Hey all, again, another long period between updates. Like I said before, Real Life sucks. A while back, I came down with an upper respiratory infection, that then turned into Bronchitis. On top of that, I had a fitness test looming that I was nervous about, due to my inability to go 10 minutes without coughing. Thankfully, the COVID results came back negative, hence how I found out it was a URI. Now though, I'm healthier, I passed my fitness test, though not as well as I wanted to, and I'm on holiday standdown until the third, so I have plenty of time to play and write. Anyways, enough excuses, here's the next chapter.
Chapter 20 – Join The Club
The familiar bustle of Ul'dah's Merchant Strip was music to Jaune's ears as he made the short trip from the Aetheryte Plaza to the Hall of Flames. Perhaps not by chance, the Hall was located directly adjacent to the plaza, meaning its member could more quickly check in.
The Hall itself was open-air, rather than inside a room. Pillars on the plaza's side lined the wall, next to one of the small decorative streams that dotted the desert city, while two massive ones – easily twice as wide as Jaune was broad – dominated the entrance.
Inside, a long countertop lined the backwall, manned by men and women all garbed in the colors of the Immortal Flames. Signs above the personnel stated what they were there for, ranging from some type of Administrator to the Personnel Officer and Quartermaster.
Thankfully, the court inside the Hall was fairly empty, and he found himself in front of the Personnel Officer in no time at all.
The man brought his attention up from his ledger to look Jaune up and down, his expression shrewd.
"What brings you to the Hall of Flames this morning, adventurer?"
Jaune shifted his weight slightly, "My name is Jaune Arc. I believe you are expecting me."
The Officer's face brightened, "Ah, I thought as much! You are just as our man at the Waking Sands described! It is an honor to meet you, sir!" Picking up the quill at his station, he began to delve into his ledger.
"Now, in order to formalize your…"
"Sir!"
Whatever the Personnel Officer was about to say was interrupted as a plainly clad man ran up, panting. He wore no colors of the Flames but stitched onto the arm of his tunic was the sigil of the Flames, with a single white slash mark below it.
The man took a quick moment to catch his breath, before immediately straightening and saluting the Officer, who returned it. "Speak, Private."
The Private nodded, "Imperials, sir! They've fired on a Highwind Skyways airship! Scouts say she's coming down to the west, near Horizon's Edge!"
The Officer cursed, "Bloody Hells! Of all the times for this to happen!" He seemed to be in thought for a moment, before deciding, turning to Jaune.
"Jaune, there's no time for formalities! The Immortal Flames need your help now!"
Well, he didn't exactly expect to get thrown in into the action this quickly, and he voiced that sentiment.
"We're in the midst of a large-scale operation against the Amalj'aa, and we have no one to spare in Western Thanalan. You must get to that ship before the Garleans do! If there are any survivors, see that they do not come to further harm. Now go!"
Jaune did as he was told, deciding that wasting time with more questions probably wasn't the best idea right now. Concentrating, he quickly ported to Horizon, where, barely even stepping outside the gate into Horizon's Edge, he could already see a plume of smoke in the near distance.
He took off sprinting, and it wasn't long before the familiar shape of an airship came into view. Unfortunately, it appeared even with the Private's quick report, he had been too late, as a number of men, all dressed in a strange kind of armor, all colored in red and black, moved towards the wreckage.
While he didn't recognize the armor, the weapons were easy enough to make out. Three of them were obviously close to mid-range combatants, one armed with a sword and shield like himself, and the two others wielding halberds. Behind them, another soldier clasped a staff, while two others had bows strapped to their backs.
He would have confronted them, but his eyes caught sight of a roegadyn crouching in some weeds, wearing sturdy and heavy-looking clothes, goggled eyes narrowed at the troops down below.
Figuring the man to be one of the crew members, Jaune ran up to him as quietly as possible to not alert what he could only assume were the Imperials.
The slight rustle drew the man's attention to him, and a confused look came over his face as he saw the armor and weapons the teen wore. "An adventurer?! What're you doing out here? No, wait – let's find some cover first…"
Getting into a low crouch, the man took off for a large boulder nearby, Jaune right behind him. Once they were safely out of sight, Jaune explained the circumstances.
The crewman seemed skeptical, though. "The Immortal Flames sent you? How do I know you're not an Imperial spy? You don't even have a uniform!" He dropped into a sort of fighting stance, but Jaune could tell he had no experience with it, chock-full of openings as it was.
He was about to try and talk the crewmember down, before his ears caught the sound of footsteps, and he turned, seeing three people, all with the armbands of the Immortal Flames on their tunics, walking up.
Their leader, a man wearing a turban and mask, turned to the crewmember. "Are you all right, sir? Our scouts reported the attack on your craft. I'm a lieutenant with the Immortal Flames. We've come to rescue you."
He then turned to Jaune. "Jaune Arc, yes? Glad to have you with us."
Without another word, the trio brushed past the both of them, moving to the edge of the boulder where they could see the Imperials. Even as far away as they were, it was easy to overhear the conversation of the soldiers.
"I have not seen a craft of this design before… That traitor Garlond has been busy."
One of his compatriots scoffed, the leader if the slightly more ornate uniform was anything to go by. "The secrets of magitek are ours by right. They are not to be squandered upon the savages of this land."
He gestured to the remainder of his unit, "We are taking this craft back to the fortress! Dismantle it if you must! And bring the engineer! Someone must pay for Garlond's crimes."
For a moment, Jaune wondered who they were talking about, but then saw a small bit of spiky brown hair poking up above the deck railing.
"They mean to take the ship back to Castrum Meridianum," Said the Flame leader, "along with your friend."
"Wedge!" gasped the crewman, "You have to help him! That fool of a lalafell was hiding inside the Tiny Bronco!"
The leader grinned, "Nice-looking ship – though not the best place to have taken shelter, I agree."
The roegadyn smiled, though there was little mirth to be found in it.
"It's the first airship we've built since the Calamity – the first since Master Garlond…well, since he went missing."
Jaune made note of the name. It was obvious that this Garlond, the man in charge of this roegadyn and what was apparently a lalafell in the ship, was of some import. From the sounds of things, the man was a traitor to the Imperials, something they were obviously not too happy about.
"After years of work," the crewman continued, "she was finally ready for her first test flight. And she was soaring, she really was – till those bastards blasted her out of the sky!"
If the Flame leader was moved by the crewman's words, he didn't show it, instead standing and turning to his team. "We attack on my command. Kill them quickly, and save the lalafell if possible."
The lieutenant stared at them a moment longer, before turning back to the wreckage. "Show them what becomes of those who play with fire! Charge!"
The four of them dashed out from behind the boulder, quickly making their way towards the Imperials.
The clamor of their armor and weapons alerted the Imperials, nearly all of them turning as one. "We're under attack!" Shouted their leader, bringing forth his own sword and shield, "To arms!"
In response, the Imperials shifted into what could only be a trained battle formation. The melee specialist formed up from, the halberds on either side of the leader with his sword. Behind them was the magic-user – a healer if the ethereal white light around his staff was anything to go by – with the two archers taking up the rear.
Seeing the archers already peparing to loose their missiles, Jaune adjusted his charge angle, putting the melee fighters between himself and the archer to avoid giving the enemy a clear shot. Now he only had to worry about the other one, but from the looks of it, they were focused on the rest of the Flames unit.
Jaune closed with one of the halberdiers, and the man didn't hesitate, immediately going into a thrust with the spike atop his weapon, forcing Jaune to raise his shield in defense. Thankfully, the force behind the thrust wasn't too great, but the follow-up slash with the axe-head to his legs forced him to take a step back onto his non-dominant leg.
He recovered, moving his weight forward to come down with a slash. Unfortunately, the time it took for him to shift his weight back forward meant that his opponent was able to raise his own weapon up in defense, and Crocea Mors did little more than carve a divot in the wood of the halberd.
Jaune didn't hesitate though, closing even more distance. Hooking his leg behind his opponents, he shoved forward with his shield, toppling the other man. He hit the ground with a thud but had no time to do anything before the Arc blade found itself in his throat.
Pulling it free in a spray of blood, the blonde took a quick moment to survey the battle. The Immortal Flames lieutenant was engaged with the Imperial leader, their swords and shields flashing in the desert sun.
The two other Flames were both occupied with the rest of the forces. The lone archer on the Flames' side was doing his best to pin down his Imperial counterparts, preventing them from doing much, while the second, a Pugilist by the look of things, wove in and around the attacks of the second halberdier.
Seeing as the staff-wielding Imperial was doing nothing in regards damaging attacks, Jaune decided to go for the archers.
The one closest to him was the first to notice, turning towards the new threat and scrambling to get an arrow out. His panic served to Jaune's advantage though as the arrow went wide. The archer paled as he realized that his attacker would be able to close the distance faster than he would be able to get another arrow out and dropped his bow, instead pulling a long hunting knife out.
Jaune easily turned the knife aside, before reversing his parry and catching the archer across the chest with a backhanded cut. The second archer fell just as quickly.
No longer having to worry about his counterparts, the Immortal Flames archer took the opportunity, firing off two rapid shots that both found their way into the Imperial healer's chest. The man let out a low groan, before collapsing into a heap.
No sooner than he had fallen, a horn sounded from the other side of the wreck. The din of the fighting made it hard to hear, but a rhythmic shaking of the ground beneath Jaune's feet mean that whatever was coming was probably pretty big.
He was right, as from behind the prow of the crashed airship a massive shape emerged. Humanoid, it was easily four times the height of a fully grown man, and twice as broad. It walked on two armored legs, leading up into a torso where various clockwork mechanisms were encased in a latticework of metal struts. The arms were easily identifiable as the primary weapons, both ending in drills that looked like they could go straight through battleship armor. There was no room for a pilot on or in it anywhere, instead, some kind of engine on its back drove a wheel that led to the clockworks of its interior.
Whatever it was, it continued to lumber towards them. As it neared, its main weapons started up with a sound much like a dentist's drill. With Jaune being the closest enemy, it made its way towards him, rearing one arm back and going for a thrust with a speed that belied its size.
Even if it was faster than it looked, it had also telegraphed the attack, and Jaune was able to easily sidestep the thrust. What he wasn't anticipating though was the amount of earth that the drill brought up when it hit the ground. Soil and rocks erupted into a massive cloud, with small sparks flashing from where the drill met with the flying rocks.
Darting forward as the debris settled, Jaune let loose with a strike of his own. As he'd expected, it didn't do much, scoring little more than a centimeter deep scratch on its armored leg. A back swipe from its left arm forced him to roll away, but even then, the appendage was so close he could feel the air it displaced.
He recovered back to his feet, squaring back up with the magitek automaton. The duel then devolved into little more than Jaune dodging and rolling away from the drills, all while trying to get in some hits of his own. Eventually, he was joined by the rest of the Immortal Flames, the squad apparently having finished off their own individual opponents.
As the fight went on, the creation began to suffer from the barrage of attacks that were hitting it, sparks and an almost neon-blue liquid poured from its wounds, and its limbs slowing noticeably. Finally, with one last shaking movement, the automaton froze, a hum that had been almost unnoticeable in the background noise dying down as the behemoth toppled forward.
A small figure poked up over the railing of the crashed airship. Goggles covered his eyes, wrapping around a head whose hair resembled an onion, for some reason. Seeing the Imperial corpses littering the area, the lalafell gasped, before spying the roegadyn that was making his way from behind the boulder.
"Biggs!"
The lalafell hopped down from the railing, showing surprising agility as he maneuvered around the various components of the airship.
Biggs broke into a run, only stopping when the two of them were face to face. "Wedge! You shouldn't have stayed with the ship!" the larger man's tone was admonishing, but Jaune could tell there was deep relief behind it as well.
Wedge was doubled over, trying to catch his breath, before straightening and blowing out a sigh of relief. "Th-that was a close one!"
Despite the dark goggles the roegadyn wore, Jaune suspected the man was rolling his eyes. "Too damn close." His head turned towards the airship. "So…how's she look anyway?"
"The auxiliary propellor is a dead loss, but I think we can wring enough thrust from the man propellor to get us airborne."
Biggs nodded, then turned to Jaune and the Flame Lieutenant. "A few minor modifications and we should be able to fly the Tiny Bronco home."
The lieutenant nodded, "The Imperials will come looking for their scouts, but we can defend this position until the engineers leave."
Jaune rolled his shoulders, loosening up the muscles that he could feel were tightening up there. The fight with the Imperials hadn't been the longest he'd been in by far, but it had been one of the most mobile. "How long do you think the repairs will take?"
The Lieutenant shook his head. "We can handle things here, Jaune. You still have some unfinished business at the Hall of Flames."
A wry grin split his face beneath the mask he wore. "You're not quite one of us yet, though anyone who'd seen you in action today would be forgiven for thinking otherwise."
"If you're sure…" Jaune hated feeling like he was leaving before a job was done, especially when it meant he was leaving people behind, but a reassuring nod from the Lieutenant bade him go, so he sheathed Crocea Mors, slinging his shield onto his back before making his way outside of the clearing.
He didn't get very far though when he heard his name being called. Turning, he saw the duo of Biggs and Wedge running to catch up to him.
For a moment, there was an awkward silence, before Wedge comically kicked Biggs in the shin, prompting the bigger man to rub the back of his head, embarrassed. "I, um…just wanted to say sorry…you know, for calling you an imperial spy and all that… Got that one wrong, didn't I? Ha ha!"
He let his chuckles subside, before a serious demeanor over came him. "Seriously, though – if it hadn't been for you and the Immortal Flames lads there, we'd be chained up in a dungeon by now. I'm in your debt, friend – we both are."
Wedge nodded emphatically, "We're very grateful!"
Jaune chuckled, "It's not a problem. I'm glad the both of you are safe. Take care, now."
With that, he teleported back to Ul'dah.
KUPO
"Welcome back, Jaune! Word of your deeds in the field reached me not long ago. Exemplary service!"
For a moment, Jaune wondered about how the Personnel Officer would already know of the fight, but then realized that he must have heard it via linkpearl.
The man behind the counter smiled, "Rest assured that the Garlond Ironworks engineers will be fine. They should be able to get their vessel back in the air before imperial reinforcements arrive."
The officer took a moment, his eyes boring into Jaune's figure. "Your willingness to assist us on such short notice is to be commended. Clearly, your reputation is well deserved. Now then, I believe we have some unfinished business. Shall we continue from where we left off and induct you into the Immortal Flames?"
Jaune grinned, "Absolutely."
His smile was matched, "Very well, let us begin."
The officer motioned to two other officer who were behind the counter, and they made their way over. Taking their place just behind the Personnel officer, all three of them saluted, closed fists over their hearts.
"Jaune Arc," Started the Personnel officer, "you stand poised to enter a sacred trust. The Flames of Ul'dah burn bright, casting light where there is dark and purging evil wheresoever it lurks. We are ever ready to meet the nation's enemies in battle, be they beastmen, Garleans, or worse. And at a word from Flame General Raubahn Aldynn, we would gladly lay down our lives to maintain the peace and prosperity of Ul'dah."
His gaze turned serious, and despite all he had seen and done since coming to Eorzea, Jaund found himself gulping nervously. "To join our ranks, you must forsake all other nations. Only then may you commit yourself to the fire and be reborn as an Immortal Flame. Burn as one of us, Jaune Arc, and together we shall chase the darkness from Ul'dah!"
"Will you swear an oath to mark this occasion?"
Jaune nodded, despite the nerves he felt, "I swear it."
The Personnel officer stared at him a moment longer, before smiling. "Very well. Your resolve is plain. Jaune Arc – I hereby confer upon you the rank of flame private. Welcome to the Immortal Flames, Private."
He handed over a black armband, on which a single silver bar was sewn: the rank of Private, Third Class. it was the lowest rank, but it was a starting point.
Jaune slipped the armband on, glad that whatever material it was made of was slightly elastic so as not to slide off his arm. With it in place, he turned back to the Personnel Officer and saluted, as applause from those who were witnesses in the Hall filled the air.
Eventually, the applause died down, and the officer's smile turned knowing. "Congratulations, Private. Before you set off though, there is one or two things we need to go over."
The happiness in Jaune's belly turned to lead, before he cautiously asked, "What would those things be?"
As if knowing what was going through the teen's mind, the officer laughed. "Nothing sinister, I assure you. Rather the opposite depending on your point of view."
He turned to point at a chart that racked to the wall behind him, a flow chart that showed the organizational structure of the Immortal Flames. "Normally, as a private, you would be assigned to a platoon, acting under the command of a lieutenant, and then be allocated to one of the squads within that platoon. In your case, however, the Flame General himself has made an exception."
Jaune made a mental note to memorize the flow chart, before what the officer said cottoned on. "Wait, what do you men the general made an exception?"
The other man's smile shifted into a frown. "Seeing as you are newly entered into our ranks, I will be more lenient, but I would recommend in the future you refer to officers and non-commissioned as 'sir'."
Right, that was a thing now, wasn't it? Jaune's only experience with military matters was in the films back home, and it was almost universally acknowledged that those did not accurately portray the military.
Clearing his throat, he tried again, "Apologies…uh, sir. You said the Flame General made an exception in my case?"
Thankfully, the officer didn't seem to be one to hold grudges, and he shifted to a more neutral countenance.
"Yes, Private Arc. The General made known that if you were to join us, you would have demands put on you that, while in keeping with the oath you made, would mean you would be unable to operate in a normal command structure. As such, by his order, you are to essentially be a unit unto yourself, with reports made only to myself, one of the other officers here, or the Flame General himself."
The man stared down hard at him, "Such a thing has never happened before, private. Though I have no doubt you will comport yourself with honor, I am obligated to inform you that if you behave in a manner unbefitting to the Immortal Flames, you will face censure, exile, possibly even death."
KUPO
Pyrrha was a woman on the edge, she could admit that, and the brief outlet she had had with the Arcs was now severely diminished.
When it had become clear that the issue with the strange crystal and its relation to JNPR's lost leader would be a long-term one, the Arcs had – after wringing a promise out of both Ozpin and Goodwitch to alert them the moment there was any news – gone back home. Before they had left, the family had given his team their numbers, but everyone's lives were so busy that they rarely got a chance to call.
So now the statuesque amazon was by herself with NPR, and it became obvious again that Jaune had indeed been the lynchpin for the team. Nora was unnaturally quiet, something that had her partner fretting – as much as someone like Ren could fret – about her mental health. With the both of them so occupied, she found herself oftentimes alone.
Sure, she had tried to interact with their sister team, but Ruby was still inconsolable, which meant Yang was worried about her, Blake was off doing her own thing, and Weiss was still being catty towards her team leader.
She had tried to distract herself with schoolwork, and it had worked to some degree, but it had also been a double-edged sword, making her stand out even more. The result was that students seemed to either stay away from her or would try and cozy up to her for something or another. The former dismayed her, while the latter grated on even her prodigious patience and politeness.
The net result though, was that she was beginning to feel even lonelier at Beacon than she had at Sanctum.
She stared at her scroll, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Apparently, they would all have a field trip to Forever Fall Forest in a few weeks, and it wouldn't do to be distracted from it, but she couldn't help it.
The Academy's bell sounded, jerking her from her thoughts, and reminding her that she was about to be late to dinner. Sighing, she lightly tossed her scroll onto her bed, spared one last wistful glance at the neatly made bed of her partner, then left the room.
As the last few lingering echoes of the door closing sounded throughout the now empty room, her scroll went into power saver mode. Just before the screen went black, however, it was clear what Pyrrha had been staring at, a document that she had accessed via the student LAN.
'Application for Transfer'.
KUPO
It was a testament to just how long he'd been in Thanalan that the heat from the midday sun no longer was a massive issue to Jaune. Still, his survival classes had been well ingrained into him, and he made sure to take regular sips from his canteen.
He didn't know if it was because he had special dispensation or what but being in the Immortal Flames was a lot different than what he had imagined. For one, advancement was based entirely on merit, which was why, in the month since he'd enlisted, his armband reflected three silver bars to show his rank as Private, First Class.
He had contributed mostly with monster culls, supplemented with providing the Grand Company with items he had smithed. The culls were an obvious method, as with fewer monsters about, the populace would be safer, and his hunts had taken him all over the realms of the three city-states. As for the smithing, it had been good practice for his technique, and had been a good source of gil as the Company had been willing to pay quite a bit for his goods. Apparently, they had a shortage of quality arms and armor.
The adventures had also given him more time to work on refining his aura usage, as well as working with materia. All of his gear, save for Crocea Mors, had provided him with at least sets of materia each over the time he had been out. Applying said materia had allowed him to his harder and faster and made his monster hunts much easier.
He had also made sure to keep in touch with his team, and it seemed that he wasn't the only one who had been busy. All three of the ladies had been caught up in the antics of their respective guilds, though Rana, unsurprisingly, had been rather more tight-lipped about hers.
Deciding that his break had taken long enough, he screwed the cap back on to his canteen and stood from where he had been seated below a tree. No sooner than he did that though, his linkpearl chimed.
"Can you hear me, Jaune? This is Minfilia."
He grinned, he had been wondering when the Scions would again contact him. As much as he had enjoyed training and getting stronger, he had also felt a little lethargic, and was ready to get back to the grind, as it were.
"I can hear you, Minfilia. How are things?"
"Just fine, thank you. but apparently not as well as they are for you. An officer of the Immortal Flames contacted me with news of your enlistment. My congratulations, Private Arc."
"Thank you, Minfilia. Now, I'm assuming you weren't calling me just to exchange pleasantries?"
He could hear her chuckle on the other side. "You would indeed be correct. While you have been making a name for yourself among the Immortal Flames, some things have arisen that would be better spoken of in person. Pray return to the waking sands at your earliest convenience. There are some friends here whom I would very much like you to meet."
Even though she couldn't see him, Jaune nodded, "Alright, my team and I will be there as soon as we can."
"Thank you, Jaune. We will be waiting anxiously!"
With that, the signal cut out. Smiling, he immediately reached out to the rest of his team, telling them to meet him at the Waking Sands as soon as they were able. Tika's squeal of excitement had damn near caused him to go deaf in his right ear, but he found it hard to be mad at the excitable miqo'te.
Concentrating, he teleported to Horizon, then made the now-familiar walk to Vesper Bay.
As usual, the port city was bustling with traffic, and he took the opportunity to sit at one of the benches in the main square, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth of the sun and the scent of the sea breeze.
He didn't know for how long he'd been sitting there, but he was jerked back to reality when a pair of soft hands covered his face.
"Guess who, sleepyhead?"
He chuckled, reaching up to remove the hands, revealing the impishly grinning Tika. He stood, and the cat girl launched herself at him in a rib-creaking hug, which he returned. Behind her, he saw the rest of his team and took in their appearances.
The time apart had most definitely been kind to them.
Rana was dressed in a shirt and corset number that hugged her slim waist and emphasized her chest, leaving her shoulders and nape free. leather breeches tucked into thigh-high heeled boots, while her arms wore long gloves that reached to her upper arms.
Elyn now had a long-sleeved shirt, tucked into leather vambraces, over which a light breastplate protected her chest. A wide sash, over which a number of thin leather belts supported the various pouches which hung from them, wrapped around her waist, while skin-tight trousers tucked into her own heeled boots. Her staff had been replaced as well, simplified into what resembled a shepherd's crook.
Pulling away from the purring miqo'te allowed Jaune to get a good look at Tika as well. The first thing he noticed, and only because of how much it revealed, was her breastplate. Made of leather, its cut reminded him of Pyrrha's armor, which consequentially meant that it left a good portion of her upper chest on display. Her shoulders were protected with thick leather pauldrons, while cloth sleeves tucked into armored vambraces. Just like the other two, she wore breeches, but her boots were more heavily armored, and flat. She still wore the various knives all over her person, and he was even able to see a number of throwing knives that hung from her waist.
"It's great seeing all of you again. You all look fantastic."
That caused all three of them to turn a bright red, but Tika recovered quickly, slapping her hand against his bare arm. "What about you, Mr. Muscles? You look like you could wrestle a Sand Peist!"
He shrugged, "Been busy training, as well as doing work for the Flames. Smithing is hard labor, you know."
There was some more small talk, the four of them getting reacquainted with each other after their long separation. Sure, they had been able to speak with each other over linkpearl, but it wasn't quite the same as being face to face with someone.
After a while, it was Elyn who brought up the reason why they had gathered back together. "I'm assuming the Scions have another task for us?"
Jaune nodded, "I think so. Minfilia said she wanted me to meet some friends, but I figured she has some more work as well."
"Well then," Rana said, "let's not keep her waiting any longer then, shall we?"
KUPO
The solar was packed to the gills with all of the chief Scions, Thancred and Y'shtola to the right of Minfilia's desk, while Yda, Papalymo and Urianger were to the left.
The woman herself was all smiles as they entered. "Welcome back!" She greeted, waving slightly, "it seems you wasted no time putting your skills to work!"
Jaune chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I've been doing quite a bit of work recently, needed something to occupy myself with."
The other blonde grinned, "While I have no doubt that you hve indeed been a good job, I was referring more to just as you were inducted. The recruitment officer himself called me to regale me with the tale of your heroics. The pride in his voice was palpable! We Scions are truly fortunate to have you with us, Jaune."
He could feel his face turn hot from the praise, as well as Tika's elbow pressing into his ribs as she nudged him, smiling cheekily.
"Now," Minfilia continued, "When I spoke to you earlier, I said that I wanted you to meet some friends, did I not? Well, I neglected to mention you have already met."
She turned to the Scions' majordomo, "Tataru – please show them in."
The lalafell nodded and pushed open the doors, calling out into the hall behind. "This way, sirs!"
Two familiar shapes stepped in, the hulking form of Biggs, and the diminutive, onion-headed shape of Wedge. Biggs grinned when his eyes fell on Jaune. "Thanks again for getting us out of that mess. We owe you our lives."
Jaune mirrored the bigger man's expression, "I take it everything went alright then? No more imperials on your case?"
Biggs shook his head, "No, thankfully, the repairs were handled quickly enough that we were able to get out of there before those bastards came back."
"Imperials? Repairs?" Elyn questioned, purple eyes blinking in confusion.
"Right, you guys weren't there." Briefly, he filled the rest of his team in on how he had met the two engineers, as well as the fight that ensued with the imperials.
"Wow, you really were busy while we were gone." All he could do was shrug.
After he had regaled his team with how he met them, Biggs and Wedge formally introduced themselves, with the lalafell stammering slightly until a sudden bellow from the roegadyn caused him to jump damn near two feet in the air before shouting out his name.
Once everyone knew who everyone else was, Minfilia retook control of the conversation. "I am pleased to say that Biggs and Wedge will be staying with us for a while. Magitek-driven contraptions such as airships grow ever more vital to the city-states or Eorzea. As a neutral party, it was judged that we Scions should serve as the keepers of this technology. Of course, for this we needed the knowledge of experts. And so we requested the aid of Garlond Ironworks," here she gestured to Biggs and Wedge, "who very kindly sent us two of their finest engineers."
She bowed to the two goggled men, "On behalf of the Scions, I bid you welcome to the Waking Sands!"
There was a small cheer, as the rest of the Scions seemed to hog the two new members, questions flying towards the men almost faster than they could be answered.
Minfilia smiled wistfully at the scene for a moment before turning back to Jaune. "Now, having set aside the formalities…"
Her voice cut through the din in the solar, and the noise level quickly dropped. "…We have a favor to ask you."
Jaune nodded, "Sure thing, what do you need?"
She turned to the Urianger, "Have the documents arrived from the Students of Baldesion?"
The elzen nodded, "Aye, my lady, they arrived but recently." From his robes he pulled forth a scroll, passing it off to Minfilia, who scanned its contents quickly.
"We have conducted a study at the behest of the Order of the Twin Adder." She tossed the scroll onto her desk. "Papalymo, Yda - a synopsis, if you would."
The two of them turned to Jaune, "Our task was to survey the behavior of the sylphs, a beast tribe indigenous to the Twelveswood."
"Oh, how to describe them…" Yda chewed her lip, "They look like…gysahl greens? Floating ones! That worship the primal Ramuh."
Despite the funny image that flying gysahl greens brought to mind, Jaune felt his blood run cold when he heard that the tribe worshipped a primal.
Papalymo cleared his throat, "Ahem. Though technically a 'beast tribe', sylphs are blessed with a comparatively personable demeanor, conducive to peaceful communication."
Minfilia cut back in, "Offering us an invaluable opportunity to learn what the beast tribes know of the primals."
"While Ramuh's existence is well documented, the sylphs do not – or perhaps, cannot – summon the primal any longer, insofar as can be ascertained." Papalymo cut back in, "Until such time as we know, it would be unwise to assume that the threat posed by the primal has passed."
"Which leaves Gridania with the added worry of not knowing what they should be worrying about!" Yda added.
The lalafell male nodded. "In that regard, they re hardly alone. What we can say with absolute certainty is that Gridania has its hands full fending off Garuda. Who, I need hardly remind you, is among the most savage and terrible of all known primals."
"In short," said Minfilia, "it is essential that we approach the sylphs in as diplomatic a manner as possible. Words and actions can be misconstrued. The only sure way to communicate our intention is the Echo. Winning the sylph's favor may well bring us a step closer to mitigating the threat of the primals. Will you help us?"
Jaune looked to his team, who all nodded at him, before turning back to the Scions. "We're in."
Minfilia seemed to sag with relief, "I am grateful."
"Lovely!" clapped Thancred, "Well, much as I'd like to help, I'm afraid I would be of little use to anyone in Gridania. A veritable babe in the woods. Yda and Papalymo, however, should be able to see the forest for the trees. Is that not so, Minfilia?"
"Indeed. You are willing?"
"Leave it to me!" cheered Yda, tapping herself on her chest.
Papalymo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Us, Yda. Us!"
KUPO
The hour was late, well past lights out in Vale's Police Department lockup. Despite that, Cardin Winchester found himself unable to get any sleep. The reason for his insomnia wasn't what some would think, that is, a teenager scared by being imprisoned, but rather the seething hatred he felt for one Jaune Arc.
Even if the blonde nuisance was gone, he still irritated the once-bully. It was clear from day one that Arc had no business being at Beacon. The oaf had barely been able to walk without stabbing himself with his sword!
But for some reason, he was there, and so the Winchester boy had taken it upon himself to make the blonde's life as miserable as possible. If his actions just so happened to spread to the disgusting faunus population of the school, sobeit. The filthy animals had no business trying to be Hunstmen either.
Even thinking about that damnable Arc was causing his blood pressure to rise, and he forced himself to empty his mind, choosing instead to stare at his surroundings.
When Ozpin had expelled him and the rest of CRDL from Beacon, he had also presented copies of the tapes from the surveillance cameras around the school, and Vale police had taken the four of them into custody. Their weapons had been confiscated, of course, and, because they had their auras unlocked, had been put into pre-trial confinement while charges were being brought up.
Vale PD weren't stupid when it came to rogue Hunters.
The one boon that had occurred was that rather than split his team up, they had placed them all in the same cell. Being in a prison, it of course wasn't anything to write home about. Bunks were mounted to the walls perpendicular to the bars, and at the far end was a small alcove that provided at least some measure of privacy when it came to relieving oneself. Mounted on the wall next to that was a small bookshelf, but the selection left a great deal to be desired, consisting of some non-fiction twaddle about the Great War, a dictionary, and, for some inexplicable reason, a bodice-ripper that Dove seemed to be enthralled by.
Groaning lightly, he turned over on his side and closed his eyes, at least attempting to get some sleep.
Alas, it was not to be as two thuds sounded out in the jail, followed by the sound of two heavy objects falling to the ground.
Immediately, he sat up, wide awake. For once, he was glad to have had one of the upper bunks, as he most likely would have cracked his head open if he had sat up like that in one of the lower ones. Leaning over the edge, he reached down, smacking Russel's shoulder in an attempt to get the mohawked idiot awake.
"Rus!" He hissed, "Rus! Wake the hell up!"
It was no use, the other boy simply groaned, turning over onto his other side, and away from Cardin's reach.
"What's the matter, Winchester, afraid of the dark?"
A mocking voice, filled with amusement, spoke out.
Cardin froze, before lifting his head towards the bars of the cell. On the other side were two figures, but it was difficult to make out too many details, backlit as they were their faces were shadowed. What he could make out was that they both seemed to be around his age, with one male and one female.
The male's skin was rather pale, and he wore a high-collared t-shirt, with long, black pants. Grey hair was cropped to where Cardin could just barely make out the outline of ears.
The female on the other hand was a dusky brown, with green hair that went down to her shoulders. Capri-style pants covered her legs and she wore a halter top that left her midriff and a good portion of her cleavage showing.
"Cardin Winchester, the big bad bully of Beacon. Life does seem to have gone quite south for you, hasn't it?"
He didn't respond to the barb, instead keeping quiet, trying to figure out who these two were.
"It must look bad," spoke the female, "the son of one of Vale's councilors being found assaulting fellow students, as well as the charge of manslaughter. It's no wonder your father has been thinking of disowning you."
"Who are you?" He finally growled. He hadn't told anyone of the one conversation he'd had with his father, a man who seemed to place his political power above the well-being of his own flesh and blood.
The male chuckled, "Well, I suppose you could call us…headhunters."
Then the female joined in, "Beacon kicked you out, humiliated you. Your father wants nothing to do with you, and you're about to spend quite a long time in prison. Really, we've got a question of our own for you, and how you answer it will depend on how this night, and the rest of your life, goes."
Even if he couldn't see their faces, Cardin knew the both of them were grinning. "Cardin Winchester, as well as the rest of CRDL; how would you like to get revenge on Beacon?"
Voila, end of chapter. It's another short one, trying to get back into the groove. As a note, I will be taking some time to draw up what each character looks like and posting it on my deviantart. I won't tell you my name on there yet, as I don't actually have any other work for you to look at.
Also, two big things. One, I will be opening a poll in regards to what Jaune should name his chocobo. Yes, he will get a chocobo, if not next chapter, then the chapter after. Right now, I'm leaning towards X-ray from X-ray and Vav, as that character's tendency to destroy things while saving the day opens up all sorts of amusing possibilities in the story. Feel free to PM me with suggestions of your own.
Second, I'm looking to finally get Jaune his retainer, and my twisted mind is stuck on a mix of Henrietta from Log Horizon and Argo from SAO. Let me know what you think, please.