of military and political objectives with not only the High Council but the lesser Senate of Arcadia.
Arcadia's Senate merely was a collection of representatives that administered or kept in focus civilian matters so the larger picture doesn't overshadow or push them aside. As such a lot of concerns such as discussing taxes from the various provinces, overarching social programs, appointment of Governors as well as even broad spectrum military matters can be debated before their solutions or opinions are brought to the High Council who had the final say on them.
Once that had been settled, Alexander had called for a public announcement to take place in one of Falias's many squares that would be broadcasted to not just every corner of Arcadia but to every allied Outland village, town or territory.
When that was arranged Alexander, along with Arabella, the High Council, representatives of the various Noble Houses, and the Senate were arrayed at one of the many keeps that were constructed around the Nyseion's sole mountain cluster. All of which was another facet of the massive fortification known as the Eternal Wall.
It was here that Alexander would recount the events of the last six month by first establishing Jaune's desire of becoming a Huntsman which he explained by establishing that Jaune merely wanted to understand the Four Kingdoms more by training at Beacon. This he underlined was his primary reason for having a network to keep him safe in case his identity was found out only to get caught up in the political and civil mess that was the White Fang which snowballed into the current events.
After which he announced a start to a new Military campaign outside of Arcadia, the first official one since the Faunus Rights Revolution, spinning it as the goal of saving most the Four Kingdoms and most of the Outlands from a foe they were not prepared for.
To stem any thoughts of discontent at helping the Four Kingdoms he began laying out the facts that if any of the Kingdoms fell to a taint then the safety of not just Arcadia but the whole world could be in jeopardy. The people and allies of Arcadia were all very familiar with the insidious threat of the Archenemy which even now to Arabella was a notion that sat ill with her of their collective knowledge of the Archenemy of Man.
"I still feel like we're exposed out here." A gritty voice growled out from behind Arabella and she looked over her right shoulder at Lyfen Tantar. The former Astarte was of the members of the inner Retinue who had attached himself to the 7th Cohort who had been fighting out in the Outlands west of Arcadia. He wore his gold and blue power armor, his old heraldry of a white lion head scrapped away from the blue pauldron in favor of the double crescents of an Arc. Most notably was the healed patch of what Arabella knew was a lasgun wound to the side of his head.
"You're just being paranoid, the Aegis and my Sisters have the place covered." Arabella whispered back before smiling as she waved as a Servo-skull equipped with a visual streaming device panned over them before moving on.
"She's right Lyfen plus I've got about three hundred agents in that crowd in case anything does happen along with that there are about two thousand Judges spaced out down there, besides that you didn't have to come." Lilith spoke up from Arabella's left.
"The High Lord requested me and I believe this is his way of breaking the news that I may be leaving to Sanus as well at some point." Lyfen said and Arabella hummed a response.
"Alexander did tell me and Variel that he wants us to establish a new Operation before the first wave of the Army departs." Lilith added.
"Has he decided when exactly he wants to send the first wave?" Lyfen asked as Arabella turned to them, Alexander was heading back into the nearest Bastion.
"That's not something we should be talking about here and besides I've effectively retired from active combat." Arabella said which was true technically; she only now went into combat with her husband when she felt it was necessary or if Sanian came to ask her. Now she mostly stayed with her children while attending to the State when Alexander was gone or occasionally teaching acolyte sisters.
While Arabella continued to stand outside, Alexander was hounded by a crowd of Senators, Nobles and bureaucrats.
"High Lord!? Have you seen my proposal for the new dams in Elatria?"
"My Lord, have you considered giving us additional funding to work with in order to come up with a suitable financial package for steel manufactories in Alyzeia?"
"Lord Arc, why won't Forge Master Rosenstock increase wages for Manufactorum workers in Clove to thirty five credits an hour?"
"When are you going to call on the rest of the Knight Houses or is House Raulon going to be exclusively deployed for the Sanus Campaign?"
"How long do you plan on persecuting this campaign to help those Barbarians when Irkalla still needs supplies and manpower to recover from the siege a few months back?" Alexander stopped and raised his hands to quiet them down.
"I understand you have concerns and issues to bring up but there is a system to discuss these things already that being said I will quickly humor some of your concerns. First I'm willing to hear from any of the Noble Houses who wish to lend their Knights to this campaign so please feel free to send your requests to me and I will answer them individually. As for the Four Kingdoms and the situation in Irkalla, as I've said, they're same, we tried holding one front then cracking down anywhere there might be an outbreak but now multiple fronts are opening up across Sanus maybe even the rest of the world. If the Archenemy of Man gains a significant foothold then at some point whether it's tomorrow or a hundred years from now we'll lose. Now for prices and funding I understand there's a need for growth in spending or payment but if we're not taking each case into account for the long term then a decision shouldn't be made lightly. You know this, Rosenstock knows this, and Griffin knows this so nothing can or should be done yet but it doesn't mean that they won't be considered. Now ladies and gentlemen I shall take your leave." Alexander said calmly dismissing the assembled group, and to be the hammer to his scalpel dismissal two Housecarls stepped closer on either side of the group.
Alexander watched as the group walked away, he had long since gotten over his aversion to civilians as he had witnessed the resentment that could build up in pure bred warriors to their mortal wards. Even still a part of him disliked having to deal with them.
"You handled that well." A voice spoke up from behind him and Alexander turned to see Lord Commander Ulrich Thade and High Admiral Jürgen Heth.
"Aye Lord, I thought you were just gonna ignoring the pesky flies." Thade said and Alexander could see Heth shake his head.
"I keep telling him it isn't best to openly call them that, some of them are Knight Lords, and they fight just as much if not more than others."
"True and nor do I discount that. Yet that isn't to say that the Nobles can't be annoying sometimes, if they're not droning on about their precious machines then they're droning on about finding the Archenemy to fight then if they can't have that they drone on about their honor and being able to march to the glory of war against the Four Kingdoms. I just want them to shut up and squash some bastards for me."
"Lord Commander, I do not wish to hear about your personal grievances with the Nobles nor is this an appropriate place to air them." Alexander reprimanded and Thade bowed his head.
"Forgive me High Lord." He said but Alexander ignored him as he strode on, mindful in keeping his pace slow so the two men could keep up.
"I assume there is a reason the two of you are here instead of returning to attend to your duties."
"Well my Lord, I figured it would be best come to you in person to say that I've received word from the 2nd and 3rd Brigades." Heth chimed in and Thade gave a sour look that caught Alexander's attention.
"And it's not good."
A Few Weeks Later…
Pyrrha watched as a First Lieutenant blew a whistle and a squad of soldiers along with a four person Huntsmen team breached into what was a mock test building. Light pops could be heard of stun grenades and people calling out as they cleared rooms.
"Well it looks like they're getting the hang of it and it only took them a few weeks." A voice remarked next to her in a slightly derisive tone and Pyrrha turned to see a woman standing next to her, Major Kapitola Greppsdóttir commander of the Regiment's 3rd Battalion. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties with brown hair and tanned skin with a thin pale scar on her cheek.
"Well the Huntsmen aren't amateurs in teamwork; they're just not used to being a part of something like this." Pyrrha said defending the Huntsmen team as she gestured to the encampment. A little less than six thousand people were in the camp, making it perpetually noisy and more than a little crowded.
Most of the regiment was regular soldiers but their fourth battalion was from a Mechanized Regiment while having a fifth battalion of tanks attached to them as well. Then there was a mobile artillery company and two Heavy Weapons Companies.
Then there was also two additional Companies attached to their Regiment, a small Demi-Company that was Jaune's personal infantry section while in the field though Areto had been given primary command of it while there was the Huntsmen Company that numbered around eighty strong.
As for their support staff they numbered around battalion strength containing anything from doctors, supply clerks, enginseers to even cooks.
Though she had heard that Professor Goodwitch, now called Headmistress Goodwitch, had petitioned Vale to deny the entry of Huntsmen in joining the Joint Task Force but that was something that she didn't know enough about to have a good opinion on. At the same time what she was surprised to see was the fact there were quite a few people from Arcadia that didn't look very kindly on the Huntsmen or the Four Kingdoms as a whole though more that didn't extend to those that they knew fought with them at Beacon or in Vale.
As such Pyrrha had taken it as one of her jobs with helping Ruby to smooth out the wrinkles between the two groups. So she had gone to Jaune to tell him that she would like to put together a series of drills between the two groups while breaking the concentration of the Huntsmen by spreading them out amongst the regiment.
Though there had been a few bumps along the road; several soldiers had been put into the infirmary with multiple broken bones after voicing their ill opinions around some of the Huntsmen. Jaune had to deal with the petition from a number of officers to execute them in response or imprison them but he had opted to publicly dismiss them from the Regiment. Incidentally those Huntsmen had also lost their contracts with Vale leaving them out of the job.
In the end Ruby had still been able to convince Jaune that the Huntsmen Company should be kept spread out with teams distributed amongst the infantry companies of the Regiment.
"So has the Commander told you anything about our first mission?" Greppsdóttir asking as she turned to Pyrrha who was broken out of her thoughts.
"Nope."
"That's a shame; I would rather like to know who we're going to be fighting."
"I don't think there's really any question on who that's going to be, we're either going to be fighting the Creatures of Grimm or hunting down Ghourraians."
"True but seek and destroy missions are better than a secure and protect one." Greppsdóttir said before turning to see two soldiers walk up to her, Pyrrha ignored them as the officer from before blew the whistle again. There were some cheers from the soldiers around the building as the group came out; she smiled a little at seeing a few soldiers exchange fist bumps or high fives with the Huntsmen team.
Pyrrha excused herself from the Major as she headed back towards the center of the camp; soldiers sat inspecting their gear, heating up food or were just lounging around. The smell of thousands of people living in relatively close proximity together with hundreds of vehicles and campfires burning made the air feel a little stiff when there wasn't a good breeze.
She hoped that if they continued fighting in this unit that they'll be in better conditions come spring or else camp life during the daytime would be atrocious.
There was a buzzing in her pocket and she took out her scroll to see a message from Jaune asking to meet him at the regimental headquarters. She typed a response before tucking it away that was another situation that she had to deal with at some point. Jaune had made clear that he liked her in return all she needed now was to get Jaune to forgive her so that they can continue exploring their budding relationship.
A part of her still felt that his reaction was overboard but Nora and Ruby had both angrily confronted her about it as well. Even the normally stoic Ren had given her a harsh lecture about how he felt when he heard about what she had done. It had gotten to a point where Pyrrha was starting to realize just how stupid she had been that day and it left her feeling guilty at seeing her friends having such a visceral reaction to her choice.
It took a while but Pyrrha was able to reach the headquarters around nightfall, the cool air making the earlier atmosphere much more tolerable but with
"Hey Pyr." A voice called out and Pyrrha turned to see Jaune walking towards her swathed in a large unmarked grey colored greatcoat.
"Hello Jaune, I thought you would be inside." She said but he shook his head.
"Nah, Colonel Heim wanted me to make the runs with her as she inspected her battalion." He said but sighed.
"Plus she wanted to voice her concerns about the Huntsmen again."
"I thought you said that she was okay with us?"
"That's what she said but I think she's only paying lip service to it, you should have seen the daggers she was throwing at Headmistress Goodwitch after she, very reluctantly, introduced the Huntsmen volunteers from Vale I felt like I was in danger of seeing a fight break out any second."
"It's still feels weird calling Goodwitch that, I sort of always expected to just having to call her Professor."
"I don't think anyone hates it more than her actually."
"I know right? Have you seen the way she looks? I don't think she's gotten more than an hour of sleep in the last few days."
"It's because she's constantly using her semblance to help speed up repairs in Vale and fortifying the school. Talbek actually had to escort her back from Vale when she nearly collapse and crushed a work crew that was near one of the buildings she was trying to put back together."
"That poor woman, she's trying to do so much but is really just going to burn out at this rate." Pyrrha said softly before being reminded that was also a part of the argument that her friends had been using against her in trying to both take the Maiden Powers and fight Cinder. She glanced at Jaune to see that he had already been looking at her but turned to look ahead, had he been thinking the same thing about her? It hurt to think about it as she could still see the anguish on his face in the elevator at Beacon Tower; she blinked hard before focusing on the path ahead towards the regiment's headquarters.
The two of them said nothing as they walked up the steps then headed inside, the noise of vox traffic and people talking could be heard but Pyrrha followed Jaune as they headed up a set of stairs that led to the second floor. There were more rooms up there but they were merely the living quarters of the staff, Jaune of course had the luxury of getting his own room at the far end of the building.
While Pyrrha had her own room next to Areto who insisted on having the room right next to Jaune's while Ren, Nora and Ruby each had their own rooms in the same hallway. That being said Pyrrha did like spending time in Jaune's room before going to bed.
"So Kapitola was asking me earlier if you had any word on when the Regiment was going to be sent out." Pyrrha said as she followed Jaune into his room.
"She and everyone else want to know as well." Jaune said as he stripped off his greatcoat before tossing it onto the sole chair in the room then flopped onto the bed. Jaune still didn't have his armor or Crocea Mors back though he had told Pyrrha that his father wouldn't leave him weaponless.
"I guess that's not surprising and I guess you would only know as much as they tell you." Pyrrha said taking that as if Jaune had no real answer as she sat down on the bed before taking her shoes and socks off to massage her ankle a softly.
It didn't hurt as much as it had before but every now and then if Pyrrha moved her foot in a weird way it'll tighten up pretty bad. Aveus Dillinger had said in her most recent checkup that the chances of permanent damage were low but flair ups of pain might still come and go for the time being. Something she was grateful for, as losing her full mobility for good would make her a liability during combat.
"I mean I do know." She looked at him.
"What?" Jaune turned his head towards her.
"Heim and I were also called in by Major General Heider and he informed us that our orders have come in. I already have the staffers putting together a mission docket for an officer briefing tomorrow and in the afternoon I'll make the official announcement, we have three days before we depart." This was a surprise to Pyrrha but maybe deep down she had just hoped it would never really happen.
"So, what's the mission?"
"Actually, can we not talk about it? I know you're curious but I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to explain it."
"Is it really that complicated?"
"Yea, but I can say that we're gonna be gone from the Four Kingdoms for a while."
"Oh." Pyrrha wasn't really sure what to say to that. If she had to guess that meant they were either going to another Arcadian territory like the Hurin Valleys or going to search for the Ghourraians who everyone seemed to believe were gathering their forces for another attack.
"Indeed." Jaune said but neither of them said anything for a while. Jaune stood up again to walk over to the small desk in the corner where he began to flip through a few folders. Pyrrha decided to break the silence as now was as good as time as any to clear the air. She felt nervous and a small lump threatened to silence her voice but she forced herself to speak up.
"Jaune?" She asked clearly hearing the wobble in her voice and the hammering in her chest as she steeled her for this conversation.
"Yes Pyrrha?"
"I just wanted to say that I'm…sorry." He looked at her; a fleeting expression of confusion passed his face before a blank expression took root.
"Look I know what I did at the tower was wrong, I get that now but you have to believe me I never wanted to make you think that I was abandoning you because I thought you were weak or to fulfill some crazy death wish. I just wanted to do what I thought was right." Pyrrha said as she looked down at her hands, the blurry sensation of tears pricked at the corner of her vision but there was a shift of movement and Jaune took her hands into his.
"Pyrrha, it's okay. I've long since accepted that you did what you felt you had to."
"Thank you Jaune but I still fucked up and nearly died dragging you and everyone else along with me." She said her voice choking as guilt poured from her but Jaune brought her into a hug as she apologized over and over before finally straightening up again.
"Yet I got to be one of the lucky ones where I lived through my fatal mistake to acknowledge it as that and I want you to be the first to hear me say it. I'm sorry." She said blinking a few times as tears began to fall, her voice starting to choke again. Jaune put a hand on her cheek, his thumb wiping away a tear as he smiled fondly at her before kissing her forehead.
Pyrrha wrapped her arms around him again, the warmth of his body seeping into hers. Pyrrha pulled her head back after a bit to look at Jaune; she could see the soft concern in his blue eyes mixed with other emotions that she dare not voice aloud for fear of shaking whatever dream she might be in.
Without a word the two kissed, it wasn't the rough passionate kiss that they shared at the tower, but a gentle one that they both eased into. They continued to kiss as Pyrrha leaned back on the bed pulling Jaune with her.
They continued to kiss for minutes or hours Pyrrha wasn't sure nor did she care but then Jaune broke it, at first Pyrrha wasn't sure what was wrong but then he began to kiss the side of her neck and she closed her eyes as each time his lips touched her neck a tingling sensation passed down her back. Her hands went lower on his back before pulling up his shirt a little then sliding her hands underneath it, her hands traveled slowly up and down his bare skin.
Jaune returned to kiss her lips and Pyrrha moved one of her hands from Jaune's back to take his right arm. She moved it over her chest then placed it down on one of her breasts, she could see Jaune's eyes widen in surprise seeing that surprised expression and the feeling of his hand on her elated Pyrrha as Jaune leaned back mostly in surprise at this situation as he took his hand off her breast.
"Pyrrha?"
"It's okay Jaune, I want this." She whispered feeling her face flush with heat before leaning up to kiss him again. They continued to kiss and Pyrrha found it oddly cute to see how hesitantly Jaune brought his hand back to her breast before grabbing it softly.
Neither of them was ready when there was a knock at the door, Jaune and Pyrrha both froze as they listened but there wasn't any sound. However Jaune got up and rubbed his face briefly before moving to the door.
"Hello?" He asked but no one answered so he opened the door slowly only to see something fall to the floor.
"What is it?" Pyrrha asked from the bed, waving her hands to cool her face off as Jaune picked something up from the floor before closing the door.
"I…uh…I don't really know what to say." He said as he turned around to hold up a folded piece of paper which he opened then took out something. Pyrrha watched as Jaune held up a five pack of condoms.
"Apparently Areto can hear us and wants to make sure I don't get you pregnant." Jaune said as he read the note.
"Hmm, that's a fair point." Pyrrha said from the bed and Jaune nodded before the two fell into silence but Pyrrha broke it with a simple but welcomed question.
"You still wanna make out?" She asked and Jaune responded by tossing the note aside to join her.
Yikes...
Sorry for the long wait, I actually had the last two chapter done a week ago before starting on a third chapter which I hope to have done by the end of this month. It's been a very stressful and odd time these last few months as you all are aware of in which I hope you're taking care of yourselves the best you can.
Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter and have a good day.
Till Next Time...