Another chapter here, hope you enjoy. Didn't manage to get this one to CF due to overly busy weekend and le crazy deadlines.


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Pachumaster

Chapter 19


The Atlas Academy for Magic wasn't just a school. It was a city. That was the first thought to cross my mind, swiftly followed by awe, as the ship broke through the morning mist and revealed the glimmering spires to us all.

It was built into the side of a mountain, with grand platforms that jutted impossibly out into the air, spires and towers with blue-tipped fire atop them that seemed so unnatural. Magic had to be involved, if only because those platforms had no supports and looked like they couldn't handle the weight of the buildings upon them. As we entered the harbour – for the school had its own – I couldn't take my eyes off the strange signal lights that flickered atop the water. They were blue flames, trapped in metal cages chained to the ground. It was as though they were alive and captured, and the cages strained to escape Remnant constantly. The others looked on in awe too, but to the rest of the crew, the incredible sights appeared mundane at best.

The deck beneath my feet lurched and I stumbled as we suddenly sped up. "What's happening?" I cried.

"The Mages have us," one of the Sailors said with a grin. "We're being escorted into port."

Escorted? My eyes searched left and right but there was no one near the ship at all. We were accelerating, however, against the wind and far faster than we had before. It was as though some great hand had grasped us and dragged us into shore. My eyes widened, and Ruby cried out in fright as it became clear we would crash violently into the stone jetty. At the last second, however, the ship ground to a gentle halt, moved sideward, and moored itself.

It all happened without a single person moving a muscle.

"That's… convenient, I guess," Pyrrha murmured. Despite the words, she sounded nervous as she stepped out onto the wooden gangplank that had been laid between the ship and the docks. When it held, she stepped out and rushed down onto solid ground.

I was close behind her and fell to my knees with a breath of relief. Sweet, solid ground, how I had missed it. Never again would it be taken for granted.

"Get up Arc," Weiss sighed as she walked by, "You're making a scene."

I was making a scene? The comment might as well have been laughable, for as I looked up towards her, it was to see the Captain of the Atlesian ship, a man dressed in a proud military uniform, down on one knee before her. "Lady Mage," he said, "It was an honour to have you on our ship. We are forever thankful we were in time to rescue you and your retinue."

"Retinue…?" Nora echoed.

"Our thanks to you as well Captain," Weiss nodded imperiously. "Your arrival was most timely. Might I ask what will happen to the crew that brought us thus far?"

"Captain Brun is well known in Atlas," the man said. "His ship will be repaired by our own shipwrights. Naturally, the failure to reign in the pirates was our fault and Atlas shall carry the cost of repair."

That was generous, and more than I'd expected to be honest. Weiss thanked the man and moved away, and he only rose once she had gone a good ten paces. "We should make for the Academy main building," she said, stepping past us. She clearly expected us to follow, and we did – what else could we do?

"Are people always going to act like that around you?" Yang asked. "They treat you like royalty… you're not, right?"

"I am not," Weiss confirmed. "I am, however, part of the Mage Caste, and as such afforded great respect in Atlas. Such displays will falter once we're surrounded by other magic-using Classes."

"And will we be expected to bow and prostrate ourselves before them?" Blake snarked.

"No one will expect you to do any such thing."

Blake's eyes narrowed at the clear emphasis placed there. Fortunately, nothing came of it, however, and we carried along the pristine, marble streets between brightly-coloured stalls and taverns. The Academy – or the city rather – looked like it got fancier the higher one went, with the top tiers probably being the school itself. Every part of it had a view of the ocean, and as we moved higher up white-washed steps, it was possible to see out over the fog and mist. Perhaps that was how the navy had seen our ship.

"What now?" Yang asked as we walked onto a silvery disc. It was a dead end and with no staircase or door in sight. Weiss rolled her eyes and strode to one side of it. There was an alcove there with what looked like a brazier on it. With a wave of one hand, she summoned a burst of flame and ignited it.

I wasn't the only one to cry out when the floor beneath our feet juddered and moved.

"Relax," Weiss sighed as gravity reversed itself and the floor pushed up off the ground. "This is perfectly safe. Only those who possess the gift of magic can access the Academy. Just one of the many defences the Academy holds."

"What are the others?" I asked, still trying to gather myself. In the end I crouched down, finding some relief in not having to stand on the platform as it ghosted up into the air. This was all so unreal.

"Our main defence is quite simply our power, and how the Academy is designed. Look." She pointed out towards the ocean. I didn't see anything special. The harbour was walled off, the city itself accessible only by that on this side. There was probably a gate somewhere else, but it wasn't in view.

"I don't see anything."

"Idiot Arc," she sighed. "We are Mages. We can control the elements so long as we have the power, the concentration – and most importantly – a good view of the battlefield."

"The only way to attack is by sea," Pyrrha whispered, eyes wide.

"And the Mages would rain fire and destruction down on them," Ren finished. "Trapped on the ocean, which could become a living weapon at any moment, none can hope to conquer the Academy."

"Those that try drown in the sea," Weiss confirmed, right as the platform slowed and came to a halt. It didn't click into anything, nor secure itself – and as we moved off of it, there was a nauseous sensation of our weight causing it to move and unbalance. It held, however, and yet again I swore to never take solid ground for granted. "Welcome to the Grand Academy of Magic…"

Welcome indeed… the building was pristine white and seemed to shimmer in the late afternoon sun. People moved to and fro, all in robes, but in different colours and levels of ornateness. it looked like some kind of uniform or ranking system, with maybe the older years being able to wear different robes to distinguish themselves. Next to the great building was what looked like several beautiful gardens filled with trees, flowers and hedges. That those could survive at all in what was a wintery landscape filled with chill spoke of some more magical shenanigans. In fact, now that I thought about it… the cold air that had me shivering earlier had also vanished.

Were they honestly controlling the very weather and temperature up here?

A figure approached from the entrance of the main building. Weiss turned towards it with a small smile, while the rest of us looked on with a little trepidation. The woman was taller than Weiss, yet wore the same distinctive hair colour. She was dressed in a tight-fitting white uniform not dissimilar to what the navy Captain had worn, except that hers had several brightly-coloured sashes across the front. "Weiss!" she spoke and moved closer. "It's so good to see you."

"Winter," the Mage replied, accepting the warm hug from the older girl.

This is her sister? I thought, looking to the others to see their reaction. Nora had her head tilted to one side, as though to try and understand how the two were related. I felt much the same… if it wasn't for the hair, the two could have looked like strangers.

The Class was different too, which was usually a bit of a giveaway. Above the woman's head, below the name of Winter, was her Class – Fencer. True to the name, she wore an elegant sabre on one hip and a parrying dagger on the other. The older woman caught us looking and detached herself from her sister with a perfectly calm expression. "And these are your companions, no? On behalf of the Archmage, I welcome you to Atlas and the Grand Academy of Magic. As Winter Schnee, I also thank you for fighting alongside my sister."

I jumped when everyone looked towards me for to answer. "Ah," I laughed and scratched the back of my head. "No worries?"

"Arc…" Weiss growled, then turned to her sister and ignored me entirely. "Actually, Winter, these are my Guild mates in Beacon. We, that is to say the Hunters, have been tasked on a Quest to meet with the Archmage."

"We have been made aware of this, Weiss. Why do you think a ship was sent out to ensure your safe arrival?"

"That was-?" Weiss looked embarrassed, or perhaps upset. It was hard to tell. "Please tell the Archmage I apprecia-"

"Nonsense," Winter smiled, "You can tell him yourself. He has summoned everyone to dine with him this evening after all."

"But our Que-"

"The Archmage is the one who has commissioned this quest and he will be the one to fill you in on the details tonight," the Fencer explained. "There are preparations that must be undertaken as well and the journey won't start until tomorrow morning. After your recent ordeal, I feel you could all use some rest." Her eyes strayed over us at that, and paused particularly on me. "Perhaps a chance to bathe as well."

She doesn't mean anything by it, I tried to tell myself. It was just that my armour was still splattered with blood.

"Ooh, that would be so good!" Ruby cheered. "We've been stuck on a boat for so long and there wasn't enough water to have a proper bat-"

"Ruby!" Weiss snapped.

"Now, Weiss…" the older woman rebuked. "I see no harm in a little appreciation for such things. Miss Rose, is it not? I will personally ensure a tub is prepared for you in your rooms. A message arrived in advance with a missive from Headmaster Ozpin and rooms have been made available for you all."

"Thank you Miss Schnee. You're very nice."

The woman chuckled. "How can I not be when you have looked after my sister, so? Come now. Let's see you all to your quarters. I'll have someone come and collect each of you when the main meal is prepared."

/-/

Winter Schnee proved as good as her word, and the Academy proved to be generous too. We were given five rooms between us, each broken up into pairs. Yang and Ruby shared one, while Pyrrha and Nora took another. As the only men in the group, Ren and I were afforded our own, while it turned out that Weiss actually had her own private room in the Academy already. That left Blake on her own, which I felt bad about initially, but knew she would appreciate more than having to bunk with Weiss. In fact, the Assassin would probably be more put out if I spoke on her behalf and accidentally convinced Ruby and Yang to drag Blake in to sleep with them.

Ren sighed in relief as he stepped out of the tiled bathroom, a warm towel wrapped about his waist. "That was a relief," he said, "It's hard to understand how nice a bath is after so much time on the ocean."

I laughed and tossed him an apple, which he caught with one hand and bit into. I'd already had a bath myself and now sat in clean, white clothes that some servants had provided. It wasn't my usual wear, but was incredibly soft and warm. It was essentially a white tunic with a black belt and light grey hose. There was a strange badge on the front, which I'd been told would indicate us as honoured guests to any of the students in the school. "How do you think the water gets heated so quickly?" I asked.

"Magic, I would assume," the Monk shrugged. "It seems to me like they rely on it for just about everything."

"Makes me wonder what would happen if it ever failed."

"I'm fairly sure the Academy runs in some kind of imbued enchantments," Ren said around a bite of fruit. "I can't imagine there's some Mage hidden behind a wall in there, tasked with casting fire spells whenever we want a shower."

The thought made me laugh, if only because my head substituted `Mage` with `Weiss`. "This place is strange but not as bad as I thought it would be. Weiss' sister was nice."

"I'm surprised myself on that front," Ren chuckled. "Still, we're here to complete a Quest so we shouldn't get used to this kind of luxury."

"For now I'll dream," I sighed and flopped back onto the soft, soft bed. My stomach grumbled, even after the apple, and mostly because of how little I'd been able to keep down on the ship. "How long do you think there is until food?"

"Should I know? You could always ask Weiss."

"I don't know where her room is."

"Then ask some random passer-by," Ren said. "I'd help but I'm a little under dressed." At any other time I would have said no, too shy and nervous to wander around some foreign academy on my own. Necessity made a fool of us all, however, and with my stomach currently gnawing on my spine, I sighed and stood up. "You're actually going?" Ren asked, surprised.

"I'm that hungry, Ren. Besides, it can't hurt to ask, right?"

Ren shrugged but didn't seem bothered. It wasn't like I was going to go and trek across the entire campus. I just wanted to hover within sight of our rooms and see if there was anyone I could ask for directions or a map.

The corridor was pretty much empty when I stepped out, the others all likely resting in the rooms next to mine and Ren's. I took a second to memorise the door, then made my way down the corridor, not taking any turns so I wouldn't get lost on the way back. En route, a few students looked my way, most of the words above their heads denoting them as Mages, Priests, Sorcerers or the like. They didn't stop to talk, however, and when I tried to engage them, they conversed louder between themselves and walked away.

I glowered after the last trio to do with, shaking my head as I trudged on. "Guess not everyone's as nice as Weiss' sister…"

The lack of company gave me time to think, which was unfortunate. I didn't want to think; not when the memories I wanted to repress were less than a day old. That was why I'd chosen to not wear my armour… or rather, I'd been unable to. The blood was a reminder, the damage evidence. I'd scrubbed Crocea Mors clean over twenty times and that was the only reason I felt comfortable with her at my side.

At least I gained some levels… The thought made my eyes scrunch shut and I shook my head angrily. What a disgusting thought, no matter how true it was. Someone lay dead because of me… cut down by my own hands and all I could muster was cheer at having levelled up? Sure, I'd gained Exp from the fight… I'd only had to murder to get it.

Two full levels… or rather, one and a bit, but I'd already been so close to level eighteen that it had given me two in total. It was what I'd been working on for a while back at Beacon, yet the slog between seventeen and eighteen had seemed to take forever. Now, in the blink of an eye, it was gone entirely. Was this really the best way to level up? I sighed and made to move on, only to pause and look out of a window as something caught my eye. My mind grasped onto it, eager for anything to distract it.

Down below, in a grassy field, it looked like over a hundred people in armour practiced with sword strikes. They moved in unison, arranged in a square with equal space between each combatant. One figure at the head faced them and barked instructions. Robed figures watched from the edges, a surprising number of them, in fact. A military drill? I thought this was a school for Mages…

"Arc… what are you doing?"

My shoulders jerked as I pulled back and faced Weiss. "Nothing," I said automatically, then flushed when I realised how guilty I sounded. "I mean, ugh… I was hungry and wanted to try and find some food before the meal. I was just looking out there." I pointed to the window, and the Mage leaned over to take a glance.

"Ah, the Sentinels," she mused. "I suppose those would be of interest to you."

"Sentinels? Is that a Class?"

Weiss sighed and pulled back, flicking some hair over her shoulder. She'd changed into new clothing as well, though hers still resembled a Mage's robes, this time in white with gold scrolling. She looked bothered by something, but judging from how she answered, it wasn't my question. "Sentinels are not a Class, no. You might think of them as something akin to a Caste of their own, though only within Atlas."

"The Sentinel Caste," I murmured. "Is that actually a thing?"

"Not officially; it was just an analogy." She sighed and palmed her forehead. "I suppose the best way to explain it would be to say that they are members of the Hero Caste, elevated above their station due to the duty they hold. Atlas is a Mageocracy and so Mage-type Classes are considered of higher importance than the Hero Caste – and even the Noble Caste. Sentinels share in that power, if a little lesser than that of a Mage. They can command other Heroes and Soldiers, however."

Mages were higher than the Noble Caste? That was news, and it shocked me more than I cared to admit. I'd never actually met a Noble in my time, those being so far removed from the Labour Caste, it wasn't even funny, but dad had done some commission work for one – and the cost of those materials had been insane. Then again, if the Archmage runs an entire city, then it's almost like he's a King in his own right.

"Tell me, Arc, if you wished to fight against a Mage, what would you do?"

The question caught me off guard but I answered easily enough. "I'd get in close," I said.

"Exactly… although there are some hybrid Classes such as Spell-Swords and Clerics, they will almost always pay for their magical ability with a deficiency in melee arts. As a fault, our greatest weakness is our susceptibility to a sustained assault at close quarters." Weiss gestured to the drill outside. "We know that, however, which is why the Sentinel system was created. In essence, you might consider them bodyguards, though the bond goes a little deeper than that."

"And these bodyguards are considered better than Heroes?"

"Politically speaking, yes… to become a Sentinel is a great honour and requires extensive training, not to mention for a Mage to notice and choose you. That's why the drills are held out there, and why so many Mages are watching. They are looking for someone that catches their fancy, a person they can trust to watch their back. Those selected will be the best of the best, so they earn the right to be better than a Hero."

Earn, that was the key word which helped me feel a little better about the whole thing. It still sounded unfair for someone to be considered more important than someone else, but at least for those people it hadn't been decided at birth. "Does everyone have a Sentinel, then?"

"It's expected that every Mage will have one by the time they graduate," Weiss explained. "Some come with Sentinels before their education ever begins. In fact, I believe some families have ancient pacts and agreements where they protect and support one another. Most, however, choose a Sentinel within their first few years here. You have to choose one by the end," she added, "You cannot graduate without one."

"Wow…" I looked out over them again, paying a little more attention now to the Mages who watched the candidates. Now that I had Weiss' words to go on, I couldn't help but think the whole thing looked like a cattle market. "No one's picking anyone, though."

Weiss laughed. "It's a bigger deal than you perhaps realise. A Sentinel is not something that can be chosen and discarded at will. There are protections for the Sentinel as much as there are the Mage, and many form partnerships that last a lifetime. To choose such a person hastily would be a disservice to not only yourself, but them as well." Weiss sighed and walked up to stand beside me, looking out over them. "My sister is a Sentinel."

"Winter?"

"She was born a Fencer and quickly proved herself worthy of the Hero Caste. That said, when our mother…" Weiss paused to take a breath. "The Archmage himself selected Winter to be his Sentinel, despite the many years between them. It was a great honour."

"If he's so much older than her, wouldn't he have had a Sentinel before that?"

"I'm sure he did," Weiss said, "But as long as we knew him, he never had one. The life of a Sentinel is in protection to the Mage. It's not unusual for one to fall… and not unusual for the Mage to never take another, despite the protection it offers. I said before, the bond is deeper than many realise."

She sounded so serious that I couldn't help but understand. It wasn't just a move of necessity or convenience, but a genuine partnership – something where both people came to trust the other. They were probably close friends too, or maybe they formed such friendships in time. It would probably be all but impossible to not become close if you spent so much time around someone.

"There are even rumours it goes deeper than," Weiss continued in a low murmur. "There is an oath taken, with the sharing of blood, and some believe it forms a bond which allows one person to sense the feelings of another."

The thought of it was amazing and I turned to look at her. "Is it true?"

Weiss sighed. "I don't know. Sometimes there are… I suppose you could say people show signs but… well, the entire procedure is secretive. Only those who have graduated from here know how to use it and anything that occurs during it is kept quiet. I simply wouldn't know."

"It still sounds pretty amazing."

"Yes… it does…"

"Is that Weiss Schnee!?" The voice came from behind us and sounded equal parts surprised and amused. Three students stood there, one in crimson robes, one in white and the other in a lighter pink. In order, they were a Pyromancer, Priest and Sorcerer. They smiled at us, but it didn't look like they were particularly pleased. "Wow, I'm surprised you're here again. I thought you ran off to study in Vale?"

"I did," Weiss answered politely. "I am here on the Annual Quest."

That caught them by surprise, enough so that the Pyromancer's teeth clicked together. "Well," he said after a few seconds, "That's interesting. I suppose they do things differently over there… or maybe they're just trying to wean off the weak."

"Careful," the Healer failed to whisper, "She might get angry and stab you." The words must have been hilarious, for they burst into laughter.

"How droll," Weiss sighed, infinitely less impressed.

"And who's this?" the leader gestured towards me, "I'm surprised Weiss, you actually have a Sentinel. Then again, I can't say he looks like much."

"Come on man," the Sorcerer smiled, "At least she's trying. It's not like she has the pick of the finest like us. Beggars can't be choosers after all."

"He is not my Sentinel."

"He isn't?" The sorcerer blinked. "Eh, I guess that makes sense. A Sentinel is a Mage's sword and shield. I guess you don't need one, do you?" Weiss' face hardened at the words. Her hands turned white as she gripped them into tiny fists.

My own temper flared before hers. The three backed off a step when I stood in front of Weiss, hand on the hilt of Crocea Mors. "Do you mind?" I demanded. "Weiss and I were having a conversation, and the last time I checked, it didn't include you three."

"Ooh, the Knight has claws," the Healer chuckled. "Shame he'd be brought down before he even got a step closer to us. You're just a Knight, after all. What can you even hope to achieve against people like us?"

The same bigotry, the same self-satisfied pride… it was like being called an NPC again, except that this time the arrogance came directed at the Class I pretended to be. So, was this how the Hero Caste were seen in Atlas? I hated it.

"Enough," Weiss sighed and stepped before me. Her hand reached out to touch mine, but only to push Crocea Mors back into its scabbard. I hadn't realised I'd even started to draw it. "You are wasting your time here, but more importantly, you are wasting mine." Her rapier whispered as it came free in a flash of silver. "My friend might not be able to close the distance before you can cast, but I assuredly can. What's more, I can counter any spells you attempt to cast, filling you with holes the entire time." Weiss' smile turned arctic. "Would you care to see?"

They didn't. Like every bully that ever existed, they backed away with snarls and taunts. "Forget this waste of time," the Pyromancer growled. "If I wanted a challenge I'd go and talk to a real Mage, not some kind of half-breed reject. Come on guys." He motioned for his comrades to follow and they did, but not before sending insulting glances back at us.

I watched them go with a barely concealed snarl. Only when they'd left entirely did I turn back to Weiss. "What the hell was that all about?"

"Foolishness and pride," the girl shrugged, "Ignore it."

"They insulted you to your face!"

"It's nothing new. Why do you think I study at Beacon and not here?"

"How are you so calm about this?" I growled. "Weiss, they called you-"

"I know what they called me, Arc," the Mage snapped. "I am more than aware of what they say, thank you very much. It is not, nor will it ever be, something new. I have already told you to ignore it. I learned to long ago."

She made to leave, but I caught her arm. "At least tell me why," I begged. "What gives them the right to act like that?"

Weiss sighed. She didn't turn around to face me, and instead stared off into the distance, the back of her head to me. "Atlas is a Mageocracy," she said. "Everything here is measured by how powerful of a Mage you are. The Mage is the ultimate ideal, the pinnacle of grace, power and intellect. A Sentinel, on the other hand, is sword and shield to the Mage's staff." Weiss sighed and clasped a hand to Myrtenaster, which hung proudly at her waist. "What need would a Mage with a sword have of such a person?"

"This is all because you use a sword?" I asked. "That's ridiculous… why not just get a staff as well, then?"

Weiss pulled out of my grip and stood a few feet away from me. "A Mage uses a focus for their spells and equipment can come with Stat enhancements… with a sword, I will never be as strong a Mage as someone who uses a staff. As for why…" I saw her glance down to it, even if it was only in the way her ponytail moved.

She sighed and started to walk away. Even as she did, however, I caught her final words.

"The option was taken away from me at birth…"

/-/

"I have the honour to present Archmage Ironwood, Lord of the Grand Academy of Magic." Winter's words were as grand as the title, her smile proud as she led us into the rather large dining room. I wondered if we were meant to clap or bow, but since no one else did, I instead stood awkwardly and waited for instruction.

"Winter, there's no need for that," the tall and stern-looking man chuckled. His face seemed to relax a little, the barest hint of warmth appearing as he looked over them all. "And is that Weiss? It's been so long."

He opened his arms wide, ornate cloth hanging from the sleeves of his robe. It was with an almost awkward pout that Weiss reluctantly moved over to allow the man to embrace her. "Greetings Archmage Ironwood," she said.

"Weiss, you know you can call me James," the man sighed. His eyes rose to meet the rest of us. "You all can, in fact, or Ironwood if that feels too familiar. Please, take a seat and avail yourself of the food on offer. We shall dine before we discuss business."

I looked to Ren, who looked back to me and shrugged. The table was long and rectangular in shape and could have easily fit fifty without any difficulty. In the end, we all sat on one side of it, while Winter, Weiss and the Archmage took the other. Weiss sat between the two, dwarfed by their respective height.

"We shan't wait on ceremony here," the man spoke, "Please, dig in and enjoy. I heard the journey was rough and your stomachs must be empty." He followed the words by breaking apart some bread and dipping it into a bowl of soup before him. That proved the sign everyone needed and as Yang and Pyrrha reached for their own, I did the same.

The food was incredible. It was a buffet of various meats, vegetables and dishes I couldn't identify. The smells and aromas were tempting, but it was quantity I sought as I piled my plate high with beef, ham and chicken – then covered it all in thick gravy and mashed potato. Mom wasn't around, so vegetables went ignored as I covered the huge pile in pepper.

"This is amazing!" Nora spoke around a mouthful of… something. Ren drove an elbow into her side, but the Archmage only laughed.

"Atlas is not a Kingdom with an abundance of farmland so we import much of our food in exchange for access to the rich ore and mineral deposits in our mountains. A typical Atlesian dinner will be a wide range of cultural dishes from the other Kingdoms. We really have few of our own, and those tend to be warm stews and soups."

Honestly, for a man in such a position of power, I couldn't help but feel surprised at how affable Ironwood was. He answered excitable questions from Nora, and even Ruby once she opened up enough to ask about the ore in Atlas and what weapons it was good in. That led to Yang getting involved too, and eventually the mood was far more relaxed.

"We have a lot of iron in the region, but Atlas is really famous for its iron wood – which makes some of the most exotic weapons available. Of course, that wouldn't be possible were it not for the Archmage." Winter looked towards him with an almost boastful expression as she said that.

"Now, Winter," he chuckled, "I'm sure they don't want to hear about that."

"I do!" Ruby said, rather predictably. I nodded along, however, because the concept of strong forging material like that immediately caught my attention. If I could get hold of some of that… then again, it's probably expensive.

The Fencer looked towards the Archmage, and for a second it looked like they shared an entire conversation in that moment. In the end, he sighed and waved a hand, while she smiled and turned to them. "The Iron Wood deposits of Atlas are great trees made entirely of the richest iron," Winter explained. "They reach up to over sixty feet in height and curl in great patterns to surround a small village."

"Trees of iron?" I echoed. "That… doesn't sound natural. How would iron grow?"

"They didn't grow at all. In fact, they were created twenty years ago when a young Mage, recently graduated from the Academy was forced to single-handedly defend a village from a huge swarm of Grimm. The legend goes that he knew he was doomed and used the last of his willpower to sacrifice himself to build an impenetrable wall around the village. He sought to summon trees but wished for them to be as hard as metal – and thus bent the very planet to his will. The forest sprouted in an instant, defending the village and saving the lives of everyone within."

"That's amazing," I gasped, impressed despite myself.

"Isn't it?" Winter Schnee smiled.

"Winter…" the Archmage sighed.

"And," she went on, "The story goes that despite his sacrifice, the Mage survived the ordeal, so great was his strength. Thus, from that day on, he was dubbed with the title Ironwood."

The silence at the table was deafening when, as one, we all turned to look at the Archmage. He sighed and put down his fork. "The legends like to exaggerate," he said, "I was desperate and lucky, nothing more. Greater men than I have given their lives to protect the innocent – and deserve more praise for it."

I couldn't fully agree. This man is that powerful!? It made sense, at least because he was the Archmage, but still… I'd seen Weiss fight, both against the Grimm and other students. She was good. She could summon ice and use it to bind, disorient and hurt people – but there was no way she could have summoned an entire forest of ice, let alone solid metal. Is this the difference between low level people like us and a fully trained and levelled Hero?

It reminded me uncomfortably of a snarling face, glaring up at me past the sword that transfixed her shoulder. I shivered and put down my food, suddenly not quite as hungry.

"My legend is not one I intended to bore you all with," Ironwood said once it was clear they'd all finished eating. "After all, are you not all here to forge your own? I suppose now that the meal is finished, you're all eager to hear what it is we want you to do?"

Eager was perhaps a strong word, especially since I still felt more than a little apprehensive. The others nodded, however, more excited than I by far.

The Archmage nodded and assumed a more serious expression. "Your Quest here will be for the Grand Academy of Magic and the Kingdom of Atlas itself," he said. "Normally, we would seek to handle such matters ourselves, but the nature of this task requires a… impartial touch. Simply put, there are those who would feel more assured if an international force dealt with it." He turned towards a towering window and pointed at it. "Do you see the large mountain to the east?"

We all followed his gaze, Yang and Pyrrha leaning across the table to get a better look. It was a huge thing that dominated the others around it, with clouds peaked around the top. It… didn't look inviting.

"That mountain is called the Fang, rather unimaginative, I know, but I suppose when it was named, people cared less for names. Either way, the Fang has been subject to numerous worrying seismic events in recent months. Earthquakes, avalanches and sudden blizzards that defy expectation; the communities about the base of it are naturally quite worried."

"They blame the Mages," Weiss said.

"They do," Ironwood confirmed before I could ask what she meant. He turned to the rest of us with a self-depreciating smile. "The Fang has been stable for many decades, but there are those within the Mage Circles who have wished to make it into another academy of sorts. We held off, on account of the cultural wishes and beliefs of those who live there. However, the recent events have targeted those same people and there are many who look towards ourselves as being responsible."

"They think we're trying to shift them," Winter explained with a sigh. "It's gotten to the point where the people there are openly hostile to Mages. Just last week we had a report of NPC's actually bearing arms against a young Priestess."

"What happened to them?" I asked in concern.

"She was unharmed. Her Sentinel moved in her defence and managed to extricate her before matters got out of hand." That hadn't been what I meant, and I hoped the villagers out there hadn't been hurt by them in any way. "Either way," she went on, "I can personally assure you that we have no hand in the events – but that it's possible others might."

"I am the Archmage," Ironwood explained, "and so I have considerable power within Atlas. The other members of the Mage's Circle, however – or ruling body – do not always necessarily agree. It is possible that they have taken steps without informing me and we must investigate this."

Understanding dawned on me. "That's why you want a group from Vale," I said. "This way, if it is done by people from the Mage's Circle, they won't know it's you acting against them, and the people who live there won't be so aggressive towards us."

"They will also be more likely to trust in whatever conclusion you find," the Archmage nodded. "The people might accuse us of a cover up, but you hold no such obligation to us. If this is done by a member of the Mage's Circle, I would have it known. Lives are at stake here, and I will not condone that. We can build a school anywhere."

My respect for the man continued to grow. The others seemed pumped up too, especially now that we had details to work on. "How dangerous is this?" I asked. "I mean, if these Mage Circle people are as strong as you…"

"They will not be there. That would give their actions away and in truth, I expect there to be little combat at all – other than the usual Grimm. In fact, your main Quest will be an escort mission." He paused to smile at us. "I hear those are almost a rite of passage in Vale, so it should work out well for you. In truth, the biggest dangers will be Grimm and the natural phenomena at the Fang."

That was it…? I felt like my heart might collapse in my chest, so sudden was the relief. We weren't going to fight against crazy mages, we weren't going to invade a Grimm stronghold… the Quest was dangerous because of the mountain itself – which was still intimidating, sure, but at least wouldn't kill me because I was a bad fighter.

The others seemed relieved too, even if they hid it better than I did. From the corner of my eye, I even caught Blake looking a little more relaxed. For a moment, I dared to imagine she smiled.

"Who will we be escorting?" Weiss asked from between Ironwood and Winter.

"A graduated Mage and researcher," Ironwood said. He whispered something to Winter, who nodded and walked over to the door, no doubt to introduce them to us. She opened it and leaned outside, gesturing someone to enter.

Part of me imagined it would be the bullies from earlier, but life wouldn't have been that cruel. Instead, it was a rather overweight man with navy-blue robes and a jolly expression on his face. He looked at least forty years old at least and accompanied each step he took with the click of a wooden staff on the tiles.

He was followed by another man. Silvery armour clinked as he moved, brown eyes scanning them warily as he followed the Mage with one hand on the hilt of a long sword. He caught my attention immediately, and I couldn't let go.

"This is Kaedin Sand, Mage of the Academy and researcher of mystical phenomena." Ironwood introduced the man, who waved at them. "Your responsibility will be to provide escort as Sand measures and investigates the Fang. Along with him is his Sentinel, Viktor Swansteel. You shall be working under him."

"Charmed, I'm sure," the man said. He sounded neither of those things.

I swallowed as I looked at him, however, unable to take my eyes off the words that hovered above his head.

He was a Knight.


Edit: I've already had a few people bring up the Sentinel idea being copied from something, etc... I haven't read the wheel of time, but the idea is one used in media all over the world. Pacific Rim used it, various video games have used it (SW;Kotr and more...) - and it's the latter I took inspiration from, because this is based in an RPG - style world. True originality is just about impossible to achieve, especially when one considers that ideas are not infinite.

And we're here in Atlas for the Quest – and what do you know… it's a bloody escort quest. Of course it's an escort quest. Well, at least they weren't asked to kill Grimm-rats.

And, of course, more world building for Atlas, along with their Sentinel system and how the Academy essentially makes use of arcane arts for everyday tasks. As you might already be seeing, I've tried to keep them faithful to Atlas in the show, as a faction which seek to use technology to overcome difficulty, except this time with magic. It's worth noting that people do have slightly different pasts as a result of all of this, with Ironwood's slightly more friendly tone an example (and Winter's too).

As for Weiss, well… some people actually guessed it a while back as to what her Passive is, then amusingly followed their own argument with a "Nah, that can't be it."


/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jaune Arc

Level 19 (+2)

Blacksmith

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Str: 43 (+7) (A)

Con: 38 (+5) (B)

Dex: 13 (+1) (D)

Agi: 18 (+2) (C)

Int: 23 (+3) (C)

Wis: 29 (+6) (B)

Cha: 10 (+0) (D)

Res: 41 (+8) (A)

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Passive Skill

-Fire from the Forge-

Immunity to heat, flames and associated damage caused from his forging process.

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Known Active Skills

-Stoke the Forge-

Generate intense heat in the hand for a short period of time, capable of super-heating metal to forging temperatures without the use of a forge.

-Quench-

Rapidly cool metal-based material to achieve a hardening effect during the forging process. Quench can only be used in metallurgy, as opposed to Stoke the Forge, which can generate heat in the hand irrespective of what it is then used on.

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You're doing it, Jaune – just go and slaughter some other people and you'll get even more. As always, the dark side has a certain allure to it. I always found that weird in the Star Wars games… if you want me to actually believe the dark side is tempting, then give me some better rewards. Make my light side reward a pat on the shoulder, but dark side like four levels and ten thousand credits. Make me sweat over it!


Next Chapter: 6th March

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