Okay, college is starting up this week for me, so posts will be kind of weird for a while. I'm still going to try getting out two chapters a week between my stories.

Also, for the squeamish, there's a part where the characters hunt and kill an animal before processing the carcass. I don't go into too much detail over it, but it's there when Jaune goes off to hunt.

Jaune stirred from his slumber, finding that he had a crook deep within his neck. He let out a deep groan as a throbbing headache filled his braincase. The light hurt to even gaze at, so Jaune shielded his eyes as he sat up. However, doing so, he smacked his head on a table someone had put above him.

Ugghhh, where am I?

He massaged the top of his head, looking around the area that he could presently see. There were trash and a few other bodies laid out across the floor. All of them appeared to be sleeping or beginning to wake up alongside Jaune. At this hour, there was no foot traffic either.

Gotta find the others...

Jaune grabbed onto the table, and weakly pulled himself out from under it. This was not a good move either as the headache turned to nausea. Luckily, Jaune bit down on his tongue, forcing him to keep whatever he was about to puke up-down.

"So, you're finally awake," someone called out to Jaune from the other side of the room. Jaune turned to find the bartender from last night cleaning glasses while another put tables and chairs back upright. "You guys had quite the night..."

We did...

Jaune didn't remember a whole lot, but he felt quite satisfied with what he did retain. He was too drunk after the dance to keep up with whatever happened that night. Judging by the broken furniture and trash, however, they might have overdone it. Hopefully, the bartender wasn't going to be angry with him.

"Sorry about the damage," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't remember what happened..."

"Don't worry about it," she replied with a snort, putting a glass on the shelf behind her. "I made so much money last night, I'm good for another month on top of what you guys broke. So, I don't mind if you guys want to come back. Adventurers are good for business..."

Really? Nice to know... Bunch of stupid kids are easy to sell alcohol to.

The sound of a door upstairs opening drew their attention to the stairway. There, Ren was running out the front door with Nora on his heels. The boy made it outside before the sounds of him vomiting filled Jaune's ears. Nora was out there trying to make sure her friend was all right in his hungover state. Encouraging words only did so much as she held his hair to keep him from puking in it.

"Thanks," Jaune chirped, turning to go upstairs. "I'm going to get the rest of my friends and make sure they're alive..."

"We're getting some food ready, so if they want breakfast, they need to get down here!"

...

Jaune knocked on the door leading to their room and waited for an answer. A few seconds later, Yang poked her head out and stared at him with a dead look. Her hair was, to put it lightly, frizzy and unkempt. Something very unlike Yang. Her eyes had bags under them and were very red as well.

Jaune did remember that she drank more than him. He had his constitution necklace on, but Yang still had a lead on him by several levels. Not to mention how much tougher she was than him. From what he was looking at, Yang's tolerance did not hold out in the slightest.

"What..." Yang said weakly, looking like she was going to fall over.

"I'm trying to get you guys up, we need to eat and leave to catch up with a wagon train," Jaune explained, gesturing to the downstairs in urgency. "They're taking us south, and they're leaving in an hour or two."

"It's seven in the fucking morning, dude," she whined, yawning loudly as she once again lost her balance. "You're a monster..."

Jaune did not hesitate, pressing his hand against her forehead and casting his healing spell. Quickly, a wave of magicka flowed from his hand into the girl's head, healing any remnants of the hangover she'd gotten. Already, Yang was beginning to perk up, feeling the change as well.

"What the fuck was that," Yang exclaimed in a more energetic voice. "That was awesome!"

"I healed your hangover with some magic," Jaune replied, pushing open the door to the room. "It worked on Weiss when she got hungover. Gives you a chance to detox without the symptoms."

Too bad I can't use it on me...

Inside, everyone was splayed out every which way possible. Sun curled up almost under the bed. Blake and Ruby both cuddled on the bed in a mess of limbs and raven coloured hair as the Assassin spooned the Reaper. Weiss and Pyrrha were already up and brushing their hair whilst having a conversation on the far side of the room.

"So what's this about a ride then," Yang asked, going for her own hairbrush. She quickly began working at it to correct any flaws. "Beats walking if we can get close enough."

"It's going to cost fifteen-hundred lien, Yang," Pyrrha interjected, giving the harder to fulfil part of the deal.

Yang whistled at the price. "Ouch, that's gonna hurt," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "But I'm gonna guess you got something to sweeten the deal?"

"Two extra days to raid the dungeon," Jaune revealed with a smug grin. "If we can use that to find some artefacts, it will more than makeup for it."

"Why not," Yang asked rhetorically, shrugging her shoulders. "You run it by Ren and Nora yet?"

"He's puking downstairs, so I'm gonna give him a minute..."

Guy's gonna need some time to adjust.

"I don't know why he drank so much," Weiss asked rhetorically, shaking her head annoyedly. "Clearly, his Constitution's not high enough to handle it."

Jaune let out a short nervous laugh. "Sun and I might have goaded him into drinking a bunch..."

Those shots were probably a bad idea.

"No wonder why women live longer. That shit right there!"

[Dining Area]

Everyone eventually came downstairs as the innkeepers were serving breakfast. Most of the group still wore the clothes they had on the previous night since there was no way to clean them and they were going to be travelling. However, the night of debauchery did not do anybody any favours physically.

Sun was barely able to keep himself awake after drinking four cups of coffee. Ren was a pile of meat slumped against the table. Nora was in the best condition out of everyone who drank, but she was focused on taking care of her patient. The rest were either experiencing headaches or fatigue.

"Poncier's a complete shithole from what I hear," Sun expressed, downing another cup. "It makes Whiteshale look like Vale. Thieves are running wild over there, bandits, a bunch of anti-mage nuts, and the town's only purpose is to be a port-town. They have an inn and not much else to look at."

"Then we be really careful," Yang argued, chewing a bite of eggs and bacon. "We're a group of armed adventurers. Who's gonna try to fight us all at once?"

"The entire town if someone pisses them off," Jaune agreed with Sun.

"Yeah, Church influence is also pretty goddamn heavy down there," Sun continued, going for a piece of steak. "Not as bad as Grosche, and I've been there. That city is terrifying. You only need to say the wrong thing and the entire place'll get whipped up into pitchforks and torches."

"Why don't we camp outside the walls," Ruby suggested. "We sleep in shifts so nothing can sneak up on us."

"Not a bad idea if Jaune and Yang want to run into town for food," Blake admitted. "If Sun wants to talk the innkeeper into giving us a room, then we can sleep inside and just not go out at night. Inns are usually neutral ground."

Before anybody could respond, Ren mumbled something into the table. Nora listened to him, placing one hand on his shoulder to lean in. A few nods came from the girl as she paid attention to the words.

"Can we not go anywhere loud," Nora asked in place of Ren.

"Jeez, Jaune, use your healing magic, this is so sad," Yang urged, trying to hold back a snicker.

Fine...

Jaune thrust his hand out, and the stream of magic began flowing into Ren. His body glowed slightly as the miasma touched him, but there was no immediate recovery like with Yang. Ren seemed to curl up further into his arms to shield himself from outside stimuli.

Ren mumbled something and Nora listened to the reply.

"Didn't work," she said. "I think Renny's hangover debuff is too strong."

"Oh, god," Ruby sighed in grief at her friend's misery. "We should just wrap him in a blanket and let him sleep the whole way to Poncier. There's no way he's gonna be able to walk."

"I'm finding it hard to disagree," Pyrrha expressed, hanging her head low at their single option. "It's going to take too long for him to recover. We can't wait for that."

Heartless, but that was the hand they were dealt. Losing today for Ren's hangover wouldn't cut it. They would be further behind than if they chose to walk. Forcing Ren on that death march when he was still in this condition would slow the group down every time he bent over to puke. It all came out to a lose-lose situation no matter what. So, they had to go with the least miserable option for everyone.

"I suppose I'll pay the caravaneers if someone else wants to help," Weiss declared, wiping her mouth and stacking her plates and cups at the end of the table.

"I'll help, we're in the best shape out of everyone, so it makes sense," Pyrrha said, taking care of her dishes and following Weiss out of the tavern.

With them gone, everyone else went back to eating. Their pace was much slower given their hangovers. Ruby was okay since she only had a few ales, but was messing with her armour more than eating.

"Talk to me, Goose," Jaune said to Ren. "Can you handle sleeping in a wagon?"

Ren bobbed his head up and down as much as he could. The confidence in his answer left more to be desired, but everyone shared a look in agreement. One by one, they each cleaned the table and began grabbing their things. Ren used Nora as a crutch to hobble his way out the door towards the marketplace.

Jaune ran upstairs and picked their bags up, beating them to the wagon despite the load. Everyone else did the same, throwing their gear into the rear wagon among the grains being transported. Nora had to push Ren into the cart while Ruby lifted him into the back. The boy immediately collapsed onto the floor where a blanket was thrown over him so he could sleep. Jaune and Nora quickly hopped into the cart, watching over him to make sure he remained stable for the trip's duration.

"You excited, Nora," Jaune posed as he leaned against a sack of grain, using it as a pillow.

"Yeah," she answered as though it were obvious. Her beaming smile emphasised the thoughts going through her head despite the horrid condition her friend was in. "We're going to an actual dungeon! How many adventurers get to do that?! With our friends too?! It's even better."

Ren grumbled under the blanket, curling up in a way to shield his ears.

"Sorry, Renny," Nora apologised, keeping her voice low.

"Hehehe," Jaune chuckled. "We got a little too excited last night..."

[Several Hours Later: Late Afternoon]

Fortunately, the trip had been easy on the group for most of the day. Ren had to hang off the cart at times due to motion sickness, but slowly got over the withdraw to where he could sit up. The man was still not going to be any use in a fight; however, the forests were quite deserted. Aside from a few birds, there were no other signs of large animals that would attack the caravan.

It was a good thing. The caravaneers were from a Vacuoun company who came to make their fortune over in Vale. They had many virtues, but fighting was not one of them. In fact, Sun hinted at them as being easy marks for thieves or bandits. Mercenaries would have no problem extorting the traders for lien to ensure their protection. Only one of their number even knew how to use a sword, the rest carried hunting knives.

Due to this, the group spread out appropriately with their heavy hitters up front. Weiss was in the middle with Sun and Ruby, while Jaune and Nora hung out in the back. It allowed the group easy communication if they spoke loudly enough with a whistle command to stop the entire team. Jaune's hawk would scout ahead, following the path they were supposed to take, ensuring no bandits or monsters were laying an ambush.

There's a good spot up ahead to camp for the night...

It was sequestered about twenty metres into the woods with a space large enough for all of the wagons. This would keep them off the road at night in case other travellers happened by. The woods would also provide cover in case it rained. All in all, it was a great spot they couldn't ask more from. A nearby river would be a good source of fish for a meal alongside anything they caught.

"Nora, hang back here, I'm gonna talk to Blake and the others," Jaune said, jumping off the back of the wagon. He stuck the landing despite the still moving cart, having to compensate for the inertia.

A short jog took him to the front of the train where he jumped aboard on a small metal bar sticking out of the side. Yang noticed this, sitting up suddenly from her nap to greet Jaune. Pyrrha waved to him, and Blake didn't immediately acknowledge the boy.

"There's a nice spot up ahead, I think we should stop now and make camp for the night," Jaune suggested, calling his hawk back down to him.

"How do you know," the driver asked in a high-pitched voice, glancing back at him with a concerned look.

The faunus male was rightly suspicious since he didn't know Jaune. It was a healthy paranoia. For all he knew, the group could have paid for the trip only to stab them in the back once they were out of town. Traders might have expected this in the back of their head but didn't treat it as an actual concern. Most bandits didn't have that much foresight to bait their victims in such a way.

Junior landed on the back of a horse in front of the man, distracting him momentarily. The large bird stared at him, cocking his head to the side as Dreizehn would. He became quite afraid of the creature, having probably little experience with birds of prey before.

"He told me," Jaune explained, snapping his fingers and the bird disappeared in a flash of light. "Let's me know what he sees."

"Oh, it's one of those adventurer abilities," the driver stated, attempting to regain his composure. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Yep, there's nothing out here aside from deer and a few boar," Jaune said, climbing into the back of the wagon. "Haven't seen any predators at all today. Might change tonight, so we need to find a spot to set up, or we'll get caught out in the open. Wolves are the best case, but some fiends or forest trolls come out at night. If we stay put, we'll hear anything stomping around if we sleep in shifts."

"Sure, I'll follow your lead," he agreed.

"Pull in here."

They entered the forest through a small opening in the thicket. The terrain was rough going in, but none of the carts got stuck. On the other side of the hedge, was the clearing Jaune had seen. Mostly, it was low grass with patches of dirt where they could set a fire. The proximity to the river made it easier to get some water for bathing or drinking.

"Line the carts against the inside of the forest, we'll sleep on the other side towards the river," Blake directed, putting away her map. "We can use them as barriers in case something comes out of the forest."

"W-What if something does come out," the driver asked nervously. "What about my horses and carts?!"

"It's those or your life, dude," Yang said, jumping out of the cart from the side. "They'll buy us a couple seconds so we can kill whatever attacks the camp, but we'll try to protect them if we can. No promises if it's a monster, they'll go after the horses first."

"Great..."

Once the carts were orienteered into a semi-circle, everyone filed out and gathered in the centre of camp. Blake and Jaune stood next to each other, facing the group as a whole. The traders were currently working on dealing with the horses, but the rest were available for work.

"So how do we want to do food tonight," Jaune asked, looking for suggestions. "Ruby and I got some stuff for stews, but we can save the meat for later and try our hand at hunting or fishing. What do you guys think?"

"I'm down for some fish," Yang said, shrugging her shoulders. "We can have some of that with a stew on the side or throw the fish in a pan and fry it."

At the thought of fish, Blake's eyes lit up. Weiss was the only other one excited about the prospect of a spit-roasted fish. Jaune himself wasn't married to the idea, but food was food.

"What about deer," Pyrrha suggested. "You said there was some in the area. We could eat as much as we can tonight and save the rest for tomorrow morning. If we can smoke some, we would have more rations for the rest of the trip. Then, we only have to pick up some more vegetables in town."

"Not a bad idea," Sun agreed, turning to the leaders. "I'll go catch some fish if you guys want to track a deer. I brought a few hooks and a line with me."

"Cool, Ruby, go with him, nobody goes off alone," Jaune directed, and they set off for the river. "Nora, Weiss, do you guys want to get a fire going and get a spit set up for cooking? Pyrrha and Yang, help them with the fire and see if you can scrounge up anything in the area. Blake and I will look around for anything we can hunt."

"Got it, boss, I'll grab some firewood," Yang said, turning and heading into the forest with Pyrrha.

Jaune turned to Blake who already had her bow out. She didn't say a word to him and began walking off into the forest. Jaune followed behind, looking for any signs of on the ground while Junior took to the sky.

"You hunt deer before," Jaune asked, attempting to strike up a conversation.

This would be an excellent time to get to know Blake better. They had rarely spoken before starting this adventure, so he wasn't super familiar with the girl. Then again, he wasn't buddy-buddy with everyone aside from Ruby and kinda Weiss. Maybe after this quest and he had some downtime, Jaune would take a quest with Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora.

"Once," Blake uttered, removing her hood to better her awareness of the environment. "I'm more used to boar and small game, so this will be different for me."

"Hopefully, we can get something then," Jaune said, grabbing a bullet from his belt. "Anything would be nice. It would kinda suck if we came back with nothing..."

Can't let Sun and Ruby outdo us!

"Can you hit anything with that bullet, you'll only get one shot," Blake pointed out, nocking an arrow to be ready. "We can fire at it at the same time, but if only I hit it, then we're going to have to chase the deer."

"As long as we don't spook it, then I can," Jaune replied. "If we find a boar, it might charge one of us, and we can take it down with a sword."

"Don't you have a spear," Blake asked, glancing over at him. "A boar will run up your sword and try to gore you."

"Yeah, but I only want to use that as a last resort, I get this weird feeling whenever I cast it, and it makes my armour total garbage," he explained, stretching his arms behind his head. "Description calls it an unholy holy weapon. What about you, do you have anything like that?"

"From Shadows," Blake uttered, turning her ears to face a distant sound. "I can completely submerse myself in any dark areas. As long as someone doesn't walk over with a torch or use light magic, I'm invisible."

Cool, when can I get something like that?

"Is that how you got around inside the tomb," Jaune asked, kneeling down to check the forest floor for tracks. He ran his hand over what appeared to be some old prints from a large deer. "Draugr won't think to check the shadows for you."

"Yeah, there's still oil pans and torches down there, but I stayed up on a ledge running throughout the ruins, so they didn't see a thing," Blake replied, kneeling down to check the tracks with him. "There's a deer trail running through here. This morning?"

"Looks like it," Jaune agreed, standing up and following the trail. "What do you want to get out of the ruins, though? Ruby and I want gear mostly or stuff for forging."

"You can have the forging materials, no one's gonna have any problems with it," Blake said without hesitation. "If you want to carry a magical anvil through a portal, it's yours... But I'm looking for money. Anything we can sell is fine with me."

Nothing wrong with that... Especially if there's a bunch of crap items, nobody wants. Money's always good.

"Looking to move out of the communal dorms?"

"Yes," Blake answered. "There are a few places in the city I could rent, but did you have any ideas? You and Ruby have been talking about working together to buy a house."

"Something large enough for a bunch of us to move into," Jaune described, using his hands to emphasise the grand scheme. "We want space for a greenhouse to grow ingredients, keep horses, and something like an enchantment table when we get there. After that... We were thinking about questing on Anima or Solitas. Do a little travelling on the side, some sight-seeing, kill a bunch of monsters, but all that's for when we have the money! This dungeon's going to be the big start for us, and if more people want to join in, then we can do it."

They were going to be Jaune and Ruby's lofty goals. Since there were three more years at the academy to go, it wasn't as if they were in a rush. With Ren and Nora joining them, and possibly Weiss on the house, they had the money. There was still the others to convince, however. Yang, Pyrrha, and Sun would be open to the idea at least. Blake was the only one he wasn't sure about.

"Hmmm," she hummed, pondering the schpeel Jaune gave her. "Depends on how everything goes in the dungeons. But I don't think you'll find the place in the city."

"Yeah, we might have to build some of that, but that's the end goal," Jaune expressed. "I don't expect to find a house with all that-"

Without saying anything, Blake stopped and so did Jaune. The girl brought a hand up to her lips and then pointed through the vegetation into a nearby clearing. Jaune looking in that direction and found a herd of deer just standing there. From their behaviour, it didn't seem as if they had spotted them yet.

Among them, was a large beautiful whitetail buck with a massive rack above his head. He had yet to shed it despite how they were entering mid-spring. Most of the other males had already shed their antlers and were almost indistinguishable from the females if it wasn't for their size.

Jaune pointed at the large male and nodded to Blake. She nodded back and drew her bow as far as she was able. Jaune cocked his arm with the bullet in hand and prepared for Blake's signal.

She loosed the arrow, and then Jaune propelled the ball as fast as he could to the deer's vital organs. Both projectiles entered behind the deer's forelimbs, causing the beast to collapse immediately. Jaune's bullet went through it, with a red mist exploding out the back and slamming into a tree somewhere in the forest. Blake's arrow was still sticking out where the lungs would have been.

"Yes," Jaune cheered at the success.

He and Blake charged out of the forest, scaring the rest of the deer so they could get to the buck. It was still kicking around as neither projectile immediately killed it. Jaune grabbed his sword and with an overhead chop to spare the animal, decapitated the deer in a single swing. The base of the skull was cleanly cut through, ensuring there was no more pain.

"How sharp is your knife," Jaune asked as he and Blake scrambled to throw a rope around the deer's legs.

"Good enough," Blake replied, tying a knot around both ankles. "What do you want me to work on?"

Jaune grabbed the end of the rope and tossed it over a large tree branch. He then hoisted the body up into the air, allowing the blood to drain out. "Work on the skin, I'll empty the guts," he dictated, pulling out his hunting knife.

Jaune's hands moved with a practised motion. The previous monster hunts taught him how to process an animal, but accompanying his father and the Lord on their excursing taught him various beasts. Boar, rabbits, fox, deer, and bear. Jaune had killed a few on his own because he happened to be there, but most of the time, he just helped with the aftermath.

In less than a minute, Jaune had the abdomen cleared of intestines and the stomach. There was nothing left to spoil the meat, and the scraps were left out for animals to pick up. Blake had already made two slits around the knee joints and was stripping the skin with a dagger. Her motions were not as refined, but she knew how to work the knife.

"Heart, lungs, kidneys, liver," Jaune mumbled as he cut away at the sternum.

Poking around the thoracic cavity, Jaune, pulled out the heart and lungs, setting them aside for later. All of the edible internal organs were placed on a small cloth to keep them clean. An additional wash would be needed before cooking, but everything was beautiful. The heart was not in the best shape, however. Jaune's bullet had ripped it into pieces, leaving it better for a stew at this rate.

Blake pulled off the last of skin with a few more tugs, rolling it up and setting it aside. "What do we do next?"

"Now, we eat some deer steaks," Jaune said, cutting down the deer. "Nice job, partner." He held his hand out to the side for a fist bump.

Blake glanced at him with an awkward stare for several seconds but chose to return the gesture.

...

They returned to camp with the deer over Jaune's shoulder and hoisted it back up on the outskirts. Jaune had to pull Dreizehn away from the animal as he was already attempting to attack it, but the others gathered around and gawked at the carcass.

"Thought you guys got lost out there," Yang said, taking a sip out of her cup. "Nice to see you hit gold though..."

"Yes, but we have to cook or smoke it all, so this creates more work for us," Weiss complained, scanning the dead animal. "We'll have to start immediately if we want to get most of it done tonight."

Ren walked up from behind the wagon, his condition having finally stabilised enough for him to move around. Though, from the look on his face, the man was still suffering. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were both baggy and bloodshot. Jaune would have told him to go back to sleep, but if Ren saw fit to move around, there was nothing to stop him.

"I made another rack if we want to start a second fire," Ren said, holding up the sticks and twine he prepared. "There's also tea if anybody wants some."

"Yeah, guys, it's some awesome tea, you need to try it," Yang expressed, pouring herself another cup.

As they stood around the deer, Sun and Ruby came out of the woods, bearing several fish tied to a line. The Reaper also carried and a handful of brown fungi in her dirt-covered hands. From their expressions and demeanour, both were having fun with their mission and success.

"Aww, they beat us," Sun whined as he caught sight of the deer. "Kinda hoping you were just gonna find some squirrels or rabbits. I wanted to be the big hero tonight..."

Blake rolled her eyes at Sun's attempt at masculinity. Everyone else, however, focused on the rest of the food the pair brought. Already, there was enough to prepare a feast like never before. More than enough to go to sleep stuffed to the brim and wake up with breakfast for the next day. The traders would be happy to share.

"But we got some... What are these called again?" Sun looked over to Ruby.

"Bass," she clarified, holding up her bounty. "I also found a couple black truffles."

Truffles?

"You just happened to find truffles out here," Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do you know how hard these are to come by?"

"Don't worry Weiss-cream, we go truffle hunting every once in a while on Patch," Yang explained, elbowing Weiss in the side slightly. "Our dad's land has a bunch of really good spots for them."

"What can you do with them," Blake asked, picking one up and examining it.

"Truffles are used primarily as a flavouring for many dishes," Weiss explained in her businesswoman demeanour. "Nobles and the aristocracy value them for both their rarity and usage. Think of it as a way for them to show off they can afford such an expensive luxury item. However, if we shave the truffles, they make an outstanding seasoning in soups. With a little foie gras, they pair perfectly with steaks!"

[Later that night]

Everyone gathered around the fire as the sun finally went down. Though it was kind of chilly, the warmth cast off by the flames repelled the chill. Several of the teens were huddled under heavy wool blankets to add another layer of insulation from the wind.

Weiss added the last of the seasonings to the venison stew they cooked up. Only a few minutes left for it to simmer, and they could dig in. Ruby and Sun had also worked on their fish, using an improvised spit to prepare some while frying others in a pan with seasoning and herbs. Ren and Nora worked for most of the day, cutting down the deer to smoke as much of it as possible. All of the meat aside from the ribs and a few select cuts were chosen for this fate. Yang and Jaune applied a dry rub to the ribs and hung them over the fire to cook. The smell made everyone's stomach rumbled at the thought of tasting their hard work.

"Okay, everybody, so this is our first time adventuring together as a group, and I want to share something," Sun declared loudly, gathering everyone's attention. He reached into his bag and pulled out a clay jar with twine wrapped around it to make a handle for it to hang.

"What is that," Ruby asked, craning her neck to get a good look.

"My personal brew," Sun answered proudly, pulling off the lid and grabbing a ladle from his bag. "Recipe I came up with in Vacuo. So, let's hear them stories and have a swig."

"No more drinking, please," Ren begged, turning green at the thought of another sip.

"Then don't have any," Sun replied, using the ladle to pour some liquor into his cup. "Who else wants some?"

Nora and a few girls held their cups up, and Sun ran around the circle, giving them a ladleful. Jaune was the last person to have some before Sun offered it to Weiss.

"I probably shouldn't have any," Weiss denied, waving it away.

"Come on, Weiss, Atlesians are cultured aren't they," Sun retorted with a suggestive grin. "You guys talk about exotic food all the time, so why not try some traditional Vacuoun arak? You don't think you can handle it?"

Oh no...

"I can handle anything," Weiss barked back at the boy, holding out her cup for him to pour some in. As he finished, the girl looked down in the cup with a hesitant expression. Everyone else stared at her, waiting for her to take a drink.

"Put up or shut up, Mage," Sun challenged, breaking the silence, which had grown.

Weiss held the cup to her lips and tipped her head back. The small amount in the vessel funnelled down her throat quickly, but Weiss' eyes opened up wide as the alcohol entered her mouth. She tore the cup away from her mouth, coughing and gasping for air. Her hands clawed at her throat while Jaune patted her on the back.

"It burns," Weiss wheezed. She reached for another cup Ren handed over to her and downed the contents to wash away the alcohol.

Everyone laughed at Weiss as they drank slowly from their cups. They seemed to be really enjoying whatever arak was. Jaune took a sip for the first time and found a sweet taste crossing his tongue. He could detect what he thought was honey and dates along with the liquorice flavouring the alcohol had. It didn't beat rum and coffee, but it was delicious.

"Sun, when did you learn how to brew alcohol?"

"Huh, oh, uuuhhhh, I grew up with a bunch of monks and orphans in Vacuo," he explained, sitting back down on a log. "Not the Ren-type of monks, but the religious, magic-studying kind who liked to brew alcohol. My master basically raised me and showed me a bunch of magic stuff along with brewing. He specialised in teleportation spells and enchanting. Never got the hang of it, but one of the other monks, a fighter, showed me how to use the staff. A couple thieves joined their order and taught the kids how to pick locks, sneak around, and do thief stuff." He took a sip from his cup. "When I got old enough, I decided to go to Sanctum in Mistral, but a little civil war broke out there, making that a bad idea..."

Civil war?

"It was the same for me, Sun," Pyrrha expressed, taking a bite of bread. "I was going to attend Sanctum, but the civil war made it too dangerous."

"When was there a civil war, I never heard of it," Jaune asked, leaning over to glance at Pyrrha.

"The Emperor's cousin wants to take the throne for himself," she explained. "He managed to get several large cities to ally themselves with him, and they rebelled against the empire." Pyrrha pulled out a map and pointed to Anima's easternmost side where a large desert appeared to be. "So, the eastern cities where Shion is today have been pushing towards Mistral for several months now. I grew up on the western islands and moved between there and Argus most of my life. My family supports the Emperor as one of the patricians, but I wanted a fresh start in Vale, where I wouldn't be involved in the war. Once things calm down, I might return after I graduate and help the people."

So, she just wants to be an ordinary hero?

"You're a noble," Ruby asked, getting up and checking the smoked meat.

"Yes, my family has a very proud history with the empire, and some of my ancestors held the throne," Pyrrha described, sounding very proud of her family line. "My mother and father are both accomplished warriors, but my father entered politics after I was born. He's a senator, working under the Emperor as one of his advisors. Of course, due to my family's standing, I was given some of the best training any warrior could receive. That also came with the expectations of being the best. However, I didn't enjoy the pressure, so I decided I would be better suited to somewhere where I could develop independently."

"I understand how you feel," Weiss spoke up. "My family has an important position in Atlas, but the nobles are much harsher when it comes to politics. Mistakes are not tolerated, and one can be laughed out of the room during a ball. The Arch-Mage encouraged me to go to Vale to get away from it. However, convincing my father that it was a good idea was quite difficult. Showing him how educating myself in Vale would help him deal with the kingdom allowed me to leave."

I wonder if she'll go back after the taste of freedom?

Jaune doubted she would abandon any claim to the throne, but it was possible Weiss would remain in Vale until the time came. If she could make a name for herself in Vale, the future ruler would probably be more cordial with her. There were no downsides to such a deal. Not to mention Weiss could go back satisfied she had a lifetime of memories going forward.

"Jeez, how the hell do you guys deal with that," Yang spat, crossing her arms. "I didn't have to convince my dad to let me go off and do my own thing! Me and Rubes get to go around, have fun and help people along the way. No schemes to get freedom or deal with civil wars!"

"Don't worry, Yang, we plebians won't understand," Jaune quipped. "We have to stick together against the bourgeois!" The two reached across the fire and clinked their cups together.

"Aren't you friends with a noble," Pyrrha retorted with a smile.

"Yeah," Jaune replied with no embarrassment. "But the nobles out on the frontier are just knights who got some land. They're not like the fancy-schmancy nobles in Vale or Atlas. They're one of us."

You could talk to the Lord in the marketplace or see him inspecting the fields. As long as you understood who was in charge, they were downright friendly and didn't require you to prostrate before them. Guys like Samson didn't even care about titles as long as you worked your share and pay taxes. They were given a job to manage the land, and they had pressure from the top to make sure it got done.

"A lot more tolerable too," Blake agreed, taking a sip of Ren's tea. "The rich ones living in the capitals are the worst. I got my start stealing from them because they left all their gold lying around and had terrible security. The group I was running with broke up a while back, so I chose to join Beacon and try something else out."

"That's a very drastic career change, don't you think," Ren asked, leaning in his hand cupping the bottom of his mug. "Nora and I joined Beacon because it was away from the civil war, but it was mainly for the same reasons Yang had, and it's a job."

"Where did you get your training," Blake asked in response. "I also chose becoming an adventurer because it's more consistent than thieving. I don't have to worry about going hungry anymore."

Nothing wrong with that...

"A couple took us in and trained us to fight," Nora explained, leaning against Ren slightly. "Our village was attacked by a monster, and we had to run away, so the two of us stuck together since then."

So their parents are gone...

Jaune felt terrible for the pair. He didn't know what it would be like to lose his family, but they seemed to have dealt with it quite well since then. This group would become their second family in the meantime.

"Sorry," Blake said, looking away. "Didn't know..."

"It's fine," Ren replied, waving it away. "We're going to rebuild the village after we graduate. All the money we're going to earn doing this will help us get there."

"If that monster's still around, do you want to kill it when we go to Mistral," Jaune asked, leaning in to focus in on the pair. "With all of us working together, we can get payback and stop it for good."

The two seemed taken aback by Jaune's offer. The boy was dead serious about taking the fight to the beast, and they knew it. This hunt was on the way in Anima but making sure the two could rebuild their home in peace was worth it. By the time they reached Anima, nothing short of a demon lord could stop them.

"You'd really do that," Ren asked, holding his composure. That slight pink aura surrounded him once more and touched Nora as well.

"Yeah, with all of us together, we'll kick its butt," Ruby declared.

Class: Paladin

"Gather 'round, Paladins!"

"There is a difference between the other classes and us! When those Knights and Chevaliers fled at first sight of monsters! You were the ones to take their place! You walked right up to those monsters and wrapped your hands around those fucker's necks! And you did not stop there! Killing everything in your way until there was nothing left!"

"That is the difference between them and us. Those bastards who were too busy keeping themselves in food and wool can keep all the glory and fame for themselves! Boasting about their deeds as if they sacrificed something!"

"We fight to keep the people safe! To keep the Drowners out of the latrines and Goblins from ploughing our milkmaids! Knowing that no other class has our virtue! Our dedication to our craft!"

Level Twenty Three

Strength 43 (+7)

Agility 23 (+4)

Defence 30 (+5)

Perception 35 (+6)

Constitution 42 (+7)

Intelligence 48 (+5)

Charisma 26 (+3)

Willpower 19 (+3)

...

Abilities

Arclight

A high-intensity explosion of light, equivalent to that of the sun. Burns the flesh of undead and magical entities. Momentarily blinds living and non-magical entities. Sudden magical intensity can cause affected to flee regardless of status.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

Longinuslanze Testament

A most unholy weapon. Forged by our lord to answer to only one master. He who has the will to dominate such a blade.

It shall sunder any armour. It shall never miss its mark. It shall grow with your own strength. Its holy light searing all who stand to oppose it.

In turn, you shall become vulnerable to attacks whilst wielding this unholy relic. It shall challenge your mastery by forcing you to fight at your full strength.

Active Debuff:

Turn and Face The Sun!

White Hawk

This aethereal hawk shall be forever bound to you. As its master, only you may give direction to this bird of prey. Whether it be scouting the path ahead or distracting your enemies.

...

Passive: Magister's Lament

Your Passive is a double-edged sword. While you may proficiently cast magic beyond the limits of your Willpower. It is limited in other instances. Not being able to cast harmful offensive magic or any magic on yourself.

...

Miscellaneous Knowledge/Buffs/etc.

Monster Slayer

Spent years studying the various monsters of Remnant. Knows the different species and taxonomy of each known creature. Understands the weaknesses of most known monsters.

Armour and Weapons Smith

Worked a forge for his entire life. Jaune is able to judge the composition of metals, and know the condition of his weapons and armour.

...

Gear:

Jaune's Breastplate

Level Seventeen

Materials: 2% Silicon, 0.60% Carbon, Remainder is Steel and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 32

Agility: 16

Defence: 22

Constitution: 30

Eagle's Armour

Level Twenty Eight

Materials: Unknown Alloy Ratio of Enchanted Steel and Corundom, Carbon Steel, and Leather

Minimum Stat Requirements:

Strength: 57

Agility: 25

Defence: 30

Constitution: 39

Buffs:

This specific alloy of steel and corundom is less dense than normal steel while just as hard. It has a strength to weight ratio similar to menachanite allowing the user to build a thicker armour without sacrificing for weight.

This armour was also specially built for you. The measurements fit your body exactly, allowing it to be worn as a second skin granting a tremendous degree of flexibility.

Necklace of the Bulwark

+25% Bonus to Constitution

Spells:

Infusion:

This spell grants one the ability to infuse the desired object with materials ordinarily unable to be bonded together. The strength of the unaltered item determines how much of an effect can be added to it.

Be warned that stressing the target with too powerful additives can result in the atomisation of the material and, possibly, a sudden explosive decomposition.

Telekinesis:

Casting this spell allows you to move objects with your mind. Within a visible range, anything you can levitate is dependent on your personal strength and willpower. Once, cast upon, the item is subject to your directions and will perform whatever manoeuvre you are capable of imagining.

Be warned that this spell drains magicka rapidly.