Between Two Worlds
Among this living room of medieval history, decorated with armor, displayed art, and books written by countless authors, sat an elderly man with wrinkled skin on the cheeks and brow as he wore a brown two-button suit, a dark red bow tie, and bifocal glasses. He was balding given his age but it did nothing to tear down the jolliness on his face. Anime rock music played in the background as he sat comfortably in his sofa chair sipping on orange juice and watching RWBY. However, upon seeing a camera crew appearing before him in his living room, the Historian simply put the TV on pause, freezing the scene of showing a spectacular decapitation of an oversized raven by an over-engineered scythe.
"Ah, it's that time already?" he chuckled, "Good, good. Now we can start reviewing medieval history once more. Of course, we've already covered Charlemange, Saladin, Richard, and Pope Innocent but I think we can do something special today." The Historian grabbed his remote to change the channel. A movie was picked and in the opening credits read the title: The Holy Remnant and was apparently by Monty Monty. "Of all the medieval legends and myths, perhaps none has stood out as something as iconic as King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Perhaps no one else in history, real or not, has managed to achieve cultural immortality across all continents as Arthur Pendragon. Even eleven centuries later, the Briton King remains just as popular for storytelling in pop culture as it did in the Middle Ages. Only the Legend of Robin Hood could compete with the legendary King of the Britons on how many times it has been adapted over cinema and literature." He chuckles when he remembers Robin Hood showed up in a movie of a brutish hermit with a heart of gold, a lovable fool who tames a dragon, a beautiful maiden who has more than her looks, and a cruel duke who is compensating for something. "As always, I'm your host, Frank, and today we will be examining something more...fantastical."
The Knights of the Round Table were to be the paragons of chivalry. As such, King Arthur Pendragon has appointed Sir Bedivere the Wise, the most knowledgeable warrior in the lands, as his first Knight of the Round Table. Other illustrious names added to his party were Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Galahad the Pure, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot, Who-Nearly-Fought-The-Dragon-of-Angor, Who-Had-Nearly-Stood-Up-to-The-Vicious-Chicken-of-Bristol, and Who-Had-Personally-Wet-Himself-at-the-Battle-of-Badon-Hill, and the aptly named Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Film. Together, the men would form a band whose names and deeds were to be retold till the end of time!
That would've been believable if it wasn't for the fact that the knights weren't riding horses at all. They were simply galloping in the grassy hills with their left arm outstretched in front of them as if they were gripping the reins of their mount. Split coconuts split neatly in half, were banged together by their serfs incessantly to mimic the sound of horse hooves trotting on the dirt. All the knights, including the king, wore a hauberk underneath their surcoats. Arthur had the sigil of a glowing sun, Bedivere had a white tree, Lancelot had a single black and white Griffon, Galahad had the red cross, and Robin had a beige chicken over his chest. Only King Arthur had his helmet forged to resemble a golden crown while his knight either forgo helmets or in Sir Bedivere's case, wore bucket helms with movable visors.
"And that, my liege, is how we know the earth is to be banana-shaped..." explained Sir Bedivere, as he lifted up his visor to speak with his king on the subject of geography. It was a rather laborious discussion on how such findings came to be but it seems King Arthur was amicable to it.
"This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedivere!" The Briton lord complimented on his wisest knight, "Explain again how sheep's bladders can be employed to prevent earthquakes."
"Certainly Sir." The blue knight agreed before Sir Lancelot interrupted him.
"Look, my liege!" Sir Lancelot shouted, his deep voice grabbing the attention of everyone at the party. He pointed to a large stone castle resting on a hill, empty, old, and in desperate need of spring cleaning.
"Camelot!" King Arthur gasped, feeling whole now that he has a keep to call his name.
"Camelot!" Sir Galahad cried, joyous at the sight of the formidable fortress.
"Camelot!" Sir Lancelot boomed, amazed that they had reached their destination.
"It's only a model…" King Arthur's page, Patsy, mumbled, feeling irked by his lord's foolishness.
"Sush!" The King quickly reprimanded Patsy before turning towards his entourage. "Knights! I bid you welcome to your new home! Let us ride to CAMELOT!"
Just as everyone was ready to "ride" towards the castle, King Arthur quickly reversed his decision after some contemplation. "On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. Tis a silly place."
Not wanting to argue with their liege, the knights followed King Arthur as they galloped elsewhere. Perhaps to find a different castle to live in and form the Round Table there. Yet despite traveling in perfectly clear weather, thunder was heard in the distance as if a rainstorm was upon them. Fog and dark clouds quickly consumed the blue sky, surrounding the party in dim light. While perplexed, the company would still continue to move if it were for a voice as deep and wide as the ocean spoke to them.
"ARTHUR!"
The knights looked around.
"ARTHUR!"
They lifted up their heads to see who was speaking to them.
"ARTHUR! KING OF THE BRYTONS!"
What the men saw was a parting of a cloud, basked in holy red and orange light, as if it was the most beautiful sunset they gazed upon. Its warmth brushed upon their skin and bathed their souls with holiness. In the center of the opening was a being with glowing eyes, whose colors match the sunset the shines behind the entity, and a massive flowing dark gray beard. He wore robes finer than any clothes fit for a king or emperor and had a massive crown resting upon his head. It was made from the purest gold and jewelry that shone brighter than any star at night. The aura of dignity, the voice of righteousness, and the miracle that is to see a giant man in the cloud shook the knight to their very core. Everyone in the party, including the serfs and the clergy, immediately bowed down and knelt in the grass, their faces almost kissing the dirt and -
"OH, DON'T GROVEL." God boomed in irritation, like the sight of seeing them bow sparked an unscratchable itch. "ONE THING I CAN'T STAND IT'S PEOPLE GROVELING!'
King Arthur and his party immediately got off the ground and dusted the dirt and grass over their bodies as they felt a bit unconscious of embarrassing themselves in front of their Holy God.
"Sorry." The king apologized, trying to save face for himself and his knights in order to spare the wrath of God.
"AND DON'T APOLOGIZE!" God quickly corrected his faithful. "EVERY TIME I TRY TO TALK TO SOMEONE 'IT'S SORRY THIS' AND 'FORGIVE ME THAT' AND 'I'M NOT WORTHY'-WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?"
"I'm averting my eyes, O'Lord." King Arthur answered as he and everyone in his party looked away from the holy glory that is God.
"WELL, DON'T!" The Lord commanded, feeling rightly annoyed by the sight. "IT'S LIKE THOSE MISERABLE PSALMS. THEY'RE SO DEPRESSING! NOW KNOCK IT OFF!"
"Yes, Lord." The king answered as everyone now allowed themselves to look freely upon God, no longer fearful of immediate judgment.
"RIGHT!" God said before starting from the very beginning. "ARTHUR, KING OF THE BRYTONS, YOUR KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE SHALL HAVE A TASK TO MAKE THEM AN EXAMPLE IN THESE DARK TIMES…"
"Good idea, O'Lord." King Arthur complimented.
"OF COURSE IT'S A GOOD IDEA!" God shouted, annoyed once again for his faithful pointing out the most obvious. "HARK! THE WORLD IS IN DARKNESS. MY CHILDREN ARE PLAGUED BY NIGHTMARES BORN FROM DARKNESS AND DESPAIR. EVIL IS RISING FROM THE BOSOM OF DAMNATION AND SEEKS TO DEVOUR THIS WORLD WHOLE. HARK! KING ARTHUR, THIS IS YOUR SACRED DUTY! THAT IS YOUR PURPOSE, ARTHUR. CARRY OUT MY WILL AND LIBERATE REMNANT BACK TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. MAKE HASTE TO THE SHORES AND FLY ACROSS THE GREAT SEA. FULFILL YOUR QUEST FOR A HOLY REMNANT!"
Just like that, with the sound of two oak doors locking, the sight of God and his clouds dispersed into nothingness, leaving the party with a newfound purpose.
"A blessing! A blessing from the Lord." Sir Lancelot exclaimed.
"God be good!" Sir Galahad murmured.
"I was expecting something different...Like a Holy Grail quest." King Arthur pouted before addressing his men. "Sir Bedivere?"
"Yes, my liege?" the blue knight answered, squeaky out his words.
"You happen to know where the nearest coast is?" He asked, "I think God wants us to get out of this island."
"I know where to find a beach." Bedivere lifted up his visor as he spoke. "However, I also do think we need to find a mode of transportation."
"That is true. We will need a ship." King Arthur acknowledged. He ponders who to get someone to man the ship. No one in his party knows basic nautical navigation on open waters. "Do you happen to know where we can find sailors as well?"
"Unfortunately, my liege, I do not." The blue knight shook his head slightly. "However, I've heard of a magic carpet before. Perhaps we can use it to sail the ocean instead of a boat."
"A magic carpet?" King Arthur asks incredulously, "How did you come across such rumors as that mystical item?"
"Wouldn't it be easier to find a boat, my lord?" Sir Lancelot chipped in on the conversation.
"Boats cost money, my liege." Sir Bedivere argued. "A magic carpet is free since we won't have to pay for sailors and maintenance."
"Hmmm." King Arthur pondered, "He isn't wrong. We do need every coin to use for our weapons and supplies for this long journey."
"And a magic carpet will clean itself if it gets dirty so we don't have to spend money to wash it." The blue knight added.
"That sounds good enough for me." King Arthur remarked. "Very well, to fulfill our holy mission from God, we must acquire a magic carpet to sail across the ocean and banish the darkness from whence it came!"
"Now, Sir Bedivere!" He addressed the wisest knight in the party, "Where do we find this magic carpet?"
"A magic carpet seller." Bedivere answered, lowering his visor.
Somewhere in Beacon Academy, located in a green tower of glass and steel, was the office of Headmaster Ozpin. Going over the usual mundane affairs of school bureaucracy listed in his daily reports, the gray-haired man drank his coffee in silence, the only disruption to the quiet was the sound of his oak doors opening to reveal a younger, more dark-haired man with a massive word strapped to his back. His body was hunched over, out of laziness or spite, and his goatee in dire need of a wash as the allure of alcohol clung to him like toxic gas. The piercing red eyes showed the Headmaster that this was far from being a casual meeting.
"Hey Oz." The man greeted, inviting himself to it on the velvet seats.
"Good afternoon, Qrow." Ozpin replied, "I assume this is an emergency?"
"Not exactly, Oz." Qrow huffed, trying to figure out how to word his news properly. "Do you still remember the Island of Albion?"
"The island that is surrounded by perpetual fog?" The headmaster questioned.
"Yup."
"The island that remains unexplored and uncharted to this day because of the overabundance of Grimm inhabiting the surrounding seas and sky?"
"Yeah."
"The island that is rumored to contain a hidden civilization that has yet to make contact with modern Humans and Faunus?"
"Pretty much."
"What happened to it?" Ozpin inquired, feeling quite curious about this news.
"Well, the thing is, Oz..." Qrow began, taking a sip from his canteen. "You can see the coastline now."
"Hmmm?"
"I'm serious. The mists, the fog, it's gone! I've overheard the pilots and sailors that travel to Atlas speak of the cloudy barrier disappearing before their eyes."
"Most interesting." Ozpin gleamed in his eyes. "Is Ironwood already sending an expedition?"
"What else do you expect from the tin can general?" Qrow huffed, not wanting to hear another word about Ironwood. "He'll send a whole army to claim that floating rock as another extension of Atlas."
"Not if we invite him first…" Ozpin corrected, smiling behind his cup of coffee.
"Oh boy, I know that look, Oz." Qrow grumbled, "Better not be about my niece."
"I don't know what you're talking about." The headmaster smirked as he picked up his scroll.
"Djinns, Al Rukhs, and a hundred wives for every sultan…this Guptary sounds more and more bizarre by the second." King Arthur commented offhandedly as the party galloped along the dirt road. Their pages are still beating two coconuts together creating quite a din among the small clouds of dust. "Are you sure such a land exists?"
"Quite right, my liege." Sir Bedivere confirmed, as his visor was opened. "It's the only place where magic carpets are found. Nowhere else."
"Those were some Sultans…" Sir Galahad commented, rolling his eyes as he "rode" alongside Sir Bedivere.
"Right, the sooner we find this merchant, the sooner we can truly start our quest." Sir Lancelot spoke up, "I swear that the pagans and heathens are committing blasphemy against our Holy Lord this very moment."
The other knights were quick to agree on that statement as they continued to ride through the woods. The party only stopped when they came across another castle built entirely out of stone. King Arthur quickly raised his hand to halt his men and signal them to spread out in a wing on his flanks. Patsy brought out a long, skinny trumpet-like horn and blew fiercely into it. What came out was a strangling cry of a sick elephant, mourning its inevitable doom and mortality.
"HELLO!" The Bryton King shouted, trying to hail the guard or anyone that could hear him from inside the walls. After a moment of waiting, King Arthur shouted once more. "HELLO!"
From the battlements popped two plate gauntlets worn over a hauberk before a head emerged. The guard was fully decked out in armor and wore a helmet that resembled an egg or plum.
"Hallo! Who iz it?" The sentry asked as he looked down upon the knights.
"It is King Arthur and these are my Knights of the Round Table! Whose castle is this?" he answered.
"This iz ze castle of my master, Guy de Loimbard!"
"Go and tell your master that we have been charged by God with a sacred quest. If he could give food and shelter for the night, he can join us in our quest to purge 'Remnant' of its corruption." King Arthur requested. "If possible, perhaps he can tell us if he met a carpet merchant; we need to find one."
"Well, I'll ask him but I don't think he will be very keen…" The sentry sputtered, his foreign accent thick between his words. "He already got a merchant, you see?"
"What?" King Arthur shouted in disbelief.
"He says they already got a merchant!" Sir Galahad repeated, feeling equally surprised.
"Are you sure he's got one?!" The King hollered at the lone sentry.
"Oh yes, he's very nice!" The Sentry confirmed before turning away to snicker with his comrades, who were hiding behind the curtain wall. "I've told him we've already got a merchant."
"Well...ummm." King Arthur looked between his party members who were just as lost and confused as he was. "Can we come up to talk to him?"
"Of course not!" The Sentry rebuked him, "You are Bryton types!"
Dazed by the rejection, King Arthur quickly recovered his dignity and demanded an answer for this insult to his honor and titles. "Well, what are you then?!"
"I'm a Frank, Why do you think I have zis outRAEgous aczent, you silly kin-g?!" The Frankish soldier answered.
"What are you doing in Albion!?" Sir Galahad shouted, feeling contempt for the sentry.
"MIND YOUR OWN BIZNESS!" he replied, shutting down any further arguments.
"If you do not give us an audience with the carpet merchant, we shall take your castle by force!" The Bryton king threatened.
"You don't frighten us, Bryton pig-dogs!" The Frankish Sentry taunted and jeered, blowing raspberries as he tapped his helmet. "Go and boil your bottoms, sons of a silly person! I blow my nose at you so-called Arthur King! You all your silly Bryton k-nnnnni-gits!"
"What a strange person..." Sir Galahad said offhandedly as he looked at his comrades who all stared at the Frankish with mild indignation.
"Now, look here, my good man—" King Arthur began, trying to salvage the situation and restore diplomacy between the two parties.
"I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper!" The Frankish continued his barrage of superciliousness. "I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a 'amster and your father smelt of elderberries!"
"Is there someone else up there that we could talk to?!" Sir Galahad pleaded.
"No!" The soldier refused. " Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!"
Finally, King Arthur fumed through his nostrils as he could no longer bear further derision from the Frankish guard. "Now this is your last chance, I've been more than reasonable-"
"Fetchez la vache!" The Frankish footman said to his comrades.
"Quoi?" They said, not understanding his words.
"Fetchez la vache!" he repeated, this time with more agency. Upon hearing this, the soldiers brought out a cow from the castle stables as it was mooing in annoyance.
"If you do not agree to my demands, then I shall-" King Arthur shouted.
BOING! Goes the cow flying over the ramparts and onto the knights, crying in fear of experiencing flight for the first and last time.
"JEEZUS CHRIST!" King Arthur exclaimed, so shocked by the audacity that he was unable to move.
Fortunately, the cow only squashed one of the serfs responsible for coconut banging and carrying supplies to one of the knights.
"Right…" The Bryton King muttered as he looked at the poor soul crushed by a bovine. "CHARGE!" he commanded, drawing Excalibur from his sheath.
"CHARGE!" echoed his knights as they all whipped out their swords and rushed the stone walls only to be met by a hailstorm of crying goats and clucking chickens as the Frankish used livestock and poultry as ammunition for their siege defense weapons.
"Thiz one's for your mother!" The Frankish soldier yelled as he threw a goose at the Brytons, the poor bird was desperately flapping its wings before gravity brought it down upon the knights.
"RUUN AWAAAY!" King Arthur cried as he avoided getting hit by a yowling cat thrown over the ramparts.
"RUN AWAAY!" The knights lamented as they were forced on the retreat all the while the Frankish pelted them with chickens and lambs while blowing more raspberries.
The men ran into a ditch that was a considerable distance from the castle and took cover there. Wholly humiliated, they had to hatch a new plan.
"Fiends!" Sir Lancelot cursed. "I'll tear them apart!"
"No, no!" King Arthur tried to console him when Sir Bedivere lifted up his visor to speak of his idea.
"Sir!" The wise knight called for his king's full attention. "I have plans…"
After a successful day of chasing off Brytons, the Frankish sentry stared at the horizon chewing on some mint. As exciting as it was to demean King Arthur, the post quickly grew boring and taxing on his mind. By happy chance, the sound of electric saws and metal tools filled the air and spooked the soldier out of his thoughts. After several minutes of frantic searching at the treeline, he saw a giant statue of a rabbit, expertly cut and assembled entirely out of wood, slowly being pushed on wheels towards the castle gate.
While suspicious of this random statue parked outside the doors, the Frankish men-at-arms took this wooden rabbit inside after a heated debate. All the while, King Arthur and his knights looked on from the ditch, confidence returning as their opponents were none the wiser of Sir Bedivere's plan.
"What happens now?" King Arthur gleefully inquires, unable to prevent a grin inhabiting his face.
"Well now, Lancelot, Galahad, and I would wait until nightfall and then leap out of the rabbit, taking the Frankish by surprise." Sir Bedivere explained with equal joy. "And not only by surprise but totally alarmed!"
"Who leaps out?" The King asked again, his grin replaced with some mild contemplation as he rehearsed the plan in his mind.
"Lancelot, Galahad, and I…." he answered, pointing to each participant respectively, as he slowly realized his missing component in the plan.
King Arthur simply groaned in frustration, his hand over his face, as he now realized the lost opportunity before him. He was not alone as Sir Lancelot crushed into his palm and covered his eyes while Sir Galahad averted his gaze from the castle and found the dirt to be more intriguing. Sir Robin simply looked lost in the whole ordeal.
"L-look." Sir Bedivere quickly corrected, trying to save his honor, "I... uh... look, if we built this large wooden badger..."
King Arthur simply smacked the blue knight's great helm.
BOING!
A loud bouncy noise shook the party out of their disappointment and made them look into the blue sky. Mimicking lessons of flight from the cow before it, the Trojan Rabbit soared through the air like a majestic fat pigeon, inflicting immediate panic among the knights and routed them from the ditch, before crash landing on another poor coconut-carrying serf.
"JEEZUS CHRIST!"
As the new stations around the world began to receive updates concerning the hidden lands of Albion, the sensation of a virgin land filled with black soil and untapped veins of dust gripped the kingdoms. For the Beacon students, the hallways and dorms were buzzing with rumors of what could be found on that mysterious island. After all, maps for the longest time had labeled the region "Kingdom of the Mists" or "Shadow Realm" with "Here be Grimm" pasted all over the surrounding waters. Professor Ozpin has made a quick school announcement explaining the "Albion Question" and spoke of choosing a Huntsmen team to apprentice under a Beacon professor for the mission. Turns out, Atlas and Vale agreed to do a joint scouting run to survey the hidden world.
"Oh, can you believe it?!" Ruby Rose-Xiao Long squealed in her seat, still ecstatic to hear the news of a new landmass being discovered. "There could be new plants and even new animals!"
Her team, however, was not so easy to catch up in all the hype as they ate their meals at their usual lunch table. Team RWBY was joined by its sister team, JNPR, who was also devouring their meals.
"Or...there could be a new dangerous Grimm just waiting over there." Blake Belladonna rolled her eyes as she ate her fish taco. He quickly stuffed her nose back into the adult literature she was reading.
"Ooooo!" Nora Valkyrie squirmed excitedly as she slurped her pancakes like it was a wet noodle. "I hope there is one! I got a hammer with its name on it!"
"Assuming my father doesn't order the pioneers and engineers to establish outposts for mining and excavation immediately, this expedition will simply be an inquiry into the local botany and fauna of Albion." Weiss Schnee spoke aloud between bites of her chicken salad. "I do believe that Vale and Atlas will keep hostilities against the Grimm to a minimum."
"Can't wait to get his grubby hands on that island?" Jaune Arc mumbled into his burger. "He's going to use that 'Manifest Destiny' rubbish as an excuse?"
"Obviously…" Weiss huffed, feeling slightly downcast.
"On a more positive note..." Pyrrha Nikos chirped, "We are living in a moment of history now. This will be a story where we will tell our descendants to come."
Jaune and his teammate Lie Ren blushed at the thought of being wrinkly old men telling stories to young children. It did not go unnoticed by Nora as she dug at Ren's ribs. Yang Rose-Xiao Long snickered under her breath as she devoured her pizza.
Ruby slumped into her seat and took another bite of her alfredo pasta. "I wish I could tell Ozpin to send me to find stuff in Albion. It sounds so fun; trying to find treasures or a new Grimm to kill."
"Wish granted, Miss Rose," Ozpin spoke up behind the little red riding hood, causing both teams to jump and stare. "Sorry for disturbing you all from your pleasant lunch."
"No offense taken, headmaster," Jaune responded, having the dignity to not talk with his mouth full in front of Ozpin. "Is our presence required?"
The older man's eyes gleamed at the question. "Indeed." he chuckled. "Team RWBY and JNPR, please come to meet me in my office once lunchtime is over. I have something special to confine with you all."
"Special?" Ruby and Nora had sparkles in their eyes when they heard that magic word.
"Absolutely." he confirms with a devious smile before leaving.
The hour-long lunch break ended in a flash as the young huntsmen and huntresses were intrigued by the headmaster's words. Was it about the recent discovery or perhaps a minor more menial task for them to complete? They certainly hope for the former. The teams definitely don't want to do another red sap collecting assignment.
As the eight students file into Headmaster Ozpin's office after a cramped ride in the elevator. ("Watch your hands, Jaune!"), they stood before his massive oak desk. Glynda remained by Ozpin's side while Professor Port and Oobleck sat in front of him, sitting comfortably in the velvet cushion seats.
"Team RWBY and Team JNPR," Glynda Goodwitch addressed, "As you are well aware, the lifting of the mists and the sharp decline in aquatic and avian Grimm activity surrounding Albion has given us this opportunity to finally explore the island."
"Quite right, Glynda." Ozpin sipped his coffee as he leaned back. "No matter how you examine the situation, everyone stands to learn something from this expedition. While Atlas boasts of viewing the island as an easy land grab, I see it differently. What lies before us is a unique chance to test the brightest pupils of this school in an environment not recorded in our libraries and texts. Huntsmen and Huntresses must learn the ability to adapt to foreign environments since long-distance traveling is not uncommon for those who lived a decade or two into their careers. Team RWBY will be apprenticing under Professor Oobleck; Team JNPR under Professor Port as we will be cooperating with Atlas in this expedition."
The students nodded respectfully at their designated guardians although some were brave or foolish enough to show some hesitation with the choices. Weiss looked on skeptically when she noticed Ozpin was staring straight at her.
"General Ironwood told me that Specialist Winter Schnee will be in charge of the Atlesian side of things," he added, smirking at the surprise taking over Weiss's face. "Be respectful, even if their attitudes are...not the most open-minded."
Blake quickly coughed into her fist while Jaune suddenly found the grandfather clock at the corner of the room to be the most interesting object in the universe.
"Given that the journey itself will be a rather long one, at least six hours, I would like for you all to immediately start preparing after this meeting is over. Pack enough to last a week over there, at the minimum; you'll be covering a lot of ground with the Atlesians." Professor Port advised, already grinning underneath the fat hairy caterpillar glued to his upper lip that is his ridiculous mustache.
"You will leave tonight." Opzin stated, "I've already taken the precautions concerning your schedule and assignments. Consider homework null and void if Professor Oobleck and Port find your performance satisfactory." That certainly brought a positive reception out of the students. Jaune and Yang were noticeably more relaxed while Ruby was practically jumping on the balls of her feet.
"And one more thing…" he continued.
"Yes, Headmaster?" Ruby asked.
"Be discreet about this mission." Ozpin ordered, his glare shutting down any further interpretations of his statement, "No one outside of these walls is to know. I'll speak with your parents about the basic details. The last thing I want coming back to this school is more rumors and misinformation concerning Albion."
"Of course, sir," Jaune said, nodded quickly. He was followed by his teammates and friends of Team RWBY. "We understand completely."
"Thank you." The Headmaster smiled, "You are all excused now. Meet me at the walkway in front of the school at 9:00 pm. See you all there."
Once his office became empty after the professors exit to return to their classrooms, the creaking of the oak door opened to reveal Qrow Branwen. Still reeking of whiskey and rum and still looking sleep-deprived, the favored agent of the Headmaster strolled right in and sat in front of Ozpin. Taking out his canteen, the raven-haired man took another long sip before closing the cap.
"So Oz." he grunted, "What do you want me here for now?"
"Something really simple: watch Team RWBY and JNPR from afar. Don't interfere nor make your presence known." Ozpin explained, "Of course, feel free to explore the island on your own whims, so long as you don't get lost from the main party."
"So my job now is to collect rocks and grass and stare at my niece all day?" Qrow groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"Think Qrow! Be serious." The Headmaster narrowed his eyebrows, "She could already be active there. I don't want them to be in a rude awakening."
"Okay, okay…" The alcoholic bemoaned, "I get it-I get it. Out of sight; out of trouble. I hear you. I hope you're wrong; they're not ready."
"I too wish that I am simply paranoid of Albion." Ozpin sighs, "Yet I still sense a great disturbance in my soul."
"You sure that's not from your spicy bean burrito?" Qrow lifted up his head to glare at his employer.