Chapter 10: Council Meeting
"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman
—
The Grimmlands, the very beginning where the birth of everything Grimm came to be, and inside these treacherous lands is a building called Evernight Castle.
The Grimm Queen Salem lives and plans all that she can here, in hopes of reaching the end goal of her master plan that could essentially bring down the fall of Remnant.
But this isn't all without purpose, such a destructive and deadly result has a reason, a solution that could combat the problem within Remnant itself.
Except, this reasoning is one of Salem's many safeguarded secrets not even she would tell another soul, and right now as she looks at another book of fairytales next to a crackling fireplace in her own personal study did she ponder.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A knock was heard from her door, there was only one person she was expecting, and in a loud but controlled voice did she let her guest know that he was allowed in.
From the door came out Arthur Watts, one the scientists welcomed into her own inner circle, a well known and infamous man from the great city of Atlas.
He joined with reasons of his own and had been accepted into the circle, in exchange he had supplied such great technology, and wisdom when it came to everything technical to Salem and her underlings.
If Salem was honest, "Should the fall of Beacon Academy happen, maybe Watts own dream of Atlas' fall should become a reality, but for now the plans laid out now are more important." Is what she would think.
Mainly due to the main reason of his visit, which was because of a simple report, a report that was quite important to the inhabitants of both Harmony and Remnant, that was when Salem spoke.
"Watts, I'm sure you have a reason for being here."
"Your highness, It appears that everything is going according to plan, the Blackstones own progress have been more than favorable, better than we expected. In fact the second phase could come rather sooner than later."
"Excellent, and what of our associates leader?"
"The Blackstone Leader Apollyon has pledged her undying loyalty to our cause in return of what we gave the Blackstones."
"And what of "Apollyon?" Where does she stand in all this?"
"Well...If I may, I believe that she sees you are a necessary evil, and despite her being the leader she is a mere teenager, barely an adult."
"A child then...No matter, when she outgrows her usefulness is when she will be dealt with accordingly."
"Of course she's only said leader due to her connection to a past leader the Blackstones had, she holds the name "Apollyon" as a title and a position."
"...Tell me Watts, in terms of our plans going undisturbed, do you think this young "Apollyon" will be trouble?"
"None whatsoever your majesty, I made it imperative that what we give, we expect equal if not more effort to helping us as we've helped them."
"Good, with that said how goes the situation with Merlot, I hope all is going well?"
Watts although unseen, The Grimm Queen could barely hear him "Tsk" and he continues his report. "As for Dr. Merlot, although there was a slight setback with his sudden relocation he was able to adapt and his new base of operations should be ready within the coming months."
"Months? Arthur Watts, let me remind you that we are short on time, when Beacon falls, and it will, fall, I expect everything to go as planned. I gave Merlot his Grimm, the resources needed for his...Experiments." Salem had said, a little more than displeased, her eyes glowing a bright red.
Watts had visibly become uncomfortable, both by the change of tone and atmosphere. "My Queen, yes while I do agree that we are low on time it was mainly because we had to make sure no evidence of both Merlot and his work existed."
"It was a good thing too, if we hadn't of acted sooner than I'm sure that Ozpin and his...Cronies would have noticed."
Salem stayed her hand and remained silent, she sighed. "Fine then, I'll allow it, but tell him I want this project of his done as soon as possible, do not test my patience."
"R-right, of course, I'll gladly tell him all that you said." Arthur bows but for a second, "That goes for you too Watts."
"Yes...Of course..." The scientist stood for a bit, as if wanting to ask something but couldn't. Salem suddenly appeared behind Watts.
"You seem apprehensive..." Book in hand she walks from behind the scientist who at the moment was frozen in fear, frightened by the sudden reappearance of his master.
"You must have questions, else you would've been gone by now, I sure hope you aren't hiding anything from me...are you?" Salem now stood in from of the scared Watts, and he made his question known.
"Well...You told me only a little bit of the "Third Brother God", but there's some things I don't quite understand."
"What isn't there to understand Watts?" Salem asked, "I thought I told you all there was to know."
"Well, yes but, my question is this." In a single bout of confidence Arthur asked his question, and a look of understanding crossed Salem's face for a moment.
"You wish to understand how I know of a place where Remnant hasn't."
"Yes, despite the Grimm that live in the ocean, I wouldn't exactly be surprised that we'd find such a place decades ago."
"That's not to mention that these...Harmonian's would've found their way here as well, it's in mans nature to explore after all."
Without a word Salem turned to her seat and went to sit down, Arthur followed close behind but just far away enough to allow her a lot of space.
"Hmm, I guess I'll indulge in your question. Listen well, because I will not be repeating myself. Even so I won't be telling you everything, I have secrets of my own to keep after all." Salem said with a slight glare.
"Of course your Majesty." Thus Salem began her tale of what exactly was the weird disparity of "Heathmoor" and Remnant.
"The reason why Remnant and its people haven't exactly found Heathmoor is because of the Third Brother Gods doing.
It came in the form of a certain type of magic that would take me thousands upon thousands of years to do so, but for the third brother it was as simple as breathing.
It's a form of containment magic that was once used a long, time ago. Except he expanded it to...contain, half of the world.
When I got word of such a spell being used, it was inevitable that I go see what he had trapped. Consider me surprised to see humans, humans in a constant battle.
Everyday, every night, they plotted, they killed, they died, but one thing of note was that many of them lived to fight another day.
No matter how many died or were killed some continued to fight, seeing this chance I intended to take over that world for my own purposes." Salem closed her eyes in remembrance.
"Of course everything wasn't as simple as I thought, I found myself in a new location as if teleported away and a voice spoke to me."
—
"Creation of my bothers, the cursed one, I know what you seek, and I cannot allow it.
You are to leave them, and in exchange I shall return life back into your world, life that my brothers had created to start anew, that is as far as my power can go, as far as I'm allowed to use." Were the words that the Third Brother said to Salem.
"Even if I did take this deal, what's stopping me from coming back to rule them?!" An enraged and young Salem said while yelling to the sky.
"The Veil is what will stop you, as of right now it has already been made and everything inside of it shall be made invisible to this part of the world.
The nation in the Veil will have its own rules, its own time, its own reasons for existing. I am expected a favor Cursed One. Leave. Them. Be." Nothing more was said from the Third Brother, and Salem begrudgingly accepted it, right as she walked back to what would soon be Remnant, than towards the Grimmlands.
—
Salem opened up her eyes again, and she spoke from her seat next to a burnt out fireplace. "Yet despite myself going through with his promise, many were successful in breaching Heathmoor, because of this it's only a matter of time before-...?!"
Salem stopped and she let out a sinister smile, because the one thing she had been hoping for all these years finally came to pass.
"I hope everything is to your liking Watts, now go, it appears that something came up." Salem said, dismissing her underling.
The scientist nodded in confirmation, "Yes, that would certainly do it for now. I do have many more questions but, I'll have to settle for this final question." Watts said, Salem thought for a moment and nodded.
"Just one more, With the God of Light there is life, With the God of Dark there is death, but what is the God in between?"
Salem looked to her book and answered her subordinate's questions. "A long time ago he was the God of White where there is living, or as he's been known by another name "The God of Perseverance".
"And that insufferable Veil of his finally broke." Salem knew such a thing because of a faint feeling, and a small sound of breaking glass.
What made this knowledge make her smile was because Ozpin would've felt that Veil breaking as well, and it would only be a matter of time before he failed to react sooner.
—
When Stone and most of his crew had safely returned back to Harmony many people were confused and downright surprised.
When Stone's four week trip ended up turning into a four month trip, many who knew of this operation had written off Stone and his men dead.
For a time this caused the Warden's own reputation to plummet because of his own refusal of assigning new Generals and writing off the ship as dead.
Not once did the Warden believe that Stone and his men were dead, and he risked his own seat of power for it.
The people called for his removal for such a thing, but with the Raider and the Kensei's help such a thing was overturned and families were compensated.
Of course even if the Warden's men had returned not once did he ask for the money back in terms of taxes and actual wealth.
All he asked in return was his people's trust and continued support, either they be a warrior or a civilian, and what he asked he got, letters were sent out and people were notified.
The Iron Legion ship returned, and they bring dire news. The council of Mistral, they had accepted to come to terms with the Knights, but a time limit of two weeks was set in place.
Hearing this The Lord Warden, Jaune made haste with a small platoon of soldiers, many as fodder Knights and some as chosen warriors, one General and his team of recruits, many called this mission ridiculous.
Why would one Vanguard Leader leave Harmony so easily, why try and gained the support of a new world when they have done nothing to help?
Jaune thought the people of Harmony wouldn't believe that there was a world beyond, but they did, and they looked at the inaction of such a world where they suffered, Grimm not included.
Jaune made an official statement, The Lord Warden made a claim. "The people of Remnant were ignorant to our existence, to them we didn't exist, because like us the Grimm hunt them, preventing them from looking out of their own horizon.
But unlike us we have the courage, the bravery to go past the world in search of a home to help us and our people, Samurai and Viking included. I leave to make sure that they will help us, and all of Harmony and it's men won't have to suffer anymore."
The Harmonian Knights accepted this, and when word spread to the other factions, leaders included, they accepted this as well and hoped for his return as he hoped for the original party to return.
With as much knowledge as he could, he deduced that time between the two worlds was broken, what supported this was the moon he looked at now, it was his original moon, as broken as it was a long time ago when he was a kid in Remnant.
The Warden and his party set sail to Menagerie, this New World, and hopefully in the future ships full of Harmonian civilians would be welcomed as well. Jaune had high hopes for this bout of negotiation, he wasn't unfamiliar with it after all.
How else was he able to make Harmony a reality?
—
-Captain's Quarters, Jaune's Personal Room. On route to Menagerie.-
As the ship journeys to Menagerie, the clouds block the sun and sky, and rain is pouring down. Small streaks of lightning could be seen in the distance, and the sound of thunder was increasing in volume.
As all this happened the ship tipped and turned but not enough to damage it or take it off course, Jaune in the ship's captain quarters did not care for the weather, only for what Menagerie had for him.
When Jaune read Stone's reports and journal he was taken aback at the name Belladonna. "That was a name I remember, one I didn't think to hear again, but somethings wrong here. Even if Blake had a child, she would've been half my age, not an adult the same as me."
To the leader of the Knights the time was off, just as off as Stone's disappearance. Four weeks had passed for him, but four months had pass for him and Harmony.
"The time is amiss here, only as if it's an illusion." A rumbling could be heard and felt as he sat on his cot, "Just like what Stone said this isn't some random occurrence."
In the reports of leaving and returning to Harmony there was always a strange rumbling that would disturb the ships greatly, with this in mind the Warden didn't mind.
"Argh-!" That was until his mind was attacked with a splitting headache, "Graghh!" The Warden drops onto the ground holding his head in hopes of dulling the pain.
"Gahhh!!" The storm rages on and it grows in intensity, the people on the Iron Legion ship grow in worry, some ponder if this was the end as the Ship tipped from one side to the other more and more.
Lightning and thunder could be heard as loud as it could be overhead. "Gahhhhh!!" Just as it did after the Blackstone Siege a mighty wind came across the land, the seas waves hit the ship with a great force.
Except this time glass could be heard breaking and cracking, then without notice the "glass" from the sky sounded like it shattered which could be heard for many miles.
In a final blast of wind the storm suddenly stopped, no clouds blocked the night sky and the waves held the ship gently, guiding it to its next destination.
When trying to handle the pain, Jaune on the ground close to unconsciousness from the pain didn't see and notice that he was glowing a dull and grey white, Jaune finally gave in and closed his eyes.
When he finally awoke, Jaune tried to stand as carefully as he could, "What...was that?" He asks himself slowly. Jaune hears a voice from behind his door, "Lord Warden!"
The door opens and from it hurriedly was Holden Cross, "Jaune! There you are, I've been calling you for a long time. Seeing Jaune was unsteady and weak he quickly held him up on his shoulder.
"Easy, easy now." Holden Cross lead his friend to the cot and sat him down. "What the heck happened to you?"
"I...I don't know..." Jaune answered hesitating, "But...but I've been through worse." Jaune said holding his head with one hand.
Holden could only grunt, "Good, it would've been a shame if you died that easily." The Lawbringer dryly says.
"How is everything?" Jaune suddenly asks, "Did the rest of you felt that too?"
"Yeah, although it was expected we've never thought it would become this bad."
For a moment The Lord Warden could hear himself think, he could see things just a tad bit clearer. Then he could hear more better, which allowed him to hear what shouldn't have been there.
"The storm...What happened to the storm?" Holden Cross could only shake his head, "That's what I came to tell you about, after the sudden disappearance of the storm, it took some time to realize it but...we might be able to get to Menagerie sooner than expected."
"What?" "Ever since that weird blast of air...the wind and waves started to pick up, the ship is gliding across the sea. If this continues we'll reach our destination soon."
"Thats...that's good to know." The Warden looks to his hand, clenching and unclenching it. "Jaune...are you sure you're ok?" The Lawbringer asks with some worry in his voice.
"I should be asking you the same." Jaune suddenly stood from his spot, Holden Cross who was across the room close to the door was surprised by this action. "How are the Recruits you've been tasked with training?"
Standing straight the General perks up and speaks his mind. "In the beginning they were nothing but simple trouble-makers, children who graduated far too soon..."
"But?" "..." Holden was waiting in his armor to respond, he continued to speak of his students. "But as the months went by I found they add a certain charm to the team."
"Under your tutelage was the reason I hope?" The Warden Jaune asks. "Not everything went as smoothly as it did. The Viking and Samurai had some hiccups here and there, but with time and equal punishments, it all worked out."
"That's good to hear my old friend, are they with you on this expedition?"
"By your orders Sir, they are, despite their qualms of leaving Harmony."
"Good, because I have a Vanguard Class mission for them."
—
"He wants us to do what?!" Acer exclaims in surprise, as he and the rest of team Recruit gathered around in a small room, their bedroom for the stay on the ship. With Holden Cross in the middle telling them of what he was told.
"Gah!"
"Pipe down Garcia." The Valkyrie Abbey says, hitting the back of Acer's Centurion Helmet. "The Knight is right though, why was this mission specifically for us?" Kamiko asks her Leader and Master.
"I'am afraid I don't have the details that explain why you four "Specifically", but this is a Vanguard Class mission, you can't exactly refuse it so easily." Holden Cross explains.
"Master, when exactly is this mission?" Jeanne the Warden asks, "And for how long do we have to have to finish it?"
"The mission is going to start the moment we make landfall, the time to complete it is undetermined." A sense of uneasiness falls amongst the small team of recruits. "Please be aware that this is only a heads up, if you have anymore questions please ask the Lord Warden himself when you can."
The Recruits look to each other in surprise, but before they could ask their leader, he said more. "You heard that right, despite your title of recruits you'll be able to meet him and help me escort the Iron Legion Leader himself."
"The Lord Warden..." Jeanne says in awe,
"To think we get to work with Thee! Lord Warden!" Acer says to his knight teammate. "Please, what's so special of Lord Warden?" Kamiko asks in broken English uninterested.
"Oh like the Emperor is any better." Abbey retorts, "Oh yeah? What of Warborn Raider huh?" "...What about the Warborn Leader? Samurai?" The Valkyrie asks with a glare.
"Word is, he fought Tozin and all most lost!" Kamiko says with a grin under her mask." "Tsk! What of the great Emperor? I hear he joined the Blackstone Siege when it was "All Most" done with!"
'You little-!' "That's enough, you both can settle this debate at a later time, but for now I think it's in your best interest to rest while you can." The Lawbringer General said, stopping an ensuing fight between the two.
The Viking and Samurai let out a "Hmph!" And turned away from each other, the knights of the teamed out a sigh at the two antics, fairly use to it.
"Good, with that settled, I want you all ready at a moments notice, especially you Acer." The Centurion grumbles in response.
"Alright, with that all said and done, Goodnight, I'll see you all tomorrow at breakfast." The General soon left the room to let his small team sleep, each with their own hammocks to sleep in, atop each other like bunk beds.
—
Days pass as Jaune's main traveling ship finally reaches Menagerie, and as it got closer to Kuo Kuana's ship port did it let the town know of its arrival.
A large horn is played to the sky, letting not only any Faunus who could hear it, but also the Knights left behind know that the Iron Legion had returned.
—
It was a day just as ordinary as any other, or as ordinary as one could be knowing that Menagerie was home to not only the Faunus but the Iron Legion Knights stationed not far from Kuo Kuana.
Today was no different since one Kali Belladonna was pouring herself a pot of tea, thinking about the little notices and occurrences happening.
Many of the Knights were tasked with patrolling with the Faunus Guard, they themselves were troubled by the fact humans were with them but as they worked together, no sorts of problems showed itself.
In fact, when the Faunus citizens needed help with something the Iron Legion Knights came to help as soon as they could.
In fact, a certain Lawbringer was tasked to help cut trees down for wood, without a word and a nod, he picked up his axe and went into the forest with the wood team.
Not only has the harvest doubled that day, but Menagerie found that a Lawbringer axe is as dangerous and sharp as can be. "To use my axe for something so trivial, I longed for such a day." Agusto said.
A group of fodder knights found comfort in helping train some of the new Menagerie Guards. And a Warden was once caught regaling a story of how he met the Iron Legion Leader once to a bunch of children, and that "In exchange for stories they'll hide the storytellers identity."
"Hervis...what a strange name." Kali thinks with a smile, knowing that a child's secret can journey far and be told to many. As she's about to take a sip from her cup she hears a door knocker slam.
"Who could that be?" She thinks, not expecting anyone for the day. When finally reaching and opening the building entrance door was she greeted to a familiar sight.
The same female Menagerie Guard from before, except behind her are six different varying Knights, one looked like a Lawbringer and one a Warden, she didn't know what the others were exactly.
"Can I help you?" "Greetings Ma'am, I've brought some very important guests for the upcoming Mistralian Council Meeting." The Guard says.
"Oh, I see, won't you come in then? I just made a fresh pot of tea."
"Gladly." The Warden says.
—
It was a day just as ordinary as any other, especially when the Lord Warden and his General Lawbringer were there waiting for both Kali and Ghira Belladonna.
When the door opened the Belladonna's were there to greet the meeting knights, just as they did a couple weeks before, the four sat around a small table which the Warden recognized as a Chabudai.
Unlike Kali who was sitting in a seiza position the rest sat down criss cross. Each with a cup a fresh tea poured by Kali, which the Warden gladly accepted.
"You know color me surprised when I heard that the leader of the Iron Legion was coming by to greet us, it's not everyday you do meet such an honorable hero." Ghira says.
"When we were told of your exploits I couldn't possibly think such a feat was even possible."
"You're words mean a lot to me when you say it like that. But everything I did, and hoped for was because my men trusted me to lead them into a new age."
"A new age indeed if the sky has anything to say about it." The General Lawbringer mentions. "Of course, why do you think we're here to begin with. Yes while we've had peace for a couple years, it's only a temporary solution." The Lord Warden says with a tone that held no humor in it.
"Tell me Ghira, when is the council meeting, and are we ready for it?" As the Warden looked to the Menagerie Chieftan, Ghira did not directly look upon the Knight and sighed.
"Yes, everything is ready on our end, except the situation changed while you were away. Let me state that it was purely out of my control and it was the council's decision to make it such." Ghira worriedly says.
"It was a good thing you came as soon as you did...because one of Mistral's Council Members will be bringing along the Haven Academy Headmaster and a couple Huntsman of their choosing...Tomorrow."
The Warden and Lawbringer looked to each other with questions of their own, Ghira continued talking. "Because Agusto was the only qualified Knight here he had to only accept the terms and not change them. He believed that you could salvage the situation."
The Lord Warden was silent and thought of the details given. "What does he plan to do? What changed from a simple debate and discussion?"
"Well...The council decided that in order for you to be helped they need to know if you and your men have a "use". If and when they start helping you and you're people, it's obvious they'd expect some form of compensation."
The General Lawbringer let his displeasure show in the form of a low growl. "The term Huntsman was thrown around wasn't it? How we have plenty of them and many in training."
"You would be correct in assuming so." Kali suddenly speaks, "I was reading the documents they gave us to look over should you win their favor. You and your people will be considered as a nation, not only will your people be allowed a successful migration to Menagerie and or other parts of Mistral, but your very own Huntsman will be allowed jobs and homes wherever they choose."
Hearing these words this is the best case scenario for them, but the Warden had a question. "What happens if we don't win these terms?"
Kali with a sad expression told him what would happen with honesty. "Should you lose, you and you're people won't be considered as an official nation, you're people will just be seen as humans from another world, one that doesn't concern Remnant."
"However since we are consider an independent nation here in Menagerie it'll be up to the Menagerie Council to decide what do you with you and your people." Ghira cuts in.
"Because of this should worse come to worse, you'll find me and my wife as an ally and I'll fight to assure your place here as a residents and warriors."
Touched by the Chieftain's word The Lord Warden had no choice but to trust his Faunus friend, The Lawbringer asked a question of his own.
"What exactly does the Council Member have planned?"
Ghira hesitated but he finally gave the answer he was looking for. "A trial by combat, to prove if the Huntsman of Harmony really are useful to Remnant and its people. The fight is tomorrow, and your representative has already been chosen."
Now The Lord Warden was curious, who was chosen to fight in the name of Harmony? Who would be the one to hopefully help bring a New Age to all of Harmony.
"Who was it?"
"By Agusto's suggestion and orders, the one fighting would be..." When Ghira finished his sentence, Holden Cross and The Lord Warden were appalled by who was chosen to fight.
—
(A/N: My my, I wonder how the Iron Legion would fare, especially since the ones fighting are special cases. What does the mysterious Agusto have planned? What had he seen in these fighters that he chose? Hopefully you'll stick around to find out!
Also very happy to see some reviews.)
Reviews:
Franco1234:
1: Honestly, that's a fair statement, but as previously guessed, and said in this chapter, this weird time disparity was because of the "Mysterious Veil", yes there's more to it than that, but I hope to show more about it sooner or later.
2: Also when it comes to a "canon" timeline, I try to keep it as close to canon as possible for both series...of course I use the word "close" loosely because I have some tricks up my sleeves for later, I want the story to be interesting (hopefully).
246vili:
Oh ho you don't know the half of it, especially with what I have planned for AQUA and Apollyon.
As always I appreciate the kind words!
GeraltRex:
Don't worry, I had the same thoughts a while back and was wondering how to reintroduce such a thing, mainly because Jaune's Aura was suppressed, as if it was..."contained" in a manner of speaking.
